Link made up his mind. He had sworn to serve Castilla unto death; therefore, he had no choice but to reject the offer from Hyrule. Though Hyrule was indeed the more beneficial option, it was the principle that mattered. Because Link had already chosen Castilla, he had to honor his word.
Link tucked the paper in his pocket and looked around the ranch. Phillip, Richard, Talon's girls, and the Hylian messenger were all still around him. He saw Phillip's horse trot over to Richard's and the two boys quickly converse before they came back him. Everyone else parted ways. Malon left to care for the horses while Romani went back into the ranch, and the Hylian messenger was on his horse, ready to head back to Hyrule.
Phillip unmounted and walked over to Link. "My apologies for leaving you here so long without any instructions," Phillip actually knew that the long wait was a test of Link's disposition, "but now we must depart for a visit to the army's forward outpost to the north of here." Phillip pointed on the map, and Link vaguely remembered the small fort. "Richard and I shall leave through the back gate. Tell Malon that we will return with the horses within an hour. We will be waiting for you at the front entrance; I am sure Malon will have your horse watered and ready."
Link nodded and waited for the princes to get started before going over to the stable. In transit, he walked past a horse that was tied to a pole and was eating grass next to a tree that stood out in the otherwise bare field. Link then curiously entered into the spacious, well-nurtured stable. In one of the stalls, Link saw Malon feeding an old gray horse. He cleared his throat.
Malon turned around and seemed disappointed. "Oh, Sir Link."
Link could not decide whether her tone was condescending, plain bored, or perhaps uninterested. Since cleaning stables was certainly not fun, Link could not blame her for being a little unenthusiastic.
"Anything you need?" she asked.
Link explained that the princes were leaving temporarily and that he was going to accompany them.
"So soon? Your poor horse is still sweaty from the trip here." Malon rubbed the top of the horse's nose.
"I can take another, right?" Link was still quite new to horse business.
"The princes' horses from the castle are tired too." Malon clearly had a great passion and understanding of animals.
"One of the others here will do." Link thought he could simply take his pick.
Malon frowned. "Many of these horses are not ours to do as we please with; we just care for them. And my father would never let me send you off with our other ones because they are worth too much."
Link observed the broad, muscular chests of Lon Lon Ranch's prize stallions. He did not understand why he could not borrow one.
Malon pondered. "However, there is one that might do."
"Yes...?" Link wanted to get it over with; the princes were waiting.
"Follow me."
Malon led Link out of that portion of the stables to the other side of the ranch. When they passed a field where cows were grazing, Link remembered that Lon Lon Ranch was well-known for its luscious, fresh milk. After walking over a small field of grass, Malon opened a creaky door to an old barn. A chicken went flying and the characteristic smell of farm manure filled Link's nostrills. Beams of light shone through the cracks in the wooden planks that made up the thin walls. The hayloft above looked perfect for sleeping in, and a rusted plow gave proof that Lon Lon had not always been all pastureland.
Link saw the beast he was to ride. It was a young chestnut horse, with a perfect white dot on its forehead and a white belly. Beautiful was the only term Link could appropriate.
Malon introduced it. "This is Epona, a stubborn little filly that has refused to let a single customer ride her. Sometimes, she lets me ride her around the field, but she might not accept you." Malon made a little pout and paused. "It's worth a try though."
Link nodded, deeply absorbed in the horse's perfect coat. He walked into Epona's stall and rubbed her nose. In response, Epona let out a high-pitched sound that seemed to symbolize her shyness.
"Here," Malon handed Link a cube of sugar, "Give this to her to let her know you like her."
Link offered the timid horse the treat slowly and patted her soft back. Malon put a saddle on Epona as Link fed her.
"Now try mounting her, slowly and gently; speak to her in a soothing tone."
Link jumped up on the wooden railing surrounding Epona's stall and slowly put one of his feet into position.
Link said in a voice nothing like his own, "Don't be afraid. I am just going to sit on your back." He lowered himself cautiously. "There. That was certainly not so bad, eh?" Link massaged Epona and continued talking to her.
