Author's Notes: Alright, I am SO sorry it took so long for me to get this
chapter out! But it's a bit longer than the last one, so I hope it was
worth waiting for. I just hope the next chapter won't take as long. . .
Thank you all so much for all the reviews! It really helped! I'll just shut
up now; here's chapter 5!
The Legend of Zelda:
Fate VS Destiny
Chapter 5: Hyrule Castle
Link walked to the fence where Navi had been waiting. Why did Navi want to meet him there? Did she want to talk about something? As he neared closer, the little fairy noticed him and flew up to his face.
"You're finally here! What took you so long?" she asked.
"Trouble with the Cuccos," he replied.
"Again? When will they ever learn." She told herself. "Anyway, feeling better?"
"Much better," he smiled.
"Good, 'cause someone's been wanting to meet you for quite some time now."
Link looked past her and saw that the mare he had seen earlier was anxiously looking his way.
"She's been a wreck ever since we got here!" exclaimed Navi.
The horse hesitantly walked towards Link and (gently) rubbed her head against his chest. Surprised, he blinked and slowly gave her a nice pat between her ears over her white hair, wondering if he was even doing this right since this was the first time he ever came in contact with a horse (or so he thought). Epona, though, seemed quite pleased and wagged her tail like a puppy, her eyes begging for more. He patted the side of her neck and started stroking her back when he heard a voice.
"I see she's grown fond of you, fairy boy."
Link turned to see Malon holding an object in her hands, smiling.
"She's a really beautiful horse," he said. "But this is my first time, so -"
"Oh, don't worry about that," she said. "You're a natural. Besides, she seems to be enjoying herself. And that's a first with strangers. . ."
It was true. Every time an unknown person shows up at the ranch, Epona would either stalk off across the yard as if she couldn't get away fast enough, or just run away when they got near. And yet, here she was, letting Link pat her and closing her eyes as if being given a massage. Pretty amazing indeed. . .
"Epona must really like you - You're special. . ." she said quietly.
This slightly reminded him of what Saria had said back at the Forest Meadow. //But you weren't just any Hylian. . .you. . .you're special. . .//
Malon spoke again: "I don't mean to be rude. . . But, while I was taking your clothes to dry them later. . . I noticed this."
She held up the object she had been holding on to. It was indeed his fairy ocarina. Link stared at the instrument, slightly surprised at first, and quickly looked back at Malon. She looked shy.
"Can you play well?" she asked in a little voice.
"Well. . . sorta," he said. "I'm kind of a beginner."
She seemed amused and giggled. "That's okay. Would you like me to teach you a song?"
He said "Sure!" without thinking about it as she handed him his ocarina and listened to her voice as she sang. It was the same song he had heard her sing when he first came here. Link followed with his instrument, making a few mistakes as he went (and quickly fixing them) and soon got it after three tries. He repeated the tune a couple of times to make sure he wouldn't forget and looked up to see Malon smiling with delight. Even Epona was tapping her foot on the ground in amusement.
"Great job!" said Malon. "You really are good. My mom made this song a long time ago. Isn't it pretty?" She giggled. "She used to call it Epona's Song. I still don't know why. . ." She shrugged.
Navi looked up at the moon and poked Link on the head. "It's getting late. We better go to bed if we're gonna leave early tomorrow."
"Right."
"I'll take Epona to the stable while you get some shut-eye," said Malon. "I'll see you in the morning."
And before he knew it, Malon and Epona were already out of sight without another word. Link and Navi reentered the house and found that there was nobody inside. They strongly suspected that Ingo had taken Talon for a LONG walk. As they walked up the stairs and stepped into the room, Link felt so tired and exhausted that he fell asleep almost instantly as he got into bed.
//I'm not in Lon Lon Ranch anymore. . . How can that be? I'm standing right before the gates of Hyrule Castle Town! But- how did I get here so fast? It's still nighttime, the gate's closed and the moon is halfway across the sky. Maybe I've been sleepwalking or something. . . This is completely insane. I just noticed that Navi's not with me. Probably still at the ranch, sleeping like a baby. I'd hate to think of what she'll do to me when she sees I'm not in bed. I turn around and start running north.
That's odd. . . Where're all the Stalchilds? Why aren't they here? Oh well. . . I'm not complaining. Probably thought of breaking their habit for once and play cards in an underground room or something. . . Wait- Who's that up ahead? It's certainly not a Stalchild. He's wearing green. But. . . that can't be a Kokiri now, can it? I mean, none of them would even THINK of leaving the forest. Well. . . everyone besides Saria. . . But that can't be her. Looks more like a boy to me.
Hang on. I recognize that hair! That's me! Same age, same hair, same clothes, same everything! It's 'other me'! I don't believe it! I DON'T BELIEVE IT! Okay, Link, deep breaths. . . Hey, whatever happened to him, he's all soaked! Looks like he's in a great hurry. He's entering Lon Lon Ranch right now. Wait a minute, that's exactly what happened to me last night. . . before I fell asleep that is. Am I going back in time? And if yes, then how in Hyrule did I do that???
