The Legend of Zelda: The Last Hero

by MeLoveMamimi

A massive epic seeking to implement elements and characters from every game in the series. Many years after the events of Spirit Tracks, the Triforce and Master Sword have been discovered by deep-sea archaeologists and exhumed from the depths of the Great Sea, reinstating the endless cycle that is the reincarnation of the Hero, the Princess, and the Dark Lord on the new continent.

6. Ordona 5: Ordon Village

When Link awoke, he was staring into a foggy abyss. He jumped at the sight and whacked his head against a milk crate with a load crack.

"Ach!" He cursed under his breath, sat up and started rubbing the bump, but scraped his injured foot across the corner of another milk crate.

"Ow ow ow ow ow!" He hissed and tightly clutched his foot.

The pain in his head and foot ebbed away, and he became aware of the clickety-clack of the carriage's wheels. He heard Romani and Malon's voices in the front.

"Is it that rock down there?"

"For the last time, it's not a rock!"

"What else could it be? There aren't that many brown things out here."

"You're staring right at it and you don't even know!"

Cremia's voice interjected, "Not so loud, girls. I'm not comfortable crossing this canyon as is, and you're gonna wake Link."

"It's ok!" Link exclaimed as he crawled through the burlap cover. The sunlight reflected on the fog and blinded him.

"I was already awake."

"Malon, just tell me what it is. I give up already."

"It's the rope. You know, the one holding up the bridge so we don't fall and die?"

"Oh come on!" Romani scoffed. "That's way too hard."

"You were staring at the rope the whole time and you never once thought to name it. It should've been obvious."

"It's too obvious. That's what made it hard. Can I take my turn yet?"

"I'm bored. Let's do something else."

"Can I take a turn?" asked Link. "Before you quit?"

"As long as you do something easy," Malon answered. "You always pick hard things."

It didn't take Link long to pick his object.

"I spy with my blue eye … something red."

"Red?!" Malon cried. "What the heck, Link?!" There's nothing red out here!"

Romani leaned over the carriage and began searching the fog impatiently.

"Yeah there is," he corrected. "You just gotta look really hard."

"You were supposed to pick something that wasn't hard, Link!" She leaned next to Romani and searched the canyon with her. In the meantime, Link leaned over to Cremia.

"Are we there yet?"

"Almost. We're on the bridge just outside of the village. Once we cross, it's a short trip past the spring."

"Finally!" Link moaned. "Almost there."

"I know you must be tired of riding all day. I know I am. I want to get there and start doing some real work."

"Link," Romani gave up her search and pulled herself back into the cart. "Where is it?"

"Romani, don't lean over so far," warned Cremia.

"Can't you give us a hint?" Malon whined. "I have no idea what you're looking at."

"There's three of 'em," said Link. "And they're sitting in a row."

"That doesn't help at all!" Romani groaned, slapping her hands on her face. Malon noticed Cremia's cheeky grin.

"You know, don't you? Tell us!"

"I might have an idea," Cremia replied, chuckling.

"What in the world is out there that's red, sitting in a row, and there's three of them?"

"Give up?" Link grinned.

"We'll never get it in a million years," Malon threw her hands in the air. "Just tell us."

"It's your hair."

She squinted angrily at him, then slapped an open palm against her forehead in exasperation.

"Our hair?" Romani asked confusedly.

"Yeah, see?" He reached over and took a lock of Romani's hair in his hand.

"All three of you are sitting in a row, and you've got pretty red hair. See?"

Link smiled, but his smile faded when he realized Romani's face was turning the same color as her hair.

"What's wrong?"

She turned away, her face twisted in an awkward smile, and wrapped the lock of hair around her finger.

"What's with her?"

Link looked to Malon for an answer, but it was her turn to grin.

"You're so clueless," she snickered.

"Come on! Romani, you're not mad at me again, are you? I'm sorry!"

"It's okay," she whispered without looking at him.

"Are you sure? I didn't mean it."

He touched her shoulder, but she cringed.

"I'm not mad."

The words barely passed from her lips. Not knowing what else to do, Link retreated under the burlap cover and opened the back flaps to watch the canyon and bridge go by.

The sun shined brightly in the robin's egg-blue sky, clear of any clouds. The carriage crossed an ancient bridge of solid wooden planks, attached firmly to a bulky rope that stretched from one side of the canyon to the other. Below the bridge was an impenetrable fog, and the only objects visible through it were the skinny buttes erecting out of the thick miasma.

At the sheer drop, Link's heart fell into the pit of his stomach, so he pulled himself back inside and peeked through the front flap, in time to see the carriage cross the last section of the bridge onto solid ground. They hurried away from the canyon, onto the dirt path, and back into the forest.

They were in the forest for maybe a minute when Link noticed a left fork in the path, and made a split-second decision. He watched them approach the fork, then crawled over the crates to the back of the carriage, opened the burlap flap, climbed over the wagon, and dropped down onto his good foot. He waited until the carriage was farther off before taking the fork.

Link's feet crunched gently in the dirt as he walked. He had only taken a few steps down the fork before turning a subtle corner, and was blinded by sunlight reflecting on the water's surface. He used his hand to shield the light while letting his eyes adjust. The sound of running water filled his ears. A waterfall rushed down tall moss-covered rocks, and gathered in a clear pool to form the spring. Light glittered across the spring's glassy surface. Link could see through the clean water down to the bottom. The forest soil gave way to soft sand at the edge of the pool.

It was a year ago when Link last visited the Ordona Spring, and it was every bit as beautiful as he remembered. He took a step in the cool water and let it wash up against his feet. A warmth tingled across the cut in his right foot. He removed his sandals and was about to walk further in when he spotted someone.

"Ilia."

"Link?"

Nine-year old Ilia stood bent over in the center of the spring, wringing water from her blond, back-length hair. She wore a sleeveless shirt of white muslin, and tawny knickers that stopped halfway between her calves. She was barefoot, and soaked from head to toe.

She gazed attentively at Link with her almond-shaped, forest-colored eyes, and spoke in a voice smoother and sweeter than Lon Lon milk.

"I knew Talon was coming this year, but I didn't know you were."

"Uh…"

Link found himself at a loss for words when Ilia's smile lit up across her face.

"A-actually," he finally stammered, "Talon didn't come this year. Malon and I came with Cremia and Romani."

"Really? How come?"

"He sent us to do the shipping in Ordon while he went to Hyrule."

"I wish my dad would let me go places without him. Talon must really trust you."

Link couldn't help grinning sheepishly.

"Yeah well, he didn't have much choice this year. I guess he needs my help is all."

"Wow, Link." Her words were more like a singing murmur. "You must be a hard worker."

Link could feel his face burning. He hoped Ilia didn't see his blush in the bright light. She swept her hair back and took graceful steps toward him.

"You really are growing up, aren't you? Even though we're the same age, it feels like you're so far ahead."

"No way!" He sputtered. "The-there's no way I could compare to you in anything."

"What happened to your foot?"

"My…what?"

"You have a bandage on it."

"Oh yeah. I cut my foot while I was…"

Now he really was at a loss for words. He didn't know whether to tell the truth, look like an idiot and get in trouble with Cremia, or lie and feel horrible about it.

"…I fell."

"You cut your foot while you fell?"

Ilia's genuine concern was a better interrogation method to Link then Malon's angry glare or Talon's seemingly all-knowing eye. He struggled to find a good story in his head.

"I uh- I tripped on a sharp rock and I fell." It was technically true.

"May I see?"

Before he could stop her, she bent down and unwrapped the bandage.

"It looks fine to me. I can hardly see where you were hurt."

Link peered down nervously. Only a small scratch and stitches remained where the bone-deep cut was made a few hours ago.

"Are you sure you needed stitches for such a small scratch?"

"It wasn't that small this morning. It was a really big cut, and it was bleeding a whole lot."

"You only stepped into the water for a little bit. I didn't know the spring could heal wounds so fast."

"That's weird."

"It is. You don't want it to heal before you get these stitches out. You'd better not go in the water anymore."

Ilia carefully rewrapped the bandage around Link's foot and stood upright.

"Let's go to the village together. The others must be waiting for you."

Link nodded, then grabbed his shoes and followed after her in his bare feet to Ordon Village. They walked in unbearable silence. He thought desperately of something to say.

"We, um…" he finally began. "We have a new foal on the ranch."

"That's wonderful!" Ilia's eyes lit up. "Is it a boy or a girl?"

"It's a girl. Her name is Epona."

"I'd love to see her. I wish I could see your ranch, instead of you always coming here."

"Our ranch isn't anything special. You've got a whole village here."

"But we only have a few horses. All we have are pumpkins and goat cheese."

Link couldn't help laughing. They continued on in awkward silence until they'd reached the northern entrance.

"Link."

"Yes?"

"Later, when you're not too busy, I want to show you something."

