Omi sighed as he dumped another bundle of kindling onto the bonfire, sweat
from both labor and the intense heat soaking through his thin linen shirt.
"It was just a joke." He muttered, dusting the thin wooden splinters off his arms. "It's not like I thought Ria would be dumb enough to drink that thing."
He grinned as he recalled her stunned expression when her face had turned a vivid shade of orange. He still couldn't quite understand why he was being punished, he hadn't known that his latest concoction dyed faces; it had been a complete accident. Perhaps this penalty was due to his comment afterwards? Well the orange in her face really had brought out the highlights in her hair.
"It wore off anyway." He mumbled, poking a stick into the heart of the fire, "It wasn't permanent but I still have to do extra chores."
"Stop grumbling to yourself." A cheery voice called from somewhere behind him, "Or at least try to be quiet about it, guests are arriving."
Omi rolled his eyes, threw what was left of the stick into the fire and then turned toward the voice. "Yes Bri."
"That's master to you." The woman's green eyes twinkled slightly, shaking her head, "When will you get that right?"
"Dunno." He yawned, stretching his hands up above his head, "So who's coming?"
"Rayne is you ninny. Sabra predicted that she would come out of the Temple a few minutes ago, alone as usual."
"What else did she predict?" Omi questioned, kicking a stray log back into its rightful place in the fire, "You know that crackpot can never just have one out come, 'There are always several different possibilities when dealing with destiny'." He quoted, snorting.
"Sabra is not a crackpot." Bri said firmly although she seemed to be having a problem keeping a grin off of her face, "But you're right, she did have one other prediction."
"Well?"
"She said that Rayne would come home accompanied by-" she trailed off, appearing to be a bit dubious before continuing, "by a young man, a fairy, and a black cat."
Omi laughed whole-heartedly, slapping his knee in mirth, "Not a crackpot you say?!" he crowed, "The fairy and the cat are a definite possibility but Rayne wouldn't allow a guy to follow her home. Everyone knows her tastes lie elsewhere."
Bri's expression became stony, "I will allow you to call Sabra a crackpot." She said quietly, eyes locked onto Omi's, "But I absolutely refuse for you to turn your sharp wit upon that poor girl. Just because she doesn't acknowledge your charms, or obvious lack thereof, does not mean that she has no interest in men."
Omi blinked blankly at her sudden loss of humor, frowning, "Is there anyone who isn't going to attack me today?" he grumbled, breaking eye contact and looking toward the ground.
Bri's smile returned quickly as it had fled, "Probably not." She responded before the question had fully been asked, "But, then again, your alias is 'The Fool' is it not?"
Omi opened his mouth to unleash a burning retort, and, much to the delight of the middle-aged woman, realized he had none stockpiled for such an affront. He closed it with a snap, pointedly turned his back on a jovial Bri, and sullenly went back to building the council's meeting fire.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Her feet were bare and slightly brown, causing him to wonder if it was the sun or the dirt beneath them that had turned them such an earthy shade of bronze. It was an odd thought, but a complete one, which he was almost afraid he would never have again after such a strange awakening in the Sacred Realm.
Only minutes had passed since Link had appeared in Hyrule, and began to walk with Rayne toward the village, but it had seemed much longer. His head ached from what he deemed to be a result of oversleeping, his stomach had begun to growl ceaselessly and his mouth felt as though it had been stuffed with cotton.
So he had directed all his concentration onto her petite, brown feet as the danced relentlessly across the soft terrain, skipping over jutting rocks and gaping holes with a profound ease he wished he possessed. With all his focus placed upon her feet he found that the aches and pains eased slightly and so he had stared, unaware of the fact that he was making his newest female companion increasingly uneasy.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
'I shouldn't have told him my real name, I should have given him my code name, but no, of course not. One look into a pair of blue eyes and I stumble all over myself.'
Her temper had slowly gone downhill, not only due to the fact that she had unintentionally just broken one of the big no-no's in the rule book, or even that, in a fit of indecision, had decided to take a complete stranger to one of the most guarded places in Hyrule, another one of her less than brilliant ideas. But the thing that really bugged her, irked her to the point of fuming, was the fact that he was staring very unabashedly at her exposed legs.
Rayne wasn't quite sure why she was so angry at this young man, Link, for ogling at her; it wasn't as if he were the first guy in the history of her life to get hormonal. But the little voice inside her, the one that was usually covered up by her quick wit and angry thoughts, told her that she had just wanted him to be different, to be worth seven years of waiting at an abandoned Temple for some great unknown.
This was quite a bit more than she had originally bargained for, and at the same time a bit less. The gigantic rainbow shooting across the ruins and then the talking cat had set her standards a bit higher than this young man had managed to produce so far.
And now, as if adding insult to injury, he was gaping at her legs.
There was a soft chuckle and a black streak shot suddenly beneath her foot, unbalancing her. Startled, she wind milled her arms forward in a feeble attempt to regain her lost equilibrium, failed to win that battle and plunged rather clumsily onto the ground.
Chronos sat in front of her, but had enough sense to be out of reaching distance, "There now," he said tilting his head so as to gaze at her from a different angle, "I thought that would get the sour look off of your face."
Rayne flushed angrily, shooting daggers at the cat with her eyes.
Link sighed, giving the cat a reproachful look before bending down to assist Rayne to her feet.
"He's a bit unpredictable." Link said as way of apology, giving her a weak smile.
Navi, who had been sunbathing on Link's shoulder throughout the entire episode, nodded in agreement, "Everything is, where the Sacred Realm is involved."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Wait."
Rayne looked back at Link questioningly, following his gaze toward a structure farther out near the center of Hyrule. It was a place surrounded by large stonewalls, looking almost circular in shape from a distance.
"That's Lon Lon Ranch." She explained, unaware of the fact that he already knew this, "It was taken over by Ganondorf a long time ago, he ran out the original owners and gave it to one of his underlings."
Link's eyes grew hard and angry, and for a moment she wondered if she had inadvertently said something wrong, again.
"What happened to the owners?" he questioned, voice hard as steel.
"Umm- they fled to Kakariko, most people did, it's the only place that Ganondorf hasn't been able to touch."
"Can we make a quick stop?"
Rayne blinked blankly, "To do what?"
"I just have to check something." He replied, offering her a smile that had more than a little edge to it, "Would that be alright?"
"I- I guess." She stuttered, feeling some what startled by his sudden change in attitude.
Another smile, this one more sweet, "Thank you."
