The Legend Of Zelda Fan Fiction ❯ Shadow Heart ❯ Coal Flames ( Chapter 5 )

Shortest chapter award! Try to catch the sumbliminal message. =D

 

---Coal Flames---

 

“Set Epona free?!” Malon grew wide eyed with fear, this time for the situation rather then her own safety. The shadow took his icy hand from her jaw. Her thoughts raced. “Epona's injured! Oh no, what would Link say when he found out I let her go, expecially in her condition?!” Malon unintentionally raised the tone of her voice in dread. “N-No I can't do that! She's- Mmph…!” Her explanation was cut off effectively by the shadow's grey hand on her mouth. His tone was dark and threatening, showing how unhappy he was with her refusal.

 

To the shadow, Epona was just an animal. It didn't have feelings, it had no meaning, and nothing would change when it died. Horses didn't have a place to go when they ceased to exist. All Epona remained for was a means of quick transportation for Link. “Shh! Keep it down you foolish girl!”

 

The shadow lowered his face into Malon's, their noses almost touching. His cool breath calmly exhaled across her face. “Have it your way then.” Malon was sent backwords onto her bed roughly by the force of the shadow's hand that had once been tightly locked on her lips. She snapped back to the room quickly, but the shadow was gone. “Epona!”

 

Malon jumped to her feet immediately. What was he going to do to Epona?! She had to go see her now! She..She would stay out all night to keep guard if she had to! Nothing was going to hurt her friend!

 

Being as quick and quite as possible, Malon tiptoed through the house. Talon wasn't to be worried about, but Ingo might catch her upon the creaky upstairs floorboards. Fortunately being chased by a rabid cucco took a lot out of him.

 

The dash across the span from the farm house door to the barn was rather painful. She had not grabbed her boots and kept stubbing her toes upon various rocks. The moonlight helped a little though. Mostly, it did way more damage then ever though possible for such an ambient occurrence.

 

Unaware was Malon, the light of the moon was tricking her. When she reached the barn door, she shoved it open with force. Epona was the only horse that did not get startled. Malon smiled, and walked in, only to knock her father's lantern spiraling across the room toward Epona's stall door. The light in it had been dim and barely lit. It was enough, though, to catch the hay slipped under the wooden door like a fuse on fire.

 

The shattering glass and sudden flames spooked the confined horse into hysterics. Malon rushed toward the smoking stall, throwing open the door. She were nearly trampled over by Epona as the horse charged away from the burning stall. The flames themselves were not all that big, but enough to startle a confined animal used to the darkness. They were also creepy dangerously close to the stall's straw bedding that burned just as quick as hay.

 

Malon thought quickly, dumping over the horse's tub of water to douse the flames before they could do any more damage. “Phew..” Relaxing, she started to jog out of the stall in a hurry to find the fleeing horse. She knew the shadow had something to do with this. Of course he did! The lantern had been put out, outside of the barn! He must of taken it and put it right infront of the inside barn door.

 

“Ah!” After reaching the door, she fell …back into the same spot she was roughly thrown down before… A sharp pain shot straight up the thin hairs on her leg from the gash in her foot. “Ohowww…” In the faint darkness, Malon could just barely see a trickle of blood. Glass. She reached down and carefully fingered the spot, taking the bottom of her gown to press to her foot while she were still sitting. There was no glass in the cut, but she had been sliced enough to stop her walking for the moment. “Epona.. Forgive me..”

 

Malon slowly rocked back and forth as she held her throbbing foot. “Maybe she didn't run off.. Maybe Epona will be here in the morning and Ingo will find her..” She imagined a surprised Ingo finding Epona standing in his tool shed and giggled.

 

After her foot had stopped bleeding, she managed to get up and limp slowly back to the house. The glass would have to wait. She couldn't see a thing and wouldn't risk another slice.

 

Malon found a medical kit in the bathroom. Luckily, no one had heard her and gotten up to go look. After washing out the wound, she couldn't help but start thinking as she wrapped her foot, sitting on her bed. “Where is that shadow now.”. Malon sighed. He was probably chasing poor Epona away. The throbbing in her foot picked up at the thought. “Poor Epona. I feel your pain..”

 

--- ---

 

That night was filled with night mares.

 

Link sat on a hill, holding a cucco. Malon found that she could not move, and only watch. Off in the background behind link, a horse was running quickly toward him. It seemed like forever. The horse kept running and running. She thought it was Epona, but couldn't tell. The mane was white like Epona's and she thought the body looked dark. When the horse finally peaked over the hill, Malon called out. “LIIINNNK!” The stallion, black as coal, got to him first.

 

Review.