Chapter 2 - Chpt. II

Zelda wasrestored to her usual rank as princess of Hyrule, and her family welcomed herback with open arms. Link was almost jealous of her. He almost wished he had afamily to go back to, but when he thought about it, he might not have a familyanymore but he had plenty of friends that would be happy to see him. Link happilythought of what Mulan, Saria, or anyone else might do if they saw him. And itwasn’t just his friends who were acting happy to see him. On all of the fewvisits he made to the market, he had been surrounded by people giving him giftsand wanting desperately to meet ‘The Hero of Time’.
   Though he could have easily escaped the townand traveled around like he had done so for so long before, he felt a strangefeeling to remain in the castle. The royal family was glad to have him as aguest, and gave him a great room with several servants willing to jump off abuilding if he told them to. He liked staying in one spot for once.
   One particularly nice day about a week afterGanondorf’s fall, Link was walking around the castle’s stables. Arms cladacross his chest, he idly looked for his faithful steed, Epona. He finallyspotted her grazing in an open field. Link whipped out his Ocarina, and justfor old time’s sake, he played the memorable tune known as ‘Epona’s Song’. Herhead perked up at the soft melody, and she turned her head in his direction.Epona happily trotted towards her master. She whinnied as she drew nearer, andalmost ran him over in her eagerness to see him. Link chuckled softly andreached up to stroke her face.
   Epona’s coat was more beautiful than ever,and her mane and been brushed, too.
   “Looks like you have gotten the royaltreatment, too,” he said fondly.
   Epona blinked her big brown eyes inresponse. He stepped to her side, and placed a foot in the stirrup and swunghis remaining leg over her side. Link gently kicked her sides telling her tomove forward. She responded gracefully and broke out into a slow trot. Heslowly eased her to go faster; she obeyed without a second thought.
   Link almost laughed as they sped around thefield. Feeling the wind whip through his hair and wash overhis face felt so right. It was one of the only things he had done sincehis battle that seemed ordinary. Everything else?Nope, it wasn’t real. Just something played out before him, all the servantsand whatnot. For the past week, he had felt like he was watching someone else’slife, not his. Like he was and audience member, nothing more.But this, this was real. Riding his horse was the first real thing he had donein a while.
   Link was so deep in thought, that he barelynoticed his hat fly off his head. But the alien feeling of his head without hishat, made him snap out of his thoughts.         He made Epona do a violent turn and then halt. He was so intent ofgetting his green hat back, he almost fell off Epona in his haste. But when hisfoot was finally free of the stirrup, he raced after the wind.
   He finally spotted his cap lying on theground, its tip moving about, taunting him. He frowned thoughtfully and walkedtowards it. He picked it up and shoved it onto his head, intent on it notfalling off anytime soon.
   Link whistled at Epona, and she came to hisside. He walked her back to the field, were he turned her loose to do as shepleased.
   Walking back to the gates, Link saw Zeldaout of the corner of his eye. He turned on his heel and walked towards her.
   She met him with a weak smile. She openedher mouth to say something, but then thought better of it. Zelda eventuallyjust beckoned him to sit with her on a nearby bench. He followed her, slightlyconfused.
   When he sat next to her she had this veryuncomfortable look on her face.
   “I need to talk to you,” she admitted.
   “Well, I’m listening,” assured Link, anxiousto hear what was making her so uncomfortable.
   “Well… I was talking to my father a fewnights ago; we were talking about all that you have done for us. Saving ourtowns, helping our people-“
    Link cut her off. “Hey, I don’t want areward or anything if that is what you are getting at.”
    “No, but we do want to give you somethingback. Not really a reward per say, but merely something you sacrificed in orderto save Hyrule… Link, you remember seven years ago when you had to find allthree Spiritual Stones? When you were a mere child?”
   “Yes, of course I remember…” he saidblankly, wondering how she could assume he would forget something so important.
   “And then when you had done so, you were putinto a deep sleep by the Sages that lasted almost a decade?”
   “Yeah.”
   “Well, seven years is a long time. And foryou, you have no recollection of any of it. None at all.I think that isn’t fair. No one should have to have a period of time were theydid nothing, just wasted away. So… what I am getting at is… I want to give youthose seven years back.”
   “What?” Link blurted out.
   Zelda smiled at him. “I am capable of aspell that could send you back in time for you to live out those years. Youcould do it all over again, no fighting, just you living your life how you wantit.”
   Link was astonished. He had no idea she wascapable of something as big as that. But when he thought about it… being ableto do what he pleased… no monsters chasing him… living a normal life… it wassomething he had dreamed about many times. And now that dream was within hisgrasp… but…
   “Zelda… if you send me back, I won’t be herewith you… will you even remember me?”
   “Of course, how could I forget someone likeyou?” she joked.
   “But, you’ll be all alone… and, will I beable to talk to you in the past?” he asked, slowly growing accustomed to theabsurd thought of time travel.
