Begonia woke up early into the morning, she had something planned for today. She slunk out of the bed, making sure that she didn't wake Ganondorf up, and headed for the stables. She did this much slower than she would've if it weren't for her pregnancy. She was four months into it, and it was slightly beginning to show. Gathering up her cloak, she approached her husband's large steed; once mounted, she had to sit sideways, for it was the only way for a pregnant woman to ride a horse.
She spurred it towards the Hyrule field with a determined air. It galloped across the fields as the sun was barely beginning to rise. Today she decided she'd tell her sister about her baby. She wondered how Lear would take such news, but she had to tell her. The market came into view and she slowed her horse. Hopping off, she walked into the market as the morning crowd was beginning to crowd in. She ignored the merchants trying to sell her necklaces and pendants and headed straight for Pippa's bar. She'd know where Lear was.
As she opened the door to the bar, the smell of fresh bread made its way to her nose. She remembered the time she had spent here after they fell over the waterfall, she shook her head and smiled. Such times will never be re-lived. Pippa turned around at the sound of the door opening,
"Hey there, welcome! What can I do..." she stopped speaking when she saw Begonia's face, walking around the bar with open arms, she made her way over to her. "Oh Begonia! It's been so long! How're you doin' hun?" Begonia returned the friendly gesture.
"I'm fine! I just came for a visit..." she said, smiling at Pippa's kindness.
"Well now! Why don't you just make yourself at home?" She said, her hand gesturing to a chair at a table.
"Thank-you!" Begonia said gratefully as she sat down. She observed the people around her relaxing and talking. Pippa brought a drink over and sat next to her for a while.
"Tell me, how's life been 'treatin ya?" Begonia smiled over her glass.
"Well, it's been wonderful! And, I have something very urgent to tell Lear. Have you seen her?" Pippa grinned as she rolled her eyes.
"Well, I think Link and her went out to the field for the day. They said something about a 'race to end all of Link's cheats and Lear's wins'." Begonia stared. "They're racing Fala and Epona somewhere. That's the only information they gave me! Hun, I don't know how to keep those two out of trouble..." Pippa laughed. Begonia nodded and thanked her for the drink.
"I'm sorry to leave so quickly, but I've got to find her!"
"Alright hun, just be careful now, y'hear?" Pippa said as she gathered up Begonia's drink to put away. Begonia then stood up from her seat and raced out of the door. She put her hood up to cover her face, just as a precaution, you could never be too careful about who sees you! She pushed her way through the hustle and bustle of the market, finally making it to the gate. Her steed was waiting patiently for her. 'I've got to get this done quickly' she thought to herself. 'I don't want Ganondorf to worry if I don't make it home before he wakes up.' was her thought as she mounted her horse. Her shadow began to quiver and point in the direction of her sister, she followed it, her horse in a gallop.
Lear whispered urgently in Fala's ear. He bucked his head as his hooves flew faster across the field. She turned her head to look behind her and yelped.
"Ha ha! You think your mustang can beat out my Epona? You've got another thing coming'! See you at the end of the field!" Link laughed as Epona grew level with Fala. Lear glared and spurred her horse faster.
"Mustang? What's wrong with a mustang? This is the best horse blood in centuries that you have the honor to race! And don't forget about last time, you dirty rotten cheater, how you..." she paused here as Fala leaped over a fence in the field. Epona followed suit and drew level again.
Begonia's steed brought her over a hill, in the distance she could see two people racing on horses. She smiled, it's always been just like Lear to want to race across the land, riding her mustang. She waited patiently upon her horse, watching the race continue. "I'll...let them finish up first..." she said thoughtfully. To Begonia, Lear seemed to be happy with her lifestyle, carefree and daring. Flicking the reigns slightly, she urged her horse in a trot. She wanted to get a better look at this race, it looks like a close one!
Link gave a cocky smile. "Cheater? Me? Oh, c'mon Lear! That shortcut was so obvious. You could've taken it had you wanted to! And the monster distraction? That cow I saw really did look like a monster!!" Lear glared and opened her mouth to say something to this when she looked ahead. The finish line where the field ended and the great plains to the west started, was closing in on them. She looked at Link as he looked at her. "YAH!!" They both shouted as they turned to spur their horses on. Fala's hooves flew like the wind and he snorted as he pushed towards the plains. Epona whinnied as Link whispered something in her ear and galloped even faster. One moment Fala's head was in the lead, the next Epona would take the place.
