BIG HUGE thanks to Matt for editing, proof reading, helping,
inspiring....you get the idea. Oh, and many thanks for trying to beat me
upside the head with the smart stick. *kisses Matt's feet*
Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda or any of its characters, but this story was my original and not
very well thought out idea.
Li looked at the room he was in and admired the great tapestries and carpets. He and Zelda had a heck of a time explaining to the king what Zelda was doing, and who this...boy...was. The king was in a rather frantic mood, considering he had just found a maid dead in Zelda's room and the princess no where to be found. Zelda explained that she didn't feel up to her studies, and went to the Temple to pay her respects to the Goddesses. The king had sent a troop of his best soldiers after her, and not long after they departed, had found her and her new acquaintance in front of the Temple doors. After quite a bit of stuttering, Zelda finally convinced the king that her new friend was wandering the streets aimlessly, and that she felt somehow obligated to take him in. He agreed, finally, and Zelda took Li to his new room, all the while thanking the Goddesses that the king didn't seem to notice the resemblance between him and the real Link.
Zelda had lent Li a scabbard and told him to hide the Master Sword in his room, otherwise the king might become furious and they'd be in a lot of trouble. It was tricky enough keeping the Sword hidden from the soldiers.
Zelda told Li that he had better get out of those clothes of his before anyone asked too many questions. She directed him to the closets and left him to change. As he pulled out a pair of white leggings, a look of disgust appeared on his face and he quickly threw them aside. He pulled on the white undershirt and green tunic. When he realized there were no pants, he had no choice but to put on the leggings. He fastened the belt and thought twice about the green hat.
"I don't care what anyone says, I'm wearing my *own* underwear..." he mumbled to himself, frustrated at how tight the leggings were. Spotting a mirror in the corner, he walked over to check out his new outfit. When he looked into it, his mouth dropped open and his eyes widened in shock. Staring back at him, was a man not only dressed completely in black, but whose skin was as dark as the night sky, with burning red, crimson eyes. He looked exactly the same as Li, save for these few changes. He looked harder at the reflection in horror, feeling himself up and down. The reflection copied his motions exactly, and had the same terror stricken look on its face. Believing it was a trick of the light, Li wiped the mirror off with his sleeve and then closed his eyes tightly. After rubbing them a few times, he opened them back up and was relieved to see his own face and bright green eyes looking back at him. That was scary...he thought to himself.
Finally deciding that the hat would add to his rather nice appearance, he placed it on his head. "I think it's time for a little fun now," Li smirked and admired his reflection, then headed towards the door to find Zelda.
"Come on in," Li opened her chamber doors and peered inside. Zelda was sitting in a chair by the windowsill, reading a book.
"Whatcha reading?" Zelda looked up at him and gave him a small wink.
"What do you think?"
"The Book of Mudora?" Zelda nodded her head. "I thought you brought it with you?" Zelda nodded again. "How did you manage to hide that in your dress?" She simply smirked at him and shook her head.
"That's a secret." They both laughed at the comment, and Li then took it upon himself to sit on her bed. Zelda looked at him in horror. "What in the Goddesses names are you doing?!"
"What?"
"It is not proper for a gentlemen to sit on a ladies bed without first being courted! Then all he *can* do is sit on her bed!" Li jolted up and made to fix the bed sheets.
"I'm terribly sorry!"
"As you should be." Zelda looked on in amusement now rather than shock.
"It's just normal...in my time.. to sit on friends' beds. We think nothing of it."
"Well, while you're here, Link, you're going to have to mind your manners." Li nodded and leaned against the windowsill by Zelda.
"Hey...I've decided something."
"Oh, what's that?" The princess queried.
"I've decided that I never want to go back. Ever."
"Well, Link...I'm glad you feel that way. Because whether or not you'd wanted to stay here, you're stuck. I have no way of knowing how to get you back to your exact time. Remember?" The thought seemed to have never occurred to Li, but now that it had, he realized he didn't care.
"Oh yeah, right." Li looked around Zelda's room and noticed how much larger it was than his. Then another thought struck him. If he did the math correctly in his head, then by what Zelda told him she was now 17. He also remembered what she had said on that pier.... 'Now that you are 17, I figured you should know...' Li smiled inwardly and tried to toss the thought aside, but he couldn't help himself. "Ahem.." Zelda looked up at Li from her book. "Pardon me, Princess, but..."
"Go on?"
"You seem to have caught me at a rather..uhh..shall I say, 'ripe' age?" A look of embarrassment flickered across Zelda's face as she realized what he was talking about. "Coincidence?" Li asked, a sly look on his face. Thinking a little harder about that, he also realized that Zelda had lied about needing him to get back. If she had needed him to get back...then how did she get there in the first place? He was about to say something about that, but then Zelda interrupted.
"Link, I want to tell you something." Discarding his latter thoughts, Li suddenly got really nervous. He didn't know what the princess was planning to do, and he was scared that she might ask him...something...that he didn't know how to answer. He tried to relax himself, but the tension was overwhelming. "The real reason that I didn't use the Sword against Ganon myself was...well..." Li breathed out a sigh of relief as he realized the princess had changed the subject completely. "To tell you the truth, Link, I was scared. Alright? I didn't want to be the one to destroy Hyrule by opening the Doors, I just couldn't handle the thought. I couldn't deal with it. That's...that's part of the reason I sent the other Link back the first time. So he could forgive himself for doing what I told him to do. So he could forgive me."
" So....instead of doing something dangerous and daring yourself, you told someone else to do it? Pretty easy to do, huh?"
"Please, Link, don't get angry with me. I was foolish then, I didn't really know what I was thinking."
"I'm sorry.. I'm not mad at you. Just..wondering." Zelda sighed and closed her book . "Oh..."
