-1Alaina
Second chapter! I don't own Zelda, but I own Alaina, Aiden, Joes, Lila, Lionel, and Eira. Remember, you don't like it, don't read it!
Chapter 2
When Alaina awoke, she was asleep in her bed, wearing a nightgown, with Aiden nowhere to be found. He must've gotten Impa once she had fallen asleep and then he moved to one of the guest rooms.
She checked her clock that was hanging on the wall across from her. It was 9:00 in the morning. She yawned, stretching her arms. A maid had already set up a bath for her in her bathroom, so she immediately washed her hair and scrubbed her body with soap. When she was dry, she dressed in a simple short-sleeved black tunic and matching leggings.
She wandered down the halls, finding her parents and Joes in the parlor, fully awake and drinking glasses of cold water, a sign that they were no longer drunk, or at least trying to be no longer drunk. When she went into the kitchen, she found Aiden with the cook, Eira, who was serving him eggs and bacon. She handed a plate to Alaina as well.
"Thank you Eira," Alaina said to the kind cook, who responded with a smile. She and Aiden went out into the courtyard and sat on a swing, for the grass was still covered with dew. The birds were chirping and the sun had not yet risen high enough to blind a person. The temperature was moderate; not cold at all but not yet hot. It was a perfect morning.
They ate their breakfast in silence, which was usual. When Aiden was finished gulping his eggs down, he turned to look at Alaina. "So are you still up for going to Lake Hylia?"
Alaina nodded eagerly. "Of course!"
"Okay, I was just making sure you weren't half-asleep or anything when I asked you last night," Aiden said.
"I wasn't," Alaina replied, turning away. She felt her insides squirm, in a good way, when she thought about that moment. If she wasn't dreaming, and she was sure she wasn't, she could've sworn that Aiden had held her hand. Okay, he only touched it, but she still felt giddy after he had left the room. Maybe I am starting to like him. Maybe he even likes me too…
"Hey Alaina?"
"Yes?" Alaina turned around quickly, her hair whipping Aiden's face. Yes, he might ask me!
Aiden ignored that. "Umm…I was wondering…"
"Yeah?" Ooh, I might've answered that a little too quickly.
"…Do you want to go to Lake Hylia now?"
Although she didn't show it, Alaina was disappointed. "Sure," she said, the slightest sliver of hurt in her voice. "Meet me at the stables in ten minutes. I have to go get ready."
Aiden nodded to show that was okay, and he dashed off.
Alaina went back to her room to collect several belongings, placed them in a sack, and then went to the kitchens again.
"Eira?" she asked. "I'm going on a picnic, so I was wondering if you could whip up some stuff?"
Eira smiled. "Is it for you and Aiden?" she asked.
"Ye-wait, how did you know?" Alaina wondered.
"He is your best friend and you're always with him," Eira wisely pointed out. "Plus, you're skipping around the castle, and I noticed that only Aiden can make you do that."
Alaina blushed for what might've been the thousandth time for the past few days. "Goddesses, why does everybody think that Aiden and I could be a couple?"
"I never said that!" Eira said, holding up her hands in defense. "But now when you think about it…" She laughed when Alaina sighed. "All right, all right, I'm sorry. Wait here. I'll get everything ready."
Within minutes, Alaina was handed another sack of fresh fish, vegetables, roasted Deku nuts, and bottles of Lon Lon Milk. She found an old picnic blanket and stuffed that in.
"Thank you, Eira!" Alaina called out as she bounded out of the room.
Eira shook her head with a sad smile. "Such a sweet girl," she said to herself. "If only she knew that Aiden felt the same way…"
Alaina dashed into the stables, where Aiden was already waiting. She had told Impa to tell their parents where they'd be, and they'd be back before sunset. Aiden was on his horse Karl, and Alaina found her horse Reya. Reya was the filly of Epona, Link's old horse, who had since died around two years ago. The death devastated Link and his friend Malon, the daughter of Talon, the owner of Lon Lon Ranch, who had raised the mare. Reya did look like Epona, with the chestnut coat and the white mane and tail.
"I have some things for today," Alaina told Aiden as she mounted Reya. "But first can we go to Lon Lon Ranch? I want to say hi to Malon, and she would like to see Reya too."
"That's fine," Aiden answered. His father was close to Malon, and therefore he was as well.
One of Link and Zelda's wonderful ideas was to make a path at the back of the castle leading to Hyrule Field. This way, the royal family could ride out of the castle without attracting attention. Alaina and Aiden rode their horses through the path and before long, they were riding in Hyrule Field. In the distance Alaina could see Lon Lon Ranch, which was an hour's ride.
They reached the ranch at around 11:00, and as they expected, Malon was out feeding the horses. Her ten-year-old daughter Lila was out with her, and her husband Lionel, the son of Talon's friend, was probably in the stables, milking the cows. Lila was close to Alaina and Aiden. She had inherited her mother's gorgeous red hair but had her father's light brown eyes, which shone in the sunlight.
