Chapter 1: Leaving Home

One Way Ticket to Catastrophe

Chapter 6: Lon Lon Ranch

" Thank you for letting us stay here, sir," Karina said as she took two pails of milk. " Once we find out what are we suppose to do, we'll leave immediately."

" You're welcome here as long as you want, dear Karina. It feels good to have an extra helping hand around here. You know, other than clumsy Ingo here," Talon muttered as Ingo came out of the storage room tripping over his own broom.

Karina giggled and gave him the milk pails so he could put them in his wagon. " I really wish to learn more about keeping a ranch. I might seem very useless now but I'm a fast learner," she said enthusiastically.

Talon smiled. " Sure. If you want, I'll pay you and your friend wages for helping me out with the ranch every week."

Karina's eyes lit up instantly. " Really? I never had my own rubees before."

" Well, now you have. Starting this week, you'll work six days, having the last day of the week off. What do you say?"

" Fine with me. I'll tell Link right now."

She scurried away up to where Link was petting a horse with Malon. Meanwhile, Talon frowned after her, wondering why she seemed so familiar but shrugged it off and instead wondered where their parents were.

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" Link! Link! You won't believe this! We're going to work here in Lon Lon Ranch!"

" We are?"

" Yeah! And guess what?!"

Karina paused and Link was obligated to say "what?" just to add to her excitement.

" We will get our own wages from now on! Isn't that fabulous?!"

Malon's eyes glittered with the same ebullience as Karina. " Really?"

Karina nodded furiously and Link frowned a little. Having to be near Malon was bad enough but now he was going to have to live with her.

" This will be so great! Hey, Kari, why don't you help me fix up the beds and stuff?!"

" Sure!"

" Wanna come, Link?"

" No, thanks. You two go right ahead and do what ya'll girls do."

" Whatever you say."

He watched them disappear into the barn, their laughter filtering the air. In the coarse of just two days, Link and Karina's life had changed forever to something much more different than what he would have thought of it then. The wonderful magic of Koriri forest and the people there was what he thought that he would be surrounded by forever. But now he stood somewhere other than the enchanting forest yet beautiful all the same. As the sun met the horizon, he observed the numerous horses and the small houses that were scattered randomly around the ranch. He would learn to take this for granted one day but at this very moment, he would not. He would treasure it and hope that everything comes out for the best.

" Link! Link!" screeched a small blue fairy. " I can't believe it! You're safe!"

She was followed by a yellow fairy who was in as much hysterics as the blue one. " Where's Karina?! Don't tell me she. . ."

Link was startled by their sudden presence but he managed to inform them about their situation. Strangely so, they didn't look as glad as he thought that they would be.

" So you're staying here?" Navi asked.

" What about your mission?" Tritana pointed out.

Link shrugged. " We don't know what to do, that's why we're staying. This princess person didn't tell us and tried to kill us instead, Koriri is destroyed and we have nowhere to go. So I thought to myself, what do we do? Well, isn't it clear? We stay here with these nice people and help them out and get some rubees. Maybe one day we'll find out what're we supposed to do but for now, I stay and so will Karina."

Both of them were astonished at Link's decision. They couldn't believe what they just heard. The world savior was telling him that he gave up. It was incomprehensible.

" But Link-"

" So this means-"

" You both know what it means. Look at this place. Isn't this great? It's almost like standing in Koriri without the fairy dust and trees and the familiar people. And whatever happened to Koriri wasn't either Karina's or my fault. We're kids. We only have one chance at being a kid and it's now. What don't you understand?"

Navi cast her eyes down. " You're right. We shouldn't force you to do something you wish none of."

She flew away out of view but Tritana lingered a little longer. " I agree with Navi but I think you must know that whatever did happened to Koriri will one day reach this new home of yours and you'll have to face the evil then. You can't run away forever, Link. One day it will catch up to you and you'll have to face it either way. Good bye Link."

Link had turned their back upon them but now he whirled around to apologized. However, he was too late. The two melancholic fairies had disappeared out of sight, leaving only a trail of dust behind them.

" I'm sorry."

He sat on the yellow green grass and watched the moon rise lazily along with the twinkling stars. He wasn't so sure about his decision as he was in the beginning. Maybe he chose wrong but now he couldn't turn back to the fate he chose for Karina and himself. Now, he will have to deal with it.

" Link!" called Karina in a sing song voice. " Dinner is ready!"

As Link headed back he wished that life was as simple as Karina thought it to be. He wished that he could live life without worries to trouble him ever.

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next chapter: Growing up a different life

Note-I hoped you enjoyed. Nothing much to say just that the next chapter won't come in for some time. I'm working on my book so I'm dividing my time to be able to type this. Don't expect the longest chapter either 'cause I'll probably make it a little short. Don't forget to review!

-stargazer takile10