Chapter 11: Bad Omens

1

Mist covered the entire forest. It flowed through the air, guiding Link to his destination. A breath of wind slowly directed the mist out of the forest, accompanied by some of the fallen leaves. Birds chirped about, and chipmunks roamed from bush to bush. A feeling of nostalgia came over Link. It always happened whenever he was in the Sacred Grove. The feeling felt like… belonging. The forest felt like his home.

"This is where the Master Sword is?" Zelda asked in a hush. Feeling if she talked any louder, she would be disturbing the sanctity of the forest.

"Yes." Link said.

They remained silent for the rest of the journey. Link hadn't been to the Sacred Grove since he returned the Master Sword to its pedestal. Back then, his goal was so clear. Return the Master Sword, and become mayor of Ordon. But was it really meant for him? Did the Goddesses want him to pull the sword again?

Did Hyrule need him again?

Once they reached the final area of the Sacred Grove, the duo made their way up to the Master Sword. Zelda paced ahead of Link. She admired the sword. The blade outshined everything in the area, glowing brightly with divinity. There was no trace of blood on the blade, and it wasn't rusted from Link's usage of it. The perfectly aligned blade led many people in Hyrule to believe that the sword was not crafted by any Hylian but by the Goddess Hylia herself.

She walked forward and held out her hand. If she could just touch it…

The Triforce of Wisdom reacted and the blade of sword began glowing with a purple hue. Zelda pulled her hand away. Link stared at his hand, then back at Zelda's. Both the Triforce of Wisdom and Courage began glowing.

"This has never happened before." Link said with bluntness in his tone of voice.

"This is a bad omen." Zelda looked into Link's eyes. "The sword is beckoning to be pulled out. I don't know how this happened so quickly, but I am positive of it now. This Gerudo woman is so evil that the Triforce of Power reincarnated into her."

Link's heart sank. He shook his head as if it would deny the possibility. He can't pull it out. He can't do this again. If the sword did come out of its pedestal, it would confirm what Zelda told him. He didn't want her to be right. Please good Hylia, don't do this again. How can the Triforce of Power reincarnate so quickly? It's been about three months since the Twilight Invasion ended. Was this planned? Or was the Twilight Invasion's timing really bad?

Zelda's eyes glimmered with the same sorrow when he first met her in the castle as a wolf. The same desperation, the same plead for help.

"You don't need to pull it out now." Zelda turned around. "We should head back to the village."

Link and Zelda began to walk away and continued without a second glance back at the pedestal.

2

Link paced back and forth with fear in his heart. His palms were sweating and his stomach was tied in knots. It was already almost midnight and he was still outside of his treehouse. He was getting scared. Not knowing what this Gerudo woman was planning was killing him. The most obvious plan must be to take over the castle, but this woman was playing differently. She attacked Zora's Domain, then she pulled away. She invaded the castle, and then pulled away. If she was in the castle, why didn't she take it over right then and there?

These questions, it seemed to Link, would remain unanswered for some time. What was he going to d—wait. Link stopped. Abruptly, his ear pricked at a sudden invasion of sound. He heard footsteps coming towards his treehouse. He hid to the side of his treehouse, and waited for the mystery person to appear. The footsteps grew louder and louder. Its shadow appeared and in came Ilia.

Link breathed a sigh of relief. For a moment, in his paranoia, he thought it was a Gerudo. He came out of hiding and walked up to her. She was smiling but something seemed different about it. It was more of a forceful smile.

"Ilia, what are you doing up so late? Shouldn't you be asleep?" Link asked.

"I can say the same about you, Link." Ilia said. She chuckled.

"Well," Link began and followed her towards Epona. "did you need anything?"

Epona was sleeping. Ilia bent down and caressed her cheek. "Link, remember the kiss I gave you before your trial began?"

Uh oh. Link stayed silent. His palm started to sweat out of nowhere, and he felt a lump swelling up in his throat.

"W-what about it?" His voice cracked.

Ilia stood up and faced Link. She looked at the ground. "Link, if I said I didn't feel anything as a result of that kiss, I would be lying." She fidgeted with her thumbs. "I know you felt it too, Link. That kiss wasn't just something done in the heat of the moment."

What was she trying to say?

"Link, I've been waiting for you for so long to say something about our relationship. But Link… If you aren't going to ask, then I might as well do it."

Ask what? What was she going to ask?