Begonia urged her steed closer until she got close enough to watch the race. She continued to smile at them, she could tell that they really enjoyed racing each other...and each other's company. She placed a hand over her stomach in worry that her sister will be upset...which she most likely will be. Not only is it just odd for the younger sister to be married and with child, but her older sister is still running wild and free. Her thoughts were broken by more sounds coming from Link and Lear, yelling for their horses to go faster. It looks like the race will end soon.
Fala and Epona crossed the finish line head-to-head. Their riders let them slow down for several hundred feet and relax into a walk. Link turned to Lear after they'd caught their breath.
"That's another win for me; I'm on a roll! Next time, try not to slow us down too much, we don't want to lose you on the plains." Lear just shook her head. What was the point of arguing with him? He usually won at that. Navi bounced up and down.
"Actually, I think Lear won that one. Yeah, Fala's muzzle barely crossed the line before Epona's." Link scrutinized her with a frown as she laughed like bells with Lear.
"Oh-ho, Fairy-boy. Your own fairy admits that I won. Sorry, better next time, hm?" She turned her horse out of the plains and back towards Hyrule. Link was arguing with Navi when Lear turned towards them with a shocked expression. "Link, that horse!" She exclaimed while pointing at the large steed racing towards them in the distance.
Link turned in the direction that Lear was pointing, looking in shock at the horse. "Do you think it's your sister?" He asked her. Lear glanced at him.
"...Let's hope so." she said as the large steed came closer. She recognized the rider as soon as she could see her, she was very petite compared to the dark king. The large steed came to a halt several feet away from them.
Begonia grinned. "Hey Lear! Help me down so I can hug you!" she called to her sister.
Lear smiled and trotted over to her sister. "Begonia!" She helped her off and was surprised that her sister had gained a little weight. Do they have good food in the desert? Begonia looked over at Link.
"Oh hi, Mr. Hero. How's adventuring?" He hopped off and walked over to them.
"Oh, you know, just riveting thanks to your-" Lear cut him off. "So, how's life been? I haven't talked to you in a while! Oh, I have so much to tell you; the fish monster, the forest temple, being able to breath underwater! But first, talk to me!" She was eager to hear all that her sister had to say.
Begonia grinned, so far things looked good. "So much has happened for me too! Of course, I'm sure they're not as adventurous as your stories..." Lear cut her off, waving her hand.
"Oh c'mon! I'm sure they're great!" Begonia grew excited from her sister's eagerness, she began to tell all about her life.
"Oh, I've gotta tell you, it's a little weird, but all of the gerudos bow to me whenever they see me! And I can play the organ now, and..." Link was having a hard time keeping up with the two women, they were both speaking very fast. "...Ganondorf and I play different 'games' everyday, he's really playful you know." Begonia said with a laugh, Link raised an eyebrow.
"'Playful'? Ha! I doubt it." Link said, only to be hushed by Lear.
"How about your powers? Are you developing each of them?" Lear hoped to put emphasis on the each; she didn't want the shadow side of her sister to take over. Begonia looked over at her horse as she spoke.
"Oh, y'know, excellent! I mean, I get stronger every day! What about your own powers; is the wind keeping you updated with everything?" Lear grinned.
"More than that, it now shows me things! I can see images in my head of where the wind has traveled. And the water, oh the water! I can control it, and also hear it speak."
Begonia smiled at this, thinking about what power her child may have. 'Maybe it would have the wind ability like Lear!' she thought as she absent-mindedly placed her hand over her stomach. Lear looked worried, thinking that Begonia was feeling sick.
"Begonia? Are you ok?" Begonia snapped out of her thoughts.
"Oh! Of course! Actually, my healing power has come in handy lately with my morning sickness..." she trailed off, causing Link and Lear to both raise an eyebrow.
"Morning sickness?" Link asked, clearly he was oblivious. 'uh oh...I guess I have to spill it now...' Begonia thought as she looked at the ground and twiddling her fingers. She glanced up at Lear. "Um...well, I don't really know how to put this..."
'Here it goes!' She stood up straight and looked Lear in the eye. "Lear...You're going to be an aunt!" she announced with a grin.
Link's jaw dropped as Navi fell several feet. Lear blinked several times as her jaw also dropped. Begonia looked back and forth between them.
"What? Oh, c'mon! Aren't you excited? An aunt! And...well, I want you to train them with their powers Lear." She looked at her as Lear stood staring back. "Lear? Oh for heaven's sake, snap out of it! Aren't you happy for me?" Lear shook her head a couple of times to clear her thoughts. Link still stood like a statue.
"Happy? Uh, yeah, happy. Congratulations, wow...wait, you're really pregnant?" Begonia put her hands on her hips and frowned. She was really just playing it up, so far the situation had played out quite nicely. Her sister hadn't left yet, that was a good sign.
