Hey guys! Just wanted to say: Sorry for the long wait and I hope that this
chapter's worth it. Enjoy!
The Legend of Zelda:
Fate VS Destiny
Chapter 7: Princess Zelda's Tale
~
"So, where do you come from, Link?" Zelda asked interested.
"Well, I've been raised right there, actually. In the forest, with all the Kokiris," he replied.
She frowned slightly. "What is a Kokiri?" she said.
"They're children that live in the forest," said Link.
She raised her eyebrows. "Do we get to see them much?"
Navi flew up. "Chances are very thin, Princess," she said. "They only come out when they really need to, only to go back again."
"Really? Why?"
"They're children and they stay that way. If they try to leave for good, they'll last only a few years before they die, so they don't come out much. That's why nobody knows much about them."
The Princess was dumbstruck. "For real? Gee, that's no fun, is it? I'm not even allowed to leave the castle walls . . . But then, if it's true, then why are YOU here?"
He stared at the ground. " Um . . . That would be . . . because I'm Hylian . . . "
"Oh." She shook her head and decided to let it drop. "So, these -Kokiri- is it true that they have fairies? I've heard many rumors about them."
Link grinned. "Yeah, it's true alright. But since this fat ball of light you see here wasn't good enough for any of my friends, she's stuck with me."
"Hey!" Navi poked his head.
Zelda giggled. "A fairy partner, I guess. What's your name?"
Navi straightened herself up (in midair) and said in this proud voice, "My name is Navi. And I'm not as small as I look. Just judge me by my smarts instead of my size!"
"I - I'll think about it," she said with this funny look on her face.
Link snorted. "Yeah right. Your brain's smaller than a Deku Seed. I'd say you're enormous compared to that."
Navi started glowing a deep pink color. "Oh, really. And I bet yours isn't any bigger! You don't even know how to use a bow and arrow!"
He gave her the evil eye. "Navi . . . I don't HAVE a bow and arrow. Besides, I'm sure Zelda could teach me and then we'll see who knows what."
The fairy gave the Princess a sideway glance, who was trying hard not to laugh. "Then I don't suppose you could use a hookshot, in that case - "
"Hey! Woaw! Calm down, Navi. This is no foreign-language plane, so can we please come back to reality? I've never used a hookshot in my entire life! I don't even know what that is!"
"And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen!" said the fairy triumphantly. "Stupidity for you, in the flesh!"
Link stared at her for a moment. "Navi, someday, I'll stuff you inside a bottle and I won't let you out until a certain two-legged creature called 'man' will sprout wings and fly."
The little fairy laughed. "We'll see about that!"
Then, she disappeared through the entrance to the forest. Zelda couldn't take it anymore and burst out laughing.
"You guys are hilarious!" she said between laughs. "Where do you get all your ideas?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. I guess that's the way we are."
She quickly calmed down. "Is she always like that?"
"Most of the time. But she always gets over it quickly," he replied.
They stared at each other for a while, and she looked down. "Then . . . "she said slowly. "If you have a fairy . . . that means . . . you have a horse, too . . . A big, red one . . . Right?" she added, as if not wanting to sound too crazy.
He blinked. "I have a wha - " He paused and his eyes grew wide. "Oh! I almost forgot!"
He turned around and dashed off towards the fields, leaving the Princess looking surprised, and soon returned with a flaming red mare with pearly white hair galloping by his side.
"Sorry for running off like that," he said as he ran up to her. "Princess, I'd like to introduce you to my mare, Epona."
Zelda looked triumphant. "Ah, I've heard of her before. They say she's very hard to tame!"
Link scratched the back of his head and grinned. "Yeah. Well, everyone besides me and a girl named Malon, for all I know . . . "
She looked at him, amazed. "Wow . . . You must be an expert around horses!"
"Um . . . Actually . . . This is . . . my first time and . . . um . . . "
Zelda's jaw dropped completely. "You're kidding! You - you can't be serious! It took me over a year to get to know D - " She paused and blinked. "Oh, I didn't introduce you to my own horse, did I?"
She walked over to the stallion that had been standing next to her the whole time and patted his nose. "Link," she said. "This is Demon (A/N: I swear to you guys that I didn't steal the name from anywhere! At first, it would have been Diablo, but then I thought I'd be stealing the name of the game, and then it was Devil, and then Demon. I didn't take it from anywhere!). I mean, sure, he's probably not the 'appropriate' type for a Princess -you know, snowy white fur and everything- but he's perfect for me! We grew up together at the castle."
Link knew what she meant. Chocolate brown fur with jet-black hair, the stallion stood proudly by his master, eyeing Epona with interest.
"How did you know?"
She stared. "What?"
"How did you know that I have a horse?"
An odd, closed expression appeared on her face. She continued to stare at him. Link had the impression that she was doing some very quick thinking.
"I saw you ride her this morning," she said, "towards Hyrule Castle Town Market."
Link looked thoughtful. "Maybe . . . " he said slowly. "But Navi was inside my pocket at that time, so you couldn't have seen her. So whaddya mean by 'If you have a fairy, that means you have a horse, too'?"
