A/N: Hello, I've written and re-written these two chapters a thousand times, it shouldn't have any misspellings.
Oh, and Keane, Isaac and Kayla are my characters © on those! And don't forget to vote on my poll ya'll!
Kokiri village
"Die you stupid frog! Die before my almighty sword."
"C'mon Keane, you almost have him!"
Keane heard how the other children started cheering him on and with a grin of pleasure he swiftly ran down the little fields, chasing the murmur frog. He got closer and closer but knew he had to make it into more of a show before he finished his prey off.
Therefore he stopped, pretending to have suddenly lost his breath. He bent over, leaning his hands on his legs while drawing his breath. Keane attempted to do it as loud as possible, wanting for everyone to hear. The children started laughing behind him.
He turned toward them, adoring every minute of their attention and started bowing as he made sure to read their reactions. While he rose from his final bow he swayed his sword, directing it sharply and carelessly toward the frog, whilst keeping his eye contact with his audience.
A whistling could be heard from his wooden sword, its blade flew the air, splitting it right through. "A coward," he roared. "I will cut you in half!"
After he got the impression Keane had sought from his bystanders, he turned to the frog, throwing himself onto the ground and rolled by its side, blocking its passage. "Now beast you are mine," he charged, lifting his sword above his head to make the final blow.
Just as Keane was about to strike he saw a boy sliding through the grass. Although he tried to strike as fast as he could, the boy had already caught the frog and was now holding it tenderly in his small hands.
"Ohy, what do you think you are doing?!" Keane's eyes went wide.
The boy, sitting crunched down by his feet didn't reply. He caressed the frog in his hand without bothering looking up to meet Keane's enraged face.
After some moments of hefty silence, everyone awaited an answer. The boy leaned over to his side where a tiny creek streamed through. He placed down his hand by the water, allowing the frog that, within no time at all, jumped off into the creek.
Keane didn't move. He was too surprised of what had happened. No one had ever dared to make such fool out of him before.
Behind them the other children eagerly stood, quietly awaiting what would happen next.
If it was anyone else, it wouldn't have seemed at all strange for Keane to, in front of everyone, give the kid what he had comin'. But like everyone else Keane had heard about this kid. He'd heard about his father who died serving her majesty Zelda over at the Lon Lon ranch not more than a week ago. He had died protecting the land from some cloaked riders.
Keane's thoughts travelled back. He remembered his mom, how she'd died a few years ago. He had hated the way people treated him, how they all felt sorry for him. The fact was that no one knew what to say or how to handle it. He knew it wasn't what they had intended but in all the silence and sorrow Keane had never felt more alone.
Over the years Keane had realized that it wasn't just because of his mother's passing that he'd felt alone but because everyone had started treating him as a ghost. They still would, if it hadn't been for the memory of his mother that started to fade in their minds. Except for Keane's mind it seemed.
He knew he had to make an example out of the kid. He couldn't just let someone get to him like that, especially not in front of all his friends. But somehow, though Keane did his best to block out the resemblance between him and the boy, he just couldn't.
Keane thought about it and now decided to treat the boy like any other. He would treat him just as he'd wished to be treated when his mother died. With a grin on his mouth he declared: "Boyh, are you gonna regret that."
The boy rose to his feet, facing down the creek. He watched as his reflection whirled around in the stream. "I don't want any trouble," he said with a low saddened voice.
"Nah, I bet you just want your mommy now, don't ya? Or maybe you think your dead daddy will come save you." In the back, his friends could be heard backing him up with loud cheering.
The boy's body began shaking, he fought to contain his feelings while tightening his fists. But he kept his arms straight alongside his body.
"What is it? Are you gonna' cry like a little baby?" Keane waited for a reaction. He made a loud sigh as he rolled his eyes. "Nah guys, forget about him, he's a little coward, just like his papa! Ha."
Everyone started laughing.
"My father was a hero!" The boy screamed. He turned around with all his power and jumped at Keane making them both fall to the ground. The brown haired boy fought to protect his fathers name with all his heart. Tears fell down his cheeks.
He knew and felt that Keane was stronger but he didn't care. He struggled to hold him down but, rather quickly, got pushed off. Lying on his back he saw how Keane stood up and reached out for his arms. Keane lifted him to his feet and with a swift motion pushed him down the creek.
He landed sitting in the water. The shock from fearing he would drown quickly disappeared when he realized the water was shallow. That certainly was to his advantage since he never learned how to swim.
He looked up. The others were standing by the edge, laughing as they pointed their fingers at him, but he didn't mind. As long as they were laughing at him and not his family he didn't mind.
As he saw Keane, smiling with his shiny eyes looking at him proudly, he in some way realized that Keane had meant him no harm. He actually thought the whole thing had seemed quite funny.
A bright smile started to spread its way over the boy's lips. His eyes became smaller and dimples appeared across his face. He couldn't help laughing. He did feel fairly ridiculous sitting there in the water only covered to his waist.
A hand suddenly reached out. "Hey frog ...,"one of the children said with a smile. "…would you like a hand?"
XxXxXx
Zelda sat inside the small carriage. Her hands where suitably placed in her lap. She was dressed in a sky blue evening gown with a toning blue jacket along with a high collar. The ends of the jacket were embedded in flourish gold.
Before she came to the carriage, Zelda enforced composure on herself, not wishing to show that anything troubled her. But reality swiftly approached her and she began fumbling with her thumb-nail, carefully brushing on its perfect cuticle.
Her mind raced back to the discussion she had with Link earlier. All the men she'd sent to ease Link had been killed. This made Zelda wonder how powerful Ganon actually was.
