::Two::
He woke up slowly. He was lying on something soft, and something warm was beside him. He snuggled closer. It was nice laying here, doing nothing, not worrying about anything.
He felt safe.
"Link?"
He didn't answer, didn't want this quiet solitude to end. Maybe if he ignored it, the voice would go away.
"Link!"
The voice sounded alarmed. But why? He just wanted to sleep. To forget about everything...to be a normal 10 year old with no responsibilities...
And suddenly he remembered. The Deku Tree, it's death, and how Mido had blamed HIM. He didn't want that to happen to Hyrule. If something happened to it, then it really WOULD be his fault then. He was the only one who COULD save it...he and the Goddess.....
The Goddess!
He shot up, head spinning from his hasty rise, anxiously looking around. Where was she? Had anything happened? Selenity!
Two strong hands grabbed his shoulders and cornflower blue eyes met with wide crystalline ones.
"Link! Take it easy! How do you feel?," she sounded concerned. But no one had EVER been concerned about him except for Saria. He didn't answer, staring. She had changed back. But no longer was she dressed in the original cloths he'd first seen her in. Now, she was wearing regular Hyrulian garments; A soft pale blue dress that reminded him of the sky. "Well?" He looked up. They were at the ranch, in the upstairs bedroom. How had he gotten here? Had she brought him?
Serena laughed.
"You scared me for a minute there, kiddo! You just FELL and didn't move! But then I remembered you saying something about a ranch..." she trailed off looking thoughtful.
Link glanced up in surprise. "You brought me all the way here?"
She laughed again, yellow streams bobbing. "Ofcourse!," she chirped, "What'd you expect? I couldn't just leave you there...and let me tell you! You're not exactly the lightest person in the world!"
He glared.
She gazed down at him, suddenly sober. "The ranch owner said it wasn't so much as the attack that got to you...but lack of sleep. You were exhausted! I know you have to save the world and all...but exhausting yourself isn't going to do anybody any good...," she paused. It was easy to say that to someone else, but she remembered when she had lost sleep over similar things back at home.
She continued. "You slept two days straight!"
WHAT?! Two whole days?! He couldn't afford that! Hyrule didn't have that long, did it? They had to get going right away! He tried to get up, nearly knocking Serena down in the process, who was perched precariously on the edge of the small bed.
"Hey! What's the matter?"
Link turned, looking for his things. "We gotta go!!"
"Go where?," the girl asked curiously not in the least bit hurried.
He paused. Where indeed... No one had bothered to tell him his final destination after collecting the three spiritual stones. And the Great Deku tree was gone... Uh oh. What now? Suddenly a small voice cut through his racing thoughts.
"Hey! Listen!" The blue ball of light fluttered in front of him. Navi. "Why don't we head to the castle; I'm sure Princess Zelda will know what to do." Zelda! Of course! How could he forget about her? He must be still half asleep. He turned to the now puzzled girl who was eyeing him with interest.
" 'lenity listen..," The girl blinked. That was the first time he'd ever actually called her anything. "We have to go the Castle to see Zelda. She'll know what we're supposed to do next, k?" He looked about for his weapons. Where WERE they?
"Hey kid," Serena began.
Link turned, slightly annoyed. "Listen, don't call me that ok? My name's Link."
Serena ignored him. "Whatcha lookin' for?"
Sighing, the shook his head. "My weapons...I had them on me before..." His sword, boomerang, slingshot, shield...they were important!
Serena giggled. "That little girl took them. She said she would put them in the stable for you. How'd you ever manage to carry all that stuff? They were heavy!" She started to get up, but sank quickly back down, face contorted in pain. Link hurried over.
"'lenity! Are you okay?," he asked, staring up into her pale face. She nodded, forcing a tight smile. Her leg was still sore from the attack the other night. She had bandaged it up, but it didn't stop the pain.
Navi hovered over. Link seemed to have taken a liking to this strange girl. She'd never seen him attached to much of anything. It couldn't be healthy for him..he was only 10 years old! This girl was way too old. She studied him, bobbing over.
"Link...maybe if she had some of that Ranch milk-"
Link gasped. Of course! Why hadn't he thought of that? He turned, staring intently into the girl's eyes. "'Lenity, listen, stay here, k? I'll be back soon." With that, he promptly opened the bedroom door, and bounded down the stairs, taking them two at a time, Navi bobbing after him. One had to be careful on these stairs. They were set at a ridiculously absurd height. Once, he had been in a hurry, and had fallen, skinning his knees and elbows.
"Link!" That girl. She was calling after him. He continued down the stairs. They didn't have time for talking. Not right now.
Serena sighed. Little runt. Leaving her up here in a strange house, in a strange bedroom, in a strange land she knew nothing about.. He was awful cute though..even if he was really rude. Especially when he got those confused or intent looks on his face. He was much to young to be saving the world. He should be off playing video games..or, skateing or-
Oh yea...they didn't have those things here...She sighed. Whatever it was they did here for fun, the runt should be off doing them. She vowed to help him. No one deserved the sort of responsibility he had at such an age. She frowned, sitting up. What was taking him so long anyways? She began to grow bored, waiting around.
It won't hurt if I go exploring a bit...maybe I'll find him. She carefully stood up, and made her way past the door to the stairs.
She was almost to the bottom when she tripped and fell.
******
He saw her at the top of the stairs when she fell. He felt all the blood run out of his face.
