"Another Day" by Anthony Testa (blumagus@hotmail.com) The young thief watched the storm clouds collecting above the distant ziggurat, a golden pyramid that shed an aura of terror. Around him, the world died a little more, as it had since that dark, sinister man stood atop the golden structure and grasped the Triforce, the very power of the gods, in his blood-stained hands - hands that had taken countless lives and were prepared to take countless more. The thief brought his marred, disfigured hand to stroke his gnarled chin in thought. In the horizon, beyond the pyramid, he could see a tall, black spire, behind which the sun was slowly sinking. As the sun disappeered, darkness eclipsed the ravaged land, and the storm brewed silently, ominously. And the lonely thief, by the power of the Triforce more monster than man, dreamt of far-away Hyrule. "Whoah, girl." Link was startled by his own words as they broke the perpetual silence, echoing through the cliffs and back to his pointed Hylian ears. Beneath him, his horse came to a slow trot and then stopped. Link dismounted, his booted feet touching the dusty stone of the cliff beneath him. He walked slowly to the edge, looking first up to the Hylian sunset, then down to Gerudo Valley below, painted a rich amber color in the dimming sunlight. His constant companion, a fairy named Navi, poked her small head up from behind Link's shoulder. Realizing they were safe, and seeing the breathtaking view before them, Navi fluttered up to hover near Link's ear. He noticed her, awestruck at the sight, and watched her as she stared amazed down into the valley. It was rare that something could impress the sprite. Link pulled his gaze away from Navi's soft bluish-white glow and walked silently toward his horse, Epona. The sunlight glittered in the lake before Zelda as her father's eyes had glittered years before, when she was but a child and her father had yet to be murdered by the traitor Ganondorf. Her memories of that night were but fleeting images - her father, lying cold and still, Impa, her guardian, clutching the young princess as they fled, the shouts of the guards, the world rushing by that fateful night as Impa held her on horseback...the young hero, Link, standing off to the side, looking at her, with glittering blue eyes. Glittering like the lake. And she saw Ganondorf, a man possessed, his face contorted in rage and crimson blood on his hands. She could see his sinister form, the madness and hatred in his eyes...she could hear his horrible, mocking laugh. But the past was behind her. Ganon, now the monster that was his true form, was sealed away in his self-made nightmare, the beautiful land created by the gods that he perverted with his dark desires. Just like he would have done to Hyrule, if he had not been stopped. She could never forget his warning, his threat, made as he left the world he was born in - the promise to return someday and wreak his revenge upon the kingdom of Hyrule. Zelda looked up, into the blue sky, blue like her eyes. She had come to the lake to try to FORGET the past - there was too much to be dealt with now. She kicked her feet in the cool water, trying to focus on the problems of the present. The town was being rebuilt after seven years of damage and desolation during the Imprisoning War. The bridge was repaired first, by a team of carpenters from the desert. It was destroyed years ago, fallen into the moat. The houses had to be totally rebuilt, as well as the castle, which would sit on the ruins of Ganondorf's monstrosity. At the present, she resided in a small guard station that was made into a makeshift house. She had left this morning, silently to keep what was left of the castle guards from following her. She needed to be alone. She thought, however, that she felt someone watching her, and wondered if it could have been Impa, her guardian and one of the mysterious Shiekah. Impa had vanished after her part in Ganon's downfall. But then, it was the nature of Shiekah to vanish, for they were as substantial as the wind, only being seen when they wanted to be seen. Zelda sighed, knowing she should return to her people. Much was still to be done if the kingdom was to be reconstructed. She pulled her feet out of the water, shook them off, and reached for her boots next to her. Boots, and not the court slippers she usually wore, useless for travel. As she prepared to leave the serene lake, the feeling of being watched grew stronger, but she nervously ignored it and hastened to return to the town. Something moved in the forest. Link readied his shield and reached for his sword. Maybe combat would help heal his spirit. He had just passed his childhood home, built into a large tree in the woods. It was no longer his place. His childhood friends could not recognize him - they were still as children, forever young because of their Kokiri blood - and he was now a man. He grew up thinking he was one of them, until the day he was told that he was a Hylian. He had always felt he didn't belong...seven years later his thoughts were confirmed. He never told his friends that he was the Link they had known years before - he was no longer part of their world. Navi jumped out of Link's collar, sensing something he didn't. The bushes rustled, then were pushed aside by a group of large, strong beasts in tan armor, with doglike faces and long spears. Moblins! Link knew of their ilk. They must have picked up his scent, and come to rob him of his possessions. They laughed cruelly as they approached the lone figure and what they must have thought would be an easy battle. Link, the power of Farore - goddess of courage - surging in his blood, drew the Master Sword from its sheath on his back and readied for