Her face heated up, but he had already turned his back to her and was walking toward the ranch with the stance of someone who had a mission to fulfill.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
He had checked out the place several times over to see if it had changed any throughout his years of absence and then ordered Rayne to wait by the gate 'just in case' which she was less than pleased about.
"A natural born leader." The cat had snickered once Link was out of earshot.
Minutes ticked away quickly, and Rayne began to ponder exactly what she was doing there. She could leave, she realized, that might actually solve the little problem of bringing him to Kakariko and explaining a talking cat, and a fairy.
Music came suddenly to her ears, a roundelay melody that made her eyes widen. It was a song that spoke of open fields, of cows and horses and happy times.
The song sounded so familiar but she couldn't place it, she thought about it longer, reaching toward her oldest memories in an attempt to place it.
Her head began to ache and her chest to constrict until she could barely breathe, fear made her gasp at the sudden rebelling of her body. She tried to cry out for help but she had no air, her lungs wouldn't respond to her needs. Darkness clouded around the edge of her vision and she realized, with some dismay, that she was about to pass out.
Then as suddenly as the pain had started it went away, leaving her winded and frightened, she had slumped onto the ground at some time during the strange panic attack and sat there now, sprawled awkwardly like a thrown rag doll.
What had caused that to happen? She wasn't sure, was almost afraid to ask. The mere question had started up the headache again.
Before she could deliberate further over the occurrence a shadow passed over her head. She looked up to see a horse in midair, jumping with ease over the edge of the building's wall and land with a thump on the earth, thin trails of dust spiraling away from its hooves.
Any other day this would have made her jaw drop to the ground in astonishment, the jump had been at least fifteen feet straight down, which would have broken even the best of horses, but here it was walking around without even the beginning signs of a limp. Today, with its endless bounty of bizarre and wonderful events, she found that she was merely impressed.
"I wonder if I've finally cracked." She muttered, watching Link pat the horse affectionately. A small smile curved across her lips when he turned and waved for her to jump on. "But I guess it's not that bad."
She ran up to the horse, examining it while its wide brown eyes watched her in turn. It was a beautiful filly, red-brown in color with a white mane and tail. A blaze wound its way down the horse's face, giving it more character than the horses she had usually seen coming out of Lon Lon Ranch.
She reached out, touching the soft black muzzle with the tips of her fingers, "Hi there girl." She said quietly.
The horse wasn't as reserved as she was; it nuzzled the girl's fingers, nipping at them playfully.
Rayne laughed lightly at the tickling sensation and Link smiled, patting the graceful curve of the horse's neck.
"Is this what you came here for?" Rayne asked, stroking the horse's nose and managing to give Link an annoyed look at the same time.
Link shook his head, "What I came for isn't here." He said softly, purposely avoiding Rayne's stare, "I guess she must be at Kakariko, but I had to check."
"Another horse?" Rayne questioned unsurely.
The blonde youth shook his head, eyes growing distant, "No, not a horse."
When he didn't elucidate further on the perceptibly touchy subject Rayne wisely decided to let the conversation lay.
"I do believe we have a village to go to." Chronos said, his voice surprisingly lacking in smugness for once, sounding more like a gentle reminder than a witty remark.
"Do you know her name?" Rayne asked as Link helped her onto the back of the horse, who stood surprisingly still under her inept attempt to scramble up into the saddle.
A sad smile crossed Link's features, "Epona." He said quietly, pressing his heels gently into the horse's sides, "Her name is Epona."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
They arrived at outskirts of Kakariko Village before night had completely fallen. The clouds from before had dissipated and the stars had come out. The bright beacons had always made Rayne feel better, and so her fierce anger at the cat faded slowly as the burning white lights had appeared, one by one, each familiar to her, engraved in her memory from both books and teachers.
"I take it we should be expecting company?" Chronos questioned from somewhere near Epona's feet.
Rayne nodded, noting the light flickering from the center of the village, they had built a bonfire, perhaps she was in deeper trouble than she had originally suspected. Fires in the center of the village meant meetings, and meetings meant serious discussions. She was quite sure that Sabra had alerted the council of her current company.
A sigh escaped her lips, making her four traveling companions turn to her in query.
She stopped for a moment, considering. She should have been making up excuses during their short journey to the village but the time had already been wasted on her consideration of the situation, if she didn't return soon they would come looking for her.
She turned to Link, "Don't call me Rayne when we get inside," she ordered, sending an edgy glance at the flickering firelight, "Call me High Priestess, or just Priestess, something in that general vicinity."
Before he could respond or question her attention had shifted to Chronos, "Don't talk." She advised the cat firmly, "Walking in with this odd party will be hard enough without trying to come up with an excuse for your talking ability, understood?"
The cat nodded, but its expression betrayed its intent to, more than likely, not listen.
'No time to try and affirm that.' Rayne thought bitterly to herself, 'Any second now someone's going to come out and ask me what the hell is taking so long.'
Rayne's concentration shifted once again, this time taking in the fairy that was, unfortunately, as hard to miss as the stars in the sky and glowing about as brightly.
"Could you possibly hide somewhere?" she asked in exasperation, slipping once again on the circumstances she was trying so hard to keep a hold of.
Navi thought about that for a moment then flitted toward Link's hat and promptly disappeared into the green folds. "How's this?" she questioned, voice muffled.
Rayne was skeptical at first, but when she realized the faint glow of the fairy coming from the hat would be easy to mistake for the flickering of the bonfire she calmed and agreed.
"I can't stay in here long." The fairy growled warningly, "It'll get too stuffy to breathe after a couple of minutes."
"Well stay in there as long as you can." Rayne said reluctantly, halfway wanting to order the ethereal creature to stay in there as long as it took but knowing how unfair it was to ask that of her.
The green-eyed girl turned to Epona last; the horse's liquid brown orbs staring unknowingly back.
"I don't suppose we could leave her out here?" Rayne suggested, looking at Link in askance, "The fewer things I have to explain, the better."
Link seemed to think about it for a moment, then patted the horses flank, "She'll come back if I call her." He said, smiling at the filly kindly.
'Another question that will go unanswered.' She thought to herself, but aloud she questioned, "Everyone ready?"
Link nodded, and a muted sound of agreement came from his green hat. Rayne turned to Chronos, frowning, "Well?" she growled.
The cat almost smiled, "I thought I wasn't supposed to talk." It replied innocently.