"'Lenity!!! 'Lenity are you alright?!," He ran to her side, knelt down amidst the golden tresses of hair that seemed to flow like water to the floor.
She looked up, eyes full of tears.
"I'm ok....," she couldn't cry in front of him..he seemed horrified. "Just a little tumble," she continued, forcing a playful note into her pain filled voice. "Everyone always did say I was the worlds biggest clutz.." She gave a weak laugh. However, Link wasn't buying it.
"I told you to stay in the room!," he yelled. "You're gonna get yourself hurt bad...then how will you ever help me save Hyrule?!" Serena sighed. Talk about a one track mind.
The boy grumbled. "Here." He shoved a bottle of milk at her. Serena's eyes glowed. She was starved! But she didn't understand why he was giving her milk instead of helping her up.
She stared at it curiously.
"C'mon, 'Lenity! Drink it!" Link said impatiently. If she was gonna save Hyrule, she had to be at 100%!
The blonde shrugged and drained the bottle. Almost immediately she began to feel better. And strangely, her leg didn't seem to hurt so badly anymore. She hopped up, smiling brightly. She tested her leg, bending it. It didn't hurt. Suddenly, she grabbed the little boy in her arms, twirling him around and planting a grateful kiss on his check.
"AHH! What're y' doin'?!!," a red faced Link looked alarmed. Did she just...kiss him?
Serena only laughed. She had to remember that even though he acted older, he still had the continence of a little boy. "Wow! What kinda milk is that? You could make a fortune off it! Miracle Milk." She giggled.
"It's Lon Lon milk. It refreshes your energy." He couldn't look into her eyes for some reason. He instead focused his attention on her leg. It had stopped bleeding it looked like, but the milk wouldn't heal the wound. They had to find a fairy or a heart or something.
"Don't worry," he finished. "When we go see Zelda, I'm sure she'll fix y'up." He flashed one of his rare smiles at her. It wasn't so bad, her being here. He didn't feel so lonely anymore. But then, he hadn't realized he'd felt that way till she came along.
She ruffled his head, causing him to scowl. "No problem Kiddo! Now let's go meet this princess of yours."
Something was wrong.
The sky was all dark and stormy...but...it wasn't that late was it? Serena looked scared. They had long since found a heart, and her leg was better. "What's going ON?!," she screamed. "Why does it look like this?" It didn't feel like the normal storm. She was getting bad vibes. Evil vibes.
Link shook his head. He didn't want to scare her, even though he was confused as well. What was this? In his short time out of the forest, he'd never seen ANYTHING like this before. As they came closer to the castle, a horse and rider came into view.
Link was too stunned to move.
Just before the horse dashed by, Serena grabbed the little boy and leaped out it's path. One of the riders looked back, and Serena was shocked to see a little girl, about Link's age, toss something back.
"Zelda," Link whispered.
But where was she going? Why was she running? What was he supposed to do now, without her guidence?
"Link!," Serena hissed, breaking abruptly into his thoughts. He looked up, eyes wide. What now? He didn't know what to do. Everything he'd done at this point had been under the direction of either the Great Deku Tree, or Princess Zelda....both of whom were now gone. He felt himself go still. He was going to fail. Hyrule was doomed now certainly, if even Zelda was running away...wasn't it? He gazed up at Serena, confused and scared.
He had that vulnerable look on his face again. That haunted look. That look that made him seem even younger than he was. Serena gasped. That was it, this was what she had failed to really realize all along.
Link was only a child.
At times he'd seemed older...more mature. Decades even, older than his time. She'd always thought he'd known what to do...known where to go and how to go about everything. She'd been following him...letting him lead her, because she'd thought he'd known this place. But inside, he was just a normal little boy, forced to grow up too soon. And as she stared down into his eyes, she realized something.
"Link," she started gently. And his eyes looked frightened. She knelt down, held out her arms for him, and he ran into them, leaning his head against her shoulder, his thin arms going around her waist. "You've never been here before...have you, Link," she finished, pulling away to look at him.
He avoided her gaze, looking down.
"We weren't allowed to leave the forest," he revealed, softly. She nodded her head, understanding. He was as much a stranger to this place as she was, and had no idea what to do any more than she did. She should have realized that sooner.
She stood up.
"Don't worry Link....I promise you, we'll save Hyrule and find the princess, okay?" The way she said it, he could almost believe it. Suddenly she froze, and her face went pale. Link stiffened. What was the matter? Why did she look like that? And then he felt it too. A terrible force, coming straight this way. He didn't think, just spoke.
'Lenity! Run! Go hide, quick!" Serena looked down at him, shocked.
Hadn't he just listened to anything she'd been saying to him? Just a moment ago, he'd been this frightened little boy, and now once again, he was the brave warrier....but atleast she knew now that it was only a front. She glared at him.
"There is no way I'm letting you face this alone!" He unshethed his sword, turning.
"GO! Don't you get it?! You can't be discovered yet! With Zelda gone, you're the only hope this world has!!!" She was about to argue with him, to tell him, no, that he was the only hope this world had, not she. But the desperation in his voice drove her. And squeezing her eyes shut, she turned and ran away, darting behind a thin tree nearby.
Oh Link, when will understand?, she thought sadly, watching the little boy alone with his sword, waiting for the evil to appear. He thought he had to do everything alone...but she wouldn't let him...she wouldn't let him be alone anymore. He didn't have to be.
And in the next moment, Death came riding by on horse back.