The Legend of a Thief: Ocarina of Time

Chapter 10

Princess Zelda turned around. The moment, at least for me, was drenched with tension. I didn't know how she would react to seeing me. I didn't know if she would scream or be quiet and reason with me. I was prepared if she tried to alert anyone though. My body was tensed and ready to silence her by force if necessary. Of course, I kind of hoped that wouldn't be necessary.

Zelda made no such move though.

All she did was turn around and give me a confused look, saying, "Who are you? How did you get past the guards?" I felt a huge lump in my throat and it wasn't getting any smaller. I wasn't sure what to say. Was I supposed to tell her that I broke in to see her because a giant tree, who was like my father, told me to? That would just sound weird.

Thankfully, she spoke before I could.

"Wait, is that a fairy?!" She looked me over cautiously, but efficiently, probably not missing a single detail of my appearance. To be honest, all the probing made me feel uncomfortable. "Then...you wouldn't happen to be from the forest, would you?"

The lump in my throat was subsiding, so I felt prepared to answer this question, but it looked like she took my short moment of silence as a yes.

Continuing, she said, "Then, would you happen to have the Spiritual Stone of the Forest? You know, the green and shining stone!" She looked like she was getting really excited, so I didn't want to disappoint her. Instead of attempting to answer her in words, I reached into my pouch and pulled the stone out.

As soon as she saw it her blue eyes widened, her hands clasped together, and she squealed with delight. I was a bit taken aback by this response. There was no way she could have even known anything about me like this, right? What kind of girl was this?

"Just as I thought!" When she saw my confused face, she threw me a sweet smile. "Let me explain myself. You see, I had a dream. In the dream, dark storm clouds were billowing over the land of Hyrule. But suddenly, a ray of light shot out of the forest, parted the clouds, and lit up the ground. The light turned into a figure holding a green and shining stone, followed by a fairy." She paused, intentionally building suspense for what she was about to say next. "I know this was a prophecy that someone would come from the forest. As soon as I saw you, I had my suspicions. Now, it seems they have been confirmed."

This girl was as amazing as everyone said she was. What kind of ability was that? Could she possibly predict the future? Maybe her family line possessed gifts that the normal population didn't. Perhaps that was the reason they were the royal family.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" I was lost in my own thoughts and this brought me back. I was a bit confused as to why she was sorry, but I waited for her to explain it and, sure enough, she did. "I got so carried away with my story that I didn't even properly introduce myself!" She positioned herself to stand completely straight and flipped her blonde hair out of her face, preparing herself for her next statement. "I am Zelda, princess of Hyrule. What is your name?"

I gave a cocky smile as I realized she finally would let me verbally answer one of her questions. It was nice knowing she didn't know everything.

"I'm Link, of the Kokiri." I added the title to make myself sound a bit more important. After all, she got one. She cocked her head to the side and for a moment she looked completely lost in thought.

"Strange, your name sounds familiar somehow, Link." Her name brought no feelings of déjà vu to me, so I had no idea what she was talking about. Of course, it was probably rude to just say whatever I was thinking out loud, so I kept my mouth shut.

"Okay then, Link," she said, continuing. "We don't have much time, so I'm going to explain to you the reason you're here. What I'm about to tell you cannot leave this room. All of Hyrule could be in danger if this information falls into the wrong hands. Promise me you'll keep it a secret!"

I was surprised she was trusting me so easily. If I was in her position, there was no way I'd ever trust anyone so soon. That was naive. Then again, maybe she trusted in her own ability to dream the future enough that she knew for a fact that I could be trusted. I sighed mentally. This was all pretty stressful. To move things along, I nodded my head, only partially meaning it. I would keep everything a secret only if it benefited me. If something better came along, I wasn't going to hesitate to take it.

Zelda smiled and returned the nod.

When I saw that smile the only word that popped up in my head was: naive.

Zelda took in a deep breath, and continued, "Well, here it goes. I'm going to tell you the secret of the sacred realm that has been passed down by the royal family of Hyrule."

Sacred Realm, huh? I smiled, remembering everything that the Deku Tree had told me. This could get interesting.

