Hello everybody! Yes, this is a new chapter I'm putting up after having only published this story yesterday. It's right now my mandatory one week break between quarters in college, so I have some time to concentrate solely on writing. If I'm lucky, I should have, at the most, five chapters up before next week's over. Then again, I'm probably being a little bit overzealous since I do have summer work training to go to all next week. At least it doesn't have to consist of homework and taking tests.
But yeah, just don't get too used to exceptionally speedy updates for this. It's only because I'm on a break from school that I'm able to do this. That and I was too happy with the idea I have for this story's plot that I just had to write it. And before I forget, this story doesn't really belong to any one particular timeline in the franchise. So don't think that it takes place, for example, after Ocarina of Time if Future Link defeats Ganon just because I referenced the Hero of Time in the prologue. At best, there will be a mesh of references from the games that will come together into this one separate story. And as an added note, I used the Ocarina of Time's geology when referencing Lake Hylia. Remember how the lake formed from a river that cut through Gerudo Valley? It's those little references that I'll try to poke in every now and then.
That's pretty much all I have to say right now. yeah, not that interesting of an opening author's note, huh? But I would like to thank some of my reviewers who actually took the time to review the first chapter. Not a lot of people do that for new stories on their first chapter, so I really thank those of you who took that time to make one.
Anarion Star-Dragon: Thanks for being the first reviewer and having just reviewed in general. I'm glad that my prologue was well enough to capture your attention. Believe me when I say that it was a bit difficult to create that political tension between Zelda and Xagrun that actually made sense.
GreenFantasy64: Like it was with Anarion, I'm glad that the first chapter was able to catch your attention. To be honest, this story is kind of an experiment. By that, I mean I'm actually trying to use techniques I learned from my writing classes. Shorter dialogues, more details of the surrounding while not bogging the story down with it, adding in the little quirks of the characters as they speak; I hope these two chapters show those traits at least a bit.
ESopre: Well, I hope the addition of a new chapter will be enough to convince you that I'm continuing with this story. The plot I have for this is just too good for me to abandon. I'm glad I was able to catch your attention; as I said in the prologue, this is my first Zelda story. Even with Zelda probably a bit OOC when talking with Xagrun, I'm glad it didn't bother you as much or at all like it would for some video game purists.
And yeah, that's it for my shout-outs since there's only three of you right now. Thanks for your support on this, and I'll see you on the next update to this story! Now enjoy this new chapter and official start to the story!
Chapter 1: Peaceful Mornings
"Wake up!" a young persistent voice called. "Come on, Link; get up already!"
At the same time, there was a rooster outside ringing in a new day. Whether it was from the boy's persistence or the crowing rooster; the teenager woke up and started blinking the sleep out from his eyes.
"Mornin', Connor," the teen greeted with a yawn. He slowly pulled the covers off of him and sat up. His bare chest was exposed to the brisk morning air that wafted in from a glassless window, but it posed him no discomfort. He looked out said window and saw the sun had barely started to rise. Its magnificent beauty only just began to peek over the horizon and painted it in a wonderful blaze of orange. The little clouds had a dark violet - almost black - hue to them which slowly grew lighter as the morning grew brighter.
"Come on; hurry and get up!" Connor eagerly tugged at Link's arm in an effort to make him move faster. "You said you were going to teach me how to fish this afternoon if we got our work done early."
"Wh-what?" Link murmured in confusion as he ran a hand through his mass of unkempt blond hair. After taking a moment to collect his thoughts, he finally realized what the other was saying. "Oh, I almost forgot! I did promise you that last night. Sorry about that. Just let me get ready and we'll start on our chores in a few minutes."
"Great; I'll go and get started on chopping the wood! Oh, I already made you something to eat. I left it on the table."
Looking towards a corner of the small cottage that they lived in, the teen noticed a plate of food sitting on a worn table. It was but a simple breakfast consisting of a piece of salt pork and some potatoes, yet it was all they could afford at this time. However, what quickly caught his attention was the small portion of beans that sat alongside the pork.
