Disclaimer: I own nothing bla
bla bla.
Terrible sorry for the lateness, I've been busy. And, oh, how cute, I got a
deaththreat. ^.^
Mirror Image; Chapter 2
The Prisoner and the Fugitive
Darkness.
Pain.
Hum.
Soft.
Four sensations came to Link at once. His body was stinging in several places.
Warm, feminine fingers traces across his forehead, then they withdrew. He let
out a small moan, separating his eyelids. Light flooded them. He closed them.
Something cold and wet pressed against his face, dabbling at cuts.
Strength surged through him, and he grasped at what was under him.
Sheets.
He was in a bed.
But how?!
He chanced opening his eyes. Sunlight glared at him, but he endured it until
they got used to it. There was someone else in the room. A female, and she was
unaware of his presence, dabbing the cloth in a pail of fresh water. Grimy red
hair, which would have been beautiful, if it had been better cared for, cascaded
down her back. She was wearing a ragged dress, and was barefoot. He felt sorry
for her.
"Hi," he croaked. She shrieked loudly, and the cloth plopped against the
ground.
"Sorry," he added. As she sent him a frightened glance, bending down to
retrieve the fallen rag.
"How do you feel?" she murmured, intimidated.
"It hurts," he grunted, trying to sit up. Why was she afraid of him?
She gave a little gasp.
"No, don't!"
He glanced down the loose tunic that clad him, and noted the massive gash down
his back., which was neatly bandaged up.
"That might be it," he noted, flinching as the pain lanced through him.
"Don't move."
She returned to him, rubbing the cloth against his forehead.
"What's your name?"
She seemed startled at the question.
"M-Malon."
"Malon," he digested that, "My name's Link, pleased to meet you."
Her green eyes betrayed disbelief, but she said nothing.
Recollection flowed back to him.
"The stalchlidren…"
"We saved you," she said quickly.
"My sister!" he tried to get up, but his torso protested.
"She's here."
She was trembling.
He raised his hand, but she shrank away.
"I won't hurt you," he murmured gently.
She gave him a questioning look.
"Who are you?"
"I told you, I'm Link."
She opened her mouth to say something, but an another voice cut her off.
"Malon! Come here, you little wench!"
Link winced on her behalf. The girl whirled around and eyed him, looking like a
trapped animal. Then, she scampered out of the room.
Link felt his back gingerly.
"That's going to leave a scar."
"Malon!" bellowed Ingo, again.
She stumbled to him, past the other members of the room, who stood stiffly.
She skidded to a half in front of him, and he glared down at her, past his bushy
moustache.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?! You're supposed to be cooking!
How do you think Dark will react if he sees us slacking off?!"
His voice vibrated around the little room. She stared at him blankly, but said
nothing.
"Are you even listening to me, you little whore?!"
That man was not Dark. She knew that. Dark's eyes were not brown. They were
not so soft, so gentle… He was never kind. The boy had not even recognized
her.
"He's awake," she replied softly, "He was in pain. I was tending to his
wounds."
"And flirting, I suppose," he growled.
She barely contained the look of utter venom, and he slapped her heard across
the face.
"Let's not forget who feeds you, and clothes you, gives you a house to live
in, wench!" roared the irate man, "NOT GET TO WORK!"
She scurried off, pressing a hand to her aching cheek, trying very hard not to
cry.
"You bastard," she hissed under her breath, "I swear to the Goddesses, you
will pay!"
Saria, who was in better shape than her brother, and a lot more restless,
barged out of her room, and bounded across the ranch, finally reaching
Link.
"Link!" she cried upon seeing him, leaping towards him.
He raised his arms to defend himself, and she suddenly remembered the ordeal,
skidding to a halt beside him.
He sighed in relief.
"Link? Are you okay?" she asked tentatively, big eyes focused on him.
"I'll live," he muttered, touching her hair softly, "How are you?"
"I'm… fine… Link, doesn't this all seem fishy to you?"
He inclined his head slightly, glancing at her inquisitively.
"These people… don't seem very friendly… Yet, they've saved us, and
they're treating us like we're royalty."
"The girl… she's afraid of me."
"Keep up the act, brother. We'll figure out what to do."
There was a risk known on the door.
"Come in," answered Link.
Ingo entered, hands clasped behind his back respectively.
"Milord," he greeted.
"Hello," responded the Hylian, trying to keep his voice flippant, and
disinterested, "And you are?"
"Ingo of Lon Lon Ranch."
"Ah yes."
"We found you, Milord… the stalchildren attacked you."
"Yes," sniffed Link, "I was outnumbered. Thank you for your services."
Ingo grinned beneath his bushy moustache.
"And I trust I will be… rewarded?"
His slanted eyes gleamed greedily.
"Handsomely," returned Link, inwardly congratulating himself on his act.
"Malon will attend to you until you are better, Sir Dark."
Link opened his mouth to correct him, but Saria elbowed him viciously. He
winced.
"You are in pain!" yelped Ingo, "I will call Malon at once! And send news
of you to your troupe."
Before Link could protest, he had left, yelling at Malon to come.
The two siblings exchanged dark looks.
This was not good.
Malon arrived, with a slight limp.
"Malon," the Hylian's tone was grave, "We need your help."
"But-"
Link shushed her, and she closed the door.
"I'm not Dark," whispered Link, tone pleading.
"I know," the ranch girl breathed, "Who are you?"
"I'm Link… I'm a traveler."
"Were did you come from?"
" Kakariko. I was born and raised there."
She studied him, and the fear vanished.
"It's peculiar…"
"What is?"
"You look so much like him.."
"Who?"
"Dark?"
"Who's Dark?"
