I do not own anything involved with Zelda, or Nintendo.
Description: When Link returns to Hyrule from Termina, he finds a growing evil in the Kokiri Forest, and must use the power of the Master Sword to defeat it. But after awaking from his seven-year sleep, Link finds the evil has gained much more power. Can Link, even with the Master Sword, save Hyrule?
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Chapter 1: Return of the Hero
Link played the song the Happy Mask Shop owner just taught him. The song that would take him back to Hyrule. The Happy Mask Shop owner watched as Link and his horse Epona disappeared in sparkles of blue and green.
The Happy Mask Shop owner placed Magora's Mask in his backpack, and walked back into Termina City.
Link saw hundreds of colors fly by.
Was it like this when I teleported around Hyrule in the future? Link thought. The memories of his adventure had started to fade as soon as he had left the Temple of Time after his adventure. The timeline had changed, and was taking Link's memories of the future with it. He could now only remember fragments of his time as an adult. The only thing that he could still remember clearly was how beautiful Zelda was as an adult.
Before Link realized it, he and Epona were standing in Hyrule Field.
"Time to take you home girl," Link said to the horse, as he rubbed her mane. Link noticed that a slight sadness was in Epona's eyes. "Don't worry. I'll come visit every day I can," Link said. Epona cheered up a little. Link and Epona had formed a strong bond in Termina.
When link walked into Lon Lon Ranch, Malon came running at him.
"Where have you been?" Malon yelled, "You said you were going to ride Epona around Hyrule Field, not go off for three days!"
"I'm sorry, I would have come back sooner, but a skull kid stole Epona, and I had to get her back," Link said, hanging his head.
"Someone stole Epona?" Malon asked; her voice now filled with concern.
"Yes. And once I found her, I got wrapped up in a quest to save some strange land," Link continued.
"Come on Link. You really expect me to believe that?" Malon asked.
"Well, ummm…" Link mumbled.
Malon began to laugh, "Just don't let it happen again Link," Malon said.
Link nodded, and lifted the pouch that held his equipment he got in Termina off Epona's back.
Link said goodbye to Malon and Epona, than began to walk back to the forest.
It was night before Link made it to the forest. Soon after Link entered the forest, he heard the sound of swords clashing. Link dropped his pouch and unsheathed his Gilded Sword. He also pulled the Mirror Shield off his back. Gripped his sword in his left hand, and his shield in his right, Link ran full force toward the sounds. In the middle of the small village a Stafios swung its blade down at a Kokiri child who held a small sword and a Deku Shield. The child was John, a Kokiri that Link appointed to be the village's guardian when he left. Link had no idea that the kid would have to fight Stafios!
Link charged at the armored skeleton, his blade above his held. Link jumped into the air, and swung the blade down on one of the Stafios's arms, breaking it off his body.
The Stafios turned, and slammed its shield into Link, sending him flying back.
Many of the other children were hiding in their houses or behind objects.
John gripped his short sword, which was originally given to Link by Zelda's father when Link collected the Spiritual Stones. Link then gave the sword to John when Link set out to look for Navi. John came up and stabbed his sword into the Stafios's ribs, breaking off a few of them. The Stafios stood still, and the bones of his right arm flew back to him, along with his sword.
The Stafios then wheeled around, just after John pulled his sword free from the Stafios. Link took the opportunity, and cut his sword into the Stafios's right leg, breaking it free. The Stafios fell to the ground, and again focused a moment as the leg came back to him.
Link jumped back, and after sheathing his sword, and placing the shield back on his back, pulled out his bow. His bow was on of the few weapons he kept with him, instead of put it in the pouch with his other things.
He placed an arrow on the bowstring, and pulled it back as far as it would go. Link then whispered, "Light Arrow."
The arrow immediately began to glow with a yellow glow. Link let go of the string, and the arrow pierced the Stafios's skull just as it was getting up.
The Stafios's skull quickly turned black, then crumbled to ash. The rest of his bones fell to ground. A purple colored fire sprang up on the bones, and they soon disintegrated into nothingness, taking the purple flame with them.