He stood there, amazed by his own brilliance, and watched Zelda watch him. She bit her lower lip and sighed.
"OK, OK. You win."
The young Princess walked around in circles for a while, mumbling things to herself. Link caught a few words, like: "crazy" and "lunatic". She soon stopped and looked at him.
"I . . . I had a dream about you . . . More of a prophecy, actually . . . I don't know how to explain it. In my dream, you . . . emerged from the forest riding a horse. I couldn't really see, my visions always tend to be blurry . . . There was also a strange ball of light flying around next to you. And when I saw you fairy earlier -Navi, is it?- . . . I . . . knew it had to be you . . . "
She swallowed and watched him, eager for an answer. Link could only stare. He couldn't believe it! HE COULDN'T BELIEVE IT! This whole time, when he thought he'd been having hallucinations or he thought he'd been hit hard on the head by something, there had been someone else experiencing these same visions! And it was the PRINCESS! Unbelievable. Completely astounding. Seeing the look of complete shock written all over his face, Zelda couldn't take it anymore.
"I know, I know," she said all of a sudden. "People say, that I'm a complete lunatic and I bet you're thinking that I must be crazy and stupid, but I'm telling you! It's the truth!"
"I never said I didn't believe you," he said simply.
The Princess blinked; she could feel the color rising in her face. "You . . . you believe me?" she asked.
"Yeah . . . Yeah, I guess I do. Because . . . I had a vision, too. I saw you escape Hyrule Castle Town Market . . . " He watched in amusement as her face turned from blank to a total lack of shock and disbelief.
He just keeps amazing her every second! Are all Hylians like that? Were they all funny, nice and respectful? 'If so,' she thought. 'I should definitely run away more often.'
"So . . . I guess that's how you found me," she said in a quiet voice.
Link blinked and snapped back to reality where the REAL question was -
"Why did you run away?"
His tone was serious. The Princess blinked and her face suddenly showed and expression he couldn't quite read. Was that - worry? Fright? He couldn't tell. Besides, you never know with royalty . . .
Zelda pondered what he said. Should she tell him? Should she walk away and continue her little 'mission' solo?
'You're not even supposed to be 'chatting' with him in the first place!' part of her mind told her. 'What if he's part of the 'trouble' that got you into this quest, huh? C'mon! You know better than that!'
'Shaddup!' the other part said. 'I, for one, think he's really sweet. My new friend! You don't get ANY of them at the castle! I'm finally meeting my first and (probably) only friend and you're telling me to walk away? Ha! In your dreams!'
'But what if all this was a trap?'
'What if it wasn't? Besides, it's not for nothing he appeared in your dream. Trust him. Maybe he can help you . . . '
At long last she made up her mind; she sat down against a tree nearby and ran her fingers through her long golden hair. Link sat across her.
"Alright," she sighed. "But I'm warning you: I am NOT good at storytelling, so here it goes . . . " She paused and ran her fingers through her hair again. "I guess it all starts . . . with a creature called Moblin. Never heard of them, huh? You won't like them. They've got such a temper! Bad attitude, too. Anyway, they're these giant pig-like monsters armed with very resistant spears. But they're nothing compared to their leader. He's the biggest of the lot -a Giant Moblin, I think- wearing twice the amount of armor his companions do and always carrying this huge heavy club with him. One day, they arrived at the castle, requesting an audience with my father. I don't know how they could have just waltzed into the room, but I strongly suspect that they forced their way in there. Luckily, I've been getting prophecies about their arrival, so I was able to skip my training sessions that day and watch their meeting in secret."
Link nodded and told her to go on. Then, something kept tugging the back of his mind . . . Training sessions?!
The Princess continued. "Right. So I spied through a window outside (an old habit of mine) and watched him 'chat' with their leader. Although I could barely hear what they were saying, I did catch a few words. From what I heard, they've been wanting something from him. But my dad refused for some reason, and ordered them to go. The Moblins were very mad, though, and kept threatening him in many ways. At first, it was blackmail. We ignored them. Then, they would use unusual magic to transport horrible things to the castle. I know because I've been secretly learning magic, but don't tell anyone. Anyway, once, I found a bloody dagger under my pillow . . . It was NOT a pretty sight."
Link's head was swimming. Magic Lessons?! HER?!
"But, one day, they eventually came back, and this time, I was there, hiding. They threatened him more than ever, cursing and swearing badly. But my father would still not give them what they want."
"Well, what DO they want?" he asked.
Zelda tapped her chin with her finger and thought. "I have no idea," she said slowly. "These Moblins never make themselves clear. All they kept saying was 'Hand IT over, Nohansen!' or 'It's time, Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule. Give IT to us!' But Daddy really seemed to know what 'IT' was, though."
"Sooooo, what happened?"
She bit her lip. "He . . . fell ill the next day . . . and . . . no one was able to cure him . . . Even the Potion Shop owner could do nothing about it. Mother would have known what to do . . . If only she didn't pass away ten years ago, when I was five . . . And now, this Know-It-All b - . . . um . . . well, my stepmother is taking over now. We would have sent troops to this village -Kakariko, I think- but the Moblins kept coming almost everyday and we need as much protection as possible . . . They . . . can be pretty -aggressive- sometimes . . . "
She swallowed hard and Link could see streaks of sweat in her face. He decided best not to think about what might have happened back then.
