Author Chronicles: Return to Hyrule

a fanfic by charity236

Disclaimer: I didn't create Zelda. So there. Oh, and flames will be given to Rauru to melt his chocolate coins.



Another chappie. Yay! This chapter, Link, Navi and Tatl head to Lon Lon Ranch to get Moonshine - but the horse isn't there...



Chapter 8: Green Desert or Run-In With Ingo or Too Many Problems

'AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!'

Link had shut his eyes so he wouldn't see what happened, but he couldn't help but look.

Both Navi and Twinrova were strewn out on the floor, but only Twinrova seemed to be in pain. Navi was just lying there.

Link crept over to Navi. Her wings were even more crumpled than before.

'Navi?'

She fluttered her eyes. 'Link, what happened?'

'Well, you blocked Twinrova's fire-ice ball.'

'I-I did?'

'I think you did, because I wasn't watching. But you blocked it.'

'Then how come Twinrova's lying there?'

'Maybe...' Link thought for a moment. 'Maybe your magic bounced the fire-ice ball off your wings and hit Twinrova.'

'Maybe. Now let's go get my horse!'

'Oh, I almost forgot.'

Link got out his Harp of Ages and warped to the present, then to Adult.



'Hi fairy boy.'

Link awoke. For some reason, Malon's face was hovering, upside-down, just above his. She must be leaning over him.

'Aahhh! Oh, you.'

'Yes, me, fairy boy.' Malon was grinning, but not in happiness. It was more of a gleeful grin than anything else.

'And why are you grinning at me?' Link asked Malon.

'Well...' She thought for a moment, then answered, 'No real reason.'

'Oh. Well, I've come for Navi's horse.'

'Moonshine. Yeah, he's out grazing in the paddock, unless Mr. Ingo's training him up on the Gerudo Horse Archery course.'

'Why would he be doing that?'

'I dunno. Maybe Mr. Ingo wants to teach Moonshine that arrows won't hurt him. Some of the horses here get spooked by arrows and birds and stuff. I know it's silly, but there you go,' Malon looked at Link's back. She must have noticed his fairy wings.

'So, can I take Moonshine?' Navi asked.

'Sure.' Malon whistled for the black horse, but he didn't come. 'Er... maybe he IS with Mr. Ingo.'

'I'll go find him. And here's the money.' Link tipped out 650 Rupees from his wallet, but Malon insisted on giving Moonshine for free.

'It's the least I can do for you, since you saved Hyrule and all.'

'Gee, thanks.'

As Link and Navi walked off, Malon's hands twitched, as though waiting to get them around someone's neck.

'I'm starting to get sick of the Fortress, I've been there so many times over the [cough] years,' Link complained to Navi.

'Remember the curse - something could have happened.' Navi was alert for any changes.

'At least SOMEONE'S keeping an eye out... snore...' Tatl was half-asleep.

'Lazy bum,' Navi whispered.

'I heard that!' Tatl growled.

Over the bridge... past the carpenters' tent...



'Crikey, have my eyes gone weird or is everything green?!' Link almost yelled.

The Fortress was almost completely overgrown with trees and bushes. A small pond sat in one corner of the fort, on the ledge above where the entrance was. Water trickled down the wall of the ledge, making a mini-waterfall. Grass grew where the normal sand would have been. You could just see the sand peeping out from under the grass where Gerudos frequently walked, making a sort of path.

'Why is everything green?' Link asked no one.

'The curse, duh,' Tatl had woken up fully. 'This place looks like the forest!'

'Too right.' Navi stretched her arms.

'Right now, Kokiri Forest looks like a desert, so it's like the reverse!' Link found out.

'Good thinking. Hoo,' came a voice

'Kaepora! How nice to see you after all these [cough] years!' Link yelled. 'Where have you been hiding?'

'Ssshhhh! We'll get found!' Kaepora warned.

'What? Are they all guarding stuff again?'