"Link, your back," John said.
"Ya. What's going on?" Link asked.
"I don't know. That was third Stafios sense you left. Lately the creatures in the forest have been getting bigger and meaner," John said.
Link suddenly remembered when he first entered the forest after going forward in time. The place was full of large monsters. It must of started happening around this time. Since the Great Deku Tree was dead, and Saria had not yet become the Sage of Forest, there was nothing to stop evil from spreading into the forest.
"Ummm, I have to go see Saria real quick," Link said, as he ran towards the entrance to the Lost Woods. John shrugged and sat down on a near-by rock.
Link easily made his way through the twists and turns of the Lost Woods, and before long was looking at the maze that he had to pass through to reach the Sacred Forest Meadow. He was glad not to see the heads of Moblins over the tops of the winding walls. Link quickly ran into the maze. Almost as soon as he entered the maze, a flying Deku Nut hit him. He turned around to see a Deku Scrub firing another Deku Nut. Link quickly pulled out his shield, and deflected the nut back at the Deku Shrub. Once it hit the shrub, the Shrub pulled itself from the pile of leaves, and ran from Link. Link quickly began a pursuit. Within a few moments, he was on top of the creature, and stabbed his sword into it. A purple flame enveloped the creature as it disappeared.
Link made his way through the maze cautiously, easily defeating the Deku Shrubs in his way. He made it to a set of stairs; past this there where three more Shrubs, then more stairs; beyond that was the entrance to the Forest Temple. Link quickly climbed the stairs, and disposed of the Shrubs.
After climbing the last set of stairs, he saw Saria sitting on the same stump she had sat on when she taught him her song, the same song as the one she was playing now.
Link pulled the Ocarina of Time out of his pocket, and once Saria got the beginning f the song again, Link joined in. Saria looked up to see Link playing along with her. After they finished playing, Link walked over to her.
"Hi Link. It's about time you got back. I was getting worried," Saria said.
"I promised I'd be back, and I always keep my promises," Link replied.
"I know Link," Saria said, smiling. "Oh! I almost forgot!"
"What?" Link asked.
"Its about Navi. After you left to look for her, she showed up in the forest," Saria said.
"Really? Where is she?" Link asked.
"She asked me to tell you something. She said she was leaving. She was going to go beyond the great sea," Saria said sadly.
"Oh," Link replied, a look of sadness in his eyes. "Well, I can't focus on that right now. We have bigger things to worry about."
"What is it?" Saria asked, concerned.
"I think something is happening. Something bad," Link said.
"What?"
"I think there is an evil growing in the forest. I think it was released when the Great Deku Tree died."
"What can we do?" Saria asked.
"Well, in the future, the forest was overrun with monsters, but when you became a Sage, the monsters vanished. I think if you became a Sage that your power might be able to protect the forest," Link stated.
Saria nodded. "How do I become a Sage?" Saria asked.
"Well, I think you have to be in the Chamber of Sages, and the easiest way there is through the Temple of Time," Link said. Saria still looked puzzled.
"Link, I can't leave the forest," Saria said.
"You're a Sage. You have to leave sometime to enter the Chamber of Sages," Link said. Saria thought about it. It did make sense. She nodded.
Link placed the Ocarina of Time to his lips again, and began to play the Prelude of Light. Saria held his arm, and once he finished playing the song, they disappeared in a multitude of glowing yellow sparkles.
The sparkles descended into the Temple of Time, and Link and Saria appeared on a slightly raised platform that had an image of the Medallion of Light on it. Link walked forward, toward the stand that he had once placed the Spiritual Stones, but Saria did not move. A moment later, Link turned to tell Saria that this was where he found the Master Sword, and saw her emitting a soft greenish glow. The glow brightened as she rose off the ground.
"Link! What's happening?" Saria asked.
Link unsheathed his sword, but before he could do anything, the glow around Saria brightened immensely for but a moment. Link shielded his eyes with his right hand, and when he looked back, Saria was gone.
Link spun around. What in the world happened to Saria? Link thought.