Oh- Wait- I know what this is. . . I'm going mental. Yep. I'm having a hallucination, that's what. Last time this happened, Navi almost lost her head trying to wake me up (I almost did, too). Well, that won't happen again! I try and pinch myself. . . But there's just one problem. I can't feel my skin. I look down and- WOAH! I'm transparent! What in the name of Nayru is going on here?! How did I do that?! Am I some sort of vision? Well, that would explain a few things, like the fact that nobody could hear or see me in my last dream. . . Weird. I guess I better do SOMETHING before-
Hey, what's that noise? I turn around and stare at the gate. It's lowering. What are they doing that for? I thought the gate was always closed at night. . .Oh well. It gives me a chance to go inside and take a look, doesn't it? Oh, but something's blocking the way farther ahead. It's a horse running my way! There's a rider on it, too, but they don't seem to see me- Oh, but of course they can't, I'm invisible. But I still don't want to be run through by a horse. I try to get out of the way but-
I can't! My feet are glued to the ground. They won't move. Great. Just great. Now, the horse is advancing at to speed towards me and the rider is looking back to see if anyone's following. In just about a second now, they're gonna run right through me - they won't be able to stop - they're just a foot away - I close my eyes shut - //
It didn't come. . . Maybe it did. . . Link slowly opened his eyes and found himself on the bed in Malon's room. He was back in Lon Lon Ranch. Link quickly sat up and looked around. He noticed Navi sleeping on a flower in a vase that was set on the table. He found his dried clothes neatly folded on top of the shelves against the wall in front of him. Making sure that Navi was doing the Sleeping Beauty thing, he quickly got dressed and made the bed (which was a strong habit of his, being a Kokiri). Then, making sure that none of his things were missing, Link glanced out of the window. A little speck of pink could be seen across the horizon. It would soon be morning. He walked up to the table and gently shook Navi with a finger.
"'S' matter?" she said groggily.
"The sun's almost coming up," said Link. "We'll be leaving in a few minutes."
"Look who's talkin'. . ." she mumbled.
He shrugged and looked out the window again. He spotted Mr. Ingo heading towards the stable, holding a pitchfork. Navi slowly got up, rubbed her eyes, and flew next to him.
"Alright. I'm ready," she said before diving back into his pocket.
Trying not to think about the dream anymore, Link made his way down the stairs and out the door. Everything around him was either pink or orange; the sun was slowly rising. He looked around and saw Malon running towards him with Talon and Epona at her heels. He smiled and waved as she came to a stop.
"Good morning, fairy boy," she said cheerfully.
"Good morning, Malon."
She beamed and her smile widened. He received a soft rub from Epona.
"And good morning to you too," he laughed.
Talon finally caught up to them, panting and wheezing. "Slow down, girl. . ." he gasped. " Your ol' man's not the runner he used to be. . ."
Malon giggled and Link gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger. He looked at Link.
"Is this the young man you've been talking to me about, Malon?"
"Er, yes." She gestured Link. "Dad, this is Link. Link, you've met my father, Talon; you'll be helping him deliver milk to the castle."
"Attagirl," said Talon, and then turned to Link. "Well, Link, it's been a pleasure meetin' you. I'm sure you'll do a fine job, and Malon, you get the horse ready. We'll leave when the Cucco shrieks."
"Yes, Daddy."
With that, he turned and ran off towards the stable. Link was puzzled. Horse? What did they need a horse for? Surely they wouldn't ride one to the market, would they? He didn't know how. And for some reason, he didn't feel nervous or scared. On the contrary, he felt perfectly calm and secure. Malon took Epona's reins and headed for the exit of the ranch, Link following nearby.
"Er, Malon?"
"Mmm?"
"Well. . . It's just that. . . I've never ridden a horse before and - well - "
"You're nervous? Don't worry, I'll teach you. It's a piece of cake, really. And if things get bad, Daddy will take over."
Link gulped and nodded as they made their way to the field. They stopped when they were a few yards away from the ranch.
"Alright," she began. "Now, watch carefully. First, you approach your horse and hold each side of the saddle."
He stepped near Epona and did as Malon said. "Like this?"
"Mmm-Hmm," she nodded. "Now, place your foot in the metal triangular piece of the saddle on the sides. Yes, that one. And then, you push yourself up - that's it - and swing your free leg to the other side. There you go."
Link found himself on the horse, comfortable as ever, and quite surprised with himself. Malon was glowing with pleasure.
"You're starting smoothly, that's very good!" she said. "But it's the actual riding that's more of the challenge. And the trick, is to - "
But she never got to finish her sentence; Epona had started giving Link a quick run around Lon Lon Ranch who, taken by surprise, was hanging onto her reins for dear life. However. . . he couldn't help thinking that this feeling, this - sensation - was so. . . interesting. . . and fun. . .
