Chapter 9: Softness of Heart, Strength of Heart
She watched the snowfall from the warmth of her house. She sat on the windowsill, wiping the fog off the window and gazed out into the night, amazed by the amount of snow that had fallen in such a short amount of time. She didn't like winter that much. It was too cold, and the horses grew irritable towards the constant freeze. As she brushed her long, red hair, she saw the silhouettes of two horses ride up to the house. She raised her eyebrows in confusion. Why were the riders so frantic? Were they trying to find salvage from the cold, or had something gone wrong? In the pit of her stomach, she knew the answer to her question. Something wasn't right. She slipped on her boots and ran down the stairs, meeting up with her father and Ingo at the bottom of the steps, who had noticed the riders, too. The three exited the house and skittered up to the riders.
"Malon," cried out Zelda. "Thank the Goddesses you're here!"
"Zelda, what's wrong," asked the red head named Malon. She gasped when she saw the unconscious Link being carried off the horse by Falcon. "What happened to him!?"
"We don't know," explained Michelle as she got off Epona. "We were heading over here to spend the night and he collapsed. When I checked him, he was running a terrible fever."
"We better get this lad inside before he gets any worse," stated Talon. He led the party into the house and shut the door after everybody got in. Ingo came in a minute later after bringing Epona and Ganondorf's horse into the stables. They headed up the stairs and into the bedroom. Malon pulled the sheets back and motioned for Falcon to bring Link over. After he set Link in the bed, she pulled the sheets over him and placed a hand on his forehead, checking him over for any other abnormalities.
"It looks like he's caught a nasty case of pneumonia," sighed Malon sadly. "And he's progressively getting worse. We need to find some medicine for him, and quickly." Everyone's faces turned worrisome, then Michelle's face turned into a determined, yet serious one. She searched through Link's weapons bag and pulled out an extra set of clothes: white pants, a white shirt, gauntlets, boots, and his Zora tunic with matching hat. She scurried out of the room, leaving everyone to wonder what the girl was up to. A minute or two later, she came back in, pulling on the pair of gauntlets. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, although you couldn't tell with the hat on over it. Zelda looked at Michelle with the same expression she had on the first time she saw her. She does look like Link, thought Zelda.
"Michelle, where are you going," asked Fox in confusion, slightly yelling.
"I'm going to Lake Hylia to get that medicine," Michelle answered with a sense of determination in her voice.
"Do you even know how to get there," blurted out Falcon.
"And what about a horse," asked Zelda. "You said so yourself you don't know how to ride one."
"I don't care," Michelle cried out, sounding upset. "Link's sick, and if he doesn't get that medicine soon, he'll die!" Everyone remained silent for a few moments, then Navi flew over to the human.
"I'll go with you then," jingled Navi. "You'll need my help!" Michelle nodded, grabbed Link's weapons, and started out the door before Ganondorf grabbed her shoulder. She turned around quickly and looked at him while everyone looked with mixed expressions; some in shock, some angry, some worried. The Gerudo looked at her with a serious look on his face, then handed her a blue potion.
"You'll need this then," stated Ganondorf. "Good luck." Michelle smiled slightly, nodded a thank you. She walked over to Link's bedside, placed a gentle hand on his pale cheek, and looked at him with soft, yet determined eyes. "Be brave, my love," whispered Michelle. "I'll find that medicine for you, no matter what it takes." She kissed his forehead, then ran out the door. Everyone scurried over to the window and watched her ride off on Epona. When she was gone, everyone found their place in the room, either looking out the window or watching their sick friend. Malon looked at Ganondorf with a half scared, half confused look on her face. "What did you give her," the Hylian asked. Ganondorf turned to her, his face softer than usual.
"A blue potion to heal her and restore her magic, if she has any."
"But, why? I thought you were-"
"An evil son of a bitch, I know. If Michelle can get the medicine, it'll fulfill her task of power, wisdom, and courage. She's already showing the courage part. We need her to do this alone, and we need her alive, for Link's sake."
"But why give her the potion?" Ganondorf's face softened greatly after Malon asked her question. He turned to the window and looked out it at the snow, memories of Death Mountain rushing through his head. He put his hand on the wall next to the window, closed his eyes tightly, and lowered his head.
