Link and Lear were traveling at a slow pace. The day had been eventful; with monsters, treasure hunting, gaining a new weapon, more monsters...all they wanted to do was rest. They were making their way back to Pippa's bar to spend the night. Lear felt the wind hitting her face urgently, but she was frustrated and tired. Instead, she aimed it at Link's hat. He held on to it tight.
"That's cruel, y'know. I could use my new hookshot to steal your pack." Lear grinned despite her mood. Fala's ears went back and he snorted. Link raised his eyebrow as Epona also began to fret. "Looks like something's heading towards us. I wonder what the wind has to say about our guest?" Link said giving Lear a hopeful look. Letting out a little sigh and not getting a single moment's rest, she listened to the wind.
Thoughts and images of Begonia swept through Lear's mind. Begonia? Riding a horse? Lear thought to herself. She would never ride a horse on her own! Lear looked over at Link with a confused look on her face.
"Link...the wind is telling me that our guest, is my sister! And she's riding a horse for heaven's sake!"
Link raised an eyebrow. "I thought she was afraid of horses...oh well, if she's looking for us, then she succeeded I suppose..." Link trailed off, watching as a large steed came into view. The rider was tiny compared to it.
Looking closer, he realized whom the horse belonged to. "You sure that's her?"
Lear squinted. The figure was yelling commands to the horse and clutched on to it for her life. "Yeah, I'm sure of it. Why?"
Link sighed and scratched his head wearily. "Because that's Ganondorf's horse she's riding." Lear's blood went cold. What if he were near by?
"Link, you should leave...what if this isn't...safe?" Link gave a mischievous smile.
"You don't trust your sister? Besides, if it comes to a fight between him and me, maybe it's about time I prove myself as a hero." Lear didn't like the thought of him dying to become a hero. She already thought of him as the greatest hero to live. She brooded on this thought for a while, but jumped when she heard her name being yelled closer than she thought.
Lear looked at her sister, she was grinning and waving her arms, apparently she's really happy to see them. "Lear!!" Begonia finally made it over to them, her hands clutching the reigns again, as if her life depended on them. "I'm so happy to see you!" Lear continued to stare at her, the wind was telling her that there's something different about Begonia. She responded to her sister, not wanting to be rude.
"Oh, Begonia!"
Then Link cut in. "So uh...why are you riding Ganondorf's horse? He isn't around...is he?" Begonia only smiled.
"Nope! He let me, actually more like made me, use his horse to get here..." Lear could only stare at her sister. What is it? Something's happened... Lear thought, only to have her thoughts be broken by Begonia's enthusiasm.
"Hey Lear!! I have wonderful news to tell you..." She looked over at Link. Link stared back at her for a few moments, then glared.
"Oh, I see. Not for my ears then?" He pulled on Epona's reigns, trotting away from them to give them their space. When Begonia decided that he was far enough away, she decided to go on with her news. She wasn't sure how to start, so she started by lifting up the sleeve on her right arm to show a mark on her shoulder. Lear just stared at it. That wasn't there before... she thought.
"What is that?" Begonia sighed, her sister must've forgotten about the stories of the marriage ceremonies, or she would've began to freak out by now...
"Lear...don't you know what this is? I-It's the mark...of a completed marriage ceremony..."
Lear felt her insides go hollow. "Marriage ceremony? That's...that's great. To whom? Did you find yourself a nice guy in the market, a soldier or 'somethin, perhaps?" Lear already knew who her sister was married to. But she didn't want to believe it.
Begonia saddened, she knew her sister didn't want to hear this, but she had to tell her! She was the only other person in this world left...that cared about her. "Lear..." she tried to find her words.
"Ganondorf and I performed the ceremony...I didn't know it was going to happen...you see, he and I were playing the organ together...and I began to dance to his music..." she trailed off, recalling those wonderful moments. "...then I realized the meaning of that dance. He asked what it was, so I told him." she looked down, not really wanting to see Lear's eyes. "he asked me to perform the dance with him." Then she looked up at her. "Oh Lear! I wish you could've seen it! It was everything that the elders spoke of!"
Lear stared at her. She didn't care a mite for what the elders spoke of. What she cared about was her sister's future, which by now was no future at all. "Begonia..." She couldn't speak. Her feeling fluctuated with anger, hopelessness, fear...and with a twinge of pain as she remembered how Link and her were fighting against the one person her sister like. No, loved.
