Disclaimer: This story is pure fan fiction, and I do not own any of the characters in it. The Zelda characters are all property of Nintendo.
A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews I received for Chapter 9! Greatly appreciated, as usual. Some of you had some really good points there. Obviously, most of you liked the POV thing, so I guess I'll keep writing that way, 'cause that's the way I prefer to write. I might write from different people's POV's, too.
I read a statement that you would flame me if I added the Link/Malon pairing, so I guess I won't. Now this isn't a Malink, it's never been, and never will be! It was just a thought, and remember I'm an avid L/Z fan myself. You didn't want a love triangle either, but as I just said, there probably won't be one.
Moonteargirl, you had some questions, and since your review was anymous, I couldn't send an e-mail to you. Here are the answers. #1: Good point. I don't think I'll write anything about that, and this story isn't OoT. It was just something I wrote, I guess. Am I being to cruel now? #2: Good question, I'm not quite sure about that yet. She might come back, she might not. I didn't write about what happened to her. #3: I did that just because it was weird! Thanks for the support, everyone! Read and enjoy!
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Chapter ten: The day I experienced love
Link's POV
We arrived to Lon ranch by nightfall. A girl about our age stood by the gate, as if though she had expected us to come. I understood that it was Malon. It was almost dark outside, and I couldn't see her face.
"Hi, Malon", Zelda greeted her.
"Hi", Malon answered. "Who are you? I haven't seen you two around before…"
"My name is Zelda…" I heard Zelda begin.
"Zelda?" Malon sounded surprised and a little suspicious. "Your name is Zelda? Where have I heard that name before…? Oh yes, the Princess was called Zelda! But you're not the Princess, are you? You can't be – she disappeared four years ago and everyone says she's dead…"
I could hear a quiet gasp from Zelda. Of course we had been expecting this, she had, after all, been 'lost' for four years. What would people say about her sudden return? How would we explain it? I decided that was a problem we could deal with later. Zelda didn't answer Malon's questions, she pretended she hadn't heard them. I felt Navi tugging at the inside of my hat, and I took it off to let her out. I couldn't see Tatl, but I thought she was asleep somewhere among our luggage or something. When Malon saw Navi's clear, white light, she also seemed to notice me.
"And who might you be?" she asked me. "And what's that?"
I guessed she meant Navi. "I'm Link, and this is Navi", I answered.
"I haven't seen anything like her before. Is she… Is she a fairy?"
"Yes, and I do have the ability to talk", Navi said in an irritated voice. I tried to shush her, but Malon didn't seem to notice.
"Then you can't be Princess Zelda", she stated. "I mean, if you have a fairy… You must be from the forest, aren't you? I've heard strange stories about children and fairies and things like that, but I never believed those tales…"
I nodded. "We really are from the forest, and trust me, those 'tales' are true." I quickly changed the subject, before Malon could say anything. "Can we possibly spend the night here, and then we'll tell you everything?"
"Yes, of course!" Malon exclaimed. "I'm sorry I kept you waiting. Follow me, I think my Dad has the dinner ready."
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Talon looked just as I had imagined him: in the middle of his forties, with dark brown hair pulled back into a short ponytail, a short beard, dark, nice eyes and a remarkable big belly. I couldn't stop wondering what had happened to Malon's mother, and what she had looked like. It was the same feeling I got every time I thought about my parents. I didn't know anything about my past, or my family, but I did know that my mother had taken me to the forest, trying to protect me from something. I wished I knew her name, what she looked like, what kind of person she had been… But I would never know.
It got quite complicated when Talon and Malon started asking us things. Zelda would frequently give me a kick in the shin when I was about to tell something she didn't want to reveal. She told them that she did not know about a Princess called Zelda, and that she and I had been raised among the Kokiri, since we were both orphans. We did not know anything about our families, but we were on our way to Kakariko, to look for an old friend… And Zelda was good at lying, I think she convinced both of them.
Since Zelda took care of the talking, I had plenty of time to look at Malon through dinner. She was very cute, no doubt about it. She had long, red and wavy hair, which reached down to her waist. Her skin was fair and she had some freckles on her nose. Her eyes were about the same color as Zelda's and mine, but a bit darker. She was dressed in simple ranch clothes, a white and purple cotton dress, a brown leather apron and a yellow shawl wrapped around her shoulders. When I realized she seemed to notice my – I guess you could call it staring – I hastily looked away.