'No, they hadn't stopped. It's just gotten worse, hoot hoot. Anything they find that isn't a plant, Gerudo or horse, they kill.'

'Whoa, that's bad.'

'But somehow they let Ingo in with no trouble...'

'What?!'

'That's what I heard. As for you... maybe you can sneak in there. Hoot.'

'How?'

'Try that Stone Mask you have there. Go on, give it a go.'

After about ten steps, Link got caught. He fought off the Gerudo guard with his new Twinrova's Blade, but still had a bit of trouble. Afterwards, Link ran back to where Navi and Kaepora were waiting.

'Caught? Try painting the Stone Mask green,' Navi advised. Link did so, then set off for another try.



'Good thing this tunic is green,' Link thought to himself. He had managed to crawl around some of the gnarled trees near the walls of the fortress, but had some trouble finding the path to the archery range.

He sat down to rest next to a large willow tree when Navi and Tatl popped out from behind a bush.

'Aaahh!'

'Aaahh!'

'Aaahh!'

They all laughed.

'Come on,' said Link, 'The path's this way.'

'Why walk when you can fly?' Navi said.

'Huh... oh yeah!' Link thought, and put on his Stone Mask so he wouldn't be seen as easily. 'All this stuff, it's getting pretty complicated to remember, hey?'



At one side of the course, Ingo was slapping Moonshine because he had reared and left Ingo with grass and sand up his pants.

'You stupid horse! You're even harder to train than that Epona! Maybe I should let Ganondorf train you instead...'

'Hi, Ingo,' said Link lazily, walking up to Ingo. He had taken the mask off, of course.

'You're that fairy kid, aren't you? The one that beat me in those races? The one that took Epona?! The one that killed the great Ganondorf?!?!'

'Uh... well, if you put it that way, then... yeah, that's me,' Link grinned.

'After you took Epona I should have made those walls higher so you wouldn't have escaped in the first place!' Ingo growled to himself.

'Ingo, I'm here about that horse of yours there...'

'Don't tell me you want this one too!!!!' Ingo yelled, and pulled a long dagger from his belt. 'Well, you ain't gettin' 'im!'

'Whoa!' Ingo had swiped his dagger at Link's neck, but he got out of the way just in time (with Navi's help).

'You wanna piece of me? Do YOU wanna PIECE of ME?' Link taunted crazily.

'And just what is that supposed to mean?' Ingo said, bewildered.

'Er... never mind,' Link said quickly. He wasn't aiming to kill, even if Ingo was.

They traded blows for at least ten whole minutes before Navi interrupted.

'Ingo! Come and get me!'

Navi ran to get Moonshine, but Ingo was faster.

'SCREEEECH!!!!'

'OW! Wha-' Ingo stammered.

'Hoo!' Kaepora had come to help. He had landed on Ingo's head and was scratching him almost as hard as he could.

'Alright!' Tatl (who had flown to the Archery Course with Epona) yelled as she flew over to help Link.

'Get on Epona, Link!' Navi yelled.

As Link ran to mount Epona, Ingo (who still had Kaepora on his head) pounced and knocked him over like a bull, giving Link a mouth full of sand.

'Get off me!!' Link spat through his sand.

'I'm coming!' said Navi, who was now on Moonshine.

'Oof!' puffed Tatl, who was trying to do some damage to Ingo from under Kaepora and Link's bag (which had fallen onto Ingo's head when Link was pushed over).

Tatl tripped over what seemed to be Ingo's ear when Link got up and pulled Ingo out from under the heavy bag.

'Ouch! Hey, stop that!' Ingo cried. Link had whacked Ingo with the flat side of his sword (he thanked Darunia for the idea) as Tatl pulled Link's bag off her head.

But she didn't look like Tatl.

She DEFINITELY didn't look like Tatl.



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Next Chapter: Identical Twins... Or Are They?

Things are getting weird. Who's that Gerudo standing there, holding Link's bag?...

Please review! Be nice :)

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