Black Rose (Zelda Fanfic)

[Luna Sasaguri]

Black Rose
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Chapter 1

It was a breezy and chilly evening on the ranch. Malon was off on a delivery in place of Talon, whose back was aching, so it was just the proprietor and his reluctantly loyal hand Ingo on the grounds that night. Talon shut up the last of the horses and forked in some fresh hay into each of the stalls, wiping his hands together with satisfaction at a job well done.

Feeling a pain rising in his back, the jolly middle-aged man eased himself down onto a stool to relax. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a packet of crackers and began to munch away, staring out of the windows above the stalls into the night sky.

The soft glow of the moonlight illuminated square patches on the dusty stable floor. Talon pushed around a few stray straws of hay with his boot while contently eating his snack.

The door to the stable opened behind him, but he didn’t bother to look and see who entered. Since it was just him and Ingo there shouldn’t have been anyone else to expect. He waved a dismissing hand behind himself. “No need to come in Ingo, I’m all done in here. You can head on up to bed now,” Talon said.

When he was met with silence, odd seeing as Ingo always had something to say, whether it was a complaint or random grumblings beneath his breath, Talon twisted halfway around to see the doorway to the stable.

“Ingo?”

A large dark shadowed figure stood there before him; just the very edge of the figure’s boot was illuminated by the moonlight. Talon tilted his head to the side, curious and slowly becoming anxious, as the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.

“Pardon…sir?” he assumed it to be a man judging by the sheer hulking size of the silhouette, “We’re closed for the night, you’ll have to come back in the morning…” he said, his eyes darting surreptiously towards the pitch fork he had tossed into the corner.

The figure took a step forward and alarms went off in Talon’s head. His body tensed up and he slowly stood to his feet, his eyes still darting off towards the sharp farm tool only about three feet away.

The figure seemed to catch on, Talon assumed, as he saw movement in the darkness and heard the sound of clinking metal. The lazy ranch owner gritted his teeth then abruptly lunged with amazing deftness towards the pitch fork. The moment his fingers were clasped around its metal shaft he felt a shock shoot through him, originating in his belly.

The loud thump of metal jamming itself into the wooden wall of the stable behind him and the tantalizingly slow drip of something liquid falling to the floor alerted Talon to the horrible truth: something awful had just happened.

He could now tell, as he lay there dying, that whatever had rooted itself in the wall had gone through him first. Talon reached a weakened and shaky hand up to grasp the jagged chain embedded in his abdomen. His eyelids began to feel like heavy slabs of iron as they slowly fluttered open and closed. Each of his senses shut down quickly after; scent being the last. The saccharine aroma of roses met his nose before his world went black.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Exhausted, Malon dismounted from her favorite horse Elma, a plain brown good-natured mare with a black mane, and began unsaddling her. She led the tired horse towards the stable, clutching the heavy saddle to her chest. She glanced up tiredly, to see if her father had gone to bed, and found it odd that the light was still on in Ingo’s bedroom.

“Odd…” she voiced out loud, “Ingo usually goes to bed early.” She shrugged, coming to the conclusion that he probably had just left the light on. He had, after all, done so before.

The moment she opened the door and stepped inside, with Elma just behind her, the stale stench of blood slammed into her like an arrow shot from a bow. She gasped in horror; her immediate first thoughts were that a Wolfos had somehow gotten in and attacked the stable animals.

The redhead ranch girl dropped the reins to her mare and ran to the stalls. Her eyes widened in terror as she stared at the body of her father in a pool of nearly dried blood with a large gaping hole in his chest surrounded by what looked to be black rose petals.

Malon collapsed to her knees onto the floor, her heart pounding in her ears. She clutched her mouth tightly with her hands, hot tears forming in her eyes and streaming down her cheeks. She shook her head wildly and shrieked into the night, her screams echoing across the entire ranch. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she collapsed onto the floor.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Early the next morning, the sounds of galloping hooves broke the dead silence on the ranch. Link, the Hero of Time, dismounted his trusted and loyal mare Epona and tied her to the post in front of the stables and the main house. He glanced curiously about, wondering why the ranch was so quiet.

“Malon?” he called, heading towards the range where the horses normally grazed. He was met with an empty field; not even the cuckoos had been released to stretch their legs. The blond hero frowned, quickly becoming more and more worried.

“Malon’s never overslept before…and even if she had Talon or Ingo should have let the animals out…” Link mused out loud. He returned to where he had tethered Epona and patted her nose on the way into the stable to check and see if Malon was just running a little late.

