Chapter
9: The Next Clue
Link and Zelda woke up pretty early
the next morning, as did the elder and the priest. Triest was gone,
without saying if he would return, so the priest headed back to the
sanctuary. They all thanked him and saw him off. Link and Zelda
looked at each other, then decided to continue on the quest they had
started. Maybe the Hidden Waterfall would be able to help. Now, there
was a reason to find it. They asked the elder if he knew anything
about its location or how to get there.
"Yes. I do
know of the waterfall you speak of, but the journey is a harsh one
that will test you to your limits. Do you think you're ready for
it?"
"Yes"
"Definitely" they
responded.
"Well then, allow me to tell you the legend of
the Hidden Waterfall, as passed down through the ages...
The Golden
Land, where The Triforce lay, holds numerous secrets. One of which is
a waterfall. Not just any waterfall, but a Waterfall of Wishing.
Similar to the one in Hyrule, but much more potent. It has been said
to have the power to create all, to know all, and to enrich all. It
was created from the very essence of the Triforce itself. Power,
Wisdom, and Courage. All three of these are in it's essence. The few
travelers who make it all the way are said to be gifted with special
powers given to them by the faerie who resides there, and always say
she is the most beautiful thing they have ever seen. Many seek, few
find, fewer return.
"As you
can see, it will be perilous, but I can tell you how to get to the
mystic Golden Land if you wish."
Link and Zelda
nodded.
"Now, we have a reason to go," She said. Link
nodded in agreement.
"Very well then," The elder said,
"I will show you how to open the way to the Golden Land. Go to
Death Mountain and reach the inactive portal there. Stand on the
portal, hold the Master Sword into the air, and shout these words
out. Zelda, you must hold onto Link throughout this journey. If you
don't, you may become separated during the warp to the other side.
The portal will open and suck in anything around it, so stay
together. Now then, shout these words, 'By the power of the gods, and
the sacred Blade of Evil's Bane, I open the path to the land of the
Golden Power.' " Link and Zelda thanked the elder, then
departed.
"Link?"
Zelda asked.
"Yes?" he responded.
"Triest.
Where do you think he is now?"
"Well, I think he might
be in either one of three places. The portal where we're headed,
Turtle Rock, or on top of the Tower of Hera. When we first met, those
were the three places he felt the most connected with himself. The
places he felt the most comfortable."
"Why do you think
that?"
"Hard to say. I guess it's just something that
only he knows." Zelda squeezed Link's hand.
"I just
hope he's okay is all. We might not be as good as friends as you
guys, but we still were." Link stopped, and faced Zelda. He
looked into her eyes and said,
"Listen, he's gonna be okay.
If there's anyone who knows Triest, it's me. I helped him through his
hardest time, and this will be nothing different." He gave her a
kiss, then said, "We'll find the waterfall, and somehow get rid
of whatever is plaguing him." she smiled, and gave him a kiss in
return.
"Thanks, Link. I'm glad to hear you say that. It
makes me feel better."
"No problem, Zelda. Hey, while
we're here, let's stop by the Lumberjack Brothers house to see if
they have any tools or supplies for us to use."
"Okay."
The two walked up to a little cottage on the outskirts of the Lost
Woods. It was a pretty open area with numerous tree stumps and
saplings everywhere. They knocked on the door and were greeted by the
two lumberjack twins. They were kind of a nutty sort, but were always
helpful to those in need. They both wore a green tunic-like outfit
which resembled Link's attire.
"Link! How's it going, little
man! Come in and sit down! And who do we have here?" said the
elder brother.
"I'm Zelda. Princess of Hyrule," she
chucked at their antics. They both bowed, and the younger of the two
said,
"To what to we owe this great honor?"
"We
are in need of some supplies. We've got a tough road ahead of us,"
he said seriously. The elder of the two jumped up, and sprang to a
nearby drawer,
"then help you out, we must! Here is some of
the newest arrows we have created, used especially for hunting!"
Link looked at the arrow with awe,
"This...is magificent!
How many can I have?" the elder brother had a sly look on his
face.
"You can have none, but I'll sell them to you
for one rupee an arrow,"
"Ok, but what do you guys use
the rupees for anyway? It can't be as money," Link
queried.
"Nope. Take a look at that arrowhead there!"
"Wow!
It's a rupee shard! Man! Sold! Here's 100 rupees."
"And
here's your 100 arrows! Feel free to take any food you wish! We're
heading back into the woods. Goodbye!" With that, the two headed
into the Lost Woods.
"They're pretty unique, aren't they?"
Zelda chuckled.
"Yeah, but they're good people," Link
replied, "I believe we're ready to go." Zelda nodded, and
they headed south to the cave which lead them to Death Mountain's
summit. Through the cave, however, it was an interesting trip...
"Back
off, I'll take you on, Headstrong, I'll take on anyone, I know that
you are wrong, headstrong, we're headstrong!" Link sang as it
echoed throughout the cave. Zelda started laughing hard,
"Link,
what are you doing?" She asked, laughing.
"I led the
life unchosen, gave a lesson to the broken. I heard the words
unspoken, gave a lesson to the broken," by now, he was dancing
around Zelda.
"Link, what has come over you all of a
sudden?" she asked, still laughing. Link suddnly got serious,
then gave a big smile,
"Just livin' life is all! you know
how it is!" Zelda chuckled, and they headed on up the mountain.
They soon reached the portal, and prepared everything as they were
told. Link held the Master Sword into the air, with Zelda clinging to
him tightly. He shouted into the daylight, "By the power of the
gods, and the sacred Blade of Evil's Bane, I open the path to the
land of the Golden Power!!" The Master Sword glowed golden, and
the portal below them started moving and it turned gold as well. The
air around them started to get sucked into the portal. "Hang on
Zelda!" Link cried. They started to sink into the ground. At
first, his initial rection was to jump and get away, but he
restrained himself and let his body go under.. The sands started
swirling around him as Zelda's grip tightened around Link's waist.
Then, suddenly, everywhere they looked, there was white. They both
had a nauseous feeling, then next thing then knew, they were being
thrown into the air over a wide open field that stretched into the
distance. They landed hard, Zelda on top of Link. They looked into
the distance. "Well, here we are. The Golden Land. Now, to find
the Hidden Waterfall," Link said, looking out into the distance.
