I made a long chapter, to make up for the fact that the others have been dismally short. In return, I'd like a review. One click, and some clicking of keys, that's all it takes.

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The trip to Hyrule Castle Town was uneventful. But they got in, and Link and Khârna were astounded by the amount of noise. Meanwhile, Malon was arguing with her father. She wanted to help him deliver the milk.

"No, Malon, they'll only let me in. You don't have the credentials."

"But Daddy!"

"No, Malon, that's final."

"Hmmph," She said, defeated. "You'd better be back in an hour!"

As he left, she sat down in a huff.

"What's wrong?" Link asked.

"He knows he falls asleep if he goes alone. Why can't he get to bed on time?" Malon practically shouted. People started to look at her.

"It's hard work, taking care of a farm," Khârna said. He didn't know this, of course, but it seemed like the right thing to say.

"I can get to bed on time!" Malon said.

"Maybe he lets you. He's older and stronger than you." Link said reasonably.

"Hmmph."

"I've gotta go, Malon, I have to see the princess." Link said.

"WHAT??"

"I was told to see the princess by the Great Deku Tree."

"Good luck with that," Khârna laughed.

"I'm serious."

"I believe you. It's not gonna be easy though." Khârna remarked.

"That's what's going to make it so fun," said Link with a slightly devilish smile. "See you guys."

"Bye."

"Oh, Fairy Boy!" Malon said.

"Yeah?"

"Take this. Use it to wake up my father, if you find him." She handed him a cucco egg.

"Don't worry, I will." Link responded, pocketing the egg. He headed off towards the castle.

"So, why are you here? And where did you come from?" Malon asked, curious as to what this young boy was up to.

"I'm from Death Mountain. I came down because food is getting scarce – for people that is. Gorons have it in plenty… I think." Khârna was feeling very homesick. He wanted to head back there as soon as he could.

"How are you planning on living?" She asked. She didn't think a boy this young would know how to do anything yet.

"I'm a blacksmith. The gorons raised me as one of their own, and they mature faster, so I was taught young."

"Wow…" Malon said, astounded. This boy could work metal and all that? He couldn't be much older than her.

"I made this axe. It's the best thing I've ever made."

"That's really nice." Malon was really confused. She wanted to be nice to this boy. Her 10 year old frame of mind was screaming, "COOTIES!" But, as we know, hormones can only be kept at bay for so long.

"Yeah." Khârna, it must be said, didn't feel the same way. He had a couple more years before the hormones kicked in.

After an awkward silence, Khârna broke the ice again.

"Is it just you and your father at the ranch, or…" He trailed off, not sure what to expect.

"No, we have a ranch hand, his name is Ingo," Malon said, knowing full well what he meant, but deliberately avoiding the subject. "He's kind of short tempered, but he's pretty nice. He works himself to the bone."

"What I meant was –" at that point, Malon broke down crying. Khârna swore under his breath. He didn't mean to do this.

"I don't even know why I'm crying. I don't even know how she died." Ah. There's the answer.

"I'm sorry. I'm an idiot," Khârna said. "Don't talk about it if it makes you cry."

Malon nodded miserably. Then she had an idea. An awful idea. But oh so wonderful at the same time. It was an order straight from the hormones. But she was so distraught she didn't care. She hugged him. In the middle of a crowded city. She hugged him. Khârna didn't really like it. But he was too nice for his own good. He let her hug him, while decidedly not hugging her back. She cried all over him. He was getting more and more uncomfortable as it went on. A young boy came up to him and said "You're gonna get cooties!" Khârna smacked him across the face, sending him to the ground. Malon let go of him alarmed.

"You want to say that to my face?" He inquired of the sobbing boy on the floor.

"N-no." The boy stuttered with fear, then picked himself up and ran away.

Khârna tried to look tough, but he was visibly shaken by what had happened. He could hear the crack as he hit the boy's face. He wasn't aware that most people were so fragile. Growing up with Gorons, he had toughened up quite a bit. He went back to Malon, shaking his head and unable to speak.

Link walked away from the castle gate, fuming. A rather… heated argument with the guard had led to swords being drawn, and, well… let's just say it ended badly.

