In her castle on top of Crystal Mountain, Saphira was looking out her window, in the direction of Hyrule-the former kingdom of her love, Ganondorf. She had been Ganondorf's lover during his reign, and wanted to avenge him. Oh, Link and Zelda would pay for sealing him away in the Evil Realm! Yes, they would! Saphira went to her throne, and lovingly ran her fingers along her staff, reminiscing about the past. She remembered first meeting Ganondorf. Yes, that was a wonderful day, indeed.

It was a few years after Ganondorf had become King of Hyrule. She had decided to leave her land of Crastalyina, and introduce herself to the new King. She hadn't really liked the old King all that much, but she liked the prospects of this one. So she went to Hyrule to visit him. He had been fairly wary of her at first. He was a Gerudo, after all, and didn't trust anyone. But she managed to convince him that she was willing to be his ally. She told him of her kingdom, and how she, being evil, had managed to rule over it for the past ten years. She had been queen since she was sixteen, and knew how to rule a kingdom-and also how to fight. She would help him during wars, as she had a formidable army. He liked this woman, and agreed. He even asked her to stay for a while. Then came the night. They were talking in the great hall of his castle, when she suddenly felt the urge. She stepped close to him, and kissed him on the lips. He was stunned at first, but almost immediately relaxed and kissed back. She could feel his big strong hands moving up her waist and under her arms. Then he pulled her close. They were kissing as though they would never stop, as though a fire had grown inside them. When they finally pulled away, he took her to his chambers. They immediately started their fiery kissing again, and they began removing each other's clothes. She felt her cape go sliding to the floor, and she unclipped Ganondorf's as well. She removed his armor and clothes, and he did the same with her elegant gown. It wasn't long before they were making love. They did this all through the night, and all day the next day...

Then she had to leave. Her advisor had come and informed her that she couldn't remain away from her kingdom any longer. If she did, her people would think she was an irresponsible ruler and attempt to overthrow her. Reluctantly, she had left, but not before kissing Ganondorf one last time and telling him she loved him. She did visit him several times over the years, and every night they made love. Each night was better than the last. Then, one morning when she had to leave, he popped the question, asking her to marry him. He then slipped a beautiful ring on her finger, most likely one he'd gotten from the Gerudos, and Saphira had to say yes, she loved him so much by that time. She promised to visit him again soon, after she had taken care of her kingdom. But one day, as she was speaking with one of her advisors at her castle, one of Ganondorf's messengers came in. "Your Highness," he panted. "Ganondorf has fallen." Saphira stood up slowly and went over to him.

"What?" She asked softly. She couldn't-and wouldn't-believe that her fiance was gone.

"Ganondorf has been overthrown. He was banished to the Sacred Realm by Princess Zelda and Link, the Hero of Time." The messenger stopped, and Saphira just stared at him. The huge sapphire on her staff glowed ferociously. She turned around, and took a few steps toward her throne. But suddenly she whirled around, pointing her staff at the man. The magic that poured from the staff was enough to kill him. Saphira turned to the guards, who were staring at the dead man.

"Get him out of here. I don't care where you put him. Send him back to Hyrule in a wicker basket for all I care." Then she departed to her quarters. If there was anything that the natives feared about Saphira, it was her immense magical powers. If there was anything the natives feared more, it was her staff. The staff was made of finished rosewood, and accented with a spiral of pure gold, running from the pointed tip of the staff to the very top. Between the rings of the spiral were small sapphires, which were Saphira's personal stone. But the most dangerous part of the entire staff was the huge sapphire, held by four golden prongs at the head of the staff, that held concentrated magic. When Saphira was extremely angry, her powers would be sent to the staff, adding to the magic already in the sapphire. Then all she had to do was aim and release. Indeed, it was a useful weapon. She rubbed the beautiful ring that was on her finger, and she clenched her teeth. She went to a table that stood in the center. On the table rested another huge sapphire, which glowed with a gentle aura. This one was almost as big as a human head. It had been a gift from the Graguns at her coronation. Saphira went over and asked it, "Where is my love? Is he all right?"

