Now for a sad chapter full of the fall of Hyrule and its grim future. I own nothing!
Chapter 9: Ganondorf, The Temple of Time, and The Future of Hyrule
Rain began to come down as the trio came to the drawbridge. It was up, something that was unusual, as it wasn't quite sunset yet.
"Wait…I remember this!" Link exclaimed, the images from his nightmares coming back. Lightning struck in the distance as the drawbridge began to slowly clank down until it was in place. Link could hear hoofs beating on the road, drawing steadily closer.
"There's a white horse coming! Out of the way!" Lucius pulled Link aside as Impa and Zelda came streaming by on the horse.
"Link!" Zelda struggled to look back as she shouted and then hurtled something past them. It landed in the moat with a plop.
"Zelda, no!" Impa reprimanded, pushing the princess back in front of her. Link and Lucius watched the horse vanish in the darkness, but turned when they heard another set of hoofs coming.
"Stop!" Steve jumped in front of the horse, aiming his spear, but was blasted aside in a flash of light. He smashed into the wall and slid down, leaving a trail of blood, and collapsed on the ground.
"No!" Link shouted as Ganondorf came into view on his black horse. He reined it to a halt and looked around.
"Arrrrgh! I've lost her!" he shouted, clenching his fist. He suddenly looked at Link and his companion. "You, over there! You must have seen the white horse gallop past just now…Which way did it go?"
"Ganondorf!" Lucius stepped forward, an expression of unabashed hatred on his young features.
"Ah, Lucius, we meet again," the Gerudo leader sneered. "Do you and the boy earnestly think that you can protect them from me?" He chuckled malevolently. "You've got guts," Link drew his sword, ready to fight.
"Din's Fire!" Lucius fired a fireball at Ganondorf while Link threw a boomerang. He deflected both with little effort and the spell exploded, leaving a scorch mark, on the wall of the castle. He chuckled again.
"You want a piece of me?" he raised his hand and fired two spheres of magical energy at them.
"Look out!" Navi screamed as the deadly attack flew at them. Lucius jumped aside, allowing one of the balls to explode harmlessly on the ground, but Link was too scared from the memories of his dreams and got hit head-on. He went flying and was sprawled on the ground, jolt of energy jumping all over his battered body. "Link!" the fairy hovered over him, worried more than ever.
"Pathetic fools! I am Ganondorf, and, soon I will rule the world!" he spurred his horse and rode off. Lucius fired a parting bolt of light, but it was deflected away too.
"Blast!" the mage hissed, looking down at Link's prone figure. He crouched next to him. "He's been hit hard. Ganondorf's magic is nothing to laugh about,"
"Can you heal him?" Navi asked, close to tears.
"I'll try," he sighed, looking over to Steve. "Navi, go get someone to help me with that guard,"
"Okay!" she flew off. Lucius looked at the sky, rain falling on his face.
"Curse you…Ganondorf…" he whispered.
Link awoke, some time later, in a bed. He tried to sit up, but his head reeled and he fell back to his pillow.
"Where am I?" he whispered.
"You're in the Hyrule Castle Town Inn," Navi said, crying with joy as she flew over. "Lucius said that you might not make it, even with his magic,"
"Lucius…" he groaned and closed his eyes, turning his head a little. "Where is he?"
"He's with…with Steve," the fairy whispered.
"Is he okay?" the boy asked, dreading the answer.
"We don't know," the fairy sniffed. "Lucius told me that you had a better chance because you're strengthened by the Great Fairies and protected by refracting armor, but Steve is just a normal man with some training…" Link rubbed his eyes, trying to hold back his own tears.
"He was the first friend I made outside the forest. I hope that he pulls through," he sniffled.
"Go back to sleep, I'll tell you the news," Navi promised.
Link woke up again to the voice of Lucius. He sat up and saw the mage, haggard and tired, sitting at the room's dining table, talking with Navi.