She shivered as he said the name.
"A very bad man," her tone was flat, "He's a known and feared assassin
across the land. He use to be with Ganondorf."
Link had heard tales of Ganondorf, the King of Thieves, the reincarnation and
puppet of the ancient evil, Ganon, when he had been a child.
"Ganondorf?"
She nodded.
"I get it now," Saria piped up, "That's thy the guards threw you out."
"And Ingo?"
"One of Ganondorf's former servants," replied the redheaded girl quietly.
Link placed a hand over her, delicate, milky one.
"I'll set you free, I promise," he whispered.
'The ranch," continued Malon, "Use to belong to me father… he couldn't
pay the taxes… and so they kicked him out… took it from him, and me…"
"I promise," repeated Link, his brown eyes earnest.
"Thank you."
*
"Carrier pigeon," murmured Mouse, flicking the dirty blonde hair away from
her face. It had been a while since she had gotten mail… Perhaps… perhaps-
no. It was not for her. It was for Dark. Who would send her mail, anyway?
She cooed.
The pigeon recognized her, and swept down, landing on her outstretched arm, and
began pecking at it. With nimble fingers, she extracted the rolled up piece of
parchment, undid the strip, and opened it.
"Dear Mouse,
Your leader was ambushed and overwhelmed by stalchildren. Luckily, I found him.
He is at Lon Lon Ranch, being taken care of. He is healing quickly. Gather your
troupe and come.
Ingo
PS: I would appreciate payment for my services."
She glanced at it, puzzled, then shook her head.
"What do you have there, Mouse?"
She turned slightly, only to find Dark, dismounting his horse.
She handed the letter to him, and as he read it, she saw his cruel red eyes
flash with mirth.
"Mouse," smirked Dark, "Give me a parchment and ink."
Three days passed.
Ingo had not been lying. With Malon's gentle care and Link's strength, he
was recovering speedily. He did have a nasty scar across his back, however.
Malon grew bolder when she was with him. They made plans of escape. Everything
was going quiet well…
The next day, however, knew there was going to be going to be trouble- she saw
Mouse's pet hawk, Zero, streaking towards them, something attached to his leg.
"We have to go!"
Link glanced in her direction, startled.
"What?"
"Mouse's hawk is coming with a letter. They'll know you're an
imposter."
The urgency of the situation seemed to reach him.
"I'll get Saria."
"I'll go spy on them… then we have to go."
She disappeared out the door and was gone, her breath coming in sharply. She
skidded to a halt near the doorway, trying to calm her racing heart. She pressed
her ear against the door, faintly hearing reading on the other side.
"…you, Ingo, are an imbecile. I am right here, all safe. You have harbored
an imposter. However, this has attracted my attention. We're on our way now to
deal with you, and this imposter personally.
Dark.
PS: Zero ate your pigeon."
Ingo let out a roar of fury.
Malon, terrified, turned and fled.
Dark was coming! They had to run!
Her bare feet slapped against the wooden floors as she raced down them. She
could hear Ingo and his men coming, and their heavy, thumping footsteps.
She threw the door wide open.
"Link, Saria, Dark is coming! We have to run!"
Saria opened her mouth to protest; or ask a question, but Link snatched her up,
and ran.
"Follow me," breathed Malon.
They did so, to the basement. It was a small, messy and ridden with cows. The
red-head grunted, pushed a crate aside, and then hopped in the space between,
motioning for them to follow.
"There's a passage," she informed them, "We have to crawl."
She got down on her hands and knees, pushing through the tunnel.
Saria followed suit, small enough to manage without difficulty, and Link brought
up the rear, and he practically had to shove himself the whole way through.
The passage smelt of soil and rotten compost. Link wrinkled his nose and did his
best to ignore it.
It was hot in stuffy in the little tunnel, and Link's sides ached from
scraping against the walls. He quelled his emotions and took the pain like a
man, eyes hard with determination and he watched the light of outside grow
larger and closer.
Finally, Malon emerged at the end, standing up. She gazed around shortly, and
then headed towards the center. The siblings bounded aft her.
Malon whistled sharply.
There was a neigh from the right, and a chestnut coloured horse trotted forward,
saddled up and ready.
"You were just waiting for this, weren't you?"
She ignored him, and hoisted herself up.
"C'mon."
Link raised Saria up, whom
Malon helped on, then leapt on himself.
The horse nearly bucked at the added weight, but Malon stroked its mane,
murmuring calming words.
"It's okay, Epona…" to the outsiders, she added, "She doesn't like
strangers much."
She seemed to be comforted by that.
"She's beautiful," whispered
Saria, running a hand across the smooth side.
"Let's go," said the ranch girl curtly, and Epona began to trot, speeding
up.
"Malon!"
She cast a glanced at the entrance, then suddenly gasped, feeling as though her
body had been grabbed and squeezed by a giant hand.
"What is it?
Her frightened eyes locked on the silhouettes of a group. At the head, mounted
upon a massive steed, was a man, clad in back and silver armour, with cold,
cruel eyes of crimson.
"They're here!" she squeaked, fear enveloping her.
To be continued…
I'm so sorry for the wait…
And now, a few notes.
This is not a Malink fic. Sorry, Malink fans…
And… that stuff about Ganon, for the purpose of this fic, Ganondorf was a
puppet of Ganon, who was an ancient evil, sealed away, bla bla bla, but not
permanently, and kind of possessed Ganondorf… and stuff. I'll figure out more
later.
Mouse is my first Zelda fancharacter… hopefully you guys found her alright.
Until next time, (im)patient readers; and hopefully the next installment won't
take me five years. Maybe four and a half ;)