"Connor," Link called out just as the boy was about to leave the cottage. "I didn't buy any beans when I went to the market yesterday. Where'd you get them?"
"Uh, I just found them lying next to our fence!" the other sheepishly explained before trying to make a quick exit.
"Connor!"
The young boy immediately came back into view with an equally sheepish smile on his face. "…Alright, it wasn't exactly by our fence. To be honest…, it kind of fell off of a wagon that was passing by. I just came out to get the water for cooking when it happened, but they were already gone when I picked them up. I didn't see who was driving the wagon, so I figured I'd bring it in and make breakfast with it. I mean, they were already kinda too far away for me to chase them down."
The older boy merely stared incredulously at the other in silence. He clearly wasn't buying into the story of foodstuff just conveniently falling onto the road.
"I know the neighbors like you, Connor; but they don't like you that much. Seriously, you're going to get us in trouble one day for this. It's hard to believe that you're my little brother sometimes.
"Still, you're right that it's too late to go returning it," he conceded while making his way to the table. "Now that it's got your grubby paws all over it, there's not much we can do. Just don't go pulling stunts like this again, okay? Now hurry up and start on your chores; I'll be out in a few minutes."
Connor silently nodded before disappearing once again. Link quickly ate his breakfast and washed his plate, all the while wondering where his little brother got the beans. He took a slightly torn white shirt resting at the foot of his bed and put it on before going outside.
Both boys lived by themselves on a small plot of land on the outskirts of a small farming village near Hyrule Castle. Most of their land was dedicated to farming, although that was not much considering the overall size of it. They used to have more, but the overall workload along with hard times over the years forced them to sell off most of it. In the end, they only kept what they needed to feed themselves and earn a meager living.
The upside to having little land was that its upkeep was easier. The daily maintenance of crops and the chickens that freely roamed around were easy to do. However, that did not also mean it all could be done quickly. Most of the tasks were time-consuming, especially if the crops were infested with bugs or if the chickens were being especially lively. Still, it had to be done if they wanted to ensure the best produce possible to sell back at market, and that was right now the main reason why they even had any money.
The cottage they lived in was rather small, the paint having faded and starting to chip due to age. There were signs of repair jobs all about the building, but it was only enough to keep it going until the next fix. The only things that seemed to be in the best condition possible were the wire fence around the crops and a hand-pulled wagon set towards the side of the cottage. Even then, it was clear they could do with better repair work.
"What do you want me to do with the wood, Link?" Connor called out. He was standing next to a tree whose trunk was bent just so that it worked well as a makeshift table. Beside it was a large pile of wood. "You want me to chop 'em?"
"And risk having you lose a finger or two?" Link playfully replied. "I'll take care of it; you go and get the chickens into the coop. And don't forget to pick up any eggs they might've laid."
Within the next hour, the big pile of wood was nearly completed. He had first sifted through the pile to see if there were any pieces that could be used for repair work before chopping down the rest into firewood. He was constantly going back and forth from the chopping station to a bin at the side of the house dedicated to freshly chopped wood. All he had to get the job done was a little hatchet, but it did the work just as well as a big axe with a few extra swings required.
On the other hand, Connor was getting the workout for the day. All of the chickens had been let out of the coop last night so they could roam about. They probably only had about ten, but they always ran away the moment he got close. It was an effort and excitable victory when he was able to get one and bring it to the chicken coop. That in itself took an hour to complete; he was now in the process of looking for any eggs the chickens might have laid.
With the wood chopping finished, Link took a small bundle of wood and headed towards a portion of the perimeter fence that needed repair. He had a box of nails and a hammer in his free hand and quickly went to work.
"Hi, Link!" a woman's voice greeted him not two minutes into his new task. Looking up, he saw a girl with long red hair coming down the path. She was wearing a simple summer dress that also doubled as field work clothes. Behind her was a horse tied to and pulling a wagon filled with various goods.
