Two years later...
Lear jumped a little when she heard her name. She'd been staring at nothing again. "What was that?"
Link looked up from the scrap of paper he was holding. "I said, Pippa's given us a head's up on where to find that map for the Hookshot. She say's she's heard some news from the folks who come around the bar, and all odds seem to point to the Gerudo fortress."
Lear had been casually playing with her curls up until this point. Her eyes went wide and she promptly dropped her hair. "Gerudo Fortress? Link, I can't go there. Not after what's happened, nope. Not me, find yourself another sidekick." She'd been starting to walk in the other direction when he jumped in front of her. He'd been expecting a fight about this.
"Lear, c'mon...the hookshot! We need that!"
Now she glared at him. "I'm NOT going to the desert!"
"Oh come on! It's been so long since then! And we need the hookshot, you know that!"
Lear glared at him. "No, Link. If you want it so badly, then go yourself!"
Link gave up, but not quite. He had other ways of getting her to go. "Please? Lear? It'll be so easy to get. All we have to do is run in, grab it and run out!" He started to pout at her. He tried to give her the puppy-dog eyes. He needed her to go with him! Lear watched him suddenly change his face.
"Oh no. Don't you dare, Link! I am not going to fall for that face!" she folded her arms against her chest.
"C'mon, please? Please?" He hoped his eyes looked cute enough. Maybe if he stuck his bottom lip out more...?
"Stop messing with your face!" Lear was laughing now. Link smiled. Mission accomplished. Well, almost.
"So you'll go?"
Lear looked at him from under knit eyebrows. "What's in it for me? Why would I possibly go back to the one place I hate the most on this entire planet, hm?"
Link shrugged. "Because I need you there with me, y'know. In case something happens. And because I begged. I never beg. I did that for you, c'mon! Will you do this for me?"
Lear groaned. "Alright! FINE!! I'll go..." she rubbed her forehead with her hand. She's not ready to face her memories. Link grinned with excitement and gave her a quick hug! "Okay! Then we leave at midnight! Thanks, Lear!" He left the room to go prepare for their journey in the morning. Lear sat down in a chair. "What have I gotten myself into?" she asked herself.
Midnight approached sooner than Lear would have liked. She said a quick farewell to Pippa and trudged out of the market, grabbing an apple as she went. She found the horses ready and Link checking up on the supplies as she walked out of Hyrule Market. He turned around. "Good Evening!"
She threw him an apple with a glare. "Good would have been at noon." She bit into her apple and mounted Fala, catching Link rolling his eyes. He mounted Epona and trotted next to her. "If given permission, Grumpy, can we start this small quest?" She gave him a sarcastic smile and threw her arm towards the desert. "Lead the way, Mr. Hero."
Link just laughed. "Don't worry, we'll be outta there before you know it!" He started Epona in a gallop, Lear and Fala following suit. They raced across the fields, heading straight for the desert. Lear still didn't want to go to the desert. She wishes that she didn't have to face those memories again. The last time she ever saw her sister...was the night before they took her away. She mentally punished herself. Why didn't she take charge that morning? It should've been her. She should've been the one to get up early and gather the water. Or, at least have gone with her sister to do so. Maybe things would've ended up differently if she had done that one simple thing! Before she knew it, they had arrived at the desert edge. Their quest begins now.
The left the horses and set off into the chilly night. Lear noticed that Link had casually begun to follow her instead of the other way around. They continued like this for quite some time before Lear spoke up. "You don't have a clue where you're going."
Link shrunk and gave a sheepish look." Well...I recognize these...sand dunes..."
Lear stopped and looked back at him. "I wasn't asking a question. I was stating the obvious. You gotta be kidding me, you led me into the desert without knowing where to go?" Link quickly recovered.
"I don't but you do, right? Lead the way!" He tried his best to look innocent. Lear stared then turned quickly on her heels and took off, yelling in a language Link couldn't understand. He supposed that he didn't want to understand. Before long, the fortress appeared through the night. "Lear," Link said trying to catch his breath, "...thanks. I didn't mean to..." She interrupted him. "You really did need me, didn't you Fairy boy?" She scoffed, then her look softened and she gave a half-smile to him. "Let's just find that map and get out of here, yeah?"
Luckily for Link, the night hid the blush that had formed on his face. It was embarrassing for him, not having any idea where the fortress was. "Okay. We have to leave our horses here and walk the rest of the way. We can't risk being seen." Link said. Then Lear remembered something. "Ah, I just remembered!" She rummaged through her supplies, grabbing two cloaks. She put hers on, handing the other to Link. "Put this on. They'll keep us hidden." Link grabbed the cloak with a nod, putting it on with a determined look on his face. They began to sneak towards the fortress, sneaking around the boblins that kept guard.