"What? What is it?" Zelda asked and stood up as she saw the look of concern on Li's face.
"What if they...Zelda, what about the maid?"
"What about her?"
"Well, you killed her. What if they find out it was you?" Zelda put her hand across Li's mouth to quiet him.
"Sssh, be quiet!" She removed her hand " They won't find out. I left the only evidence back there. Back in your time."
"The sword?"
"Yes. Now don't you speak of this to anyone ever again. Understood?"
"Yes."
"Good." Zelda walked over to a night stand and set the book down. "Come, I shall walk you through the castle."
********
Li opened his eyes after a long night's rest and admired the beautiful sunrise through the window. Walking through the entire castle took the whole night, and it was very exhausting. But today was also going to be a long, exciting day. Zelda had promised him the previous evening that she'd take him riding so he could see all of Hyrule. Li had never been on a horse before in his life, and he was somewhat nervous. Nervous, but extremely excited.
On their way over to the stables, Li noticed a small carriage leaving the castle.
"Zelda, what's that?" Zelda followed Li's gaze over to the carriage.
"Oh, the Lon Lon's must've just made a delivery to the castle."
"Oh? What sort of delivery?" Zelda looked at Li hard and tapped her forehead.
"Think, Link. Think." Li looked at her stupidly for a moment before he realized he already knew what was inside the carriage.
"Oh yeah, their milk is the best in the land."
"Nice work. Glad you're starting to remember all the things I've already told you."
"You told me all those stories to prepare me. You told me so I'd know most things and so you wouldn't have to explain much." Zelda looked at him as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Well of course, you silly boy." They reached the stables and Zelda prepared two horses for them. "I know you're a smart person, but it's kind of pointless unless you learn to use your brain." Li snorted and shook his head.
"You only spoke once or twice about Lon Lon Ranch, you never mentioned really what it was like there. You think we could visit it today?" Zelda hesitated.
"Uhh..well. I suppose we could pass by, but...I don't think we should go in." She replied.
"Why not?"
"Well, because. Royalty do not just show up at a place like Lon Lon Ranch unless there's a reasonable cause behind it."
"Well...this is a reasonable cause." Li shrugged his shoulders and Zelda just laughed slightly.
"Not really. Come on." She led him to a brilliantly white stallion, a huge one at that. Her own was smaller, but just as white. Li had quite a bit of trouble trying to mount, much to Zelda's amusement. After about four tries, Li finally got his other leg over the horse and was seated correctly in the saddle. Zelda had to wipe the tears away from laughter. Li, however, didn't find it as amusing. "Now that you're properly seated, shall we get going?" Zelda mused.
"Lead on, Highness," Li said rather sarcastically, motioning her forward.
"Good then, let us be off!" Zelda gently squeezed her horse and urged her forward. She was almost half way gone before she had to stop and wait for Li to catch up.
"Come on horsey, there's a good boy....whoa..." Li's horse was tending to go at a sideways trot, and Li was having trouble controlling him. Zelda came riding up beside him and steered him in the right direction, laughing all the while. "Very funny," Li snorted.
They went at a moderately slow pace, so Li could get acquainted with his new companion and get a feel for riding. He seemed to be a natural. As they entered into the market, Zelda turned to Li.
"I have to make a quick stop."
"Alright." Li followed Zelda to the staircase leading to the Temple of Time. He dismounted as Zelda had, and followed her up the path to the Temple doors. "What are we doing here?"
"I have to do something. It won't take but a moment. Wait here." Zelda disappeared into the Temple and came out within a matter of minutes. Li gave her a confused look and she urged him to follow her back to their horses. As they mounted, she explained to him, "I had to do something about the Sword."
"But I have the Sword in my-"
"Exactly. I had to replace it. Even though any fool could tell the difference, they probably won't get close enough to look. No one ever goes into that room, but they can definitely see into it. It's better that there's any sword there rather than none at all."
"True."
As Li and Zelda approached the drawbridge which led out into Hyrule, Li took one look and almost fell off his horse. The sight in which he beheld filled him with amazement and wonder. This land...it was like a holy land. A place in which only Gods or Goddesses may lay eyes upon. Li felt like a new person, like someone who had something worth living for. The scene which lay before him made him feel that all of this was worth while; every part of it. He felt as though nothing could ever change his mind. He was staying here, for good.
"Zelda...this...this is amazing!" Li sat atop his horse and gazed out beyond the fields of Hyrule.
"I knew you'd like it," Zelda smiled warmly and urged their horses forward, into the rolling hills.
A few hours had passed by, and Li was having the time of his life. He'd finally gotten used to his horse, and was riding like an expert now. He'd completely forgotten about wanting to see Lon Lon Ranch.
The sky was turning gray, and there were signs of a rain storm coming on. Soon a light drizzle had begun to poor, and the princess had quite a time trying to convince Li that it was time to head back to the castle.
"Link, we'll get soaked! We can go riding again tomorrow, come on!" Zelda looked at Li pleadingly and begged him with her eyes.
"Oh, alright. You sure do know how to spoil a man's fun though." Zelda laughed at him and started back toward the castle.
"Don't be such a baby." She mused.
"I'm not the one being a baby here!" Li retorted. As they galloped away down the path towards the market, Li spotted someone in the distance with, what seemed, a broken down carriage.
"Zelda, we should help them."
"Link, we don't have the proper equipment, what could we do?"
"I don't know, but it would be rude not to offer." Li called out a command to his horse and they raced even faster towards the stranger. Li halted his horse before the carriage, and stared down at the hooded figure. His clothes seemed to be drenched and Li couldn't help but feel sorry that this person was stuck out here in the rain. "Hi there. You need any help?" The figure turned around abruptly, shocked at the new voice.
