Chapter 5
Zelda entered the conference room in her full 'princess attire' and sat at the head of the rectangular table. She had not wanted to make any of this a public matter, and had a solid confidence that her fellow sages would not betray her wishes. Word had been spread around the palace quickly enough and while this worried Zelda, she didn't want to make a huge deal out of it. Link was still a hero to her, and if he somehow got over this, she did not want anyone looking down on him.
She knew that all who worked for her father were as loyal to her as they were to him, so she would not trouble herself over the fact that there were rumors spreading throughout the palace. It was, even to her, a miracle she had kept it secret for this long already.
"Good evening to you all, and thank you so much for arriving promptly. I have a serious matter on my hands, and before I begin I must ask you all a favor."
"Whatever we can do to help you, our friend, we will do without hesitation."
"Your loyalty and friendship are more than appreciated at this hour of need, Darunia, and for that I thank you." Then, speaking to all, "I ask you, no, I beg of you, that if my father should return, he shall not learn of *anything* that has happened, or of anything that I will tell you." Zelda looked at every sage in the room and each gave their solemn word.
Impa, however hesitated at first and whispered quietly, "Do you think that wise, my lady?" The look on Zelda's face gave her enough confirmation, and without further delay Impa gave her vow.
"Now that is settled, we should move on. Approximately two weeks ago, I was attacked by the most unlikely suspect. It was late into the night, and I do not know how he got in, but it doesn't surprise me that he did." Nabooru looked at the young princess in curiosity.
"Were you hurt?" the Spirit Sage asked.
"No Nab, I was not hurt. I was, however, in a great deal of shock afterward, and yesterday was the first day I came out of it."
"You were in shock for two weeks Zelda? It must've been..." Zelda put up her hand to stop any further questions. Ruto nodded her head in apology for interrupting.
"Please, allow me to finish. I have not been able to tell the full story as of yet, but I plan to right now. I was not physically hurt, but I was emotionally. My attacker was none other than Link." Zelda heard the gasps from around the room, and was glad that none of them bombarded her with questions.
But what Zelda didn't tell them, was that Link had cut her. He had somehow managed to get the Master Sword to do it too, but what he did before the guards came would be burned on her memory for the rest of her days. He took the tip of the Master Sword and cut a symbol of the Triforce just above her left breast, saying, "Now it is yours, all of it." With glistening eyes Zelda cried out and he put his hand over her mouth to quiet her. It was then the guards came rushing in, Link dropping the Master Sword, kicking and cursing as they dragged him away. Zelda sat there, breathless and unable to speak. No one knew of the scar above her left breast.
Zelda sighed and urged herself to continue.
"I have no idea what motivated him to do such a thing, but I remember seeing something terrible in his eyes that night. I know for sure he was not himself." Zelda gave Impa a glace, and sure enough the older woman gave a small 'humph.' Zelda knew that Impa cared strongly for her, as did the rest of them, but she did not understand why the older sage didn't believe in her. Or in Link, for that matter.
She supposed a betrayal as great as the attempted murder of herself was enough cause for Impa to disregard any possibilities that Link might still have some good in him. But Zelda would not give up on him. He had gone through too much, and all for her. She would never forget his words when she sent him back that last day, the day he had finally beaten Ganon.
"My destiny?! Fuck you! Do you have any clue as to what I've been through? And for you, no less!" The words had hurt her immensely, but she told herself that she had no choice. She wanted him to regain his lost childhood, live the life of a normal child. She should have known that such a fate was not possible for him. He was the Hero of Time, and because of that status, though it was not known in this time and world, he was destined for an irregular life.
She did not know exactly where he went after she sent him back, but she hadn't seen him until that very night. She knew he went elsewhere after about three years, because though he did not know, she could still feel the connection between them, and after about five years, the connection had been abruptly cut off.
Zelda realized her mind was wandering when Ruto again spoke.
"Where is he, Zelda? Did you have him arrested?" Zelda came back to herself and looked at the Zora.