"Mom!" she called out. "Alaina and Aiden are here!"
Malon turned from her work, wiping her forehead from sweat. She smiled when she saw Alaina and Aiden approaching. Malon was the same age as Link and Zelda, and like them, still looked young for her age. Her red hair was short and her bright blue eyes always shone. She was also Alaina's godmother, and besides Impa and Zelda, was one of Alaina's closest confidants.
"Hey you two!" she greeted them. "What's up?"
"Nothing," Alaina said. "We were headed to Lake Hylia and we just wanted to say hi."
Reya neighed happily when Malon approached her. Like Epona, Reya was also raised by Malon. "Hey, girl," Malon softly said to Reya, patting her snout.
Lila wandered up to the group. "Hi Alaina!" she chirped. She turned to Aiden and seemed a bit shyer. "Hi Aiden."
"Hey squirt," Aiden replied.
Alaina nearly laughed out loud. Poor Lila was suffering that age where she had a childhood crush, and that crush just happened to be Aiden. As if he read her thoughts, Aiden turned to look at her and grinned. Alaina smiled to herself. Lila was only ten, so she didn't feel threatened at the moment.
"How long are you staying?" Lila wondered.
"Not long," Alaina answered regretfully. "We're just stopping by."
"Oh." Lila looked down, taking a sudden interest with her toes.
Aiden hopped off his horse and knelt down to her level. "Tell you what," he said. "Next time we can, we'll spend all day with you. Okay?"
Lila's face brightened up. "Okay," she said with happiness. Aiden smiled and patted her back while Malon and Alaina looked on.
"Well all right then," Malon said. "You two should go now. Have fun!"
"Thanks Malon. Bye!" Alaina said, starting to ride away.
"Bye Alaina! Bye Aiden!" Lila shouted out.
"Bye Lila!" they shouted back to her, riding out of the ranch.
Lake Hylia was another two hours ride away. Luckily, the weather was perfect for a nice ride, so nobody was complaining. The sun shone down on them as they rode through the grassy fields. Alaina's long hair was flowing behind her and her face was radiated by the light. She turned her head to glance at Aiden. He was already looking at her but quickly looked away. The gold streaks in his brown hair were more noticeable than ever and his eyes reminded her of the lake that they were quickly heading toward. His tunic showed his muscles nicely, and Alaina couldn't help but stare at them. When he turned toward her again, she was the one that quickly looked away.
During the way, she was fighting an inner battle in her head. One side wanted her to tell Aiden that she, in fact, did have feelings for him, but the other side told her to shut her mouth or else she would get attacked by monsters overnight.
I do like him. I really do. For some reason, I think he might like me too. I think I should tell him.
Yeah, but what if you do? He might laugh at you. Boys do mature later than girls.
Aiden's not like that though. He's very mature, and that's one of the things I like about him.
Even if he doesn't laugh, it might ruin your friendship. It'll become too awkward.
It already seems a little awkward right now…
Alaina ended up becoming so focused with her inner conflict, she didn't even notice that they had reached Lake Hylia an hour after noon.
"Earth to Alaina! Helloooooo!" Aiden called out, waving his hand over Alaina's face.
Alaina snapped back to attention. "Wha-what?" She saw Aiden looking at her with confusion. "Oh, sorry. Just had a moment."
Aiden shook his head and motioned to a section where two scarecrows were. "Should we put everything over there?"
They walked the horses over to the section and tied them to the scarecrows, and laid out their belongings on the ground. "Swimming first, or food?" Aiden asked.
Alaina rubbed her stomach, which was still full despite the long journey. She and Aiden looked at each other. "Swimming," they said at the same time.
Alaina quickly jumped into the lake, squealing when she hit the chilly, calm waters. Aiden ripped off his tunic and leggings, revealing a pair of trunks. With a wild yell, he did a cannonball into the water, creating a huge wave, completely swallowing Alaina.
Aiden emerged from underwater, laughing and spitting up water. When he didn't hear anything, he frantically searched around. "Alaina? Alaina, where are you?"
"BOO!"
"AHHHHHHH!" Aiden screamed like a little girl before getting dunked into the water. Alaina started cracking up. Thanks to the giant wave, Alaina was already soaked, but at least she was used to the water by now. She let her grip go on Aiden and he emerged, coughing.
"Are you okay?" Alaina asked, concerned. Aiden just glared at her. "Aiden, I'm sorry!"
All of a sudden, Aiden grinned and picked her up, throwing both of them into the water. When Alaina opened her eyes under the clear water, she saw Aiden waving to her and making faces, causing Alaina to laugh and forcing her to swim back to the surface for air. A few seconds later, Aiden emerged.
"I guess we're even now," Aiden grinned, gallantly sweeping Alaina in his arms, pretending to be some kind of big hero. Alaina giggled. Somehow, everything Aiden did made her laugh.
Aiden noticed her giggling. "What's so funny?" he questioned, staring intently into her ice blue eyes.