Halfway through dinner, we heard a firm knock on the door. "I'll get it", said Malon and went to the door to open it. She immediately flinched when she saw the person out there and hurried back to the table with a worried look on her face.
"Who is it?" Talon asked anxiously.
"Ingo", Malon said quietly. "And I think he's drunk."
"Oh no, not again", Talon said with a deep sigh. "I think he told me he was going to do a delivery in town, not visit the pub!"
"You know what he's like", Malon said. "I think… I think you should go outside and talk to him, Dad."
Zelda and I looked at each other. Then I asked, "Who is Ingo?"
"He's the farmhand on the ranch", Malon explained. "Neither I nor Dad likes him, but we can't fire him. We need him, because we can't do all the work here ourselves."
"But can't you just find another worker?" Zelda asked.
"Well, no… I don't know why, but I think it has something to do with the Queen's orders… She's really ruling Hyrule with a rod of iron."
"The Queen? Who is she?" Zelda asked. I knew she wanted to know, because that had to mean that her father had remarried.
"She calls herself Queen Rose", Malon told us. "But she's not as sweet as it sounds. You know, you can always listen to a lot of gossiping each time you visit Hyrule Castle Town. Last week, I heard that the King decided to remarry after his only daughter, Zelda, disappeared. That was four years ago. Oh, I really wish that Princess Zelda hadn't disappeared… If she hadn't, then she would be the heir to the throne one day… But now, the King and the Queen's firstborn son or daughter will."
I looked at Zelda. She didn't look at me, she was staring at her empty plate. I wished, more than anything, that I could have read her thoughts right then.
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Zelda told me that she wanted to go to bed early, and Malon showed her to the guest bedroom upstairs. I didn't think she was tired at all, she just wanted an excuse to think things over once again. It suddenly hit me: what would Zelda and I do if we couldn't find Impa in Kakariko? Where would we go?
Malon came downstairs again, and I helped her with the dishes. I really liked her, she was so nice to me, and very easy to talk to. After the first two or three minutes of uneasy silence, we talked and laughed as if though we had known each other for our entire lives.
"So, Malon, how do you like living on a ranch?" I asked her.
"Well, I like it, but it can be hard sometimes. When I want to sleep in instead of doing my morning chores, I can't, because there's always something that needs to be done. And it's mostly me who does all the work. My Dad is very nice and all, but he's very lazy too, and he often falls asleep in the middle of something. And Ingo… I don't trust him, so he's not allowed to do anything with the animals, especially not the horses."
"You really like horses, don't you?"
"Oh yes, I love horses!" I could see the joy in her eyes as she spoke. "They're so nice animals. I don't understand how anybody ever could abuse a horse or treat it badly. Speaking of horses, would you like to see them?"
"I don't know… it's late."
"Don't worry, they're still in the corral. Could you help me taking them to the stable?"
"Yeah, sure."
The corral was very big, and there were about fourteen horses there. Most of the horses were a light brown color, with darker mane and tail. There were also some foals in the corral, and they were adorable. One of them was just a couple of days old, and it walked nervously around its mother. Malon and I laughed softly as the little horse lost his balance and fell into a heap on the ground. The mother was there immediately, poking on him with her nose to check that he was okay.
There was one horse that didn't look like the others at all. She was young, about four years, and had a remarkable appearance with her reddish fur and white mane and tail. I liked her from the first time I saw her.
"This is Epona", Malon explained, patting her slightly on the neck. "She's my favorite horse."
"I think she's mine, too", I said, patting Epona just as Malon did. Epona put her nose on my shoulder, and I laughed and stroked my hands over her soft neck.
"She likes you, Link", Malon said softly. "She hasn't done that to anyone else but me before. By the way, do you want to play a song for her?"
"A song?" I asked, bewildered.
"Yes. My mother…" Malon interrupted, and I could see that her eyes went glossy with tears. Apparently she didn't want to think of her mother. "She used to sing for the horses, and that could always soothe them", she managed to say.
"I have an ocarina", I said and pulled out the tiny instrument Saria had given me from underneath my tunic.
"What a cute ocarina!" Malon said cheerfully. "I know, I can sing and you can play to the song. It's not difficult. Listen to this." She sang a short, nice song and Epona lifted her head. She seemed to like that simple song. It was composed of three different notes, and I would play them twice. It was pretty easy, and soon Malon sang and I played. The horses in the corral stopped neighing and it seemed like they all listened to our duet. When we eventually stopped, Malon smiled warmly at me. Why did I get that uneasy feeling again?