battle. At the sight of the legendary sword of evil's bane, the three more cowardly moblins turned and ran. The two who were in the lead, though, snarled and prepared to meet him in combat. One moblin, wasting no time, thrusted his spear forward with a grunt, and Link leapt to the side to avoid it. He swung his sword, carving a deep gash in the moblin's side and eliciting a yelp from his mouth. "Link!" Navi yelled, glowing behind him. He turned, in time to recieve the other moblin's spear in his shoulder rather than his heart. Link reeled back, but quickly regained his footing and plunged his sword into the creature's chest. It howled and died, leaving its blood sizzling on the ancient sword. Link, heart beating in the intensity of combat, turned to face the first moblin, who was wounded but determined, hefting his spear to strike. He wouldn't get the chance. Link dashed forward, knocking aside the spear with his shining shield, and finished what he had begun, slicing the moblin's stomach open. He fell to his knees, choking on blood, then collapsed, his lifeless head resting at Link's feet. Link, regaining his breath, pulled out a ragged cloth and wiped the blood from his sword. "Are you alright?" Navi asked as she darted to his shoulder and glowed brighter, healing the wound. Link winced in the initial pain of his flesh knitting itself together. As the wound closed, the sharp pain became a dull ache. "Yeah, I'm okay." He looked at the tiny woman, hovering near his head. "Thanks. For the warning, I mean." Link made out a smile on the fairy's miniscule face. "Sure, anytime." Link replaced his sword and shield, leaving the forest. He was done fighting for today. Malon, brushing aside a curly lock of hair that had fallen into her eyes, placed labels on two just-filled bottles of milk and picked them up. Her father would soon leave to take the bottles to town on horseback. Their meek servant, Ingo, was preparing straw for the horses' dinner. As she left the stable, her heart lept as she heard an approaching horse. She hoped it was Epona - her pride and joy, now the steed of Link, the kingdom's hero. In the distance, she recognized Link's forest-green tunic, and set down the milk, running to meet the young savior of Hyrule. Link smiled as he saw Malon, running towards him, ruby-red hair flowing behind her. She was the only person he felt at ease with. "Whoah," he told Epona, who slowed and was now watching Malon, her old companion, run toward them. Link leapt off the horse's back, waiting for the girl's arrival. She ran up to them and hugged Epona's neck, then began lovingly stroking the horse's mane, and smiled at Link. "Why'd you come?" she asked, not really caring but just glad to see the two. Link realized he didn't really know what had brought back him to the ranch. "Umm...Epona missed you," he replied, after fumbling for an answer. "JUST Epona?" Malon answered back, mischieviously. "What is THAT supposed to mean?" Link smiled, awed by the beauty and spirit of the firey young woman. "We were traveling by, so-" "Sure, 'hero,'" Malon interrupted. Nervously, Link said, "We should probably be going..." Malon smiled, and handed Link a carrot. "For Epona," she whispered. She stroked the horse again, then Link mounted and rode off, waving to the girl. "You like her, don't you?" Link jumped at a sudden voice in his ear. He calmed when he realized it was Navi, sitting on his shoulder. After recovering, Link asked "Excuse me?" "You're attracted to her," Navi answered, smiling smugly. "That's-" Link started, then became suddenly silent, as he realized it was true. He was in love with Malon. In love with her fiery red hair and her fiery spirit. Navi stayed silent as they rode towards the valley. Zelda couldn't sleep. She sat at the table that was moved into the outpost after all the old jars were removed. She poured herself a cup of fresh, warm milk - just delivered, earlier in the day - hoping it would help her fall asleep. Her thoughts were on Link, the young man who had avenged her father's death - and saved her life, as well - by defeating the madman Ganondorf. She remembered that moment, not long ago, when Link had confronted Ganon. He was no longer even a man, but a huge, monstrous beast, transformed by the power of the Triforce. She gasped as the abomination sent the Master Sword, the one weapon that could destroy him, flying through the air to land at her side. Link was trapped on the inside of a ring of fire, trapped with that monster that wanted revenge - wanted the young hero to die, slowly and painfully. She felt so helpless... She could see Link's deep blue eyes, full of courage. She remembered moments before, how he pushed her back, away from harm, before stepping forward to confront the fiend. She saw his face, and felt a strong love for the "Hero of Time". She wasn't attracted to him sexually - she felt the love one felt...towards a brother. Out the window, on the horizon, she could see the cliffs of the Gerudo desert, the moon silently rising behind them. She hoped Link was safe. Link pulled out a carrot and fed it to Epona. He found himself stroking her mane as she ate - as she folded her legs beneath her and settled for the night. It was growing cold as the sun dipped below the horizon. In his last sight of the sun's warm red glow, he saw Malon's fiery hair. Link rolled out a sleeping mat on the ground feeling that he didn't really have a place to truly call home, not any more. He dropped his equipment next to the bag and lay down on it. Navi floated lazily into his collar, dimming her glow as she fell asleep. As the moon appeared on the horizon, Link kicked off his boots and began a slow descent into slumber. Another day had passed in Hyrule.