Title: Rekindling Their Bonds - Chapter 10
Author: Viper Inferno
Genre: Action/Adventure Romance
Rated: PG
Author's Notes: This is my first Legend of Zelda fanfic, though I've been a fan of the series since the very beginning. This fanfic is a Link/Saria shipping, and takes place in the Ocarina of Time universe. After a nice vacation from work and everything, I bring you Chapter 10. I, and I'm sure many of the readers, wonder where this story will go now that Link and Saria are together. Well, here's one possibility.
Rekindling Their Bonds
By Viper Inferno
Chapter 10: A Field of Battle
After spending much of the morning and early part of the afternoon at the Lon Lon Ranch, Link rode Epona all the way back to Kokiri Forest. The ride was back was mostly uneventful, but still enjoyable as it always was when Link and Epona were together. Epona gave Link ultra-fast transportation all around Hyrule and even beyond, while Link was Epona's ticket out of the Lon Lon Ranch and to the great big outside world.
Once they arrived at the passage to the forest path that lead to Kokiri Forest, Link dismounted and gently stroked Epona's muzzle. "Thank you for today, Epona," said Link. "I always enjoy the time we spend together."
Epona nickered in response as Link stroked her muzzle. Link reached into his item bag and grabbed a couple of Epona's favorite carrots. He brought them up to her, who carefully took them from his hand and devoured them in seconds. "Now you go on back to Malon and Talon, okay?" suggested Link.
Epona whinnied in response and turned around. Then, she took off galloping toward the northwest. Once Epona disappeared over the horizon, Link turned around and entered the passage. Having traveled this path many times, Link knew this part of the forest like the back of his hand. Between Hyrule Field and the bridge to Kokiri Forest stood a few rolling hills and a multitude of trees thick enough to deter any possible intruders, and even a number of visitors, from entering Kokiri Forest. But after a few minute's walk down the rolling and winding path, Link spied the rope bridge to Kokiri Forest through the trees.
However, as he neared the bridge, he saw wisps of smoke coming from the village. Curious, Link quickened his pace and jogged down the hill and toward the hollow log passage to the bridge, with the village passage disappearing from view. In probably no more than ten seconds, Link arrived at the bridge and discovered one of the twins standing in the middle of the bridge, coughing and wheezing. And right behind her stood a horrifying sight as the once wisps of smoke now billowed from the village.
'What the...?" Link thought as he stepped onto the bridge.
The twin stood back up from her coughing fit to find that Link had come home. Immediately, she ran up to him and threw her arms around him. "Oh Link, thank the goddesses you're here. It's horrible," she cried, squeezing Link for comfort. "The village... it's on fire!"
"Oh no...," Link gasped as he let go of the twin and took off running through the passage. Once in the village, Link fell to his knees, his eyes and mouth wide open at the sight before him. Some of the trees, much of the grass and brush, and every one of the houses were completely engulfed in flames. The thick smoke made seeing anything but the flames nearly impossible.
Suddenly, two of the Know-It-All Brothers came bursting out from the smoke. One brother seemed to be supporting most of the weight of the other in an attempt to get him out of the fire. "Link, thank the goddesses you're here," the one brother helping the other said. "We can't put this fire out, it's just too big. We need to get everyone out of here and into the Lost Woods, and quickly. Mido's helping too."
Immediately, Saria came to mind. And when she did, his heart began pounding in his chest as thoughts of the possibility of his beloved best friend being consumed by the fire flashed through his mind. "Saria... is she safe?" Link almost hysterically asked.
"She's fine. She's helping the others in the Lost Woods," the brother replied. "But Kalo, Fado, Lare, Mimi, and Bundo are still missing. We need to find them and get them out of here."
'Oh no...,' Link lamented inwardly at the thought of losing them all. "Okay," he quickly replied as he turned swiftly around and dashed into the smoke. He took off his hat and covered his nose and mouth to shield them from the searing smoke. 'Kalo... Fado... everyone... please hang in there,' Link prayed as he ran deeper through the smoke and toward one burning houses.