"The legend goes like this. The three goddesses, that I'm sure you've heard of, hid the sacred triangles containing the power of the goddesses, which is called the Triforce, somewhere in Hyrule. That power has the ability to grant the wish of the one who holds it in his hands. If someone with a righteous heart makes a wish, then it will lead the land into a golden age of prosperity. If someone with an evil mind has his wish granted, the world will be consumed with evil. That's what's been told. So, the ancient Sages built the temple of time to protect the Triforce from evil ones.

"That's right. The Temple of Time is the entrance through which you can enter the Sacred Realm from our world. But the entrance is sealed with a stone wall called the door of time. And, in order to get in, you need to collect three spiritual stones." She indicated the stone that I held in my hands. "It appears you have already collected one. There's, of course, one other thing you would need to open the door of time. This object is something the Royal Family keeps along with this legend: The Ocarina of Time! Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you?"

All she was telling me filled my head with strange ideas. How could such a power be kept in Hyrule with no one noticing? More importantly, how could they not just take this power for themselves? You would think that they'd want it. All this confused me and was beginning to make me rethink what I thought about people. No one could be that righteous, could they? Even more important than that, what could Zelda possibly be planning with that information?

"Yes, I understand everything you've said."

"That's great!" Suddenly, her eyes widened in surprise and she looked back towards the window that was behind her. "I forgot to tell you something! I was spying through this window just now. The other element in my dream, the dark clouds, I believe they symbolize that man in there!" She motioned me towards it. "Hurry and look before he goes away!"

I was interested to see who Zelda was so afraid of, so I immediately made my way over to the window to check. What I saw was a green man, exactly like the man from my dreams. I was dumbfounded. Could I have the same ability as Zelda? Just how were we all connected?

Ganondorf, if I remembered his name correctly, was in a bowed position, probably facing the king. I couldn't see who he was facing, so that was my best guess. I could hear some of their conversation due to my sharp ears and I was eager to listen in.

"The negotiations with all neighboring countries are going well, my lord." That was Ganondorf.

"You've done well."

Keeping his eyes down, Ganondorf said, " I believe we have them right where we want them."

"Good. This is a cause for celebration! Tonight, we'll eat and drink together in your honor."

Ganondorf gave him a humble look.

"But sir, I'm merely your servant. A servant doesn't need to be exalted. Fulfilling your desire is exaltation enough for me."

The king laughed.

"Nonsense. Come, we'll begin the preparations." I heard the footsteps of the king distance themselves away from the area, but Ganondorf just stood up. His eyes narrowed downward and his brows furrowed in concentration. Then he turned his head and looked directly at me, his eyes meeting my own.

I almost turned away, but instead I kept up the contact. There was something familiar about them. In a weird way, they reminded me of my own eyes. I could see their thirst – their thirst for power, which was identical to mine. I was filled with wonder and disorientation. I got the distinct feeling that we were the same, in desire and mind. I wanted to explore that a bit more, but Zelda pulled me away from the window. Just before I was out of hearing range I heard the king shout.

"Are you coming Ganondorf?"

"Yes, I'm coming." The footsteps trailed off and were soon gone.

"Did he see you?" I was still a little disoriented from what had just happened, but I managed to pull off a nod. "That man is Ganondorf, leader of the Gerudos. They hail from the desert far to the west. Though he swears allegiance to my father, I am sure that he isn't sincere. The dark clouds that covered Hyrule in my dream must symbolize that man!"

I'm guessing she could sense my uneasiness, because she continued with, "Don't worry. He has no idea what we're planning. At least, not yet!"

I gave her a questioning look. Not even I know what you're planning.

"Well, not to sound stupid, but what exactly are we planning?"

She just laughed.

"You don't sound stupid at all! In fact, I should go over the full details of our plan anyway. To start it off, I'm very sure that Ganondorf's main objective is to get the Triforce. That must be why he's trying so hard to get close to my father! In order to keep that from happening we must get to it first! I'll watch over the Ocarina of Time and your job will be to gather the other two Spiritual Stones. One is with the Gorons and the other is with the Zora. Once they are together, we will unlock the door of time and enter the Sacred Realm, thus claiming the Triforce. All of this will be done before Ganondorf has any idea what's going on! Do you understand what we're doing?"

I smirked.

"Sounds like a good plan to me."

She returned the cocky grin.

"Once we have the Triforce, Ganondorf won't stand a chance! We'll defeat him and bring peace to the land. Sound good?"

"Definitely."

