A/N: Chapter 13! Finally! Thanks goes to canihavea-soda for faithfully reviewing this piece of… writing, and thanks also to Mimi, a new reviewer! This chapter has a lot more action in it (and it's considerably longer than the last one), so I hope that it fulfills your fanfiction needs! I had to go back and rework a few bits, but I'm pretty satisfied with the end product. I would also like to take this time to mention a contest on my webpage (wow, I finally have a web page… granted, it's only a free one, but still…) and I would love it if people would enter. The deadline will be extended until December 31, to give you all more time to write (because I have yet to receive an entry), but by then it is closed. No extensions, no exceptions, no nothing. So there. But I'll give you all the benefit of the doubt as I keep forgetting to mention it. (Though if you've read my profile, the link is displayed there as my homepage, so…)
Chapter 13
"Are we there yet?" I ask for the hundredth time. We've been riding hard since we left Lon Lon. It's well past lunch.
"No. I'll tell you when we arrive." Mellie's obviously annoyed with me. Good. I'm annoyed with her too.
"Why can't we just go there with magic?" Mellie sighs. We've been over this before.
"We would attract too much attention to ourselves. Ganon can sense strong magical vibrations. He sensed your coming here, and knew you were at the castle. That's how he knew to attack you there."
"So that's how he knew where I was… Learn something new every day." I pause for a moment. "How do you know that?"
She looks away. "Does it really matter how I know? The fact is that I know." Touchy subject. I sit in silence for a while, but not for long.
"Are we there yet?"
-----
It's about an hour after sundown, and we've started a fire to keep animals away. Kakariko is a long way away. I've taken first watch. Mellie's lying beside me, fast asleep. I've been thinking about what Mellie said earlier. I wonder if Ganon's sensing my presence right now. I give a small shiver. What if he's watching me right now, laughing that evil laugh of his, and plotting his next evil plan? I wonder what could make a person like that. I answer myself almost immediately. Greed, envy, and hatred. That's what turned his heart black. I look over at the fire. It's very warm. The combination of warmth and riding all day is finally getting to me… My eyes droop with sleep, and I fall back against a nearby tree.
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We're running very fast through a small forest. The air is more clogged than I'm used to and I can tell we're on earth. Mellie looks at me from beside me. "Link! Link, wake up! C'mon, get up! This is important!" She reaches out and starts shaking me. I can't help but think that if she doesn't stop, they'll catch us…
"Link! Get up!" Mellie's harsh whisper reaches my ear, and I open my eyes.
"Wha-" I start to say, but she clamps her hand over my mouth.
"Hush!" She's whispering for some reason.
"What's going on?" I whisper back. I notice that it's nearly dawn. Mellie's put the fire out. How long was I asleep?
"Someone's following us." Her answer is enough to shake the last remnants of sleep from me.
"We need to move. Are the horses ready?" I stand and walk over to them while Mellie gathers the rest of our belongings. The horses are ready, waiting for us to mount. Mellie's work, most likely.
"Are you ready?" I ask. She walks over and mounts her horse in answer. I retrieve my sword and belongings, and we start off again. Mellie continually looks over her shoulder, searching for some sign of our follower. We reach a hilltop by sunrise, and I get a glimpse of Kakariko. It sits on a little plateau with Death Mountain in the background. It's an amazing sight. Mellie stops beside me.
"It's very pretty. I've always been amazed at the way it looks in that first light of sunrise. It's a lovely little town, but we won't get there for another hour, at least." I sigh. I haven't had anything to eat since the breakfast at Lon Lon, and I know that Mellie won't want to stop to eat. I decide not to risk her bad mood and don't ask. Probably one of my smarter moves. We ride for another hour, at one point crossing a small river, and finally reach the brick stairwell that leads to Kakariko. At this point Mellie looks at me.
"Where should we go first?" I can't believe she's actually asking me. That's gonna take some getting used to.
"If there's anyone you would want to see before we go to Goron City, you should probably do that while we're here. After that, we'll probably have to go see the leader of the Gorons. Let's just hope it'll be that easy."
Mellie looks at me, relief in her eyes. "I was hoping you'd let me go and visit with my family. My mother is probably worried sick." We head up the stairs, into the village.
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A Brief Interlude
"Well, Melanie's certainly the attentive little gnat, isn't she?" a lone voice said to no one in particular. A tall boy, no older than fifteen, looked down upon the makeshift campsite, his short black hair blowing slightly in the breeze. He watched her wake her comrade, and they both hurried off while cover of darkness lasted.