"People were too scared to go to Kakariko Village in fright that the Moblins would come, and therefore couldn't ask for help," she said. "So I decided to do this my own way, last night. I laid the dagger the Moblins 'sent' me on my bed and broke my bedroom window, making everyone believe that I had been kidnapped by one or something. I took a cape to blend in with the shadows at night, and I took my arrows, quiver and bow (I'm very good at archery, it's part of my training). Anyway, like the Moblins, the guards patrolling the inner areas of the castle can't see very well (thanks to their helmets). But I couldn't stun them, it would have attracted too much attention since it was heavily guarded (as usual) and I wouldn't have found a way out. Besides, after all the racket I made for breaking the glass, they were already heading towards my room. So I hid in the shadows until all of them were gone and used a quick spell to open locked doors and finally lower the gate leading out of the castle. Of course, there were guards patrolling OUTSIDE, too. So before they could see me, I knocked them unconscious with my well-aimed arrows!"
Seeing the look of horror on Link's face, she added, "I was aiming for their helmets!" This seemed to calm him down, so she kept going.
"Anyway, I sneaked into the royal stables and with my horse (and proper usage of magic and spells), we escaped town. When we reached Kakariko Village, I started my search right away, asking people if they knew anybody well known for medicines or potions (I didn't want to sound too suspicious). It all led to an old hag living with her cat. She said she would have been able to help me . . . if only she had this 'missing ingredient'. From what she told me, it's supposed to be this weird, smelly item or something from the forest. So I slept in the village that night and ended up with another prophecy. The one you were in, actually. In my dream, this green light shot out of the forest and turned into a horse and rider, followed by a fairy. The rider jumped down from his horse and held out a red mushroom. I realized that this mushroom must be the missing ingredient. So that's why I'm here now . . . "
Link nodded.
Wow.
And all this happened while he was inside his tree-house?! He quickly stood up and Zelda, surprised by his sudden reaction, followed suit. They stared at each other for a while.
"Will you help me?" she asked.
"I will."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The pair soon crossed the wooden bridge and entered Kokiri Forest. But before either of them could take a step forward -
"Link! Oh, Link, you're back!!"
A little girl with short green hair wearing a blouse with a sleeveless shirt over it, knee-length boots and shorts (all green, just like Link's tunic and hat) came dashing out of nowhere and greeted Link with a fierce hug.
" . . . can't . . . breathe . . . !" he choked.
He was indeed turning crimson. The girl let go and beamed up at him. Zelda noticed a light pink fairy hovering over the girl's head. So this was a Kokiri . . .
The girl smiled. "I'm so happy to see you again! You're back so soon! When I saw Navi flying nearby a while ago, I just KNEW you'd come! You still have the ocarina I gave you, right?"
He laughed and patted his pouch. "Don't worry. It's safe with me!" He turned to the Princess. "This is my best friend Saria. We've known each other ever since we were born. Ever since I was born, actually . . . Saria, this is - "
"Zelda," she said. There was a strange sparkle in her eyes. "It's a pleasure to meet you your Highness. The Great Deku Tree told us a lot about you." She quickly added, seeing the look of total shock on her face.
Link could only stare. True, the Great Deku Tree HAD told them many stories before, but none of them had been about Zelda . . . Was it just him or was Saria hiding something?
The Princess gave her a smile. "O. Well, in that case, it's a pleasure to meet you too, Saria."
The little Kokiri smiled back and said, "You guys can come over to my house and you can tell me everything that's happened. Come on!"
She led them down the path that led deeper into the village. Zelda hoped her eyes weren't deceiving her. By the love of Nayru, this place was amazing! Children everywhere were chasing fireflies, playing games, or laughing with their friends and fairies. Small huts have been built out of tree trunks accompanied by small flower, weed and/or rock gardens, showing off their natural beauty. Small streams expanded throughout the forest toward the large trees surrounding the village. And this whole time, she had been missing all of this and being cooped up in the castle!
The Kokiris were very surprised to see a Hylian (excluding Link) enter the forest. Before they knew it, all of the children had encircled the pair and were drowning them with questions and comments (even the shop owners joined in).
"Great! A Hylian! She's just as tall as you, Link!"
"Oooo! She's sooooo pretty!"
"We've been looking all over for you, Link! Where'd you go?"
"Is it true that you left, Link? Did you get to see all of Hyrule?"
"So, you're a Hylian, too. Were you gonna tell us sooner or later or were we supposed to guess?"
But thankfully, Saria was able to pull them away from the crowd and urge them inside her house where Navi was waiting. As soon as they entered, she flew up to them.
"You're finally here! What took you so long?!" Suddenly, this suspicious yet amused look appeared on her miniature face. "You guys weren't . . . flirting with each other, were you?"
