Happy Birthday, Linkle (Morning)714Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPN49VJ8jvc
Linkle woke up to the sound of knocking at the door and Malron on the other side, saying something about going to Castle Town, it wasn't important, Linkle was sure.
"Castle Town?!" Linkle jumped out of bed and ran to the door, "Are we going to Castle Town?!"
"That was the idea...remember yesterday, I asked what you wanted for your birthday, I was wondering if you wanted anything in particular,you didn't give me any hints, but you've always talked about going, and today's your day off, I was going to town anyways, we need more bottles and Linebeck's Blast for Glass is low on ingredients, so I'm delivering sand while we're there, meanwhile you can look around town and see what interests you, Castle Town has lots of fun things to get into, like an archery hall and-"
"Archery hall!"
"And a bomb bowling alley-"
"Bomb bowling alley!"
"Ha, ha, you know what, I'll let you look around when we get there, just...try to stay around the square area, I'll have to go to some stores while we're there, but you'll find me in the carriage after the second bell chimes, okay? We need to get out of there before dusk, or we'll be staying the night."
"Sounds fun."
"The journey, or getting stuck in Castle Town?"
"Both, I guess, it feels like an adventure."
"Remind me to let you drive the carriage on the way there, you'll be adventured out by the time we get there."
"N-no, your left, Linkle!" Malron stared ahead as she gripped her hair, looking at Linkle, who was trying to control the horses, but kept getting left and right confused, "Look, I think you're going a little fast, remember, sand is the cargo!"
"I know, I'm trying! Maybe you should take the reins, though!" Linkle stopped the carriage and turned to Malron, who was still breathing heavy and watching the road, "Um, we okay over there?"
"I think...I think that went well."
"You...really mean that?"
"Yes...just let me walk around a little." Malron stepped out of the vehicle and stumbled around, and Linkle jumped out to follow her, "Yeah, I remember when I first started, Dad lost his lunch, it was quite a mess he made. These woods, I've forgotten, are not the best places to teach someone how to drive a carriage, maybe when we get back. The horses probably had fun, though, they haven't ran like through these trees like that since I took the reins that fateful day."
"What's that, Malron?" Linkle pointed at a stone in the distance and Malron let out a deep breath.
"That's the Guardian Stone, there's several of them spread throughout Hyrule that all have that face, it's said that the Hero could receive counseling from the fairies within them." Malron said, picking up on the girl's intentions.
"Hey, do you think-" Linkle began, smirking.
"Linkle...I'm not sure—a part of me hopes not...I don't want you to be disappointed, though." Malron stared at the ground and waited for Linkle to say or do whatever it was that was on her mind.
"I can talk to them though, just watch!"
"Linkle...alright."
Malron watched on with a sense of failure and pride as Linkle walked up to it, only to stop in her tracks.
"Malron...what if it does answer me?" Linkle turned back, suddenly realizing the implications of being the hero of all the legends passed down from ancient Hyrulean lore, "I-I won't be able to...see you often, will I? If by talking to that rock I somehow unwittingly set in motion a chain of events—I'd rather take my chances with the blind future...I don't really want to anyways, that one eyed rock seems to be able to see through to my heart—it's kind of creepy."
"No, Linkle...if you feel something strong about it, then...go."
"Malron?"
"I knew I couldn't stave off this moment forever, and...you always dreamed of this, if Hyrule falls into danger, and it was me holding you back from knowing about it, then...I would feel terrible from preventing you from getting a head's up for us."
"I-I see...alright then." Linkle turned back around and walked up to the strange stone, "Uh...well, how's Hyrule doing today...Guardian Stone?"
Malron smiled as Linkle inquired the stone on the condition of Hyrule, but when Linkle turned back around she swallowed and walked to Linkle, "What did it say?"
"Nothing."
"Well, what did you ask it?" Malron wondered a moment, "'Nothing', that's a cryptic answer, but an answer nonetheless...I suppose I should take you to the castle, huh?"
"No, I mean...it didn't reply to me...I...maybe I...I'm not the hero after all." Linkle lowered her head and sulked back to the carriage, but Malron caught her arm.
"Hey no, maybe you just need to wait until you have to ask...maybe it has to-"
"Be asked by the hero...not me."
"Hey...you can try again later, when we come back-"
"I don't know...I don't think I want to try again."
''Linkle...I'm sorry."
"For what? It's not like you choose where heroes are born."
"Well, I am sorry because I feel like—I don't know, I told you I didn't want you to be the hero, I don't want you in danger like that, and I...I never listen, and you knew that...just a few months ago, when it was my eighteenth birthday, you...you didn't wear your compass...you knew, and you didn't mind that I didn't like seeing it, but now-"
"You still would have let me...thank you, I needed to figure that out sooner or later." Linkle got back into the carriage and beckoned the red head over, "I'm not driving this thing until we get some fields or something."
"Huh, what's that?" Malron wondered, eyes widening as the horseman stormed through the trees intently. Malron jumped back into the carriage and handed Linkle the reins, "You have better reflexes than me, now hurry!"