His heart leapt into his throat as the strong odor of blood reached his nose. Behind him, Epona reared up in a panic. Link dashed inside, fear in his heart.

“Goddesses no! Don’t tell me…!”

As quickly as his heart had risen to his throat, it plummeted down to his feet. There, before him, was the mutilated body of Talon surrounded by blood-stained hay and covered in dried up rose petals. Malon lay vertically in front of him. He gulped, fighting back tears, as he stared upon the man who had once been like a father to him. He averted his head, knowing there was nothing he could do for him since he had obviously long since been dead and knelt down by Malon’s motionless body.

Link’s eyes burned as he held back tears. “Malon…” he whispered, gently shaking her. “Malon…please tell me you’re alive!”

He held his breath when he saw her fingers twitch and heard a soft moan escape her lips. She lifted her fiery red head and stared up into Link’s face, her eyes red from crying the previous night. She looked dazed and confused as Link pulled her up into a seated position.

“Link…wha-what happened? Why am I not in my room?” she said puzzledly, rubbing her eyes. She suddenly frowned and scooted closer to Link, pressing herself against his chest. “I had the most…awful dream, that I found my father d-dead in a pool of-“

“It wasn’t a dream.”

Malon gasped and pulled away from Link to look him in the face. “I-it wasn’t a dream?” she repeated.

Link’s voice was firm and thick with emotion but his face betrayed his voice, looking like his facial features had been etched in stone. “It wasn’t a dream,” he said again. He clutched her tightly to his chest and buried his face in her hair.

“Don’t look behind you…” he whispered into her ear.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Malon set down a large and particularly heavy box of her belongings onto the floor in the middle of the nearly empty room. She sighed tiredly, wiping away a sheen of sweat that had accumulated upon her forehead. She sat down beside the box and opened it, slowly pulling out its contents and setting them onto the floor.

A knock at the door made the redhead look up. She stood to her feet and wiped her hands off on her plain beige dress and went to answer the door.

Malon was met by a bouquet of colorful flowers. She blinked in surprise then looked up at the person holding them and smiled warmly. “Link!” she exclaimed, taking the flowers from him. “They’re beautiful!”

She stepped back allowing him to enter and the hero put a fond arm around her waist. “It’s the least I could do,” he replied leading her over to the lone table near the center of the room with two chairs sitting idly around it.

Malon smiled brightly and motioned for him to sit. “Sit down, Link. I’ll go find a vase for them,” she said, hurrying into the kitchen. She returned moments later with the flowers set into a plain blue vase and placed the vase onto the table. She sat down in the chair beside Link.

The blond hero grasped her hand in his larger calloused one and rubbed her thumb with his own. “How are you doing?” he asked gently.

She shrugged. “Not so great I suppose, but you’ve done so much to help me…I don’t know how I could ever repay you Link,” she replied softly, staring into his concerned visage.

A smirk came to the young swordsman’s lips and he leaned forward. “All a simple hero like me needs is a kiss from a fair maiden as reward for doing his duty,” he said cheerily, placing a soft loving kiss upon her lips. The ranch girl giggled and squeezed his hand back.

A soft whistle came from the kitchen and Malon stood, much to Link’s disappointment. “That’s the tea. I’ll be back in a second,” she said returning to the kitchen.

Moments later the two of them were enjoying a cup of hot sweet tea. Though it was silent, it was a comforting feeling that was mutual between them. Link set his mug down, staring thoughtfully into space listening to the sounds of Malon sipping cautiously at her piping hot tea.

“Malon,” he said suddenly and abruptly.

She had been in mid-sip when he spoke and nearly burned herself. “Yes?”

Link slowly brought his gaze to rest upon her. He closed his eyes and once again reached out for her hand. “I feel like we’re avoiding the subject…I think we should talk about…what happened,” he said.

A dark look spread across her face as Malon looked down and focused on his and her fingers entwined on the table. She pushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear then turned a small sad smile to the man sitting beside her.

“I guess I have been avoiding it…but I suppose the best thing to do is to talk about it instead of bottling it up inside,” she replied finally.

Link nodded encouragingly, squeezing her hand again.

“I was pretty much devastated when I saw my father lying there on the floor. My heart seemed to stop. I was so frightened, and for the first time in a long time, I felt so alone…

“When you came and helped me move my things to Kakariko I felt so helpless…The very thought of moving away from the ranch was appalling to me. I had lived my entire life on the ranch; I couldn’t imagine ever living my life any other way.”

She squeezed his hand tighter once more. “Without you I don’t think I could have made it through these past few days,” she said, smiling lovingly up at him. She nestled her face into his neck.