Link was so fixated on listening to Ilia's voice that her words didn't registered.

"Link?"

"Ah, sorry. Guess I was daydreaming. What did you say?"

She smiled sweetly and said, "Never mind."

"Link, where were you?"

They turned and saw Cremia sitting on a boulder next to the carriage, with Malon and Romani peering over its sides at them. They were parked next to an empty tree house right outside the village.

"When I looked into the cart and saw you gone, I had a heart attack! What happened?"

Tears streamed down Cremia's face. She wiped them away as she stood up.

"Sorry," he mumbled, his head hanging low. "When we passed by the spring, I jumped out to see if I could heal my foot."

"Please don't go off on your own, especially if you don't tell me where you're going. Get back in the cart, please." Cremia spoke shakily as she nudged Malon back into the middle and climbed into the driver's seat.

"You can come if you want, Ilia, but there's not much room. You'll have to sit in back with Link."

"Thanks, but I don't want to trouble you."

"It's no trouble, sweety." Cremia's voice cracked as she regained her composure. "We're all going into the village, so we may as well go together."

"Let's just go already!" Romani yelled impatiently. She hadn't seen Cremia crying. "I'm starving!"

Link stepped up to the back of the cart and opened the burlap cover. He threw his shoes in, then gave Ilia his hand so she could climb in. He allowed her the most comfortable seat he could find, then searched for another spot.

"You can sit here if you want, Link," Ilia offered her seat on a rather cozy milk crate. "You're the one with the injured foot."

"I'm ok. Don't worry about me," he uttered as he settled himself awkwardly between two other boxes across from her. "Besides, my foot's not so bad anymore, right?"

As he spoke, the carriage jilted forward. His body jerked back and he nearly fell.

"I'm sorry I got you in trouble."

"It's not your fault."

Link opened his mouth to elaborate, but changed his mind. They didn't talk anymore for the brief trip into the village.

A wide gap in the trees revealed the open field that was Ordon. In spite of the early season, the sun blazed intensely down on the town of only a few families. The scent of pumpkins pierced the windless air, and bees hummed lazily from flower to flower. A winding river from the northern waterfall halved the village, and a curving bridge brought it back together. The houses with roofs were built like mushrooms, and those without roofs were built into the bases of trees. Cremia parked the cart next to one of the tree-based houses. It too was unoccupied.

The horses drawn to the carriage pawed at the ground while everyone climbed off and out of the cart.

"I'll go tell my father you're here so you can get started," Ilia waved goodbye as she walked off. "I'll see you later, Link."

Link waved back, and then walked around the other side of the cart.

"Cremia?"

"Yes, Link?"

"I didn't mean to make you worry. I'm really sorry."

She smiled and gave him a big hug.

"It's okay. Since it's Ordon Village, we know everyone, and you've been here before, so it's not like you can get lost."

Link had a feeling she was telling herself this more than him.

"If you want to go somewhere, just let me know. I'm in charge of you while your dad is in Hyrule, and I don't want anything else happening to you, okay?"

"Okay."

Cremia squeezed, then released him. She pulled a basket off the seat of the carriage.

"Everyone stretch your legs and get something to eat. Do whatever you need to do now because as soon as Mayor Bo gives us our papers, we're going straight to work."

"I really have to go to the bathroom," Malon danced back and forth between her feet.

Romani eyed the Cremia's basket. Link approached the nearby river and knelt down. He cupped cool water into his hands and splashed it against his face. He heard heavy sandals crunching on the sandy dirt path behind him. He turned and saw a big man, with a mustache reminiscent of a boar's horns, carrying a huge stack of papers. He wore the same style of clothing as Fado and Ilia.

"Mornin', Cremia. You're here bright and early."

"We got here as fast as we could, sir. We'll be ready to start in just a few minutes."

"It's nice to know someone around here is ready to work. I've got the order forms for both ranches ready right here. By the way…"

He looked around the cart on both sides.

"Where's Talon?"

"About that," Cremia began nervously. "Talon couldn't be here, since he had business in Hyrule as well. He's sent his two very capable children to complete the work here."

"What?!" The mayor's shouts nearly made Link fall in the river.

"He's insane if he thinks two kids can do this kind of work! It's preposterous! What does he take us for?"

"Now now, what's with all this ruckus?" A man the same height as Mayor Bo but noticeably skinnier came out of nowhere. He wore a sweatband around his forehead and a sword strapped across his back. Link recognized him instantly.

"What do we do, Rusl?" the mayor growled, rubbing his forehead. "Talon's decided not to show up, and has seen fit to send children to do his work. There's no way we can get all these orders filled without his help! It's gonna be a disaster trying to explain to Lady Impa why Kakariko can't get any milk this year!"

"Wait just a minute, Bo," Rusl spoke calmly. "Let's not disregard the children so quickly. Malon and Link have both been here before, and know what the orders entail. Why not give them a chance?"

"It doesn't matter how many times they've been here! They can't possibly know how to fill out the forms correctly; it racks my own brain to do my 'em! And there's no way two kids can lift such heavy boxes on their own!"

"That's why Talon sent them with me, sir. I'll be more than willing to help them," Cremia did her best to intervene.

"And that's another thing! Talon knows better than anyone else just how busy you are, Cremia. It's maddening to think he's making a young woman, with horrible circumstances such as yourself, do the work of two adults! I knew that man was lazy, but by god, I'd never thought he'd stoop to this! Why doesn't he just make the whole village move onto his ranch and milk his cows for him?!"

Mayor Bo threw the giant stack onto the ground and stormed off, his feet pounding as he went. Cremia shakily bent down to pick up the papers.

"I'm so sorry, Cremia," Rusl knelt down to help. "Please don't fault him too much. The mayor's been overworked these last few days. Running this village, as small as it is, is a tough job."

"I'd feel better about it if I weren't partly responsible."

"What do you mean, sweety?"

"Since Fado left to help us on our little ranch, the mayor's had to leave the ranch here to volunteers. I feel like I took something from him, and I wish I could make it up to him somehow."

"Young lady," Rusl's tone shifted from soft and paternal to strong and serious. "If you want to make it up to him, then you do everything in your power to get your ranch better than it was before your father died. Make it the most successful in the whole province."

Cremia looked up at him, stunned.

"But in the meantime," his voice changed back. "Don't worry too much about it."

"Um… Thank you, sir. Is there any place where we can use the restroom before we get started?"

"Well, since Fado's place is empty now," Rusl pointed to the empty house they'd parked next to. "I imagine that's where you'll be staying while you're here. It's gotten dusty since he left, but everything in there should still work fine."

No sooner had Rusl said this to Cremia did Malon run into the house.

"If you need any help, Cremia, I'll be more than happy to, and I'm sure the other men in the village would be, too. I won't be surprised if Bo comes back and apologizes before the end of the day. He's not mad at you. He's just gotten into the bad habit of taking his anger out on others."

"Thank you, Rusl. For everything." Cremia clutched the forms in her hands tightly. Rusl started walking away when Cremia remembered Link, standing by the river and watching the scene.

"Rusl."

He turned around at his name.

"Before you go…" Cremia beckoned to Link, and he came.

"Do you think you could have a chat with Link later today," she asked, her voice quieter than it had bee all morning. "Regarding an important matter?"

"How important are we talking?"

"I'm not sure, to be honest. Only Link can tell you that much. That is of course, whether he decides to tell you or not."

Link could feel himself being put more on the spot with every word from Cremia's mouth, but when he looked at Rusl and met his gaze, he found himself looking into the strongest eyes he'd ever seen; trusting, accepting, and unjudging. Link felt his chest swell, and spoke.

"Something really weird is happening to me, and I don't know what it is, but Cremia said you might be able to help."

"Why don't you come down to the spring this evening, Link, and we can talk there? In the meantime, if I were you, I'd do what it takes to convince the mayor just how wrong he really is."

Rusl's voice shifted to seriousness again as he finished his statement, and then he strode away. Malon emerged out of the house, looking relieved and angry at the same time.

"Cremia. When do we start?"

"What's your hurry?" Romani asked, her stomach growling.

"Didn't you hear what that jerk said?!"

Malon pointed in the direction that Mayor Bo had walked off.

"He practically called us babies! He said there's no way Link and I could do the work for our ranch, and he called Dad lazy, and he had the nerve to yell at Cremia, as if she was a baby! I don't care how overworked he is, or if he's Ilia's dad, or that he's the mayor of Ordon! There's no way I'm letting a big fat doofus tell me what I am or am not 'capable' of!"

Cremia couldn't help laughing at Malon's outburst.

"We'll get started as soon as we finish breakfast. Let's hurry though; we don't want to get caught working in the hottest part of the day. I have a feeling spring finally started."