"You," Alaina answered truthfully.
"Me?" Aiden said in a girly voice, pretending to be modest. Alaina tried not to laugh for the hundredth time, but she couldn't help it. Aiden smiled. He loved hearing her laugh.
About an hour later, they stopped swimming and went back over to wear they had brought their horses. Alaina laid out the picnic blanket and set out the food. As they started to eat, they were dried instantly by the hot sun. They ate in silence, enjoying their quiet surroundings and the good food. When Alaina was finished, she stared ahead at the calm waters of the vast lake. Aiden followed her gaze.
"What are you staring at?" he asked curiously.
"Oh, nothing," Alaina replied, still staring ahead. "It's just so peaceful here. I always love coming here, and I thank the Goddesses that Hyrule has always enjoyed peace and prosperity."
Aiden nodded in agreement. "Lake Hylia is one of the most peaceful places in Hyrule. I'm surprised no one else is usually here."
They stopped talking and looked around at their surroundings. Then, they heard a noise. It sounded like a BOOM! Aiden and Alaina looked at each other worriedly, then searched the skies. They breathed a sigh of relief when they saw dark storm clouds heading in from Hyrule Field.
"For a second I thought it was…" Alaina started.
"…Danger," Aiden finished. He looked at the clouds. "There might be a storm in the fields, but if we leave now, we'll probably miss most of it." He and Alaina packed their belongings and got on their horses. The horses galloped out of Lake Hylia and into Hyrule Field.
"Hold on," Aiden said. He motioned for Alaina to stop her horse and he pointed to the sky. "Those clouds aren't normal." He was right. They were dark gray like normal storm clouds, but also had a greenish-reddish tinge, and they seemed to whirl around, almost like a hurricane.
Alaina turned pale. She remembered her mother telling her about when Ganondorf had found the Triforce of Power and took over Hyrule. The clouds were the same color. "Aiden, we have to get out of here NOW!"
"We can't go back to the lake," Aiden argued. "The clouds are heading over this way!"
Alaina glanced at the castle. "Then we better pray that we make it back to the castle in time," she said grimly.
Meanwhile, back at Hyrule Castle, Zelda was in her chambers, reading a book, when all of a sudden her head took in a sudden burst of extreme pain. She grabbed it and let out a cry.
Link burst in and ran to her side. "Zelda, what is it?" he asked, very concerned.
Zelda didn't answer for a minute, because the pain was too great. Link waited impatiently until she was ready. "Link, something's very wrong! The last time I got these headaches, Ganondorf…"
They both opened their eyes wide, and suddenly they both yelped in pain. They both had a burning sensation on their right hands. They each lifted a hand up, and both gasped with disbelief. A dark gray Triforce had embedded itself on their hands. But on Link's hand, the Triforce of Courage (the right triangle) was glowing a gold color, while the Triforce of Wisdom (the left triangle) was glowing on Zelda's hand.
"Link, Ganondorf must be back!" Zelda cried.
"M'lady!" a servant called. "Look outside!"
Link and Zelda both ran out of the castle and looked at the sky, where servants and soldiers were crying out in amazement. There were dark gray clouds, but they also had a greenish-reddish tinge. Rain was starting to fall in sheets, and lightning streaked the sky. "He's definitely back," Zelda murmured to herself.
"Link! Zelda!" a voice shouted. Link and Zelda turned to find Joes running towards them. "Aiden and Alaina are out in Hyrule Field! They're in grave danger!"
Zelda's head bowed down, tears filling her eyes. But determination took over her mind, and she fiercely wiped them away. "Aiden and Alaina probably know what's going on, and are trying to get here as we speak," she said sternly. "Joes, I need you to get our other best knights and bring the army into Hyrule Field, and find Aiden and Alaina."
"What about you two?" Joes asked.
"Link and I will head there now. Link, meet me at the Temple of Time. You need to go get your items," Zelda ordered.
Link obediently nodded and dashed off. It didn't take long since the weapons closet was right there, but he also ran to his room and pulled on familiar white leggings, a white undershirt, and a green tunic. He slipped on a belt and attached his quiver and shield to his back. He grabbed his Bomb Bag and dashed out. He found a horse in the stables and rode it to Castle Town, where the Temple of Time was.
"I'm going to have to yell at Alaina later for taking Reya," Link said to himself, making him wish even more that Epona was still alive.
In five minutes, he reached the Temple of Time and ran inside. Zelda had already transformed herself to her alter ego, Sheik, and was covered in a blue bodysuit, while bandages covered her hair, face, and torso. "Link, I have the Light Arrows. Get the Master Sword, quickly!"
Link ran to the chamber where the Master Sword and yanked it out, relishing the familiar, light feel on his hand. He turned to Zelda.
"You ready?" he asked.
"Let's go," Zelda answered, placing the Light Arrows in her quiver.
Then Link and Zelda raced out of the temple, climbed on the horse, and sped through Castle Town and into the field.