Dragonclaw

By Miss Moony

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Zelda or Nintendo and I am gaining no profit from writing these stories.

Note: This is more in-between stuff. Don't worry, after this meeting, we're gonna DO stuff. Like, stuff will actually HAPPEN. Doesn't that sound keen?

Second note: Weeee, I had to post this chapter again because I had a cool neat-o cliffhanger and not enough content to set it up as its own chapter. Fun-fun!

So, yeah, you have to read this chapter again to get to the cool stuff at the end. Bummer, eh??

Chapter Eight: It Aches

The Sheikah woman turned to Malon, nodding respectfully as she took the shorter girl in.

"Are you his wife?" She asked, calmly, "I didn't think the Deku Tree would allow him to wed so early." Her cool expression didn't leave her face as a look of horror spread across Malon's.

"I amnot his wife." Malon spat, her face turning bright red. She took a few deep breaths before bringing a hand up to her temple and massaging, gently.

"Oh, Link, this is too much. I can't take it anymore. You handle things, I'm going to relax." She buried her face against her palms and sat down on the grass, rubbing her forehead. Impa had seemed momentarily dazed by the red-head's offended reply, but she quickly regained herself, turning back to Link. He hadn't been paying attention to the events as his mind was still focused on what the older woman had said to him, and he furrowed his brow, studying her.

"What do you mean, you were my nurse maid? How do you know about the Great Deku Tree?" He asked as Malon looked in interest. It seemed her headache and stress disappeared when it came to getting information. Impa cocked her head, her eyes narrowed.

"He told you nothing." She stated, her voice somewhat disbelieving. The look in her eyes shifted to one of patience, but Link knew the expression as one that Malon had given him many times. He frowned, deciding that he really loathed being who he was. Everyone treated him like a child.

"Why does everyone say that? I know about Sheikahs and Zorans and Gorons and the Gerudo-" He started, but was interrupted by Impa's hushed question.

"But what of yourself? Do you even know who your mother was?"

Link glared at Impa angrily. Her tone of voice was sounding more and more like Malon's frustrated explanations, and he felt a heat growing inside of him. He was thrust into a new world with events far beyond his comprehension attacking him from all sides, and then they acted like it was his fault that he didn't understand what was going on. The closest thing to a friend he had often treated him like he was a fool, and she was currently not helping at all. He cast a bitter glance in Malon's direction before redirecting his gazetowards Impa.

"Yes." He said, struggling to remain calm. "I know her name. It was Reyna!" He found himself failing as his voice grew steadily louder, and he noticed Malon studying him intently, with the same look in her eyes that she'd had back at the palace, when he'd told Ganon his name was Dragonclaw. Impa gazed silently at him, and Sheik mimicked her silence, probably still metaphorically castrated from his superior's scolding. Her eyes were burning into his own, and he threw away any attempt at remaining calm at her next question.

"What is your name?"

"LINK DRAGONCLAW! What is it you're playing at?!" He exploded, his fists clenched at his sides. He was not stupid, so why on earth were they always treating him like he was?

"Link!" Malon stunned them by interrupting the exchanging, jumping to her feet and approaching the taller boy, her eyes reflecting the anger in his own.

"I told you, Link, that's blasphemy! Your ignorance is no excuse for lies!" She shouted, causing Link to direct any vengeful emotions out on her. What was she planning on doing? Punishing him for not knowing? Sending him to the corner of the classroom until he learned to be more intelligent? But she continued, refusing him the chance to reply.

"You've hardly told me anything except that you grew up in a forest where some talking tree told you that you had to save the princess, when I'm starting to think that you're insane!" She took a deep breath, and in the moonlight Link caught a reflection catching off a tear from her eye. He took a breath, feeling his rage drain away. She wasn't angry with him. . . she was angry with everything. He realized that she hadn't had much of a chance to grieve over her father and the loss of her home, and her way of dealing with it was by venting her frustration. He raised a hand to her shoulder, but she drew back, shaking her head. Impa and Sheik had watched the exchange with interest, and now the older woman smiled tenderly at her.

"The two of you have ill-timed tempers. Ask your questions and speak of your differences when they come to you, instead of hiding them away. If you do that, they'' come out as tears and cries." She paused for a moment, allowing both Malon and Link to regain themselves, as she realized that the night had put a great strain on both of them. Malon hastily wiped her tears away, clearing her throat as she tried to stand tall. Link sighed, whispering apologies to her as she shook her head. When they were done, Impa turned to Malon.