"You're good at playing the ocarina", she said.
"Thanks", I answered. "It was the first time I did it, though."
There was an awkward silence. Malon took a few steps forward. We were so close that I easily could have touched her face. She looked at me with those big, blue eyes, sparkling in the pale moonlight…
"You're right", I said quietly. "The horses liked it."
"So did I", she breathed.
"I… I think we should take Epona and the other horses to the stable", I said and took a step backwards.
"What? Oh, right." Was it just my imagination, or seemed Malon a little… A little disappointed over something?
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Impa sat on a stone bench in the Castle Courtyard, reading a book about the Sheikah people. She had found it in the library, and she was curious to know more about her people. She was one of the last Sheikahs, but she didn't know much about them. She only knew that the Sheikahs used to move around, but the last Sheikahs had settled down in Kakariko village, and Impa herself had been born and raised there. She had moved from the village when the accident with her family happened. But she still owned her family's house in Kakariko, although she had lived in Hyrule Castle for many years now. When Princess Zelda was born, and the former Queen had died – Zelda's mother – Impa had taken the task to raise the young girl as her own daughter. But now Zelda was dead, at least that was what everybody thought. Impa had begun to lose her hope, it had been four long years, after all… Impa sighed deeply, turned the page and read on with interest.
"The Sheikah, or the Shadow People, is one of the few human races that can commit magic. Their ability to use magic has been feared by other people, and there are not many Sheikahs left these days. For instance, on of their abilities is to disappear from a certain place and reappear in another. The Sheikah people are also very good at playing different instruments, like the harp. Long ago, the Sheikahs were well known and respected by the other races of Hyrule. But under the government of a family with the name Dragmire, approximately four hundred years ago, the Sheikahs became less well liked, because of their magic power…"
Impa didn't have the time to read what happened to the Sheikahs after that, since a sudden sound was heard. She looked up, and saw the Queen approaching. She looked as lovely as ever, with her light brown hair pulled back into an elegant bun in her neck, wearing a scarlet, sleeveless dress made of velvet, and a sweet smile on her lips. But Impa wasn't betrayed, she knew this woman too well. She had served Queen Rose for four years, and those four years had been the worst of her life. The Queen wasn't cruel, she was more than that, she was evil.
"Impa", the Queen said in a sweet voice, "what are you doing out here? I am sure you have some chores to do, am I right?"
"But, Your Highness, I've got a free afternoon today", Impa explained. "His Highness told me…"
"Do not listen to my dear husband, he does not know what he is talking about", the Queen said with a soft laugh. "Of course there are things to do! I think you should be in the kitchen right now, Impa, instead of being out here, wasting your time… What is that?"
She seized the book Impa was holding, and merely looked at it. "You should not be reading things like this, I am certain that a servant will not understand it." She laughed, as if though she was talking to a little child.
Impa stood up, clenching her fists. She felt a strong, sudden desire to hit something, for instance the Queen's pretty, smiling face. But she didn't, she simply curtsied and walked away, muttering curses about Queen Rose. Of course she didn't go to the kitchen, she went to the library, her favorite place in the Castle. It was a big, high-ceilinged room, with a few fireplaces that kept the huge room warm during the winter. There also were several staircases, balconies and high bookcases. Some of them were so high that there were wooden ladders, which were used to reach the books on the highest levels. The walls in the Royal library had wooden panels and dark, red wallpaper, instead of the grey, cold stone walls in other rooms in the Castle. The library had just five windows, facing west, but they were almost as high as the whole room, and they let in the setting sunlight.
The library was Impa's favorite place, and it had also been Zelda's. Impa closed her eyes briefly, and when she opened them again, she could easily imagine a seven year old Zelda, running between the bookcases with a cheerful smile on her adorable face. She could even hear her shrill voice: "Impa! Please read me a story, Impa! A story!"
Impa said aloud: "Which story would you like to hear, Zelda?"
"Please, Impa, read the story about the three Goddesses and the Triforce and how Hyrule was created to me! I love that story."
"As you wish, Princess", Impa heard herself say. Then she sighed deeply and sank down in one of the comfortable, leather armchairs by a fireplace, staring into the crackling flames.