"He is alive, my Queen," the sapphire replied. Its voice sounded like that of five people whispering at once. "And he now resides in the Sacred Realm. But his human form was changed through the Triforce of Power. He is now this creature." The aura surrounding the sapphire rose up, and formed a ring. Inside the ring came the image of Ganondorf-only it wasn't Ganondorf. It was a hideous monster, and Saphira knew he must have changed himself while fighting Link. But even while looking at his hideous form, she knew he still had that love for her.

"Sapphire, can he change himself back?"


"Yes, my Queen. Whenever he pleases." That was a bit of a relief. At least the Triforce's spell hadn't completely overtaken him.

"Sapphire, take me to the Sacred Realm." Saphira commanded. The sapphire could transport her to any place she wanted, and-unbeknownst to the Graguns-it was the only other link to the Sacred Realm besides the Temple of Time in Hyrule.

"My Queen, no one is allowed in the Sacred Realm," the jewel replied.

"No one except my Ganon, and I know he wouldn't mind my coming. Take me to the Sacred Realm!"

"As you wish." The image ring disappeared, and Saphira felt herself being transported to the Sacred Realm. Soon, she found herself in it, and saw a castle in the distance. She walked toward it, and was almost immediately stopped by two Moriblins. Ganon must have conjured them up to guard this place, Saphira thought.

"Let me pass," Saphira said. "I am Queen Saphira of Crastalyina, and I am here to see Ganon." For a moment, they stood their ground. But then they let her pass. Within minutes, she had entered the castle, and she found herself in the Great Hall-and there was Ganon, sitting in a huge throne. He stared at her for a moment, then stood.

"Saphira, is that you?" he asked. His form had changed, but his voice was still the same.

"It is I," Saphira said, nodding and smiling. Ganon came to her, and looked at her. Saphira could see that he was amazed to see her here.

"Did the Sages banish you here as well?" Ganon asked.

"No, they did not. I came here of my own free will. And it seems you have already made yourself at home."

"Well, I am stuck here. There's no way for me to get out of this cursed place, so I built myself a nice home."

"Oh, my darling, I'm so sorry this had to happen to you." He then took her hand in his, and she kissed his hand. Suddenly, his form changed. He was no longer a hideous creature; he was now the man she had known. "Oh, my Ganondorf," she breathed.

"Saphira," he whispered, and he pulled her close as they kissed. When they pulled away, Ganondorf looked her in the eye. "Saphira, would you still love me if I was a monster?"

"Of course."

"Then you don't mind if..."

"Of course not." With that, he changed his form, and almost immediately Saphira wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. She didn't care how ugly he was. This was her fiance. She felt him wrap his arms around her. But after their kiss, he changed himself back to his human form. "It just doesn't feel right in my other form," Ganon said. "Not as pleasant as it is now." That night, they romanced each other like they had never done before. And for the next week, they kept making love every night. One night, after he had been ravishing her, Saphira asked Ganon a question. "Darling, I want to ask you something. How were you sealed away here?" He sighed, as though he didn't want to say it.

"Link and Princess Zelda worked together to round up the six Sages, then they fought me-and defeated me. After I had fallen, the Sages sent me here for all time-with the aid of Zelda and Link." Saphira could see the hate burning in her love's eyes.

"My darling, I shall avenge you. I will capture the Sages and destroy them. I will destroy Link and Zelda, along with everyone and everything else in Hyrule." Saphira said. Ganon smiled.

"Oh, now I know I proposed to the right woman." he said, and they kissed again. Suddenly, a bright glare filled the room. Saphira cried out in fury-this was the sapphire's portal.

"DAMN YOU!" Saphira cried. "Can't you see I'm busy?"

"Yes, and I'm terribly sorry, my Queen, but you do have a kingdom to rule. And it seems that there's some problems with some of your allies." The voice that spoke was that of Saphira's advisor, Tyano, and his image formed in the portal. He definitely had Saphira's attention now. She sat up, holding the covers over her naked body.