Malon squinted her eyes towards the horizon in search of any signs of Link and Epona. That horse was fast, and one should expect great things from her when they least expect them. 'Poor Link,' she thought. ' He must be paralyzed in fright. I do hope he doesn't break his neck. . .' She squinted her eyes a bit more as she looked around one more time. Then, to her relief, she spotted Link riding her mare towards her - and he was laughing. An honest, amused, fun, heart-melting laugh.
She stared, utterly shocked for words. Nobody had ever been able to tame Epona except her. Nobody. And yet. . .Link still found a way to win her trust. There was something about him. . . Something special. . . She couldn't help but smile as he jumped down from Epona and ran up to her, excitement written all over his face.
"Did you see that?" he said cheerfully. "Did you see what I did? I can't believe - I actually - IT WAS AWESOME!!!"
She giggled. "Alright, fairy boy! How would you like me to challenge you with a little obstacle course? Well, it's not really an obstacle course, just something I made up. What do you say?"
Link (still smiling with excitement) shrugged and said: "I'm up for it. Sure!"
He ran up to Epona and mounted the mare once again. Malon continued: "Okay. It's just like a race, basically. If you manage to complete one round around Lon Lon Ranch in less than 50 seconds. . . you can keep Epona."
Link nearly fell of his horse. "What?!"
"You heard me, fairy boy. Epona's all yours if you beat the corral record!"
His jaw dropped. He couldn't believe it. Were his ears deceiving him? Did he hear correctly? Utterly shocked for words, he just stared with his mouth wide open, drowned in a pool of total disbelief. He realized his mouth was open and closed it quickly. He glanced at Malon. She looked serious. When he finally found his voice, he managed to say:
"A- are you sure about this?"
"Positive," she replied. "I can't keep Epona cooped up any longer. She needs exercise; she needs adventure. . . I'm sure you can give her all that. Besides, I can see that she likes you. A lot. And I want her to be happy."
Link hesitated. "I don't know. . ." he murmured.
"Oh, come ON, Link. I can tell you want that, too."
He couldn't argue with that. True, after that little ride Epona gave him, he simply couldn't resist the urge of wanting to keep her. Now was his chance. . .
"Alright. You're on."
"Okay, then," she smiled. "Get into position. Right. Ready - Set - GO!"
And with a WHOOSH, Epona broke into an amazing run with the speed of light. What a feeling - Epona turned with the lightest touch; she seemed to obey his thoughts rather than his grip; Link could feel the wind playing with his hair as she sped faster; he could hear Malon cheering; she seemed so far away. . .
There was the finish line - Just a few more yards to go - almost there - and -
"OH - MY - GOSH! 35 seconds! 35 SECONDS, Link!! No one has ever been able to go THIS far! I can't believe it! You did it! YOU DID IT!" she shrieked, dancing up and down in total happiness.
Epona came to a stop and patted the ground with her hooves, while bowing her head, obviously pleased with herself. Then, they heard the shriek of a Cucco and Link only now realized that the sun had fully risen and was now shining in the bright blue sky.
"That's my cue," said Malon happily. "Better get started with work or Ingo will be after my blood." She turned to Link. "Well, fairy boy, I hope you'll find what you're looking for, and I wish you the best of luck. Epona, you behave yourself, okay girl?" The mare bowed her head twice, and Malon smiled. "Good. I'll go get Dad. Good-bye then!"
"Good-bye, Malon! Thank you so much for everything!"
With one last smile, the ranch girl turned and ran towards the ranch. Navi poked her head out of his pocket.
"Congratulations, Link! Now, we won't have to worry about losing our time in the fields anymore!"
"I can't believe it . . . " he muttered happily while patting his new mare. "I just can't believe it . . . "
"Ah, maboy!"
He turned to see Talon walking his way holding a huge box with the picture of a cow on it. A small swish told him Navi had dived back into his pocket again.
"Are we ready to go, son?" said Talon.
"All set, sir," said Link.
"Alrighty then! Let's get going!"
He handed Link the crate, which was quite heavy, as he took a seat behind him (with great difficulty) and they were off. As they sped up towards the gate, Talon said: "Well done for winning the horse. Malon told me all about it. You wouldn't believe how excited she was!"
"Er, thank you."
"Oh, look! There's one now!"
As Epona galloped, they passed a horse running the way opposite them. There was a rider on it, too. Link quickly turned to look back at it. It looked exactly like the one in his dream . . .
"Talon," he said looking back in front of him. "Was that horse one of yours?" He pointed at the stallion they just passed. Talon shrugged.
"Beats me."
Epona soon came to a stop before the bridge and Talon and Link dismounted.
"Well, here we are," said Talon as Link lifted the box. "Don't worry about Epona. She won't go anywhere."
He followed Talon through the bridge and they were soon greeted by a guard ("Welcome to Huryle Castle Town Market!") before entering the Market. Link wished he had about ten more eyes. He turned his head in every direction as they walked up the alley, trying to look at everything at once. There were shops selling weird instruments and equipment Link had never seen before; The Happy Mask Shop; The Shooting Gallery; Bazaar; Potion Shops . . .
