Please enjoy the story. –KawaiiKirby
I don't own Zelda.
The Shape of Pain Chapter 6Skeletons came popping out of the ground, staggering toward the crowd of Kokiri. The girl who had screamed was a pudgy-faced Kokiri by the name of Tani, she looked like she had seen a ghost.
Fred gasped along with the rest, but soon regained his head and tried to maintain control of the frightened Kokiri.
"Everyone, stay calm. I'm sure they're not real, they couldn't come back from the dead, could they?"
Even as he said it, he didn't sound too confident. He looked about nervously. No one was really paying attention to him. They were all looking at the skeletons ambling towards them. He gulped. This was it, this was the end....
Suddenly, a clip-clopping sounded in the distance as a shadowed figure on a horse galloped towards them. A young girl with red hair flew by on a chestnut colored horse. She stopped and started ramming into the skeletons, making them fall back. They always came back, though. They didn't know how she was going to win this one. She finally turned to them.
"Hurry, go up to that ranch up there. Once you get into the entrance, the skeletons will leave you alone. You can stay there for the night." She paused. "I'm Malon, by the way. Hurry!"
The Kokiri all started running at once. Fred made feeble attempts to try and get them orderly – he was running as well. Once they reached the ranch, they all stopped and fell down in a heap, clutching their sides. Soon they heard the girl coming back. She stopped next to them and dismounted.
"Is everyone ok? You need to be more careful – the skeletons cannot be killed and they will attack you anywhere but in the castle or here."
All the Kokiri nodded and started to thank her profusely. She blushed furiously.
"Oh it was nothing. I was just taking a gallop around on Epona." She pointed to the horse, who neighed in reply. "When I saw you all being attacked. It was sheer dumb luck."
None of the Kokiri were listening though. They had now started to look around at their surroundings.
The ranch was quite beautiful. With a long pasture and several large buildings, it was quite different from anything they were used to. Before they could inquire, though, Malon quickly shooed them into the stables.
"You'll have to stay there the night. If Ingo finds you he'll kill me, so you can't stay in the old house down by the stables, he cleans those."
But the Kokiri didn't care. Even with the cows and horses, they loved the stables. It was so much different and bigger than their houses that they squealed with delight whenever they found something new.
Malon laughed and sighed. She was tired and knew that it would affect her work tomorrow if she didn't get to sleep. She would lock the Kokiri in, just in case, and would come back as early as she dare in the morning. She didn't want to arouse any suspicion. She spoke to them even though it looked as no one was listening.
"I have to go to bed. No one leave here until I come back, alright? I should be back in the morning. Try and get some sleep. Remember – don't disturb the animals!"
Whether any of the Kokiri heard this was a mystery. They were all having fun bouncing in the barrels of hay and having staring contests with the cows (and losing). She left with a smile and headed, quite drowsy, up to her room in the small house she and her dad shared.
A little ways off from the ranch, a shadowed figure cursed its bad luck. The Kokiri could cause some problems and suspicion within the castle walls. She couldn't allow that. She hid in a large tree overlooking the ranch and slept with one eye open.
Morning came too quick for Malon. Soon she hustled out of bed by her father and went down drowsily to breakfast.
"What time is it?" She asked once she had made it down the steps.
Her father was cooking up some eggs from their chickens. "Quarter past the sunrise, I presume. I'm not sure though, haven't had a chance to go out yet. Ingo's been bothering me all morning with some humbo jumbo about elves in our stables. Elves! Can you believe it?" he shook his head in disbelief.
Malon, however, froze wide in shock. She searched her mind for a good excuse.
"Um...I have to go check on Epona! She wasn't...er...feeling too well last night, so I want to make sure she's alright now. I'll...um...be back later for breakfast!" and she ran out of the house so fast her father wouldn't have finished the word "elves" before she was gone.
She quickly checked around for Ingo but couldn't see him anywhere. She darted into the stables and stepped in, only to be caught by none other than, Ingo.
"Well, well, well. I see I've found the culprit. Talon didn't believe me, oh no, was I telling lies about these elves?" he pointed to the bouncing Kokiri, all having fun.
She gulped and shrugged her shoulders.
"I don't know where they came from. The probably snuck in here late last night when we were all asleep. They don't seem to be causing any damage though, so I don't see what the problem is."
Ingo looked furious. "NO PROBLEM?! Of course this is a problem! They are intruding on our ground. Besides," he said in a much calmer voice. "I'm willing to bet they didn't just stumble upon on ranch."
Malon raised an eyebrow in an attempt to look shocked.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Ingo. You know perfectly well my father never would have let me leave in the middle of the night. Besides, I don't know what these creatures even are."
Well, at least that part was true. She was having trouble keeping a straight face. He looked so funny, his face all red from his anger at her defying him.
"I know you let them in." he snarled. "You're always doing crazy things like this. Your father always lets you off though, but this time it will be different."
At that he lunged toward her with all his might.