"Go on."

"The Graguns say you do not serve them as well as you promised, my Queen. They say they hereby break the alliance." Saphira's jaw dropped.

"Who are the Graguns?" Ganon asked.

"They've been Crastalyina's strongest ally for several hundred years. They live in the mountains between Hyrule and Crastalyina, and they produce a lot of the materials that make my kingdom thrive. My love, I-"

"I know. You must go. Get dressed and take care of your kingdom. I shall see you soon?"

"I hope so, yes." Saphira got dressed, kissed Ganon goodbye, and stepped into the portal. Within seconds, she was back in her chambers. Tyano was there, waiting for her.

"I sincerely apologize, my Queen, I'm aware that you wanted to be alone-"

"No need for apologies. You had good reason, and I forgive you. Now, about the Graguns."

"Well, apparently, they don't like the fact that you decided to marry Ganon, and they seem to hold allies to their promises. And you promised to keep good relations with them, which you didn't."

"Is that all? Come now, there has to be more to it than that!"

"Well, they believe that they're just your kingdom's workhorse, seeing as you've barely given them anything for all the contributions they've made to us."

"Well, that is a good reason, but couldn't we try negotiations first?"

"Your Highness, every time they stepped in for negotiations, you were gone visiting Ganon. In fact, they came in just a few days ago to negotiate with you, but you had already gone to the Sacred Realm. They were furious that you had once again left, this time to the Sacred Realm, of all places, and just to see your banished fiance. Not to mention the fact that you had neglected to give them anything for that last shipment of mortar that came in last week-or even tell them that that confounded sapphire could transport you to such outrageous places." Tyano stopped, took a deep breath to help him relax, and continued. "Therefore, they decided to break the alliance."

"Ohh, this is terrible," Saphira said, putting her face in her hands.

"First my fiance is banished to the Sacred Realm, then you come in and tell me that I've lost our country's strongest ally!"

"I apologize for not notifying you sooner, my Queen. I..." Tyano stopped.

Saphira looked up at him. He had a guilty look on his face-one that said he had failed her miserably.

"Now you listen to me." Saphira said firmly, putting her hands on his shoulders. "I have known you since I was just a little girl, and there was never a time where you failed me. I trust you more than I do anyone else, and truthfully, if you weren't so much older than I, I would marry you. That's how much I believe in you and confide in you. Now, I must follow my own path, and that path is to marry Ganon...and get revenge on those who go against us."

"Your Majesty, are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"Yes. I will do away with Hyrule and the Graguns. The Sages sealed Ganon away in the Sacred Realm, right? If I capture them, I can not only get my revenge, but my love will also be back with me!"

"But my Queen, how do you plan on getting rid of both Hyrule and the Graguns? Both are powerful forces."

"Simple. I shall simply take them down one step at a time. Now leave me-I must work on my plans."

"Yes, your Majesty." He left, and Saphira went to the window, looking out at her kingdom. Soon, my love. Very soon. With that, she went to her desk and began her plans.



Meanwhile, Link and Zelda were in the dining hall. He had refused to be sent back to his original time, and he now lived with Zelda in her castle. With her phenomenal powers, she had managed to restore Hyrule Castle, curtains and all. They were eating dinner, and Link was gorging himself. It had been months since he'd had a decent meal, and he was making up for it.

"Link, do you think you can eat any more?" Zelda asked.

"Nope! I've just started!" Link replied, lifting a huge forkful of food to his mouth.

"Link, you've been eating for over an hour. If you keep eating like this, you're going to eat all the food in the castle."

"Oh, come on, Zelda. You haven't eaten much in the past seven years, I can tell. And you're eating as much as I am."

"I...well...never mind that!" Zelda said. "The point is, you're going to lose your look if you don't stop."

"Speak for yourself-no offense, by the way. I'll get plenty of workout time, don't worry. It's not like Ganon's coming back, you know."