"Oh, yes. I did have him arrested, and I had planned to talk to him after I was well enough. But someone got there first, and he escaped. I knew that he would be capable of such a thing, but only posted one guard at his door." The sages stirred in their seats. Who knew what Link was capable of now, or if he was even sane? No one knew.
"Do you know exactly where he is now? He could be anywhere," Darunia said.
"I know where he is, and I'm confident that he won't leave there for a while. The guard said a red-head had visited him that morning, though I had specifically stated that no visitors would be permitted and he will be punished for that, and after that I knew who it was and where he was going. I have placed Lon Lon Ranch under house arrest until I can go there myself. I figured it would be easiest that way." The fact the guard had told her it was a red-head who had visited confirmed her suspicions right there and then that he had left with Malon. "It was Malon who helped him escape? That is very odd." That was Nabooru. Leaning closer to Zelda, Saria whispered in her ear, "You know she feels the same way you do. She feels that there is good in him as well." Zelda smiled at the Kokiri girl.
"Yes Saria," she whispered back, "I did this to keep them out of harm's way until I can speak with them myself."
"I understand. Just don't be too hard on Malon. You know her intentions are good." Zelda frowned slightly at that.
"You know the consequences for defying royalty, Saria, and I cannot promise you anything. I will have to punish Link, even, if only slightly." Zelda and Malon had never really spoken to each other before, but Zelda knew what she was like from this life and past, and something inside her twisted when she thought of the farm girl. Is it jealousy? ((Of course I'm not jealous. That is ridiculous.))
The service of the Lon Lon's was greatly appreciated throughout the nation, and perhaps Zelda could use that as an excuse to lessen the severity of whatever punishment she might come up with. Still, she felt an incredible rage building inside her at the farm girl. She knew things would not go smoothly between the two.
"Now, I want to make sure that each of you understands the situation completely, so if you have any questions, you are to ask them freely." Zelda looked around the room to meet every pair of eyes to ensure they all understood.
"It is critical that each province of Hyrule is tightly secured, which will require all of you to remain in your own provinces at all times until I give word, or, until the King returns. I will have to sever communication with most of you, and you know what that means. In case of any emergency, you will not be able to aid me. I need you not to leave your domains at any cost. They must be protected." Each sage gave a quick nod and did not press the princess any further. Zelda noticed that Rauru had stayed quiet the entire time.
"You may all be dismissed." All but Rauru said their good-byes and left the room to return to their homes, Impa, deciding she would go to Kakariko village and remain there until she was needed in the other realm.
"What is it, Rauru?"
"I do not know, Highness. I feel a twinge of dread coming from the east. I cannot explain it." Zelda looked at Rauru with concern.
"My father is supposed to be in the east now. I have not heard from him in so many years." Zelda had lost her father once to Ganondorf, and she did not want to lose him again. Rauru gave her a reassuring smile.
"You have done well, Princess, you are a great ruler. The responsibility that weighs down on you, you have not let fall. You have held it up with a quiet grace and confidence. We all have faith in you." A tear escaped Zelda's eye at his words. He had no idea how much she needed to hear that.
"I will go east, Zelda, past Termina and the forests and on to Ormistad. I will look for your father." At this Zelda threw her arms around Rauru's large frame and hugged him tightly. She realized that she had thought of Rauru as her father figure throughout these four years, and she didn't know how she would've managed without him.
"Thank you so much Rauru, for everything." With that, Rauru smiled and stepped back into the light shining through a tall window of the room, and disappeared.
Zelda sank to the ground, put her head in her lap and cried.
******************
Link opened his eyes and, to his dismay, the first thing he saw was a little, white ball of light. ((Oh crap,)) he thought to himself. Without waiting for her to say anything he snatched her up in his fist and prepared to squeeze the life out of her. A thought suddenly occurred to him.
"Hmm, maybe I should just trap her..." Slowly getting up, Link made his way to the night stand beside his bed and grabbed the small glass that was there. Opening his hand just slightly, he put the glass over the frantic fairy and slid his hand out. Sitting on the night stand now, he had his own little pet fairy. He laughed inwardly at the thought.