They entered the fortress without ere and set off at a run. The passage ways seemed a maze and they chose their paths by trial and error. Before long, they entered a large corridor. "There it is! The hookshot awaits!" Link said with a haughty chuckle. They both stepped into the room and jumped when a clank sounded behind them. A gate had sprung up, blocking their escape. They both looked at each other nervously. "Well, there's the treasure chest. Go get your prize!" Lear said and jerked her head in the opposite direction. Link looked at the treasure. It seemed so much closer before. He took a step forward and the sand in the center of the room shivered and began to move. "Link..." Lear said while walking towards him. "Yeah, I see it!" He drew his sword. Suddenly the sand erupted and a gigantic snake hissed at them and bared it's fangs.
Link dodged an attack from the snake, taking the chance, he took out his bow and threw it at Lear. "Lear! Take out its eyes with some arrows! I'll distract him!" Lear held the bow in her hand, he was counting on her! This is her biggest archery test yet. She pulled out an arrow and readied herself to shoot as Link rolled on the ground again, barely getting out of the way of the snake biting at him. Lear aimed at the forehead of the snake, if it were to move, it would most likely be hit in one of its eyes. Link attacked the snake, drawing blood from its body. The snake screeched and Lear took this as the moment to shoot. She pulled back the arrow and let it fly.
The arrow hit true and the snake thrashed with a deafening roar. Link quickly attacked again and again, as Lear continued to weaken it with her arrows. With a last hiss, the snake tumbled to the ground and thrashed his tail, narrowly missing Link and Lear. A green fire burned up around it and when the flames subsided, the monster was gone. They stood there panting and staring at the spot where the fire had disappeared. Link wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand.
"Well," he said with a small laugh, "Nothing we can't handle, right? Nice shootin', you really had my back out there!"
Lear smiled, still trying to catch her breath, a task even harder to do with him looking at her in such a way. "Yeah? Did I do alright? It's all thanks to you, y'know. Cool. Can you get the treasure now?"
"Oh! Sure thing." He turned and ran toward the chest.
He opened the chest, looking inside of it as if he were a child opening a present. He reached in and picked up a parchment. "We finally have it!" he said with a laugh. Lear walked over to him as he opened it. He grinned "It's a map alright." It looks like another quest is about to begin! But not before they're chased down by some Boblins, of course. Lear didn't like how the air changed just now. She grabbed his arm, "Link..." he looked up at her, putting the map in his tunic. She pulled him towards the exit of the room. "They're coming! The boblins!"
"Shoot!" Link said as he began to run.
Link and Lear ran down the passage and prepared for the worst. The Boblins had caught their scent as they left the treasure room, and a horde of them were certain to be near. "Draw your sword, and keep your bow at the ready!" He shouted to her. She nodded. Fighting these small fry was merely practice. Suddenly a cloaked figure jumped down from a nook in the ceiling. Link turned back and raised his sword. "No, I've got this one!" She shouted as the figure and her were already clashing swords.
Begonia lunged at the intruder with her twin swords, slicing and swinging left and right. "I don't take kindly to intruders" she said as she kicked Lear in the stomach. It almost looked like a dance, the way they were fighting and perfectly blocking each other's attacks. As Begonia continued to fight, she noticed that the style of sword-play from the intruder was very familiar. It was almost the same as her own!
The leaped away for a moment and considered each other. Lear gasped as she tried to catch her breath. What's with this girl? She was way to good of a swordsmen to be a Gerudo. They clashed again, swords clinging and flashing. Wait for it...she thought. There it is! Her sword whistled as she sliced a perfect aim at her neck and...missed. The opposer's brooch caught on the edge and shattered as the cloak dropped. "Surrender yourse..." Lear started to shout then gasped. Begonia stood before her eyes.
Begonia just stood there, angry about her cloak being ruined, she pointed one of her swords at her opponent. "What? Have you given up?" She sneered, waiting for an answer from this girl, but soon lost patience and reared up her sword for the final blow.
"Wait, hold on,"
She let down her sword. "What?"
Lear removed the cloak from her head and waited. Would she remember her? Link shot a look at Lear and looked between the two. "It's me, Lear! Boy, you're sword fighting's improved from the last time we saw each other." She said with a nervous chuckle.