"Oh, you're awake," the mage said lightly, getting up and walking over. "Steve will be all right, but he won't be on duty anymore,"
"Why?" Link asked, not sure he wanted to hear this, either.
"The magic did some irreparable damage to his body," Lucius explained, sitting down on the other bed and looking more exhausted and emotional than Link had ever seen him. "He was foolish to try and stop Ganondorf, but I respect his courage,"
"Can we go see him?" Link inquired, trying to get up, but his body was reluctant.
"Not yet," Lucius shook his head, looking up at him with veiled regret. "You have not fully recovered yet, and he still needs a lot of rest before he can have a lot of visitors," He got up and fetched some food from his bag. "Here," he handed Link some bread and cheese and set a cup of milk by the bed. "Eat and then go back to sleep. I'll work on you more in morning,"
All in all, it was a week before Link could even get out of bed and, even then, Lucius insisted that he take red medicine twice a day to restore his strength. Al sent a card to him, wishing that he get better and apologizing that he couldn't get time off to visit, as all of the guards now had been assigned extra duty. Link finally got to visit Steve on the ninth day.
"Hey," the guard said weakly as the boy entered the room with Lucius and Navi. "I hear that you got hurt, too,"
"Not as much as you," Link replied, trying to make a joke but failing.
"Heh…don't look at me like that," Steve wheezed. "I kinda brought this on myself, what with making fun of you and all…but I'm the one that wasn't cut out for being the hero…"
"You showed more courage than any other soldier, that night," Lucius reassured him. "Foolhardy though your efforts may have been, few men can boast about facing Ganondorf and living to tell the tale,"
"Ganondorf…" Steve repeated, as though the name left a bad taste in his mouth. "he betrayed our King. Zelda's nanny, Impa, seemed to predict it in time and escaped with her…" He looked at Link. "I was up at the castle, the other day, and the Princess told me…she was waiting for a boy from the forest…that's you…she wanted to give something to you. Do you have it?"
"I saw her throw something at us, but we haven't had the time to retrieve it yet," Lucius explained.
"Well, if you find it, go to the Temple of Time…" Steve gasped. "I'm going to sleep some more now…all this talking is making me tired…" He slumped back and closed his eyes, starting to breathe peacefully.
"He's fine," Lucius said, seeing Link and Navi's worried faces. "Let's go back to the inn. I trust the town doctor to take care of him,"
"But what about that thing that Zelda wanted us to have?" Navi questioned. "Shouldn't we retrieve it?"
"Do you think that it was the Ocarina of Time?" Link looked at Lucius.
"Probably," he stopped. "Go back to the room, I'll go check," He whisked off.
By the time Link had eaten a little and settled himself in bed, a wet Lucius came back into the room.
"I found it," he pulled a beautiful, blue ocarina out of his pocket. It was crafted well and had the emblem of the Triforce engraved on the mouthpiece. "Here," he handed it over to Link and it began to glow.
"Link…" Zelda's voice came from the instrument. "Can you hear me? It's me, Zelda…I recorded this message with what powers I have. I wanted to wait for you, but I couldn't delay any longer. The least I could do is leave you the Ocarina and this melody…" a short tune sounded from the ocarina. Link raised it to his mouth and slowly tried to copy it. He succeeded after a few attempts. "Now, Link. Play this melody in front of the altar in the Temple of Time. You must protect the Triforce!" The glow faded.
"Zelda…" Link muttered, staring at the Ocarina. "I promise, I'll stop Ganondorf!"
"Link…" Lucius turned away and went over to his bed. "Get some rest, we're going to the Temple of Time, tomorrow,"
"Finally, we can get the Triforce!" Navi said excitedly.
I wonder if you can handle what will come? Lucius thought as he listened to his companions chat. Ganondorf…is not so easily slain.
The next morning, the trio ate breakfast and then left the inn, making their way for the prominent Temple of Time. Passing the potion shop, they ascended a short set of stairs and made their way up another short set as they entered the hallowed building.