"That is a beautiful horse you have there, mister." Li was surprised when the person spoke and soon realized it was a female by the sound of her voice. "Uhh...thank you..." Zelda rode up beside Li and stopped. The figure seemed to immediately recognize Princess Zelda for who she was and kneeled almost instantly in the mud. Li was surprised at first by her actions, but realized it was law and custom to show such respect towards Royalty.
"Remove your hood, please." Zelda asked very politely. As the figure pulled back her hood, Li's heart came to a complete stop. He couldn't breathe. Her head was still bowed before the princess, but Li instantly recognized the fire like red hair. Oh dear Goddesses...could it be? He thought impatiently to himself, wanting to see the eyes. If he saw them, he'd know. The girl said something which Li could not make out, and raised her head. Dazzling blue eyes met Li's gaze, and he shuttered. He trembled, trying to take in gasps of air but failing. It was her. He looked into her beautiful eyes for a moment before she looked away and at Zelda. Li grew anxious and wanted desperately to look into those eyes again, and he fumbled atop his horse, trying to control his emotions. Zelda seemed to notice and grew rather angry.
"You must be Malon," she said. "I'm sorry, but we cannot possibly help you. We must return to the castle immediately." Zelda glanced at Li and turned to ride off again. " Come." Li made no attempt to follow her, and Zelda grew very impatient. "Come on!" Zelda grabbed the reigns and tried to pull Li's horse along. Li didn't like that one bit.
"No! Zelda, wait!" Before he knew what was happening, he and Zelda were galloping off towards the castle again. Li felt as if he had just met a Goddess herself.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------
It had been two days since Li's encounter with the girl, and he couldn't stop thinking about her. Malon...Malon...that was what Zelda had called her. Zelda acted rather oddly that day, and Li was still confused as to why. One thought had crossed his mind...but he found it ridiculous. A princess? Jealous of an extraordinarily beautiful, breath taking farm girl? Ha! Zelda's a princess, what more could she want? Li paced back and forth across his room, fumbling anxiously. He found it a little strange that the princess had never mentioned Malon in her stories. Li was absolutely positive that she was the girl he had been dreaming of.
Tired of pacing about, Li let out a heavy sigh and flopped himself onto his bed. Closing his eyes, he started to drift into a deep sleep....
~Li found himself standing in the middle of a large body of water. He was on top of it though, floating. Spotting an ancient looking mirror, he walked, weightless over to it. Gazing at it, he saw that hideous reflection of the man in black, with those evil, red eyes. Li tried to turn away, but the reflection hissed at him and a black hand reached right through the mirror and grabbed Li's wrist. Screaming, Li tried desperately to pull away, but the grip was growing stronger and the eyes of the demon were burning even brighter...
Then a flash of light, and Li found himself standing now in the middle of a field, surrounded by galloping horses. He could hear a sweet melody coming from somewhere, but he could not tell where it was. Then...the horses moved away and revealed a magnificent creature. Her back was turned, but he could see her fiery hair, burning in bright red flames. It caught the wind as she turned around and whipped at her face. Big, dazzling blue eyes stared upon him and a siren like voice escaped her full lips. Li's heart started beating faster and he tried to approach her, but the wind seemed to sweep her away and in an instant she was gone. Li couldn't see her anywhere, but her voice remained and he could hear it being carried through the sky on the wind...~
Li jolted out of his dreams and wiped the sweat off his brow. This was the exact same dream he'd been having ever since he met Zelda...who was at the time Mrs. Aedel. It was so vivid this time, he could almost see her standing there in front of him. He knew now for sure; she was definitely the girl. The nightmare before about the black demon Li had also been dreaming about, but he never told Zelda about it.
Li looked out the window and by the look of the sky, it was late afternoon. That's it..he thought to himself. I can't take this anymore. He got out of bed and put his boots and hat on. Being ever so careful, Li crept through the castle, being extra wary of running into anyone that may recognize him..especially Zelda. Exiting the castle, Li found his way to the stables and mounted up a horse. He figured it'd take him about three hours to get to Lon Lon Ranch from here. Squeezing the horse and letting out a yell, Li bolted out of the castle courtyards and made his way to Hyrule Field.
By the time Li had reached the entrance to Lon Lon Ranch, he was exhausted. He had ridden hard for two and a half hours, with no more than a few stops. This was the first time he'd ever even seen the outside of the ranch, and he was very excited. Getting off his horse and grabbing its reigns, Li walked the rest of the way up the steep hill and into the ranch.
Li had never seen anything like this place before. There were two large buildings on either side of him as he entered, and beyond them was a very large corral. There were very high walls enclosing the ranch, and Li could see a tower in one corner overlooking the entire place.
"Hello there." Li jumped as he heard a voice, and looked over to his left. There stood an older looking man, with big eyes and a kindly face. He was somewhat... plump... but seemed good natured. "I'm Talon, owner of Lon Lon Ranch. How can I help ye, lad?"
"Oh, hello. I was just...well, I was wondering if Malon was in?"
"Oh, sure fella. She be out in the corral now. If ye like I'll take ye horse."
"That would be very kind, thank you."
Li started to walk out towards the center of the ranch when a voice stopped him.
"How nice of you to come by." Li spun around and was met with stunning eyes and the warmest smile he'd ever seen. "I don't believe we have been properly introduced."
"Oh..I, uhh...um.." Li stammered uncontrollably, which made the girl in front of him smile even wider.
" I am Malon," she said and put a hand on his own, while gesturing around her with the other. "Welcome to Lon Lon Ranch."
"I am...very, very pleased to meet you." Li grinned sheepishly. He felt like a little child.
"Well, don't you have a name?" Malon gave him a sly smile which drove Li crazy. He was dumbfounded!