"Yes, I do know. Fine, gorge yourself to death." She went back to her own plate, and Link looked at her. She had a certain look in her eyes, like she wanted something.

"Zelda, is there something you want? I can see it in your eyes. You want to ask me something." Link said. Zelda looked up, and smiled slyly.

"Actually, yes. There is something I want. And it's something only you can give me."

"What is it?" Link asked. But Zelda didn't reply. Instead, she got up and went over to Link's chair. She then pulled him up so he was standing, put her hands on his shoulders, and looked into his eyes.

"Link," she said. "Kiss me." Link was amazed at this request, but he did it anyway. He leaned forward, closing his eyes. His lips closed around hers, and they embraced in a fiery kiss. He felt her hands slip down over his back, and his own hands started making their way up her waist and around her. He pulled her even closer, and they seemed to kiss forever. When they finally pulled away from each other, Zelda's eyes were sparkling. "Now," she whispered. "Come with me." She led him up the stairs, and into her chambers. Link suddenly realized what she wanted to do.

"Zelda-" Link stopped as she put her fingers to his lips.

"Make love to me, Link." Zelda said. She then kissed him again, and Link suddenly couldn't resist any longer. He started to remove Zelda's dress as she led him over toward the bed. But suddenly, he got a strange feeling, and stopped. Zelda pulled away, and saw the odd look on Link's face. He shook his head, and dropped his hands.

"I'm sorry, Zelda, but I can't do this. I don't know why, but.it's like something inside me is telling me I shouldn't do this. It's like...I don't know. it's a weird feeling I got when I kissed you. Like we're not supposed to do this for a reason." Zelda looked into his eyes, and saw that he did love her.he just had a nagging feeling that told him to stop. She nodded.

"It's all right, Link. Actually, to tell you the truth, I got a weird feeling myself. Like we'd been together for a long time, but.well, we both know that's impossible." She started to pull her dress back on, and Link stepped away.

"Well, it's getting late, so I'll go on to bed. Good night, Zelda."

"Good night, Link. Sweet dreams." But as they slept, each of them had a dream that was certainly not sweet. Zelda dreamt that a woman made of sapphires was threatening a race of creatures. They were half-man, half-dragon. She recognized them as the Graguns-like the Gorons, they lived in the mountains, only the Graguns lived in the mountains that bordered Hyrule. They were a prosperous race, and were close allies of the Gorons, but for some reason they didn't want to have anything to do with the rest of Hyrule. Suddenly, Zelda was in Hyrule, and that same woman was there. Zelda watched in horror as the woman raised her staff to the sky, and three powerful bolts of magic shot out of the sapphire that the staff held and eliminated Hyrule. Zelda woke up just as one of the beams was about to strike her. She found herself soaked in sweat, and she got out of bed. She rushed out of her bedroom and made her way toward Link's room.

Link's dream was even worse. He dreamt that a mysterious woman dressed in blue, violet, and gold with a staff made of sapphires captured all the Sages-including Zelda-and watched as the seal that locked Ganon inside the Sacred Realm broke. He watched with horror as Ganon and the woman got married, then brutally slaughtered the Sages. The two destroyed the rest of Hyrule together, saving Link for last. The two villains combined their powers, and just as the magic was about to hit Link and send him to his death, Link awoke. He sat up to find Zelda next to his bed, with a look of horror on her face. "Zelda, did you have a nightmare, too?" he asked.

"Yes...yes, I did...Oh, Link, something terrible is going to happen!" Zelda said.

"I had that feeling, too. What did you dream?" Link asked.

"A woman made of sapphires was threatening the Graguns and even destroyed Hyrule, and she was about to kill me when I woke up."

"Wait a minute-who are the Graguns?" Link didn't know who they were.

"They live in the mountains that border Hyrule. They're creatures that are half-man, half-dragon."

"It seems that every other race in this world is half-human, half-something."

"But Link, the woman was threatening to destroy their entire race! And I'm afraid this is one of my prophetic dreams!"