Link ran his fingers through her hair and whispered almost imperceptibly the words Malon had always wanted to hear.

“I love you…”

The hero pulled her back so he could peer into her face. “Now that you’re alone, you need someone to protect you. And I…I want to be that person,” he said softly.

Malon parted her lips, unsure of what to say. Link pressed something small hard and cubic into her hand, a knowing, but at the same time nervous, smile upon his lips as he closed her fingers around the object.

Malon gazed at him a bit confused then opened her hand. She gasped, covering her mouth with her free hand as tears of joy streamed down her cheeks. She was close to hyperventilating when Link slid out of his chair to bend on one knee before her.

“Malon…will you marry me?”

Ecstatic, the ranch girl threw her arms around Link and hugged him tightly. “Yes! Yes! Oh yes, I will marry you!” she cried into his shoulder.

The two of them shared a passionate kiss before Link whisked her away to the bedroom. He laid her on the bed and then crawled onto the sheets beside her. He kissed her once more and wrapped his arms around her, contently burying his face into her red mane.

“I love you,” Malon finally reciprocated. Link hummed in delight in response. The two of them fell asleep in each others arms, wasting away the rest of the morning hours.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

[Luna Sasaguri]

Chapter 2

News of Talon and Ingo’s murders reached the elongated ears of the Hylian folk in Hyrule Castle town. Hushed whispers spread across the tongues of the citizens like fire through a dried up wheat plain. Such a time like this, when everyone was on edge and suspicions ran abound, was when a pair of male travelers entered the town.

They both were Hylian, judging by the long ears and light complexions, and they were also both swordsman, which was easily revealed by their sword sheaths strapped to their backs, the tip of which was poking out from beneath their traveling cloaks. They had their hoods up, covering most of their defining features. The one on the left seemed to be much older than the other traveler; he was built stockier and taller than his traveling companion and looked about middle-aged. The other was slimmer and lithe-looking.

More whispers escaped the lips of the Hylians as the pair traversed through the town, on occasion stopping to ask a random passerby if they knew where the Hero of Time was. Most responses were negative, in both senses of the word. Some told the two that they had no idea where Link was, while others were rude and were offended by such a question, turning their heads away and muttering for them to be gone!

After a futile search, the pair began to grow weary and stopped at a concession stand where a man was selling fresh red apples. The older man set down a few rupees, took an apple, and bit into it hungrily. The younger man followed suit.

“You guys new in town?” the salesman behind the stand asked, trying to start up a friendly conversation.

The older man nodded. “Yes, we are actually. And we haven’t received the warmest of welcomes,” he replied cheerily, despite his statement.

The salesman held up a placating hand. “Ah, don’t worry about that. You just happened to arrive at a bad time. You see, the owner of Lon Lon Ranch and his ranch hand were killed a couple of days ago and the killer has not been found, so you can expect the townspeople to be wary of unfamiliar travelers.”

The younger traveler tensed up, holding his half-eaten apple tightly in his hand. The older man looked contemplative for a moment, before speaking up once more. “Is that so? That’s a shame to hear. Did he have any family?”

The vender nodded. “Yep. He’s got a lovely young daughter named Malon. I heard she was traumatized by the sight of her father’s corpse on the ground in the stable and as a result, she had to sell the ranch and move to Kakariko.”

The elder’s eyes lit up and he leaned forward with piqued interest. “I see…and the Hero of Time, would you happen to know where he is?”

The merchant nodded enthusiastically. “Course I do! He and Malon are good friends so I’m sure he’s helping her move into Kakariko and get settled. She only moved in yesterday so I’m sure he’s still over there.” The man then leaned forward in a way reminiscent of one who is about to tell a secret. “You know…I think there’s a little more to their relationship than just friendship…” he added, in an insinuating tone.

The younger traveler scoffed and turned his back on the vender, leaning on the counter and facing the streets. The older man chuckled at his companion’s behavior. He nodded to the merchant. “Thank you very much,” he said, sliding a few extra rupees the vender’s way. He nodded to his companion and the two of them headed for their new destination: Kakariko Village.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was late afternoon when Malon and Link groggily came to. The young redhead squirmed a bit in Link’s grasp, happily nestling herself closer to his chest. Link yawned and ran his fingers through his hair then traced a line down Malon’s cheek with his fingertips. They smiled contently at each other, both leaning in at the same time for a kiss.

Malon giggled and Link followed suit with a chuckle. He rolled over, much to her disappointment, and glanced out the window. “Hmm…how long have we been asleep?” Link mumbled, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

Malon shrugged, reaching out a hand to play with the ends of his tunic. “I dunno, but it was a nice nap, don’t you think?”