"WHAT?!" Link bellowed, turning a very deep red. He almost looked like a tomato with a bad sunburn. "WHAT IN DIN'S NAME ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!!!"
"Uh-Huh," she said slowly. Obviously, she wasn't convinced.
Link quickly searched his numerous pouches muttering something about a bottle.
The fairy read his mind. "Sorry to disappoint you, but your bottles are all full!" she said cheerfully.
He cursed under his breath.
"You guys! This is hardly the time to fight . . . again," said Zelda.
"Yeah!" said Saria. "And besides, weren't you going to tell us why you came back? And why did you bring the Princess with you? The Princess! Of all people! No offense or anything, Zelda," she added to the Hylian girl.
Zelda smiled. "That's okay."
Link had just caught a wrestling Navi by her wings and tucked her back under his hat (making sure she wouldn't escape this time) and sat on a bench. Saria and Zelda sat down on the bed.
"Fact is," he said. "I didn't bring her here. She came here on her own." He jerked his head towards the Princess and seeing the look of astonishment on his friend's face, he added, "Guess I better start from the beginning . . . "
And he told her. He told her how they had arrived too late to the gate and decided to sleep at Lon Lon Ranch; he told her all about Talon, Mr. Ingo, and Malon; he told her about his dream, about Epona, and about their race; he told her all about his meeting with the Queen (Zelda was trying to hide her embarrassment at that point); he told her how he figured that the Princess had run away and how he caught up with her.
To make things short, he explained everything except why he had been looking for Zelda in the first place. Saria frowned and looked at her.
"But why did you run away?"
And now, it was Zelda's turn to tell her story. Saria and Navi (still under his hat) listened intently to her tale. Link, however, was searching his mind. He still hadn't told the Princess about his own quest. She didn't know that the reason he had been searching for her in the first place was that only she knew of the Oracle's whereabouts. How would he break it to her? Saria, on the other hand, seemed to notice (so did Navi) and said,
"After all you've dealt with, you two MUST be hungry."
"Famished!" chorused the pair.
"Alright!" said Saria's fairy. "We can each find something to eat. You two can collect fruits from our trees. Saria and I'll get the roundest, juiciest berries we can find! That mushroom can wait."
"I'll help!" said Navi, who finally wriggled free from Link's hat, and she followed them out the door, leaving the two Hylians alone in the room.
Silence resonated around them.
"Well," said Link. "Better get to work. We can get baskets at my house and then I'll show you to our trees."
Zelda nodded. "OK."
As they left the house, they noticed that none of the kids (to their great surprise) had come over to talk to them. Instead, they were just whispering among themselves as they passed. Soon, the pair stopped in front of a large tree with a tiny hut perched in it's branches.
"This is your house?" asked Zelda.
Link stared at the ground. "Um . . . yes . . . "
"It's great!"
His head shot straight up. "Huh?"
"I love it! It's so cute! Did you build it yourself?"
He could feel his cheek turning pink. "Yeah . . . with a bit of help . . . "
"Oh, wow! I'm impressed!"
He gave her an ear-to-ear smile and climbed up the ladder, with Zelda at his heels.
"It's very nice. I like it here," said the Princess as she looked around.
A tiny little cotton bed rested at the back of the room; a cute little bowl of fruits set on a wooden round table in the middle; closets and shelves holding numerous items such as masks, a boomerang, slingshot, and ocarinas; cute little pictures had been carved on the walls, most of them being about warriors and swords.
"Thanks," he said and grabbed two medium-sized baskets from the closet (he's been enlarging his house for the past five years, now -since he was ten-). "I missed this place already."
Zelda froze. "Because you've been searching for me," she added in a low voice. "Why did you do it?"
He stared for a while (this is the stare-at-nothing-in-particular kinda stare).
"I . . . I've been . . . " He gave up and sighed. "I needed to find the Oracle . . . And you were the only one to know about her . . . "
He stood there, waiting for a reaction, and to his great surprise, she smiled.
"Alright," she said. "We'll do this the You-Help-Me/I-Help-You way! You help me get that mushroom, and I help you find the Oracle! Deal?"
She extended her hand towards him and he gladly shook it.
"Deal."
"Well, what are we waiting for?" she said triumphantly. "Those fruits won't pick themselves! Besides, like your friend says, those things can wait!"
"Right!"
And they climbed back down the ladder once again and ran off into the forest.
Maybe Princesses weren't so bad after all . . .
No, not at all.
*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*
Author's Notes: Phew! Another chapter done! Longest one yet! ^_____^Again, I'm sorry for the long wait! For some reason, my stupid computer wouldn't let me connect! At least I'm halfway through Chapter 8. Just to let you know, I made this chapter so we can get to know Zelda better (in my POV). Sorry if she seemed a bit off character . . . Just tell me in you reviews and I'll try to improve.
Oh, by the way, I kept getting reviews saying that I must be nuts to say that I was bad at writing in my Bio. Since there were so many of them, I decided to change it AND to add a bit more info for you guys to get to know me better! ^.^ I hope this satisfies you! Now the REAL action's coming up in next chapter! Stay tuned! And PLZ review! You don't know how much it helps! Ciao!