They had reached a narrow path that opened suddenly onto the edge of a very high gate guarded by a soldier.
"Ahoy there!" said Talon.
The guard saw him and waved. "Good morning, Talon," he greeted. "Is this sprite coming with ya?"
"You bet he is," said Talon, clapping his hand on Link's shoulder.
"Alright."
He tapped the ground with the end of his spear and the gate slid open. Talon thanked him as they stepped through the archway. Link heard the gate slide back into position behind him. They made their way up the road while being greeted by a few guards as they went, until Talon stopped and said:
"Hyrule Castle."
Link nearly dropped the box he had been carrying, which might have shattered the numerous bottles he suspected were inside it. They stood before a snowy white castle with many turrets and towers, its multi-colored glass windows glittering in the sunshine. It was perched on a plain grassy field on the other side of a sparkling blue river. His mind snap back to reality as yet another guard lowered the bridge for them to pass and they walked into the great mansion.
(A/N: Warning. I am not that good at picturing the insides of castles. So if this isn't what you had in mind or if this doesn't satisfy you, please forgive my unimaginative mind. I'm not that good at cooperating with imagination . . . )
The entrance hall was HUGE, lit by flaming torches on the stone walls, accompanied by dozens of colorful portraits and diagonally tilted flags. A magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.
"Now, mind your manners, Link," whispered Talon as they walked up the hall. "I've heard the Queen can turn pretty nasty when she's in a bad mood. She is very stern, mind, and is not someone to cross."
Link nodded and followed him up the stairs. If he had thought that the castle was wonderful, it was nothing compared to this room. The ceiling had been painted blue, purple and pink to make it look like the sky when the sun was setting, and in the middle was a gold, triangular insignia. The Triforce. Soldiers in purple armor stood guard next to the walls on either side of them, with lit windows all along them. Up ahead were three great statues; Link recognized them at once. They were Din, the goddess of Power, Nayru, the goddess of Wisdom, and Farore, the goddess of Courage. Nayru stood to the left, Din in the middle, and Farore to the left, each standing behind a high chair. Two of them were empty and unoccupied, but sitting on the chair to the right, wearing a blue silk dress, her hair tied up in a tight bun, was-
"Your Majesty," said Talon as he bowed before the Queen (Link followed suit).
"Ah yes," she said. "I have been expecting you, Talon."
She waved for a soldier to take the large crate from Link, who was utterly relieved. The box had been heavy. The Queen stood up (quite graciously), walked up to Talon and gave him a purple rupee.
"Here. 50 rupees, as you requested." This brought her attention to Link. "And this boy -?"
" - has been wanting to have a few words with you, your Majesty," Talon said, bowing once again. "If it hadn't been for him, I would have never gotten here this fast. Please listen to what he has to say."
She frowned for a while, thinking it over, and finally said: "Alright, I shall listen. You are dismissed."
Talon bowed one last time and turned to Link. "Well, son, thanks a lot for all the help, and I hope you'll come visit us sometime at the ranch!" He clapped his hand on his shoulder. "I'll see you around!"
Link watched as he disappeared down the stairs.
"Now," said the Queen. "What is it you have been wanting to tell me?"
"Oh, er," he said, carefully choosing his words. "Actually, your Highness, I have been wanting to talk to your daughter, the Princess."
She gave him a suspicious look. "If that is what you want, then you wasted your time," she said as she counted her rupees. "If you want, I can give you - "
"No, I don't want money. I just want to talk to the Princess," said Link.
He could see the guards reaching for their swords at that moment, but he didn't care.
"The Princess isn't here," she snap. "You shall go now."
Link gave a short bow and made his way out of the castle.
"How arrogant!" squeaked Navi from his pocket. "We just wanted to talk to the Princess! That's no crime!"
"Shh! Keep it down or somebody'll hear us!"
"Then let them hear me! I don't care! I'll show her - Hey!"
Link had pushed her head back inside his pocket so she wouldn't be heard. As he walked through the archway, Link saw the soldier that had greeted them earlier and a sudden thought hit him. He walked up to the guard.
"Excuse me," he said.
"Oh, hello," said the soldier. "You're a friend of Talon's aren't you? What can I do for you?"
"Well, I've been wondering . . . Where is the King?" asked Link.
If the guard hadn't been wearing his helmet, he would have revealed a sad face. "The King . . . is ill. He's been sick for a few weeks now . . . "
"What's wrong with him?"
"Nobody knows. He's not in condition to tell anyone anything. And not even our wisest men can find the right remedies. It's very depressing . . . " He sighed. "Anything else you'd like to know?"
Link thought for a moment. "Um . . . yes. Do you know where the Princess is? The way the Queen said it, you'd think she wasn't in the castle at all."
"That's . . . because she isn't."
Link stared.
"What?"
"Haven't you heard?" he said, sounding both concerned and worried. "Our precious Princess is missing."