"Because . . . I owe her my life."
She watched the snowfall from the warmth of her house. She sat on the windowsill, wiping the fog off the window and gazed out into the night, amazed by the amount of snow that had fallen in such a short amount of time. She didn't like winter that much. It was too cold, and the horses grew irritable towards the constant freeze. As she brushed her long, red hair, she saw the silhouettes of two horses ride up to the house. She raised her eyebrows in confusion. Why were the riders so frantic? Were they trying to find salvage from the cold, or had something gone wrong? In the pit of her stomach, she knew the answer to her question. Something wasn't right. She slipped on her boots and ran down the stairs, meeting up with her father and Ingo at the bottom of the steps, who had noticed the riders, too. The three exited the house and skittered up to the riders.
"Malon," cried out Zelda. "Thank the Goddesses you're here!"
"Zelda, what's wrong," asked the red head named Malon. She gasped when she saw the unconscious Link being carried off the horse by Falcon. "What happened to him!?"
"We don't know," explained Michelle as she got off Epona. "We were heading over here to spend the night and he collapsed. When I checked him, he was running a terrible fever."
"We better get this lad inside before he gets any worse," stated Talon. He led the party into the house and shut the door after everybody got in. Ingo came in a minute later after bringing Epona and Ganondorf's horse into the stables. They headed up the stairs and into the bedroom. Malon pulled the sheets back and motioned for Falcon to bring Link over. After he set Link in the bed, she pulled the sheets over him and placed a hand on his forehead, checking him over for any other abnormalities.
"It looks like he's caught a nasty case of pneumonia," sighed Malon sadly. "And he's progressively getting worse. We need to find some medicine for him, and quickly." Everyone's faces turned worrisome, then Michelle's face turned into a determined, yet serious one. She searched through Link's weapons bag and pulled out an extra set of clothes: white pants, a white shirt, gauntlets, boots, and his Zora tunic with matching hat. She scurried out of the room, leaving everyone to wonder what the girl was up to. A minute or two later, she came back in, pulling on the pair of gauntlets. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, although you couldn't tell with the hat on over it. Zelda looked at Michelle with the same expression she had on the first time she saw her. She does look like Link, thought Zelda.
"Michelle, where are you going," asked Fox in confusion, slightly yelling.
"I'm going to Lake Hylia to get that medicine," Michelle answered with a sense of determination in her voice.
"Do you even know how to get there," blurted out Falcon.
"And what about a horse," asked Zelda. "You said so yourself you don't know how to ride one."
"I don't care," Michelle cried out, sounding upset. "Link's sick, and if he doesn't get that medicine soon, he'll die!" Everyone remained silent for a few moments, then Navi flew over to the human.
"I'll go with you then," jingled Navi. "You'll need my help!" Michelle nodded, grabbed Link's weapons, and started out the door before Ganondorf grabbed her shoulder. She turned around quickly and looked at him while everyone looked with mixed expressions; some in shock, some angry, some worried. The Gerudo looked at her with a serious look on his face, then handed her a blue potion.
"You'll need this then," stated Ganondorf. "Good luck." Michelle smiled slightly, nodded a thank you. She walked over to Link's bedside, placed a gentle hand on his pale cheek, and looked at him with soft, yet determined eyes. "Be brave, my love," whispered Michelle. "I'll find that medicine for you, no matter what it takes." She kissed his forehead, then ran out the door. Everyone scurried over to the window and watched her ride off on Epona. When she was gone, everyone found their place in the room, either looking out the window or watching their sick friend. Malon looked at Ganondorf with a half scared, half confused look on her face. "What did you give her," the Hylian asked. Ganondorf turned to her, his face softer than usual.
"A blue potion to heal her and restore her magic, if she has any."
"But, why? I thought you were-"
"An evil son of a bitch, I know. If Michelle can get the medicine, it'll fulfill her task of power, wisdom, and courage. She's already showing the courage part. We need her to do this alone, and we need her alive, for Link's sake."
"But why give her the potion?" Ganondorf's face softened greatly after Malon asked her question. He turned to the window and looked out it at the snow, memories of Death Mountain rushing through his head. He put his hand on the wall next to the window, closed his eyes tightly, and lowered his head.
"Because . . . I owe her my life."