Who could have informed him about Malon?
Could Ganon have helpers on the good side as well? Zelda already knew that he, from his imprisoned sate, was very powerful. But could he maybe plan to take advantage of this fragile situation by abducting Malon?
She shook her head whilst trying to tell herself: I have to believe that we'd taken all the right precautions. I need to believe that we are at least one step ahead of him.
She repeated it until a small bit of her believed, but somehow the words that Link had spoken earlier appeared in her mind: You didn't do all you could to protect her because if you had, then Malon wouldn't be in harm's way. She wouldn't be… where she is. She'd be right here!
Zelda knew that Link was acting on a rash impulse and that his emotions had spoken for him. She knew he would come to realize that too but still she wondered somehow if he was right. Could she have handled things differently? She placed some few strands of her golden hair behind her ear. Impossible, Malon's fate would have always lead her to the dark side. Of that I am sure.
Zelda needed to neglect the risk, she had to know if Ganon was involved.
If not he might still know of the things beyond the light dwellers world. After all, he was one of the dark fiends.
Zelda sighed, as she leaned against the soft cushion behind her, whom took her weight with a muffled protest. Her heavy head fell in her hands. Link must have discovered her departure by now
Suddenly a tingle of pain freed itself within her mind. Her hand began glowing, until a light filled her. Zelda tried to protect her eyes from the dazzling flash of white light that glowed in front of her. It began lifting her and carried her feet over a great empty darkness.
Zelda had many times before been taken to such dimensions, though never physically.
Her eyes opened and saw hills bathing in golden light. Petals from all kinds of flowers flew gently in the winds combined with its flowers seed. They caressed her cheeks and nearly made her sneeze. Zelda had entered a place where only pure minds could enter. Marin together with the other six spiritual sages had summoned her there. Something had failed.
XxXxXx
The sun rested low in the sky as the children made their way back to the village houses. They passed a lot of villagers who rested alongside the grass, watching the beautiful sunset after a long days work. The silence between them only broke by the occasional laughter from the playing kids that ran along them.
Keane and his friends had decided to walk the young boy home. They traveled the green surroundings, talking and laughing until they came to a small wooden house.
"Right, guyss I ssee my mom," The boy smilingly lisped. He made a friendly fist and loosely hit it against Keane's shoulder.
Keane looked over at the house seeing a woman. She waved friendly, balancing a basket of clothes between her hip and hand. Keane nodded approvingly.
The boy hastily looked up at Keane before running toward his mother. As he ran he heard Keane shouting from behind: "Hey frog …." The boy turned. "… see you later, huh?"
He smiled brightly and nodded in return before running over to his mother who'd dropped her basked and opened her arms to catch her son.
He ran into her arms. She held him up gently and stroked her little boy's head. "I missed you sweetheart," she said. "But oh look at that smile. It seems you have found some new friends?" She tickled him playfully.
The smile was enough as a reply. She knew her boy was happy. She let him down and he helped her by picking up the basket as they walked over to the house.
The sky was orange and a cloudlike red laid wide in the horizon. As they reached the door they turned to look at the skies beauty. A mild wind blew past and nuzzled into his mother's hair. She laughed as her hair covered her eyes.
She looked over at her son and saw his bright smile reflecting her own. She knew exactly why the both of them where this happy. It was each other's company. She bent down to her son and kissed him on the cheek: "I love you Isaac."
"I love you too mmom."
She'd always thought it sounded adorable when he'd let the words slide so gently with an extra syllable. Isaac'd found it annoying at times, but lastly accepted it, which his mother couldn't be happier to learn. He'd lisped ever since he'd learned how to talk and it had become a part of who he was.
He would soon turn ten she thought as he looked at the sun painting Isaac in a soft tint orange. But he was still as loving towards everything and everyone he met. Isaac was the kind of boy who saw good things in everything and everyone. Isaac's mother had always loved that about him but knew it would become more difficult for her to protect him as he grew. She feared that his goodness would one day hurt him. Now more then ever, when his father was gone.
She'd always tried to shield Isaac as they'd lived more and more like outsiders ever since Isaac's father joined her majesty's army. She knew that if a kokiri ever left the forest they were destined to die, but the Queen who promised him a place in her army bestowed him with such power as to leave the forest.
That decision was made a long time ago, when Isaac was only a few months. They had lived without him since. The only thing that made it livable for her was Isaac and the fact that she could hear from his father by letters. Even though she tried her best not to give in to it, there would always be a great sorrow in her heart for her late husband.
XxXxXx
Impa had received a letter, but was rather reluctant to read its content. But something she couldn't ignore was that it in fact was a letter of royal command. It said to hold a trial of challenges and Impa had to select the final champion, the worthiest in the midst of the strong participants of each challenge. The finalist, elected by Impa, would proceed according to Queen Zelda's direct order, the order that was prearranged to them in a second letter that would be in Impa's possession till a contestant was selected.
The manner of this mission after the trial Impa was not informed but in the first letter it specifically stood that the champion that were chosen had to hold many impressive skills.
Impa held up the second letter which was to remain sealed and then turned back to finish the first.
Her eyes scrolled down.
Another rather odd request was that Link under no circumstance was to be informed about the challenges of the trial and that it was to take place in Kokiri village.
A request of the bravest and most legendary warriors should be sent out around the kingdom but under no circumstance were they allowed to mention the trial or its location. This would be held in secrecy, without Ganon's knowledge.
Zelda's final words read: "The heavy burden of this request lies on your shoulders, you could be our final hope but please know you are not alone… and Impa? Good luck.
Zelda."