*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*
Author's Notes: CLIFFHANGER! HA HA! Just kidding. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed chapter 5, and PLEASE review. And if you do, I'll try and put up the next chapter as soon as possible. And believe me, that may be sooner than you think . . .
Ani ~_^
The Legend of Zelda:
Fate VS Destiny
Chapter 5: Hyrule Castle
Link walked to the fence where Navi had been waiting. Why did Navi want to meet him there? Did she want to talk about something? As he neared closer, the little fairy noticed him and flew up to his face.
"You're finally here! What took you so long?" she asked.
"Trouble with the Cuccos," he replied.
"Again? When will they ever learn." She told herself. "Anyway, feeling better?"
"Much better," he smiled.
"Good, 'cause someone's been wanting to meet you for quite some time now."
Link looked past her and saw that the mare he had seen earlier was anxiously looking his way.
"She's been a wreck ever since we got here!" exclaimed Navi.
The horse hesitantly walked towards Link and (gently) rubbed her head against his chest. Surprised, he blinked and slowly gave her a nice pat between her ears over her white hair, wondering if he was even doing this right since this was the first time he ever came in contact with a horse (or so he thought). Epona, though, seemed quite pleased and wagged her tail like a puppy, her eyes begging for more. He patted the side of her neck and started stroking her back when he heard a voice.
"I see she's grown fond of you, fairy boy."
Link turned to see Malon holding an object in her hands, smiling.
"She's a really beautiful horse," he said. "But this is my first time, so -"
"Oh, don't worry about that," she said. "You're a natural. Besides, she seems to be enjoying herself. And that's a first with strangers. . ."
It was true. Every time an unknown person shows up at the ranch, Epona would either stalk off across the yard as if she couldn't get away fast enough, or just run away when they got near. And yet, here she was, letting Link pat her and closing her eyes as if being given a massage. Pretty amazing indeed. . .
"Epona must really like you - You're special. . ." she said quietly.
This slightly reminded him of what Saria had said back at the Forest Meadow. //But you weren't just any Hylian. . .you. . .you're special. . .//
Malon spoke again: "I don't mean to be rude. . . But, while I was taking your clothes to dry them later. . . I noticed this."
She held up the object she had been holding on to. It was indeed his fairy ocarina. Link stared at the instrument, slightly surprised at first, and quickly looked back at Malon. She looked shy.
"Can you play well?" she asked in a little voice.
"Well. . . sorta," he said. "I'm kind of a beginner."
She seemed amused and giggled. "That's okay. Would you like me to teach you a song?"
He said "Sure!" without thinking about it as she handed him his ocarina and listened to her voice as she sang. It was the same song he had heard her sing when he first came here. Link followed with his instrument, making a few mistakes as he went (and quickly fixing them) and soon got it after three tries. He repeated the tune a couple of times to make sure he wouldn't forget and looked up to see Malon smiling with delight. Even Epona was tapping her foot on the ground in amusement.
"Great job!" said Malon. "You really are good. My mom made this song a long time ago. Isn't it pretty?" She giggled. "She used to call it Epona's Song. I still don't know why. . ." She shrugged.
Navi looked up at the moon and poked Link on the head. "It's getting late. We better go to bed if we're gonna leave early tomorrow."
"Right."
"I'll take Epona to the stable while you get some shut-eye," said Malon. "I'll see you in the morning."
And before he knew it, Malon and Epona were already out of sight without another word. Link and Navi reentered the house and found that there was nobody inside. They strongly suspected that Ingo had taken Talon for a LONG walk. As they walked up the stairs and stepped into the room, Link felt so tired and exhausted that he fell asleep almost instantly as he got into bed.
//I'm not in Lon Lon Ranch anymore. . . How can that be? I'm standing right before the gates of Hyrule Castle Town! But- how did I get here so fast? It's still nighttime, the gate's closed and the moon is halfway across the sky. Maybe I've been sleepwalking or something. . . This is completely insane. I just noticed that Navi's not with me. Probably still at the ranch, sleeping like a baby. I'd hate to think of what she'll do to me when she sees I'm not in bed. I turn around and start running north.
That's odd. . . Where're all the Stalchilds? Why aren't they here? Oh well. . . I'm not complaining. Probably thought of breaking their habit for once and play cards in an underground room or something. . . Wait- Who's that up ahead? It's certainly not a Stalchild. He's wearing green. But. . . that can't be a Kokiri now, can it? I mean, none of them would even THINK of leaving the forest. Well. . . everyone besides Saria. . . But that can't be her. Looks more like a boy to me.
Hang on. I recognize that hair! That's me! Same age, same hair, same clothes, same everything! It's 'other me'! I don't believe it! I DON'T BELIEVE IT! Okay, Link, deep breaths. . . Hey, whatever happened to him, he's all soaked! Looks like he's in a great hurry. He's entering Lon Lon Ranch right now. Wait a minute, that's exactly what happened to me last night. . . before I fell asleep that is. Am I going back in time? And if yes, then how in Hyrule did I do that???