   “Of course, we could grow up together, well,you and me in the past,” she assured him. “It is your choice, and we could doit anytime you want.”
   “…Zelda?”
   “Yes?”
   “Will you miss me?”
   She looked at him, and he swore he saw atear in her eye.
   “Of course I will miss you. I really careabout you I, and I just want you to be happy. And knowing you are in the past,living a normal life, probably with me[/i],will make me happier than you can imagine.”
   Link looked at her. He just couldn’t helpit. He loved everything about her. Her hair, her face, hereyes, everything. He hated to leave her alone, but… a normal[/i] life. Normal. No fighting, no quests, plus hecould probably get a job on Mulan’s ranch… But… Zeldawould be all alone…
   “Link… what do you say?”
   “… I’ll do it.”
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   A few hours later, Link, Zelda, and Naviwere standing in the lobby of the Temple of Time. Link was fidgeting nervously. Hestill wasn’t sure if he had made the right decision or not, but it was too latenow. Zelda was already motioning for him them to begin the spell.
   She had explained it to him earlier, but hewas still slightly nervous. Come on… pullit together, [/i]He thought. I[/i] had to shove bombs down a giant Dogondo’sthroat when I was, who knows how old… I should be able to handle a simplespell…[/i]
   But he did what Zelda instructed him to do.He stepped onto the round carving of the Triforce that lifted a few inches fromthe floor. His arms were limp at his sides, because he had nothing to hold.Link had already given his Master Sword and shield to Zelda. He felt strangelyvulnerable without his accessories, but Zelda had said it was necessary to handthem over.
   He began to watch Zelda, fascinated. She hadbegun to chant words in a language he had no chance of understanding. She waseven doing hand motions to match the elegance of her speech. But he soonstopped watching her, to watch what was happening to him.[/i]
   A lavender aura was starting to rise fromall sides of the raised ground. Soon it made a bubble around him, seeming tocut him off from the rest of the world. As the strange purple substanceengulfed him, he felt a warm tingle. A very pleasant feeling was starting fromhis face and slowly traveling to the rest of his body. Link felt bizarrely atpeace, like nothing could touch him. As if all his problems were just silly memories.Nothing mattered, nothing at all. He glanced out of his transparent enclosure,and he locked eyes with Zelda.
   She was crying.
   Link’s trance was almost shattered. Why wasshe crying? And almost at the same time, he could scarcely recall exactly whohe was looking at. He knew she was important, and that he knew her, but therest was a blur. What was happening to him? Why couldn’t he remember who shewas?! Link tried hardly to remember… but with no result.
   The strange woman was now chanting so loudlyhe could hear her inside his bubble of violet light.
   Link could feel his mind ebbing away. Andhis vision was growing dim.
   But then, quite suddenly, the warm feelinghe had been feeling before vanished, just disappeared. And roaring in its placecame a wave of pain. Utter agony. The transformationleft him so dumbfounded, that he hardly felt the throbbing at first. But thenit ate away at his insides. The aura turned blood-red and Link’s body glowedblack. He was shaking so violently, Link was surprised he was still standing.But upon closer examination he realized he wasn’t even standing, but he wasfloating in the center of his prison.
   Link looked desperately at the blonde girlstaring at him. Why was she doing this to him? Who was she?!
   Finally, he could take no more. His body wasshutting down. And the last thing he heard before completely losing consciousnesswas an evil laughter surrounding him. And then… he knew no more.
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   Zelda stood in front of the raised groundthat had once contained her life-long friend, astonished. A few seconds afterthe orb had turned red and Link black, he had flashed and disappeared.
   And the way he had looked at her, it scaredher. He had looked at her through the orb as though he didn’t know who she was.She didn’t know if that was normal or not, because frankly this was the firsttime she had attempted that particular spell. So, she forced herself to assumethat all had gone as planned, and that he was safe in the past.
   Navi bounced around Zelda’s golden head.
   “So… he’s really gone?” Navi asked. Zeldamay have just imagined it, but she thought she heard a tint of sadness in Navi’svoice.
   “Yes, Navi… he’s gone.” Zelda wiped a tear fromher eye, and turned her back on the small fairy. “So, I expect you will returnto Konkiri Forest then,Navi?”she asked.
   “Yes… yes I suppose so…” she answeredhalfheartedly.
   As Navi started to float to the small windowleading out of the Temple, Zelda stopped her.
   “Navi,” she called, “Navi, please come visitme in the castle sometime, alright?”
   Navi bounced up in down in response. Zeldasmiled and waved to the sprite.
  
   As the princess returned to her quartersthat night, she couldn’t help but think about the past events. And as she layin her bed, she also couldn’t help but think something was wrong. The look Zeldahad given Zelda had really disturbed her. Zelda was a pretty talentedsorceress, but there was a chance that something had gone wrong. Zelda tossedin turned, until eventually she fell into a fitful sleep…
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