Malon was silent. It was surprising to see such a particular horse accept such an amatuer rider with such little resistance.
"So far so good. Let's take her outside."
Malon opened the gate to Epona's stall and slowly led her out of the barn. The bad-natured filly seemed uninterested and walked with her head down. Malon stopped in the middle of a field and watched Epona for any signs of a change in mood. Link was unsure what to do, but Epona felt confortable enough to chew on the grass. Malon handed Link the reins.
"It's amazing. She doesn't even seem to realize your presence. Try guiding her around the field."
Link disturbed Epona's snack and rather sloppily made her turn around. However, once Link pushed her to start going, Epona got into a trot without a complaint. He practiced with Epona for a minute and found her to be reliably responsive.
Link blurted somewhat impetuously, "I want to take her—I'll even buy her later too."
Malon shook her head. "To sell this horse to you would be taking advantage of your lack of knowledge in animals, but I suppose she will make a good replacement for the time being." Malon was not afraid to point out the young knight's ignorance.
"Well, I must be going." Link pushed Epona to start a little too abruptly, and she responded by jumping up on her back legs and giving out a call of triumph. Link pulled out his sword to dramatize the scene, "I shall return within the hour mi'lady!" Epona started running, jerking Link down and forcing him to stop goofing around.
Malon crossed her arms and shook her head as she watched Link clumsily make his way to the gate. "Silly boy. I hope he becomes someone reputable." She turned around and returned to her chores. As she walked away, she sang a folksy tune with a pure voice, "La la la, de de de, da da da, da, da. La, la, la, tra la la. Lon Lon Ranch!"
000
Back at the entrance, Phillip and Richard sat on their horses, wondering what was taking their guardian so long. After a while, Link finally came on Epona's swift legs. He had to verbally calm Epona down to get her to stop.
Richard said in his nonchalant tone, "I see you decided to return."
"Malon told me that our horses from the castle still needed rest, so I had to take another. I am sorry to have kept you waiting."
Phillip's eyes were locked on Epona; he did not care about Link's two-minute delay. "What a beautiful horse. Is it a mare?"
"She is a young female. Her dislike of riding has kept her from being sold."
Phillip gave a puzzeled look and raised an eyebrow. Link was not the type of boy to give a temperamental horse to. "You seem to be handling her fine."
"She seems to not notice me, though she responds well to my guidance."
Richard was bored and not having any of it. "We really ought to be going now."
Phillip looked at the still rising sun. "Yes, we have much to do and little time to do it."
000
The ride to the army base was uneventful. Once they reached their destination, Phillip had a long talk with the colonel there about monsters and such. Meanwhile, Richard practiced archery with the relative protection of the army, leaving Link free to do as he pleased. Having learned of Link's short history in Castilla, a competitive, bearded sergeant asked Link for a duel to see if the lad really had any skill; but Link cleverly responded that he could not take up the offer because he could not jeopardize his responsibility to escort the princes back to the capital. Of course, Link also did not wish to duel with the man because of the vast differences in their height and body composition.
After a visit too boring for Link, the three boys returned their horses to Lon Lon. Link assured Malon that he really did like Epona and wished to claim her for his own. Malon only shrugged in response and said that she would have to ask her father Talon about it. Link had not even recieved his pay yet though. Considering that he still needed to buy the hookshot that was going to cost five hundred rupees, Link probably had to wait awhile before he could buy Epona.
When Link asked how much he owed the ranch for taking care of his horse and loaning Epona to him, Malon shook her head and said, somewhat annoyed, "The government does all of that; we are compensated for our services."
Link still had much to learn about being a knight.
000
Back in the Kokiri Forest, ten-year-old Zelda was no longer an irresponsible little princess. She had learned much magic from Impa and had become quite a scholar, having learned everything there was to know about the legends and Hyrule's recent history. Zelda was a master of Hylian writing, modern, regional, and ancient. However, Zelda had noticed something in her studies that was totally mind-boggling. The legends fit together perfectly chronologically until the legend of the Ocarina of Time. After that, some things simply did not piece together sensibly. It almost seemed as though the legends connected to each other in three separate blocks. After much consideration and research, Zelda decided she would bring the question to Impa.