"Link," she began. "Do you want to give us a try? Give our relationship a try?"

Link hesitated. He didn't hesitate because he didn't like Ilia, no far from it. He always did like Ilia, and she was right about the kiss. He did feel something. But should he really risk it? With the Gerudo women causing havoc, everyone Link knew could be targeted.

"We don't have to rush anything, if that's what you're worried about. We can take it slowly, and just start to… get to know each other again."

He still didn't respond. At least she wasn't asking for anything too grand. She had a point, though. Ever since Link returned to Ordon Village after the Twilight Invasion, it was like he didn't know Ilia anymore. She seemed more like a stranger he knew all his life. Where's the harm in getting to know her again?

Link exhaled. "Okay," he began. "I'll give it a shot."

3

Zelda knocked on Mayor Bo's door. She waited a while, and still didn't hear a response from inside. Was she visiting him too early? It was only sunrise, the typical time she woke up. She knocked again, and heard a roar of banging and crashing noises inside.

"Coming!" Said the voice Zelda recognized to be Mayor Bo's.

Rubbing his eyes which were still weary with sleep, he said, "Who in Good Hylia's name will wake a man so early from his slumberin'?—" He stopped talking as his eyes widened in realization.

Mayor Bo stammered, "Y-y-your Royal Highness! Please forgive me for my rudeness. You see, I was still sleepin', and I thought the kids were pullin' their pranks again. Believe me this isn't the first time they did that—"

"Mayor Bo, please don't worry yourself about it. I was just about to leave the Village to head back to the castle I just needed to give something to you. Can we go inside?" Zelda asked.

"Oh, of course." Mayor Bo stepped aside and Zelda walked in. She saw Ilia, and greeted her. Ilia looked as if she just woke up as well.

Taking a seat at his table, Mayor sliced his loaf of bread, and began to nibble on it. "Is there you anything you needed, Your Highness?"

Zelda remembered the sack she was carrying in her hand, and placed it down on the table, thumping as it landed.

Mayor Bo grabbed the sack and stared at it. He looked back at Zelda, puzzled. "Why did ya give me this bag, Your Highness?"

"Inside the sack, is my parting gift to you and the village. I cannot thank you enough for all patience with my Kingdom. I understand the relationship between the Ordonia Provence and Hyrule was strained during the reign of my father. I wish to thank you on behalf of Hyrule and hope to continue good relations in the future." Zelda said.

Mayor Bo opened up the sack, and he gasped in shock. Looking back up to the Princess and back down again, he stumbled on his words. Ilia gazed over her father's shoulder and gasped, covering her mouth. Mayor Bo turned the bag upside down, and out came a huge pile of orange rupees. Zelda had put in at least five thousand rupees in the bag.

"Y-Your Highness, this is way too much! I cannot accept all this."

Zelda smiled. "Please Mayor Bo, it is the least I can do. I'll be sure to visit you again from time to time." She turned around and left the house.

As she left the house, a knight came up to her and said, "Is everything all set to go, Your Highness

Zelda nodded and headed towards the carriage which was prepared for her. She put one foot in. Too bad she wasn't able to give her farewells to Link. She got into the carriage. It didn't matter much. If he wanted to come to the castle on his own time, he was more than welcomed.

The carriage pulled forward and she was out of sight.

4

Link woke up later than usual. He spent a good portion of the night talking with Ilia and catching up with the stuff he missed during the Twilight Invasion. They talked about the children and how the Invasion made them mature a bit. Especially Colin who was now more courageous than ever. After a few hours, Ilia left to go back to her house to sleep.

He went into the main section of the village, and went towards the ranch. He saw Mayor Bo along the way.

"Hey there, Link!" Bo said.

Link waved back and said, "Hello Mayor Bo, how are you today?" Ilia came out of Mayor Bo's house and walked towards Link.

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Eh, I'm feelin' much calmer now that the Princess finally went back to the castle."

The Princess? Link widened his eyes like if a bolt of lightning had hit him. He was planning on leaving with Zelda! He needed those Gerudo books.

"She left already?" Link began to run back to his treehouse to get Epona.

"Link, wait! Where are you going?" Ilia shouted.

"To the castle! I was supposed to go with Zelda. I need to get some books!" He continued running and didn't look back.

"Books?! Do they even allow ya to take books from the Royal Library?" Mayor Bo bellowed as Link sped away.