Part 4: Memories of the Desert
Link makes his way through the desert, following the posts, wondering how long it will take to cross this barren desert. He continues to read the journal entries. Apparently his feelings of being watched this morning were not the first time he felt like that. He had felt it several times on his journey, whenever he looked around nothing was to be found. That added to Link's feeling that something was not quite right. He then skips to the last entry before his memory was lost.
"There is something stalking me, always watching… silently waiting for me to drop my guard to attack. If only I was not in the desert, I might be able to detect and find this person. But this person shifts like the sand. I think for a moment I see a hint of a figure, but by the time I turn to look fully at them, they vanish. I suspect this creature or person has teleport magic, but the real question was how it got this magic and more importantly how I can fight against it. It reminds me a bit like my shadow from the water temple that would disappear into thin air. But shadow link is dead. I killed him. His shadowy form shattered to pieces, I am pretty sure that counts as dead. What could this thing be? I have a feeling it is ready to pounce. I will have to be extra careful the next couple of days."
''Great,' thought Link. In his last entry he was thinking he was going to be attacked and he needed to be careful, then he loses his memory. That cannot be a coincidence. Maybe if he finds this creature he can regain his memory back. Another thought occurred to Link. If this creature appeared and disappeared at will, it could have been the thing that captured Zelda. Appearing in her room while she slept then picking her up and teleporting back out to wherever he came from. There would have been no guards inside her room, so the teleporter could have gotten away without anyone being the wiser.
As he is contemplating the complexity of the problem, he realizes he sees faint outlines of buildings. He is almost out of the desert. He sighs in relief. He reaches the Gerudo encampment as the sandstorm dissipates. Link takes off his sand shield and looks around. The place looks deserted no one in sight. Link automatically goes into a low crouch and pulls his sword from its sheath. He walks to the houses, tensed and prepared for an ambush. But no ambush came. Link comes up to a house. He grips the door handle and opens the door, sword right by the opening. He slides into the room. As soon as he crosses the threshold, the people inside sense him and he hears the ring of weapons being drawn. As the people come into his sights he realized that they are all women, all were around a table with a map on it. The woman who intrigued Link the most was the one who looked different from the rest. She had a crown with a red jewel on her head. Something about her was familiar… the Gerudo with the crown then lowers her two swords.
"Link?" she says sounding stunned.
"Uh…" says Link. "Do I know you?"
A hurt expression appeared on the intriguing woman's face.
"You do not know who I am?" she asks.
"I lost my memory… I did not even know my name until I found something that had my name on it in my pack." said Link, hoping he did not offend her.
"Then how and why are you here?" She questions, to Link's surprise she puts her swords away.
The other Gerudos followed suit. Feeling slightly less threatened and not wanting to upset the woman, he slid the sword back in his sheath.
"Um… well…" he says putting his hand behind his head in embarrassment. "Princess Zelda has been kidnapped…"
"Princess Zelda has been what?!" says the Gerudo queen.
"Kidnapped…" says Link hesitantly.
The Gerudo queen goes up to Link and starts shaking him.
"How did it happen? When? Why? Who?"
"All I know is what I found in the journal…"
"What journal?" she demands.
"My journal, I wrote down things about my journey to find Zelda…" he says as he pulls the journal out.
She grabs the journal, madly flipping through the pages. She gets to the first entry and reads through it. As she reads the part of the Gerudos being thieves she raises her eyebrow and gives Link a quick look. After she finishes reading the first entry, she shuts the journal and gives it back to Link.
"So when did you lose your memory?" she asked seeming tense.
"Six days ago. I have written a journal entry for each day, but I do not know what day it is so I do not know if one day is missing or twenty."
"I saw the last date of your last entry. That was 10 days ago."
"Then what happened those four days?" Link asks.
"How would I know?" asked the Gerudo queen.
"Well, you seem to know me, maybe you can help me? What is your name?" Link says.
The queen sighs.
"My name is Nabooru."
Link stands up straight as a memory comes back to him. The Gerudo queen was a sage who helped defeat Ganon. He had also saved her from Twinrova when Koume and Kotake found her snooping around the spirit temple. He also remembers with a flush of embarrassment that she had walked in on him taking a bath in an oasis near the temple. As his face goes bright red, Nabooru starts laughing…
"So you do remember me?"
"Ummm… It just kinda came back to me…" Link said still trying to take in the new memories.
"Do you remember those missing days? She asked hopefully.
"No… just memories about you." Link says getting red with embarrassment again.
"Well it is a start." She says with a sly smile.