Begonia stared at her in shock. Was Lear, her long lost sister, standing before her? She was too shocked to speak. She dropped her swords immediately and embraced Lear in a hug. "...Oh Lear...I thought you were dead!"
Lear shut her eyes tight to fight the tears away. "Me too...I mean, not about me, but about you!" They both laughed. Link stood openmouthed. Lear blinked and blushed."Oh! Sorry, this is Link. He and I are partners in fighting against the dark forces that have been revolting against Hyrule. You may have heard of their leader, Ganondorf? Well, he's horrible and vile and..." She trailed off. Was her sister shaking her head? She saw something in her eyes that told her something was wrong. "What's the matter?"
Begonia only smiled a sad smile and let out a sigh. "He isn't like that, Lear..." She stared at her sister, who had a look on her face that apparently said she thought her sister was crazy. "Ganondorf...he...didn't see me as a prisoner. He let me live in the fortress." Begonia waited a moment for some sort of response. Should she tell her about...their relationship?
"Let you live? Here?" Lear cocked her head.
"Let you live is enough to try to believe. He's a monster, he let's no one live" Link said as he walked to her side.
Begonia blinked. "Yes...I know you. The 'Hero of Time', no doubt about it. You're a lot shorter than I pictured." She smirked. Link glared and opened his mouth to shoot out a retort.
"Link's no kid," Lear cut in, grabbing his arm and giving him a patient look. "He's a hero. I'm sorry, but we don't understand you when you talk of Ganondorf in such a way." Scuttles and snarls were heard from across the corridor and their heads turned.
"The Boblins!" Begonia said. "They'll be more of them now..."
Begonia shot a quick glance back at Lear and Link. "I'll tell you more later, but for now, get out of here! I'll take care of them. Meet me outside!" As Begonia readied herself, Link started heading in the other direction while Lear watched Begonia lift up her hand, as if she were trying to use her power.
"Begonia! What are you doing? You can't use your power yet!"
Begonia focused her eyes on the boblins who were running down the hallway towards her, she let out a yell and shot out a small amount of her shadowy magic at them; it wasn't enough though. "Looks like I don't quite got it yet!" She quickly turned around, grabbing her sister by the wrist and ran.
They burst from the corridor and into the dark on the desert night. Link pulled out his horse whistle and it's song pierced the chaos following them. Lear followed with her own call and the horse's whinnies were heard galloping toward them from below the rock wall they stood on. Link jumped and landed on Epona as Lear fell on Fala beside him. "Come on, jump!" She shouted to Begonia. Her sister hesitated. Horses, why horses? She jumped and landed behind Lear. Epona led as Fala followed and the riders spurred their horses away from the fortress and hailstorm of arrows.
Begonia really wasn't a big fan of riding on a horse, but she complied anyways. As Lear's horse gained speed, Begonia let out a small yelp and held on for dear life, nearly being hit by some arrows. They headed straight for the river, and that would lead them to the Lake Hylia. Link yelled for Lear to follow him, gaining speed. During all of this, it was hard for Begonia not to think about what, or who, she was leaving behind. Was she doing the right thing? Would he come after her?
She blinked. "What?" She shouted; Lear had been yelling to her.
"Get ready to jump!" Lear knew her sister wouldn't like this, but it was their only chance of escape. Link turned Epona to run parallel the river. He easily stood up on the saddle, let go of the reins, and jumped down into the water below. Lear turned her head to her sister.
"You'll go first, get ready!"
Begonia shook her head furiously. "ARE YOU CRAZY?!"
"Begonia, NOW!" Lear shouted again. The river was running out of range to jump...She felt her sister turn on the horse and face the river.
"If I don't live through this, you can keep my jade necklace that you've always wanted and that pretty tunic that you've..." Lear shoved her, hard. Begonia fell into the river as her sister followed.
After Begonia hit the water hard, she brought her head above the water to gasp for air. She turned her head to see Lear floating down the river behind her and she yelled "Lear!! Don't you EVER do that again!" Link was further down the river, and seeing that there was a waterfall up ahead, he panicked and yelled back at Lear and Begonia "There's a waterfall up ahead! Prepare yourselves!!" He swam towards the waterfall, diving off it when he reached the edge, leaving Lear and Begonia to stare in shock at each other.
"WATERFALL?!?" They both yelled, as they both were drawn closer to the edge.
"This is YOUR fault! Just like the time you placed that mini Freezard inside my..." Begonia didn't finish. They both fell off the edge like rocks. Lear yelled as the water flooded her mouth and she felt herself sinking as she hit the water with a smack. Bubbles surrounded her and she tried to yell...then it was lights out.