Chapter 1: Leading Edge
Nabooru rose to a sitting position on the cold stone floor of the entrance hall to the Spirit Temple and wrapped her lightweight cotton sleeping blanket more snugly around herself. Since she had been awakened as the Sage of Spirit and helped Link to defeat the wicked Gerudo King, Ganondorf, Nabooru had felt more at home sleeping at the Spirit Temple on many nights. She guarded it, and it guarded her. Nabooru felt sure that no harm of any type could come to her while she was inside the Spirit Temple, and no thieves or vandals would dare desecrate the place while its Sage was present.
This morning, something was wrong. Not with the Temple itself, but outside. The dry desert wind blew sand past the entrance to the Spirit Temple, as it always had, but it sounded different. The wind sounded soft and sharp, like a scathing whisper. Nabooru rose to her feet and slipped on her shoes. Within the shelter of the Spirit Temple, the stone floor was always cool because it was protected from most of the sun's heat, but now it was too cold. The Sage of Spirit, Nabooru, slowly walked outside. Nabooru stopped still on the threshold, almost unable to believe what her senses were clearly telling her. It was even colder outside the Temple than within, and mixed with the flying sand the wind blew snow across the desert landscape.
It was impossible to see very far, but Nabooru had always been able to find her way through the sandstorms of the Gerudo Desert before, and had made the trip alone and on foot many times between the Gerudo Village and the Spirit Temple. Overcaution had never led a person to be as good a thief as Nabooru had taught herself to be years before she awakened as a Sage, so Nabooru held up an edge of her blanket to protect her face and plunged into the flying sand and snow. She picked her way across the now snow-capped dunes in the direction of the Gerudo Village, but it was impossible to see the marker flags that were planted along the route, so Nabooru had to rely on memory alone. Within several seconds, her teeth were chattering, she was shivering uncontrollably, and it was becoming very difficult to concentrate with snow and freezing sand flying into her face from all directions. A rogue gust blew a handful of the sharp, frozen snow and sand into her eyes and she stumbled, falling forward onto her knees. Nabooru blinked and opened her eyes, realizing that she had stumbled out of the storm altogether. She looked up eagerly, and saw that she had doubled back completely only to return to the Spirit Temple. Heavy-hearted, Nabooru picked herself up and went back inside.
By the time Nabooru's shivering had subsided, she had decided what to do. It would obviously be impossible for her to reach the Gerudo Village in the current weather. Instead, Nabooru walked forward to where the Spirit Medallion rested on the wall between the two entrances into the rest of the Temple. She lifted the Spirit Medallion from the wall with both hands and raised it high above her head, reciting, "A youthful spirit has innocence. An aged spirit has strength. But a spirit outside of time needs both. I call the Sages to the Temple of Light!" There was a bright blue light, and Nabooru found herself appearing in the Temple of Light which the Sage Rauru faithfully guarded. One by one, the other Sages appeared; first Saria, then Darunia, Ruto, and finally Impa. The only one missing was the Seventh Sage, Zelda, who was also Princess of Hyrule.
"I know why you have summoned us, young Nabooru," Rauru said with kindness and concern. "This problem has touched the whole Land of Hyrule. Everywhere, the Land is turning to winter."
"I'm so sorry," the Sage of Water, Ruto, said. She was close to tears. "It is spreading from my people's Domain. I know that if I were a better Sage, I could have prevented this somehow!"
"It is not your fault, Princess Ruto," Saria said reassuringly, smiling up at the Zora. "The forest sleeps through this winter like any other. My part of Hyrule, at least, is still unharmed."
"Yes, yes!" Darunia agreed with his small forest friend, nodding his head. "We Gorons are staying inside our caves where it's warm. Who cares about a little snow outside?"
"None of us seem to be able to do anything about it," Nabooru added. "I believe we must call upon Link again, as we have so recently, to save Hyrule."
"Princess Zelda is missing!" Impa said quietly.
"That is true," Rauru said, nodding slowly. "Zelda, the Seventh Sage, is not yet here. But this is an urgent situation. We must call Link, the Hero of Time, to Hyrule's aid now. We cannot afford to wait for Princess Zelda's arrival."
The other Sages thoughtfully nodded their agreement, but Impa shook her head. "You do not understand," she said, fixing Rauru with her usual impassive stare, but her eyes looked hard into his. "Princess Zelda is missing. She disappeared yesterday, and despite my training as a Sheikah and my powers as a Sage, I have been unable to find her as is my duty as the Princess's protector."
None of the Sages had ever heard Impa say so many words at one time, and none of them were quite sure how to respond to this shocking news - as if Hyrule didn't have enough problems already! It was Rauru who finally broke the silence. "This is indeed troubling. I feel even more strongly now that we must call upon young Link to save Hyrule once more. I sense that the Land of Hyrule is in much deeper trouble than it appears on the surface. I fear a dark power of evil may be behind this. We Sages sealed Ganon in the Dark World, but the Triforce is still divided. It is possible that Ganon can still influence our fair Land of Hyrule!" Rauru raised his hands above his head. "Let us now summon the Hero of Time, Link!"
The other Sages all echoed Rauru's gesture. "Link!" all six voices cried in unison, as the Temple was flooded with a blinding white light. "Link, the Hero of Time! Come to Hyrule's aid!"
Link was back in Hyrule.