Her eyes lit up once again. "Oh, you should take this. I wrote it up beforehand, just in case you ever did show up." She handed me a piece of paper with her autograph. I didn't bother to read through it, but I was sure to look over it later. "I'm sure it will be helpful on your journey."

"Thanks."

She nodded eagerly and motioned for me to leave. "Quickly go! There's no time to waste!" I gave her one last nod before turning around and walking off. I had many ideas rushing through my head and a plan was formulating of my own.

"Wait, Link!" My thoughts interrupted, I turned back to Zelda. "There's one more thing I want to tell you! I'm sure you've heard of the murders going on around town, correct?"

I shook my head in confirmation. I haven't given much thought to the murders ever since I saw that poor girl. I wonder. . .

"Well, I wanted to know if you'd be wiling to look into those. The Hyrule Castle Guards will never catch the killer I'm sure. He's too...elusive. To help you out, I've got a suspect. I think the murderer is Ganondorf. It would make sense in my opinion. Anyway, if you can look into it, then great, but if you can't, I totally understand. This side mission shall in no way take priority over our other goals. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, I understand perfectly."

"Good luck!" I turned around and continued to leave. I was interested in looking into these murders as well. Whoever killed them, Ganondorf or not, had a ton of power. I was curious to see that kind of power in action, if only to test my own against it.

As I was making my way out, I was stopped by a powerful looking woman in tight clothing. She had silver hair and red eyes. The way she stood told me one thing: this woman was in control and if you defied that control you were going to die. I approached her cautiously, ready to defend myself if necessary. As soon as I got close enough, she spoke.

"I'm Impa of the Sheikahs. I am responsible for protecting Zelda. Everything the Princess has foretold has come to be. My role in the Princesses dream was to teach you a melody that would help you on your journey. What I'm about to teach you is an ancient melody passed down by the Royal Family. I have played this song for Zelda ever since she was a baby as a lullaby. There is mysterious power in these notes. Now, listen carefully, and match it with your Ocarina."

I gave her a weird look. How'd she know I had an Ocarina? I shrugged it off though. These people were strange, but it was better not to question them. I pulled the ocarina out, positioned myself to play, and listened for the notes.

Impa lifted her fingers up to her mouth and began to whistle into her fingers. The sound came out and I heard the notes. I listened to her play it once and then tried to match it. The first time I tried, I got a fourth of the way before I made a mistake. I kept going though. The quicker I could master this, the quicker I could get on with my plans.

It took me a total of ten tries, but I eventually made it to the end. Once I did that, I played it again, just to make sure it wasn't a fluke. It came out perfectly, which made me smile. Excellent! That was simple enough.

"That song is called, Zelda's lullaby," Impa declared. She looked backwards and towards the empty halls. "If the castle guards see you there will be trouble." Then, she shrugged. "But, since you made it this far, I suppose there is no harm in letting you get back on your own. Besides, something tells me you'd enjoy it." I sensed that Impa spoke that last sentence with a malicious undertone. That seemed to tell me that she disliked me, but I was okay with that. She wasn't my favorite person either.

That being said, she reached into her own pouch and pulled out a deku nut. She threw it to the ground and I instinctively threw my hands up to guard my face. As soon as the flash was over, I looked and took note that Impa had disappeared. Strange, was my only thought. I wish I could do that...

Seeing no reason to stay put, I made my down the halls and towards the exit. My train of thoughts once again made their way to my future plans. Something told me that I shouldn't be thinking this way, but that voice was insignificant.

"Wow, that's amazing, Link! We get to see the Sacred Realm! How cool is that?!"

I looked up at my fairy, who had amazingly been quiet the entire time. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Oh cheer up! Who else will be able to say, 'I've seen the Sacred Realm'? No one!" I hadn't really been paying attention to her, my thoughts were too disorganized. Suddenly, my mind came to its decision. I was going to do it.

"Oh, Navi. I need to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"I need you to go ahead and tell Malon that I'll be late for our meeting later today. She'll be mad if I don't tell her anything."

"Well, what are you going to be doing?"

"I have one more thing I need to ask Zelda. Don't worry, I can get back just fine. Just go." My fairy gave me a suspicious stare, but bobbed her body, indicating that she was in agreement.

"Thanks."

"Just hurry."

I turned around and left back toward Zelda's garden. As soon as my fairy was out of seeing distance though, I changed direction.

I needed to have a little chat with Ganondorf.