Rayne gritted her teeth, feeling the urge to throw her hands up in the air and admit defeat. "Then I guess we're set." She hissed, sending one last warning look at the feline before she walked up to the heavy wooden door at the entrance to the town.
"Kakariko didn't have a door when I left." Link said quietly, looking at the hulking gateway that rivaled even of the drawbridge at the Market.
Rayne paused, palm flat in the air and eyes narrowed in concentration, her voice a bit distracted when she replied, "Back then they didn't need one."
There were patterns etched into the surface of the door, symbols and pictures scrawled about in a fashion that was anything but organized. And yet, even in its disordered state, it exuded an air of dignity, demanding the respect that only a rock solid structure can.
Rayne's right hand hovered just above one of the symbols, which Link that resembled the letter 'F'.
"It's the rune, Feoh."
Link jumped slightly at the declaration, looking down to see Chronos whose tail was twitching with interest.
"The magical rune Feoh?" Navi asked, peeking out from under Link's green cap, "Like the one in the ancient alphabet that the Ayins used?"
The black cat nodded, watching intently as the symbol level to Rayne's hand began to glow. He would have said more but Rayne beat him to it.
"Every rune on this door represents a person who belongs to the village," her voice was testy; she had slowly become irritated by their constant prattle, "The door was imbued with magic when it carved, it's a spell that allows it to recognize people.
"Artificial intelligence." Chronos nodded in approval, "Very nice."
Rayne smiled, "Hanged Man would appreciate hearing that, no one is very surprised by his outrageous ideas anymore."
There was a soft click and the door swung open with a swiftness the belied its bulky size.
"I shall have to speak with this 'Hanged Man'." Chronos thought out loud, "He sounds like an unusual fellow."
His musing were upended quite suddenly when he was grabbed by the scruff of his neck and held centimeters away from a pair of burning green eyes.
"No talking." Rayne snarled, "If you spit out a single syllable I will punt you straight into the heart of Death Mountain, are we clear?"
After the initial shock had worn off Chronos seemed to smirk. He licked her nose with his dainty pink tongue and then disappeared, leaving a disgruntled Rayne holding air and a few black hairs.
"Crystal clear."
Everyone looked down to see Chronos peering up at Rayne through half-closed eyes, a satisfied rumble beginning deep in his throat.
"H-How did-" Rayne trailed off, shaking her head, "Never mind." She said firmly, "I don't want to know."
A soft clicking noise made the small party turn away from the cat and back toward the portal into Kakariko, which was unhurriedly closing.
"Everyone get in now." She ordered, waiting for her companions to rush in before hastening through herself.
'This,' she sighed mentally, 'is going to be a long night.'
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Idle conversation stopped and all eyes turned on the newcomers as they walked into the village. Irises ranging from vermilion to lavender pinned upon an unnerved Link, making him turn several shades of red.
The assembly consisted mainly of Hylians, but much to Link's surprise also had a few sparsely situated Zora, Kokiri, and even a lone Goron.
There was a soft gasp from someone in the crowd and one of the sitting figures rose, walking closer to the outsider.
"Link?" wide purple eyes were staring at him uncertainty. "Is that really you?"
"Impa." The young man smiled at the familiar face, relief flooding his finely muscled features, "Yes, it's me."
Plenty of the assembled people looked at Rayne accusingly to which she vehemently replied, "I didn't tell him her name, I swear!"
"No." the Shiekah said after a long moment, shaking her head in what seemed to be amazement, "He knew my name a long time ago, when the King of Evil was but a vagrant pledging false allegiance to the Royal Family."
There was some murmuring floating about after that statement, not much of it beneficiary to the green clothed stranger.
Impa asked for quiet and when no one responded her temper flared, "Silence!" she cried as she tore her eyes from Link to glare at the assembled people, "I am Empress here and as such I demand that you cease this mindless chatter!"
Link's eyebrows shot up into his hairline, "Empress?!" he exclaimed, blushing furiously afterwards as several pairs of eyes turned to him in disapproval.
Impa gave him a strained smile, "That's my alias, my code name if you will; sadly they are required in this day and age, both for protection from enemies and given to show rank and ability."
Link tried not to look confused but failed entirely.
"Because I am a valuable asset to this group they have bestowed on me the name 'The Empress' not because I am actually an empress, or anything near an empress but because I hold such high rank around here, better?"
"Only slightly." Chronos muttered, earning him a kick from Rayne who watched Impa's face to see if she had heard. If her expression was any indication then she hadn't.
"Things certainly have changed since I have been gone." Link sighed, rubbing his temples in order to ease the ache that had begun to form there.
"You have been gone for quite some time." Impa agreed, a shadow passing over her face, "You have missed much."
"Excuse me Empress." A tired voice cracked from near the fire, "But are we sure we can trust this young man?"
Impa turned to confront the voice that had questioned her, an old man whose flowing white hair and silver-blue eyes declared him to be near the end of his life. He wasn't focusing on Impa and Link realized with some dismay that the white-haired man was blind.
"Yes, Hierophant," she said clearly, looking at the gathered people and speaking to them also. "I knew this lad when he was but a child of ten years; he is a good boy and in no way in league with that evil thief."
"And how do we know he is the same kid you knew back then?"
Link shivered at this new voice, when he looked for its owner found a man clothed in black from head to toe, his dark blue eyes the only part of him that was visible. He had been hard to spot in the shadows he stood in, but the dull gleam of a throwing dagger had caught the flickering firelight and revealed him.
Link felt an immediate dislike rising in his chest toward this man. It may have been the fact that he could not entirely see his face, an armored plate concealed the bottom half, but he was sure there was more to it than just his sneaky exterior. There was a presence about him, a dark aura that caused a cold sweat to break out under Link's tunic.
Impa, however, seemed not to notice this and faced the man calmly, "I think I would be able to tell the difference, Devil."
The dark clothed man, Devil, said nothing, only watched Link coolly from beneath his dark hood.
"Now if the game of twenty questions is over." Impa politely waited for anyone to object before continuing, "It would seem enlightenment is in order."
The Shiekah made a small gesture with her hand, one that encompassed all of the people that were near the bonfire, "This," she began quietly, "Is Arcana, we are an elite faction of rebels that was formed when the Royal Family fell from its seat of power seven years ago.
"We use code names in order to protect ourselves from the King of Evil. Since he claimed the Castle and much of Hyrule his influence has grown and so has his magic. If he knows a person's true name they work for him, no matter what side they wish to be on."