Oh- Wait- I know what this is. . . I'm going mental. Yep. I'm having a hallucination, that's what. Last time this happened, Navi almost lost her head trying to wake me up (I almost did, too). Well, that won't happen again! I try and pinch myself. . . But there's just one problem. I can't feel my skin. I look down and- WOAH! I'm transparent! What in the name of Nayru is going on here?! How did I do that?! Am I some sort of vision? Well, that would explain a few things, like the fact that nobody could hear or see me in my last dream. . . Weird. I guess I better do SOMETHING before-
Hey, what's that noise? I turn around and stare at the gate. It's lowering. What are they doing that for? I thought the gate was always closed at night. . .Oh well. It gives me a chance to go inside and take a look, doesn't it? Oh, but something's blocking the way farther ahead. It's a horse running my way! There's a rider on it, too, but they don't seem to see me- Oh, but of course they can't, I'm invisible. But I still don't want to be run through by a horse. I try to get out of the way but-
I can't! My feet are glued to the ground. They won't move. Great. Just great. Now, the horse is advancing at to speed towards me and the rider is looking back to see if anyone's following. In just about a second now, they're gonna run right through me - they won't be able to stop - they're just a foot away - I close my eyes shut - //
It didn't come. . . Maybe it did. . . Link slowly opened his eyes and found himself on the bed in Malon's room. He was back in Lon Lon Ranch. Link quickly sat up and looked around. He noticed Navi sleeping on a flower in a vase that was set on the table. He found his dried clothes neatly folded on top of the shelves against the wall in front of him. Making sure that Navi was doing the Sleeping Beauty thing, he quickly got dressed and made the bed (which was a strong habit of his, being a Kokiri). Then, making sure that none of his things were missing, Link glanced out of the window. A little speck of pink could be seen across the horizon. It would soon be morning. He walked up to the table and gently shook Navi with a finger.
"'S' matter?" she said groggily.
"The sun's almost coming up," said Link. "We'll be leaving in a few minutes."
"Look who's talkin'. . ." she mumbled.
He shrugged and looked out the window again. He spotted Mr. Ingo heading towards the stable, holding a pitchfork. Navi slowly got up, rubbed her eyes, and flew next to him.
"Alright. I'm ready," she said before diving back into his pocket.
Trying not to think about the dream anymore, Link made his way down the stairs and out the door. Everything around him was either pink or orange; the sun was slowly rising. He looked around and saw Malon running towards him with Talon and Epona at her heels. He smiled and waved as she came to a stop.
"Good morning, fairy boy," she said cheerfully.
"Good morning, Malon."
She beamed and her smile widened. He received a soft rub from Epona.
"And good morning to you too," he laughed.
Talon finally caught up to them, panting and wheezing. "Slow down, girl. . ." he gasped. " Your ol' man's not the runner he used to be. . ."
Malon giggled and Link gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger. He looked at Link.
"Is this the young man you've been talking to me about, Malon?"
"Er, yes." She gestured Link. "Dad, this is Link. Link, you've met my father, Talon; you'll be helping him deliver milk to the castle."
"Attagirl," said Talon, and then turned to Link. "Well, Link, it's been a pleasure meetin' you. I'm sure you'll do a fine job, and Malon, you get the horse ready. We'll leave when the Cucco shrieks."
"Yes, Daddy."
With that, he turned and ran off towards the stable. Link was puzzled. Horse? What did they need a horse for? Surely they wouldn't ride one to the market, would they? He didn't know how. And for some reason, he didn't feel nervous or scared. On the contrary, he felt perfectly calm and secure. Malon took Epona's reins and headed for the exit of the ranch, Link following nearby.
"Er, Malon?"
"Mmm?"
"Well. . . It's just that. . . I've never ridden a horse before and - well - "
"You're nervous? Don't worry, I'll teach you. It's a piece of cake, really. And if things get bad, Daddy will take over."
Link gulped and nodded as they made their way to the field. They stopped when they were a few yards away from the ranch.
"Alright," she began. "Now, watch carefully. First, you approach your horse and hold each side of the saddle."
He stepped near Epona and did as Malon said. "Like this?"
"Mmm-Hmm," she nodded. "Now, place your foot in the metal triangular piece of the saddle on the sides. Yes, that one. And then, you push yourself up - that's it - and swing your free leg to the other side. There you go."
Link found himself on the horse, comfortable as ever, and quite surprised with himself. Malon was glowing with pleasure.
"You're starting smoothly, that's very good!" she said. "But it's the actual riding that's more of the challenge. And the trick, is to - "
But she never got to finish her sentence; Epona had started giving Link a quick run around Lon Lon Ranch who, taken by surprise, was hanging onto her reins for dear life. However. . . he couldn't help thinking that this feeling, this - sensation - was so. . . interesting. . . and fun. . .
Malon squinted her eyes towards the horizon in search of any signs of Link and Epona. That horse was fast, and one should expect great things from her when they least expect them. 'Poor Link,' she thought. ' He must be paralyzed in fright. I do hope he doesn't break his neck. . .' She squinted her eyes a bit more as she looked around one more time. Then, to her relief, she spotted Link riding her mare towards her - and he was laughing. An honest, amused, fun, heart-melting laugh.