Link smiled down at her, capturing a lock of red hair and twirling it around his finger. “Yes, yes it was.”

He blinked, as if suddenly remembering something and a small frown developed upon his once serene features. Malon sat up a little, somewhat concerned.

“What is it?” she asked.

Link sighed, scratching the back of his head. “I just remembered I promised Zelda that I’d go to the castle today…”

Malon pouted. “Why? Is it to visit her?” she demanded lightly, a hint of jealousy in her voice.

Link smirked and tapped her on the nose. “No, not to visit her, exactly. It’s business actually. She said she’s been having prophetic dreams lately and she wants to know what I think of them.”

Malon’s pout lessened a bit at the sound of these news. “Oh…well that is important, I suppose. You better get going then,” she said.

Link crawled towards her on his knees to place a quick peck upon her lips and wrap his arms tightly around her. “Alright. I’ll miss you,” he said softly. He caressed her cheek, staring deeply into her eyes, making her shiver with content. Link slowly pulled away, tugged on his boots, and grabbed his sword and shield. They said their goodbyes and Link headed out the door.

Outside, the moment Link closed the door, the hairs on the back of his neck stood alert and attentive. He narrowed his eyes, not being able to shake off the feeling of someone watching him. The hero took in a deep breath, relaxed and headed down the stairs to the main streets of the village, trying to appear oblivious.

At the slightest sound of clinking metal, Link about-faced and held his weapon up to block a sword strike. He grunted with the effort, surprised at his assailant’s strength. The attacker jumped back, and readied his sword, awaiting Link’s next move.

The blond was utterly puzzled by this. Who was this man? He narrowed his eyes, drinking in the attacker’s appearance. There wasn’t much Link could tell about the person. The assailant was most likely male, judging by the tall, lean, and muscular body structure. The shabby cloak hid most of his features; only his mouth could be seen clearly past the hood that shadowed his face, twisted into a determined grimace.

Link noticed movement from the man before him, and tightened his grip upon his Gilded sword. What he was surprised to see was the attacker lowering his stance and holding his sword at his side, leaving himself totally open. Link’s mouth nearly dropped open in bewilderment.

His body was telling him to lower his stance as well, this man no longer meant any harm; but his mind was distrustful, telling him that he needed to stay alert and not let down his guard. The hesitant hero narrowed his eyes, unsure of what action to take.

“Who are you?” Link demanded finally after what seemed like an eternity of the two of them staring at each other.

In reply, the man opposite the blond sheathed his sword and turned his back on Link, starting to walk away. Flabbergasted, Link lowered his stance and reached out a hand towards the man.

“Hey…! Wait!” Link called, taking two steps towards the now tranquil assailant. A sudden tug in his stomach forced him to take one giant step back, and where he had just been standing was now occupied by another cloaked swordsman, crouched on the ground with his sword drawn.

This new attacker slowly stood from his bent position and raised his sword, pointing it towards the confused and, by this time, very annoyed Link.

The hero gritted his teeth, re-tightening his grip on the hilt of his sword. “What’s going on here? Who are you?” he demanded again.

The new assailant smirked, his lips being the only visible part of his body. “Prepare yourself, young man!” he bellowed, charging straight towards Link.

Surprised, the young hero blocked sloppily and his sword was nearly knocked from his hands. He grunted in exertion and quickly blocked the next strike. The barrage of slashes pushed Link back until his heels were hanging over the edge of the ledge leading down to the main streets of Kakariko village. Panicked, Link dodged beneath the man’s arm and scampered to safety behind him. He readied himself for the next attack, his breath quickened from the flow of adrenaline pounding through his veins.

The man slowly turned around, his weapon down at his side; much like what the other assailant had done, and sheathed his sword. The blond hero’s eyebrows threatened to overtake his hairline when the man leaned back and let out a thunderous hearty laugh. He removed his hood, revealing golden blond hair, beginning to be streaked with gray, and bright friendly green eyes.

“You have grown well…my son…” the strange man said.

Link felt like his heart had stopped.

Whaaaaat?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

[Frankenstein Heart]

Now that I've read it, I want more, damn you!

*Shakes fist irritably*

[Luna Sasaguri]

viljo said:

Now that I've read it, I want more, damn you!

*Shakes fist irritably*

Alright alright! I can then assume you like it then. I have I believe 6 full chapters written out so I'll posty them. [/b]

[Luna Sasaguri]

Chapter 3

“…S-son…?” Link repeated, feeling his whole body grow numb. His sword slipped through his now lax fingertips and clattered to the ground.