"Zelda, I think I dreamt about that same woman."

"Really?"

"Yeah. But you're not going to like what she did in my dream. It's probably worse than yours."

"That's definitely not good. Tell me."

"All right. That woman...in my dream, she married Ganon." He stopped as Zelda's jaw dropped.

"She did what?!" Zelda cried.

"That's not all. Before that, she captured and destroyed all the Sages, including you. That's probably why you almost got killed in your dream. The seal blocking the Sacred Realm broke, and Ganon got out. Together, they destroyed you and the other Sages, then all of Hyrule, and they were about to kill me when I woke up."

"Oh, Din, Nayru, and Farore," Zelda whispered. "This is horrible. Just when we managed to get rid of Ganon by the skin of our teeth, someone decides to try to set him free." She put her face in her hands. "Oh, what are we going to do?"



Meanwhile, Saphira had come up with a good plan. She would first send a message to Link and Zelda to let them know they now had a new enemy. But she would have to strike a chord in their hearts, of course, in order to send the message in the right way. She went to her sapphire. "Sapphire," she said. "Tell me-who are some of the people that Link loves?" This would be perfect. To kill someone he loved very much would get the message across very well. The sapphire glowed.

"There are many people who are close to Link's heart, Queen Saphira. And some of them are Sages-who you plan to capture, not kill right away."

"Hmmm. Well, who's one person that I can get to who is not a Sage?" The image ring extended from the sapphire, and it showed a row of barns. Saphira was confused for a moment, but then she realized these were the royal stables of Hyrule. The image faded a little, then showed a beautiful bay mare.

"This is Link's horse, my Queen," the sapphire said. "She carries him on all his journeys, and it would pain him very much if he should lose her." Saphira grinned.

"Very good. Very good indeed." She left the sapphire, and went to her closet. It held every bit of clothing she had ever owned, and also her weapons. She pulled out her bow and quiver, which held specially made arrows. The heads of the arrows were made of her trademark jewel, and were quick on the wind. She took one out, and put the quiver back. She then went to her desk, and wrote a letter. She wrapped the letter around the arrow, and tied it with a blue ribbon. She then picked up the bow and arrow, and went to a window. The bow was so powerful and the arrow so quick that the arrow could fly for hundreds of miles before hitting the target. And these were no ordinary sapphires. Saphira could telepathically tell the arrows who to hit, and the arrow would swerve around any object that was not the specified target. Saphira had gotten rid of many enemies and won many wars this way. She held the arrow up, and spoke to it with her mind.

"Strike only this animal." Saphira said. She closed her eyes, and sent an image of the horse to the arrowhead. The arrowhead glowed, showing that it acknowledged who its target was. She notched the glowing arrow to the bow, pulled back, and fired. Within a few seconds, it was out of sight.



Link sighed as he went out to the stables. He needed to shake off the fright he had gotten from his dream, and a good way to do that was ride his beloved Epona. He went in the stables, and was immediately welcomed by the whinnies of dozens of horses. "Hello, everybody," Link said. Suddenly a shriller whinny came up, and Link knew it was Epona. She hated being cooped up, and Link knew she would love to go out today. He went to her stall, and she nickered with her ears laid back. She seemed to be saying, "Let me out or I'll beat you to death." Link laughed at her expression, and went into the stall. "Hey, girl," he said. "Wanna go out for a while?" Epona whinnied, and Link knew it was a yes. He grabbed her saddle and tacked her up, then led her out of the barn. Once outside, he mounted Epona and they took off. Link closed his eyes and smiled as he felt the rushing wind in his face. I wish I could ride like this forever, Link thought.


The arrow flew through the trees and hills, seeking its target. The target was a horse, and a bay at that. And it was getting closer...and closer...


