Ch. 2

The trio returned to the village, disappointed that they didn't catch the moblin. Haeda aimlessly looked about him as he pondered a thought. "What was it doing here?" He asked.

Ruto shrugged. "Who knows. Maybe it's one of those few stray creatures. I bet it just happened upon Kokiri."

Grogan snorted. "I doubt it was here by chance." He boomed.

As the shopkeeper said this, his daughter Midaylia came running up to him, long blonde braid flying along behind her. "Father, did you get it?" She asked eagerly, falling in step beside the boys.

Grogan shook his head. "Nope. It squeezed its way through the thorns."

"What? That's too bad."

It really is. Haeda found himself think.

The sun was starting to set and it threw golden beams across the forest. Tonight, Haeda was eating dinner with Ruto's family. Haeda was like a brother to Ruto. Haeda often melded right with Ruto's family. They were gulping down some delicious thick rabbit soup, and the two boys were excitedly rambling on about the moblin chase. "I was about this close to sticking it through!"

"Yeah, but I actually tripped him!"

"That doesn't count! Anyway, we were slowly gaining on him-"

"I actually made a small cut on it-"

"The moblin tripped-"

"Grogan took a mighty swing at its head-"

"You should have seen it! All the excitement-"

"We could've caught him if you hadn't slowed me down."

"What? You were cutting in front of me! You were slowing me down!"

Ruto's mom, Rota, shushed them heartily. "Alright boys, alright! I already heard the story when you first came home."

Ruto leaned forward – for Rota was opposite him at the wooden table – "But Mom, we didn't catch it!"

Haeda nodded as he finished his soup. "Yeah, he got through that thorny curtain before we could do anything!"

Rota's eyebrows rose. "I didn't hear that part." She said, a little quieter.

Ruto's father, Rotus, laughed. "They were too busy interrupting each other the first time they tried to tell the story!"

When the family finished their supper, they all leaned back in their chairs in a peaceful quiet. Soon, Rotus scooted his chair back and sleepily declared, "I'm going to bed. See you in the morning."

Ruto then followed the motion and headed for his room. "See you in the morning." He drearily repeated.

Rota stayed behind and looked day dreamy for a moment. Then she became alert and looked at Haeda. After a moment of hesitation, she quietly said, "Haeda, I want to talk to you about something."

Haeda sat upright and nodded. "Alright, what do you want to talk about?" He asked.

Surprisingly enough, Rota looked down the hallway and made sure that Ruto and Rotus weren't around. She then took Haeda by the wrist and led him up the natural wooden staircase up to a balcony that opened to the top of the tree her family lived in. "I've wanted to tell you this all your life, but I could never bring myself to say it. But, I feel as if I need to tell you now." She continued, nervously tucking a lock of wily curly red hair away. "This is about your past."

Haeda felt himself instinctively suck in his breath. He himself didn't know much about his past. He indicated that Rota could go on.

"You know that your parents disappeared shortly after your birth," She started. The boy nodded. "Well, I think I know the reason they disappeared."

Haeda leaned forward almost inaudibly as Rota hesitated to go on. "Yes?" he whispered hopefully.

"You have heard of the Legends of Zelda, correct?"

"Ever since I was a child."

"Yes. All about Link, Zelda, Ganon, and the Triforce…Well, your parents knew of your destiny," A breeze picked up and started tugging the leaves around them, "…They knew that you are…you are…You are destined to harbor the Triforce of Courage. You are to continue those Legends." She didn't look directly into Haeda's eyes. "And I think that dark forces knew that your parents knew this. So your parents left you here, to become invisible. But unfortunately, they were caught and…well, they haven't been seen or heard of since."

He stood there, dumbfounded, unable to let it all sink in. He seemed frozen. The breeze became a little harder and proceeded to make the leaves sing their rustling song. Finally, he managed a, "W-what?" He was about to stammer more, but was immediately cut off guard by the sudden gust of wind that had evolved from the warm breeze. Black clouds suddenly engulfed the stars and made the forest pitch black.

Rota's jaw dropped in fear. "Oh, no!" She cried.

Haeda grabbed the railing of the balcony. "What's going on?" He shouted through the wind.

Rota hurriedly pulled him back inside and back down stairs. "Ganon has returned! He is spreading his evil just as I have feared!" She cried.

Haeda looked at her, terror flooding his eyes. And I am to fight this? "What?! That can't be!"

Just then, Ruto stumbled toward them from his room. The tree was shaking so much, that it was hard to keep balance. Rotus followed shortly after. Lightning split the sky, and the thunder reverberated through the air. Suddenly, a shrill shriek pierced the storm, and maniacal laughter sent chills down everyone's spines. "What's going on?" Ruto shouted as he peered out the door.

Everyone's face grew cold as they saw what was happening. Fire had erupted in the shop where a dark blast had hit it. Midaylia was screaming somewhere inside! Grogan was frantically trying to get to her, but beams of flaming wood kept him at bay. Black silhouettes pockmarked the sky, turning out to be keese and stalfos that had adapted skeletal wings. Kokiri was being attacked!