Devil made an uncomfortable noise and Impa gave him a sympathetic look before continuing.
"Arcana consists of twenty-two people, all with their own special powers and abilities that set them apart from the rest of the world."
She pointed to a young blonde haired youth who jumped down from the crate he had been sitting on and bowed with a flourish.
"That is 'The Fool,' she said dryly, resisting the urge to throw the nearest object at the little snot, "Aptly named if you consider his manner."
The Fool stuck his tongue out at the Shiekah, then sat back on the crate and continued to pout.
Next Impa pointed to a bright-eyed woman who was toying absently with a sprig of grass. Seeming a bit eccentric she muttered a few garbled words over it and the green piece promptly turned into a small bird. The bird looked around confusedly before squawking in alarm and taking flight. She smiled vaguely at Link before picking another blade of grass out of the ground.
"That is The Magician; she is an adept magical worker, she can turn inanimate objects into living, breathing creatures, or vice versa.
The blind old man nodded in acknowledgment when his title 'Hierophant' was given.
"He is a master of magic; he teaches the children and gives the rest of us lessons on controlling our talents." Impa smiled affectionately at the old man before turning to a couple, a young man with a mop of brown hair and a woman with bright red curls. They sat close to each other, holding hands and they both grinned at Link when they were announced.
"The Lovers are an unbeatable team; one wields a sword while the other carries a bow. Their shared name is a bit more self-explanatory than others."
The red-headed female giggled at Link's wide eyed look, but the Shiekah had already began to talk again. She pointed to a burly man who let out a huffing sound when his name was called, "Chariot worked at the Castle before it was taken by Ganondorf, he has an amazing talent with animals, and with weaponry. He takes care of all the horses and battle equipment."
Impa turned Link's attention to a female warrior, her long brown hair tied back into a braid and her outfit of light armor. She eyed him warily, fiddling with the hilt of her weapon as if waiting for an excuse to use it on him.
"That's Strength, she teaches fighting skills and techniques, she's a bit unnerving at first but once you get used to her she's not so bad."
Several guffaws erupted from around the bonfire, but they were quickly silenced by a glare from the muscled woman.
One of the Kokiri, a little blonde haired female with hazel colored eyes, waved impatiently at Impa. The girl who had been talking quietly to the Kokiri female beforehand, laughed at her eagerness.
"Justice came here after the woods were taken over by monsters; she and Hanged Man are the only Kokiri we know to have escaped. She is a healer and can show us where fairness lies. The girl next to her is Star, who is also a healer."
When the Empress called out the title of 'The Tower' the Goron raised its head and let out a soft grunt.
"He has the strange ability to sense when danger is about to descend, although he can't say what form it will appear in."
Impa pointed out the two Zora who stood farthest from the fire, both female, one with green eyes and the other possessing brown.
"Temperance," she gestured to the Zora with emerald colored eyes, "Can deal with even the most hotheaded of us with a patience the Goddesses granted few." The brown eyed Zora was declared to be Judgement.
"She can tell when you are lying and is often asked to decide who is telling the truth when feuds pop up between us."
"You already know Devil." Link nodded, looking at the dark man suspiciously. "What you don't know about him is that he is a very powerful sorcerer of the dark arts and that he was once the most renowned assassins in Hyrule."
At Link's stunned look Impa grinned, "He's an ex-assassin now, we saved him from being recruited by Ganondorf and he's been with us ever since."
Next The Moon and The Sun's names were presented.
"Moon and Sun are the parents of Star. Moon can read minds and Sun can make weapons out of his own blood."
Finally she pointed to the last individual in the group, a woman with hair the color of a moonless night and eyes that looked like the ocean.
"World." Impa said her name and then seemed at a loss as to how she should explain her. After a moment of hesitation she said, "World can do almost anything, she dabbles in sorcery, both white and black magic, she is competent with almost any weapon she can touch."
Link's jaw was agape, he had never heard of such a person before, at least not one that wasn't in some outlandish legend or myth. But here she was, smiling warmly at him, eyes crinkled in amusement at his disbelief.
"There are a few people missing." Impa explained, looking around with mild frustration, "Emperor, Hanged Man, Hermit, Death, and Wheel of Fortune."
There was a loud crash as a door was thrown open with more force than was required and smashed into the house. Everyone turned toward the noise, several of the assembled with weapons drawn.
"Sorry everyone." A dark haired woman emerged from within the house, closely followed by a squat little Kokiri, and a short Hylian. "That was my fault."
People visibly relaxed and Impa returned her short sword back into its rightful place at her side. "Fortune, Hanged Man, Emperor." She introduced them to Link as they filed out of the house. "Fortune is our scryer, Hanged Man is our thinker, and Emperor," she shot him a look that spoke volumes, "likes to avoid meetings."
"Aw c'mon now Impa." Talon whined, "That ain't no fair. I show up when ya need me to."
Then his eyes encountered Link.
"Oh Goddesses." He whispered, eyes wide, "Is that Link?"
Link nodded slowly, a smile curving the corners of his mouth.
Talon nearly trampled the sitting assembly when he rushed over to pick up the young blonde in a bear hug, which looked ridiculous because of the difference in height between the two of them.
When Link's bruised middle had stopped hurting some what Talon began questioning him.
"Where have ya been? What have ya been doin' for so long? How did ya escape from Ganondorf?"
Link nearly laughed, "Perhaps we could discuss this some other time?" he asked, looking around at the rest of the Arcana group.
"I 'pose so." Talon sighed, his evident impatience only making his expression more comical.
After Talon had calmed down and the rest of the group seemed to have relaxed Link asked the one question that had been plaguing his mind ever since he had fallen from the Sacred Realm.
"Where is Malon?"
A hush descended over the gathering, and the eagerness on Talon's face faded away.
"C'mon inside Link." He said quietly, grabbing the young man by his arm and steering him toward the house he had just recently exited. "There's somethin' I hafta tell ya."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Author's Notes: This was, by far, one of the most painful chapters I've ever written. It stretched both my wits and my patience to their very limits and is somehow still awful.
In the next chapter I beg all of my regular and newbie reviewers to bear with me; it will probably be very short and very angsty. Please don't abandon this story if things get ugly, I still haven't, and I promise things will get better.
Thanks to all those who edited this monster, (Ryu-sama, my friend Johanna, my parents, my sisters, ect.) I thank you from the bottom of my rather heavy heart.
Well it's twelve o'clock in the morning, and since I can think of nothing else to say I guess I will end this rant here.