Link leaned forward, urging Epona into a gallop. She leapt forward eagerly, sweeping her elegant legs over the ground like she was flying. But suddenly, Link saw a blue streak coming toward him, and before he could react, it struck Epona. Epona shrieked in pain, stumbled in a shattering manner, and collapsed. Link cried out as he was thrown off, and he rolled as he came in contact with the ground. He raised himself up on one elbow, and gasped as he saw his beloved horse lying on the ground. An arrow had sunk into her chest, leaving blood gushing from the wound. "No," Link whispered. He dashed over to his horse, and looked at the arrow. A piece of paper was wrapped around it. He removed the paper, and saw that it was a letter. It read:

To Link, the so-called Hero of Time--
You shall pay for banishing my love to the Evil Realm. Princess Zelda and the Six Sages will also pay dearly for what they have done. I shall destroy everything that you hold dear-starting with your beloved horse.

It was unsigned, but Link's blood ran cold as he realized what the letter meant. Epona was going to die. He ran his hand over her, crying. "No, please don't die, Epona. You mean so much to me, girl. What would I do without you?" Epona nickered, and Link cried even more. Sniffling, he tried to hum Epona's Song to his horse. Her eyes slowly closed, but managed to stay open as he finished the song. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "I love you, Epona." With one last soft nicker, her beautiful violet eyes closed forever. Link broke down in sobs. He stayed next to Epona for hours, not wanting to leave her. But suddenly he realized something: Malon. Malon had raised Epona herself. She did deserve to know what had happened to Epona, but just imagining what her reaction would be nearly broke Link's heart. He looked at the arrow. He grasped it, and pulled it out of Epona's chest. He didn't notice that the head was a sapphire. He simply walked to Lon Lon Ranch, crying the whole way.

When he finally reached the ranch, he could see Malon in the corral. He almost reconsidered doing this, but he knew she had to know. He stepped into the corral area, hiding the arrow behind his back. "Malon!" Link called. Malon turned. She was very beautiful indeed, Link thought. And somehow, he felt as though he had a bit of a crush on her. He shook away the feeling as Malon smiled and came up.

"Why, howdy, Link!" Malon said. "Long time no see!"

"Yeah, I know." Link said. Suddenly, Malon's smile faded a little.

"Link, where's Epona? Did ya leave her out in the field?" Malon asked. Link's eyes started to water. He lowered his head and tried to blink back his tears.

"Malon, let's go inside. I need to talk to you about something."

"Why? What's wrong?" But she led the way to the main house, with Link following. When they were inside, he sat her down.

"Malon, I have to tell you something. It's about Epona." Link said.

"Epona? Is she hurt? Link, did she fall and break her leg? What happened?" Malon was very worried indeed. This was going to be tough.

"Malon...Epona...she..." Link found he couldn't say it. He started to cry. He had to say it. "Malon, Epona's dead." Malon was stunned. Her blue eyes widened and her jaw dropped. For a moment she was still, then she started shaking her head.

"No," she whispered. "No, not my baby Epona. Please, Link, tell me this isn 't true!" Tears were forming in her eyes.

"We were galloping on the fields when an arrow came at us. I don't know who shot it-probably a sniper-but it hit her in the chest." Malon angrily grabbed him by his tunic.

"Link, you're big ugly liar! My Epona can't be dead!" Malon screamed. Link winced, but knew that he had to show her the evidence. He took out the arrow. The blood was still very fresh. Malon stared at it in disbelief.

"It's true, Malon. I'm sorry." Link whispered. Malon just stared at the arrow. Suddenly, she tore out of the house, screaming her horse's name. Link realized she was going to find her horse.

"Malon, no!" Link called, and went after her. Malon kept running. Her beloved horse couldn't be dead. She went over a hill. There was Epona, lying on the ground. She kept running, hoping the horse would gather her legs under her and stand, but she didn't. As Malon got closer, she could see the blood on the ground.

"NOOO!!" Malon screamed as she tried to run to her horse. But she stumbled, and fell to the ground sobbing. Link came up as she sat up, head down. He knelt down, and put a hand on her shoulder. Malon turned and hugged Link, sobbing. Link couldn't help but cry himself.