"Let's see you try to get back to your real master now." Link had made it up in his mind that Navi was created and sent here to spy on him for a warlord he had once met by the name of Eiraki. It somehow didn't surprise him much that destiny would run him into a distant cousin of Ganondorf.
Eiraki had captured Link on the premise that he had "trespassed" into his land. Link had challenged him to a duel for his freedom, and had won. Eiraki was a little miffed about it, and had sworn vengeance on him. Link told him what he had done to Ganondorf, but the warlord didn't seem to care at all about it. He just wanted his dignity back.
((Good luck in accomplishing that,)) Link thought.
Link had figured out that Eiraki wasn't evil, like Ganondorf, just proud. If that meant killing someone or something, so be it. He wasn't unreasonable, but a pain in the ass no less. If only Link could kill Navi.
Link had the chance to kill Eiraki, but he didn't want to. He just wanted to be let go. Dark Link, on the other hand, did want to kill him, and it was all Link could do to not let his darker half take over the duel. Maybe if-
"Hey, it's morning now Link." Link looked up from the night stand and saw Malon in the door, her face dirty with tear stains. He walked over to her and hugged her to his chest.
"What's wrong Malon?" Malon allowed herself to be comforted by him.
"Well, for starters, we're all under house arrest. And I just know Princess Zelda will be here any day to come take you away. Who knows what she'll do to you, and to us," she said into his shirt. Link sadly pushed her away from him and turned to sit on the bed. Malon looked at him silently.
"I should go."
"Go? Go where?" Link sighed.
"To the palace."
"You can't Link, you're crazy. You can't..."
"I have to. I have to speak with Zelda." Malon's sad face then became angry and she threw her hands up in the air.
"Fine, Link. Go to the palace and get your head chopped off. Have a good time," she said irately and stormed down the stairs. Link sighed again and looked to the now empty, overturned glass that was resting on the night stand.
"Damnable fairy."
*****************
Link stayed in his room the entire day after that. The next day at around noon, he walked down the stairs to find Malon so he could tell her that he'd decided he'd stay a few more days before returning to the castle. Karyn was in the kitchen washing dishes, and Link stopped at the bottom stair to look at her. She was tall and slender with shoulder-length hair, lighter in color than Malon's but with a tint of red. Link realized that Malon had almost the same build, but was shorter and a bit more muscular. Karyn had a graceful air about her.
"Long time no see, Karyn," Link said as he moved to the table. Karyn spun around in surprise and gasped.
"Link? Is that you? Goddesses boy you've grown. You look almost 20." Link smiled inwardly at the remark. He was much older, and he supposed his fifteen year old body looked older as well. Karyn set down a dish rag and went to hug him, but he took a step back and stared at her with warning in his eyes. Karyn dropped her outstretched arms and folded them across her chest nervously, not knowing what to say. Link wanted to hug her, but Dark Link wanted to do something more. Link dare not get too close to her for fear of losing control.
"It's good to see you again, Karyn." With that, Link stepped out of the farmhouse and into the bright sun in search for Malon. He shielded his eyes, not quite used to the daylight after so many weeks of darkness. He entered the stables and found Malon brushing down one of the horses. She turned when she heard him come in, and made an effort to hide herself from him behind the horse.
"What a surprise to see you here, I figured you'd be gone by now." Link couldn't help but feel a little guilty, but why should he? Why should she even care? He was nothing but an insane, confused, possessed warrior. ((Warrior. I guess I never really thought of myself that way.))
He was about to say something when he heard the brush Malon had drop to the ground and quiet sobbing. He felt something inside him constrict, and he couldn't figure out why he felt this way. He knew he cared for Malon, as well as many others, but his emotions had been melting away, day by day for five years, into nothingness. He couldn't deny, however, that he had very strong feelings for Malon.
Walking over to where she was standing, he took her face in his hands and wiped the tears away with his thumb. Her face was contorted into a look of pain, her eyes tightly closed. Link hesitated for a moment, but then hurriedly brought his mouth down over Malon's and she squawked in surprise but did not open her eyes. She timidly responded at first which made Link grow impatient, so he hardened the kiss and shoved his tongue inside her mouth.