Ani ^_~
The Legend of Zelda:
Fate VS Destiny
Chapter 7: Princess Zelda's Tale
~
"So, where do you come from, Link?" Zelda asked interested.
"Well, I've been raised right there, actually. In the forest, with all the Kokiris," he replied.
She frowned slightly. "What is a Kokiri?" she said.
"They're children that live in the forest," said Link.
She raised her eyebrows. "Do we get to see them much?"
Navi flew up. "Chances are very thin, Princess," she said. "They only come out when they really need to, only to go back again."
"Really? Why?"
"They're children and they stay that way. If they try to leave for good, they'll last only a few years before they die, so they don't come out much. That's why nobody knows much about them."
The Princess was dumbstruck. "For real? Gee, that's no fun, is it? I'm not even allowed to leave the castle walls . . . But then, if it's true, then why are YOU here?"
He stared at the ground. " Um . . . That would be . . . because I'm Hylian . . . "
"Oh." She shook her head and decided to let it drop. "So, these -Kokiri- is it true that they have fairies? I've heard many rumors about them."
Link grinned. "Yeah, it's true alright. But since this fat ball of light you see here wasn't good enough for any of my friends, she's stuck with me."
"Hey!" Navi poked his head.
Zelda giggled. "A fairy partner, I guess. What's your name?"
Navi straightened herself up (in midair) and said in this proud voice, "My name is Navi. And I'm not as small as I look. Just judge me by my smarts instead of my size!"
"I - I'll think about it," she said with this funny look on her face.
Link snorted. "Yeah right. Your brain's smaller than a Deku Seed. I'd say you're enormous compared to that."
Navi started glowing a deep pink color. "Oh, really. And I bet yours isn't any bigger! You don't even know how to use a bow and arrow!"
He gave her the evil eye. "Navi . . . I don't HAVE a bow and arrow. Besides, I'm sure Zelda could teach me and then we'll see who knows what."
The fairy gave the Princess a sideway glance, who was trying hard not to laugh. "Then I don't suppose you could use a hookshot, in that case - "
"Hey! Woaw! Calm down, Navi. This is no foreign-language plane, so can we please come back to reality? I've never used a hookshot in my entire life! I don't even know what that is!"
"And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen!" said the fairy triumphantly. "Stupidity for you, in the flesh!"
Link stared at her for a moment. "Navi, someday, I'll stuff you inside a bottle and I won't let you out until a certain two-legged creature called 'man' will sprout wings and fly."
The little fairy laughed. "We'll see about that!"
Then, she disappeared through the entrance to the forest. Zelda couldn't take it anymore and burst out laughing.
"You guys are hilarious!" she said between laughs. "Where do you get all your ideas?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. I guess that's the way we are."
She quickly calmed down. "Is she always like that?"
"Most of the time. But she always gets over it quickly," he replied.
They stared at each other for a while, and she looked down. "Then . . . "she said slowly. "If you have a fairy . . . that means . . . you have a horse, too . . . A big, red one . . . Right?" she added, as if not wanting to sound too crazy.
He blinked. "I have a wha - " He paused and his eyes grew wide. "Oh! I almost forgot!"
He turned around and dashed off towards the fields, leaving the Princess looking surprised, and soon returned with a flaming red mare with pearly white hair galloping by his side.
"Sorry for running off like that," he said as he ran up to her. "Princess, I'd like to introduce you to my mare, Epona."
Zelda looked triumphant. "Ah, I've heard of her before. They say she's very hard to tame!"
Link scratched the back of his head and grinned. "Yeah. Well, everyone besides me and a girl named Malon, for all I know . . . "
She looked at him, amazed. "Wow . . . You must be an expert around horses!"
"Um . . . Actually . . . This is . . . my first time and . . . um . . . "
Zelda's jaw dropped completely. "You're kidding! You - you can't be serious! It took me over a year to get to know D - " She paused and blinked. "Oh, I didn't introduce you to my own horse, did I?"
She walked over to the stallion that had been standing next to her the whole time and patted his nose. "Link," she said. "This is Demon (A/N: I swear to you guys that I didn't steal the name from anywhere! At first, it would have been Diablo, but then I thought I'd be stealing the name of the game, and then it was Devil, and then Demon. I didn't take it from anywhere!). I mean, sure, he's probably not the 'appropriate' type for a Princess -you know, snowy white fur and everything- but he's perfect for me! We grew up together at the castle."
Link knew what she meant. Chocolate brown fur with jet-black hair, the stallion stood proudly by his master, eyeing Epona with interest.
"How did you know?"
She stared. "What?"
"How did you know that I have a horse?"
An odd, closed expression appeared on her face. She continued to stare at him. Link had the impression that she was doing some very quick thinking.
"I saw you ride her this morning," she said, "towards Hyrule Castle Town Market."
Link looked thoughtful. "Maybe . . . " he said slowly. "But Navi was inside my pocket at that time, so you couldn't have seen her. So whaddya mean by 'If you have a fairy, that means you have a horse, too'?"
