Disclaimer: I think this story is starting to draw some reviews. Not many, but it's better than none at all. With some help from Moon13Dreams, we'll keep it going.
Legend of Zelda is the property of Nintendo.
Chapter IX
The first thing that Zelda and Link noticed about Kokiri Forest was the overwhelming warmth. Even with the abundance of trees and shrubs and a hint of moisture in the air, the morning sun managed to shine down brightly into the forest. It was quite the beholden sight, almost mesmerizing as the suns rays made the colors of the forest illuminate their path that continued deeper into the serene grove.
The mismatched duo was only two days or more into their journey, walking their respective steeds through the forest. Both spent their time in silence taking in the feeling of belonging within the forest. The knowledge of the recent chaos of the castle seemed rather distant now as they traveled further into the brush. They could hear the happy chirping of birds and the flowing of small rivers in the distance, the tones so pure that is gave the pair a great peace to them; everything within sight had been untouched and undisturbed by the madness that lay outside the boarders of the forest. All the chaos seemed so far away, as if the forest was too far out to be bothered with anything other than peace; it was a safe haven.
Though the two wary travelers felt the tranquility within their beings, they could also feel the undeniable heat. The warm, moist air made the pair sweat little by little. It reached the point where Zelda removed her wrap cap, which greatly troubled her traveling partner. Link was on the verge of shouting at her to put the cap back on out of concern that something or someone working for Ganondorf might find them, but they were in a forest. Ganondorf didn't seem like the sort of person that liked forests. On top of that, Link didn't feel the need to disturb the quiet just to bellow at Zelda for no reason. Not yet anyway. He was sure that the stillness of the forest wasn't going to last very long with the two of them wondering around in it; a fight or something was bound to happen at one point or another. Zelda had to wipe the sweat from her face and as she did, she failed to notice the small outcropped branch on the ground.
In a sudden painful moment, Zelda tripped and fell almost on her face. Link immediately broke into laughter and wouldn't stop, needing to lean against a tree to not topple over onto the grassy carpet that lay below his feet. Zelda's face went red and her eyes widen with utter embarrassment. She had always been raised within a graceful culture, always looking up to those queens who looked as if they were gliding instead of walking. To have such an embarrassing incident, especially in front of a petty thief such as Link, shamed her.
She glared at Link, who only stopped laughing for a split second before breaking down into more laughter. He held onto his gut as he continued laughing, his grip on the tree slipping to make him collapse to the ground on his rear, all while still laughing. It irked Zelda to think that her sudden fall resulted in probably the funniest think that Link had ever seen in his life.
"That wasn't funny." she snapped.
"Are you kidding," Link asked in between every chuckle. "I don't think I've laughed so hard in my life. I mean, after all the flak I've been taking from you so far, so I figure your little tumble was worthy comeuppance."
"I'm surprised you'd even know how to pronounce that word. Now help me up, please." Zelda said and extended a hand.
Link finally stopped laughing even though he still chuckled a bit. Then he replied, "Help yourself; I want to enjoy this moment."
"You want to enjoy a moment in which I might've been seriously injured? Are you really that crude?" Zelda asked.
"Not really, no, but I'd call this poetic justice since you stole my horse," Link started wiping away some possible tears from his face. "Besides, it's not my fault that you're not used to being outside of that castle, in that little bubble you call a life."
Zelda, knowing Link wouldn't lift a finger to help her up, picked herself up of the ground and dusted herself off. She heard Link chuckling in between the miniscule puffs of dirt that formed and vanished within seconds of each other. Her face was still red with embarrassment and she pouted to herself, although Link noticed it. He thought it was unbelievable. The Princess of Hyrule was… pouting. It was too good to be true. In fact, it was almost adorable just watching Zelda try to not look so innocent. Link stopped chuckling to himself and inched closer to Zelda, who was still leering at him.
"You know something, Princess," he said. "You're actually kind of cute when you're angry." With a sly and smarmy grin, Link walked onward, while Zelda found herself twitching an eye.
She spat out, "I hate you."
He whispered back, "Feeling's mutual."
Zelda was still fuming at Link for no other reason than that he showed almost no respect to her. That was fine with her since she didn't fully respect or trust him anyway. As she grew up, she never thought she would spend any lengthy amount of time with someone like him; a lowly thief with no sense of chivalry at all. He infuriated her, to say the least. She had to deal with the death of her mother as a child, needing to be strong enough to not show any weakness to the other nobles so that they wouldn't take advantage of her to get to her father. She needed to train herself to be as flexible and talented with a bow as any man would be. She had just recently lost her kingdom and her father to a man she had loathed from the very start. She had gone through all that hell and this thief showed almost little to no sympathy. She hated him for that, but for better or worse, she was stuck with him for the time being.
Eventually, a faint rustling caught her attention in the bushes just a short distance away, snapping her from her hateful rant. Instinctively, Zelda drew her bow and an arrow and pointed at the source of the rustling sounds that alarmed her. As the silence continued, she bitterly realized Link was right, she wasn't used to being out of the castle walls, let alone a forest. She was just too stubborn and proud to admit; and she was most certainly not going to admit it someone like him. She decided she was wasting time waiting for something to happen, so she put her bow away and unwillingly followed Link into the forest. In her tangent of irritated thoughts, she failed to notice a set of glowing eyes tracking her movements.