Cremia picked up the forgotten basket―which she'd dropped when she picked up the orders―and distributed breakfast among the children. They devoured the food in a matter of minutes. Romani and Link used their chance to use the bathroom while Cremia left their luggage in the empty house. Finally, they boarded the carriage again and made their way towards Ordon Ranch.

On any other day, the ranch would've been quite chilly. It was higher in elevation than the village, as brisk air wafted through the uneven field surrounded on all sides by steep hills. A hardwood fence enclosed the field where goats grazed apathetically on mountain grass, not bothering to glance at the approaching cart. A low wooden platform was built next to the stable.

As soon as Cremia stopped the cart, two men approached the carriage and drew off the horses, taking them into the stable. Cremia followed them into the stable and explained Talon's absence to them while Link and Malon both climbed out of the carriage for what they hoped would be the last time that day.

"I'm not waiting!" Malon declared as she grabbed the forms Cremia left on the carriage seat. "The less time we spend working is more time we can play with Romani and Ilia. Link, let's get started!"

She held the forms in both hands and skimmed through them, quickly flipping the papers under her thumb, as if they were pages of a book.

"Lots of forms from Kakariko this year, not too many from Hyrule City. Good thing Dad's doing those in person. A bunch for Clock Town, a ton for Lynna City, and just as many for Horon Village too. We never get orders that far out. We've got our work cut out for us this year."

By the time Cremia came out of the stable, several boxes were already stacked in separate piles onto the platform. Link pulled boxes one by one out of the carriage, carrying them where Malon directed him.

"Wait, Link," she stopped him with an upheld hand. "That's one of the Romani boxes. Cremia, can we get some pens or pencils, so I can fill these out?"

"Um, sure."

Cremia had anticipated doing Talon's share of work for his ranch, even if he hadn't said so, but here she stood, watching two children do what Mayor Bo called 'the work of an adult,' and doing it faster than any adult could. She'd have to work twice as hard just to keep up with them.

"Romani, get out of the carriage. It's time to work. I'll be right back with some pens."

Cremia went back into the stable and emerged with two pens. Together, they went through order after form, moving through the pile of papers rapidly.

Romani sat in the back of the cart and pushed crates from the front to the back so Link could take them out. One box of milk normally required two grown men to carry, not because of weight―though they were heavy―but to keep the bottles balanced, so they didn't break inside. Link was able to carry one box perfectly balanced under each arm without any struggle. With strong and steady arms no one expected from a nine-year old boy, Link had emptied the cart of all the crates within a few hours.

Malon was just as gifted in mental capacity. She finished the arithmetic required for filling out orders so quickly that by the time Cremia had one order filled out, Malon had threeorders filled, addressed, stamped, and ready to be shipped with the milk. She gathered and processed data faster then anyone else Cremia had ever met.

As she watched the two of them, Cremia was positive she was in the presence of a genius and a bodybuilder. She considered giving up helping, just to get out of their way. In the time it took Link to unload all the milk and separate them accordingly, Malon had finished filling, filing, and addressing not only the order forms for Lon Lon Ranch, but for Romani ranch as well.

"You just finished three days of work in less than a few hours," Cremia said quietly, her breath taken away. She would have collapsed into a chair if she had one nearby.

"Whew!" Link placed down the last box and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "That didn't take long."

"Now that that's done," Malon started, finishing the last form and dropping it on Link's box. "What do we do now?"

"I don't know. I was expecting to do this all of today and all of tomorrow. I'm rather shocked."

"No way. Dad makes us do this all the time." Malon handed her pen back. "Since we've got the rest of the day off, there's nothing stopping us from playing, right?"

"I suppose not," was all Cremia could say as she took the pen.

"Hooray! Let's go find Ilia!" Romani climbed out of the carriage, jumped down, and raced off towards the ranch entrance with Malon and Link following after her.

"Wait for us!" Link called after her.

Cremia stood for a long time with both pens in one hand and some blank forms in the other, staring at the boxes, when Mayor Bo came marching up the hill toward the ranch. He grew worried when he saw her standing motionless next to the carriage.

"Cremia, I came up here to apologize, but you look as if you've seen a poe. Where'd the kids go?" He noticed the milk boxes piled up on the platform in perfect order.

"And where in the world did these come from?!"

"It's all done, sir."

"What?"

"All the milk from both ranches is ready to be shipped out."

"What? How in the-"

The mayor stumbled over to the platform and picked up one of the forms resting on the box and looked through it quickly.

"How, in the name of Nayru, did you get these filled out so fast? I can't get Jaggle or Hanch to work this fast, even if I paid 'em double!"

"I didn't do anything, sir."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Those two children worked so fast through those orders, I wouldn't believe it myself if I hadn't just watched it with my very eyes."

Mayor Bo stared at the poor girl for a moment before he regained his train of thought and put the form back.

"Anyways, Cremia, I had no right to yell at you, and frankly I'm ashamed of myself for it. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

Cremia focused her attention away from the ranch entrance to the mayor.

"It's all right, sir. I can't imagine how much work it is to be mayor, especially since Fado left to work for us."

"He might not be the best of workers. He was always losin' goats here and there, but it's still that much harder to run the Ordon Ranch without him. There were twice as many orders this year than we've had in a long time, thanks to all that rain we've had, and those thieves that've been hittin' ranches have been hittin' our village too. It's only been a year since he left, but I'm not sure how much longer we can go without a permanent worker on the ranch."

"If nothing else sir, I hope it's good to know that we've finished all the orders. Maybe we can hang around and help the village some before we leave."

"I couldn't ask that of you, girl! Ever since your father died, you've been workin' day and night. Take a break while you're here; have a bowl of pumpkin soup, why don't ya?"

"I couldn't even if I wanted to. I don't know what to do with myself if I'm not working. Isn't there anything you could use help on?"

"You can help by getting some rest, Cremia. Why don't you go into the spring and see if it'll do you any good. You deserve it."

"But sir-"

"No buts. Go on, girl. Git!"

Cremia laughed, "All right, I'm going!"

She started slowly down the ranch, leaving Mayor Bo behind to scratch his head and wonder at all the orders.

Her feet dragged across the dirt as she made her way back to the village. It took several minutes before she finally approached the first house on her left. The signpost next to it, built of black wood, read that it was Mayor Bo's house. She sat on the steps of the house and cupped her chin in her hands.

"What's wrong with me?" She thought. "Link and Malon were better with the orders than I was, and Mayor Bo wouldn't let me help, though I'd probably just ruin something if he let me. and the moment I look away it seems like Link either goes missing or gets hurt. Why am I so pathetic?"

She closed her eyes, and saw the memory of her house on Romani ranch, one year ago. It hadn't been dilapidated the way it was now; it was warm and cozy.

In one of the bedrooms, her father lied in bed, coughing up blood. She was kneeling next to the bed, grasping his weak hand tightly in hers. She heard the barely audible words that had haunted her for the last year.

"I'm so sorry, sweety. It's up to you now. Look after your sister and the ranch."

"No, Daddy, I can't! Please!"

"I'll miss you."

Romani was sitting next to Cremia, crying and rubbing her eyes with her fists. An unnamed doctor waited patiently by the bedroom door, waiting to pronounce time of death. Their father went slowly and painfully; it had taken twenty minutes after her father spoke for him to go. When he finally did, the doctor pronounced it and ushered the two girls out of the room.

That year, Talon had sent Malon and Link with Ingo to Ordon while he stayed on the Romani ranch and helped the girls for two weeks. News had reached Ordon Village of the father's death, so Mayor Bo sent Fado to help Talon. His stay became semi-permanent after Talon left.

For those two weeks, both girls had been livid. Neither of them were given time to mourn, for they had to learn everything about the ranch that their father hadn't already taught them. Two newly orphaned girls, one nine years old, and the other fifteen, worked their hearts out on the left behind ranch. They worked all day and night until their hands were thick with calluses, the muscles in their arms hardened, and their eyes dry and red from tears.

In that year, Cremia had no choice but to grow up. She started to cry.

"I'm sorry, Dad. Everything has gone wrong since you left. I don't know if I can do this anymore. I don't know what else to do."

"Young lady."

Rusl's words suddenly echoed in her mind, and she stopped crying.

"Do everything in your power to get your ranch better than it was before your father died. Make it the most successful in the whole province."

Those words filled her mind instantly. It wasn't even that long ago, but his words were just as effective. If he hadn't said them earlier, she probably would've cried her heart out after Mayor Bo yelled at her that morning. And now, they stopped her on the brink of her pity party.

That's all it really was; a pity party. Had she had it tough? Probably a lot tougher than most people her age, but while she missed her father desperately, she had the love and help of so many other people, she felt it was a waste of time to miss her father needlessly. He'd given her a job before he'd left and that was all that mattered.

"Make it the most successful in the whole province!"

"I have to keep our ranch going no matter what! I have to, for Daddy, and for Romani, and Talon and his kids and for everyone in Ordon Village!"