He stood there, amazed by his own brilliance, and watched Zelda watch him. She bit her lower lip and sighed.
"OK, OK. You win."
The young Princess walked around in circles for a while, mumbling things to herself. Link caught a few words, like: "crazy" and "lunatic". She soon stopped and looked at him.
"I . . . I had a dream about you . . . More of a prophecy, actually . . . I don't know how to explain it. In my dream, you . . . emerged from the forest riding a horse. I couldn't really see, my visions always tend to be blurry . . . There was also a strange ball of light flying around next to you. And when I saw you fairy earlier -Navi, is it?- . . . I . . . knew it had to be you . . . "
She swallowed and watched him, eager for an answer. Link could only stare. He couldn't believe it! HE COULDN'T BELIEVE IT! This whole time, when he thought he'd been having hallucinations or he thought he'd been hit hard on the head by something, there had been someone else experiencing these same visions! And it was the PRINCESS! Unbelievable. Completely astounding. Seeing the look of complete shock written all over his face, Zelda couldn't take it anymore.
"I know, I know," she said all of a sudden. "People say, that I'm a complete lunatic and I bet you're thinking that I must be crazy and stupid, but I'm telling you! It's the truth!"
"I never said I didn't believe you," he said simply.
The Princess blinked; she could feel the color rising in her face. "You . . . you believe me?" she asked.
"Yeah . . . Yeah, I guess I do. Because . . . I had a vision, too. I saw you escape Hyrule Castle Town Market . . . " He watched in amusement as her face turned from blank to a total lack of shock and disbelief.
He just keeps amazing her every second! Are all Hylians like that? Were they all funny, nice and respectful? 'If so,' she thought. 'I should definitely run away more often.'
"So . . . I guess that's how you found me," she said in a quiet voice.
Link blinked and snapped back to reality where the REAL question was -
"Why did you run away?"
His tone was serious. The Princess blinked and her face suddenly showed and expression he couldn't quite read. Was that - worry? Fright? He couldn't tell. Besides, you never know with royalty . . .
Zelda pondered what he said. Should she tell him? Should she walk away and continue her little 'mission' solo?
'You're not even supposed to be 'chatting' with him in the first place!' part of her mind told her. 'What if he's part of the 'trouble' that got you into this quest, huh? C'mon! You know better than that!'
'Shaddup!' the other part said. 'I, for one, think he's really sweet. My new friend! You don't get ANY of them at the castle! I'm finally meeting my first and (probably) only friend and you're telling me to walk away? Ha! In your dreams!'
'But what if all this was a trap?'
'What if it wasn't? Besides, it's not for nothing he appeared in your dream. Trust him. Maybe he can help you . . . '
At long last she made up her mind; she sat down against a tree nearby and ran her fingers through her long golden hair. Link sat across her.
"Alright," she sighed. "But I'm warning you: I am NOT good at storytelling, so here it goes . . . " She paused and ran her fingers through her hair again. "I guess it all starts . . . with a creature called Moblin. Never heard of them, huh? You won't like them. They've got such a temper! Bad attitude, too. Anyway, they're these giant pig-like monsters armed with very resistant spears. But they're nothing compared to their leader. He's the biggest of the lot -a Giant Moblin, I think- wearing twice the amount of armor his companions do and always carrying this huge heavy club with him. One day, they arrived at the castle, requesting an audience with my father. I don't know how they could have just waltzed into the room, but I strongly suspect that they forced their way in there. Luckily, I've been getting prophecies about their arrival, so I was able to skip my training sessions that day and watch their meeting in secret."
Link nodded and told her to go on. Then, something kept tugging the back of his mind . . . Training sessions?!
The Princess continued. "Right. So I spied through a window outside (an old habit of mine) and watched him 'chat' with their leader. Although I could barely hear what they were saying, I did catch a few words. From what I heard, they've been wanting something from him. But my dad refused for some reason, and ordered them to go. The Moblins were very mad, though, and kept threatening him in many ways. At first, it was blackmail. We ignored them. Then, they would use unusual magic to transport horrible things to the castle. I know because I've been secretly learning magic, but don't tell anyone. Anyway, once, I found a bloody dagger under my pillow . . . It was NOT a pretty sight."
Link's head was swimming. Magic Lessons?! HER?!
"But, one day, they eventually came back, and this time, I was there, hiding. They threatened him more than ever, cursing and swearing badly. But my father would still not give them what they want."
"Well, what DO they want?" he asked.
Zelda tapped her chin with her finger and thought. "I have no idea," she said slowly. "These Moblins never make themselves clear. All they kept saying was 'Hand IT over, Nohansen!' or 'It's time, Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule. Give IT to us!' But Daddy really seemed to know what 'IT' was, though."
"Sooooo, what happened?"
She bit her lip. "He . . . fell ill the next day . . . and . . . no one was able to cure him . . . Even the Potion Shop owner could do nothing about it. Mother would have known what to do . . . If only she didn't pass away ten years ago, when I was five . . . And now, this Know-It-All b - . . . um . . . well, my stepmother is taking over now. We would have sent troops to this village -Kakariko, I think- but the Moblins kept coming almost everyday and we need as much protection as possible . . . They . . . can be pretty -aggressive- sometimes . . . "
She swallowed hard and Link could see streaks of sweat in her face. He decided best not to think about what might have happened back then.
