A/N: Sorry for the short chapter! I needed to get something up before this story slipped into oblivion. Next chapter will have more… well, more everything. I admit it, openly and publicly: this isn't my best work.

Onto other matters, I'd like to dedicate this chapter to fallenangel and canihavea-soda, who both reviewed this story. You make me so happy! I'd also like to give Soda an extra-special thanks for reviewing every single chapter. I was warm and fuzzy the entire day! You just really don't know how it felt to get online and see eleven review alerts sitting in my inbox. I was more than ecstatic.

Okay, now on with the chapter, in all its pathetic short-ness!

Chapter 12

"Well, I think you cheated!" Mellie cries at me.

"How could I cheat in a horse race? It's not like I jumped a fence or something." Mellie stares at me, trying to think of a comeback to this. I use her momentary lapse to my advantage. "Malon, you saw it, I won fair and square, right?" Malon giggles from across the room.

"You never told me you could ride that well. Where'd you learn to race like that?"

"Fact is, I'm not really sure what came over me. I can't ride horses. I've never ridden before! It's really strange."

Mellie stares at me. "You just walk everywhere?" I completely forgot. They think I'm from here.

"I'll explain it later."

Malon's dad has just started to like me. I never thought he would, but I guess he thinks if someone can befriend that wild horse, then they're trustworthy. I've been riding practically all day, trying to outrace Malon, but I just can't seem to beat her. Mellie and Malon are both staring at me like I've got two heads.

"Well, it's late and I'm going up to bed. See you in the morning." Mellie stands up and walks out of the room, leaving me alone with Malon. She looks over at me.

"It's really strange… You say you don't know how to ride, but you won a race against Mellie. She's really a very good jockey. It took me some time before I could best her in a race. Are you sure you've never ridden before?"

I sigh. I don't know if I should tell her or not. It can't hurt, can it?

"Malon, I'm not from Hyrule. I was raised on earth, and they don't use horses to get around on earth. It'd take a while to explain, and you really wouldn't understand it if I tried. I still don't understand it."

"Don't worry about it. I've actually heard of earth, but I thought it was just a legend. So you're from earth? What's it like there?"

I take a minute to think about this. I never would have thought that people actually knew about this. Maybe our races were in communication long ago, or something. I wouldn't put it past the Hylians. "Earth is kind of like Hyrule. There are lakes, and fields, and a sun and a moon, and basic stuff like that. But there are also cities that are much busier even than Hyrule Castle Market. There are lots of people. I think there are six billion. It's a much bigger place than Hyrule, but it's a lot dirtier. Hyrule is so pure. There's no magic on earth, though there are people who claim to be able to perform it. There aren't any elves either. Everyone is human."

Malon is silent for a few seconds, taking all of this in. "There aren't any elves? And no magic? How do you do anything?"

I have to laugh. That's just the reaction I thought I'd get. "Well, we have what we call 'technology'. It's kind of like magic, but not quite. We use electricity."

Malon's looking very confused. "What's electricity?" I should have known.

"Well, have you ever shuffled across a carpet, and then touched something metal and received a shock? Well, that's electricity in a very weak form."

She still looks a little lost. "How does that light fires and get you across vast distances?"

"It's all very complicated, but we don't use fireplaces anymore. It'd take forever to explain it to you. Just take my word for it. I'll see if I can take you there sometime, but don't get your hopes up, because I'm not sure how all that works." She smiles. Glad I don't have to explain that. "Well, I'm going to bed, so see you in the morning."

Mellie's sitting on her bed, obviously waiting for me. "What's earth like?"

"You were eavesdropping?"

"No, I knew you were from earth. Someday I'd like to go there. What's it like?"

And I launch into another explanation…

-----

I'm on earth. Mellie's running hard beside me, and my own legs are weak from exhaustion. We've been running for a few days now, with little rest. Suddenly an arrow speeds past my ear (which isn't pointy anymore) and I know our trail has been found. I just hope we can outrun them…

It's morning. I actually managed to sleep through the night. Someone's standing over me. I turn over and pull the covers over my head.

"Go away. It's not properly morning yet!"

I hear Mellie's sarcastic voice. "If you had your way, you wouldn't be up until noon. Now get up, we've got a long day ahead of us."

I stay right like I am. I can feel Mellie trying to pull the covers out from around my head. I hold on to them as tightly as I can. Mellie sighs.

"Get up! Malon's making breakfast! If you don't hurry, you'll miss out and have to eat with the horses. And we might just feed you horse food." The mention of food gets me up right away.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Try me. Now get up, or I'll have to make you get up. And you don't want me to have to make you get up."

I sit up, and glare at her. "You've awakened the wrath of the Hero of Time, and I don't forget who wakes me up in the morning."

She smiles and nods sarcastically. "I'll remember that. Just be sure to brush your hair. It looks awful."

-----

I'm sitting at breakfast with Mellie and Malon. They're talking properly again. No more awkward silences. Mellie suddenly looks over at me. "Link, do you have an idea of where you want to go first on your quest?"

I haven't thought properly of our quest for a while. I've been too busy relaxing. "First we need to get me a sword. Then I think we should go to Kakariko and Goron City to get the stone we need." Mellie smiles.

"Good! I've been feeling a little homesick. We'll start out after breakfast, then?"

"You're leaving so soon? I hoped you'd stay another day," Malon says.

"Wish we could, but time waits for no one." Mellie looks at me again. "So, you need a sword? I have one you can use. I don't often use it, and I have my magic anyway. It's with my pack in the room. It's not going to do you much good, though, seeing as you can't wield it."

"I can too wield it," I mutter in self-defense. Mellie ignores me.

"After breakfast then."

"Eat slowly," I comment sarcastically. I'm in no hurry to walk straight into death's waiting arms, and I have no doubt that we're doing just that.

-----

"Do you like it?" Mellie asks from across the room. She's just given me her sword, and I'm trying it out. I swing it a couple of times, and sheath it again.

"It's nice. Are our horses ready?" She crosses to the window and looks down on the lawn.

"Malon's just bringing them out. So we ride to Kakariko."

I turn away from her to pack my ocarina. I wasn't anxious for this day, but I'm glad to be getting it over with now that we're on our way. I face her once more, sword and pack slung over my shoulder. "Let's go."