I love all who will review,
-- Alanna
"It was just a joke." He muttered, dusting the thin wooden splinters off his arms. "It's not like I thought Ria would be dumb enough to drink that thing."
He grinned as he recalled her stunned expression when her face had turned a vivid shade of orange. He still couldn't quite understand why he was being punished, he hadn't known that his latest concoction dyed faces; it had been a complete accident. Perhaps this penalty was due to his comment afterwards? Well the orange in her face really had brought out the highlights in her hair.
"It wore off anyway." He mumbled, poking a stick into the heart of the fire, "It wasn't permanent but I still have to do extra chores."
"Stop grumbling to yourself." A cheery voice called from somewhere behind him, "Or at least try to be quiet about it, guests are arriving."
Omi rolled his eyes, threw what was left of the stick into the fire and then turned toward the voice. "Yes Bri."
"That's master to you." The woman's green eyes twinkled slightly, shaking her head, "When will you get that right?"
"Dunno." He yawned, stretching his hands up above his head, "So who's coming?"
"Rayne is you ninny. Sabra predicted that she would come out of the Temple a few minutes ago, alone as usual."
"What else did she predict?" Omi questioned, kicking a stray log back into its rightful place in the fire, "You know that crackpot can never just have one out come, 'There are always several different possibilities when dealing with destiny'." He quoted, snorting.
"Sabra is not a crackpot." Bri said firmly although she seemed to be having a problem keeping a grin off of her face, "But you're right, she did have one other prediction."
"Well?"
"She said that Rayne would come home accompanied by-" she trailed off, appearing to be a bit dubious before continuing, "by a young man, a fairy, and a black cat."
Omi laughed whole-heartedly, slapping his knee in mirth, "Not a crackpot you say?!" he crowed, "The fairy and the cat are a definite possibility but Rayne wouldn't allow a guy to follow her home. Everyone knows her tastes lie elsewhere."
Bri's expression became stony, "I will allow you to call Sabra a crackpot." She said quietly, eyes locked onto Omi's, "But I absolutely refuse for you to turn your sharp wit upon that poor girl. Just because she doesn't acknowledge your charms, or obvious lack thereof, does not mean that she has no interest in men."
Omi blinked blankly at her sudden loss of humor, frowning, "Is there anyone who isn't going to attack me today?" he grumbled, breaking eye contact and looking toward the ground.
Bri's smile returned quickly as it had fled, "Probably not." She responded before the question had fully been asked, "But, then again, your alias is 'The Fool' is it not?"
Omi opened his mouth to unleash a burning retort, and, much to the delight of the middle-aged woman, realized he had none stockpiled for such an affront. He closed it with a snap, pointedly turned his back on a jovial Bri, and sullenly went back to building the council's meeting fire.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Her feet were bare and slightly brown, causing him to wonder if it was the sun or the dirt beneath them that had turned them such an earthy shade of bronze. It was an odd thought, but a complete one, which he was almost afraid he would never have again after such a strange awakening in the Sacred Realm.
Only minutes had passed since Link had appeared in Hyrule, and began to walk with Rayne toward the village, but it had seemed much longer. His head ached from what he deemed to be a result of oversleeping, his stomach had begun to growl ceaselessly and his mouth felt as though it had been stuffed with cotton.
So he had directed all his concentration onto her petite, brown feet as the danced relentlessly across the soft terrain, skipping over jutting rocks and gaping holes with a profound ease he wished he possessed. With all his focus placed upon her feet he found that the aches and pains eased slightly and so he had stared, unaware of the fact that he was making his newest female companion increasingly uneasy.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
'I shouldn't have told him my real name, I should have given him my code name, but no, of course not. One look into a pair of blue eyes and I stumble all over myself.'
Her temper had slowly gone downhill, not only due to the fact that she had unintentionally just broken one of the big no-no's in the rule book, or even that, in a fit of indecision, had decided to take a complete stranger to one of the most guarded places in Hyrule, another one of her less than brilliant ideas. But the thing that really bugged her, irked her to the point of fuming, was the fact that he was staring very unabashedly at her exposed legs.
Rayne wasn't quite sure why she was so angry at this young man, Link, for ogling at her; it wasn't as if he were the first guy in the history of her life to get hormonal. But the little voice inside her, the one that was usually covered up by her quick wit and angry thoughts, told her that she had just wanted him to be different, to be worth seven years of waiting at an abandoned Temple for some great unknown.
This was quite a bit more than she had originally bargained for, and at the same time a bit less. The gigantic rainbow shooting across the ruins and then the talking cat had set her standards a bit higher than this young man had managed to produce so far.
And now, as if adding insult to injury, he was gaping at her legs.
There was a soft chuckle and a black streak shot suddenly beneath her foot, unbalancing her. Startled, she wind milled her arms forward in a feeble attempt to regain her lost equilibrium, failed to win that battle and plunged rather clumsily onto the ground.
Chronos sat in front of her, but had enough sense to be out of reaching distance, "There now," he said tilting his head so as to gaze at her from a different angle, "I thought that would get the sour look off of your face."
Rayne flushed angrily, shooting daggers at the cat with her eyes.
Link sighed, giving the cat a reproachful look before bending down to assist Rayne to her feet.
"He's a bit unpredictable." Link said as way of apology, giving her a weak smile.
Navi, who had been sunbathing on Link's shoulder throughout the entire episode, nodded in agreement, "Everything is, where the Sacred Realm is involved."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Wait."
Rayne looked back at Link questioningly, following his gaze toward a structure farther out near the center of Hyrule. It was a place surrounded by large stonewalls, looking almost circular in shape from a distance.
"That's Lon Lon Ranch." She explained, unaware of the fact that he already knew this, "It was taken over by Ganondorf a long time ago, he ran out the original owners and gave it to one of his underlings."
Link's eyes grew hard and angry, and for a moment she wondered if she had inadvertently said something wrong, again.
"What happened to the owners?" he questioned, voice hard as steel.
"Umm- they fled to Kakariko, most people did, it's the only place that Ganondorf hasn't been able to touch."
"Can we make a quick stop?"
Rayne blinked blankly, "To do what?"
"I just have to check something." He replied, offering her a smile that had more than a little edge to it, "Would that be alright?"
"I- I guess." She stuttered, feeling some what startled by his sudden change in attitude.
Another smile, this one more sweet, "Thank you."
