Author's Notes: First Fic Ever. Please tell me if I have hope here at FanFiction.net. I don't really know where I'm going with this, but when I get there, you will be the first to know. Oh, yeah, It takes place after Majora. All reviews welcome.
Disclaimer: Default Standard Disclaimers Apply. I probably don't own anything you recognize, so don't sue.
Prologue
Scattered beams of sunlight glittered off drops of the morning's dew, sending shards of color into the underbrush. The air was cool and damp under the canopy of the forest, but it was growing noticeably warmer as the summer sun crept into the cerulean sky. Near the bole of a tree, a small boy awoke.
Link woke up as he always did, silently, giving no hint that he was awake until he was sure that no danger was near. Warriors' instincts did this, and warriors' instincts caused him to be ever watchful for nearby enemies. Link, certain that all was peaceful in this part of the forest, abandoned caution and sat up, yawning. Epona, hearing the noise, woke up with a quiet whinny. Seeing Epona up and alert, Link greeted her.
"Good morning, Epona. Ready to start a new day?" Epona snorted in response. "Well, let's get started then. We have a ways to go today, but we should be in Hyrule Field by noon." Epona neighed her agreement as Link climbed up, and broke into a trot as soon as he was on.
The pair started off, with only the birdsong and the rhythmic clopping of Epona's hooves to break the silence. Link felt loath to break the quiet atmosphere. His thoughts were turned inward, giving Epona free reign of where to go and how fast to go there. The oppressive silence that Link shrouded himself in today would be considered unusual even to himself under normal circumstances, but recent events had proved to be far from normal, even by Link's less-than-typical standards. Said recent events were the reason Link was heading back to Hyrule, more specifically, Lon Lon Ranch. Link was taking Epona home. He was going to leave her with her Malon, and strike off again all by his lonesome. Link debated his reasons for doing so for the hundredth time.
'How am I supposed to find Navi without her? I can't cover all that distance on foot, it would take years!' The cold voice of logic stated. Common sense, however, said, 'It's too dangerous. I saw what happened with Skullkid. I can't keep taking her into harm's way whenever I plunge with reckless abandon off on some adventure.' It would have been an even match, but instinct told him that something was wrong, and he should not drag the innocent mare into it. Common sense, backed by instinct, won. To the ranch it is.
* * *
The wind-swept expanse of Hyrule Field opened before Link as if it had not before existed. There was no thinning of the trees, just a sudden clean cut line marking where the forest stopped and the grasslands began. Link raised his head, breaking free from the thoughts that had held his attention. Epona seemed happy to be out in the open again, and started up a breakneck speed gallop to celebrate. Link didn't reign her in, instead coaxed her to greater speed, feeling the wind caress his sun-gold hair in the warmth of the summer afternoon. The sunlight lit up Link's face, and restored his good humor. Link laughed, watching the grass whip by beneath him. Epona, felling her rider relax, neighed in pleasure. It had been too long since the boy had been happy.
There was a small pool of water in the southern area of Hyrule Field, with a few lone trees shading it. It was the perfect oasis to rest at. Link steered Epona to it and dismounted. Epona, weary from the impromptu joyride, decided to get a drink from the pool. Link splashed some water on his face, but did not drink. Walking to the edge of the shaded area, Link looked out on the grasslands. 'Hmm…I can barely see the ranch from here. Kakariko is out of sight, and Lake Hylia is blocked from view by an outcropping of forest. We could probably cover some more ground before stopping to rest for the night.' Link looked over his shoulder at the filly. Epona had finished her drink and was grazing on the long grass. Smiling, Link turned and began walking toward her. "You want to rest up a bit more, Epon-" Link was cut off in mid-sentence by an agonizing bolt of pain that shot through his small body. Link gave a single, strangled cry as another spasm of agony forced him to his knees. Epona jolted upright, snorting and neighing, unsure of what was happening to her master. Link heard Epona neigh, but lost the rest of her actions. To Link, the very fabric of reality seemed to twist out of control. Colors flipped, some disappeared and whole new shades took their place. The ground spun before dropping out from under him altogether. The very concept of up and down ceased to be. The world bent, twisted, and warped until it collapsed in on itself, before exploding outwards again. And all the while Link's body and mind seemed to supernova with new levels of raw agony.
Only a few seconds of eternity later, Epona approached Link, who was flat on his back, breathing in short, ragged gasps. Through a haze of exhaustion, Link saw Epona and sighed, "It's okay, Epona…I'm alright now." Link pushed himself into a sitting position. With another sigh, Link lifted a trembling hand to his face, brushing away the crimson tears that fell from his blue eyes.