Cremia stood up and paced into the village. She could hear the kids' shrill voices, as well as a great deal of splashing. She moved hurriedly to the village's north entrance, and made her way back to the spring. When she reached it, she slowly approached and without stopping, walked in all the way up to her thighs.

The water dissolved her aches, pains, and worries. She knelt down and immersed herself in the water, lying on her back and squinting into the sun until tears rolled down her cheeks.

There was one problem when it came to the ranch; she'd worked as hard as she could in the last year, and it wasn't enough. The cows and goats needed medicine from the hard winter, and the roof of the house had so many leaks it was laughable. Not to mention the thieves going around and stealing cows every other time they showed up. She wished she could put some nice locks on the barn door like the ones Talon had on his own barn and stable.

Cremia sighed and sat up as the obvious came to her. She needed what everyone else needed: money. She had no idea how to get it, since ranching was the only thing she knew and was her only source of income. If working as hard as she had in the last year could fix the problem, it would've done so by now. She was pretty sure the ranch lost money that year. Fixing the blown off roof of the barn alone was going to cost a fortune.

Her thoughts went to the events that morning; the strangest creatures she'd ever seen had infiltrated the ranch, and had obvious intentions to steal all the livestock on the ranch, and her sister in the process. If Link hadn't stopped them and rescued Romani, she didn't know what she would've done, other then maybe give up.

Come to think of it, why were they there in the first place? Did her father know about them before he died? Romani told her that those things, whatever they were, came every year to try and take the cattle. It frightened her to think that her sister had been keeping them at bay year after year. Did those things ever try to steal the cows and horses at Talon's ranch, or any of the other ranches in the province? Talon had never mentioned it to her, and she'd never heard about them from anyone else. Did they only come to her ranch then, and if so, why? There wasn't anything special about her cows, was there?

"Something special," she said out loud to no one. She stood up and bent slightly, wringing her wet hair.

"There's something special."

Her eyes lit up, and she began to laugh.

"There's something special! There's something special about my cows!" She repeated it over and over again, laughing the whole time while wringing out her hair and clothes. She took off her soaked boots and carried them in her hand as she walked back to the village, letting the dirt cake on the bottom of her feet.

"There's something special about my cows!"

She sang and twirled in circles until she was dizzy enough to vomit. By the time she came to Fado's empty house, she was laughing hysterically. She opened the door, and before going inside, she turned around and screamed one last time at the village.

"THERE'S SOMETHING SPECIAL ABOUT MY COWS!"

She slammed the door behind her.

Link, Malon, Romani, and Ilia were swimming in the pond at the northwest end of the village when they heard Cremia singing madly. They watched as she twirled her way into the house and screamed before going inside the house. They stared at one another for a long time before Link finally spoke, standing on the deck.

"What was that about?!"

"Beats me," shrugged Romani, bobbing up and down in the water. "Dad always said, before he died, that teenagers are crazy."

"I hope she's okay," Ilia wondered as she dipped her legs in, sitting on the deck next to Link.

"She sounds fine to me," Romani declared. "Let's leave her alo-"

Link cannon-balled into the pond and sent a wave of water flying toward the girls. All three were soaked.

"LINK!" Malon screamed, and Ilia laughed. "You're gonna get it!"

"You'll have to catch me first!" He swam in circles around her while she made mad grabs at him.

"Romani! After him!"

Both girls went after him, but couldn't keep up when he swam around the giant boulder sticking out of the lake, then dived down out of reach. For the rest of the morning and all the afternoon, they swam together and played every water game they could think of. They splashed, screamed, paddled, and laughed so hard their sides hurt and tears streamed down their faces. When the sun finally sank towards the horizon, they climbed out of the water and rested in the shade of the nearby trees.

"Aah! My skin hurts!" Romani cried. "I'm gonna wake up with a sunburn tomorrow."

"Me too," moaned Malon. "We should've stayed in the shade like Ilia. She was smart."

Ilia and Link laughed.

"It's not funny!" She shouted. "I bet you'll have one worse than ours tomorrow, Link."

"Actually, I don't feel anything," he replied, looking at both of his arms and finding no tell-tale red.

"Maybe not now, but just wait 'till later," Romani warned. "It never really shows until the day after, you know?"

"Yeah, Link! Just you wait!"

"Maybe," Link lazily replied, lying on his back, looking up into the leaves and watching the sunlight dance between them.

"There goes Rusl," Ilia said, pointing towards him. "Looks like he's going to the spring."

Link sat up and realized the time.

"I gotta go."

"Hmm? Where?" Ilia looked at him.

"Maybe we should go too," Romani stood up. "Cremia might be wondering where we are."

"It is getting late," Malon agreed. "I'm getting hungry."

"Dad told me that the whole village is planning a campout tonight."

"Really?! I wanna go!" Romani exclaimed happily.

"It'll be lots of fun," explained Ilia. "There'll be lots of food, and stories around a big bonfire. And after that, we'll all sleep under the stars."

"The yearly camp out, huh? I forgot about it." Malon stretched her legs and looked over at Link, seeing the twinkle in his eye. She could practically see the images of the campfire going through his head, and she smiled. She turned her glance at Ilia, and noticed she was staring intently at LInk. Malon frowned and tracked the path of Ilia's gaze, and gaped.

"Whoa! Link!"

"What?" he asked earnestly. "What's wrong?"

"Your ears! What happened to them?"

"My ears?" Now he was just confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Look at them! They're really pointy!"

Link gave Malon a look that told her she was nuts, then reluctantly approached the water and peered at his reflection. Sure enough, instead of his normal rounded ears, the tops of his ears came up in a sharp point and spread away from the side of his face.

"Whoa," he said breathlessly.

"They weren't like that yesterday," Romani explained. "I was with him all day. I would've remembered."

"Maybe not," said Malon. "None of us noticed until now, so who knows how long they've been like that."

"Maybe it's no big deal. Maybe I'm just sick or something and this is a symptom."

"I've never heard of any sickness that causes pointy ears," Malon frowned. "But if that's true, you'd better stay away from me. Who knows what else that disease could do? You could wake up purple tomorrow for all we know."

"We don't know that it's a disease for sure," Ilia reasoned.

"Link, you were gonna talk to Rusl weren't you? Why don't you ask him about it?" Romani suggested.

"Yeah, if anybody would know, it's him," Ilia agreed.

"I guess so," Link sighed, then thought to himself, "Great. Another check on my list of weird things about me. Maybe I can find a circus to join."

"You'd better hurry. He headed for the spring a few minutes ago."

"Alright, I guess I'll see you later." He jumped up, dove back into the pond, and swam down the river back to the village. Climbing onto the shore, he got to his feet and shook his head briskly from side to side, casting water from his hair onto the ground. He wrung out his clothes the best he could without stretching them, then started down the forest path.

Golden light filled the land as the sun entered twilight. Before long, Link was out of the village and by the forked path again. He turned the corner and saw Ordona Spring once more, and sitting on the shore with his back to Link was Rusl. He watched him nervously, then approached.

"Rusl?"

He turned and smiled warmly.

"Hello, Link. Have a seat."

The same trust Link felt earlier welled up in his chest again, so he wasted no time in marching over to Rusl and plopping down next to him.

"What's on your mind, son?"

It occurred to Link that he hadn't spent any time thinking about what he was going to say, so he didn't say anything at first. Instead, he watched the spring, and watched the ripples move hypnotically across the surface.

"It's alright, Link. You can tell me."

Rusl's words filled his ears, and reminded him of Talon's voice, but better. Rusl didn't speak with a drawl, and his words were so nice, in a way he couldn't explain. He finally spoke.

"I've been having really weird dreams," he said, then looked at Rusl. He didn't say anything, but was listening intently, so Link continued.

"Yesterday, I passed out for no reason. While I was out, I dreamt about a dark man with fire in his eyes. He burnt down our ranch and the castle in Hyrule. And the night before, I had a dream about a girl in the forest. She gave me an ocarina, and when I woke up, I was holding that ocarina in my hand. I brought it with me to Ordon."

Link stopped talking long enough to notice the look in Rusl's eyes. They were urgent and serious. He continued.

"And before that, I had the same dream every night, for over a week, that it was raining sparkles. I was floating in the sky, and three gold people flew by me. When I looked down to see where they went, I saw Hyrule below me. When I looked back, I saw three golden triangles spinning. Whenever I try to grab them, I wake up."

"Anything else?"

"Um, yeah. The day before we went to Romani Ranch to come here, Malon and I were going into the forest, when everything turned black and I went flying through the stars. I saw millions of them go by before I stopped and landed somewhere, and I saw three giant ladies. It felt like I was gone for hours, but when I came back, Malon said I had only disappeared for a few minutes.

"Anyway, I think that's everything."