"Whoa," Link looked around the large room. It had many stained glass windows and another octagonal platform was near the entrance, also with a Triforce symbol in the middle. Their footsteps echoed as they approached the altar that sat before a massive door that had a Triforce symbol above it.
"There is writing here," Lucius commented, peering at the writing on the altar. "Ye who owns three Spiritual Stones, stand with the Ocarina of Time and play the Song of Time," Link pulled out the three jewels and looked at the three hollows on the altar. Each one was shaped like its corresponding jewel. He carefully placed each one in the correct slot and then pulled out the ocarina. Putting it to his lips, he played the tune that Zelda had left him. It echoed into silence and then the jewels began to glow. The Triforce emblem over the door, at first gray, now shined gold and the door slid open slowly, allowing them access to the chamber within.
"It actually opened," Link whispered. They crept up the stairs and passed through the door. A pedestal, reachable by a few shallow steps, came into view. Navi gaped at the fine blade that was lodged in the pedestal.
"Link, isn't that…?" she flew over to inspect it. "It's that legendary blade…"
"The Master Sword," Lucius finished with wonder. "Blade of Evil's Bane. Even Ganondorf cannot abide it," Link approached the blade.
"So, I have to pull it out?" he looked at the shimmering sword.
"Yes," Navi replied.
"Aren't we looking for the Triforce?" the boy looked at her.
"This may have something to do with it," Lucius deduced.
"Okay, here I go…" Link grabbed the hilt, steadying himself, and pulled upwards on the blade. It shifted easily and came out with a quiet 'shing'. Immediately, a column of blue light engulfed Link and Navi as the former stared up at it with a shocked expression. The column shrunk and then vanished, along with the boy, fairy, and sword.
"What?" Lucius exclaimed. There was another, golden, flash and the Triforce appeared where the sword had been. "The Triforce! Finally, I've found it!" He started towards it, but was halted when a ball of energy narrowly missed him.
"Excellent!" Ganondorf sneered, standing in the doorway. "As I thought, you held the keys to the Door of Time!"
"Curse you!" Lucius spun, voice full of venom. "I won't let you have this sacred relic!"
"You don't have much choice, Lucius," the Gerudo leader crossed his arms and laughed.
"Sacred light, cast from the heavens and destroy!" Lucius fired a blast of light energy from his staff. Ganondorf deflected it back with a swat of his hand. He deflected it back with his staff, but Ganondorf knocked it back with a punch that was charged with dark energy. Lucius was his in the face with light and dark and went flying, smashing into the back wall with a crack that was his armor breaking. He slid down and slumped over.
"I owe it all to you two," Ganondorf laughed as he approached the Triforce.
"Curse you to the deepest pits of…" his vision faded as a golden light engulfed Ganondorf.
"Link…" the voice of an elderly man floated into Link's consciousness. "Wake up…Link, the chosen one…"
"Five more minutes, Navi…" he grumbled, rolling over on…stone. His eyes shot open and he stood. He was in a room where waterfalls poured from nowhere. There was no floor or ceiling, apart from the watery platform that he seemed to be on. There were several colored emblems around the Triforce emblem that he was standing on. He continued to look around in awe until his eyes caught sight of an elderly man in a brown robe. He rubbed a finger under his mustache and spoke again. "I am Rauru, one of the ancient Sages. Ages ago, we ancient Sages built the Temple of Time to protect the entrance to the Sacred Realm. This is the Chamber of the Sages, inside the Temple of Light…" He swept his arms in an all-encompassing gesture. "The Temple of Light, situated in the very center of the Sacred Realm, is the last stronghold against Ganondorf's evil forces,"
"Ganondorf's forces?" Link repeated, only to be shocked at the sound of his own voice. "What the-?" Rauru smirked a little with amusement.