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Zelda's POV
Link and I stayed at Lon ranch for a whole week, and I really loved living there. Malon was so nice, and we soon became the best of friends. That was a new thing to me, I had never had a so close friend before, well, except for Link, but Malon was a girl just like me, and we shared the same interests. Back in Kokiri forest, Saria had meant almost the same to me, but I probably wouldn't see her again.
Malon, Link and I spent much of our time together riding. I had not ridden a horse myself before, and this was also a new experience for me and Link. Since Epona had become so fond of him, he often rode her, and they fit so well together. It was like… Like Link could read Epona's thoughts and she could read his. Link only needed two days, and then he looked like he had been riding horses for his entire life. I wasn't so lucky, but Malon taught me and she was a good teacher. She had ridden on the horses on the ranch since she was just a few years old, and now there wasn't anything she couldn't do on the horseback.
I guess you could say that there was just one problem – Ingo. He often came home drunk after a night in town, and I could hear him shout and speak thickly to himself downstairs, and I was so afraid of him where I lay in my bed. I wondered how Link, who slept on a couch in the living room, could stand it, but he said that he simply locked the door.
I had never seen Malon as angry as she was when she saw Ingo whipping one of the horses. He had tied a thick rope around the horse's neck, tied the rope to the stable wall, and used a long, leather whip with an iron lash. Malon simply seized the whip and took it from him, released the poor animal and looked as though she wanted to lash Ingo with the whip, but she didn't. I think Talon had a serious talk with Ingo then, and he never did it again.
The week we spent on Lon ranch had to be almost the best days of my life. The three of us once rode to Lake Hylia, and since neither me nor Link had ever been there before, I was truly amazed at the sight. The lake was deep with clear, pure water, which was so clear that one could easily see the bottom of the lake. Malon told us there was an ancient temple on the bottom of the lake, by the little island in the middle of it, but I didn't believe her. Why would there be a temple beneath the water surface? That was, of course, before I knew about the Zoras, something I would learn later.
I wished that we could stay on the ranch, but it wasn't possible for us. What if someone came, someone from the Castle? What would they do if they did recognize me? Therefore, it was safer for me and Link to go to Kakariko to find Impa. She had to be there, and she was the only person that could fully understand how I felt.
The night before Link and I would leave, I went to the corral to say my goodbyes to the horses, since we had left them out in the corral that night. I had become very fond of a young horse, named Ophelia, and Epona, of course. It was late at night, almost midnight, and I doubted that anyone was still awake. The stars were sparkling and flickering at me up in the dark night sky, and it felt as if they were shining just for me, where I was standing all alone outside the gate to the corral. I went inside, and let out a shrill whistle. Ophelia lifted her head and as she saw me, she began trotting to me, and when she stopped, I leaned my head against her soft, strong neck and whispered quiet words to her.
"You're so beautiful, Ophelia", I told her softly. She looked at me with those big, glossy, dark eyes, and I knew she understood every single word I said. "I will miss you. I will miss everything on the ranch, but I have to go…"
Ophelia was, like Epona, looking rather strange compared to the other horses in the corral. Her fur was white like snow, and her mane and tail were the same clear, white color. On her nose, she had a round, black spot, which was also pretty strange. But I liked it; it made her special. Sometimes, Malon and I used to call her 'Spot'.
"Yeah, she's beautiful, but not as beautiful as this girl", I heard a voice, certainly Link's, say. I turned around to face him. He was sitting on Epona, apparently he had been out riding. And I thought he was asleep… But now that I thought about it, Epona had not been in the corral either. Link patted Epona on her neck, and then swung himself down from her back. I noticed how graceful he looked around her… Graceful…
"Hi, Link", I greeted him with a smile.
"Hi, Zel, what are you doing out here?"
"I couldn't sleep, so I thought I should as well say goodbye to Ophelia. I'll miss her."
"I'll miss Epona, too", he said with a sad smile. "But that's the way things are. You know, I still miss my friends in Kokiri village. But I'm certain I'll see them again someday."
I sighed deeply. "I really miss Impa, but I know we'll soon meet her…"
Link didn't say anything, he just took the saddle and the snaffle off Epona and put them on the ground. Then he gave her some lumps of sugar from his pocket. I chuckled softly. "That's not good for the horses, you know. Malon told me."
"I don't care", he laughed. "It's just a few of them, and besides, she's worth it. We rode to Lake Hylia and back again in no time! I think she's the fastest horse in Hyrule."