He rounded the corner, just to be out of sight of the guard, and sat down, looking at the town. He couldn't go back. Not yet. He hadn't talked to the princess yet, and Malon was still down there waiting for her father. He looked around. Ah. There were some vines he could climb up. He did so, and as he walked towards the top of the gate, stuck his tongue out at the guard below. He jumped down on the other side of the gate. He saw guards patrolling the area. They didn't see him… yet. He intended to keep it that way. He stealthily made it past the guards, up hills and over walls. He made it to the castle, but the drawbridge was closed, and if he went around to try to find another path, the guards would definitely notice. He looked at the moat, and at the guards.

"Shit." He said. And promptly jumped in the moat.

It was freezing, to say the least. He did find many rupees in it, though. He nearly laughed as he thought of the royal moat being used as a wishing well, then caught himself for fear of being found by the guards.

He saw a lower step. He looked around. It was the only place he could get up. He didn't think the guards would see him. He was right. And lo and behold, when he got there, he saw Talon, sleeping like a log. The cucco egg had hatched. He took the precocious chick out, and it let out a cock-a-doodle-doo like you ain't never seen. Talon woke up right away.

"What in tarnation?" He asked. "Oh, it's you Link. Sorry, I dozed off. Malon's going to be mad."

"Yes sir, I bet she is." He answered with a grin. Talon ran off surprisingly fast for an overweight, middle-aged man. Link tried the door that Talon was laying near. Locked. He looked around. A drainage pipe was on the other side of the moat. He couldn't jump that far. He eyed the crates that Talon, in his hurry, had neglected to take in. He pushed them into the moat. He could just barely jump over to the drain. He squeezed in, and came out into a garden. He saw that there were more guards. He snuck past them, into a courtyard. There was a young girl, obviously noble, looking into a small crack in the wall.

"Hey!" Link shouted. The girl jumped. She had a very pretty face. Link shook that thought out of his head and walked over to her.

"You're the one, aren't you?" She said. "The one in my dream. There were dark clouds over Hyrule, but a light shone out from the forest, and I saw a boy who looked just like you, holding a gold trimmed emerald.

"Yep, that's me." Link grinned.

"Let me introduce myself," said the girl. "I am Princess Zelda of Hyrule. And you might be…?"

"Link." He said. He'd been hearing his name so often coming out of his mouth he was starting to feel conceited.

"Look through that crack, Link." He did so. "See that man in black armor? He's the king of the Gerudos. He claims to pledge allegiance to my father, but I don't believe it." She said. "We can stop him," she said. "We need the master sword, but for that, we need the three spiritual stones."

"What?" Link asked, confused.

"The three spiritual stones. You have the Kokiri Emerald."

"Oh, I get it." Link said.

"So when we get all of those, then we can stop Ganondorf, and make Hyrule peaceful again."

"Okay!" Link said. He was going to go on an adventure. He loved adventure.

"My attendant will let you out," Zelda said. A dark skinned, grey haired lady grinned at Link. He couldn't tell how old she was, and it freaked him out. When he got out, she said,

"There's Kakariko village. It was a village of my people, the Sheikah. It is now a town for everyone. There is a gate that will lead you to the next spiritual stone." She then taught him the sacred melody of the royal family, and then left.

Khârna and Malon came running out.

"I'm going to go home now, Daddy'll be worried." Said Malon. Khârna was glad she was going. He felt rather uncomfortable around girls.

"Did you see the princess?" He asked Link.

"Yeah."

"What's she like?"

"Really pretty. She talks a lot, though."

"Whatever."

"I'm going to Death Mountain."

"Can I come with?" Khârna asked, jumping at the chance to go back to his home.

"Well, I guess." Link said. He didn't want to be mean, and, besides, that was the kid's home.

"Well, should we go, then?"

"Yeah."

And so, off they went, to the fiery heights of Death Mountain. Khârna didn't know that Ganondorf had closed off Dodongo's Cavern. The Gorons had been growing increasingly concerned, and since Khârna couldn't hold his own if it came to battle, they sent him off as soon as he could take care of himself. They would find all this out soon, though. Oh, would they ever.

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