Zelda put a book on her lap and asked, "Impa," the dependable Sheikah looked up from her sewing, "have you ever given much thought as to the reason why the legends do not seem to fit together well?"
Impa knew no definite answer. "That is an unsolved mystery of antiguity. No remedy has ever been found that would explain how Hyrule could have gone through such different eras without noticeable physical impact." Zelda's eyes widened out as she put all her brain power into thinking about the most-interesting question. "There was one philosopher who formulated a theory many years ago about this."
Impa got up from her seat and quickly scanned the enormous book shelf.
"Ah, here it is, Commentaries on the Untold Histories of Hyrule by Cargome and Trudl Edesius." Impa flipped through the pages and summarized the theory. "Edesius suggested that during the time travel of the Hero of a Time, three separate, um...timelines...were created, one in which the Hero defeated Ganon and continued his life from there, one in which the Princess Zelda returned the Hero to his childhood after defeating Ganon, and one in which the Hero was defeated."
"The Hero of Time defeated? I always thought that that disaster referred to some other hero."
"That is probably the case, but Edesius believed otherwise. He goes on to say that when that Zelda returned the Hero to his real time, he was split in two, continuing his life as an adult AND going to Termina as a child at the same time. He says that the stories of Hyrule being flooded come from the events following the 'Adult Timeline.'"
Zelda was locked in daydreaming. "Fascinating." Impa handed her the book, which Zelda let fall open naturally. "But how could he say that the Hero was also defeated at the same time?"
"Look for a chapter called 'The Downfall Timeline.' Supposedly, Din wanted the Hero to be defeated, while Nayru and Farore wanted him to succeed. Then Nayru was said to have desired for the Hero to return to his childhood while Farore wanted him to continue his life as a man. To settle their differences, the three goddesses created three parallel universes to suit their tastes. All this is what Edesius purely assumed to have happened." Zelda put her head back a little and frowned slightly. "It is this ternary aspect which Edesius concocted that turns many people away from his theory, though it is the only plausible explanation of the legends' incongruences that has ever been proposed."
The three separate timelines reminded Zelda of the Triforce. "But if there are three different Hyrules, would that not imply that we are a part of one of them and therefore should not know anything about the other two?"
Impa admired Zelda's quick conclusion. "Yes, but he also tries to explain that. In the end of the book, he surmises that the three parallel universes were brought together again into one timeline by divine intervention. This part of his theory is what I disagree with: it lacks any evidence."
Zelda glanced over the last few pages and then eagerly turned the book to the beginning. "Thank you for the information. I must look over this in greater detail."
Impa smiled to herself and returned to her chores. Zelda was such a cute little scholar.
000
Navi and her companions Tael and Tatl had just finished one of their check-ups on Zelda, but now they were going to see Saria and the other Forest Children. Navi was in for a shock when she found out that Link had left Saria at the Great Deku Tree's command.
She protested, "What?! For Nayru's Love! He's just ten years old!" Navi was outraged. "If the Great Deku Tree thinks he can send a child alone into a world full of monsters just because he was 'informed by a spirit' or some garbage, he's got another thing coming!"
Saria tried to dissuade Navi from going to see the Tree, but the fairies were determined to speak with him. Saria told them where to find him, but when they arrived, the Tree was sleeping as usual. Tael awakened him with a thump, and Navi flew in front of the Tree's face, her invisible arms crossed over her chest.
"Where is Link, Mr. Know-It-All!?"
He made an peculiar gargling sound and answered, "The boy whom ye speak of hast gone into Castilla to begin fulfilling his duties as the Hero." The Tree yawned, "Who hast told thee where I am? From whence have ye come?"
Castilla? The Hero?! Navi's fire was put out. "Wait a second, are you telling me that Link and the young warrior we heard about from the monster battle the other day are one in the same?"
"I answered your first question; now answer ye mine."
Tatl rolled her eyes but Navi responded to get the Tree to talk, "Saria."
The Deku Tree frowned. "Hmmm...I will have to speak with her."
Navi pressed him again. "Well, are you going to answer my question now?"