Begonia let out a sigh. "Yes, really. I am pregnant, Lear!" Lear thought for a moment until the her sister's words finally made sense to her confused mind. She looked up at Begonia and grinned. When Begonia saw her smile, she smiled back. Maybe she really is happy? Lear practically jumped on her sister, enveloping her in a hug.
"Begonia! Ah! ...an aunt...wow." Certainly, Lear was happy for her sister...yet, she couldn't help but also feel upset that the child would also have the blood of a gerudo...Ganondorf. Lear let go of her sister to begin to ask questions. "How far along are you? Are you doing alright?" Begonia let out a sigh of relief. Her nightmares of her sister completely disowning her as a sister did not come true.
"Ah...I think I'm around 4 months, but I'm not sure."
Lear and Begonia talked well into the day. They trotted placidly across Hyrule field and caught up on each other's lives. Lear turned around after a while to say something to Link when she noticed he was gone. She felt a wave a sadness and anguish follow her at just noticing that he'd left and that she'd ignored him so readily. Begonia talked on as Lear turned in her saddle and stared ahead, the setting sun alighting everything as fire.
"So...how have you and Link been?" Begonia suddenly said with a mischievous grin. Lear gave a half smile as her sister laughed at her.
"Oh, c'mon...it's good. Link's the best friend I've ever had. He's always saving my life; sometimes I feel like I'm slowing him down or hindering him. But he's so sweet and tells me that when I think like that, my head is full of nonsense."
Begonia looked over at her sister. "And he's right, Lear! I can tell he really enjoys traveling with you. Don't ever think he doesn't." Lear thought about this, maybe Begonia was right...but...
"Lear, promise me something..."
"Yeah?"
"Promise me...that you'll tell him how you feel for him. Don't deny it. Just follow your heart." Begonia looked at her sister with a warm smile. Lear smiled back. 'Perhaps...maybe someday...' Lear thought to herself.
"Yeah...alright. Maybe someday. But for now..." She trailed off. What was she afraid of? She thought about being denied, or about him falling for one of those pretty girls that hang around him in the market. She thought about how she might grow old and haggard some day and he would no longer love her. How he would always be kind and heroic and how she would always be dogging after him, slowing him down. She thought of the one thought that scared her most and made her blood run chilled; the one thought that was holding her back from telling him everything. She couldn't bare to see him hurt or worse. She wouldn't be able to watch him suffer at the hand of his enemies, or bare such extreme anguish if something were to happen to her. No, she shook her head. She would never allow herself to be his pain. Nor could she stand to see him in pain. That's why she slid silently from her feelings and pushed them out.
Lear's train of thoughts were broken by her sister's voice. "Lear...I have one more request...as you know, pretty soon I won't be able to come visit you. At least not until the baby is born...will you come visit me?" Lear looked a bit shocked. Visit her? At that fortress? Where he lives? She wasn't sure if it was a good idea or not. Begonia started to worry when her sister didn't respond.
"I mean...if you want, whenever you visit, I'll make sure he isn't around. I'm sure you would want that, right?" Lear didn't want to disappoint her sister, neither did she not want to be there for her sister. She decided to comply, not knowing what would be in store.
"...a-alright. I'll visit you, Begonia. However, keep watch for signs that I'll give you when I'm on my way. I want you to make sure that he's not there when I arrive." Begonia flashed her a grin.
"Thank you Lear! You have no idea how much this means to me."
Lear just smiled back. "Of course! We're family and we stick together, right?" The sun had set when Begonia turned herself towards the desert. "You'll be ok, riding that long I mean?" Lear said with concern. Begonia just put on a determined look.
"I've got a husband to get home to." She didn't notice Lear flinch when she said 'husband', nor how much it bothered her sister. Lear put on a smile and hugged her sister.
"I'll visit you soon enough! Be safe!" Begonia just nodded and laughed.
"You too. And Lear, trust what you feel is right, ok?" With that, she rode off into the night. Lear looked after her, let out a sigh, and looked up at the night sky. Siyavash shone down on her like a good omen. 'Rain,' she thought, 'Good...I could use a little pick-me-up...' She mounted Fala and rode off the market direction. She shuddered to think of meeting Ganondorf face to face without Link, not only for his protection but for hers. She hated that man, and she hoped she would be able to keep her anger malice at bay until she left the fortress. She had to make sure that Begonia kept her word. Instinctively, she reached up and touched her sword hilt that hung behind her left shoulder.