She stared, utterly shocked for words. Nobody had ever been able to tame Epona except her. Nobody. And yet. . .Link still found a way to win her trust. There was something about him. . . Something special. . . She couldn't help but smile as he jumped down from Epona and ran up to her, excitement written all over his face.
"Did you see that?" he said cheerfully. "Did you see what I did? I can't believe - I actually - IT WAS AWESOME!!!"
She giggled. "Alright, fairy boy! How would you like me to challenge you with a little obstacle course? Well, it's not really an obstacle course, just something I made up. What do you say?"
Link (still smiling with excitement) shrugged and said: "I'm up for it. Sure!"
He ran up to Epona and mounted the mare once again. Malon continued: "Okay. It's just like a race, basically. If you manage to complete one round around Lon Lon Ranch in less than 50 seconds. . . you can keep Epona."
Link nearly fell of his horse. "What?!"
"You heard me, fairy boy. Epona's all yours if you beat the corral record!"
His jaw dropped. He couldn't believe it. Were his ears deceiving him? Did he hear correctly? Utterly shocked for words, he just stared with his mouth wide open, drowned in a pool of total disbelief. He realized his mouth was open and closed it quickly. He glanced at Malon. She looked serious. When he finally found his voice, he managed to say:
"A- are you sure about this?"
"Positive," she replied. "I can't keep Epona cooped up any longer. She needs exercise; she needs adventure. . . I'm sure you can give her all that. Besides, I can see that she likes you. A lot. And I want her to be happy."
Link hesitated. "I don't know. . ." he murmured.
"Oh, come ON, Link. I can tell you want that, too."
He couldn't argue with that. True, after that little ride Epona gave him, he simply couldn't resist the urge of wanting to keep her. Now was his chance. . .
"Alright. You're on."
"Okay, then," she smiled. "Get into position. Right. Ready - Set - GO!"
And with a WHOOSH, Epona broke into an amazing run with the speed of light. What a feeling - Epona turned with the lightest touch; she seemed to obey his thoughts rather than his grip; Link could feel the wind playing with his hair as she sped faster; he could hear Malon cheering; she seemed so far away. . .
There was the finish line - Just a few more yards to go - almost there - and -
"OH - MY - GOSH! 35 seconds! 35 SECONDS, Link!! No one has ever been able to go THIS far! I can't believe it! You did it! YOU DID IT!" she shrieked, dancing up and down in total happiness.
Epona came to a stop and patted the ground with her hooves, while bowing her head, obviously pleased with herself. Then, they heard the shriek of a Cucco and Link only now realized that the sun had fully risen and was now shining in the bright blue sky.
"That's my cue," said Malon happily. "Better get started with work or Ingo will be after my blood." She turned to Link. "Well, fairy boy, I hope you'll find what you're looking for, and I wish you the best of luck. Epona, you behave yourself, okay girl?" The mare bowed her head twice, and Malon smiled. "Good. I'll go get Dad. Good-bye then!"
"Good-bye, Malon! Thank you so much for everything!"
With one last smile, the ranch girl turned and ran towards the ranch. Navi poked her head out of his pocket.
"Congratulations, Link! Now, we won't have to worry about losing our time in the fields anymore!"
"I can't believe it . . . " he muttered happily while patting his new mare. "I just can't believe it . . . "
"Ah, maboy!"
He turned to see Talon walking his way holding a huge box with the picture of a cow on it. A small swish told him Navi had dived back into his pocket again.
"Are we ready to go, son?" said Talon.
"All set, sir," said Link.
"Alrighty then! Let's get going!"
He handed Link the crate, which was quite heavy, as he took a seat behind him (with great difficulty) and they were off. As they sped up towards the gate, Talon said: "Well done for winning the horse. Malon told me all about it. You wouldn't believe how excited she was!"
"Er, thank you."
"Oh, look! There's one now!"
As Epona galloped, they passed a horse running the way opposite them. There was a rider on it, too. Link quickly turned to look back at it. It looked exactly like the one in his dream . . .
"Talon," he said looking back in front of him. "Was that horse one of yours?" He pointed at the stallion they just passed. Talon shrugged.
"Beats me."
Epona soon came to a stop before the bridge and Talon and Link dismounted.
"Well, here we are," said Talon as Link lifted the box. "Don't worry about Epona. She won't go anywhere."
He followed Talon through the bridge and they were soon greeted by a guard ("Welcome to Huryle Castle Town Market!") before entering the Market. Link wished he had about ten more eyes. He turned his head in every direction as they walked up the alley, trying to look at everything at once. There were shops selling weird instruments and equipment Link had never seen before; The Happy Mask Shop; The Shooting Gallery; Bazaar; Potion Shops . . .
They had reached a narrow path that opened suddenly onto the edge of a very high gate guarded by a soldier.
"Ahoy there!" said Talon.