"You think you can outrun me? Very amusing." He walked toward his own horse. "Oh well. Not like we can't catch them." His horse gave a whinny. Its glossy coat, pure black like the garments of its owner, shimmered in the waxing sunlight. It turned its amber eyes forward, and at a signal from its rider, galloped off after the departing duo.
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Mellie and I are sitting in the kitchen of her mother, her only living relative in Kakariko. Her mother is currently trying to prepare breakfast for us, talking to us all the while.
"It's so nice to see you again, Mellie. And who's your guest? It's great that you've decided to settle down with a nice young man."
Mellie looks taken aback. "Mother! We're not like that, we're just friends! He's Link, by the way. I've been to see Malon, too. She says she misses you. I've missed you too."
"Malon? She always was a sweet dear. I hope she's doing okay. So you're Link, are you? Nice to meet you. Here, dear, help me with this." Mellie goes over to help her mother with breakfast, and she continues to talk to me.
"I don't believe I've seen your face around Kakariko before. Where're you from?"
"I'm from Hyrule Castle Market. It's so busy there, not at all like here." Mellie's mother walks over with a steaming plate of pancakes. I love pancakes. "Those look wonderful. Of course, anything looks wonderful after not having anything to eat since breakfast yesterday." I throw an accusatory glare at Mellie.
"It's not my fault. I wanted to move fast, to throw off our tracker." Mellie's mother stares in surprise at her daughter.
"You were being followed? Are you all right, dears?" Mellie rolls her eyes.
"Mother, I can take care of myself. I'm of age." Her mother still looks unsure.
"She's a very accomplished sorceress. She can change the way she looks and everything!" Mellie laughs.
"That's very simple magic, Link. I could teach you how, if you want."
"Like I could do magic. Thanks for the offer, though." Mellie's mother gives me an odd look.
"You can't perform magic?" I think I said something wrong. Mellie's glaring at me, and her mother's looking confused.
"You actually can. You just never have before. Mom, I have a bit of a confession. Or rather, Link does."
Her mother looks expectantly at me. Mellie gives me a look that plainly says she thinks I should have told the truth from the beginning. "Ma'am, I do have a confession. I'm not really from Hyrule Castle Market. I'm from earth."
She looks very confused. "But you're Hylian. You're an elf. Earth is populated with humans." She obviously believes in earth. That's good. It makes things a whole lot easier for me.
"Well, I was put on earth for… reasons. The sages changed my appearance to suit my surroundings. When I came back, my appearance changed back to its intended form. Zelda says it's because of my connection with the Sacred Realm, but I'm not sure."
Mellie's mom is looking at me in amazement. "You're on a first name basis with the princess? And what does the Sacred Realm have to do with this? And who are the sages?"
Mellie sighs. "You've said way too much, but this is my mom we're talking to, so don't worry. Just don't say these things to just anyone."
"Like I'd do that. Ma'am, are you familiar with the legend of the Triforce?" She nods. "Good. Now, just for the record, I'm the Hero of Time." She gives a small gasp. "I'm very much affected by the Sacred Realm. The sages sent me to earth for safekeeping. We're on a quest to strike down Ganondorf." Mellie's mom shudders at the name.
"Of course. That explains a lot. Now, come on, the breakfast is getting cold. Mellie, I hope you haven't been attracting trouble for Link."
Mellie laughs. "Link attracts his own trouble. We've officially saved each other's skin, and I don't doubt he'll need saving again."
It's my turn to laugh. "True though that may be, you attract just as much trouble as I do. Just look at what happened in the castle."
Her mom is quick to glare at her. "Just what happened at the castle?" Mellie gulps.
"Mom, I know that you told me not to, but I went after Haret." I'm guessing Haret is the leader of that brotherhood thing. Mellie's mom glares at her. "He heard me talking to Link about the assassination attempt, and Link rescued me." Mellie's mother's glare deepens.
"You shouldn't have gone! You could have been seriously injured!" Her mother continues glaring at her, and I'm forced to break the silence.
"Mellie saved my life, too. She's a very good sorceress; she could've taken on Haret. She lifted a curse that was cast on me. I owe her my life." Another silence covers the table. Breakfast isn't enjoyable anymore.
Mellie finally stands after what feels like an eternity. "Come on Link. We should really get going." Mellie's mother comes over and gives her daughter a huge hug. I can't help but smile.
"Don't do anything reckless! I'll worry myself sick until I see you again, but it seems you've got other things to do. I love you." Mellie, somewhat taken aback at her mother's behavior, smiles.
