An Ominous Greeting

-Link's POV-

Link wiped away the sweat that formed on his brow. The Afternoon sun felt like a cauldron. He looked down at Epona's neck,

watching her muscles tightening and relaxing rythmically as she faithfully trotted toward the Spirit Temple. He was on his way to

help Nabooru; who had sent an urgent message to him, asking him to come help her. She hadn't been very specific, and didn't tell

what was wrong. This peeved Link, but he decided to help anyway. After all, you can't just ignore someone in trouble. Plus, being

in trouble wouldn't leave time for details. Dropping everything he was doing for this rescue was difficult, though. It had been two years

since Link had defeated Ganondorf, and Zelda had become queen. Link was now Captain of The Guard, and still had to be the Hero

of Time as well. He was usually very busy. But currently, all Link thought about was getting out of the heat. He knew Epona wanted

and needed to as well. She was breathing heavily and radiating heat. Link unbuttoned his tunic just enough to cool down. Thankfully,

the pair arrived just when Link thought they would die of heat stroke. Nabooru ran out to meet him. Link's jaw fell. Why was Nabooru

running out to meet him if she is in some kind of trouble? But when he saw her face, he knew everything wasn't peachy-keen. She seemed

very relieved to see him. Link half expected to hear her gush out everything that was going on, but Nabooru didn't explain. "Good, your here.

We need to get going." Nabooru said, gesturing to the Spirit Temple. "Where does Epona go?" Link asked. He assumed Nabooru would

explain later. Nabooru merely glanced at the horse and told him to bring her inside. Link slid off of Epona and led her inside behind Nabooru.

When they entered, Link looked at everything. It brought back so many memories from when he first came here, and met Nabooru, and then saved her

from two hags named Koume and Kotake seven years later. Nothing looked different as he walked along the passageways. But Link sensed

something...wrong. Nabooru was quiet until she led him into a room that had some plates of food and glasses of water. "You must be thirsty and

hungry from your journey. Please eat and drink. Don't worry about your fine mare, I will take her to a stable we have. It's brand-new, and

very reliable." Link looked at his mare. "Thanks, but I will go with you. I want to be with her." He said. (In all honesty, Link didn't want to be all alone

in the temple. Navi, his former guardian fairy, had helped him along the last time he'd been here.) Nabooru shrugged and started leading the horse

down the hall. Link picked up a glass and a plate, and hurried after her. She was so unpredictable, Link didn't know what to do. Usually, Nabooru

was confident, wise, and expressed her thoughts. Maybe the problem was bigger than he thought.

-Nabooru's POV-

Nabooru paced silently on the stairs. What was taking so long? Why wasn't Link here already? "Maybe he was busy and couldn't

come right away, or maybe he had a battle recently and couldn't come because of his wounds, or maybe he didn't believe her message." She worried.

It wasn't like Nabooru couldn't take care of herself, but she needed help on this issue. Ever since Koume and Kotake's ghosts had been brainwashing her

people's minds, she had fled to the Spirit Temple, escaping the witches and protecting the temple from evil. Seeing she needed help, she used her powers to

contact Link. To bide her time, Nabooru went outside the temple. Being a Gerudo, she was used to the heat and waited an hour, looking into the distant sand dunes.

When she spotted Link, she ran out to meet him. He was on his horse, Epona. His shirt was unbuttoned, and he was sweating buckets. Poor boy. Even though she wanted

to lay all the problems on his shoulders right away, she held her head. She noticed that the horse was very dehydrated. She also saw that Link was much more strong and

manly since the last time she'd seen him. She led him inside, watching mixed emotions cross his face as he recognized each room. Nabooru felt that now was not a good time to

tell him. Then she took him to the room where she'd kept some food and water for him. She knew he needed to rest a bit. Even though she hadn't asked if he wanted to help, Link

said he wanted to join her as Nabooru took Epona to the just-built stable. Nabooru had improved the temple with her powers, to make the place more like home to her.

He probably didn't want to be alone. Nabooru understood. So she just kept walking. Link, gullible, funny, Link, had picked up his plate and cup to take with him. As they walked

along, she kept seeing Link glancing over. She knew he wanted to know, but she wanted an opportune time. So she walked, and so did Link. Him with a heavy plate and cup,

her with a heavy heart and mind.

-Link's POV-

Link could barely restrain the question. Why was Nabooru in danger? And why wouldn't she tell him why? Finally, he couldn't hold it in any

longer. "Why are you in trouble?" he blurted. Nabooru jumped, probably because he broke the quiet and stillness up to that point. She sighed.

"I am not directly in danger, as you can see. But my people, the temple, basically everyone is in trouble because Koume and Kotake's ghosts

are brainwashing people to be evil. You remember when they brainwashed me, right? I was a monster, and I could've helped Ganondorf win if you didn't

defeat me. They have been wreaking havoc on Gerudo Valley and the Fortress for a few days now. Now do you see?" Nabooru's face reflected anger

and resentment. Link was confused. Sure, the witches did say they would haunt him, but he didn't understand. How could they come back-the two

old ladies were dead. Link had killed them himself. "I don't get it. If I killed Ganondorf and them, why would they have the power to create ghosts to

come back and haunt people? " He said. Nabooru's face got very angry. "The old hags had strange, old powers even I as a sage could not understand.

They can do things such as this. That is why I must stay here and train in the ways of magic. I must defend the Spirit Temple at all costs."

Link really was freaked out now. Magic wasn't his arena. "I don't know how to help you." He confessed. Nabooru's nostrils flared, and her eyes glowed like

fire. "Yes, well, we will find a way. Those two will haunt and torture anyone who lives with a pure and kind soul. Even me, who has great powers, cannot

stop them alone!" Nabooru whipped out two, curved swords, the kind the Gerudos use. Link had dealt with these before from guards at the Gerudo Fortress.

He did not like them. She slashed at the nearest suit of armor, crushing and toppling the heavy outfit. Link felt bad for the empty suit, it didn't deserve that.

But mostly, he felt bad for Nabooru. Calmly and gently, he put her swords down; he didn't want to be the next to feel her wrath. She was still very much upset,

but she relaxed. "I'm sorry Link. I'm very distressed about the matter. You are not mad at me, right?" "What? Me, mad? No, I understand...sort of. But

I don't think the suit needed that." He said. Nabooru smiled a little. "You never do anything wrong do you Hero of Time? We have a very hard and challenging journey

ahead of us. Are you ready?" Link smiled. He'd been waiting for a challenge a while now. "Are you kidding? I was born ready. Let's go tell the old grannies what

the younger generation think about supernatural old timers." The adventure had just begun.

The End