"People were too scared to go to Kakariko Village in fright that the Moblins would come, and therefore couldn't ask for help," she said. "So I decided to do this my own way, last night. I laid the dagger the Moblins 'sent' me on my bed and broke my bedroom window, making everyone believe that I had been kidnapped by one or something. I took a cape to blend in with the shadows at night, and I took my arrows, quiver and bow (I'm very good at archery, it's part of my training). Anyway, like the Moblins, the guards patrolling the inner areas of the castle can't see very well (thanks to their helmets). But I couldn't stun them, it would have attracted too much attention since it was heavily guarded (as usual) and I wouldn't have found a way out. Besides, after all the racket I made for breaking the glass, they were already heading towards my room. So I hid in the shadows until all of them were gone and used a quick spell to open locked doors and finally lower the gate leading out of the castle. Of course, there were guards patrolling OUTSIDE, too. So before they could see me, I knocked them unconscious with my well-aimed arrows!"
Seeing the look of horror on Link's face, she added, "I was aiming for their helmets!" This seemed to calm him down, so she kept going.
"Anyway, I sneaked into the royal stables and with my horse (and proper usage of magic and spells), we escaped town. When we reached Kakariko Village, I started my search right away, asking people if they knew anybody well known for medicines or potions (I didn't want to sound too suspicious). It all led to an old hag living with her cat. She said she would have been able to help me . . . if only she had this 'missing ingredient'. From what she told me, it's supposed to be this weird, smelly item or something from the forest. So I slept in the village that night and ended up with another prophecy. The one you were in, actually. In my dream, this green light shot out of the forest and turned into a horse and rider, followed by a fairy. The rider jumped down from his horse and held out a red mushroom. I realized that this mushroom must be the missing ingredient. So that's why I'm here now . . . "
Link nodded.
Wow.
And all this happened while he was inside his tree-house?! He quickly stood up and Zelda, surprised by his sudden reaction, followed suit. They stared at each other for a while.
"Will you help me?" she asked.
"I will."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The pair soon crossed the wooden bridge and entered Kokiri Forest. But before either of them could take a step forward -
"Link! Oh, Link, you're back!!"
A little girl with short green hair wearing a blouse with a sleeveless shirt over it, knee-length boots and shorts (all green, just like Link's tunic and hat) came dashing out of nowhere and greeted Link with a fierce hug.
" . . . can't . . . breathe . . . !" he choked.
He was indeed turning crimson. The girl let go and beamed up at him. Zelda noticed a light pink fairy hovering over the girl's head. So this was a Kokiri . . .
The girl smiled. "I'm so happy to see you again! You're back so soon! When I saw Navi flying nearby a while ago, I just KNEW you'd come! You still have the ocarina I gave you, right?"
He laughed and patted his pouch. "Don't worry. It's safe with me!" He turned to the Princess. "This is my best friend Saria. We've known each other ever since we were born. Ever since I was born, actually . . . Saria, this is - "
"Zelda," she said. There was a strange sparkle in her eyes. "It's a pleasure to meet you your Highness. The Great Deku Tree told us a lot about you." She quickly added, seeing the look of total shock on her face.
Link could only stare. True, the Great Deku Tree HAD told them many stories before, but none of them had been about Zelda . . . Was it just him or was Saria hiding something?
The Princess gave her a smile. "O. Well, in that case, it's a pleasure to meet you too, Saria."
The little Kokiri smiled back and said, "You guys can come over to my house and you can tell me everything that's happened. Come on!"
She led them down the path that led deeper into the village. Zelda hoped her eyes weren't deceiving her. By the love of Nayru, this place was amazing! Children everywhere were chasing fireflies, playing games, or laughing with their friends and fairies. Small huts have been built out of tree trunks accompanied by small flower, weed and/or rock gardens, showing off their natural beauty. Small streams expanded throughout the forest toward the large trees surrounding the village. And this whole time, she had been missing all of this and being cooped up in the castle!
The Kokiris were very surprised to see a Hylian (excluding Link) enter the forest. Before they knew it, all of the children had encircled the pair and were drowning them with questions and comments (even the shop owners joined in).
"Great! A Hylian! She's just as tall as you, Link!"
"Oooo! She's sooooo pretty!"
"We've been looking all over for you, Link! Where'd you go?"
"Is it true that you left, Link? Did you get to see all of Hyrule?"
"So, you're a Hylian, too. Were you gonna tell us sooner or later or were we supposed to guess?"
But thankfully, Saria was able to pull them away from the crowd and urge them inside her house where Navi was waiting. As soon as they entered, she flew up to them.
"You're finally here! What took you so long?!" Suddenly, this suspicious yet amused look appeared on her miniature face. "You guys weren't . . . flirting with each other, were you?"
"WHAT?!" Link bellowed, turning a very deep red. He almost looked like a tomato with a bad sunburn. "WHAT IN DIN'S NAME ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!!!"