"Uhh...oh yes. My name is...Link." Malon's smile disappeared and she removed her hand from his.
"What did you just say-"
"Li! I said my name was Li." He recovered quickly.
"Oh..." Malon looked at him strangely then just shrugged. "Come on! I'll show you around." She said happily as Li stumbled after her.
Li was having the time of his life. The rest of the ranch might have been more interesting at another time, but the fact that he was with Malon made everything else seem so unimportant. She was so easy to talk to, and he felt like just sitting down and telling her his life story. He wanted to tell her everything...but he wasn't sure of how it would affect her. So he decided it was best not to.
Malon took Li up into the tower and showed him the view. Li thought it was just spectacular. She told him stories of her childhood and how her mother died when Malon was very young, but left her best legacy. Malon hummed her mother's song for Li, and he was entranced.
"After my mother died, work on the ranch was almost overwhelming, so my father hired a new hand."
"Did that make things easier?" Li leaned up against a wall and listened to Malon intently.
"No, not at all. Ingo's a big drunk, and he complains about everything." She laughed slightly and shook her head. Goddesses she was beautiful, Li thought to himself. "For a while my father and I began to grow closer...but as the years went on we grew further apart. Then I met my best friend, Link." Li looked at her wonderingly.
"Link?"
"Yeah, Link." She laughed again. "He told me crazy stories about these adventures he went on and how he had to save Hyrule. So I asked him, ' How did you manage to do all of that without me knowing about it?' He told me that once he was through, the Princess Zelda sent him back in time with an ocarina." Li snorted, which made Malon laugh even harder. He knew it was the truth about Link.
"So, where is Link? I'd like to meet him."
"Oh, a while back he had to go to another country. One of his wild adventures."
"Don't you miss him?"
"Well...yes. I do. He was the only one to talk to for miles around. It actually gets quite lonely around here."
"Well, we'll see if we can't fix that." Li gave Malon a small wink and she gave him a huge grin in return.
"So, you're new around here. Where're you from?" Li almost panicked, and tried his best to be sincere without seeming too rude.
"Oh, I come from very, very far away. It took a long time to travel here." He laughed inwardly as he thought of exactly how far....long away he was from his real home.
"I see." Malon smiled at him at gazed out the small window at the sky. Li wanted to be with her forever, and he was about ready to give anything to make that happen. Then he realized how late it was getting.
"Oh no..."
"What? What is it?" Malon turned her gaze toward him.
"It's getting late, I really should be returning."
"Oh... well, where are you staying?"
"At the castle. It takes quite a while to get there from here." Li blurted out, not noticing the look of disappointment on Malon's face.
"Oh. I see." He did notice the disappointment in her tone, however, and he immediately felt guilty. Did this mean she actually liked him? Li smiled at the thought and looked Malon in the eye.
"Malon...I really hope I can see you again. I rather enjoyed the time we spent together." Malon instantly flashed that warm smile at him, and his heart melted.
"As have I, Li. As have I."
"You don't have to be lonely anymore." Malon walked over to him and gave him a big hug. This was the happiest moment of Li's life.
They walked from the tower back to the stables, and Malon helped him with his horse.
"I'll come back as soon as I get a free moment!" Li called out as he rode away. Malon just smiled at him.
"That might be tricky, considering he's befriended Princess Zelda now," she mumbled under her breath. She rather liked that Li...a strange one he was. But she liked him none the less. It would be good to have a new friend.
Li raced up the steps to his room, hoping Zelda had not been looking for him while he was gone. He was met with a rather angry face when he opened the doors to his bed chambers, and he hurriedly tried to explain.
"I just went out-"
"Where? I have been worried sick, you know! What if something had happened to you?"
"You're right, I'm sorry. I'll be sure to let you know before I go riding again."
"See that you do." Zelda huffed an angry breath and stepped aside to let him in. "So, where did you go?" Li took off his boots, trying to avoid the princesses' gaze.
"Oh....no where in particular. I just went around the fields." Zelda looked at him suspiciously and just shook her head.
"Well, Daddy has some business to take care of tonight, so we will be dining alone. It is a nice evening, and I was wondering if you'd like to join me for a meal out in the courtyard."
"Oh yes, Highness, I would love to." She laughed at him and rolled her eyes.
"Link, please, call me Zelda, will you?"
"Sure thing, Highness-err..Zelda." Li grinned and reached for his boots that he had just taken off and put them back on.
It was indeed a nice evening, and Li enjoyed the atmosphere around him. The courtyard was such a peaceful place. Li sat on the edge of a pond and listened to Zelda tell him how worried she was the whole day. He couldn't help but feel somewhat guilty for making her worry, but he had to admit...it was definitely worth while. Standing up to stretch, Li mistakenly looked down into the pond, and what he saw he did not like.
"Zelda, come here!" Cutting her off in mid sentence, Li yelled to her and she came running over.
"What is it, Link?" Li pointed a shaky finger at his reflection in the pond. "By the Goddesses...." Zelda clutched at her heart and pulled Li away.
"That same reflection, Zelda. That black skin...those burning red eyes, that evil grin, I see it all the time. Even in my dreams...." Pulling away from Zelda, Li wandered back to the pond and looked in again, but saw only himself.
"I...can't believe this. Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Zelda asked, breathing heavily.
"Why? What does it mean?"
"I can tell you what it means." Both Li and Zelda jumped as they heard the new voice behind them. Turning around, Zelda's mouth dropped open as she looked at the new person standing before her. Li's eyes widened at the sight, and though he didn't know exactly who this person was, he had a pretty darn good idea. Standing there before them, was Hyrule's own Hero of Time.
************************************************************************
I decided to add the fifth and sixth chapters together, because it makes things more interesting that way.Yet more cliffhangers. Hope ya got your fill for now, because the next chapter won't be up for a long time. Unless I change my mind. Tell me what you think. Have fun!
Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda or any of its characters, but this story was my original and not
very well thought out idea.
Li looked at the room he was in and admired the great tapestries and carpets. He and Zelda had a heck of a time explaining to the king what Zelda was doing, and who this...boy...was. The king was in a rather frantic mood, considering he had just found a maid dead in Zelda's room and the princess no where to be found. Zelda explained that she didn't feel up to her studies, and went to the Temple to pay her respects to the Goddesses. The king had sent a troop of his best soldiers after her, and not long after they departed, had found her and her new acquaintance in front of the Temple doors. After quite a bit of stuttering, Zelda finally convinced the king that her new friend was wandering the streets aimlessly, and that she felt somehow obligated to take him in. He agreed, finally, and Zelda took Li to his new room, all the while thanking the Goddesses that the king didn't seem to notice the resemblance between him and the real Link.
Zelda had lent Li a scabbard and told him to hide the Master Sword in his room, otherwise the king might become furious and they'd be in a lot of trouble. It was tricky enough keeping the Sword hidden from the soldiers.
Zelda told Li that he had better get out of those clothes of his before anyone asked too many questions. She directed him to the closets and left him to change. As he pulled out a pair of white leggings, a look of disgust appeared on his face and he quickly threw them aside. He pulled on the white undershirt and green tunic. When he realized there were no pants, he had no choice but to put on the leggings. He fastened the belt and thought twice about the green hat.
"I don't care what anyone says, I'm wearing my *own* underwear..." he mumbled to himself, frustrated at how tight the leggings were. Spotting a mirror in the corner, he walked over to check out his new outfit. When he looked into it, his mouth dropped open and his eyes widened in shock. Staring back at him, was a man not only dressed completely in black, but whose skin was as dark as the night sky, with burning red, crimson eyes. He looked exactly the same as Li, save for these few changes. He looked harder at the reflection in horror, feeling himself up and down. The reflection copied his motions exactly, and had the same terror stricken look on its face. Believing it was a trick of the light, Li wiped the mirror off with his sleeve and then closed his eyes tightly. After rubbing them a few times, he opened them back up and was relieved to see his own face and bright green eyes looking back at him. That was scary...he thought to himself.
Finally deciding that the hat would add to his rather nice appearance, he placed it on his head. "I think it's time for a little fun now," Li smirked and admired his reflection, then headed towards the door to find Zelda.
"Come on in," Li opened her chamber doors and peered inside. Zelda was sitting in a chair by the windowsill, reading a book.
"Whatcha reading?" Zelda looked up at him and gave him a small wink.
"What do you think?"
"The Book of Mudora?" Zelda nodded her head. "I thought you brought it with you?" Zelda nodded again. "How did you manage to hide that in your dress?" She simply smirked at him and shook her head.
"That's a secret." They both laughed at the comment, and Li then took it upon himself to sit on her bed. Zelda looked at him in horror. "What in the Goddesses names are you doing?!"
"What?"
"It is not proper for a gentlemen to sit on a ladies bed without first being courted! Then all he *can* do is sit on her bed!" Li jolted up and made to fix the bed sheets.
"I'm terribly sorry!"
"As you should be." Zelda looked on in amusement now rather than shock.
"It's just normal...in my time.. to sit on friends' beds. We think nothing of it."
"Well, while you're here, Link, you're going to have to mind your manners." Li nodded and leaned against the windowsill by Zelda.
"Hey...I've decided something."
"Oh, what's that?" The princess queried.
"I've decided that I never want to go back. Ever."
"Well, Link...I'm glad you feel that way. Because whether or not you'd wanted to stay here, you're stuck. I have no way of knowing how to get you back to your exact time. Remember?" The thought seemed to have never occurred to Li, but now that it had, he realized he didn't care.
"Oh yeah, right." Li looked around Zelda's room and noticed how much larger it was than his. Then another thought struck him. If he did the math correctly in his head, then by what Zelda told him she was now 17. He also remembered what she had said on that pier.... 'Now that you are 17, I figured you should know...' Li smiled inwardly and tried to toss the thought aside, but he couldn't help himself. "Ahem.." Zelda looked up at Li from her book. "Pardon me, Princess, but..."
"Go on?"
"You seem to have caught me at a rather..uhh..shall I say, 'ripe' age?" A look of embarrassment flickered across Zelda's face as she realized what he was talking about. "Coincidence?" Li asked, a sly look on his face. Thinking a little harder about that, he also realized that Zelda had lied about needing him to get back. If she had needed him to get back...then how did she get there in the first place? He was about to say something about that, but then Zelda interrupted.
"Link, I want to tell you something." Discarding his latter thoughts, Li suddenly got really nervous. He didn't know what the princess was planning to do, and he was scared that she might ask him...something...that he didn't know how to answer. He tried to relax himself, but the tension was overwhelming. "The real reason that I didn't use the Sword against Ganon myself was...well..." Li breathed out a sigh of relief as he realized the princess had changed the subject completely. "To tell you the truth, Link, I was scared. Alright? I didn't want to be the one to destroy Hyrule by opening the Doors, I just couldn't handle the thought. I couldn't deal with it. That's...that's part of the reason I sent the other Link back the first time. So he could forgive himself for doing what I told him to do. So he could forgive me."
" So....instead of doing something dangerous and daring yourself, you told someone else to do it? Pretty easy to do, huh?"
"Please, Link, don't get angry with me. I was foolish then, I didn't really know what I was thinking."
"I'm sorry.. I'm not mad at you. Just..wondering." Zelda sighed and closed her book . "Oh..."
"What? What is it?" Zelda asked and stood up as she saw the look of concern on Li's face.