It had been eight years since he had first stepped out of the Kokiri Forest to go find Princess Zelda, and he had spent those years travelling through other lands and helping many people. Termina had been only the first of several places he had visited. He had finally been reunited with his dear friend Navi the fairy only a few months ago in his latest adventure. Now that the fateful seven years surrounding his fight with Ganon had ended, Link and Navi were once again free to return home to the land of Hyrule. It felt good to be home, Link reflected, knowing his tiny friend felt the same. In fact, he had almost lost her again permanently almost as soon as he had been reunited with her - a band of wild wizards had been trying to sacrifice Navi and the other fairies in their kingdom to fuel their spell to cover their land in evil.
Fortunately, Link still carried four of the masks he had gained in Termina; the Goron's mask, Zora's mask, Deku Scrub mask, and the Fierce Deity's mask - that last, along with several magical artifacts he had gotten in his other quests, had been key in saving Navi's life, and the lives of the other fairies who had been in danger. Link was extremely grateful to still have his friend. They had been through so much together...!
Grinning fiercely, Link spurred Epona across Hyrule Field in an open gallop towards Hyrule Castle Town. He couldn't wait to see Princess Zelda again, and let her know he was finally back in Hyrule! Navi, meanwhile, was curled up in Link's hair right on the top of his head under his hat, situated right behind his bangs. Link figured she was probably asleep - it took a lot of energy to fly, and Navi had to catch her rest when and how she could in between helping Link in battle. Hyrule was at peace, at the moment, but old habits were hard to break. It was a comfortingly familiar feeling to Link, Navi sleeping in his hair under his hat.
Link!
"Hey!" Navi shouted, suddenly wide awake and darting out from under Link's hat to float excitedly in front of his eyes. "Did you hear something?"
Link looked up at her and nodded once, very definitely. "Yeah, I did!" As soon as he had heard the mysterious call of his name, he had reined in Epona to a complete stop. After a quick snort, the horse had gone to contentedly grazing, occasionally pawing at the earth below her hooves.
Link, the Hero of Time! Come to Hyrule's aid!
"It's the Sages!" Navi gasped in realization. "Hurry, Link! It sounds like they're in real trouble. We'd better go straight to the Temple of Light!"
"Right," Link agreed, swinging one leg up and over Epona's back as he dropped to the ground next to her in one smooth motion. "C'mon, Navi! Stay close." As his fairy hovered close by his head, Link held up his left hand, and the Triforce symbol there glowed brightly. A split second later, a flash of white light surrounded the two heroes.
Angelic vocalizations seemed to float in the air around Link and Navi for a few breathless moments, before the two were deposited gently onto the pad in the center of the temple of Light. As Link's feet touched the pad and the weightless feeling lifted from him, he looked around himself. Six Sages were present - Saria, Darunia, and Ruto of his childhood acquaintence, and Rauru, Nabooru and Impa, who he had really only gotten to know better as an adult.
Well - in an adult's form, he reminded himself. It felt sort of weird, remembering being an adult to save Hyrule, when he was really still a child. Eight years ago - no, one year ago...? Link shook his head in bewilderment. It was too convoluted to think about! I guess that's why I'm not a Sage, he thought ruefully. Figuring this stuff out really isn't my job, as long as I can keep Hyrule safe!
"Link," Rauru greeted the young Hylian man, drawing his attention back to the here-and-now. "And Navi. Thank you. I am sorry we must call on you once again to save our beautiful land of Hyrule, but we six Sages feel that only you can help us now. Listen carefully."
Nabooru began speaking abruptly, and Link and Navi turned to listen to her. "My land is covered in snow and ice," she explained. She had one hand on her waist in a deceptively casual pose, but she was obviously upset. "It just came out of nowhere! One minute, everything was normal. The next, I woke up in a blizzard!"
"It is spreading from Zora's Domain," Ruto interjected, drawing Link and Navi's attention to herself for a moment. "My people are still locked underneath the ice there, and now the river that flows down to Gerudo Valley has carried the curse there with its current."
"The storm is so fierce that even I can't find my way through the Gerudo Desert now," Nabooru continued. "I was trapped at the Spirit Temple by the icy wind and snow. I had to use my powers as a Sage to get here to the Temple of Light. Link, you must find a way to stop this curse before it claims all of Hyrule!" She paused, then gave Link a pleading look. "Link... can you go to Gerudo Valley and check on my people? I don't know what fate has befallen them now."
Link nodded.
"Why don't you come with us?" Navi asked, flying forward towards the desert Sage a bit.
How does she do that? Link wondered in admiration. I can never get a word in edgewise when the Sages are talking!
Nabooru, now looking up at Navi, smiled. "Good idea! I think I will -" she broke off uncertainly and turned to Rauru, the most experienced Sage in the room. "Or am I needed here?"
Rauru smiled and shook his head. "No, Nabooru, you will be able to go with them. Any one of us may accompany Link and Navi for a time on their quest, as long as at least five of us remain here at one time. That should be enough of us to unify our strength as Sages against this threat and add our power to Link's from the Temple of Light. But Link, there is one more thing you should know."
Link listened to Rauru's words with a sinking heart. This cannot be good.
"Princess Zelda is missing. Link! You must search for the Princess while you search for a way to save Hyrule."
"Don't worry!" Navi said fiercely. "We'll find Princess Zelda - and save Hyrule!"
"Well, then," Nabooru said, turning to grin at Link and Navi. "Let's go."
Once again, everything was shrouded in a blinding white light.
"You know," Nabooru's voice seemed to come from somewhere nearby, teasing Link, "you really did turn out fine."
Link just hoped she couldn't see him blush.