Malon gasped when she felt Link's tongue inside her mouth and he was pressing so hard she thought it would make her lips bleed. He was kissing her with a savage hunger and his hands began to move over her body with boldness. He grabbed her in places that he should not have, and squeezed. Malon moaned loudly into his mouth and absently ground herself against him, which made him nearly lose his mind. He kissed harder in response, if that was at all possible. Her hands were all over his back, fluttering as he caressed her body with his own. The second time Malon rubbed herself against his most sensitive spot, he came back to himself. He realized that he was not acting on his own desires (ok, he was, he *really* wanted this, but he cared too much for her), but on those of his darker half. He would have never done so bold a thing if the nagging in his mind hadn't pushed him the extra mile.
He abruptly shoved her away from him and she fell against the back wall, panting and gasping, and apparently upset. He knew he had hurt her, emotionally. She didn't cry, but the tears were close, lingering.
"Why did you do that? Why can't you just tell me how you really feel?" she said quietly.
"That's impossible for me, Malon," he said without looking at her, his tone and face void of any emotion.
"You do know you're twisting my heart in knots? I know that you're..you have your problems, but, I can't take this anymore." He knew, he knew it and he hated himself for it. But he couldn't deal with this now, not ever. So long as the evil being was still inside him, he would never be able to tell her.
"Link, it was impossible for you to have known your destiny. You can't change what was, but you can change what will be! Just tell me how you feel!"
Link wordlessly left the stables, walking quickly towards the gates of Lon Lon Ranch. The guards that had put them under house arrest barred the gates, but Link effortlessly climbed over them and headed toward Kakariko Village. He knew he would find little comfort there, but some was better than none.
As he ran he couldn't fight the burning sensation he felt in his chest when he thought of the fiery red-headed girl he left in the stables, alone and shaking. He really was a bastard, but could he blame it entirely on Dark Link? He knew it wasn't the complete truth, but he did anyway.
Malon slowly got to her feet and retrieved the brush she had been using. Turning back to her horse, she thought sadly about the last time he had disappeared.
Only this time, he was escaping her more than anything else.
Zelda entered the conference room in her full 'princess attire' and sat at the head of the rectangular table. She had not wanted to make any of this a public matter, and had a solid confidence that her fellow sages would not betray her wishes. Word had been spread around the palace quickly enough and while this worried Zelda, she didn't want to make a huge deal out of it. Link was still a hero to her, and if he somehow got over this, she did not want anyone looking down on him.
She knew that all who worked for her father were as loyal to her as they were to him, so she would not trouble herself over the fact that there were rumors spreading throughout the palace. It was, even to her, a miracle she had kept it secret for this long already.
"Good evening to you all, and thank you so much for arriving promptly. I have a serious matter on my hands, and before I begin I must ask you all a favor."
"Whatever we can do to help you, our friend, we will do without hesitation."
"Your loyalty and friendship are more than appreciated at this hour of need, Darunia, and for that I thank you." Then, speaking to all, "I ask you, no, I beg of you, that if my father should return, he shall not learn of *anything* that has happened, or of anything that I will tell you." Zelda looked at every sage in the room and each gave their solemn word.
Impa, however hesitated at first and whispered quietly, "Do you think that wise, my lady?" The look on Zelda's face gave her enough confirmation, and without further delay Impa gave her vow.
"Now that is settled, we should move on. Approximately two weeks ago, I was attacked by the most unlikely suspect. It was late into the night, and I do not know how he got in, but it doesn't surprise me that he did." Nabooru looked at the young princess in curiosity.
"Were you hurt?" the Spirit Sage asked.
"No Nab, I was not hurt. I was, however, in a great deal of shock afterward, and yesterday was the first day I came out of it."
"You were in shock for two weeks Zelda? It must've been..." Zelda put up her hand to stop any further questions. Ruto nodded her head in apology for interrupting.
"Please, allow me to finish. I have not been able to tell the full story as of yet, but I plan to right now. I was not physically hurt, but I was emotionally. My attacker was none other than Link." Zelda heard the gasps from around the room, and was glad that none of them bombarded her with questions.