Her face heated up, but he had already turned his back to her and was walking toward the ranch with the stance of someone who had a mission to fulfill.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
He had checked out the place several times over to see if it had changed any throughout his years of absence and then ordered Rayne to wait by the gate 'just in case' which she was less than pleased about.
"A natural born leader." The cat had snickered once Link was out of earshot.
Minutes ticked away quickly, and Rayne began to ponder exactly what she was doing there. She could leave, she realized, that might actually solve the little problem of bringing him to Kakariko and explaining a talking cat, and a fairy.
Music came suddenly to her ears, a roundelay melody that made her eyes widen. It was a song that spoke of open fields, of cows and horses and happy times.
The song sounded so familiar but she couldn't place it, she thought about it longer, reaching toward her oldest memories in an attempt to place it.
Her head began to ache and her chest to constrict until she could barely breathe, fear made her gasp at the sudden rebelling of her body. She tried to cry out for help but she had no air, her lungs wouldn't respond to her needs. Darkness clouded around the edge of her vision and she realized, with some dismay, that she was about to pass out.
Then as suddenly as the pain had started it went away, leaving her winded and frightened, she had slumped onto the ground at some time during the strange panic attack and sat there now, sprawled awkwardly like a thrown rag doll.
What had caused that to happen? She wasn't sure, was almost afraid to ask. The mere question had started up the headache again.
Before she could deliberate further over the occurrence a shadow passed over her head. She looked up to see a horse in midair, jumping with ease over the edge of the building's wall and land with a thump on the earth, thin trails of dust spiraling away from its hooves.
Any other day this would have made her jaw drop to the ground in astonishment, the jump had been at least fifteen feet straight down, which would have broken even the best of horses, but here it was walking around without even the beginning signs of a limp. Today, with its endless bounty of bizarre and wonderful events, she found that she was merely impressed.
"I wonder if I've finally cracked." She muttered, watching Link pat the horse affectionately. A small smile curved across her lips when he turned and waved for her to jump on. "But I guess it's not that bad."
She ran up to the horse, examining it while its wide brown eyes watched her in turn. It was a beautiful filly, red-brown in color with a white mane and tail. A blaze wound its way down the horse's face, giving it more character than the horses she had usually seen coming out of Lon Lon Ranch.
She reached out, touching the soft black muzzle with the tips of her fingers, "Hi there girl." She said quietly.
The horse wasn't as reserved as she was; it nuzzled the girl's fingers, nipping at them playfully.
Rayne laughed lightly at the tickling sensation and Link smiled, patting the graceful curve of the horse's neck.
"Is this what you came here for?" Rayne asked, stroking the horse's nose and managing to give Link an annoyed look at the same time.
Link shook his head, "What I came for isn't here." He said softly, purposely avoiding Rayne's stare, "I guess she must be at Kakariko, but I had to check."
"Another horse?" Rayne questioned unsurely.
The blonde youth shook his head, eyes growing distant, "No, not a horse."
When he didn't elucidate further on the perceptibly touchy subject Rayne wisely decided to let the conversation lay.
"I do believe we have a village to go to." Chronos said, his voice surprisingly lacking in smugness for once, sounding more like a gentle reminder than a witty remark.
"Do you know her name?" Rayne asked as Link helped her onto the back of the horse, who stood surprisingly still under her inept attempt to scramble up into the saddle.
A sad smile crossed Link's features, "Epona." He said quietly, pressing his heels gently into the horse's sides, "Her name is Epona."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
They arrived at outskirts of Kakariko Village before night had completely fallen. The clouds from before had dissipated and the stars had come out. The bright beacons had always made Rayne feel better, and so her fierce anger at the cat faded slowly as the burning white lights had appeared, one by one, each familiar to her, engraved in her memory from both books and teachers.
"I take it we should be expecting company?" Chronos questioned from somewhere near Epona's feet.
Rayne nodded, noting the light flickering from the center of the village, they had built a bonfire, perhaps she was in deeper trouble than she had originally suspected. Fires in the center of the village meant meetings, and meetings meant serious discussions. She was quite sure that Sabra had alerted the council of her current company.
A sigh escaped her lips, making her four traveling companions turn to her in query.
She stopped for a moment, considering. She should have been making up excuses during their short journey to the village but the time had already been wasted on her consideration of the situation, if she didn't return soon they would come looking for her.
She turned to Link, "Don't call me Rayne when we get inside," she ordered, sending an edgy glance at the flickering firelight, "Call me High Priestess, or just Priestess, something in that general vicinity."
Before he could respond or question her attention had shifted to Chronos, "Don't talk." She advised the cat firmly, "Walking in with this odd party will be hard enough without trying to come up with an excuse for your talking ability, understood?"
The cat nodded, but its expression betrayed its intent to, more than likely, not listen.
'No time to try and affirm that.' Rayne thought bitterly to herself, 'Any second now someone's going to come out and ask me what the hell is taking so long.'
Rayne's concentration shifted once again, this time taking in the fairy that was, unfortunately, as hard to miss as the stars in the sky and glowing about as brightly.
"Could you possibly hide somewhere?" she asked in exasperation, slipping once again on the circumstances she was trying so hard to keep a hold of.
Navi thought about that for a moment then flitted toward Link's hat and promptly disappeared into the green folds. "How's this?" she questioned, voice muffled.
Rayne was skeptical at first, but when she realized the faint glow of the fairy coming from the hat would be easy to mistake for the flickering of the bonfire she calmed and agreed.
"I can't stay in here long." The fairy growled warningly, "It'll get too stuffy to breathe after a couple of minutes."
"Well stay in there as long as you can." Rayne said reluctantly, halfway wanting to order the ethereal creature to stay in there as long as it took but knowing how unfair it was to ask that of her.
The green-eyed girl turned to Epona last; the horse's liquid brown orbs staring unknowingly back.
"I don't suppose we could leave her out here?" Rayne suggested, looking at Link in askance, "The fewer things I have to explain, the better."
Link seemed to think about it for a moment, then patted the horses flank, "She'll come back if I call her." He said, smiling at the filly kindly.
'Another question that will go unanswered.' She thought to herself, but aloud she questioned, "Everyone ready?"
Link nodded, and a muted sound of agreement came from his green hat. Rayne turned to Chronos, frowning, "Well?" she growled.
The cat almost smiled, "I thought I wasn't supposed to talk." It replied innocently.
Rayne gritted her teeth, feeling the urge to throw her hands up in the air and admit defeat. "Then I guess we're set." She hissed, sending one last warning look at the feline before she walked up to the heavy wooden door at the entrance to the town.