Impa was stirred from her dreamless slumber by the sound of steel grating against stone. She had to force her eyes open, but as soon as she did, she wanted to close them. Ganondorf was standing right in front of her, a Moblin at his side brandishing a club. She wasn't sure how long it had been since the siege. Two days, maybe? Three? It seemed like the days themselves were starting to blend together, and yet, Ganondorf stood before her cocking his head and raising a single eyebrow. He took a single step to his apparently favored prisoner. She was disheveled and filthy, her silvery white hair loose and hanging in strands over her face, barely masking the wounds of the siege. Ganondorf tried to place a hand on woman's face, but she pulled away before the first finger could touch her skin.
"Such a beautiful face, ruined by the horror and desolation of constant battle," he whispered before he finally rested a finger on Impa's disheveled face. "It's a shame that we find ourselves as we are now. We could have been magnificent together."
Impa glared up at Ganondorf eyes; they were the same sickly yellow as they've always been. Then she spit in his face with as much saliva and iron-forged defiance as she could muster. "I'd rather die fighting in constant battle than live as your whore."
Ganondorf frowned and pulled away from the defiant woman. He wiped the spit from his own face, and then struck Impa in the face with the back of his hand. The strike rocked her, sending her head to the side and she cringed at the stinging pain that came soon after. She was able to right her head and spit out a trickle of spit laced with her own blood. Then she raised her head, training her eyes on Ganondorf, and she smirked at him. Ganondorf was glaring right back at her and saw the defiance in her eyes, as if she was daring him to strike again. He was tempted, but he calmed himself, electing to retain his composer in the face of Impa's insolence.
"Be thankful that I allow for you to live at all, Impa, if for no other reason than my own amusement," Ganondorf said before grabbing Impa by the face, hard. "But once I have the Triforce, and the Princess, then perhaps I'll make her my bride, willingly or otherwise. Then, I'll make you both watch as I plunge Hyrule into perpetual darkness."
Ganondorf then forced a hard lip lock on Impa. As soon as he broke the kiss, Impa spit in his face a second time with even more detest than before. Ganondorf simply smirked at his apparent conquest, even chuckling at her. She sneered at him, wanting badly to break free of her bounds and strangle him and not let go until his last breath left his throat. But she knew, as did Ganondorf, that she wouldn't survive. Ganondorf elected on taking his leave, but Impa was far from finished.
"You are a fool on a fool's errand, Ganondorf," she said, drawing the tyrant's attentive gaze. "When the Princess returns, and she will, she will see fit to cast you down into the abyss where you belong. And I will be there to watch you fall."
Ganondorf chuckled at the threat, a veiled threat. "I would stow the idle threats, Impa. I mean to rule this realm and its people, and why should I not?"
"Because you're nothing more than a coward bent solely on the desire for power, a power that you neither understand nor deserve," Impa snapped. "You think yourself above the people of Hyrule and you claim to mean to rule them, but you miss the truth of ruling. The throne would suit you ill."
"Would it now," Ganondorf inquired. "What if I told you that there exist other realms besides our own," Ganondorf paused to let it sink in before continuing. "Imagine it; a realm that exists over a three-day cycle? A world submerged beneath a vast ocean or one that exist in perpetual twilight? So many possibilities."
"You're insane." Impa said.
"Am I? In my exile, I've learned of these worlds and many more like them that you've never known about. I am wise far beyond your comprehension, my dear," Ganondorf stated as though he was genuinely sure of his words. "When I have the Triforce, when have all three crests in possession, so too shall I possess omnipotent mastery of all things."
Impa glared at Ganondorf, glared at the twisted gleam in his disturbingly sickening eyes. "Then I must reiterate my statement; you're not only insane but you're also delusional as well."
Ganondorf sneered at Impa and said, "Well, that is just a matter of perspective, isn't it?"
Then a new voice, young and feminine but strong, bellowed to Ganondorf, "Leave her alone."
Ganondorf turned toward the source of the voice and saw the young redheaded girl in the adjacent cell along with the prisoners from the banquet. Curiously, Ganondorf approached the cell while gazing at the girl that had addressed him so defiantly. The girl backed a single step away from the bars as Ganondorf loomed over her. The bars were the only barriers between them and Ganondorf cocked his head while he gazed at the redheaded girl. A pretty one, he thought, with strength of character to boot. Ganondorf wanted to test that and he did; by slamming the palms of his hands against the bars. The bars reverberated in the cold space and startled both the girl and her fellow prisoners.
Ganondorf chuckled at the sight of the girl now backing away from the bars for fear of her life. Strength of character; eliminated. She was frightened of Ganondorf now. Good! He liked it when people were frightened of him, terrified of him. That meant he was in control of them and they wouldn't dare stand against him.