Linkle took the reins and with a snap they were off, Linkle dare not move her eyes from the trees as the pair of horses slowly lost distance between themselves and the black horse in silver armor, "Malron, what are we carrying? Some precious treasure? How close is he?"
"Malron turned around and grimaced, you don't want to know how close he is!" she cried.
"Yes, I do, now tell me!"
"He's...his horse's head is next to our carriage's storage."
"Good, tell me when he's next to the wooden beam running up the side of the wagon's cover."
"What...why would you want to know that?"
"I'm going to slam him." Linkle replied, trying to avoid low limbs.
"You're going to do what?!" Malron screeched, "Never mind, he's right where you want him!" she observed the saddle gasped, "Gerudo rider, by the looks of—downed rider, by the looks of it!"
"Ha, ha, let's see who was bold enough to attack some Hylian carriage!"
"No, wait, he's getting back up, go!"
"Huh? Oh!" Linkle turned around and leapt back up, not eager to see if or not the saddle was carrying the rider again yet.
"Linkle, avoid the rocks for me, I'm going to the back!"
"No you don't, Malron, if you fall-"
"I won't if you're careful!"
"Malron!"
"Linkle, I need a hero right now!"
"Ugh...I'm not up for the gig anymore!"
"It's not a gig, you can't step back once you get what you ask for!" Malron patted Linkle's shoulder, "I'll be back, you're a great driver!"
"Malron." Linkle grimaced as she saw a bunch of rocks scattered in the road, "Mal, hold onto something or I'll pull to a stop!"
"I'm ready!" Malron shouted back, holding onto the floor and jolted as she felt the rocks rattle under the wheels, "Is it over now?"
"Yeah, just a few scattered, "I'll dodge them."
"Good!"Malron stood up and searched the covered crate until a smile crossed her face, "Found it!"
Linkle released her breath in a hiss as Malron stumbled back to the front, "Is he still back there?"
"Yeah, he's close, too!" Malron shouted as she attached a bag of arrows to Linkle's leg.
"W-what are you doing?" Linkle asked, trying to pay attention to the road and trees and not whatever Malron was doing.
"Tying something to you." she answered, then holding out an end of some rope, Linkle raised her arms while Malron struggled to get it behind her and tie a knot.
"Why?"
"Because it has to be done; our lives depend on it." Malron asserted, securing the rope to Linkle's seat.
"Why?"
"Because—happy birthday, Linkle!" Malron stood up and handed a crossbow to Linkle, who gave her the reins back."
"Ah, thank you, Malron!"
"Thank me later, now go show that horseman what you can do with a crossbow!"
"How did you know I wanted one of these?" Linkle asked, more out of wonder than curiosity as she made her way to the back.
"Because, you're always watching me."
"Okay, I-ah!" Linkle turned around as she fell and held her thumb up, "The bag on my leg...must have caught something!"
"Careful, there's arrows in the bag, drop a few into the slot on top, it holds ten arrows at a time, so you shouldn't have to refill very often if you load up as much s you can!" Malron shook her head, "Not what I had in mind for your target practice, by the way!"
"I know, you never liked it when I did something dangerous!" Linkle commented as she reached her left hand into the bag on her side and pulled out a bunch of arrows.
"What's he doing?" Malron asked, trying to drive slow enough to navigate, but fast enough to stay away from the rider.
"He's catching up pretty fast, you might want to speed up."
"I can't...this is terrifying enough!" Malron cringed as a low hanging branch scraped the top of the wagon.
"Hey, Malron, he's trying to stay behind us for some reason!"
"He's trying to jump into the back with you, after he finds out how many shots it takes for you to reload, he will push his horse as hard as he can during your last shots, and then—probably have us smuggle him into the castle."
"I think he's crazy!"
"And I think that 'he' is a she, and she's a Gerudo!"
"What...fine, then, I think she's out of her mind!" Linkle pressed the trigger again, trying not to miss, and noticed two shots flew out when she held the trigger for a little longer than she had to for one, "Hey, this thing shot two at a time!"
"That must be the rapid fire it was advertised with." Malron realized, "How many shots did you use?"
"Four and five, I'm reloading now!"
"What...you still have five left—ah, I see, trick him into thinking you only have five at a time!"
"I'll have to reload when he starts gaining speed again!" Linkle said, rapid firing three more before bouncing two others off the Gerudo woman's armor.
"Hang on, we're going to drop in a minute, I'll yell when, then you get ready to hang onto something!"
"You'll give me a few seconds to spare, right?"
"Of course, just do your thing, Linkle, your...shooting thing."
"Mal?"
"Rocks!" Malron yelled.
Linkle reached into her bag and watched as the Gerudo jumped towards the carriage, then pulled her hand back out and held onto the bow as she fired all the arrows, the impact knocked the Gerudo back enough that she missed the wagon and fell under her horse, tripping it as Linkle fell, only to be pulled by the rope and bounce backwards, turning to fall on her hands.