"Kakariko didn't have a door when I left." Link said quietly, looking at the hulking gateway that rivaled even of the drawbridge at the Market.
Rayne paused, palm flat in the air and eyes narrowed in concentration, her voice a bit distracted when she replied, "Back then they didn't need one."
There were patterns etched into the surface of the door, symbols and pictures scrawled about in a fashion that was anything but organized. And yet, even in its disordered state, it exuded an air of dignity, demanding the respect that only a rock solid structure can.
Rayne's right hand hovered just above one of the symbols, which Link that resembled the letter 'F'.
"It's the rune, Feoh."
Link jumped slightly at the declaration, looking down to see Chronos whose tail was twitching with interest.
"The magical rune Feoh?" Navi asked, peeking out from under Link's green cap, "Like the one in the ancient alphabet that the Ayins used?"
The black cat nodded, watching intently as the symbol level to Rayne's hand began to glow. He would have said more but Rayne beat him to it.
"Every rune on this door represents a person who belongs to the village," her voice was testy; she had slowly become irritated by their constant prattle, "The door was imbued with magic when it carved, it's a spell that allows it to recognize people.
"Artificial intelligence." Chronos nodded in approval, "Very nice."
Rayne smiled, "Hanged Man would appreciate hearing that, no one is very surprised by his outrageous ideas anymore."
There was a soft click and the door swung open with a swiftness the belied its bulky size.
"I shall have to speak with this 'Hanged Man'." Chronos thought out loud, "He sounds like an unusual fellow."
His musing were upended quite suddenly when he was grabbed by the scruff of his neck and held centimeters away from a pair of burning green eyes.
"No talking." Rayne snarled, "If you spit out a single syllable I will punt you straight into the heart of Death Mountain, are we clear?"
After the initial shock had worn off Chronos seemed to smirk. He licked her nose with his dainty pink tongue and then disappeared, leaving a disgruntled Rayne holding air and a few black hairs.
"Crystal clear."
Everyone looked down to see Chronos peering up at Rayne through half-closed eyes, a satisfied rumble beginning deep in his throat.
"H-How did-" Rayne trailed off, shaking her head, "Never mind." She said firmly, "I don't want to know."
A soft clicking noise made the small party turn away from the cat and back toward the portal into Kakariko, which was unhurriedly closing.
"Everyone get in now." She ordered, waiting for her companions to rush in before hastening through herself.
'This,' she sighed mentally, 'is going to be a long night.'
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Idle conversation stopped and all eyes turned on the newcomers as they walked into the village. Irises ranging from vermilion to lavender pinned upon an unnerved Link, making him turn several shades of red.
The assembly consisted mainly of Hylians, but much to Link's surprise also had a few sparsely situated Zora, Kokiri, and even a lone Goron.
There was a soft gasp from someone in the crowd and one of the sitting figures rose, walking closer to the outsider.
"Link?" wide purple eyes were staring at him uncertainty. "Is that really you?"
"Impa." The young man smiled at the familiar face, relief flooding his finely muscled features, "Yes, it's me."
Plenty of the assembled people looked at Rayne accusingly to which she vehemently replied, "I didn't tell him her name, I swear!"
"No." the Shiekah said after a long moment, shaking her head in what seemed to be amazement, "He knew my name a long time ago, when the King of Evil was but a vagrant pledging false allegiance to the Royal Family."
There was some murmuring floating about after that statement, not much of it beneficiary to the green clothed stranger.
Impa asked for quiet and when no one responded her temper flared, "Silence!" she cried as she tore her eyes from Link to glare at the assembled people, "I am Empress here and as such I demand that you cease this mindless chatter!"
Link's eyebrows shot up into his hairline, "Empress?!" he exclaimed, blushing furiously afterwards as several pairs of eyes turned to him in disapproval.
Impa gave him a strained smile, "That's my alias, my code name if you will; sadly they are required in this day and age, both for protection from enemies and given to show rank and ability."
Link tried not to look confused but failed entirely.
"Because I am a valuable asset to this group they have bestowed on me the name 'The Empress' not because I am actually an empress, or anything near an empress but because I hold such high rank around here, better?"
"Only slightly." Chronos muttered, earning him a kick from Rayne who watched Impa's face to see if she had heard. If her expression was any indication then she hadn't.
"Things certainly have changed since I have been gone." Link sighed, rubbing his temples in order to ease the ache that had begun to form there.
"You have been gone for quite some time." Impa agreed, a shadow passing over her face, "You have missed much."
"Excuse me Empress." A tired voice cracked from near the fire, "But are we sure we can trust this young man?"
Impa turned to confront the voice that had questioned her, an old man whose flowing white hair and silver-blue eyes declared him to be near the end of his life. He wasn't focusing on Impa and Link realized with some dismay that the white-haired man was blind.
"Yes, Hierophant," she said clearly, looking at the gathered people and speaking to them also. "I knew this lad when he was but a child of ten years; he is a good boy and in no way in league with that evil thief."
"And how do we know he is the same kid you knew back then?"
Link shivered at this new voice, when he looked for its owner found a man clothed in black from head to toe, his dark blue eyes the only part of him that was visible. He had been hard to spot in the shadows he stood in, but the dull gleam of a throwing dagger had caught the flickering firelight and revealed him.
Link felt an immediate dislike rising in his chest toward this man. It may have been the fact that he could not entirely see his face, an armored plate concealed the bottom half, but he was sure there was more to it than just his sneaky exterior. There was a presence about him, a dark aura that caused a cold sweat to break out under Link's tunic.
Impa, however, seemed not to notice this and faced the man calmly, "I think I would be able to tell the difference, Devil."
The dark clothed man, Devil, said nothing, only watched Link coolly from beneath his dark hood.
"Now if the game of twenty questions is over." Impa politely waited for anyone to object before continuing, "It would seem enlightenment is in order."
The Shiekah made a small gesture with her hand, one that encompassed all of the people that were near the bonfire, "This," she began quietly, "Is Arcana, we are an elite faction of rebels that was formed when the Royal Family fell from its seat of power seven years ago.
"We use code names in order to protect ourselves from the King of Evil. Since he claimed the Castle and much of Hyrule his influence has grown and so has his magic. If he knows a person's true name they work for him, no matter what side they wish to be on."
Devil made an uncomfortable noise and Impa gave him a sympathetic look before continuing.