"Come on, Link! There's one other person I have to visit."
I look at her curiously. "You said that your mother was your only relative here." She smiles.
"She's my only living relative. We're going to the graveyard."
-----
I hate graveyards. They creep me out, even in the daytime. Mellie seems to not care though.
"Are you done yet?" Mellie's bent over a grave, mourning silently. She looks up and glares at me. I'll take that as a no. I glance over my shoulder. This place gives me the creeps. I walk over to Mellie.
"Don't ask if I'm done yet," she says. I close my mouth. How does she do that? I look over my shoulder once more, and am surprised to see someone standing at the entrance to the graveyard, casually leaning against the fence.
"Mellie…"
"Don't start." She doesn't even look up.
"Mellie!" She looks up at me.
"What! I've told you, I'm not…" She leaves it hanging. She's seen the person. The boy with the short black hair like Mellie's. The boy with the cold, cruel gray eyes. Mellie's brother. He's got this creepy smile on his face. He doesn't acknowledge us, just continues to look, smiling. Navi shoots out from my hat, her glow a fierce yellow. Mellie rises to her feet.
"What do you want?" He starts walking toward us. Mellie's positively shaking, though her eyes burn with anger. That can't be a good sign. Her brother stops a few yards from us.
"What? Are you frightened?" The words come out smoothly. He's not at all nervous. He continues to walk toward us. I draw the sword that Mellie gave me and step protectively in front of her. He laughs. I shiver.
"Amusing. Very amusing." He draws his own sword, one almost exactly like mine. "So, you're willing to fight? I can get something good out of this after all." He smirks. "I mean, besides getting rid of two big pests, and fulfilling a personal quest for the great Ganondorf." Mellie's seething with rage.
"Don't you try anything. I'm ready for you," Mellie says, stepping out from behind me.
"You won't try any magic."
I can't contain myself any longer. I rush at him. He blocks easily with his sword, and pushes me back, almost making me lose my balance. He's turned his gaze in my direction.
"Some hero. Doesn't even know how to use a sword properly." He pushes me back easily and I tumble to the ground, falling hard against a headstone and losing my breath for a moment. He turns back toward Mellie, who's seething with rage and loathing, and beginning some type of spell. "Now, to deal with the more dangerous of you two."
"You will NOT hurt her!" I scream, and lunge at Mellie's brother. He tries to block it, but the ferocity of my attack catches him off guard. I leap on top of him, and hit him hard on the side of the head with the hilt of my sword. He does a bit of magic back at me, and throws me off of him. I land hard, the wind knocked from me yet again. Mellie gasps, and loses her concentration on whatever she was about to do.
"Link!" She tries to rush over to me, but is hit hard with a spell from her brother. I sit up, ignoring my protesting body. Mellie's writhing in pain on the ground. Her brother's smiling, obviously enjoying this. Twisted freak. I lunge at him again, and break his concentration. We wrestle on the ground, me trying to keep him distracted, him trying to throw me. Somewhere in the background Mellie's chanting something. Mellie's brother finally gets a good hold on my throat, and I free his body to pull his hands away. All of a sudden Mellie's behind me, pulling me away from her brother. She manages to break his grip, and finishes her spell. I feel the air pull on me from all around, and I know that we're leaving the graveyard. Her brother casts his own spell at us, and I hear Mellie curse. He's doing something to her magic. All of a sudden, I feel energy coursing through me. We disappear in a flash of light, and a few seconds later land hard in the middle of a forest. I go to speak, but Mellie beats me to it.
"Where are we?"
"I was wondering just that." Mellie looks at me and gives a small gasp. "What?"
"Link! Look!" She points at me. I look down, and gasp myself. I'm wearing the earth clothing that I left here with!
"Do you have a mirror?" She hands me a small mirror from I don't know where, and I look at my ears. They've returned to human size and shape. I smile.
"Mellie? Do you know what this means? We're on earth!"
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A/N: Okay, I didn't put this at the beginning because I didn't want to spoil it, but I've realized that I should probably explain what happens to put the two on earth. Okay, as Mellie's casting the spell, she's originally casting it to go… well, somewhere other than earth, obviously. But her brother messes up her original spell, so she needs more power to back it. She gets this power from Link, because, although he doesn't know it, he owns the Triforce of Courage. When she took this power, she altered the destination. In his subconscious, Link really wanted just to go home and back to his normal life, so Voila! They end up on earth. Hope that clears up any potential confusion.