Begonia couldn't help but feel that her sister had no interest. Why would she? Lear hated Ganondorf, her husband. "...Lear...I know that you think he's evil...but he's not! He loves me." She pleaded with her sister, they need to at least meet half way about this. "I do feel the shadows that he contains. I know I can help him! The shadows have started to speak to me Lear...my shadow was what led me to find you today..."
"Shadow?" Lear was angry now. "Begonia! Have you practiced your healing power at all? Maybe you should heal those he ruthlessly attacks! You don't understand him, though you tell yourself that you do. I've been out there, I've seen what he does. He's a monster! Don't think that you don't know what he does, because you've seen it too. You saw what he did to our village, our people, our very family!" She paused and felt herself quivering. "Choose your own path, Begonia...I can't choose it for you."
Begonia felt like a part of her had died. Her own sister, her only living kin, was denying her the comfort she needed. The words that she spoke had stabbed her to the core. She felt tears threatening to spill from the corners of her eyes. "L-lear...please...don't be this way..." Her voice began to quiver. "those shadows came to me on their own...just as the wind comes to you!" she began to raise her voice.
Lear turned towards her with the look of a consoling sibling. "It's not the shadows I'm afraid of, Begonia! It's how they can affect you." She looked down. Anywhere but at her sister. "Just...just watch yourself, alright? In everything you do. You know what's right and what you must do; now follow it."
Begonia also looked away, turning off the emotion of sadness, hoping it would help her through this. "I have followed my heart. Marrying Ganondorf was the right thing to do, and I shall continue to do the right thing." She looked over at Link, who looked mighty bored sitting on Epona. "...I hope you do the right thing and perform your own ceremony." She noticed that the sun had began to set, it was time for her to go. She turned her steed around, facing away from Lear.
"I must go...I don't want my husband to worry by coming home late..." her horse trotted a few steps, she then stopped again. "Lear...thank-you...for your concern. I hope to see you again! " she signaled for her steed to gallop away, clinging to its neck; she left behind a few tears.
Lear looked on after her sister and didn't know quite how to feel. She blinked once, turned Fala towards Link, and walked away.
Begonia made her way back to the fortress, her home. She didn't really pay attention to the fact that she was riding a horse, she couldn't keep her mind off of her sister. She hopes with all of her might, that she will perform the ceremony someday. She dismounted the large animal, not bothering to lead it to the stable, he was smart enough to do it himself. All she wanted right now, was to be comforted by her husband. At least he won't question her, would he? She made her way to the large oak door, hearing the sounds of an organ, she knew that he was in there. She slowly opened the door, she was very drained.
Walking in, she lay herself down on a large pillow in the center of the room. She heard the organ stop and Ganondorf's heavy footsteps approaching.
"Begonia" he spoke with his deep voice. "Are you alright?" He knelt down in front of her, concern was written all over his face as he looked at her drained figure. Begonia looked up at him, she had dried tear lines on her face. She couldn't speak, she didn't know what to say. "Your sister doesn't approve of me." He stated it more as a matter of fact, rather than a question.
"She's just...worried about me. That's all" Begonia hoped he wouldn't be angry at her sister. What would he do if he was? She didn't believe anything terrible could happen to her sister from this.
"I see." Was all he said. He took a seat next to her on the pillow, well, more like plopping down onto it. His sudden seating caused her side of the pillow to jump. "I suppose it is to be expected." Without anymore words, he opened his arms, waiting for her to come to him.
She fell into his arms and let her feelings drain out of her. She hoped the night would end soon, so she'd wake up from the nightmare her and her sister were thrown in...
Ganondorf held her close, stroking her hair as she wept. He kissed the top of her head and watched her shake with sobs. 'I'll give her time...women have it rough with emotions...' he thought to himself.
He gently picked her up and walked with her to the bedchambers. She'd fallen asleep on the way, and he calmly laid her on the bed. Stroking the hair from her face, he smiled and walked back out the door.
Lear trotted back to Link and tried not to show her emotions. Link read her easily enough and let her lead the way. Lear felt at first aggravated by his actions; why is he always the last to ask how everything is going? Yeah, she thought, my sister just married a maniac. The one we're after. I'm feeling swell. Then she realized that she'd be aggravated at him even if he asked. Either way, she was aggravated. That's not right. I can't treat him that way. He's the last person one this earth who'd hurt me.