"The Master Sword, the evil-destroying sword that you pulled out of the Pedestal of Time, was the final key to the Sacred Realm and the Triforce. Link, don't be alarmed. Look at yourself!" He examined his body and found it to be much larger and more mature than he remembered. Somehow, his armor was now larger to accommodate him. Navi, who had woken up in his hat, somehow, and been listening all this time, finally came out.
"Look, Link!" she exclaimed. "You're big now! You've grown up!"
"Yeah…but how?" Link said breathlessly.
"The Master Sword is a sacred blade which evil ones may never touch," Rauru continued. "Only one worthy of the title of 'Hero of Time' can pull it from the Pedestal of Time,"
"What does that have to-" Link was cut off by Rauru raising his hand.
"You were too young to be the Hero of Time," he explained. "Therefore, your spirit was sealed here for seven years. Now that you are old enough, the time has come for you to awaken as the Hero of Time!" He frowned. "But, remember this. Though you opened the Door of Time in the name of peace, Ganondorf, the Gerudo King of Thieves, used it to enter this forbidden Sacred Realm. He obtained the Triforce from the Temple of Light and, with its power, he became the King of Evil…"
"What? Why didn't Lucius stop him?" Link demanded.
"He tried, but to no avail. He was no match for Ganondorf," Rauru shook his head. "His evil power has radiated from the temples of Hyrule, and, in seven short years, it transformed Hyrule into a world of monsters. My power now has only little influence, even in this Sacred Realm; namely, this Chamber of Sages. There is still hope, though. The power of the Sages remains. When the power of all the Sages is awakened, the Sages' Seals will contain all of the evil power in the void of the Realm. I, Rauru, am one of the Sages, and your power to fight together with the Sages makes you the Hero of Time, chosen by the Master Sword! Keep my spirit with you and find the power of the other Sages. Add their might to your own!" He raised his arms and a golden medallion appeared in front of Link. He slowly reached up and took it. Immediately, it vanished and Link felt a dormant power in him be unleashed.
The next thing he and Navi knew, they were back in the Temple of Time, next to the pedestal, and a pillar of blue light was fading.
"Link…" Navi whispered in the dim room. "We're back in the Temple of Time…but have seven years really passed?"
"It seems like it," he looked up at the windows. "There hardly seems to be much light anymore, and I can feel the aura of evil,"
"That is the power that you have received from the Sages and the Master Sword," a rough voice said from behind him. He spun and pulled out his weapon, which happened to be the Master Sword, now, and his shield, which was just a tiny buckler now. The woman didn't even flinch. She wore a jumpsuit that comprised of purple and black, but with the emblem of the Sheikah painted on the torso. Strips of cloth were bound about her arms as bracers and a cowl hid most of her face. On her head were more strips of cloth, allowing only a few golden locks to frame her face. Her crimson eyes fixed upon him as she faced his blade with no concern.
"Who are you?" Navi demanded.
"I've been waiting for you, Hero of Time," the woman replied, ignoring the question. She paused. "When evil rules all, an awakening voice from the Sacred Realm will call those, destined to be Sages, who dwell in the five temples. One in a deep forest, one on a high mountain, one under a vast lake, one within the house of the dead, and one inside a goddess of the sand. Together with the Hero of Time, the awakened ones will bind the evil and return the light of peace to the world. This is the legend of the temples passed down by my people, the Sheikah. I am Sheik, survivor of the Sheikah,"
"Oh, well, nice to meet you," Link lowered his weapon.
"As I see you standing there, holding the mythical Master Sword, you really do look like the legendary Hero of Time," Sheik might have smiled a little. "You must look for the five temples and awaken the five Sages. One Sage is waiting for the time of awakening in the Forest Temple. The Sage is a girl I am sure you know…" Link looked thoughtful at this. "But, because of the evil power in the temple, she cannot hear the awakening call from the Sacred Realm. Another unfortunate fact is that you cannot enter the temple, equipped as you currently are. If you believe me, though, you should head to Kakariko Village. I believe that the mage, Lucius may still be there,"
"Lucius is alive?" Link looked very happy and relieved. Sheik nodded.