As Link reached that house, Mido suddenly burst out, coughing and covered in soot. And he wasn't alone as he had Mimi clinging to his left arm, her strawberry blond hair and freckled face unrecognizable as she too was covered in soot. "Link, you're here," Mido said as he coughed again. "I got Mimi, and Bundo's with the Great Deku Sprout. Go find the others."
Without a word or even a nod, Link took off running through the smoke and flames to another burning house. As he began coughing from the hot smoke seeping into his lungs, he gathered his strength and leaped through the burning doorway. Once inside, he discovered Fado sitting against in corner, covered in soot, and cradling an unconscious Kalo in her arms.
"Link, help us!" Fado screamed. Her tears were made evident by the streaks of pale skin trailing from her eyes down her soot-covered cheeks.
"Don't worry, I'll get you out," Link replied as he ran up to them. He picked up Kalo and hefted him over his shoulder like a sack full of fruit. Then, he took a firm hold of Fado's hand. "Hang on, okay Fado?" he commanded.
Fado nodded in response. Then, Link turned to the door and took off. But just as they took the first few steps, the entire house suddenly exploded all around them. The force of the blast knocked slammed them all against what was left of the wall and knocked them completely out. That was the last thing that Link and Fado saw and heard before the whole world went black around them.
Link quickly shot up from his bed and opened his eyes. As he sat up, he felt his heart pounding in his chest and himself breathing heavily. He felt like he had really experienced that awful ordeal, felt the heat from the fire, and feared the loss of his Kokiri friends.
'Another nightmare?' Link thought to himself as he slowly tried to calm himself. 'This is the second one I've had in less than a week. Why only now am I starting to have bad dreams again.
It had been five days since the last time he had a bad dream, which was also the very same day that he'd spent a wonderful moonlit evening with Saria and shared with her their first kiss. Their growing relationship had given them both nothing but pleasant dreams. So a nightmare visiting Link now certainly perplexed him.
Suddenly, a knock at his door frame broke him from his thoughts. He quickly shook them from his head and tossed his sheets off of him. "Yes? Who is it?" he asked.
"Just a traveling postman, Mr. Link," a young mad replied. "I got a letter for you."
'Another letter, huh? I've been getting more of these lately,' Link thought to himself as he stood up from his bed.
"Good Morning, Link," Navi greeted as she floated up from her miniature bed. "Sounds like you're becoming pretty popular with all the letters you've been getting recently."
"It seems like it," said Link as he reached his door. He pulled the door curtain aside to find the same postman who had delivered his letter from the jeweler's three days ago.
"Ah, Mr. Link. This letter was given to me yesterday, and I was told to give it to you this morning," said the postman as he handed Link the letter. "Well, I'm off to deliver more mail. See 'ya." The postman quickly turned around, leaped down from Link's balcony, and then took off running.
'So athletic,' Link inwardly commented. Then, he took a look at the envelope and immediately recognized the emblem on the wax seal.
"Who's it from, Link?" Navi asked as she flew over to him and glanced at the envelope with him. The emblem was none other than that of the Zoras.
"It must be from Ruto," Lin replied as he broke the seal and removed the letter from the envelope. Then, they both began reading.
"Dear Link,
Where have you been? I haven't seen you since a few days after your birthday party and have been wondering about you. You really should visit me and the rest of us Zoras more often since you're always welcome. It was actually thinking of a way for us all to get together for a neat activity, and then I heard about your youth records from the fisherman at Lake Hylia. So I thought that you, I and a few of the other Zoras could get together and do a little fishing at Lake Hylia. I swear it'll be fun. We Zoras are natural-born fishers, you know. Plus, you can even bring lots of those tasty fish back to your forest home to share with all your Kokiri friends.
So how 'bout it? Meet us at Lake Hylia near the Lakeside Laboratory when you get this letter. We should already be there and waiting for you when you get here on your horse. I'll be waiting.
Your best Zora friend ever,
Ruto, Princess of the Zoras"
"Wow, it looks like she's already arranged everything for you, huh?" said Navi. "It's almost as if she's ordering you to go visit her."