Around a minute later, Link saw a green light appear where Saria had disappeared. He watched as the light grew quickly, and in a bright flash, the light died, and Saria floated where the light was, with a light green aura around her.
"Saria!" Link exclaimed, "I thought something happened to you."
Saria smiled. "Something did. Rauru brought me into the Chamber of Sages, and awoke my powers as the Sage of Forest."
"So it worked. Great, now we don't have to worry about whatever is in the forest," Link said.
Saria's smile disappeared, and she looked toward the ground. "I'm afraid it isn't that simple. The evil is becoming too strong for me to contain. Rauru said that in the other timeline, Ganondrof used the Triforce of Power to drain the evil of its power, and then trap it beneath the Forest Temple. Now, though, Ganondrof does not have the Triforce, so there is not a way for us to restrain it before it becomes to powerful," Saria explained. "Rauru says with the Master Sword you may be able to defeat it though. I must go and do what I can to contain the evil till you get the sword." And with that, Saria disappeared in a green light.
"The Master Sword," Link mumbled, looking towards the Doors of Time.
Link when straight to the castle. The guards let the boy through, knowing his friendship with the princess and his knight status. Link remembered when he had to sneak into the Castle Courtyard to speak with Zelda, but had already gotten used to heading directly into the Castle itself.
A guard led Link to Zelda's room, and he waited at the door for her to come out.
Soon, Zelda came into the hall.
"Link! Your back!" Zelda said happily, hugging him tightly.
"Thanks," Link replied, struggling to get free of her grip so he could breath.
"Zel, I need to talk to you," Link said once she let him go.
"What is it?" Zelda said, seeing the serious look on his face.
Link looked at the guard. "Alone," Link said.
"Come on," Zelda said, pulling Link into her room.
"I need the Spiritual Stones. I have to get the Master Sword," Link said.
"Why? What happened Link?" Zelda asked.
"An evil is growing in the Kokiri Forest. Saria and Rauru said I would need the Master Sword to defeat it."
"O.k." Zelda said, "but I won't be able to get the Stones from the vault till morning."
"Thank you Zel," Link said. He lightly kissed her on the cheek. He loved Zelda. He had ever sense he first saw her.
Link was lead to a guest room later that day.
The next morning, Zelda and Link snuck to the vault. It was only open for one hour each morning to see that everything was still there. Link had asked if there was a chance Zelda's father would let them use the Spiritual Stones. She told him he wouldn't. They easily avoided the guards, Link having plenty of experience avoiding them.
They stole the Spiritual Stones, and quickly snuck out of the castle.
"Well, this is it," Link said.
"Be careful," Zelda said.
Link nodded, and headed towards the Temple of Time.
Once Link entered the Temple, he walked to the stand. Link pulled out his Ocarina, and began playing. The song was now very familiar to him; it was the Song of Time. As the notes filled the room, the three Spiritual Stones rose into the air. They began spinning around him, and as the last note rang out, the Stones lowered to the stand. Link watched as the gray Triforce symbol above the Door of Time glowed with a yellow light, and then turned yellow itself. The Door of Time then opened, and two halves slid into the walls.
Link slowly walked through the doorway. He walked up to a raised platform in the center of the room. Three stairs were placed in front of the platform, leading to the platform. Another slightly raised platform was in the center of the first. Around the sides of the lower platform were images of the six medallions. On the higher platform was an image of the Triforce. On the center of that platform, was a small pedestal with a sword imbedded into it.
Link remembered when he first saw the sword. He had thought it was the most beautiful sword he ever saw. Seeing the sword again, he still thought it was. Link stepped up to it, and gripped the sword.
"What am I forgetting?" Link muttered.
Link, shaking his head, pulled on the sword. It slid out of the pedestal with little effort. The moment he did, the three pieces of the Triforce image turned blue, and a moment later, each shot a blue light towards the ceiling. The edge of the higher platform also shot out a circle of blue light upward.
At this moment, Link's memory was jogged, and he remembered what happened the last time he pulled out the Master Sword. He was going to be sealed away in the Sacred Realm for seven years.