The Deku Tree calmly revealed, "Yes, yes, Link is the lad ye speak of. He is the Hero."
Tael finally stepped in. "What do you mean by 'Hero'?"
"Thou hast already been told about Zelda, correct?"
Navi answered, "Yes, she is the Princess of Destiny."
The Tree stated simply, "And young Link is the Hero of Destiny, the counterpart."
The three fairies hovered around the Tree and looked at each other but said nothing. Why had they not realized it sooner? They had to tell everyone, especially the king and queen. The fairies were not aware that Impa already knew that Link was the Hero. This was big news to them!
000
In Hyrule Castle, King Harkinian paced back and forth in the royal chamber.
"Where on earth is that fairy?"
Queen Leah was sitting down on a comfortable chair (not her throne), sipping some tea.
"Oh, Dear, please calm down! Navi should be here any second to tell us all about our well our daughter is faring."
"Yes, yes, yes, but I cannot stand these delays. Our daughter, the princess, all alone in the monster-infested Kokiri Forrest with but a single Sheikah to protect her. Naturally I am concerned."
Leah looked down at the floor. "I get worried as well. I have never ceased having visions about our darling Zelda."
Harkinian stopped moving and then walked up to his wife and whispered, "More visions? Are you sure that there is nothing we need to learn from this?"
"The things I see are mere prophecies: I see Zelda in many places, standing her ground and waging war against evil." Leah sounded a little proud that her daughter was to become such an important figure. "In some ways, these visions are a comfort to me. Because I see Zelda as a young adult, I am convinced that she will live to carry out her duties."
Harkinian was comforted by that as well. "Tell me...what does she look like?"
Leah said, "She has luscious blond hair of medium length, and a face that is both young and attractive and wise and understanding. Her eyes are blue, just as Navi told us, and very large and revealing of her emotions. She looks very much like an adult version of what Navi has described her as."
Harkinian rubbed his chin. "It is a pity we cannot communicate with her; I wish we could at least write to her—tell her that she does have parents that love her."
Leah molded her hand with Harkinian's as they exchanged understanding smiles. She felt the same way he did, but both of them were determined to allow Zelda to have a normal childhood and not be burdened by her huge responsibility; they also could not afford to have Zelda's assylum be discovered.
"Do not worry, I am sure Impa has told Zelda something about us, though it be generic."
Just then, a servant entered the royal chamber and bowed. "Your Majesty, the fairy Navi has returned. Shall I bring her here now?"
"Yes, yes, send her in immediately!" Harkinian turned to his wife. "I guarantee Navi will make another shallow excuse for being late." They both smiled and chuckled.
Navi flew in and Harkinian gave a gesture for the servant to close the huge doors and leave them alone. The purple orb fell to the floor in front of the seated royals.
"Your Majesties, I am delighted to tell you that Zelda is still in perfect health and is becomming quite the perfect young lady."
Harkinian was amused by Navi's attempts to find favor in his sight. He pretended to be angry.
"Very well. Now will you explain what kept you away for so long?"
Navi tried to sound innocent. "As we, that is I, Tael, and Tatl, were in Kokiri making sure that the Forest Children were not being molested by the monsters, I learned some disturbing news."
Harkinian tried to sound uninterested. "Oh, really?" Leah struggled to not grin.
"Yes, a boy who had been living among the Kokiri was suddenly sent away into Castilla."
"I know," Harkinian stated calmly.
Navi was surprised. "You...do?"
"He is the lad that helped our knights defend the Castillian caravan. I have sent him an invitation to come here and perhaps become a knight."
Navi would have had a priceless face if it were big enough to see. "But how...?"
"Nevermind. Our knights personally told me everything. Now what was so important about his departure that you were forced to be detained in Kokiri for so long?"
"Well, I, um...well you see—how can I explain?"
Harkinian drummed his fingers on a table. "Have you anything important to say?"
"Well, being rather blunt, Your Majesty, this boy is not only a skilled swordsman that helped your troops. The Great Deku Tree told me that he is also the Hero we have been so ardently searching for; his name is Link."
000