"Ganondorf decided to spare his life, seven years ago, and, ever since, he and I have traveled this waning land, trying to curb the tide of evil," the Sheikah confided. "We have not been wholly successful, but some people still thank us to this day," She stepped forward. "As the land is now so dangerous, no one should travel alone. I will accompany you,"
"Yet another joins the motley crew, huh?" Navi sighed. "Well, this one doesn't seem to pose much of a threat, so I won't raise any objections,"
They strode out of the room, passing the altar on their way out of the dimly lit temple.
"There is ever a gloom over this place, now," Sheik commented. "It pains me to see what has become of this town,"
"What happened?" Link frowned, feeling some dread.
"You'll see soon enough," Sheik answered a bit mournfully. As they descended the steps, Link quickly saw that the city was quite barren and there was an eerie red glow on the area.
"Link! Death Mountain! Look!" Navi shouted. He turned and saw the clouds around the summit. They were flaming red, a sure sign that the mountain was not at peace.
"That cloud has been that way for many a moon, now," Sheik noted. "We will rectify it, in due time. Let us go," They continued into the square, seeing devastation everywhere they looked. Link looked around, horrified, at the ruined buildings and aged corpses in the streets. Some were cruelly hewn, others filled with arrows or sporting a spear through the torso.
"Many soldiers died here in the Great Evacuation," Sheik said sadly. "The King wanted everyone that could be saved to be saved, but not everyone made it…" She continued towards the town exit. "The remaining people are in Kakariko and other scattered villages," She turned and looked at Link. "Come on, we don't have time to mourn in the ruins of the past," Link forced his legs to move again, though they felt like lead. In time, they were passing the gatehouse.
"Hey, there's a light coming from here," Link pointed out the ajar door.
"That is where the Poe Salesman lives," Sheik explained. "I believe that he was once a guard, but has since become…" She trailed off as a short man in a cloak hobbled out with a large stick.
"Ah, Link, it's been a while," the man said in a wheezy voice. "I've been so lonely without Steve,"
"Al?" Navi inquired, shocked.
"Heh, heh, heh…good to see you again," he chuckled. "I'm glad I studied Poes, since there are so many nowadays. If you find any, trap them in a bottle or something and bring them here for top rupee,"
"I'll keep that in mind," Link agreed. Al chuckled a little more, coughed, and retreated into the gatehouse. "So Steve still died,"
"Yes, as did many others," Sheik nodded.
They crossed the fallen and broken drawbridge, stepping out onto Hyrule Field. Guays soared around everywhere, now, and living skeletons stalked around, looking for someone to attack with their sharp claws. Massive creatures with spinning blades soared around, destroying the scenery. The field was now a wasteland.
"This is horrible…" Navi commented in horror.
"Famine, death, and destruction are rampant," Sheik explained. "People try to cope by fighting or hiding, but some don't survive at all," Link clenched his fist.
"Ganondorf…" he growled.
"Come on, we need to move before we have every monster in the area on us," the Sheikah pressed, continuing over to the broken bridge to Kakariko. Hopping the gap, they proceeded through a group of Stalchildren, as Navi identified the skeletons, easily making short work of them, and headed into the village.
"Who's there?" a frightened guy in rusted armor asked from atop the gate.
"I'm Link!" the hero waved. "Could you let us in? I'm looking for Lucius,"
"Lucius is at the inn," the former guard answered, put off a bit by Link's overt lack of being careworn. "I guess you can come in. You don't look evil," He turned the winch enough for them to enter. After they did so, he quickly turned it shut again.
"The clock guard has certainly seen better days," Navi commented.
"Seven years of hell and the fall of your kingdom will do that," Sheik said wryly.
"Sorry…" Navi muttered.
As they passed by the tree that was growing near the village entrance, now larger from seven years of growth, they spotted the men in red and blue, respectively, they now had mustaches. The man in blue was laughing wildly at the man in red. As they party passed by, he turned to Link.