"How's everything back there?" Malron yelled, hearing Linkle's tumble.
"Great, just perfect!" Linkle called back, "She fell under her horse and it tripped, then I looked away...do you think she survived that?"
"I don't know, Linkle," Malron said as she turned to the now seated blonde, "if she did, I'd be surprised, but that horse can't be in good—did you hear that?"
Linkle jumped up and went back to find the horsewoman back and gaining speed, an ax in one hand and reins in the other, Linkle grabbed arrows and dropped them in, three at a time as she ran to the back, but when she looked up to see the menacing ax, she fell back, shot the nine arrows she had, and squinted at the ax was raised above her, only to hear a clink as an arrow bounced off the woman's helmet, and she turned around to find a bitter grimace on Malron's face as she shot the woman's hand again, then fell over Linkle, who heard a loud thump, followed a flying sensation and a yell that slowly grew distant. She opened her eyes and Malron slowly straightened her back and stared at Linkle with her teeth bared as she shook and sweat.
"M-mal...are-" Linkle got up and held onto Malron, "are you hurt? I don't want to look at your back...please tell me-"
"I'm alive...the ax...didn't get me."
"Malron!" Linkle couldn't have imagined that tears would one day fall from her eyes, but now she couldn't have imagined an end.
"I...was scared too."
"I don't want to become the hero, and I hope I'm not!"
"This...isn't connected to that, we almost died because some idiot was brave enough to jump into the carriage with us."
"I'm scared."
"I...I see, you've never been afraid, have you?"
"Who's driving, anyways?"
"The horses are smart, they know to keep running."
"I don't think we've lost her yet." Linkle turned to find a familiar shape in the distance.
"You're strong, Linkle, now play your ocarina, play Epona's favorite song."
"I can't, I can barely breath right!"
"Just...the top line." Malron whispered, and felt one hand leave her neck for a few seconds before Linkle linked her arm under Malron's and put the ocarina's mouthpiece to her lips and closed her eyes.
Zelda watched out from her window and sighed. Impa left hours ago and her father had business; she had books, but she was restless, she felt like there was something that needed to be done, but wasn't. She remembered suddenly that she was suppose to be remembering her dream, but the only details she remembered were those eyes, in all of Hyrule, she felt like she could pick those eyes out of the crowd, while they were closed.
She closed her eyes and recalled that the cloths were partially seemed green, she did remembered that there was a green light before she saw the clothes, and that it would make sense for her protector to where those colors when it was the flash of those same colors that drove back the terrifying, faceless figure.
"You will be wearing green, very well...I shall await you...in the evening, I'm sure. This evening...the clouds that form over Hyrule now were not foreseen...that doesn't bode well for us." she turned as Impa opened the door behind her, she knew it was Impa, the way she took two steps into the room before opening her mouth to speak, but was instantly cut off by Zelda's urgent tone, "Today's the day. Go help out our friends in the field...you should meet them by the drawbridge."
"How will I know-"
"The carriage will not have any driver, hurry!" Zelda turned to Impa, who nodded and ran down the halls, shouting for guards to follow her.
"If my dream this morning was any indication...today's the day."
"Great job...now get to the front of the carriage." Malron got up and walked to the edge of floor, and grabbed Epona's reins, swiftly throwing one leg over the saddle and maneuvered away from the carriage. Linkle looked at the rope around her waist and made her way to the front and untied the rope from her chair, then checked where the horses were before finally securing it on the beam between the front window and side window.
The castle was close now, she steered the horses so they ran along the moat and then climbed outside the carriage, onto the roof, where she saw Malron chasing the horsewoman, who was close to the carriage now, while Epona was a short distance behind, Malron was shooting at the helmet when she noticed Linkle, who leapt in front of the Gerudo, unsaddling the rider while she hung onto the stirrup until caught her and cut the rope, then set her down while she strode up to the rider, who was quickly surrounded by soldiers, all pointing their spears down at the fallen fighter.
"Great job, kid, we'll take it from here." Impa turned to take in the features of the individual who performed such feats of daring and discovered a blonde girl with sapphire eyes, "I hope your stay is far more pleasant than your arrival."
"Thank you, ma'am." Malron answered, setting a hand on Linkle's shoulder, "Hey, you want to hang around here for a while?"
"I don't know." Linkle breathed, "I don't know what to think about this."
"If you want to turn back now, then we will."
"No...let's go, it's my birthday...I'm going to have fun while I'm here...bomb bowling and stuff."
"Uh—alright, just return to the fountain in the middle of the square after a couple hours, okay?"
Linkle nodded and followed Malron into the city until Malron turned to give her a bag with a green rupee pattern sewed into it, "This is fifty rupees, since I'm pretty sure you don't have a wallet yet." with that, Malron disappeared in the other side of a crowd of people.
Author's Notes: Here's chapter two, people! I think this is a good saving point! Anyway, things are getting to that point in the story where the hero realizes there's a quest. Stay tuned!
deviantpokemontrainerjay: Good to hear! And here's that update you wanted. :-}