But what Zelda didn't tell them, was that Link had cut her. He had somehow managed to get the Master Sword to do it too, but what he did before the guards came would be burned on her memory for the rest of her days. He took the tip of the Master Sword and cut a symbol of the Triforce just above her left breast, saying, "Now it is yours, all of it." With glistening eyes Zelda cried out and he put his hand over her mouth to quiet her. It was then the guards came rushing in, Link dropping the Master Sword, kicking and cursing as they dragged him away. Zelda sat there, breathless and unable to speak. No one knew of the scar above her left breast.
Zelda sighed and urged herself to continue.
"I have no idea what motivated him to do such a thing, but I remember seeing something terrible in his eyes that night. I know for sure he was not himself." Zelda gave Impa a glace, and sure enough the older woman gave a small 'humph.' Zelda knew that Impa cared strongly for her, as did the rest of them, but she did not understand why the older sage didn't believe in her. Or in Link, for that matter.
She supposed a betrayal as great as the attempted murder of herself was enough cause for Impa to disregard any possibilities that Link might still have some good in him. But Zelda would not give up on him. He had gone through too much, and all for her. She would never forget his words when she sent him back that last day, the day he had finally beaten Ganon.
"My destiny?! Fuck you! Do you have any clue as to what I've been through? And for you, no less!" The words had hurt her immensely, but she told herself that she had no choice. She wanted him to regain his lost childhood, live the life of a normal child. She should have known that such a fate was not possible for him. He was the Hero of Time, and because of that status, though it was not known in this time and world, he was destined for an irregular life.
She did not know exactly where he went after she sent him back, but she hadn't seen him until that very night. She knew he went elsewhere after about three years, because though he did not know, she could still feel the connection between them, and after about five years, the connection had been abruptly cut off.
Zelda realized her mind was wandering when Ruto again spoke.
"Where is he, Zelda? Did you have him arrested?" Zelda came back to herself and looked at the Zora.
"Oh, yes. I did have him arrested, and I had planned to talk to him after I was well enough. But someone got there first, and he escaped. I knew that he would be capable of such a thing, but only posted one guard at his door." The sages stirred in their seats. Who knew what Link was capable of now, or if he was even sane? No one knew.
"Do you know exactly where he is now? He could be anywhere," Darunia said.
"I know where he is, and I'm confident that he won't leave there for a while. The guard said a red-head had visited him that morning, though I had specifically stated that no visitors would be permitted and he will be punished for that, and after that I knew who it was and where he was going. I have placed Lon Lon Ranch under house arrest until I can go there myself. I figured it would be easiest that way." The fact the guard had told her it was a red-head who had visited confirmed her suspicions right there and then that he had left with Malon. "It was Malon who helped him escape? That is very odd." That was Nabooru. Leaning closer to Zelda, Saria whispered in her ear, "You know she feels the same way you do. She feels that there is good in him as well." Zelda smiled at the Kokiri girl.
"Yes Saria," she whispered back, "I did this to keep them out of harm's way until I can speak with them myself."
"I understand. Just don't be too hard on Malon. You know her intentions are good." Zelda frowned slightly at that.
"You know the consequences for defying royalty, Saria, and I cannot promise you anything. I will have to punish Link, even, if only slightly." Zelda and Malon had never really spoken to each other before, but Zelda knew what she was like from this life and past, and something inside her twisted when she thought of the farm girl. Is it jealousy? ((Of course I'm not jealous. That is ridiculous.))
The service of the Lon Lon's was greatly appreciated throughout the nation, and perhaps Zelda could use that as an excuse to lessen the severity of whatever punishment she might come up with. Still, she felt an incredible rage building inside her at the farm girl. She knew things would not go smoothly between the two.
"Now, I want to make sure that each of you understands the situation completely, so if you have any questions, you are to ask them freely." Zelda looked around the room to meet every pair of eyes to ensure they all understood.
"It is critical that each province of Hyrule is tightly secured, which will require all of you to remain in your own provinces at all times until I give word, or, until the King returns. I will have to sever communication with most of you, and you know what that means. In case of any emergency, you will not be able to aid me. I need you not to leave your domains at any cost. They must be protected." Each sage gave a quick nod and did not press the princess any further. Zelda noticed that Rauru had stayed quiet the entire time.