"Look at this guy!" he pointed at his cohort. "Ever since he escaped from Hyrule Castle Town, he's become even more timid!" Sheik rolled her eyes at this levity and turned away, crossing her arms impatiently.
"I tell you, I saw him!" the guy in red protested.
"Who?" Link inquired.
"I saw the ghostly figure of Dampé, the grave keeper, sinking into his grave. It looked like he was holding some kind of treasure!"
"Oh…well…" Link glanced at Sheik. "We have somewhere to be. Bye!" He waved and proceeded towards the inn with Sheik. The building had added another floor in the seven years past, as many more people had come and needed accommodations. The place was more of a boarding house, now, but was still called an inn by habit.
"That sounds like a good clue," she noted, glancing over at the hero. "We should check that out,"
"Okay," Link nodded. "But, first, let's check for Lucius,"
"Hello," a hassled-looking woman greeted them as they entered. They approached the counter.
"Have you seen a blonde man in a robe here, lately?" Link asked. "He's called Lucius,"
"Hmm…" she opened her register and looked through the names. "Lucius…he's been staying in Room 8, but he isn't always here. In fact, he went out, this morning, and I haven't seen him since,"
"I wonder where he went?" Navi pondered aloud.
"Well, tell him that Link and Sheik are looking for him, if he comes back," Sheik remarked. "Come on, Link," She turned to him. "Let's check out Dampé's grave,"
"So you heard the ghost rumors too?" the innkeeper woman questioned. "Well, I don't know much about it,"
"Miriam!" an old man appeared as he came down the nearby stairs. "Talon's keeping me up again, and I need to…achoo!" He sneezed into a handkerchief.
"I'll see what I can do," she bustled out from behind the counter and up the stairs.
"Talon is staying here?" Link asked Sheik as the party walked out the door. "I thought that he lived at Lon Lon Ranch?"
"Ganondorf took the ranch from him and gave it to Ingo in exchange for his loyalty," Sheik elucidated. "From what I've heard, he isn't very kind to the animals, but he seems to treat Malon with a little bit more dignity. Maybe he has some morals, or it might be something else…"
"The more I hear, the more I hate him!" Navi stated angrily.
"Not half as much as me…" Sheik muttered under her breath, walking ahead.
"So this is Dampé's grave?" Link crouched down at the newer-looking tombstone that was next to an old house, near the cemetery entrance. "Yep, his name's on it,"
"The question is, how to get inside?" Navi pointed out. Sheik tapped her boot on the ground, causing it to crack a little.
"It looks fragile. Perhaps we can get in by breaking through," she suggested. Link pulled out a bomb, lit it, and put it down. "That's a bit extreme…" The Sheikah said, backing away with Link.
"It's the best way, though," he grinned. The bomb went off with an explosion, leaving a hole in front of the, now charred, tombstone.
"After you," Sheik made an arm sweep at the hole. Link shrugged and went forward, hopping in.
"Ow!" he grumbled, standing up from falling on his butt, rubbing the area in question. Sheik gracefully fell after him, landing lightly on her feet without injury. "No fair…" the hero whined. They looked quickly over as they heard a dry, rasping laugh.
"Young man, young lady, are you fast on your feet?" the pale, brown-clad man asked. He was floating in midair with a white ring over his head and a lantern in his hand.
"Are you Dampé?" Link asked him.
"Yes," he nodded. "I may not look like it, but I'm confident in my speed! Let's have a race! Follow me, if you dare!"
"Wait a minute!" Link called, but the ghost was already floating away at high speeds. The hero accepted his predicament and took off after him, Sheik in pursuit. They followed him through twists and turns, finally culminating in having to run up a circular ramp that went around a bottomless shaft. At the top, they narrowly slipped through a stone door before it fell shut and came to a room with a small altar, topped with two burning braziers. A chest was between the braziers.
"You were very quick to be able to keep up with me!" Dampé cackled.