Link watched Rusl impatiently, who seemed to be studying the spring. Rays shined down from the setting sun through the trees. The forest was growing darker around them, and the glow on the water was fading. Link felt loneliness settle around him. Neither he, nor Rusl talked for a long time.

"Tell me, Link." Rusl finally began. "Do you ever feel a strange sadness as dusk falls?"

This time, Rusl's face was full of sadness.

"They say it's the only time when our world intersects with theirs…"

"With whose, sir?"

"…The only time we can feel the lingering regrets of spirits who have left this world."

Link's thoughts went to Talon's story from the morning before. He thought of the people in Hyrule who'd been mercilessly killed mercilessly nine years ago, for no reason. The loneliness that had settled on Link and Rusl doubled.

"How old are you now, Link?"

"I'm nine, sir."

"Do you know where your name came from?"

"Talon told me that when I was a baby, he found me outside the ranch, and my name was written on a note."

Rusl let out an exasperated sigh, and stood up.

"Sir?"

Rusl looked down and saw the worried look in Link's eyes. He smiled.

"Stand up, Link. I have something to show you."

Link rose to his feet.

"To be honest, I was scared because I thought Cremia wanted me to give you the talk about the Takkuris and Bees."

"Eck! No!" Link retched. Talon had already given him and Malon that talk several months ago. He wanted to forget that day more than anything. Rusl laughed.

"Grossness aside, there is something I can tell you. Would you like to hear it?"

"Please tell me. I want to know."

"Before we can discuss it, we need to talk about those dreams of yours. Follow me."

Rusl turned from the spring, Link trailed after him, and they headed back to the village. Rusl walked along the river and started up a small hill. They came to a house resting on top.

"This is my home, Link. Come inside."

Rusl opened the door for him, and they went in. The first thing Link noticed was a young woman with dark eyes and blonde hair, sitting on a couch with knitting needles in her hands.

"Is this our friend from Lon Lon, sweety?"

She smiled brightly at Link, who couldn't help returning the smile.

"Link, this is my wife, Uli."

"Pleased to meet you, ma'am," Link nervously extended his hand, and she took it in hers.

"And I'm very pleased to meet you. I hope you'll forgive me if I don't stand, Link."

"Uli, I'm going to show Link to the forge."

"All right. Do keep it down," Uli returned to her knitting. "I finally got Colin down for his nap."

"Can do."

Rusl kissed Uli's forehead, then walked across the living room to a door in the back.

"This way, Link."

Link followed through the doorway and found himself outside again. Next to the house was an add-on with only three walls and an entryway where the fourth way would've been. Inside, Link saw an anvil with a hammer, numbers of chisels and fullers across other shelves, a forge with a chimney in the back, and other tools that Link couldn't recognize. What caught Link's eye was the opposite wall, lined with books, more than he could count, and most of them falling apart. There were hundreds, and some had titles that Link couldn't read.

"That's a lot of books," he said.

"I collect them every time I travel. I travel quite a bit, as you can see. Have a seat over there, and wait a moment."

Link sat in a chair next to the cold forge and watched Rusl search indiscriminately through the shelves.

"Colin is my son, by the way," Rusl announced. "Two years old now. He and Uli are the loves of my life."

"I didn't know," Link answered.

"Aha! Here we are."

Rusl pulled an ancient tome from the shelf and blowed the dust off the cover. "I think this is the answer to all your troubles."

"Really?"

Link made to stand up.

"Hold on, I'll bring it to you." Rusl placed the book on the table next to Link, opened the heavy cover of the book and turned the pages until he stopped on a picture that Link recognized immediately.

"That's-!"

"Do you know them, Link?"

"Yeah! Those are the three giant ladies I saw when I disappeared in the forest!"

"Those three giant ladies, as you call them, are Hyrule's Goddesses."

Link gaped at the picture.

"They look exactly like I remember," he breathed.

"They are the same ones you spoke of in this picture."

Rusl turned to another picture that showed three golden beings descending on the continent of Hyrule.

"That's them, too!" Link's eyes were wide-open in amazement.

"I think you witnessed the Creation of Hyrule in your dreams."

"Creation of Hyrule?"

"I'll read it to you."

Rusl turned back to the first page and began reading aloud the Legend of Hyrule, in language so eloquent that the words flowed through Link like energy. He listened intently as Din, Nayru and Farore, the Goddesses of Power, Wisdom and Courage, created the land with all its twists and turns, and all of its lakes, mountains, deserts and forests, and all the people who lived there. He stopped Rusl's reading when he came to a sentence that read, 'their labors completed, they departed for the heavens, and Golden Sacred Triangles remained at the Point'.

"Golden triangles?"

"That's right." Rusl turned the page, and Link was face to face with the triangles that had tormented his sleep for the past week. Rusl continued reading, and recited to Link the legend of the three golden triangles.

"The Three Goddesses, their labors completed, departed for the heavens, and the Golden Sacred Triangles remained at the Point where the Goddesses left the world. Since then, the Sacred Triangles have become the basis of our world's providence, and the resting place of the triangles has become the Sacred Realm. For it is in that Sacred Realm that one will find the divine relic, the Triforce, which contains the essence of the Goddesses.

"The power of the Triforce is that power to grant the wish of the one who holds it in his hands. If someone with a righteous heart makes a wish, it will lead Hyrule to a golden age of prosperity. If someone with an evil mind has his wish granted, the world will be consumed by evil. That is the legend as it has been passed down by generations."

Rusl stopped reading when he noticed Link's starry-eyed expression, and chuckled.

"This is a lot to absorb, so I guess I'll stop there."

"Wow…"

"Do you understand, Link?"

"I think so. My dreams were about the Three Goddesses and how they created Hyrule, and then left behind those triangles, called the Triforce, and now it's in the Sacred Realm?"

"That's the gist of it."

Link stared at the ground. He was smiling.

"You're old enough to understand that story now."

"It's a cool story, and I really like it. But why am I having these dreams? I'm just a kid from a ranch."

"Not necessarily. Have you noticed your ears today by any chance?"

"Just now, actually. Malon told me that my ears looked weird while we were swimming, and when I looked at my reflection in the water, they were really pointy. Ilia said they'd been like that all morning."

"Good. That makes the next part easier. There's a lot more to the story than I've told you so far."

"Like what?"

"Like this."

Rusl flipped through more pages in the huge book, and rested on one with no words, but with a detailed picture that covered two full pages in the book. A strong boy, who didn't look older than a teenager, was wearing a green tunic, a matching cap, tan trousers, durable gloves and boots of leather hide. He was standing in front of a marble temple, and carried an emblazoned blue shield in his right hand and a broad sword of white metal in his left. All around him were dark clouds, except a ray of light that shined down directly upon him. His sharp blue eyes pierced the pages of the book and stared severely at the reader.

"Who is that?" Link asked.

"That's you."

"Me?!"

"To be more precise, that is the man you are named after."

"I am?"

"That's right. That man's name is Link, just like you, and he's a very important part of Hyrule's history. Look closely at his face, and tell me what you see."

Link bent closer to the book and stared back at the adventurer. He felt as though the man's eyes were staring straight into his soul. They were strong eyes, and Link felt that he was a very good man.

"He must be a great hero," announced Link, after staring at the picture for several minutes.

"He was. Probably the greatest hero that ever lived. But there's something you're missing. Look closely, Link. Tell me exactly what you see."

"I'll try."

Link did his best, looking as hard as he could at the picture, scanning every detail of the man's face, and finally he saw it.

"His ears," he realized. "They're just like mine."

"Ah, now you see. Link, this man is a member of a race known as the Hylians."

"I remember them!" Link replied excitedly. "Talon told me a they're the ones who built the castle in Hyrule!"

"That's right. They rule over our country, and guard all the people of every race that live within it. They are also the guardians of the Triforce. They've been given that divine duty by the Goddesses themselves."

"But what does that have to do with my ears?"

"Have you been listening, Link? Think very carefully."

"Well, that man in the picture has ears just like mine… and he's is a Hylian. Do all Hylians have ears like that?"

"They certainly do."

"Then that must mean… that I'm Hylian?"

Rusl said nothing, and instead let the truth sink in.

"I'm Hylian…"

"Does it hurt to knowing you're not human?"

Link saw the solemn look on Rusl's face, and considered for a long time before he answered.

"I guess not. I always assumed I was human like anyone else. But I always feel left out at home. It got even worse when the dreams started."

"And?"

"And I think ever since those dreams started, was when I started to feel really weird. The weirdest I've ever felt."

"Weird how?"

"Yesterday when we were at Romani Ranch, we were playing bows and arrows, and Romani told me I was a better archer than most of the men in the Hyrule army. And while we were doing the milk crates this morning, I could lift two milk crates at once without any trouble."

"Anything else?"

"Yeah, actually. I cut my foot really bad this morning before we got here, but when I went to the spring to heal it, it was already gone."