"What if they...Zelda, what about the maid?"
"What about her?"
"Well, you killed her. What if they find out it was you?" Zelda put her hand across Li's mouth to quiet him.
"Sssh, be quiet!" She removed her hand " They won't find out. I left the only evidence back there. Back in your time."
"The sword?"
"Yes. Now don't you speak of this to anyone ever again. Understood?"
"Yes."
"Good." Zelda walked over to a night stand and set the book down. "Come, I shall walk you through the castle."
********
Li opened his eyes after a long night's rest and admired the beautiful sunrise through the window. Walking through the entire castle took the whole night, and it was very exhausting. But today was also going to be a long, exciting day. Zelda had promised him the previous evening that she'd take him riding so he could see all of Hyrule. Li had never been on a horse before in his life, and he was somewhat nervous. Nervous, but extremely excited.
On their way over to the stables, Li noticed a small carriage leaving the castle.
"Zelda, what's that?" Zelda followed Li's gaze over to the carriage.
"Oh, the Lon Lon's must've just made a delivery to the castle."
"Oh? What sort of delivery?" Zelda looked at Li hard and tapped her forehead.
"Think, Link. Think." Li looked at her stupidly for a moment before he realized he already knew what was inside the carriage.
"Oh yeah, their milk is the best in the land."
"Nice work. Glad you're starting to remember all the things I've already told you."
"You told me all those stories to prepare me. You told me so I'd know most things and so you wouldn't have to explain much." Zelda looked at him as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Well of course, you silly boy." They reached the stables and Zelda prepared two horses for them. "I know you're a smart person, but it's kind of pointless unless you learn to use your brain." Li snorted and shook his head.
"You only spoke once or twice about Lon Lon Ranch, you never mentioned really what it was like there. You think we could visit it today?" Zelda hesitated.
"Uhh..well. I suppose we could pass by, but...I don't think we should go in." She replied.
"Why not?"
"Well, because. Royalty do not just show up at a place like Lon Lon Ranch unless there's a reasonable cause behind it."
"Well...this is a reasonable cause." Li shrugged his shoulders and Zelda just laughed slightly.
"Not really. Come on." She led him to a brilliantly white stallion, a huge one at that. Her own was smaller, but just as white. Li had quite a bit of trouble trying to mount, much to Zelda's amusement. After about four tries, Li finally got his other leg over the horse and was seated correctly in the saddle. Zelda had to wipe the tears away from laughter. Li, however, didn't find it as amusing. "Now that you're properly seated, shall we get going?" Zelda mused.
"Lead on, Highness," Li said rather sarcastically, motioning her forward.
"Good then, let us be off!" Zelda gently squeezed her horse and urged her forward. She was almost half way gone before she had to stop and wait for Li to catch up.
"Come on horsey, there's a good boy....whoa..." Li's horse was tending to go at a sideways trot, and Li was having trouble controlling him. Zelda came riding up beside him and steered him in the right direction, laughing all the while. "Very funny," Li snorted.
They went at a moderately slow pace, so Li could get acquainted with his new companion and get a feel for riding. He seemed to be a natural. As they entered into the market, Zelda turned to Li.
"I have to make a quick stop."
"Alright." Li followed Zelda to the staircase leading to the Temple of Time. He dismounted as Zelda had, and followed her up the path to the Temple doors. "What are we doing here?"
"I have to do something. It won't take but a moment. Wait here." Zelda disappeared into the Temple and came out within a matter of minutes. Li gave her a confused look and she urged him to follow her back to their horses. As they mounted, she explained to him, "I had to do something about the Sword."
"But I have the Sword in my-"
"Exactly. I had to replace it. Even though any fool could tell the difference, they probably won't get close enough to look. No one ever goes into that room, but they can definitely see into it. It's better that there's any sword there rather than none at all."
"True."
As Li and Zelda approached the drawbridge which led out into Hyrule, Li took one look and almost fell off his horse. The sight in which he beheld filled him with amazement and wonder. This land...it was like a holy land. A place in which only Gods or Goddesses may lay eyes upon. Li felt like a new person, like someone who had something worth living for. The scene which lay before him made him feel that all of this was worth while; every part of it. He felt as though nothing could ever change his mind. He was staying here, for good.
"Zelda...this...this is amazing!" Li sat atop his horse and gazed out beyond the fields of Hyrule.
"I knew you'd like it," Zelda smiled warmly and urged their horses forward, into the rolling hills.
A few hours had passed by, and Li was having the time of his life. He'd finally gotten used to his horse, and was riding like an expert now. He'd completely forgotten about wanting to see Lon Lon Ranch.
The sky was turning gray, and there were signs of a rain storm coming on. Soon a light drizzle had begun to poor, and the princess had quite a time trying to convince Li that it was time to head back to the castle.
"Link, we'll get soaked! We can go riding again tomorrow, come on!" Zelda looked at Li pleadingly and begged him with her eyes.
"Oh, alright. You sure do know how to spoil a man's fun though." Zelda laughed at him and started back toward the castle.
"Don't be such a baby." She mused.
"I'm not the one being a baby here!" Li retorted. As they galloped away down the path towards the market, Li spotted someone in the distance with, what seemed, a broken down carriage.
"Zelda, we should help them."
"Link, we don't have the proper equipment, what could we do?"
"I don't know, but it would be rude not to offer." Li called out a command to his horse and they raced even faster towards the stranger. Li halted his horse before the carriage, and stared down at the hooded figure. His clothes seemed to be drenched and Li couldn't help but feel sorry that this person was stuck out here in the rain. "Hi there. You need any help?" The figure turned around abruptly, shocked at the new voice.