"Yeah, quick…" Link panted, hands on his upper legs. Sheik didn't seem much bothered by all the running.
"As a reward, I'm going to give you my treasure!" he pointed to the chest. "It's called the Hookshot! Its spring-loaded chain will pull you to any spot where its hook sticks. Doesn't that sound cool?"
"Yeah, actually," Link agreed, standing up straight and looking at him.
"I live here now, so come back again sometime…" he cackled. "One more thing! Be careful on your way back!" He vanished in a burst of blue flame, his laughter echoing eerily away.
"That guy's creepy," Navi observed with a little shudder as Link opened the chest and pulled out a blue device with a triangular handle, holding a trigger, at one end and a pointed hook at the other.
"Well, that is definitely what you need to enter the Forest Temple," Sheik noted. "We just need to leave, now,"
"The main way out is through that doorway," Navi hovered over to the only passable path in the chamber. The party walked through it, barely able to see by the braziers in the previous room and Navi's glow, when they came to a large, blue block.
"Great, how do we get this out of the way?" Link punched it, to little avail.
"Wait, Link, this block has the same engraved symbols as the Door of Time…" the fairy observed, floating next to the aforementioned symbols. "Maybe they move the same way?" Sheik already had her lyre out and was strumming the Song of Time. The block was, promptly, engulfed in a pillar of blue light and vanished. The party climbed up the short ledge beyond and went up a short flight of stairs to find themselves in the windmill, if the large, wind-powered grinder and bags of flour and wheat were any indication.
An ill-tempered man, playing a manual phonograph, was supervising the operation.
"What are you doing here?" he growled as they jumped down from the high ledge and walked over to him. "This place is for grinding wheat!"
"Why are you so mad?" Link asked, taken aback at the rudeness and a bit annoyed, actually.
"Seven years ago, some kid with an ocarina messed the windmill up with some tune and now the well is dried up!" he snarled.
"The townspeople have to catch rainwater or risk getting water from the river in Hyrule Field," Sheik added.
"Yes, and it's all his fault!" the man growled, playing a tune on his phonograph.
"Hey, I think that I can copy that," Link pulled out his ocarina and played the tune. Surprisingly, he didn't mess up, this time. Immediately, they heard thunder outside and the windmill's grinder began to spin too fast, burning the wheat.
"You did it again!" he took a swipe at Link, who jumped away. "I'm gonna mess you up!"
The party burst out of the windmill's entrance as the enraged man came after them with a rusty machete. Sheik turned and tripped him with a chain whip that she seemed to pull from nowhere and they kept running until they were back at the inn.
"Busy as usual, huh?" a voice asked. They turned and saw a familiar face. Lucius looked quite more careworn and mature than before, but also seemed to exude a greater aura and his gaze was keener. His hair was longer, now falling to mid-back, and his scale robe and boots were quite weather-beaten now. "Long time, no see, Link,"
"Lucius!" Link embraced him. "I heard that you got beaten by Ganondorf and thought that you might be hurt, but Rauru said that you were fine, so I-"
"Slow down, Link," the mage said patiently, with a touch of laughter, trying feebly to pry the hero off. "Let's go up to my room and discuss this in a rational manner,"
"So you need to go to the Forest Temple, now?" the mage concluded. "All right, I will accompany you. Ganondorf's reign has to be ended, for the good of everyone. Not to mention, I still have a score to settle…" He stood. "Shall we be on our way?"
"Well, before that, I want to go to Lon Lon Ranch," Link stated, also standing. "I want to see what Ingo's done to the place. Maybe we can help,"
"It's natural to want to help the people, but we need to hurry to the temples," Sheik commented from her leaning spot on the wall. "Of course, the ranch is a valuable supply base, so freeing it could help our quest," She shrugged. "Do what you want, hero,"
"It's settled, then," Navi declared. "Lon Lon Ranch, here we come!"
So everything has gone to heck. The hero is a bright flame of hope in the darkness that is Hyrule and...anyway, R&R.