His deed done, Ganondorf took his leave while the lone Moblin shut the gate to Impa's cell. Impa glared at Ganondorf as he departed, fuming over how he threatened young Malon. At the same time, Impa was impressed with Malon for having shown a small glimpse of bravery for whatever good it did. It at least told Impa that there was still hope regardless of how small it was.
In Kokiri Forest, Link and Zelda continued their trek through the sometimes thick foliage of plant life. Link seemed to be fairing slightly better than Zelda in terms of knowing his way through, as if he'd been in the forest before. He'd never actually been there, but he just… felt as if he knew his way. Zelda, on the other hand, was having slightly more of an issue getting around. She just wasn't used to traveling through a forest. She had suggested using the horses to travel, but Link either didn't agree or didn't care. Plus, she was having trouble shaking the feeling of being watched, which Link again seemingly ignored. Eventually, Zelda stopped while reigning in Epona from butting her head around. Link slowed, but didn't stop as he pulled Ingo along with him.
"Alright, stop. Stop." Zelda said.
For once, he actually did what she requested, or rather demanded, and stopped; turning to face her with a bit of annoyance. "Now what?"
She was carefully looking around at her surroundings before she replied, "We're not alone out here."
"We brought the horses with us. Of course, we're not alone," Link rolled his eyes. "Let's get going."
"That's not what I meant," Zelda frowned. "I just can't shake this feeling that every move we make is being watched; and not by Ganondorf."
Link had to sign and stated, "You're being a little paranoid, don't you think? How? How would Ganondorf know where we are without actually being here at all?"
"We're not being watched by Ganondorf and he doesn't know exactly where we are," Zelda pointed out. "No, we're being watched by something else in the forest."
"Like I said; you're paranoid."
"You're being judgmental."
"Well, looks like we've finally got one more thing in common," Link stated. "C'mon, let's go."
"How do you figure that we have something in common?" Zelda wondered aloud.
Link stopped short and replied, "Aside from the fact that you don't like me and I don't like you, you've threatened me with a sword, almost shot me with an arrow, insulted me, and stole my horse. That last part came after I allowed you stay the night at my house."
"As I recall, you broke into my castle and invaded my bedroom while I was still there," Zelda countered quickly. "And; don't think I didn't catch you staring at my posterior as we were evacuating."
"Don't flatter yourself, Princess," Link snapped back. "You're not my type anyway."
"For which I am grateful beyond words," Zelda snapped again, this time right in Link's face. "What would further make this day better is if you weren't even here right now."
"Is that right," Link spat back in Zelda's face just the same. "Tell you what, Little Miss High and Mighty; you want me gone, then I'm gone. I've had enough of you pretending like you're better than me, like you think you can push me around and I won't push back. Well, I'm pushing back now, and I say if you want to go on some stupid quest then you go do it without me," Link paused to stare daggers right into Zelda. He was making her think about it. Then Link grabbed the rope to Epona muzzle and finished, "I'll be taking my horse back now. As for you, Princess; you're on your own."
Taking both Epona and Ingo with him, Link took his leave back the way he and Zelda came. Zelda was, for once in her life, utterly speechless. It felt so bizarre given the fact that when they first met, Zelda only saw Link as a thieving coward and a miscreant. But apparently, Link was more than that, and he just showed it Zelda in a way that left the Princess befuddled; and angry, but not at Link. Still, Zelda wanted to shout at Link at the top of her lungs and prove her apparent superiority, but what was the point?
She let Link leave with the horses until he vanished beyond the bushes before continuing on deeper into the forest. Zelda resolved to continue her journey on her own if that was what had to be done. She didn't need Link; that was her thought. Alone like she was, Zelda still couldn't shake the feeling that she was not alone at all even after Link departed. So, she continued on through the forest while carrying her bow at her side. She suddenly heard a light noise like a snapping twig and turned to the source, holding her bow taut. The bushes were rustling slightly just a few feet away from her.
The bushes off to the side were also rustling, and Zelda was starting to get nervous when she started backing away. Then her fears were reinforcement by the sounds of growling and snarling. Zelda took a chance and bolted deeper into the forest, not really knowing where she was going. She still had her bow in hand in case whatever it was that was chasing her now had caught up to her. Zelda looked back briefly and spotted her pursuers; a pack of wolves. There were about five of them, all of them with glowing yellow eyes and razor-sharp fangs frothing at the mouth and all of them were led by a massive Alpha wolf. They appeared hungry and she was the easiest prey in the forest.
Author's Note: Okay, so I'm going to stop here for the time being. Another thank you to Moon13Dreams for her contributions.
Zelda is apparently not used to traveling, much to Link's amusement in the early going. Speaking of Link, it seems he's finally had enough of Zelda frequent berating of him, so he's taken the horses and abandoned her. That turned out to be bad news for the Princess.
I also threw in an extra layer or two for Ganondorf by hinting at an implied past relationship with Impa. He even forced a smooch on her; the bastard.
The existence of other realms besides Hyrule was also implied for those of you who catch the brief descriptions. Hopefully, there'll be more reviews incoming.