"Maybe it depends on the rider", I heard myself say as I took a few steps closer. Link nodded thoughtfully, then turned back to Epona, saying something to her. I did not catch it, but my thoughts were already far away. I watched him, from his brown Kokiri boots to his blond hair and green, long hat, and I was thinking. Over four years, he had really changed. He wasn't the little ten year old boy I knew by the time I arrived to the forest – he was starting to become a man. I hadn't really thought of that before, but it was true. And when I thought of it, I also realized that he was – what can I say? – well, that he was handsome in a way. Of course, he was just a child, like me, a fourteen year old, but beyond his childish appearance, I could see the man he would become in a few years.
When he turned around to face me, I saw how handsome his face was, for the very first time. His deep blue eyes were looking at me, and I wondered what he was thinking. Right then, I wished that I could have read his thoughts, to find out what he was thinking about me. I watched the features of his face, every single detail of it, from the long, pointy ears and the long, golden bangs to his – probably – soft lips and dark eyelashes. He was looking at me the same way, a little wary, but very curious. I liked the feeling, but it never hit me that it obviously was a kind of love. But what would happen next was the proof we both needed.
Don't ask me how it happened. I think I took a step forward at the same time as he did, and in just a second, we were closer than we had ever been before. His eyes were only inches from mine. I found myself hoping that he would kiss me.
And he did. The moment seemed so perfect, with the horses around us, the cool, calm night and the stars that were watching us from above. Link just leaned closer to me, and suddenly his lips were on mine, and they were just as soft as I had thought. Nervously and anxiously, I put my arms around his neck, because it seemed right at the time. And I felt his arms wrapped around my waist, and…
The perfect moment was abruptly ended by a loud swearing by the house. It was Ingo. Link and I broke apart and we both laughed awkwardly. I was a little disappointed that our moment together had ended so abruptly, but all in all, I became another person then.
Things wouldn't be the same between him and me anymore. And we both knew it.
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"Marth!" Marth looked up, he had been reading a book by one of the fireplaces in the Royal library. He saw a young girl, by the age of twelve, coming running towards him with an eager look on her face.
"You have to be quiet in here, Romani", he said mockingly. "It's a library, after all…"
"I know, I know!" said Romani impatiently. "That's not important! Look at this one!"
"What do you mean?"
Romani made a face and rolled her eyes at him. "Very funny, Marth. This dress, of course. It's new, and I'm going to wear it on the ball next month!" It was a nice, white dress, with a broad, velvet ribbon around the waist, in a deep scarlet color. It matched Romani's hair color perfectly.
"Oh, it's beautiful… I think it suits you." The young red-haired girl beamed and ran off, waving happily at him. He waved back, smiling. Four years ago, he and Romani had been in Termina, but both of them had been rescued and had returned to Hyrule safely. Romani wasn't born noble, but Queen Rose had immediately been fond of her, and now, Romani was one of the most spoiled children in Hyrule. King Harkinian saw Romani as some kind of replacement for his first daughter, Zelda, Marth's little sister.
When he had returned home after two years in Termina, Marth couldn't believe that his younger sister had disappeared. He had loved her so much, but who hadn't? If she had been alive, she would have been fourteen years old by now… He could just imagine what a beautiful young girl she would have been… But now, Marth began to see Romani as a younger sister, though he still felt grief for another girl, a young woman named Cremia, whom he had lost in Termina, that day four years ago. It was senseless to mourn, however, it wouldn't bring her back. After her death, Marth had realized how much she had meant to him.
He would probably never see her again. But still, there was hope left. Hope. Hope that they all would find out what had happened to the young Princess Zelda, that day four years ago, hope that Cremia was still alive, hope that he would live to see the end of the Queen's government. Those things sounded ridiculous to him, he admitted that – but what would a person be if he hadn't any hope? Nothing.
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A/N: There, another chapter done. This one didn't turn out like I had expected, especially not the events in the end. The thing between Link and Zelda had to happen eventually, though. I don't think this chapter was too bad, but then, it's up for you to decide, if you review. Please, no flames, they are - in my opinion - just senseless and I wouldn't appreciate them. Anyway, see you in the next chapter! It should be up here in just a few days, if I'm not too busy, celebrating the New Year and all! Please review and tell me what you think!
..::Hylian Heroine::..