In a matter of time, Lear had found herself at the gate of Hyrule market town. She dismounted Fala and trudged her way through the market. Luckily she didn't have to push through all the hustle and bustle of everyday. She let out a sigh as she gripped the door-knob of the bar, opening it to the sounds of people chatting and drinks clanking. Pippa looked over at her.
"Hey hun! How was the race?" Lear had forgotten all about it until now.
"Oh. It was good!" she said, remembering how the wind blew through her hair as she rode.
"That's great! And if you're looking for Link, he's right over there." Pippa gestured over to a table in the back corner with her hand.
Link sat with his head resting on his hand, looking at a piece of parchment on the table. She couldn't see his expression from here, and that scared her more than the thought of meeting Ganondorf. She could see Navi trying to hide from the rest of the people in the bar by hovering near his feet. Lear took a deep breath and walked over to the table, taking a seat with the best smile she could muster up.
"Hey there...some race today, huh? Listen, next time I'll give you a head's start. That way, I only have to beat you by a couple of feet!" She grinned stupidly as he slowly raised his eyes, his eyebrow following suit. Her smile disappeared and she cleared her throat awkwardly. Tapping her fingers on the table, she tried to think of something to talk about; anything to break the silence.
He was looking at the parchment again, and she raised herself a little bit off of her seat to take a look at it. It was a map. He looked up at her again, his head still on his hand, as she was staring at the map. She half smiled and sat down again.
The silence lingered like a dark cloud as the minutes dragged on. "Link..." Lear began, but stopped. She'd open her mouth to say something, only to close it again. It all began to build up inside of her until she felt like she was full of scratchy hay.
"Link. This is ridiculous. Just...talk, you foolish boy!" Lear finally said, slapping her hands on the table. Link wasn't glaring when she looked up. His face was expressionless, and that made her want to shrink under the table.
"Foolish? I'm not the foolish one! You're the one who's going to raise an Evil King's son; help him with his 'powers', allow him to pillage and murder more innocent people, just like his father...Where's that going to take us, hm Lear?"
Lear was offended. This child that he is speaking of is HER nephew! Or possibly niece!
"Link! How can you say that? We don't even know if the child is even a boy! It could be a girl! AND this is Begonia's child we're talking about..." he cut her off.
"Lear, it is ALSO the child of an evil king." Lear continued to stare at him.
"Do you think I don't know that? Link, with both Begonia and I there to raise this child, I know it will be a good child! Boy or girl!" Link still didn't want to hear this. He had enough to deal with already, and he didn't want to think about the possibility of a Ganondorf Jr. He kept silent, going through his thoughts and staring at his map. Lear rolled her eyes, he was just being stubborn!
"Link, I know you're worried. I am too, deathly worried! And I don't want a second Ganondorf to deal with either. But...you've got to trust me. Begonia and I will teach the baby to be good and noble. I promise you that he will never cause harm to the people of Hyrule." The words were out of her mouth faster than she intended. She'd made a promise, and she's known for never breaking one when she's serious like she is now. She vowed to keep this one to Link, no matter the cost. Link looked up at her again. She couldn't tell whether he was still angry or not.
"And what about Ganondorf, hm? Don't you think the kid'll be just a bit prejudice against me after hearing about me from Dad all day? And how do you think he'll like me when his dad and I have to fight for the fate of Hyrule?"
Lear didn't exactly know how to respond to this, Link was right. That would make things a bit more difficult for them. "Link...I promise you, it will be alright! And besides, if we raise him the right way, he may not want to take sides." Link certainly hoped that Lear was right. He knows that he will have to face Ganondorf someday, and if the child is raised like Lear said, he might not go out for revenge. The last thing he wants to deal with is someone going out for revenge against him.
He just nodded and went back to his map. Lear tried to change the subject, so she chose the parchment he was so involved in.
"So, we've got another adventure on our hands?" He scoffed.
"Well, I suppose so...if you're to raise your niece or nephew into a good person and-" she cut him off.
"I was talking about the map, Link." He looked up and blushed.
"Oh. Right. Yeah, this is a map leading to a fairy spring outside of Death Mountain. Princess Ruto gave us a head's up to visit there; she said the fairy that resides there will help us on our adventures." Lear smiled behind her hand. He seemed to be in good spirits again.
"Alright. We'll leave tomorrow, then?" He nodded and stood up.
"Sure thing. G'night." Lear was shocked by his leaving so suddenly.
"Oh, goodnight. See you tomorrow then."
A/N: Isn't it funny how I loaded chapter 13 on Friday the 13th? At least nothing bad happened in this chapter, no?
Thanks for reading! PLEASE review!!