"You may all be dismissed." All but Rauru said their good-byes and left the room to return to their homes, Impa, deciding she would go to Kakariko village and remain there until she was needed in the other realm.
"What is it, Rauru?"
"I do not know, Highness. I feel a twinge of dread coming from the east. I cannot explain it." Zelda looked at Rauru with concern.
"My father is supposed to be in the east now. I have not heard from him in so many years." Zelda had lost her father once to Ganondorf, and she did not want to lose him again. Rauru gave her a reassuring smile.
"You have done well, Princess, you are a great ruler. The responsibility that weighs down on you, you have not let fall. You have held it up with a quiet grace and confidence. We all have faith in you." A tear escaped Zelda's eye at his words. He had no idea how much she needed to hear that.
"I will go east, Zelda, past Termina and the forests and on to Ormistad. I will look for your father." At this Zelda threw her arms around Rauru's large frame and hugged him tightly. She realized that she had thought of Rauru as her father figure throughout these four years, and she didn't know how she would've managed without him.
"Thank you so much Rauru, for everything." With that, Rauru smiled and stepped back into the light shining through a tall window of the room, and disappeared.
Zelda sank to the ground, put her head in her lap and cried.
******************
Link opened his eyes and, to his dismay, the first thing he saw was a little, white ball of light. ((Oh crap,)) he thought to himself. Without waiting for her to say anything he snatched her up in his fist and prepared to squeeze the life out of her. A thought suddenly occurred to him.
"Hmm, maybe I should just trap her..." Slowly getting up, Link made his way to the night stand beside his bed and grabbed the small glass that was there. Opening his hand just slightly, he put the glass over the frantic fairy and slid his hand out. Sitting on the night stand now, he had his own little pet fairy. He laughed inwardly at the thought.
"Let's see you try to get back to your real master now." Link had made it up in his mind that Navi was created and sent here to spy on him for a warlord he had once met by the name of Eiraki. It somehow didn't surprise him much that destiny would run him into a distant cousin of Ganondorf.
Eiraki had captured Link on the premise that he had "trespassed" into his land. Link had challenged him to a duel for his freedom, and had won. Eiraki was a little miffed about it, and had sworn vengeance on him. Link told him what he had done to Ganondorf, but the warlord didn't seem to care at all about it. He just wanted his dignity back.
((Good luck in accomplishing that,)) Link thought.
Link had figured out that Eiraki wasn't evil, like Ganondorf, just proud. If that meant killing someone or something, so be it. He wasn't unreasonable, but a pain in the ass no less. If only Link could kill Navi.
Link had the chance to kill Eiraki, but he didn't want to. He just wanted to be let go. Dark Link, on the other hand, did want to kill him, and it was all Link could do to not let his darker half take over the duel. Maybe if-
"Hey, it's morning now Link." Link looked up from the night stand and saw Malon in the door, her face dirty with tear stains. He walked over to her and hugged her to his chest.
"What's wrong Malon?" Malon allowed herself to be comforted by him.
"Well, for starters, we're all under house arrest. And I just know Princess Zelda will be here any day to come take you away. Who knows what she'll do to you, and to us," she said into his shirt. Link sadly pushed her away from him and turned to sit on the bed. Malon looked at him silently.
"I should go."
"Go? Go where?" Link sighed.
"To the palace."
"You can't Link, you're crazy. You can't..."
"I have to. I have to speak with Zelda." Malon's sad face then became angry and she threw her hands up in the air.
"Fine, Link. Go to the palace and get your head chopped off. Have a good time," she said irately and stormed down the stairs. Link sighed again and looked to the now empty, overturned glass that was resting on the night stand.
"Damnable fairy."
*****************
Link stayed in his room the entire day after that. The next day at around noon, he walked down the stairs to find Malon so he could tell her that he'd decided he'd stay a few more days before returning to the castle. Karyn was in the kitchen washing dishes, and Link stopped at the bottom stair to look at her. She was tall and slender with shoulder-length hair, lighter in color than Malon's but with a tint of red. Link realized that Malon had almost the same build, but was shorter and a bit more muscular. Karyn had a graceful air about her.