"Hey, Malon!" he greeted back, deciding to take the chance to rest. "How's things going with your family and the farm?"
"Oh, we're doing fine considering," she replied with a friendly smile. She had her horse stop by the fence. "It's been a bad year for rain, but we managed to keep our crops alive. It's a miracle that we managed to grow enough to feed the animals. If we do it right, then I think we'll be able to make it through this year.
"And how are you and Connor doing? I see he's actually working hard today." She nodded towards the younger boy who was on all fours with a basket beside him. He was still searching for eggs and looking through every small bundle of grass for them. He seemed completely oblivious to Malon's arrival.
"Heh, the little rascal's only working hard because I promised to take him fishing," Link explained. "I don't think he'd be willing to do this much work if it weren't for that. Still, this is pretty rare where he's actually pulling his weight. And I thought the chickens would give him a harder time."
The two continued to silently watch Connor until he finally looked up and noticed their visitor. He gave a quick wave to her and she responded back in kind. He then picked up the basket and walked over to the two.
"That's a lot of stuff you got there, Malon," the young boy eagerly replied. Despite his abundance of energy, he took conscious care to not wildly swing the basket of eggs around. "Are you going to the market today?"
"I am, Connor. I needed to pick up a new saddle for Epona, so I thought I'd take some things with me and put them up for sale while I was there." She gave her horse an affectionate pat on the head; the horse whinnied in joy. "Oh, I almost forgot!" she exclaimed before heading to the wagon and taking out a small crate. "I got something for you two!"
"Oh, you shouldn't have," Link said with an appreciative smile as he accepted the crate from her. Looking inside, he saw that there were some vegetables along with a few bottles of milk securely set on the side. There was even some fresh fruit lying on top of everything so it would not be squashed. Although the contents were small, there was enough food in there to easily last them a few days.
"Don't start with me today with your modesty. You and Connor have helped me and my dad out so much with this season's crops. I can't imagine how hard it must be for you two, as well. It's the least we can do to thank you!"
"And you know how much we appreciate this," the blond answered back with a smile. He then handed the crate off to his little brother. "Could you go put all this away in the house? And bring back the crate when you're done."
"Aww, why do I have to put away the stuff now? I swear; you're starting to act a lot like dad." Despite his complaining, Connor did as he was told and made his way into the cottage with the crate in tow.
"Hmm, he reminds me of a certain someone when he was twelve," Malon said in a teasing tone. "I wonder who that could be."
"Oh, come on; I wasn't that bad," Link chuckled as he turned his attention back to the girl. "I like to think I changed these past five years."
"Well, you did become more reliable in helping with all the heavy lifting. I guess that's a good change."
"That's it? Is that really all you see in me after the years we've known each other? You sure know how to hurt a guy." He quickly added in a playfully wounded pout to show he was just kidding around.
"Oh, there are a few other things I could probably mention," she added with a soft smile. "But I think you already know about all that."
Before they could continue with their intimate conversation, Epona started to become restless. She began shifting around on her hooves and was snorting irritably. Apparently, she did not like staying put for too long.
"What's the matter, girl?" Link asked as he quickly hopped over the fence and walked up to the horse. He then started petting her head gently and calmly. "Don't tell me you're starting to get impatient. I'll try not holding you up for much longer. Think you can wait just a couple more minutes for me? I promise I'll be quick."
Whether or not the horse understood him, she seemed comforted by his soft words. She soon calmed down and was back to being somewhat docile.
"You really have a way with animals, Link," Malon stated as she watched the exchange. "It's almost like you have some magical touch when it comes to Epona. She's always willing to listen to you. It takes me a few minutes sometimes just to get her to calm down. When are you going to let me in on your secrets?"
"Once I find some that I'm hiding, I'll let you know. The girl just happens to like being around me, is all."
"Alright, Malon; here's your crate back!" Connor suddenly yelled as he came running towards the two.