"And then you found out about your ears, yes?"

"Yes sir. Do you know what it means?"

"I do. Those weird feelings you have, and your sudden increase in strength and dexterity, and your ears developing point to one thing."

"What's that?"

"You're coming of age."

"What? But I'm only nine. I'm still a kid."

"It doesn't mean you're an adult, Link. It means that you're making the transition into becoming an adult. Hylians hit that transition a lot earlier than humans do. Your sister Malon won't come of age until she's about sixteen. It's why you're a lot stronger than you're used to be, and since the transition period for Hylians is just as spiritual as it is physical, it's probably why you've been having such strange dreams."

"So… I'm just growing up? I'm normal?"

"Completely. Everyone from every race goes through this at some point. Humans go through growth spurts, Gorons lose their baby rocks and grow new ones, Rito lose their baby feathers and grow new ones, you get the idea. You may feel weird as you say for a little while, but I promise what is happening to you is nothing new."

Rusl suddenly burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"In the end, I really did give you the Takkuris and Bees talk, just in a roundabout way."

"Oh, come on! Quit reminding me about that!"

Rusl laughed loudly, but his laughter was soon followed by a crying child.

"Rusl!" Uli's voice cried out in desperation from the house.

"Sorry, dear!"

Rusl then made to pick up the book, but Link put his hand on the pages.

"You said I was named after him," he said, pointing to the hero in the picture. "You said he was the most important hero in all of Hyrule. But who is he? Do you know him?"

"I do, but I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"You'll find out soon enough. You know the village is having a camp out tonight?"

"Ilia said something about it."

"Would you like to join us?"

"Would I!" Link exclaimed happily as he gave the book back to Rusl.

"It's a good thing we finished when we did. It's getting dark, so we'll be starting camp out anytime now. Why don't you come with Uli and I? We can meet the others there."

"It's just as well that Colin is awake," Uli sighed, and they saw her standing in the entry of the forge. She carried a giant basket bread in one arm and a fussy toddler in the other. He squirmed in Uli's grasp.

"Ma! Pu down! Da!" He gurgled, reaching out for Rusl.

"Oh for goodness sake! All right, you silly thing!"

Uli gently placed Colin down, and he stumbled his way over to Rusl.

"C'mere, you!" He reached down and thrust Colin into the air. "How's my big man?"

"Meam mom pu Cawli do bed!" Colin announced happily.

"She did?! Well that wasn't very nice, was it?"

"Ahem!" Uli crossed her arms.

"Eh, that is, even a big man such as yourself needs sleep too, right? And it's not nice to call your mom mean."

Colin glanced at Link and clung tightly to his father. Rusl carried him over.

"Link, this is my son. Say hi, Colin."

"Ai, Cawli," he repeated shyly, and the three laughed.

"We'd better hurry sweety. We don't want to be late."

"Will you join us, Link?"

"Yes sir."

Rusl, with Colin in tow, led the way to the village. Uli followed him, but struggled under the weight of the bread basket.

"Darling, I don't know if I can carry this. It's too heavy for me."

"Let me, ma'am."

Before she could reject Link's offer, he reached down and easily lifted the basket on top of his head.

"Oh my goodness!" Uli gasped. "Such a strong boy. Thank you, Link!"

"You're welcome, ma'am."

"There's no need to be formal," she insisted. "Call me Uli."

"Thank you," Link grinned.

The four made their way to the village center. The sun had set behind the nearby trees and the mountains beyond. It was getting darker by the minute. Villagers were lighting the lamps that lined the road as they went. As they walked, Rusl frequently looked back to make sure they were still following, but his head kept turning side to side to all the roads they passed, then back at them again, over and over. Uli approached him from behind and touched his shoulder, causing him to jump.

"What?" He asked, almost sounding angry.

"Rusl, you're awfully fidgety tonight. Is something the matter?"

"Oh no, sweety. Sorry." This time, he spoke apologetically.

"Are you ok, Rusl?" Link asked. They stopped walking.

"No, it's nothing," he said quickly. "Let's keep going, shall we?" He put on a fake grin and continued up the road. Link and Uli trailed behind.

"Link," Uli suddenly whispered. "May I ask what you and my husband talked about?"

"Huh? Well, um…"

"I just want to know if something's the matter."

"I asked him about some dreams I was having, and he said it was nothing of the ordinary. I'm sorry I made him mad."

"Oh he's not angry, sweety. I could tell if he was."

"Then what's wrong with him?"

Uli didn't respond at first, but then said, "Don't worry dear. I'll take care of him. You focus on having fun tonight. Is that basket getting heavy at all?"

"No, ma'am."

"I told you!" She laughed, "Call me Uli."

"Ee iz hea!" Colin cried out and pointed a chubby finger. There in the village center was a huge fire pit, not yet lit, and everyone was gathered around, making preparations. Malon, Romani and Cremia were laying out sleeping pads a safe distance from the pit.

"Is it ok if I go?" Link requested.

"Of course, but before you do, do you see where they're laying out the food?"

Link looked where Uli was pointing. His stomach growled loudly when he realized that he hadn't eaten since that morning. Soups, stews, potatoes, cheese, milk, juice, beef, roasted cucco, fish, fruits, berries, pies, candied sweets, and loads of other hot and cold dishes adorned four huge buffet tables in the center of the activities.

"Yes, I see," he drooled.

"Take that bread basket over to the table for me."

Link carried the basket as fast as he could without losing any of the bread, dropped it by the table, and ran away before temptation could take hold of him. He sprinted over to his group.

"Welcome back, Link," Malon greeted as she smoothed out the wrinkles in her mat. "How'd it go with Rusl?"

"I learned a lot of stuff."

"Like what?"

"Like that I'm a Hy-"

"A hi? What's a hi?"

"I mean, that is, um…"

"Oh, never mind. Weirdo."

She stuck her tongue out and went back to her mat. Cremia handed Link his own.

"Here's yours."

"Thanks," He said quietly and unrolled it.

"Why couldn't I tell her? Is it really a big deal if I'm Hylian and not human?"

He felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned and saw Cremia.

"It's okay, Link. You can tell us whatever it is."

Before he could say anything, a cowbell rang through the village. Mayor Bo's voice addressed the gathering.

"Welcome everyone, Ordon Village and visitors. Tomorrow starts the New Year, and to celebrate, we've gathered for our yearly camp out."

People began taking their seats on the mats as he spoke.

"We'd better sit down," Cremia said to Link. They took their seats next to Malon and Romani. Sitting on her own mat next to him, Ilia mouthed the words, 'Hi Link'. He mouthed back, 'Hey.'

"This year begins the Year of the Leopard, the spirit of Holodrum, and the element of Growth. May it bless us this year with strength to grow as individuals and as a village!"

There was a reluctant round of applause from the small crowd.

"I know we haven't finished as much of our annual work as we needed, but I still have a good feeling about this coming year. We have nothing in the way of announcements to make, so unless anyone has something important they feel needs to be shared, I suggest we get this party started."

"I do, Mayor." Rusl stood up and everyone groaned, upset at the unexpected delay. Rusl approached Mayor Bo, and they began whispering amongst themselves.

"Mhm… Yes, that is rather urgent. Thank you, Rusl."

Rusl resumed his seat with his family, and Bo addressed the crowd once more.

"Ladies and gentlemen, there's no need for alarm, but Rusl has given me word that the fiends responsible for the string of thefts in the Ordona Province have been spotted somewhere outside our village."

The ladies in the group gasped, and everyone began chattering excitedly.

"Now now, everyone calm down. Rusl suggested we take a watch schedule throughout the night, and I agree. We'll have the able-bodied men take turns standing watch throughout the night, so if anything happens, we'll be more than capable than handling it. It only seems fitting that I go first. We'll discuss who'll take turns later, but for now, let's light the bonfire and begin our feast. And of course, women and children go first."

The men in the gathering stood up and began piling wood into the fire pit while the women escorted the children toward the buffet tables. Link took a large plate and bowl, and filled both generously with as much food as they could hold.

"Geez, Link!" Malon complained, holding a scoop of candy in her hand. "Save some for the rest of us!"

"It's alright," Cremia laughed. "There's so much food, everyone can have as much as they want, come back for seconds, and still have leftovers tomorrow."

"Do you think you can eat all that, Link?" Romani pointed at his plate as she made her way to the apple pies. "It is an awful lot."

"I'm definitely gonna try!" He grinned, and walked back to his mat. He passed by the men throwing wood into the pit, and heard them speaking in hushed tones.

"Do we have any idea who these guys are?"

"They've been robbin' everyone in the province blind, so who's doin' it doesn't matter anymore."

"I heard someone say it might be one of the neighboring ranches. Makes me sick to think it could be one of our own. Can't trust nobody these days."

"Since it's gotten so out of hand, why can't we send word to the kingdom? Maybe they could send some knights our way."