“Yes…” Link’s supposed father replied gently.

“That’s…not possible…I was told you were dead…” the blond continued, his voice and expression devoid of emotion as he stared blankly ahead.

The man before him nodded. “Yes, I know. And that is how I wanted things to be.”

Link fell to his knees, staring at the ground. The man immediately looked concerned, unable to see Link’s face due to the shadow of his bangs.

“Then…it was a lie…that I had no family remaining…”

Green eyes narrowed and filled with despondence. “I’m sorry things had to be this way. But it was for the best. If you allow me to explain everything, hopefully you can forgive me…”

Link lifted his head to gaze upon the man who claimed to be his father. He was about to say something, when he was interrupted by the sound of a door slamming open. He looked over his shoulder and saw Malon rushing towards him. Before he could stop her, she was already at his side with her arms wrapped around his shoulders in an almost protective manner.

“Link!” she exclaimed, her close proximity allowing the hero to hear and feel her heart pounding. “I heard the noise and I was so worried…!” she breathed out.

Link reached up a hand to grasp hers tightly in a reassuring grip. “It’s alright…” he said, though not too sure of it himself.

Link’s supposed father’s eyes lightened at this sight. “Are you Malon?” he asked gently.

At the mention of her name, Malon’s eyes widened while Link instinctually tensed up. “Y-yes I am…Do I know you?” she replied timidly.

The mysterious man shook his head, smiling. “No, you do not…There is much I need to tell you both…” he trailed off as Link stood to his feet, suddenly determined.

“You’ll come inside,” he said, more as a command than a suggestion. Malon held onto his arm, confused.

The man nodded then focused his sight on something behind Link. At this moment, the hero abruptly remembered the presence of another man and watched as his first silent assailant nodded back to the older man. The two of them headed for Malon’s abode. Link held onto Malon’s arm firmly and lead her inside as well.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

They sat around the lone table in the center of the room; Malon had scavenged the rest of the chairs in the house that she could find and set them around the table to accommodate them. The older swordsman cleared his throat.

“My name is Lyeris, and I am indeed your father, Link,” the man began.

Malon was stunned by these news, and immediately turned to see her lover’s reaction. His face had the most unreadable expression and his eyes were focused completely on Lyeris. He sat a bit hunched forward in his chair with his hands fisted over his knees. Everything about him was rigid, almost to the point of frightening the redhead.

Lyeris nodded to the younger man leaning against the wall by the door. “That is Logan. He is your mother’s sister’s son; in other words, your only remaining cousin,” he continued.

At this moment, Logan removed his hood, revealing light brown hair and dark blue eyes, almost identical to Link’s own. Malon gasped. His eyes were so much like Link’s yet so different at the same time. While Link’s eyes were full of laughter and joy, Logan’s were darker (not exactly color-wise) and filled with emotions that one should not be burdened with at such a young age.

Lyeris took in a deep breath, and Malon returned her attention to him.

“During the great Imprisoning War, I fought valiantly as a knight of Hyrule. Due to a nearly fatal wound I incurred during the battle, I was taken off the field and cared for in the infirmary. While I was laying on one of those cotton mats, I received a vision from the goddesses…In the vision they told me to flee Hyrule and let no one know that I was still alive. There were only a select few who knew of my current whereabouts, so faking my death would be a simple feat. They also told me…to take my first-born son with me…” Lyeris seemed to hesitate at this part of the story, continuously eyeing Link as if trying to make sure his son was paying attention.

Link brought his hands up to his face and rested his chin upon his knuckles. “But you didn’t?” he quipped.

An odd smile formed on Lyeris’s lips and he shook his head. “No…actually….I did…”

Link blinked, slowly sitting up straight. “You…did? Then why is it I was told that my mother took me to the forest…” Link’s voice raised an octave and his eyes clouded over with a sudden bout of distrust. “Was that a lie too?” he demanded.

Malon’s heart was racing as she watched Link’s father’s peculiar response. Something about it told her that it wasn’t a lie, that it was something else. She placed a hand on her lover’s arm. “Link, calm down…I think…I think you have a brother…” Malon said, immediately turning to Lyeris for confirmation.

When the older man nodded, Link exhaled sharply and clutched his head tightly with his hands. “A brother…” he murmured over and over to himself.

Lyeris leaned forward and placed a firm strong hand upon his son’s shoulder, who stiffened at the touch. “I know this is a lot of information at once, but please…bear with me. There is so much more to know…”

Link nodded and raised his head to gaze into his father’s eyes, waiting patiently for him to continue.