"Arcana consists of twenty-two people, all with their own special powers and abilities that set them apart from the rest of the world."
She pointed to a young blonde haired youth who jumped down from the crate he had been sitting on and bowed with a flourish.
"That is 'The Fool,' she said dryly, resisting the urge to throw the nearest object at the little snot, "Aptly named if you consider his manner."
The Fool stuck his tongue out at the Shiekah, then sat back on the crate and continued to pout.
Next Impa pointed to a bright-eyed woman who was toying absently with a sprig of grass. Seeming a bit eccentric she muttered a few garbled words over it and the green piece promptly turned into a small bird. The bird looked around confusedly before squawking in alarm and taking flight. She smiled vaguely at Link before picking another blade of grass out of the ground.
"That is The Magician; she is an adept magical worker, she can turn inanimate objects into living, breathing creatures, or vice versa.
The blind old man nodded in acknowledgment when his title 'Hierophant' was given.
"He is a master of magic; he teaches the children and gives the rest of us lessons on controlling our talents." Impa smiled affectionately at the old man before turning to a couple, a young man with a mop of brown hair and a woman with bright red curls. They sat close to each other, holding hands and they both grinned at Link when they were announced.
"The Lovers are an unbeatable team; one wields a sword while the other carries a bow. Their shared name is a bit more self-explanatory than others."
The red-headed female giggled at Link's wide eyed look, but the Shiekah had already began to talk again. She pointed to a burly man who let out a huffing sound when his name was called, "Chariot worked at the Castle before it was taken by Ganondorf, he has an amazing talent with animals, and with weaponry. He takes care of all the horses and battle equipment."
Impa turned Link's attention to a female warrior, her long brown hair tied back into a braid and her outfit of light armor. She eyed him warily, fiddling with the hilt of her weapon as if waiting for an excuse to use it on him.
"That's Strength, she teaches fighting skills and techniques, she's a bit unnerving at first but once you get used to her she's not so bad."
Several guffaws erupted from around the bonfire, but they were quickly silenced by a glare from the muscled woman.
One of the Kokiri, a little blonde haired female with hazel colored eyes, waved impatiently at Impa. The girl who had been talking quietly to the Kokiri female beforehand, laughed at her eagerness.
"Justice came here after the woods were taken over by monsters; she and Hanged Man are the only Kokiri we know to have escaped. She is a healer and can show us where fairness lies. The girl next to her is Star, who is also a healer."
When the Empress called out the title of 'The Tower' the Goron raised its head and let out a soft grunt.
"He has the strange ability to sense when danger is about to descend, although he can't say what form it will appear in."
Impa pointed out the two Zora who stood farthest from the fire, both female, one with green eyes and the other possessing brown.
"Temperance," she gestured to the Zora with emerald colored eyes, "Can deal with even the most hotheaded of us with a patience the Goddesses granted few." The brown eyed Zora was declared to be Judgement.
"She can tell when you are lying and is often asked to decide who is telling the truth when feuds pop up between us."
"You already know Devil." Link nodded, looking at the dark man suspiciously. "What you don't know about him is that he is a very powerful sorcerer of the dark arts and that he was once the most renowned assassins in Hyrule."
At Link's stunned look Impa grinned, "He's an ex-assassin now, we saved him from being recruited by Ganondorf and he's been with us ever since."
Next The Moon and The Sun's names were presented.
"Moon and Sun are the parents of Star. Moon can read minds and Sun can make weapons out of his own blood."
Finally she pointed to the last individual in the group, a woman with hair the color of a moonless night and eyes that looked like the ocean.
"World." Impa said her name and then seemed at a loss as to how she should explain her. After a moment of hesitation she said, "World can do almost anything, she dabbles in sorcery, both white and black magic, she is competent with almost any weapon she can touch."
Link's jaw was agape, he had never heard of such a person before, at least not one that wasn't in some outlandish legend or myth. But here she was, smiling warmly at him, eyes crinkled in amusement at his disbelief.
"There are a few people missing." Impa explained, looking around with mild frustration, "Emperor, Hanged Man, Hermit, Death, and Wheel of Fortune."
There was a loud crash as a door was thrown open with more force than was required and smashed into the house. Everyone turned toward the noise, several of the assembled with weapons drawn.
"Sorry everyone." A dark haired woman emerged from within the house, closely followed by a squat little Kokiri, and a short Hylian. "That was my fault."
People visibly relaxed and Impa returned her short sword back into its rightful place at her side. "Fortune, Hanged Man, Emperor." She introduced them to Link as they filed out of the house. "Fortune is our scryer, Hanged Man is our thinker, and Emperor," she shot him a look that spoke volumes, "likes to avoid meetings."
"Aw c'mon now Impa." Talon whined, "That ain't no fair. I show up when ya need me to."
Then his eyes encountered Link.
"Oh Goddesses." He whispered, eyes wide, "Is that Link?"
Link nodded slowly, a smile curving the corners of his mouth.
Talon nearly trampled the sitting assembly when he rushed over to pick up the young blonde in a bear hug, which looked ridiculous because of the difference in height between the two of them.
When Link's bruised middle had stopped hurting some what Talon began questioning him.
"Where have ya been? What have ya been doin' for so long? How did ya escape from Ganondorf?"
Link nearly laughed, "Perhaps we could discuss this some other time?" he asked, looking around at the rest of the Arcana group.
"I 'pose so." Talon sighed, his evident impatience only making his expression more comical.
After Talon had calmed down and the rest of the group seemed to have relaxed Link asked the one question that had been plaguing his mind ever since he had fallen from the Sacred Realm.
"Where is Malon?"
A hush descended over the gathering, and the eagerness on Talon's face faded away.
"C'mon inside Link." He said quietly, grabbing the young man by his arm and steering him toward the house he had just recently exited. "There's somethin' I hafta tell ya."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Author's Notes: This was, by far, one of the most painful chapters I've ever written. It stretched both my wits and my patience to their very limits and is somehow still awful.
In the next chapter I beg all of my regular and newbie reviewers to bear with me; it will probably be very short and very angsty. Please don't abandon this story if things get ugly, I still haven't, and I promise things will get better.
Thanks to all those who edited this monster, (Ryu-sama, my friend Johanna, my parents, my sisters, ect.) I thank you from the bottom of my rather heavy heart.
Well it's twelve o'clock in the morning, and since I can think of nothing else to say I guess I will end this rant here.
I love all who will review,
-- Alanna