"They're too busy trying to root out the corrupt bastards infiltrating the army. There's no way we can trust them."

An older woman interrupted them by saying, "Watch your language, won't you? There are children present!"

They turned and saw Link, who had stopped walking and unintentionally eavesdropped on them. Having been caught, he hurried away to his mat and sat down. He placed his plate and bowl in front of him, but realized he had no beverage or eating utensils.

"Forgot to get milk," he said to himself and made to stand up, when a tall glass of milk, and a spoon and fork were suddenly presented to him. He looked up, and saw Ilia presenting them.

"I grabbed some extras," she said softly, and laid them next to his food.

"Thanks," he blushed. "I didn't know the thieves were here in Ordon, too."

"They've been hitting the village pretty hard, and it's made Dad really upset. He told me they were hitting the border cities in Eldin and Labrynna before they came here."

"They came to our ranch once, too," Malon interjected as she sat her mat with her full plate. "Luckily, Uncle Ingo chased them away with his shotgun, so they didn't take anything. After that, dad installed locks on all the doors."

"I'm glad your ranch is safe then. Even so, it's still awful."

Romani sat on Malon's other side.

"They took a bunch of stuff from our ranch a few nights ago. When we woke up the next morning, we were missing a lot of supplies, and even a few cows."

"That's terrible!" consoled Ilia.

"If I ever see those guys, why I oughta…" Link growled and made punching gestures at the air.

"You will most certainly not!" Cremia commanded, returning with her food. "Not so long as I'm watching over you. If any of you sees anything suspicious, you tell me or any of the other adults here, but you are not to go taking matters into your own hands! Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am," all four kids grumbled.

"She wouldn't worry about me being in danger if she knew I was a Hylian," Link mumbled to himself.

A whoosh of flames suddenly jutted up from the fire pit, and everyone cheered.

"All right," Mayor Bo announced. "All the men who haven't gotten food yet can now do so, and everyone else may begin!"

The men lined up at the table of food while the children began hungrily devouring their own. The ones too young to eat on their own were helped by their mothers. Colin made a mess of his face with pumpkin soup before Uli intervened and spoon-fed him herself. Talk filled the air, and soon, everyone was laughing and discussing their plans for the New Year. A few men brought out some kegs, and drank heartily as the night drew on. Link had taken a huge chunk of meat in his mouth when Malon spoke.

"Link, did you ask Rusl about your ears?"

He chewed and swallowed hard before finally responding back.

"Well, he said it's because I'm, um…"

"C'mon!" Romani cut in. "I wanna know, too! Tell us, Link!"

Link took a deep breath.

"Rusl said my ears are like this because I'm Hylian."

"Whoa! That's so cool!"

Malon scooted over, sat behind Link and began fingering his ears.

"Stop that!" Link squirmed from her touch. "That tickles!"

"They're just like the ones in the books! Link, my brother, a Hylian!"

"Let go!" He squealed and shoved her off.

"I wanna see!" Romani scooted in closer and traced her fingers across the points of his ears.

"Are you gonna pierce your ears?"

"Why would I do that?" Link raised an eyebrow. "Only girls do that."

"Not for Hylians," Malon said. "Boy and girl Hylians pierce their ears. Remember that tall guy who came to our ranch a few weeks ago, and he wanted to by a horse? He was a Hylian, and his ears were pierced."

Link hadn't thought much of it at the time, but he remembered now that the Hylian hero in Rusl's book had pierced ears. Even so, the idea was a bit too odd for him.

"Doesn't it hurt to do that?"

"Only for a little bit, and then it looks really cool! You should do it, Link! Romani and I can help."

"Yeah, Link. You should let me and Malon do it for you."

Link realized Malon and Romani were moving in closer and closer.

"No way! Get away from me!"

He got to his feet and ran away, followed shortly by the girls. They chased Link around the fire and through the other mats. The spectacle of watching two little girls chasing after one boy made everyone in the village laugh. One of the merrier men, enjoying his buzz, shouted out.

"Ain't even grown up and he's already got the ladies after him!"

At his comment, everyone laughed hysterically.

"Link! Come back for a moment!" Cremia called.

Link stopped running when he heard his name, causing the two girls to inadvertently tackle him. They collapsed into a dog pile.

"Link! You can't just stop running like that! Give us a little warning, would ya?"

"But Cremia called us! Get off me!"

The three pulled themselves apart and brushed the dirt from their clothes. Link walked back to Cremia.

"I want to check on your foot, and see how it's doing."

He sat down and extended his foot to her, and she removed the bandage.

"Hey, where'd it go?"

"There wasn't much left of it when I went into the spring this morning," he told her.

"It's a good thing those stitches were absorbable. You don't even have a scar left. You can't even tell you were cut. I guess you don't need this anymore."

Cremia balled up the bandage in her hand and set it aside.

"Cremia, what happened earlier?"

"With what?"

"We were swimming in the pond when we saw you laughing and dancing into the village," said Link.

"Yeah," Romani agreed as she sat back on her mat. "And after we got out of the pond, I tried to go into the house, but you locked the door."

Cremia turned bright red.

"Oh dear, you saw that? I hope I didn't scare you."

"What were you doing?"

"I had an idea this morning. I was in the house all day because I was checking something."

"What were you checking?"

"For now, I can't tell you," Cremia winked as she put her finger to her lips. "It's a secret."

"Aww," Romani pouted. "Why not?"

"I won't know for sure until we get back home, but if I'm right, my idea could save the ranch."

"Then I definitely wanna know!" Malon exclaimed. "You gotta tell us, Cremia! Please?"

"I'm sorry Malon, but I can't tell you yet because I don't want to get anyone's hopes up. If it works, I promise you'll be the first to know."

"What about me?" said Romani. "You won't even tell me?"

"You get to help me personally."

Cremia reached over and took her sister in her arms, holding her tightly.

"Cremia!" Romani gasped. "You're crushing me!"

Malon and Link laughed, then went back to their food and talking with Ilia.

"Cremia?" Romani whispered, still being held hostage, though no longer with a death grip.

"Yes, Romani?"

"I miss Dad."

"I know. I do, too."

The bonfire blazed against the dark velvet sky, where starts twinkled brightly. The campout went long into the night as everyone celebrated the coming of the year. Men switched rounds to stand guard throughout the celebration.

It wasn't long before everyone took turns telling stories around the fire. Stories were told , including "The Man Who Lived in the Windmill," "The Island in the Sky," "The Princess and the Ancient Tribe," and other folk legends, as well as experiences of the villagers themselves. Mayor Bo was telling the story of how he'd stumbled upon and wrestled with a full-grown gorilla in the forest, when Link heard Uli's voice.

"Sweetheart, you're not having fun at all. You're spending so much time worrying that you're missing all the fun."

"The woman's right, Rusl," Mayor Bo stopped his story and called to him. "We've got everything under control, so there's no need to worry. You listen to your wife."

"Didn't he just come back from Hyrule?" A man's voice shouted from the crowd.

"That's right, he did!" A woman's voice answered. "Why don't you tell a story, Rusl? You must have one!"

Suddenly, everyone chatted loudly in agreement.

"Yeah!"

"Tell us a story!"

"Yeah! Come on!"

"All right, all right!" Rusl chuckled. Mayor Bo moved from the tree stump he'd been sitting on, and Rusl took his place.

"What story are you gonna tell?" Malon called out.

Rusl put his hand to his chin, and looked over the crowd. His eyes came to rest on Link.

"I know exactly which story I'll tell. It's called, 'The Hero of Time.'"

Goosebumps formed on Link's skin. Everyone oohed, ahhed, and sat at attention as Rusl began.

---

This is but one of the legends of which the people speak, one that has been passed down through uncounted generations…

A long, long time ago, there existed a Kingdom where a Golden Power lay hidden. Handed down by gods of old, this power gave its holder the means to make any desire a reality. The land was prosperous and blessed with green forests, tall mountains, and peace.

But one day, a Man of Great Evil found the Golden Power, and took it for himself. With its strength at his command, he spread darkness across the kingdom, and a war of unmatched scale and ferocity ensued, one of which the likes of would never be seen again.

The earth cracked open wide and malevolent forces rushed forth from the fissure. The dark forces mounted a brutal assault upon the people, driving the land into deep despair. They burnt forests to ashes, choked the land's sweet springs, and murdered without hesitation.

But then, when all hope had died, the world was on the verge of being swallowed by shadow, and the hour of doom seemed at hand…

A Boy Clothed in Green appeared as if out of nowhere. Wielding the Blade of Evil's Bane and carrying the Golden Light, he drove out the darkness with Wisdom and Courage, sealed the evil away, and gave the land light again. This boy, who traveled through time to save the land, became known as the Hero of Time, and his tale was passed down through generations until it became legend.

