Le Jack - This chapter is slightly longer. ;) I write at irregular times, so sometimes you might get a hundred chapters in a week, or maybe not a new chapter for a while. Thanks for another review! Hope it doesn't end disappointingly... haha.
ImperialGuardian09 - Of course I'll never forgive you again. ;) Chapter 2 was supposed to be up a day before I got it up here, actually, but the site was acting funny for me, too, and I had to wait an extra day. So I can understand site-acting-funny sort of things. Thanks for the review!
Zelda couldn't stand this Ganondorf. He stuck his huge nose into her father's own business, but got praised for his strange thoughts and uncomfortable ways. Not only that, but this Gerudo man gave Zelda a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. The way he looked at her frightened her. There was a poison in his gaze, but it was disguised as a wicked honey when in her father's presence.
"There is something wrong with him," Zelda decided when in her room with Impa. The Sheikah woman raised an eyebrow. "I don't know why, but I don't like Ganondorf."
"Lord Ganondorf," Impa corrected. "While in the palace, you must respect your father's wishes."
Zelda leapt up from her couch, and placed her small hands on her hips. "You don't like him!" she stated, slightly surprised. She would've expected Impa, lover of all sorcery and magic, to be fawning over him. Her nanny sighed, and put the dagger she was sharpening back in its sheath.
"No, I do not," Impa admitted.
"Why?" Zelda pressed on eagerly. The reason Impa didn't like him would be the reason she was looking for! Impa shrugged, and cracked her knuckles. The blonde princess winced, hating the sound of joints making those noises.
"He seems too interested in the Royal Family's legends," she frowned, almost talking to herself. "Particularly the one about the Spiritual Stones."
"Spiritual Stones?" Zelda said with surprise. "They're hidden. No one can find them." Zelda stopped and studied the look on Impa's face. "Aren't they?"
"The Spiritual Stone of Forest is," the Sheikah said slowly. "Last I heard, the Stone of Fire was kept on a high ledge in the Goron City, and the Stone of Water was in the hands of a Zora princess about your age."
"Why does the Zora princess have such a big responsibility while I'm not even allowed the touch the special bowls on the top shelf?" Zelda pouted. Impa hid a smile behind her mouth. It was moments like this when she truly treasured her princess.
"Anyway," Zelda continued. "Ganondorf should stay out of Daddy's business! And what does he want with the Stones?"
Impa was silent for such a long moment that Zelda wondered if she pushed Impa's buttons too far. But the woman looked at the girl with serious eyes. "I think you are old enough to go on your first trip to the Temple of Time."
Zelda looked around in awe. "Why haven't you brought me here before?" the princess demanded. "It's so beautiful…" The princess approached what looked like a stone table with three holes in it.
"This is the Temple of Time, and that wall in front of us," Impa said, "is the Door of Time. You know the glass case back in the castle with special things in it, don't you?" Zelda nodded in recognition. "There is a special instrument in it called the Ocarina of Time. When someone collects the three Spiritual Stones and plays the Song of Time with that ocarina in this spot, the door will open. They say beyond that is the Sacred Realm. You know the legends of the Triforce from that point on."
"Ganondorf can't be after the Triforce, could he!" Zelda asked in pure shock, then anger. How dare that man go after such an awesome object! Impa watched with interest as the blue eyes turned a violent red.
"Hold your horses, princess," Impa held a hand up. "We aren't positive this is what he's after. He may just be a man too nosy for his own good."
"But why else would he want this?" Zelda groaned.
"Ah, but you may just be looking for a reason to hate him," Impa said, regretting telling the princess about her suspicions.
Zelda sighed. That may be true. In the whole month since he arrived, she had wanted to kick him for every little thing that was even a little improper. She actually did put some sort of insect – well, it looked like an insect – into his soup once. Every time that man reminded the King how loyal he was or the magic he could do, she wanted to do more than put bugs in his soup. She wanted to beat him, but she never had a true reason. Now, with a suspicion, she would be all too happy to tear his brains out.
