The Legend Of Zelda Fan Fiction ❯ Shadow Heart ❯ Eye for an Eye, Light for a Book ( Chapter 4 )

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---Eye for an Eye, Light for a Book---

 

Malon stared up at the cruel shadow, her breaths slow and hesitant. Though she made no sound, her body quivered as a tear left her eye and trickled down her cheek to her chin. How could something that looked so much like Link be so unbareble?

 

The shadow raised an eyebrow. “Tears..” He had seen people cry many times, especially women, but never really gave the weakness a thought. A hiss emitted from deep within his throat. “Something I'll never experience.”

 

Malon heard the strange hiss and snapped to her senses. Had she done something wrong again? Quickly she braced for another strike. It did not come. One of her baby blue eyes opened slowly, only to find that no one was there. She gave a relieved sigh, gaining her feet. Without thinking, she accidently pushed weight down on her injured wrist, forcing a sharp cry into the still night air.

 

Footsteps quickly pounded towards the vulnerable girl, still left upon the ground. A lantern swung back and forth. It startled her at first, but she slumped and relaxed to find it was only Talon. Wait.. Talon! “Daddy!!”

 

The bumbling heavy set man ran up to his fallen daughter. The halo of light around him cut them apart from the rest of the night's unpredictable shadow. Despite even this, he still managed to find an object to stumble over in a plummet to the ground. “Yipes!!” Talon's mass of weight was sinking downward toward poor Malon rapidly. In the mince of a second , his body turned, almost pausing midair before twirling to land belly up three feet away from the, luckily, spared fragile girl. The light flickered out.

 

Talon bellowed out laughter. “..ow..” And continued to chuckle, his belly heaving up and down before giving into a rough coughing fit.

 

Malon hovered over her father with concern. She wanted to help him up, but even with a perfect pair of unharmed hands would never be able to. Instead, she rose to her feet and put her hands over her mouth. “Father, are you ok??”

 

Finishing his coughing he waved his hand in the air in dismissal. “Yeah yeah.. Oh.. You got up..”

 

“Yes, but I don't know who's going to get YOU up.” She sighed to herself. The nervousness was wearing off and so were the effects of fear, but she wasn't in the clear yet. Malon vocalized the first thing to her mind. “Did you get supper yet..?”

 

With difficulty, the man rolled over onto his plump tummy and carefully got to his feet, wobbling a little. “Owww.. Oh look at there.. A book broke my fall.. It must be one of those that Ingo baught me a while back. He said he bought me lots of books. I thought it was awful nice of him, but he told me all I ever do is eat the pages.. I never did see those books ya know…”

 

Malon stifled her giggle. She decided to just play along. “They were cooking books daddy. Ingo got them for you…because you like food so much! In case I'm not around!” With her father distracted, she picked up the book with her good hand, trying to see what it read in the dark. “What is this.. Was it.. `his'..?” Malon wondered how angry the shadow would be if he found out she was tampering with his personal things.

 

The man's face turned scarlet to the comment, though it were hard to tell in the darkness. “Aw shucks.. Wait.. Supper? I could use some of that..” Suddenly, he stopped. “Malon, what are you still doing out here?” He turned to her quickly, pin-wheeling to stay on his feet. His pivot point was a little wider that most. “Are you ok?!?!”

 

Malon rubbed her wrist as she chewed her bottom lip. She had never lied before and found it a difficult skill. Dark words of encouragement echoed in her head. “I'll just take it out on your previous owners or precious horses..” A squeak worked its way up her throat. “I-I just..fell..and..my wrist is hurt from it.”

 

The man's eyes softened. He were totally clueless. “Malon.. Come on, it's getting late. Lets go to bed and start over tomorrow. I know! I'll fill in for you! I don't want to see you working one bit, ya hear?”

 

No way. For the sake of her father's health, and for the animal's for that matter, her father who generally slept all day and was now sick was NOT going to be working in place of her! “No daddy! You can't!”

 

Talon puffed up his chest in pride, nearly tripping again. “Of course I can! And I will!”

 

There was no talking him out of it. It was the first time in weeks her father was eager to do much of anything at all. If it made him happy, why not.. Suddenly, a cold fear washed over her. She would be alone. “But..what if he shows up again..I'll be alone all day.. Oh no!”

 

At Malon's shivering, her dad wrapped a kind arm around her thinking she must be cold. All the more encouragement to work for a change.