When peace was finally restored, the people enshrined the sacred blade with care, and the force of the Golden Light shone forth upon the lands.

The memory of the kingdom vanished, but its legend survived on the wind's breath, and continued onward, for whenever evil threatens the land, a boy garbed in green always appeared. They say the boy is a Hero Chosen of the Goddesses, chosen by fate to save the land should the time ever arrive.

---

Link was sitting on the edge of his seat. Everyone else was silent as Rusl finished his tale. Mayor Bo suddenly burst into laughter.

"You old fool, Rusl! You sure know how to put everyone on edge!"

The whole village cackled along with him.

"Why are you laughing?" Link said to no one.

"Baloney!" Malon scoffed, and blew a raspberry.

"I didn't think so," Link responded to her raspberry by blowing one of his own.

"Of course not," she retorted. "That's because boys like you are always into that stuff, where you fight monsters with swords and save the world and all that junk."

"What happened to him?" Romani called out.

"No one knows," Rusl answered. "They say he travels across Hyrule, keeping it safe while under the radar. And every time evil forces arise, the boy is reborn, so he could be out there somewhere, or he could be closer than any of us think."

The people jeered even louder.

"Stop! I can't breathe!"

"You're killing me, Rusl!"

"My sides!"

Link seethed silently, trying his hardest to block out everyone's jeering, and failing miserably. He hid his face, which grew hotter by the second, behind his hands, and held his knees to his chest. The laughter continued for several minutes until Rusl finally moved from the stump and let someone else have a turn.

Some of the drunken men began taking up folk songs, and the village began singing along. Hours of festivity went by before people finally started nodding off. The night was thankfully warm, so no one needed covers to sleep comfortably. The fire grew dim until nothing was left except hot coals. The merriment and laughter died down as the village, together under the starlit sky, fell asleep to the sounds of the night.

Link laid wide awake on his mat, staring up at the stars, his mind full from today's events.

"Link?" Malon's voice whispered. "Are you asleep?"

"No. I can't sleep," he whispered back.

"Neither can I. Today was so much fun, I get too excited thinking about it. Are you awake, Ilia?"

"I am."

Ilia rolled over to face Link and Malon.

"What was your favorite part?" Malon asked . "I liked sitting around the fire most. I thought I was gonna die laughing when one of those drunk guyshe tripped and fell face first into a pie."

"I liked when we went swimming the most," Ilia decided. "I hardly get to see you guys, so that time is precious to me."

"Is Romani awake?"

"No," Malon answered, looking over at the mat next to hers. "She and Cremia are both asleep. They look so cute holding each other like that," she cooed.

"What about you, Link? Which part did you like most?"

"I know you guys weren't there," he said, "But I think I liked when Rusl told me I was Hylian."

"Did he say anything else? Like how come your ears only became like that today? And what about those dreams you were having?"

"He said it's because I'm 'coming of age.'"

"You're what?"

"I'm growing up."

Malon didn't say anything, and the three of them lied silently as they gazed up at the stars. Once in a while, one of them would point out a familiar constellation.

"Link?" Malon started again.

"Yeah?"

"When you grow up, what do you wanna do?"

Link blurted out his answer before he could stop himself.

"I wanna be a hero!"

He clasped his hands over his mouth, but Malon already started snickering.

"I knew you were gonna say that!"

The images from Rusl's story swirled around in Link's head. He let his mind run as he recalled the man in the picture Rusl had shown him. That must've been the hero he spoke of! He pictured himself wielding a magic sword and shield, fighting evil monsters, and thwarting evil plans. Most of all though, he imagined himself a hero, going on adventures and saving people wherever he went. His imagination had gone wild all night, and it was what had kept him awake until Malon had started talking to him. To be the kind of guy that people spoke of in legends? That must've been great.

"You were listening to Rusl too much!" She laughed. "Those were just stories you know."

"I know, but…" He gazed up at the stars, and couldn't help but wear a big grin. He was too happy to care about Malon laughing at him.

"I wanna fight evil, and save people, and see the world!"

He held his hand up to the sky, clenched it tightly in a balled fist, then let his hand drop. He decided then and there, "When I grow up, I wanna be just like him!"

"But Link," Ilia sat up and peered down at him. "How're you gonna do that?"

"Yeah," Malon agreed. "Unless the Goddesses themselves magically appear out of nowehere, and declare you the next Hero of Time, I don't see that happening anytime soon."

Link's imagination slowed to a halt, his dream crushed in an instant. Ilia thought carefully for moment, then addressed Malon.

"Didn't you tell me that Romani said Link could shoot arrows better than any of the Knights of the Royal Army?"

"Yeah," she replied. "What about it?"

"Well," Ilia turned back to Link. "Why don't you be one of the knights in the Royal Army?"

"That's a great idea!" Malon sat up in excitement.

"Not so loud!" Ilia whispered, then continued, "That way, you could still be a hero. You'd be serving your country, protecting the Kingdom of Hyrule, and I bet you'd do a good job, too."

"I don't know," Link hesitated. "I heard some of the men talking earlier. They said the knights in the army are really corrupt."

"That's exactly why you should join!" Malon argued. "You could go in there and show 'em what being a Royal Knight is really about! You're already a hero. You saved Romani ranch just this morning, remember?"

"I guess so," Link sighed.

"Plus, the knights in the army are stationed all over the world," Ilia continued. "It would be the best chance to travel anywhere you wanted."

"That does sound good." Link pictured a handsome adult version of himself, wearing heavy full body armor and carrying a sword in one hand and a flag bearing the symbol of Hyrule in the other. The fantasy wasn't as good as being the Hero of Time, but it was definitely the next best thing.

"I'll think about it," he finally decided.

"In the meantime," said Malon, "When I grow up, I'm gonna take over the ranch. I'll take care of all the animals, even after Dad is gone. I'll make it the best ranch ever, and when I'm not working, I'll ride the horses all day long. I'll make Lon Lon Ranch a household name." She closed her eyes, and sighed.

"What about you, Ilia?"

"When I grow up," she breathed. "I want a horse ranch by the sea. No cows or cuccos, and especially no goats. I'm sick to death of goats. I want to breed horses and sell them. I'll keep the ones that I like the most. I love horses so much, that I can't see myself doing anything else."

"You should join me on Lon Lon, Ilia!" Malon declared. "I can take care of the other animals, and you can take of the horses. And when we're not working, we can race each other. See who's the best!"

"Thanks, but no thanks," Ilia chuckled. "I would feel bad making you take care of the other animals by yourself. Plus, I don't want to race horses. Just ride them; feel the breeze in my hair as I ride across the beach against the setting sun."

The image made Link blush, and he smiled. He pictured an adult Ilia, riding a deep brown mare across the sandy beach, with the sun sinking down into the ocean and the breeze blowing through her long, golden hair. He pictured him and her, married and living together on that seaside ranch. He pictured himself wearing his Royal Knight armor and riding a pure white stallion beside Ilia and her horse; the two of them together, laughing as they rode.

Link closed his eyes and sighed dreamily. He heard scuffling beside him, opened his eyes, and despite the darkness, saw Malon's blue eyes staring straight down at him. He recoiled.

"What?!" He demanded.

"Not so loud!" She shushed him. "You're gonna wake up the others."

"What is it?"

"If you decide to become a Royal Knight, you gotta promise me."

She sat back to her own sleeping mat and looked up into the sky, hesitating. Link sat up and looked down at her.

"Promise what?"

"If you become a knight, you gotta promise to protect me."

"Huh?"

"If you join the army and they send you somewhere far away, I might never see you again. I'll be all alone on the ranch."

"Me too," Ilia joined. "I'll miss you if you leave and go far away. I know you want to travel, but…"

It was ages before any of them spoke again, and it was Malon, again, who broke the silence.

"This morning, when Romani was falling back to the ground," Malon started. "I was kind of jealous."

"Really?" Link wondered. "Why?"

"Because of what you did afterward. You ran to catch her, to save her before she hit the ground. I was jealous."

"But why?"

"Because you caught her in your arms just like a real prince, or a knight in shining armor. I know we're just kids, and I'm not in love with you or anything, but I wish I knew what that felt like."

"I know what you mean," said Ilia. "Sometimes I wonder what that feels like, too."

"Girls are weird," Link thought to himself, but the idea of being Ilia's knight in shining armor was way too good to pass up. However, something about this promise made Link feel weird. It was a good weird, though he didn't know how to explain it. He wished Romani was awake to listen.

"Okay."

"If you become a famous knight, and Ilia or I are ever in trouble, you promise to come save us."

"I promise," he said, then added, "I'll promise Romani, too."

"That's even better. If anything happens to any of us, you'll rescue us, just like a hero."

"I will…"

The three fell fast asleep, both girls lying on their sides, each holding onto one of Link's hands. His last thought as he fell asleep was, "This is the best day of my life."