They buried Epona at the ranch. They had hitched two of the ranch's cows up to a wagon, and Link had used his Silver Gauntlets to lift Epona onto the wagon. It was a sad funeral, and Link cried the whole way through. After the funeral, he spent the night at Lon Lon Ranch, sleeping on some hay that was in the main house. At one point, when he woke up, he thought he saw a blue glow coming from the other side of the room. At first he thought it was nothing. Then he realized it was coming from the arrow that had killed Epona. He got up to check it out. The blood had now dried up and cracked, and Link could see that this was no ordinary arrow. He picked it up, and wiped off the blood. He took a good look at the arrowhead. He saw it was some sort of blue stone. A blue topaz? No, it couldn't be. It certainly wasn't a carved-up rupee, either. Suddenly Link remembered something. The woman in his dream...on her staff, she'd had a bunch of sapphires...a whole line of them going up from the bottom, then a huge one fastened on the top. Link looked at the arrowhead once more. Yes, it had to be a sapphire-and it had to be from that woman! She had killed Epona! He stuffed the arrow in his tunic, and went upstairs to Malon's room, where she was still awake. He knocked, and she opened the door. "Link!" Malon said. "What's wrong?"

"Malon, I hate to tell you this, but I have to go. I just realized something important that I have to tell Zelda." Link said. Malon nodded.

"All right. Go on, Link-and be careful out there." Malon said.

"Don't worry, Malon. You know I will. Oh, and Malon." Link took her hands in his. "I think, just to play it safe, you should move into the castle."

"What?!" Malon cried.

"Your dad and Ingo can come, too. And you can keep the horses and cows in the royal stables."

"But why, Link?"

"Malon, the arrow that hit Epona had a letter wrapped around it. The woman who wrote it said that she would kill off everyone I love-and that includes you. So I want you, your dad, and Ingo to move to the castle with the animals. You'll be safe there."

"But what will Zelda say?"

"Malon, she cares more about her kingdom than herself. I don't think she'd mind if you moved in." With a sigh, Malon nodded.

"We'll start movin' tomorrow," she said. Link smiled, and hugged her.

"Thank you, Malon." With that, Link left. He ran back to the castle, and by the time he came in he was exhausted. Zelda was in the Great Hall, waiting for him.

"Link! What happened to you?" Zelda asked, running over to him. "You look like you ran here from Kokiri Forest!"

"Actually, from Lon Lon Ranch," Link breathed.

"From the ranch? Did something happen to Epona?" Link bowed his head.

"She was killed, Zelda. Someone shot her while we were galloping."

"WHAT?! But how could someone do that?"

"I don't know, but I think I know who did it. Look at this." He pulled out the arrow, and held it out to Zelda. Zelda gasped as she realized what kind of stone the arrowhead was made of.

"A sapphire," Zelda whispered. "The woman in our dreams killed Epona?"

"And that's not all." Link said, taking out the note. Zelda read it, and her eyes widened in fear.

"I knew it had to be a prophecy," Zelda said. "But who is this woman?"

"I don't know. But we have to find someone who does know-and fast. I had to ask Malon to move here just to be on the safe side."

"You what? But Link, I.oh, what am I complaining about, you have good reason to ask her to come. Heaven knows we don't want to lose our only ranch. Wait a minute! In my dream, the woman was attacking the Graguns! Perhaps they know who she is!"

"But Zelda, how do we know that they do? The Zoras didn't know who the heck Barinade was when he attacked Jabu-Jabu. Nabooru didn't know Koume and Kotake were in the Spirit Temple before she was captured, and when I was in the Forest Temple, I certainly wasn't expecting Phantom Ganon to be there. This woman could just be a stranger to the Graguns."

"Well, you should still ask them. If they know the slightest bit of information about her, that might be enough." Zelda said. Link sighed.

"All right. How do I get in those mountains?"

"The Gorons would know. Go to Goron City and ask Darunia."

"Okay. I'll see you later." With that, Link left.