 

--- ---

 

Malon stretched wide, pulling back the covers for bed. She wore only a long, faded nightgown that had once been her mother's. Her room was on the top floor with a big wide window that let all the moonlight in to cast long shadows across the floor. Now, the moon was full. Tomorrow it would wane a slice thinner, a fraction darker.

 

A lone candle danced on Malon's night table. The light caused all the shadows in the room to move wildly in a rhythmic dance. They would get close to tagging eachother, but never crossed. Did two shadow's ever touch? Or just blend together if they did?

 

Thinking of shadows brought the evening's events back to her. Malon lay a tender hand upon a small purple mark that now marred her face. Her wrist was wrapped for safety, though it easily could have been a much worse injury. Malon had only been hit once in her life…

 

It had been many summers ago. A small red headed girl squealed and laughed as she was chased by a blonde boy about her age. She didn't know it at the time, but he was taking it easy on her, being much faster. But that day, he had been out of energy and was struggling to keep up. When he finally caught up to her for the first time that day, he tackled the girl playfully into the tall grass. She let out a squeal as she were pinned, squirming to try and get free.

 

The young boy let up, rolling to lay next to his friend in the grass. The girl turned her head to smile at him. His return warm smile changed into surprise as a bee popped up right from where they were laying!

 

Without thinking, the boy swatted at the bee several times. The girl still hadn't caught on and jerked her head up to look at what he was attacking. SMACK!!

 

Malon burst into tears, falling back in the grass, falling back onto her bed. Link had been so kind and caring to her... He apologized over and over and gently wiped her tears away. The look on his face had been so pained… She forgave him right away. The bruise had faded long ago.

 

She missed Link. Though now Malon had outgrown games of tag and playful wrestling matches, the need for companionship was still there. Epona had been her best and only friend for long..

 

Malon closed her eyes and silently sobbed as she grasped her blankets close to her chest. It hurt her wrist, but she didn't care. Sometimes when she were upset like this, thinking of someone coming to wipe her tears away made her feel better. The only friend she ever had that could do that was link.

 

So she imagined him right there next to her, kneeling on the floor as his hand came once again to gently brush the tears away from her wet face.

 

Her daydream became all she were focused on. It became so real and deep that she could feel his hand graze her cheek in a soft caress..only it were a cold touch.. It wasn't warm at all.. She frowned, and opened her eyes. Her heart skipped a beat.

 

How many times were those red eyes going to meet her gaze. Was she going to have to..get used to it? Wait- was he just brushing her tears away??

 

The shadow went on as though Malon were not even there. He had felt the warm teardrops between his fintertips and now an idea crossed his mind. He reached down to Malon and scooped up the last tear with his middle fingertip, then popped it in his mouth.

 

This confused Malon immensely, and she couldn't help but stare up at the shadow in wonder. Fear had been replced for the moment.

 

The shadow treated the ability to cry like a novelty. The fact Malon cried didn't mean anything to the seemingly crazed shadow, but the ability to do so and to feel the emotions to produce tears was something the shadow did no possess. “It tastes like salt.. I thought it would taste different..” He sighed.

Malon gazed up at thim. He seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. Was he disappointed at how her tears..tasted? Suddenly it clicked. He wasn't a creature, he wasn't a shadow.. The strange novelty that Malon presented to the shadow was the same as the shadow presented to Malon.

 

Maybe.. Maybe there was more to him then he let on. Suddenly, a harsh glare shattered her thinking. “Well if there is, it will be impossible to ever know..”

 

“Why are you staring at me.” Though he didn't care, in a weird fashion it almost made him uncomfortable for her to look at him. Her of all people.. Usually, he was stared at in fear. Bodily functions ceased to his gaze alone. Why was she so fucking calm all of a sudden?

 

Malon batted her eye once as though she didn't hear him.“Oh well..you were eating my tears..and..I wanted to know why..” It were the first time she had spoken to him in an almost normal voice. It was a doll's voice, so sweet and higher toned. If he were an unbearable demonic shadow, it was hard to keep being afraid when he looked just like her old best friend…

 

The shadow gave her an amused smirk. “You know your…father…is really fat.”

 

This caught Malon off guard. “What does my father have to.. Oh!” It clicked. He saved her from being crushed. Right after he hit her.. Was that his way of saying sorry? She looked about to ask him another question, but he grabbed her jaw, forcing her to look at him.

 

“I want you to set Epona free.”

 

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