Link couldn't help but watch her, her emotions were easily read. He wanted to know what had been said between her and Begonia, but a part of him really didn't want to know. But...he thought, I saw Begonia look over in my direction, were they talking about me? He began to panic a little. Was Lear mad at him? He couldn't think of anything that might've annoyed her. He decided to forget about it until they got back to the inn, he'd ask her about it then.
They reached the inn soon enough and left the horses in the stables. They still hadn't spoken a single word to each other, and entered the inn with a poor atmosphere. Pippa picked up on it as soon as they walked in, and ushered them to a table, serving them drinks as she did.
Once Pippa finally left the table, Link decided that now might be a good time to talk to her about earlier events.
"...Lear?" He looked over at her, she was still staring at her cup.
"hm?"
"I don't want to pry, but...when I was waiting during your talk with your sister...I saw her look at me when she spoke to you..." Lear froze. Why do these things always happen to her? The last thing she wanted to talk about was that. "What was she saying?" he waited for her to speak, taking a sip of his drink as he did so.
Lear looked away and scowled. "I dunno. She got married." Navi bounced under Link's hat. Link didn't like the sound of that...he tried to stay casual.
"And didn't invite us to the ceremony? Shame." Now Lear downed her drink.
"Ceremony, HAH. Who needs a stupid 'ol wedding ceremony." She slammed her drink down on the table. Link saw this as a good sign and tried to keep her mood up, even if it was a little terrifying.
"Yeah. And the reception! Can you imagine...a wedding reception, at the Gerudo fortress?" Lear gave a mischievous crooked smile.
"Yeah, all those girls trying to dance pretty! And they'd be throwing cactuses after the newlyweds!" They both laughed at this and silence followed.
Link didn't like how silent it became. He side-glanced at Lear, she was staring at her cup again. "...Do you really think that marriage ceremonies are stupid?" Link asked hesitantly. Silence still pursued them. "Well...I think they're nice..." Link said as he propped his head onto his fist.
Lear picked off a feather that had fallen on her tunic. She flicked it and watched it float to the ground. "Maybe yours are. But ours are stupid. Just...stupid."
Link smiled. "Yes, you said that already."
"I'm making a point, Fairy-boy. They're dumb." She glared.
"Soooo...who did she get married to?" He cringed expecting an outburst. When none came he looked up. Lear had her head down on her folded arms, sprawled across the table. That's unexpected.
"Are you mad?" She said beneath her arms. He played along.
"Mad at...you?" She jerked her head up.
"Don't play coy with me! Mad that she married him." She said the last word with such venom that Link had to try very hard to hide a smile.
"It's not your fault that she did. I wish she would've chosen somebody less...homicidal, but y'know...She's family." Lear found herself trying hard to control her temper.
"Link, why are you so nice and positive about everything? Do you realize what she's done? C'mon...let's be serious and think about this. You're going to have to face him one day, and then I have to face my sister! Or she has to face me! How do you think that's going to work out?" When she looked at him, his face was grave.
"Enough. She's your sister, and you'll continue to watch over her from afar, if that's how it's going to be. But you cannot give up on her. As for him and I, that's between our destinies. You two were never meant to be involved. Nobody was. But it was inevitable...and now I've got to make it up to everyone."
Lear's face darkened. Link was right, she can't give up on her, not now. She let out a tired sigh. "...I'm sorry Link…for thinking like that I mean. I just have to be stronger, and watch her, like you said." Link nodded at this, also letting out a sigh. "She told me that she thinks she can help change him. Is that even possible?" Link pondered for a moment, could it really? He wasn't sure, for it was already written in their destinies that he was to face Ganondorf someday.
"Can you change destiny?" His voice was small as he spoke his hand, his head propped up once again. Lear suddenly felt a deep sadness for him.
"Link, will you tell me how you came to be a hero?" She said it so quickly, she shocked herself. He looked at her and his expression was unreadable. She was jealous that his perfect face couldn't be betrayed by emotions like hers.
"That's a story for another time. For now, I think it's time we call it a day." Lear nodded.
"Ok, well...g'night then." She said, standing. He smiled up at her.
"Good night." Navi said a farewell too. Walking away, Lear looked back to see him staring down at the table; looking at it but not seeing it. She felt another jab of sympathy for the hero with a destiny.