"Long time no see, Karyn," Link said as he moved to the table. Karyn spun around in surprise and gasped.
"Link? Is that you? Goddesses boy you've grown. You look almost 20." Link smiled inwardly at the remark. He was much older, and he supposed his fifteen year old body looked older as well. Karyn set down a dish rag and went to hug him, but he took a step back and stared at her with warning in his eyes. Karyn dropped her outstretched arms and folded them across her chest nervously, not knowing what to say. Link wanted to hug her, but Dark Link wanted to do something more. Link dare not get too close to her for fear of losing control.
"It's good to see you again, Karyn." With that, Link stepped out of the farmhouse and into the bright sun in search for Malon. He shielded his eyes, not quite used to the daylight after so many weeks of darkness. He entered the stables and found Malon brushing down one of the horses. She turned when she heard him come in, and made an effort to hide herself from him behind the horse.
"What a surprise to see you here, I figured you'd be gone by now." Link couldn't help but feel a little guilty, but why should he? Why should she even care? He was nothing but an insane, confused, possessed warrior. ((Warrior. I guess I never really thought of myself that way.))
He was about to say something when he heard the brush Malon had drop to the ground and quiet sobbing. He felt something inside him constrict, and he couldn't figure out why he felt this way. He knew he cared for Malon, as well as many others, but his emotions had been melting away, day by day for five years, into nothingness. He couldn't deny, however, that he had very strong feelings for Malon.
Walking over to where she was standing, he took her face in his hands and wiped the tears away with his thumb. Her face was contorted into a look of pain, her eyes tightly closed. Link hesitated for a moment, but then hurriedly brought his mouth down over Malon's and she squawked in surprise but did not open her eyes. She timidly responded at first which made Link grow impatient, so he hardened the kiss and shoved his tongue inside her mouth.
Malon gasped when she felt Link's tongue inside her mouth and he was pressing so hard she thought it would make her lips bleed. He was kissing her with a savage hunger and his hands began to move over her body with boldness. He grabbed her in places that he should not have, and squeezed. Malon moaned loudly into his mouth and absently ground herself against him, which made him nearly lose his mind. He kissed harder in response, if that was at all possible. Her hands were all over his back, fluttering as he caressed her body with his own. The second time Malon rubbed herself against his most sensitive spot, he came back to himself. He realized that he was not acting on his own desires (ok, he was, he *really* wanted this, but he cared too much for her), but on those of his darker half. He would have never done so bold a thing if the nagging in his mind hadn't pushed him the extra mile.
He abruptly shoved her away from him and she fell against the back wall, panting and gasping, and apparently upset. He knew he had hurt her, emotionally. She didn't cry, but the tears were close, lingering.
"Why did you do that? Why can't you just tell me how you really feel?" she said quietly.
"That's impossible for me, Malon," he said without looking at her, his tone and face void of any emotion.
"You do know you're twisting my heart in knots? I know that you're..you have your problems, but, I can't take this anymore." He knew, he knew it and he hated himself for it. But he couldn't deal with this now, not ever. So long as the evil being was still inside him, he would never be able to tell her.
"Link, it was impossible for you to have known your destiny. You can't change what was, but you can change what will be! Just tell me how you feel!"
Link wordlessly left the stables, walking quickly towards the gates of Lon Lon Ranch. The guards that had put them under house arrest barred the gates, but Link effortlessly climbed over them and headed toward Kakariko Village. He knew he would find little comfort there, but some was better than none.
As he ran he couldn't fight the burning sensation he felt in his chest when he thought of the fiery red-headed girl he left in the stables, alone and shaking. He really was a bastard, but could he blame it entirely on Dark Link? He knew it wasn't the complete truth, but he did anyway.
Malon slowly got to her feet and retrieved the brush she had been using. Turning back to her horse, she thought sadly about the last time he had disappeared.
Only this time, he was escaping her more than anything else.