The Legend of Zelda
Ti'ana's Story
__________by Ti'ana MYST
Chapter Seventeen
The day was dark and dreary. Clouds hung menacingly overhead, threatening to open up a deluge upon Hyrule. Taabu felt the same way. His feelings locked deep down inside could burst at any moment. flooding out the agony he wouldn't allow to show.
He slept that night for perhaps an hour at most. It was probably the best night's sleep he'd had in the past month. His eyes were droopy, yet other than that there was no other hint that he had missed sleep. He remained as lively as ever when he was in the presence of others, yet it was another story when he was alone.
Today, he had to work the early shift at Lon Lon. Sitting on the edge of his bed, he grabbed his pillow and flung it across the room as hard as he could, knocking over a flimsy wooden chair. Quickly, he dressed and exited the house without breakfast for the ranch.
Once he left Kakariko Village, he slowed his pace down a little. The sun was barely up, with only a single. ray of light showing through the thick clouds. A dense fog started to form, making it difficult to see. Taabu smirked. The weather reflected his emotions lock, stock, and barrel.
Walking to the small stone bridge, he paused for a moment and looked to Hyrule Castle. He saw a small dark figure racing to the bridge of the Hyrule Castle Town.
"Hey!" He ran across the river trying to catch up with the form.
"Taabu!" The form called. "How've you been?"
Taabu stopped short in front of his friend. "Hey, Link, didn't recognize you from all the way back there. Still trying to get used to the 'little you' again."
Link smirked. "You're young again, too, you know. It's not just me."
"Yeah, yeah okay. I only saw you seven to ten and then seventeen, so those are the only 'yous' I know."
"Good excuse."
"Got a better one?"
Link shook his head. "Just kidding anyway. I'm going to go see the princess."
"Do you know if she's there anymore? I mean, wouldn't she still be in the Sacred Realm?"
"Nope," Link grinned. "I saw her the other day, actually. She requested I come again today. I'm going to hang around the town a little while before I go."
"Seriously? Wow, you two have something going on?" He elbowed Link playfully.
"Haha, you're too funny Taabu." Suddenly, Link grew serious. "Are you doing okay?"
Taabu's smile faded. "I thought I was. You're the only person who can see through me, Link, besides 'Ana.. No, I'm not doing okay." He shook his head quickly. "Quite the contrary. I'm doing awful! I don't sleep anymore and get sick when I eat anything, which is usually to appease my mother. I'm quiet, withdrawn, antisocial and people are starting to notice these things. My mother doesn't know about Ti'ana's disappearance... No one does, that I know of. Talon asked where she was, though." He paused, and smiled. "Talon treated 'Ana like a second daughter."
Link nodded. "Ti'ana was like a sister to me. Other than Saria, she was the only person I could confide in, since we were the same type of person."
Taabu blinked. "You mean you don't know?"
"Know what?"
"Link... Ti'ana IS your sister!"
Link looked like he would pass out. "Sister? I have a SISTER?! I just found I had a mother, and now a sister."
Taabu grinned. "You're princess is waiting for you.
"Sister..." He shook his head. "And to think I used to... Ah never mind. You're right, Zelda's waiting for me!"
"The bridge isn't up yet, though. You're gonna have to wait a few minutes."
Link grinned and pulled out his ocarina. "Let's cheat a little." He played the full 13-note melody of the Sun's Song, and almost immediately the bridge lowered over the moat to Hyrule Castle Town. "Luckily, Zelda's loosened security at the Castle and the guards know me by now. So I don't have to go for a swim to avoid them now!"
Taabu nodded. "Well, thanks to the extra half an hour you put time ahead, I only have five minutes to get to Lon Lon. You could've at least waited until I got half way across the field!"
"The I suggest you run, no?" With a laugh and a wave, Link ran into the castle town.
Smiling, Taabu turned towards the ranch. He could probably reach the ranch in less than ten minutes if he walked fast. That was a benefit of Hyrule; mostly everything was in short walking distance of each other.
The fog was even denser by now, though it should have lightened since the sun was up. The clouds were just as thick except for that single ray, which touched the ground on the path due east of Lon Lon Ranch.
Upon reaching the ranch, Taabu looked again to the ray of light. He couldn't see the ground where it touched, and having a few minutes decided to take a small detour. Maybe the feeling of the light on his face would cheer him up more. This wouldn't be too difficult, since the rendezvous with Link lifted his spirits some.
He hopped up on the stone wall, jumped down on the other side and, closing his eyes, he walked towards the beam of sunlight. As he walked over, his arms spread out like he had wings, he began to hum the song of the royal family. As he did, it seemed, the fog became less thick, but the ray of light remained just as intense, if not more, though it had nothing to show itself through any longer.
Taabu stopped. Something sat in the path where the ray of light touched the ground. A small boulder, it seemed, must have rolled onto the road... somehow. How that was possible, Taabu didn't know. The fog was still thick enough to block his vision, and the boulder was very fuzzy.
As he stepped closer, he noticed that it was not a boulder at all, but in fact was a person. He could see the clothing the figure was wearing; a forest green cloak with a hood which covered the person's hair. He assumed it was female, because she wore what looked like a dress and teal stockings.
He choked back a sob as he kneeled next to her. There was no doubting who this person was. Even so, he rolled her onto her back and peeled the hood off her hair, allowing blonde tresses to spill out over her face.
A solitary tear fell from Taabu's eye and landed on the girl's fair cheek. He lifted her limp body and hugged her. He could feel her breathing, and to know she was alive filled him with a joy unknown to anyone. As he held her, he whispered in her ear, "I love you, Ti'ana."
The girl stirred after being held, and she pressed herself against Taabu. "You told me that... seven years from today." Both of them laughed.
The sun broke through the clouds almost immediately, and the fog dissipated completely in a matter of seconds. A new day had indeed begun.