"Uh-Huh," she said slowly. Obviously, she wasn't convinced.
Link quickly searched his numerous pouches muttering something about a bottle.
The fairy read his mind. "Sorry to disappoint you, but your bottles are all full!" she said cheerfully.
He cursed under his breath.
"You guys! This is hardly the time to fight . . . again," said Zelda.
"Yeah!" said Saria. "And besides, weren't you going to tell us why you came back? And why did you bring the Princess with you? The Princess! Of all people! No offense or anything, Zelda," she added to the Hylian girl.
Zelda smiled. "That's okay."
Link had just caught a wrestling Navi by her wings and tucked her back under his hat (making sure she wouldn't escape this time) and sat on a bench. Saria and Zelda sat down on the bed.
"Fact is," he said. "I didn't bring her here. She came here on her own." He jerked his head towards the Princess and seeing the look of astonishment on his friend's face, he added, "Guess I better start from the beginning . . . "
And he told her. He told her how they had arrived too late to the gate and decided to sleep at Lon Lon Ranch; he told her all about Talon, Mr. Ingo, and Malon; he told her about his dream, about Epona, and about their race; he told her all about his meeting with the Queen (Zelda was trying to hide her embarrassment at that point); he told her how he figured that the Princess had run away and how he caught up with her.
To make things short, he explained everything except why he had been looking for Zelda in the first place. Saria frowned and looked at her.
"But why did you run away?"
And now, it was Zelda's turn to tell her story. Saria and Navi (still under his hat) listened intently to her tale. Link, however, was searching his mind. He still hadn't told the Princess about his own quest. She didn't know that the reason he had been searching for her in the first place was that only she knew of the Oracle's whereabouts. How would he break it to her? Saria, on the other hand, seemed to notice (so did Navi) and said,
"After all you've dealt with, you two MUST be hungry."
"Famished!" chorused the pair.
"Alright!" said Saria's fairy. "We can each find something to eat. You two can collect fruits from our trees. Saria and I'll get the roundest, juiciest berries we can find! That mushroom can wait."
"I'll help!" said Navi, who finally wriggled free from Link's hat, and she followed them out the door, leaving the two Hylians alone in the room.
Silence resonated around them.
"Well," said Link. "Better get to work. We can get baskets at my house and then I'll show you to our trees."
Zelda nodded. "OK."
As they left the house, they noticed that none of the kids (to their great surprise) had come over to talk to them. Instead, they were just whispering among themselves as they passed. Soon, the pair stopped in front of a large tree with a tiny hut perched in it's branches.
"This is your house?" asked Zelda.
Link stared at the ground. "Um . . . yes . . . "
"It's great!"
His head shot straight up. "Huh?"
"I love it! It's so cute! Did you build it yourself?"
He could feel his cheek turning pink. "Yeah . . . with a bit of help . . . "
"Oh, wow! I'm impressed!"
He gave her an ear-to-ear smile and climbed up the ladder, with Zelda at his heels.
"It's very nice. I like it here," said the Princess as she looked around.
A tiny little cotton bed rested at the back of the room; a cute little bowl of fruits set on a wooden round table in the middle; closets and shelves holding numerous items such as masks, a boomerang, slingshot, and ocarinas; cute little pictures had been carved on the walls, most of them being about warriors and swords.
"Thanks," he said and grabbed two medium-sized baskets from the closet (he's been enlarging his house for the past five years, now -since he was ten-). "I missed this place already."
Zelda froze. "Because you've been searching for me," she added in a low voice. "Why did you do it?"
He stared for a while (this is the stare-at-nothing-in-particular kinda stare).
"I . . . I've been . . . " He gave up and sighed. "I needed to find the Oracle . . . And you were the only one to know about her . . . "
He stood there, waiting for a reaction, and to his great surprise, she smiled.
"Alright," she said. "We'll do this the You-Help-Me/I-Help-You way! You help me get that mushroom, and I help you find the Oracle! Deal?"
She extended her hand towards him and he gladly shook it.
"Deal."
"Well, what are we waiting for?" she said triumphantly. "Those fruits won't pick themselves! Besides, like your friend says, those things can wait!"
"Right!"
And they climbed back down the ladder once again and ran off into the forest.
Maybe Princesses weren't so bad after all . . .
No, not at all.
*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*
Author's Notes: Phew! Another chapter done! Longest one yet! ^_____^Again, I'm sorry for the long wait! For some reason, my stupid computer wouldn't let me connect! At least I'm halfway through Chapter 8. Just to let you know, I made this chapter so we can get to know Zelda better (in my POV). Sorry if she seemed a bit off character . . . Just tell me in you reviews and I'll try to improve.
Oh, by the way, I kept getting reviews saying that I must be nuts to say that I was bad at writing in my Bio. Since there were so many of them, I decided to change it AND to add a bit more info for you guys to get to know me better! ^.^ I hope this satisfies you! Now the REAL action's coming up in next chapter! Stay tuned! And PLZ review! You don't know how much it helps! Ciao!
Ani ^_~