"That is a beautiful horse you have there, mister." Li was surprised when the person spoke and soon realized it was a female by the sound of her voice. "Uhh...thank you..." Zelda rode up beside Li and stopped. The figure seemed to immediately recognize Princess Zelda for who she was and kneeled almost instantly in the mud. Li was surprised at first by her actions, but realized it was law and custom to show such respect towards Royalty.
"Remove your hood, please." Zelda asked very politely. As the figure pulled back her hood, Li's heart came to a complete stop. He couldn't breathe. Her head was still bowed before the princess, but Li instantly recognized the fire like red hair. Oh dear Goddesses...could it be? He thought impatiently to himself, wanting to see the eyes. If he saw them, he'd know. The girl said something which Li could not make out, and raised her head. Dazzling blue eyes met Li's gaze, and he shuttered. He trembled, trying to take in gasps of air but failing. It was her. He looked into her beautiful eyes for a moment before she looked away and at Zelda. Li grew anxious and wanted desperately to look into those eyes again, and he fumbled atop his horse, trying to control his emotions. Zelda seemed to notice and grew rather angry.
"You must be Malon," she said. "I'm sorry, but we cannot possibly help you. We must return to the castle immediately." Zelda glanced at Li and turned to ride off again. " Come." Li made no attempt to follow her, and Zelda grew very impatient. "Come on!" Zelda grabbed the reigns and tried to pull Li's horse along. Li didn't like that one bit.
"No! Zelda, wait!" Before he knew what was happening, he and Zelda were galloping off towards the castle again. Li felt as if he had just met a Goddess herself.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------
It had been two days since Li's encounter with the girl, and he couldn't stop thinking about her. Malon...Malon...that was what Zelda had called her. Zelda acted rather oddly that day, and Li was still confused as to why. One thought had crossed his mind...but he found it ridiculous. A princess? Jealous of an extraordinarily beautiful, breath taking farm girl? Ha! Zelda's a princess, what more could she want? Li paced back and forth across his room, fumbling anxiously. He found it a little strange that the princess had never mentioned Malon in her stories. Li was absolutely positive that she was the girl he had been dreaming of.
Tired of pacing about, Li let out a heavy sigh and flopped himself onto his bed. Closing his eyes, he started to drift into a deep sleep....
~Li found himself standing in the middle of a large body of water. He was on top of it though, floating. Spotting an ancient looking mirror, he walked, weightless over to it. Gazing at it, he saw that hideous reflection of the man in black, with those evil, red eyes. Li tried to turn away, but the reflection hissed at him and a black hand reached right through the mirror and grabbed Li's wrist. Screaming, Li tried desperately to pull away, but the grip was growing stronger and the eyes of the demon were burning even brighter...
Then a flash of light, and Li found himself standing now in the middle of a field, surrounded by galloping horses. He could hear a sweet melody coming from somewhere, but he could not tell where it was. Then...the horses moved away and revealed a magnificent creature. Her back was turned, but he could see her fiery hair, burning in bright red flames. It caught the wind as she turned around and whipped at her face. Big, dazzling blue eyes stared upon him and a siren like voice escaped her full lips. Li's heart started beating faster and he tried to approach her, but the wind seemed to sweep her away and in an instant she was gone. Li couldn't see her anywhere, but her voice remained and he could hear it being carried through the sky on the wind...~
Li jolted out of his dreams and wiped the sweat off his brow. This was the exact same dream he'd been having ever since he met Zelda...who was at the time Mrs. Aedel. It was so vivid this time, he could almost see her standing there in front of him. He knew now for sure; she was definitely the girl. The nightmare before about the black demon Li had also been dreaming about, but he never told Zelda about it.
Li looked out the window and by the look of the sky, it was late afternoon. That's it..he thought to himself. I can't take this anymore. He got out of bed and put his boots and hat on. Being ever so careful, Li crept through the castle, being extra wary of running into anyone that may recognize him..especially Zelda. Exiting the castle, Li found his way to the stables and mounted up a horse. He figured it'd take him about three hours to get to Lon Lon Ranch from here. Squeezing the horse and letting out a yell, Li bolted out of the castle courtyards and made his way to Hyrule Field.
By the time Li had reached the entrance to Lon Lon Ranch, he was exhausted. He had ridden hard for two and a half hours, with no more than a few stops. This was the first time he'd ever even seen the outside of the ranch, and he was very excited. Getting off his horse and grabbing its reigns, Li walked the rest of the way up the steep hill and into the ranch.
Li had never seen anything like this place before. There were two large buildings on either side of him as he entered, and beyond them was a very large corral. There were very high walls enclosing the ranch, and Li could see a tower in one corner overlooking the entire place.
"Hello there." Li jumped as he heard a voice, and looked over to his left. There stood an older looking man, with big eyes and a kindly face. He was somewhat... plump... but seemed good natured. "I'm Talon, owner of Lon Lon Ranch. How can I help ye, lad?"
"Oh, hello. I was just...well, I was wondering if Malon was in?"
"Oh, sure fella. She be out in the corral now. If ye like I'll take ye horse."
"That would be very kind, thank you."
Li started to walk out towards the center of the ranch when a voice stopped him.
"How nice of you to come by." Li spun around and was met with stunning eyes and the warmest smile he'd ever seen. "I don't believe we have been properly introduced."
"Oh..I, uhh...um.." Li stammered uncontrollably, which made the girl in front of him smile even wider.
" I am Malon," she said and put a hand on his own, while gesturing around her with the other. "Welcome to Lon Lon Ranch."
"I am...very, very pleased to meet you." Li grinned sheepishly. He felt like a little child.
"Well, don't you have a name?" Malon gave him a sly smile which drove Li crazy. He was dumbfounded!
"Uhh...oh yes. My name is...Link." Malon's smile disappeared and she removed her hand from his.
