I'm so proud of myself. Why, you ask? Because I'm writing the ending to this story (yippee!). I haven't actually gotten to the ending, mind. I'm a little more than three-quarters through. But when I'm writing I tend to jump around and write important scenes before they actually happen in the timeline of the story, as a way of motivating myself to get to them.
So what this means is, now I know that I'm going to finish the story (which will surely make all you readers happy). Plus the ending is going great, it's very dramatic and suspenseful and all that. Lots of cliffhangers (I know how you guys love those, heheh).
Anyway this is a shorter chapter, but the next one's pretty cool, so stay tuned. Enjoy, and please review!
* * *
The Triforce United
* * *
Taking Action
In the general confusion that followed, Link managed to get the whole story out of Malon, as it had been told to her by Carlita.
Apparently it had happened four nights ago. Carlita had woken to find the castle
burning and chaos reigning. Either by some horrible fate or just misfortune, she'd made her way through the castle and into the foyer, where Ganondorf was waiting. He'd tortured her to find Zelda's location. Carlita had told him the simple truth- that she didn't know where Zelda was, and the queen probably wasn't even in Hyrule. Upon hearing this, the furious Ganondorf had left her to die and torn the castle to pieces. She'd dragged herself from the castle to Lon Lon Ranch, where she'd warned Malon before she died. There was nothing Malon could do to save her.
Naziri, who was privy to the discussion, pointed out the obvious- they couldn't tell Zelda what happened.
"It's impossible to keep it from her forever," Malon reminded them. "Sooner or later she'll see the castle, or Carlita's grave, or something. Then she'll know."
"I know," Link said, grimacing. "But maybe we can keep it from her long enough...long enough for me to come up with some sort of plan, anyway."
"Can't you...I don't know...storm the castle and fight him again?" Naziri suggested, partially serious. "Make sure he'd really dead this time?"
Link smiled grimly. "It's not that simple. He may have some sort of new power in his grasp." He spread his hands helplessly and asked the question that was on everyone's mind. "How did he get out of the void?"
* * *
Zelda slept in Malon's room throughout the day and into the night. Malon retired in the fenced area with her beloved horses, and Link took up residence in the stable. He'd offered Naziri that spot, but she preferred to sleep outside, under the stars. She leaned against the front wall of Malon's house and went to sleep, cocooned in a thick blanket.
She didn't hear when the door to the house opened and Zelda slipped quietly out. She didn't hear when the queen padded silently across the grass behind the stable, retracing the steps that Malon and Link had took earlier that day.
* * *
Link was surprised when Nabooru, the Sage of Spirit, appeared in his dream.
"Hello," Nabooru greeted him, looking as beautiful and aloof as always.
"Um...hi." Link's eyes narrowed. "Are you really Nabooru?"
The Gerudo laughed. "I'm the real thing," she assured him. "There's no goddesses hiding under this." She indicated herself. "Although I do come with a message."
"Great," Link muttered wearily. "What is it this time?"
Nabooru smiled slightly. "I'll get to that. But in the meantime, you should be happy to know that I stole this from Ganondorf." She held up a hand. Throbbing in it was a glowing, red triangle.
"You got the Triforce of Power!" Link exclaimed, astounded.
Nabooru nodded. "I'm shocked that I had a chance to put my thieving experience to use," she added, preening herself. "I thought that once I became a sage, those days were over. But it was a simple task to relieve my brother of this little relic."
Link closed his eyes in relief. "Thank the goddesses."
There was silence. Then, "It won't stop him."
Link's eyes snapped open. "Wait a second, what are you saying?" he demanded in alarm.
"I'm saying that there is another power," Nabooru replied simply. "We have the Triforce, but there is still power."
There was something about Nabooru's choice of words that bothered Link. It was as if she was suggesting there was another party involved. But Nabooru spoke again before he could ask.
"I have to go now," Nabooru said. "The message..."
"What is it?" Link asked, feeling that this was probably more important.
She smiled slightly. "When you wake, send Naziri to me. The goddesses and I must speak with her. Don't ask why," she added quickly. "Just send her to my temple. Got that? Send her to the Spirit Temple, when you wake."
Link nodded. "I will."
Nabooru's voice faded as her form grew dim. "Goodbye for now, Link," she said, just as Saria had. "Luck to you."
She went away, and Link fell into a deeper, dreamless sleep.
* * *
Either by fate or pure dumb luck, Naziri woke just as Zelda was slipping out of Lon Lon Ranch.
The Gerudo watched her through lidded eyes as she silently made her way out of the ranch. Once she was gone, Naziri rose quietly to her feet and followed her out into
Hyrule field.
The moon was high in the dark sky, casting a pale glow over the shimmering blades of grass. Naziri paused behind a tree near the entrance to Lon Lon Ranch and watched as Zelda stared wordlessly at her ruined castle.
The queen fell to her knees, clenching her fists tightly. Then, just as suddenly, she rose and began to make her way toward the castle. At that moment Naziri might have called to her, gone after her, tried to intercept her. But something else beat her to it.
From the sky fell a shimmering sphere of silver light, which stopped directly in front of Zelda. Zelda jumped back in surprise as the silver light took shape, forming a tall, hard-looking, silver-haired woman who was dressed in garments not unlike Zelda's Sheikah disguise.
"Impa!" Zelda exclaimed, apparently astonished.
Naziri was astonished as well. She remembered Link mentioning something about Zelda's former handmaiden. These days, Impa resided in the Sacred Realm as the Sage of Shadow.
Impa wasted no time on pleasantries. Fortunately, the wind was blowing toward Naziri, carrying with it the conversation between the two women. "This is folly, Zelda," she hissed, red eyes flashing. "You know who is waiting for you at the castle." It wasn't a question.
"Ganondorf," Zelda whispered bitterly, clenching her fists.
"Yes, Ganondorf," Impa said heatedly. "If he finds you, he'll kill you."
"Not if I kill him first."
"What makes you think you can do that? He has great power, Zelda. You must understand how foolish this is."
"I don't care!" Zelda's eyes were blazing. "I saw the grave behind the stable, Impa. That's Carlita's grave. That's my friend buried in the dirt. Maybe if the goddesses had taken some action sooner instead of allowing him to escape, Carlita would still be here. Go back to the goddesses and tell them that if I die, it'll be their fault!"
Impa's eyes narrowed, but it was Zelda who spoke again, dangerously. "Don't try to stop me, Impa. You know that you can't."
The tense silence between the women stretched for ages. Naziri stared wide-eyed back and forth at them, wondering if all hell was about to break loose.
Then Impa stepped down. "I won't try to stop you, Zelda," she said simply.
Zelda nodded, stepped past her, and sprinted toward the castle without another word. Impa watched her go.
Then something strange happened. Impa turned. She looked at Naziri. She looked directly at Naziri, without a change in her expression, as if she'd known the Gerudo was there all along.
Naziri stared back at her. Then she turned and darted to the ranch.
* * *
At Lon Lon Ranch, Naziri flung open the door of the stable and found Link lying asleep on the floor with a hand clutching the handle of his sword. The tense position in which he slept told Naziri that no matter how subtle she was, she'd find herself at the blade end of that weapon if she tried to wake him.
Fortunately, now was not the time for subtlety. Naziri moved to him and kicked him sharply in his side.
Link yelped and bolted upright, swinging the sword blindly and missing Naziri by a mile. He focused on her with a deadly scowl and opened his mouth as if ready to bellow
his lungs out at her.
But Naziri beat him. "Zelda's gone to the castle to find Ganondorf."
Link's eyes widened, and he cursed so loudly that the cows began lowing in alarm.
* * *
To be continued...