~*~Chapter Three~*~

Eternal Slumber from Siesta

As Link, Zelda, Ruto, and Malon were climbing up the hill to Lon Lon Ranch, Link began to think to himself, If I don't talk to Zelda now, I won't get another chance for . . . days and then it might be too late! He strode over to Zelda while Malon and Ruto were absorbed in themselves. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Malon whirled around and said "Zelda, look! There's a big patch of flowers over there. Let's pick some." And all the girls sprinted off towards the flower bed, giggling.

Link sighed, rolling his eyes, and followed them at a slower pace. It's not like he wanted to pick flowers. Why did he always end up with a bunch of girls? Link decided to ponder that question later and talk to Zelda in the present.

The girls were laughing, picking daisies, primroses, marigolds, violets and morning glories. Suddenly, Zelda exclaimed, picking up a flower. "Oh, look! Have any of you ever seen such a flower?" And indeed, they hadn't. It was a deep, midnight blue with just a hint of violet. There were seven petals, all in the shape of lily pads. It's stem and leaves were a dark shade of forest green with a hint of light in them, as if they held a bit of dew in them. Zelda put the flower close to her prim, delicate nose, smelling the flowers fragrance.

It's difficult to describe what happened next. First, Zelda went pale and rigid. She looked as if her very soul had been sucked out of her. Then, as Link ran towards her, frantically, she collapsed in a heap in the bed of flowers. Malon was shocked and going into hysterics, while Ruto stood strait, unmoving, bitting her quivering lip, trying not to cry.

Link knelt down beside Zelda's colorless figure, checking her breathing. Her breaths were thin and short, as if they were blocked in some way, yet she was breathing. Trying to remain calm, he picked up her limp body and started to run. Faster and faster he ran, towards the castle, wishing there was a faster way. Suddenly, he heard a sound that gave him hope. Epona, swift and bold, was galloping towards him. Link had forgotten Epona! Quickly, he laid Zelda's motionless figure on Epona's back, then, hopped on himself. "Thanks, Epona," he whispered softly to his steed. Silently, she rode onward, towards the castle gate.

He looked down at Zelda, wishing he could do something more for her. Then, Zelda slowly opened her eyes as if trying to wake up. She looked up into Links startled, flushed face and whispered, "Link . . . find the girl without . . . a name . . . She is . . . " then she fell back into the unconscious depths of her mind. Link looked at her emotionless face, wondering what she had meant.

Then they were at the castle gates. Jack had already opened the gates. "No time for jokes today," he said closing the gates behind them. Link didn't bother to talk, only nodded his appreciation to him. He hopped off Epona's back at the castle front and gingerly held Zelda in his arms. He ran with all his might, straining to get to the castle. He burst through the doors onto a bewildered servant. "Get help!" he almost screamed at the cowering servant, " Princess Zelda's hurt!!!" Without replying, the servant ran towards the door to do as he was biden.

In the farthest left corner, was a yellow sofa bed, with green leaves decorating it, as if vines were crawling over it. Link laid down Zelda's fragile body, as if it were made of glass. He looked at her, thinking of what she had said. What did it mean? Should he go find this . . . girl without a name? As he stood there, oblivious to the world, their majesties, the cowering servant, and a physician came bustling in. Link suddenly snapped out of his daze and moved aside, as the physician snapped at him. The doctor checked her out and then turned towards Link. "You, boy. Can you tell me what happened to her?" his voice crisp and right to the point.

"She was picking flowers and then found one I've never seen before. It was a dark blue with seven petals, green leaves and a stem. She smelled it and . . ." his voice trailed off as he gestured towards her, for lack of words. Then the physician nodded at him, then turned back to their majesties.

"She will live . . ." he said, the king and queen hugging each other for sheer joy, " but," he continued, " she will sleep forever." The king stared at him; if he had just said their daughter was a kangaroo, the king would have been no more surprised. The queen had sat down in a green, cushioned armchair, crying uncontrollably. Link was standing when he had said this and felt his knees buckle under him. He was paralyzed. He thought there would be at least some hope for her, some chance for her to live. As he sat on the floor, he began thinking. This was Zelda's vision. Seeing herself dead, er . . . asleep. Maybe I should tell them about Zelda's visions. He looked over at the queen, crying at her loss, the king trying to comfort her to no avail. Zelda was their only heir to the throne. If she never woke up, who would rule the kingdom? Slowly, he walked over to their majesties. As he stood in front of the queen, she looked up at him, her blue eyes lost in worry. Link felt he didn't know how to begin, when he finally began.

"Your majesties, on the night of the celebration, Zelda told me something that I think I should tell you," he paused, wondering how to tell them, " She had another vision." The king and queen looked terrified. Zelda's last vision was about Ganondorf. Link continued, "She said it came in three separate parts. In the first, she saw herself dead, but now we know she was only asleep." He looked over at her, relieved that she wasn't dead. "The second was me, running away from something in the forest, with a girl who had brown hair and green eyes. In the last, I was on an island with the green eyed girl, and a girl with red hair and blue eyes. She was handing me a flower that glowed like the sun." Finally finished, Link dared to look up. The king and queen were horror stricken. The king began opening and closing his mouth, as if trying to say something. At last, he croaked, "Why didn't she tell us about this?"

"She didn't want to worry you just then. She said she would tell you later, when the time was right." Link looked at the king, trying to find an answer in his face.

"Well, she did try to tell me something this morning, but . . . I sent her away," he was beginning to break down. Link wished he didn't have to upset them more, but he couldn't not tell them. "Something else happened, too," he said quietly, feeling remorse that he had to bring them more anguish, " while I was riding to the castle, she woke and told me to . . . find the girl without a name." His face flushed with embarrassment. He felt silly saying this to them but it's what Princess Zelda had told him. The queen was now giving him a queer look, as if she knew what Zelda had been talking about. "Once, when riding together, Zelda and I met a girl on the road. We asked her if she was lost, but she told us she was on her way home. My gracious daughter gave her a few coins and asked her what her name was. She told us she didn't have one and ran off." She looked at Link with a knowing expression. "I think this is the girl you seek."

"I'm not looking for her. Zelda only said . . ." but the king interrupted him.

"She said for you to find her. You were in two of her visions. I believe that you are the one to take this quest." Link looked at his kind face and nodded.

"I'll do my best, sir." He took one last look at Zelda, laying there still as stone, and turned to leave when a uncompassionate voice said, "I don't know why you are doing this. It won't do any good." Link whirled around, his face red with anger, to see the physician, holding a large book in his hands called The Guide to Magical Plants.

"The flower you described to me is in this book. It is called a Siesta Flower and is said to make anyone who smells it fall asleep forever. There is no cure, no hope at all for her, she will ---"

"I don't believe that!" Link spat in his face, disgusted, "I won't believe it! Zelda will not sleep forever because I will not rest until I find the cure!" Then he stomped out of the palace, infuriated, to go and find the girl without a name.