"What did you just say-"
"Li! I said my name was Li." He recovered quickly.
"Oh..." Malon looked at him strangely then just shrugged. "Come on! I'll show you around." She said happily as Li stumbled after her.
Li was having the time of his life. The rest of the ranch might have been more interesting at another time, but the fact that he was with Malon made everything else seem so unimportant. She was so easy to talk to, and he felt like just sitting down and telling her his life story. He wanted to tell her everything...but he wasn't sure of how it would affect her. So he decided it was best not to.
Malon took Li up into the tower and showed him the view. Li thought it was just spectacular. She told him stories of her childhood and how her mother died when Malon was very young, but left her best legacy. Malon hummed her mother's song for Li, and he was entranced.
"After my mother died, work on the ranch was almost overwhelming, so my father hired a new hand."
"Did that make things easier?" Li leaned up against a wall and listened to Malon intently.
"No, not at all. Ingo's a big drunk, and he complains about everything." She laughed slightly and shook her head. Goddesses she was beautiful, Li thought to himself. "For a while my father and I began to grow closer...but as the years went on we grew further apart. Then I met my best friend, Link." Li looked at her wonderingly.
"Link?"
"Yeah, Link." She laughed again. "He told me crazy stories about these adventures he went on and how he had to save Hyrule. So I asked him, ' How did you manage to do all of that without me knowing about it?' He told me that once he was through, the Princess Zelda sent him back in time with an ocarina." Li snorted, which made Malon laugh even harder. He knew it was the truth about Link.
"So, where is Link? I'd like to meet him."
"Oh, a while back he had to go to another country. One of his wild adventures."
"Don't you miss him?"
"Well...yes. I do. He was the only one to talk to for miles around. It actually gets quite lonely around here."
"Well, we'll see if we can't fix that." Li gave Malon a small wink and she gave him a huge grin in return.
"So, you're new around here. Where're you from?" Li almost panicked, and tried his best to be sincere without seeming too rude.
"Oh, I come from very, very far away. It took a long time to travel here." He laughed inwardly as he thought of exactly how far....long away he was from his real home.
"I see." Malon smiled at him at gazed out the small window at the sky. Li wanted to be with her forever, and he was about ready to give anything to make that happen. Then he realized how late it was getting.
"Oh no..."
"What? What is it?" Malon turned her gaze toward him.
"It's getting late, I really should be returning."
"Oh... well, where are you staying?"
"At the castle. It takes quite a while to get there from here." Li blurted out, not noticing the look of disappointment on Malon's face.
"Oh. I see." He did notice the disappointment in her tone, however, and he immediately felt guilty. Did this mean she actually liked him? Li smiled at the thought and looked Malon in the eye.
"Malon...I really hope I can see you again. I rather enjoyed the time we spent together." Malon instantly flashed that warm smile at him, and his heart melted.
"As have I, Li. As have I."
"You don't have to be lonely anymore." Malon walked over to him and gave him a big hug. This was the happiest moment of Li's life.
They walked from the tower back to the stables, and Malon helped him with his horse.
"I'll come back as soon as I get a free moment!" Li called out as he rode away. Malon just smiled at him.
"That might be tricky, considering he's befriended Princess Zelda now," she mumbled under her breath. She rather liked that Li...a strange one he was. But she liked him none the less. It would be good to have a new friend.
Li raced up the steps to his room, hoping Zelda had not been looking for him while he was gone. He was met with a rather angry face when he opened the doors to his bed chambers, and he hurriedly tried to explain.
"I just went out-"
"Where? I have been worried sick, you know! What if something had happened to you?"
"You're right, I'm sorry. I'll be sure to let you know before I go riding again."
"See that you do." Zelda huffed an angry breath and stepped aside to let him in. "So, where did you go?" Li took off his boots, trying to avoid the princesses' gaze.
"Oh....no where in particular. I just went around the fields." Zelda looked at him suspiciously and just shook her head.
"Well, Daddy has some business to take care of tonight, so we will be dining alone. It is a nice evening, and I was wondering if you'd like to join me for a meal out in the courtyard."
"Oh yes, Highness, I would love to." She laughed at him and rolled her eyes.
"Link, please, call me Zelda, will you?"
"Sure thing, Highness-err..Zelda." Li grinned and reached for his boots that he had just taken off and put them back on.
It was indeed a nice evening, and Li enjoyed the atmosphere around him. The courtyard was such a peaceful place. Li sat on the edge of a pond and listened to Zelda tell him how worried she was the whole day. He couldn't help but feel somewhat guilty for making her worry, but he had to admit...it was definitely worth while. Standing up to stretch, Li mistakenly looked down into the pond, and what he saw he did not like.
"Zelda, come here!" Cutting her off in mid sentence, Li yelled to her and she came running over.
"What is it, Link?" Li pointed a shaky finger at his reflection in the pond. "By the Goddesses...." Zelda clutched at her heart and pulled Li away.
"That same reflection, Zelda. That black skin...those burning red eyes, that evil grin, I see it all the time. Even in my dreams...." Pulling away from Zelda, Li wandered back to the pond and looked in again, but saw only himself.
"I...can't believe this. Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Zelda asked, breathing heavily.
"Why? What does it mean?"
"I can tell you what it means." Both Li and Zelda jumped as they heard the new voice behind them. Turning around, Zelda's mouth dropped open as she looked at the new person standing before her. Li's eyes widened at the sight, and though he didn't know exactly who this person was, he had a pretty darn good idea. Standing there before them, was Hyrule's own Hero of Time.
************************************************************************
I decided to add the fifth and sixth chapters together, because it makes things more interesting that way.Yet more cliffhangers. Hope ya got your fill for now, because the next chapter won't be up for a long time. Unless I change my mind. Tell me what you think. Have fun!