The guard saw him and waved. "Good morning, Talon," he greeted. "Is this sprite coming with ya?"
"You bet he is," said Talon, clapping his hand on Link's shoulder.
"Alright."
He tapped the ground with the end of his spear and the gate slid open. Talon thanked him as they stepped through the archway. Link heard the gate slide back into position behind him. They made their way up the road while being greeted by a few guards as they went, until Talon stopped and said:
"Hyrule Castle."
Link nearly dropped the box he had been carrying, which might have shattered the numerous bottles he suspected were inside it. They stood before a snowy white castle with many turrets and towers, its multi-colored glass windows glittering in the sunshine. It was perched on a plain grassy field on the other side of a sparkling blue river. His mind snap back to reality as yet another guard lowered the bridge for them to pass and they walked into the great mansion.
(A/N: Warning. I am not that good at picturing the insides of castles. So if this isn't what you had in mind or if this doesn't satisfy you, please forgive my unimaginative mind. I'm not that good at cooperating with imagination . . . )
The entrance hall was HUGE, lit by flaming torches on the stone walls, accompanied by dozens of colorful portraits and diagonally tilted flags. A magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.
"Now, mind your manners, Link," whispered Talon as they walked up the hall. "I've heard the Queen can turn pretty nasty when she's in a bad mood. She is very stern, mind, and is not someone to cross."
Link nodded and followed him up the stairs. If he had thought that the castle was wonderful, it was nothing compared to this room. The ceiling had been painted blue, purple and pink to make it look like the sky when the sun was setting, and in the middle was a gold, triangular insignia. The Triforce. Soldiers in purple armor stood guard next to the walls on either side of them, with lit windows all along them. Up ahead were three great statues; Link recognized them at once. They were Din, the goddess of Power, Nayru, the goddess of Wisdom, and Farore, the goddess of Courage. Nayru stood to the left, Din in the middle, and Farore to the left, each standing behind a high chair. Two of them were empty and unoccupied, but sitting on the chair to the right, wearing a blue silk dress, her hair tied up in a tight bun, was-
"Your Majesty," said Talon as he bowed before the Queen (Link followed suit).
"Ah yes," she said. "I have been expecting you, Talon."
She waved for a soldier to take the large crate from Link, who was utterly relieved. The box had been heavy. The Queen stood up (quite graciously), walked up to Talon and gave him a purple rupee.
"Here. 50 rupees, as you requested." This brought her attention to Link. "And this boy -?"
" - has been wanting to have a few words with you, your Majesty," Talon said, bowing once again. "If it hadn't been for him, I would have never gotten here this fast. Please listen to what he has to say."
She frowned for a while, thinking it over, and finally said: "Alright, I shall listen. You are dismissed."
Talon bowed one last time and turned to Link. "Well, son, thanks a lot for all the help, and I hope you'll come visit us sometime at the ranch!" He clapped his hand on his shoulder. "I'll see you around!"
Link watched as he disappeared down the stairs.
"Now," said the Queen. "What is it you have been wanting to tell me?"
"Oh, er," he said, carefully choosing his words. "Actually, your Highness, I have been wanting to talk to your daughter, the Princess."
She gave him a suspicious look. "If that is what you want, then you wasted your time," she said as she counted her rupees. "If you want, I can give you - "
"No, I don't want money. I just want to talk to the Princess," said Link.
He could see the guards reaching for their swords at that moment, but he didn't care.
"The Princess isn't here," she snap. "You shall go now."
Link gave a short bow and made his way out of the castle.
"How arrogant!" squeaked Navi from his pocket. "We just wanted to talk to the Princess! That's no crime!"
"Shh! Keep it down or somebody'll hear us!"
"Then let them hear me! I don't care! I'll show her - Hey!"
Link had pushed her head back inside his pocket so she wouldn't be heard. As he walked through the archway, Link saw the soldier that had greeted them earlier and a sudden thought hit him. He walked up to the guard.
"Excuse me," he said.
"Oh, hello," said the soldier. "You're a friend of Talon's aren't you? What can I do for you?"
"Well, I've been wondering . . . Where is the King?" asked Link.
If the guard hadn't been wearing his helmet, he would have revealed a sad face. "The King . . . is ill. He's been sick for a few weeks now . . . "
"What's wrong with him?"
"Nobody knows. He's not in condition to tell anyone anything. And not even our wisest men can find the right remedies. It's very depressing . . . " He sighed. "Anything else you'd like to know?"
Link thought for a moment. "Um . . . yes. Do you know where the Princess is? The way the Queen said it, you'd think she wasn't in the castle at all."
"That's . . . because she isn't."
Link stared.
"What?"
"Haven't you heard?" he said, sounding both concerned and worried. "Our precious Princess is missing."
*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*
Author's Notes: CLIFFHANGER! HA HA! Just kidding. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed chapter 5, and PLEASE review. And if you do, I'll try and put up the next chapter as soon as possible. And believe me, that may be sooner than you think . . .
Ani ~_^