"Link does not lie, child. His name is Dragonclaw."

Malon jerked her head upwards, her eyes staring accusingly at the Sheikah, clearly disgusted.

"Not this again. . ." Her voice was scornful, but Impa cut her off.

"It's the truth. I am Zelda's guardian." She gave the girl a look that held some of the severity that Impa had directed towards Sheik, and Malon's voice caught in her throat, realizing that the woman she'd been shouting at was connected to royalty.

"I used to be Link's," Impa continued, "And Queen Reyna was my closest comrade." She gave Link a meaningful look, as he stood, silent for a moment, before slowly speaking his mind. His voice was hesitant, deliberately monotonous so as not to betray his feelings. He struggled to speak calmly, as Impa had done, and found it easier to do if he kept to a slower pace.

"I know. I mean, I figured. . . after Malon told me who the Dragonclaw clan was. . ." The words escaped him, and he shook his head, looking up at his old guardian. "Why did my mother flee?" He asked, finally. Impa's face became a solemn mask, and she sighed hesitantly. She seemed to be plotting the way to go about telling him, but she was never forced to actually do it, as Sheik broke his silence.

"Ganondorf chased her." He spat, a look of disgust on his face. "He wanted you and Zelda dead. So Reyna sacrificed herself to save you. She figured that if you two were separated, Ganon couldn't get you both." His voice grew soft when he spoke of Reyna, his words laced with the great respect he held for her. They changed when he mentioned Ganondorf, however, becoming twisted and bitter.

"You're actually serious?! Link is. . . Link is. . ." Malon didn't seem to be able to wrap her tongue around the last part of her statement, but Sheik was only too glad to help her.

"Link is your king." He said, the corners of his mouth turning up in a wry smirk as Malon began to choke.

"Why would Ganondorf do this?" Link asked, ignoring the breathless noises coming from Malon's throat. He'd realized a while ago that the best way to deal with shock was to remain indifferent to truths. He had been tossed, ignorant and alone, into a string of events that were beyond his comprehension, and the best way to handle them would be to expect everything. Let Malon deal with the surprise, maybe she'd be a bit more respectful afterwards.

Impa turned to Sheik, obviously expecting him to reply, but he remained silent. His face had been pale in the moonlight, but now he looked ill, a solemn ghost, and he nodded to the older woman.

"Power. Killing off the heirs would make him king." She replied, coolly. She cast her eyes upwards, her expression laced with sorrow. Link's attempt at remaining calm failed, and he exploded again in a fit of anger.

"That's it?!" Link's voice rang after Impa's soft words. "15 years worth of work, killing my mother, kidnapping the princess. . . not to mention the innocents lost in the process!" He threw an arm in Malon's direction, her eyes widened at her being brought into the conversation. She still seemed stunned at the realization that she'd been traveling with a King, but she collected herself, suddenly ready to attend.

"He'd do all that, simply to be King?" Link continued, his voice disbelieving. The events of the day had put too much strain on his tired mind and breaking heart, and he didn't want to learn that it was all because of one man's greed.

"That's often all it takes to drive the weakest to murder." Malon said from behind him. Her voice was unusually tender, and her eyes met Link's only briefly before she turned to Sheik and Impa.

"Can we rest?" She asked. Impa nodded, and gestured for them to follow. Sheik rose and the threesome complied, walking silently in line behind the Shadow woman. Link's stomach felt fragile, and he was grateful for Malon's suggestion. Sleep was healing. Sleep brought calm and resolve. Sleep would help.

He barely paid attention to his surroundings as he traveled, cast in his own thoughts. He only noticed their steady ascent as the trees thinned out and the terrain became rockier, causing him to stumble on a regular basis.

"Where are we going?" Malon asked, eventually. Impa didn't reply, but Sheik fell back to answer her question.

"Kakariko village. We have friends there."

The quartet returned to silence, and Link found himself falling asleep as he walked. His steps became shorter and he soon fell behind, not bothering to catch up. He moved in a daze, not caring what became of the others, as the reality of everything he'd learned crashed down on him. A powerful man wanted him dead because he was King. He was supposed to be a king. A powerful man wanted him dead. He had to save the princess. The princess was his sister. She might be killed. He might be killed. The powerful man killed his mother. He was a king. . .

He nearly fell over as Malon came crashing back towards him. Her eyes were wide and she shook uncontrollably as she took him by the arms. Her gaze was desperate and Link shook himself from his trance, leaning in to steady her.

"Link. . . run."