Lyeris cleared his throat. “I sent a messenger to your mother who was with your brother, Leland.”

“Leland…” Link repeated softly, mulling over the word and its meaning. His own brother!

“When the messenger returned with your brother, he told me that your mother was heading for the forest with you…that she had also been instructed in a vision on what to do. With this information, I had no regrets on leaving. I left for Kalil, where your mother had a sister named Shelia that I stayed with. She had a son, as you probably have guessed by now, Logan.” He nodded to Logan again.

“For six years I stayed with Shelia, training both Leland and Logan to be skilled swordsmen, until one fateful day…I was out with the boys and when I returned, Shelia had been…murdered and her corpse decorated with rose petals…”

Link frowned at this, glancing over at Malon who looked horrified. The hero figured it was more on the fact that his aunt had been murdered rather than the similarities between how her body had been left and how Talon’s body had also been left. He squeezed Malon’s hand. It had been a traumatic experience for her so she probably just didn’t recall that single detail. He wanted to keep it that way, until he was alone with his father and could discuss it further.

Lyeris clenched his fist tightly on the arm rest of his chair. “I knew exactly who had done this,” he said, his voice full of malice.

“Senneth Ordanis.”

Link and Malon both whirled around to gaze upon Logan, who had spoken up for the first time. He looked utterly furious, with both of his fists curled into tight fists. “Ordanis is the one who killed my mother and also fatally wounded yours Link,” he grounded out.

Link’s eyes widened at this revelation and immediately turned to his father. “Is that true? He was the one who wounded my mother?”

The elder man looked down at his clenched fist. “I cannot say for absolute certain. But that is what I have been told…”

Link growled. “Who is this man? This Senneth Ordanis?” Link spat angrily.

“He was Ganondorf’s right-hand man during the dark wizard’s reign,” Lyeris replied. Link looked puzzled.

“Ganondorf’s right-hand man? I’ve never heard of him and I defeated Ganondorf…”

His father nodded his head. “Indeed, I’m not surprised you don’t know him. He was often in the shadows, and very few knew of him. After Ganondorf was imprisoned, I heard Ordanis fled, and nothing has been heard from him for the past eight years.”

Link sighed, scratching frantically at his head. Did this potentially mean the rise of a new Ganondorf could occur soon? Just when he was thinking of settling down and starting a family…

“After the murder of Shelia, I took the boys to a far off, nearly vacant town where I continued training them,” Lyeris continued. “When Leland was seventeen years of age, I permitted him to become a mercenary to continue honing his skills and also to raise money so we could make a return trip back to Hyrule. And now, four years later we have returned to Hyrule,” he ended with a smile at his son and Malon.

Link’s eyes brightened at this. “Ah…Leland…where is he now?” Link asked, almost timidly.

Despite the somber mood he had set with his unsettling past, Lyeris burst into laughter. “You’ll see your brother soon enough, my son! Don’t worry about that. We traveled separately, for safety reasons. He should be arriving in a day or so.”

Link looked relieved, though it was short-lived as he cast a firm look upon his newly-discovered father. “I’m afraid that…I won’t be able to call you father…just yet,” Link began. “I’m going to need some time…to sort all of this out.”

Lyeris nodded in understanding, eyes crinkling around the edges. “Yes, yes. I fully understand.”

Malon spoke up at this moment, after having been silent for some time. “I’ll go get the tea,” she offered, standing.

The elder man smiled broadly at her. “Ah yes! I’m sure Logan would like to join us for some as well!” he said, sending an unspoken message with his eyes to his nephew to come join them at the table.

Logan reluctantly pushed off from the wall and started to walk towards the table to join them. While passing some of Malon’s discarded luggage, something dark caught his eye. He knelt down by two suitcases on top of each other and reached his hand in-between them, withdrawing an ebony substance that crumbled between his fingers. Link’s cousin brought it up to his nose and sniffed it.

From his seat at the table, Link watched his cousin curiously, wondering what he was up to. When he saw the man abruptly leap to his feet, Link grew concerned. “What is it…Logan?” Link asked.

Malon was returning at this moment with the tray of tea. She set it down cheerily on the table. “Tea is here!”

Before Link could stop him, because the hero had caught on only moments before the brunette reacted, Logan stalked over to Malon and shoved his hand in her face.

“What is this?” he demanded, voice curt and sharp.

Malon stared at him in bewilderment and took a surprised step back to be able to see what was in his hand. “I-I don’t know!” she stammered, confused.