"Want to go to the market today?" Impa asked, wanting to take her charge's mind off things. Zelda brightened.
"Really? You bring my things? Oh, I see, of course you did," she grinned a toothy smile. Her eyes had faded back into a calm, intelligent blue.
Impa still hadn't understood the color changing. She didn't mention this to the princess, not wanting Zelda to lose any sleep over it, which she tended to do with things like this. No, Impa would figure this out on her own. It happened very rarely, usually when the Lord Ganondorf was involved. It happened at other times, though.
Zelda's thoughts were elsewhere, hoping her friends were in town. Impa sometimes took her into town, wanting the princess to have normal friends, yet staying far enough away so not to make her friends suspicious of why the woman Zelda stole something from was always hanging around.
The blonde princess changed quickly before darting off in the direction of the castle town market. She happily bounced around, seeking anyone out. Spotting Selena and Betta, she skipped over.
"'Ello, Sheikora!" Betta said happily. Selena waved.
"Where's Malon and Talla today?" Zelda asked after some polite how-are-you's.
"Malon's tryin' t'help her father train a new pony. She named her 'Epona'. She says the horse loves the song her muma wrote before she died, and she's the only one who can calm the pony," Betta explained. "And who knows where Talla is. Pro'bly the Gerudos are lecturin' her on how t'be a proper thief." The dark haired girl rolled her eyes. The Gerudo thieves never left the poor girl alone.
"I wanna see this pony sometime!" Zelda said excitedly.
"We were gonna go with Betta's papa after he finishes his business," Selena said. "You could come with us!"
Zelda thought for a minute. She would have to ask Impa, and this was an awesome opportunity to actually leave the high walls of the market place. She had never been to Lon Lon Ranch before.
"I'll go ask!" the princess said cheerfully as she darted away into the crowds where Impa was hidden.
"Back so soon, princess?" Impa raised an eyebrow.
"I want to go to Lon Lon Ranch!" Excitement bubbled up in her voice. "Please?"
Impa sighed. It took a couple hours to get to Lon Lon Ranch, and she wasn't sure how long that Zelda could be away from the castle. Prying her eyes away from the innocent face of the princess, Impa shook her head.
"Sorry, princess. The castle would probably notice if you were gone for such a long time," Impa said to the princess, who sighed with disappointment. Zelda knew this would probably the nanny's answer, but she had gotten her hopes up anyway. Impa patted Zelda's shoulder sympathetically. "I'll take you to Lon Lon someday."
"Why's she with that Sheikah lady?" Selena and Betta had followed Zelda, wanting to see what her mysterious parents looked like. "I thought she'd be in trouble with 'er!"
"She lied to us!" Betta accused.
"But why?" Selena was shocked and confused. Betta thought for a minute before coming up with an answer.
"Remember the crazy red eyes she got when we met 'er? I bet it be a Sheikah thing! Sheikora, Sheikah… get it?" Betta said excitedly. "She be a Sheikah!"
"That a-splain's the weird hair an' eyes," Selena said slowly.
"Girls!" Betta's father called out. "Time to go!"
With one long, final glance at their Sheikah girl, they slowly turned and walked toward their parents.
"Why would they just leave me like that?" Zelda complained.
"Probably busy," Impa said patiently, strumming the end of the Song of the Royal Family on her harp. Zelda climbed under her blankets, still distraught. "Good night, princess."
"Wait- Impa- can you play that song one more time?" she asked. Impa raised an eyebrow, and nodded. Zelda closed her eyes as she listened to the Song of the Royal Family, letting it lull her into sleep.
Her dream was a strange one. There were dark rain clouds all over, and the land was full of darkness. Thunder roared across the lifeless land, and lightening flashed. She saw flashes of things she knew were yet to come, but she couldn't hold on to them when she awoke. At last, a light shot out of the darkness. A figure clad in green stepped into it out of the forest, holding a green stone and followed by a fairy. The princess tossed and turned in her prophetic sleep.
Unbeknownst to Zelda, at the same time, a young boy in a forest was having a nightmare.