"Thank you, Connor," she said as she accepted back her crate.
"What do you say to her?" Link reminded while looking at Connor in annoyance for having yelled for no reason.
"Thanks for the food!" The boy then quickly ran off towards the chicken coop where he took a broom and started cleaning the area around it.
"I sometimes wonder if he acts like that on purpose. He's going to drive me crazy one of these days. Anyway," the blond added with a smile, "it was nice of you to stop by. Tell your dad I said thanks for the food."
"I will." She then leaned forward and gave Link a quick peck on the cheek before fixing her hair and taking Epona's reigns. "I'll see you later. Hope you catch lots of fish on your fishing trip."
"Yeah, we'll probably need it. And you be careful on the road! Who knows what Xagrun's guards are doing to travelers right now?"
As Malon continued on with her travels to the village market, Link could not help but smile. She and her family have always tried to look out for him and Connor when their dad was out at work. Now that he was gone, they always tried to sneak in some support disguised as thanks for things that Link had helped them out with.
He was not going to hide it; they were both not doing well in terms of money. The upkeep of the farm was practically their only source of income and an assurance that they could afford to put food on the table. He was never one to go around asking for help even when they really needed it, although everybody in the village were always willing to lend him a hand every now and then. Just like it was now, they always handed him items in lieu of payment for having helped them with something before. As much as he wanted to refuse, he knew they were going to keep trying until he took it.
"Link, I think I need some help!" Connor called out, effectively snapping him out of his thoughts.
"What is it?" he asked as he walked towards the coop. He was not even near it before noticing what the problem was. "Don't tell me…"
"I-It just broke while I was sweeping," the boy explained as he had in both his hands a piece of the broom's wooden handle. There was no snapping sound earlier, so it must have already been on the verge of breaking when he was using it. "I'm serious! I don't know why it happened; it just did!"
"Were you trying to swing it around like a sword again?" All he received as an answer was silence and a sheepish smile. "I thought so," he sighed. "You're going to end up breaking more than just a broom handle one of these days. Lucky for you, I found a piece of wood that should work as a replacement handle. Just give me that thing and go start pulling weeds around the crops."
The other soundlessly gave him the remnants of the broom before going to tend to the crops. As immature Connor could be at times, even he knew when to shut up. This definitely felt like one of those times. Link kept a watchful eye on him to make sure that he was going to the crop field before heading back to the fence where his repair work was waiting for him to finish.
Well, I hope you all enjoyed this new chapter. I tried to make it seem like a slice of life moment for Link and Connor. And yes, I have Link with a little brother here. he's always seen without a family related to him by blood (Wind Waker excepted); I thought it'd be a good change of pace and would help flesh out his character. Even with the idea used only once, I think having a sibling would make the game dynamic a bit different if done correctly. And I thought making the chapter title contrast with how the prologue played out would be a good touch.
But yeah, you could also see this as an actual first chapter. I took care to not show any tie-ins with the prologue, so one could actually skip that and head right into the story itself. It might not make the fullest sense, but the prologue, in my opinion, is more of a review of what's to come and can stand on it's own as a short story.
And I thought making Connor into a typical little brother would add to some comic relief for the story. I hope you like his character; I put in as much thought as I could for his debut scene. And there was also the introduction of Malon. Seriously, I was listening to "Hyrule Symphony" on youtube when Epona's Song came up. That's when I came up with the idea of her coming down the road and talking with them. I also purposefully tried to have a close conversation between her and Link with the little kiss at the end. I'm not going to say whether or not they're just very close friends or boyfriend/girlfriend. I tried to leave it ambiguous for you to interpret for yourselves. However you want to think it, it won't really change the story.
Yeah, I'm really trying a lot of new things on this story that I've never done before both technique and content-wise. I hoped it ended up turning out well for you. With that said, please don't forget to leave a review telling me what you think about it and what you feel could be better. Until the next update to this or any of my other stories on here everybody!