Lyeris began to stand from his seat, a stern look on his face. “Logan…” he intoned warningly.

“This is a rose petal! A black rose petal!” Logan growled. “It was on your suitcase. These are exactly the kind of roses my mother’s killer left behind!”

Though Link didn’t want to make the situation worse, and he wanted his cousin to stop hassling his soon to be bride, he couldn’t help but blurt out, “Talon’s body was covered in them!”

Logan whirled on him. “So I was right then.” He turned back to Malon who was close to tears. “These are the same roses that were all over my mother! The same man who killed my mother killed your father!” he practically hissed.

Malon trembled, staring straight ahead, her eyes giving her a glazed expression. Link hopped out of his chair and immediately was at her side, seconds before she collapsed. He held her tightly, whispering words of comfort and stroking her hair, shooting a glare at Logan.

“Logan, that is enough!” Lyeris bellowed authoritatively. Logan flinched and turned away. He stalked towards the door, opened it, mumbling something nearly incoherent about “getting some fresh air” and slammed it behind himself.

Link’s father sighed heavily, sitting back down at the table and grabbing a cup of tea. He drank graciously from it before he turned his eyes upon his younger son. “I’m sorry she had to be subject to that. Since his mother’s death, he’s been totally bent on revenge. It was his only motivation to train with me and your brother. He loses control whenever there is mention of Ordanis because of it…I shall have a talk with him.”

Link nodded. “I understand…I suppose I’d be the same way if I was in his shoes…” Link sighed as well, stroking Malon’s back, who had begun to calm down. He glanced out of the window and only now noticed just how dark it was outside. It was probably still early evening, but the hero was mentally exhausted and in no shape to take a trip to the castle.

“We should rest for now…” he said tiredly. Lyeris enthusiastically agreed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~*~*~*~

[Luna Sasaguri]

Chapter 4

The next morning, Link carefully disentangled himself from Malon’s sleepy embrace and rolled off the bed. He stretched as silently as possible, slipped his boots on, and stepped out into the hallway. He glanced down towards the guest bedroom, with the door ajar, and decided to check in on his newly-discovered family members.

The sound of deep breathing met his Hylian ears as he quietly crept into the room. His father was lying on his back still asleep. Link watched with slight amusement as the sheets covering his large belly rose and fell with each breath. He noted with not much surprise that the bed that should have held his cousin was empty.

The open window let in a cool breeze, and strips of sunlight from the slowly awakening sun streamed in and painted the floor orange and yellow. The young hero crept towards the window and stuck his head out, turning his gaze upwards towards the roof. Link chuckled to himself.

The guestroom was on the backside of the house, which faced away from the streets of Kakariko. Link hadn’t had a chance to explore the roof of Malon’s house so he was a little cautious as he climbed out of the window. He gripped the vines that grew on the building’s brick outsides and hoisted himself up. He grabbed on tightly to the edge at the top and pulled himself up onto the slanted roof.

Sighing with content at completing his task, the hero stood to his feet, brushed off his clothes, and began his slow, careful trek across the roof. He spotted his cousin moments later, sitting near one of the skylight windows. The young brunette had one knee bent and the other was stretched out. His sword lay at his side.

Logan glanced up as Link came closer and gazed upon him with slight curiosity. “How did you know I was up here?” Link’s cousin asked.

Link grunted as he sat down beside him. “Well, when I’m upset and need time to think or to sulk, I usually head for higher ground,” was Link’s semi-cryptic reply.

Logan gave him an odd look, before returning his gaze to the rising sun. A comfortable silence spread between them as they both enjoyed the swirling oranges and reds of the sunrise, until Logan cleared his throat.

“I’m…sorry,” he muttered, his voice both thick and awkward.

Link shook his head, smiling. “It’s alright. You don’t have to apologize, at least not to me anyway. I fully understand why you acted the way you did last night. I probably would have acted the same way.” Link blinked, as he delved deeper into the meaning of his own statement.

“Come to think of it…” Link began, frowning as he realized something. “I should probably be feeling the same way you are because Ordanis fatally wounded my mother. He’s the reason she is dead…”

Logan nodded. “Yes, he is.”

Link ran his fingers through his hair. “But…I don’t feel an uncontrollable urge to go out and find him and make him pay for what he’s done, like you do…”

Link watched his cousin clench his fist hatefully, and frowned again. “And I should feel anger and hatred because he killed your mother too. She is…was my aunt after all. But…I almost feel…nothing…” The confused hero clutched his head tightly. “Why do I feel so empty about it?”

Logan shrugged. “Maybe because you didn’t know your mother; there isn’t any emotional attachment to her,” he suggested. “I, on the other hand, knew my mother for six years. And she was my only remaining parent. He must pay for taking that away!”

Logan turned to Link and placed a hand upon his shoulder. “Don’t worry so much about this Link. You shouldn’t be too concerned about not being overcome by rage; it’s not a good thing anyway. It makes you think irrationally. I…realize this myself, but it’s hard to think otherwise. You’re probably at an advantage. You won’t find yourself making irrational decisions.”

Link twisted his mouth into an uncomfortable grimace and sighed. “I guess you’re right…”

There was another bout of silence as the two of them thought about the conversation. Link glanced over at his cousin once more. “My father…he basically raised you after your mother was killed, right?”

Logan nodded, his eyes still on the sunrise.

“What’s…he like?”

The brunette smirked a little. “He’s a good man. Though I resented him at first for trying to take the place of my real father, I came to realize that he was only doing this because he cared.” He shrugged. “I don’t know how else to describe him really…”

“What happened to your real father?” Link continued.

“Died when I was young,” was the curt reply.

“Ohh…” Any normal person would have ended the conversation right there, but Link was determined and stubborn and decided to prod a little more. “And my mother…did you know her at all?”

Logan was silent for a bit, placing a hand upon his bent knee. “Hmm…I don’t really remember her that well. I only really remember meeting her once and that was for my father’s funeral. And I only vaguely remember her because your father was there too and I knew his face pretty well.”

“Why did you know my father’s face pretty well?” Link asked, puzzled.

“I don’t mean back then I knew it well. I mean since I’ve been living with your father I know his face, so I could pick out his face in old memories and realize that it was him,” Logan explained.

The brunette scratched the back of his head. “I know why you were asking and I’m sorry I couldn’t help anymore than that…but if it helps any, I know that our mothers sent plenty of letters to each other.”

Link brightened at these news. “Really? And they kept the letters?”

Logan nodded. “Yes. When we fled Kalil, your father took the letters that your mother sent my mother. He also had the ones my mother sent yours, and I asked to have those,” he replied.

Link smiled. “I have to see those letters! Maybe I can find out more about my mother through them!” he said contently.

“Maybe,” Logan agreed.

Link stretched and stood to his feet. “We ought to head back inside now.”

Logan nodded in agreement, standing to his feet as well.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Ah…your mother’s letters,” Lyeris repeated, sipping his coffee.

Link nodded eagerly. “Yes, I wanted to read them so I could get to know a little more about my mother.”

“I hate to break this to you Link, but I gave them to your brother.”

Link looked crest-fallen and hung his head while Malon rubbed his arm comfortingly. “Leland…um…why though?”

Lyeris chuckled and set down his coffee mug. “When Leland left to become a mercenary I told him to take the letters with him so he could have a piece of her with him while he was away.”

“Oh…I see,” Link said, feeling bad for being selfish. He had forgotten that since Leland was his brother, that meant they shared a mother. This whole sibling thing was still quite new to him.

Lyeris smiled. “Don’t worry though. Leland should be arriving fairly soon. We should receive a letter from him the day before he arrives.”

Link grinned, feeling the excitement of meeting his brother boiling over inside of him.

“So! What’s on the agenda for today, Link?” his father asked.

Link looked thoughtful, shoveling his last bite of egg into his mouth. “Hmm…I guess I can show you guys around Hyrule. I don’t know really how much has changed since you were here so-“

“Link!” Malon interrupted. “Didn’t you say you had to go see Zelda yesterday?”

The hero’s dark blue eyes widened. “Oh! I did…and I forgot to go. She’s going to be mad at me…especially because it was important!” he said, grimacing.

Lyeris tilted his head to the side curiously. “Zelda? As in Princess Zelda of Hyrule?”

Link nodded. “We’re pretty good friends, and she told me to come to the castle yesterday because she had been having some prophetic dreams. But with all the things that happened yesterday, I totally forgot.”

“Then it’s settled. We shall go to the castle. After all, the king and I were good friends as well, back in the day. I’m sure he would be pleased, and extremely surprised, to know that I am still alive,” Lyeris said cheerily.

Link smiled. “Alright then we’ll leave as soon as you’re ready.”

“I would like to go as well,” Logan spoke up for the first time since apologizing to Malon.

Malon nodded. “Me too,” she agreed.

Link grinned. “Great! The more, the merrier! I’ll go arrange for a cart. Meet me at the entrance to Kakariko, alright?”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~