"Yeah, it sure seems like it," said Link as he folded the letter and smiled. "But, that's so like Ruto."
"So are you going to go to Lake Hylia to visit her?" Navi asked.
"Of course I'll see her," Link replied. "Ruto's just as much my friend as Zelda, Malon, Darunia, and the rest."
"Somehow, I knew you would say that," said Navi, chuckling as she floated back to Link's door. "Well, you'd better get dressed and ready to go if she's already waiting for you. I'll go see the Great Deku Sprout and tell him where we're going."
"Okay," Link acknowledged as Navi slipped out the door.
Without second thought, Link opened his wardrobe and removed one of his numerous green tunics, a white long-sleeve undershirt, a pair of white tights, and his favorite green pointed hat. After getting out of his green and white striped pajamas and changing into his usual modified Kokiri outfit, Link slid into his boots and grabbed his item bag. And after strapping on his bracers, sword, and shield, he walked out his front door and slid down his ladder.
He quickly checked himself over, making sure he didn't forget anything during his rather hasty preparations. Once he passed his self-inspection, he began to make his way out of the village. Just as he was about to walk past Saria's house, Saria emerged from her slumber and stretched her arms outward. "Good Morning, Saria," Link greeted.
"Good Morning, Link," Saria replied before she noticed everything he was carrying. "Well, well, where are you going, all geared up?"
"Oh, just out to see Princess Ruto at Lake Hylia and also do some fishing," Link replied.
"Oh I see, going out with another girl, huh?" Saria sneered, glaring at Link and then turning her face away from him.
"What do you mean but that?" Link argued.
"No, uh-uh, go on. Go and get all lovey-dovey with Ruto," said Saria as she crossed her armed and haughtily turned her nose up.
"Hey now, there's no reason to get all jealous," said Link as he stepped toward Saria. "You know I don't think about Ruto that way. She's my friend, and it's just too weird to think of her as anything more. Besides, you are my best friend in the whole world. You are the one I think about all the time. You are the one who I yearn to be with."
Link stepped closer to Saria, who finally peeked at him and smiled. "And you are the one who's always there for me and makes me smile," he finished.
Saria turned back to Link, gazing into his blue eyes. "Oh, okay. I'll let it slide," she said as she wrapped her arms around Link's chest and hugged him tightly. "I trust you, Link. We are best friends, after all," she continued. "Just promise me that when you're with her, that you'll always think about me."
"There's no need to promise, because I always think about you," said Link, returning Saria's embrace. "I chose to stay here so I can always be close to my best friend, remember?"
"Of course. How can I ever forget?" Saria replied as she loosened her embrace and gazed back into his eyes. "You go on and have fun. Come home soon, 'kay?"
"Yes. I always do, don't I?" Link replied as he let Saria go. Then, he turned and made his way toward the passageway out of Kokiri Forest, with Navi flying to catch up with him after her visit with the Great Deku Sprout. "See ya, Saria," said Link, waving at her as he walked.
"Bye Link," said Saria as she waved back at him. 'That's right, he's made all kinds of friends during his travels,' she thought to herself as she watched Link disappear through the passage. Then, she thought to herself, 'Yet, he always comes back to Kokiri Forest... back to me. He's right, there's no need to be jealous. How silly of me to think that way."'
"He really does think about you a lot, especially when he's away. Navi told me so," said Spryte. "Come, let's go have breakfast."
"Okay," Saria replied as she turned and walked toward the twins' house for breakfast. 'But... why do I feel jealous all of a sudden? I don't remember ever being jealous of anyone else before,' she pondered. 'Is it because of my feelings for him? Or perhaps... is it because I love him and it's just a part of loving someone?'
Later... Hyrule Field...
After waiting about 20 minutes after playing "Epona's Song" for Epona to arrive, Link walked away from the passage to the forest and toward Hyrule Field. Once out in the open, he spotted Epona galloping toward him at full speed.
"You have to be patient, dear," said Navi. "Lon Lon Ranch is pretty far away, and Epona isn't always standing or grazing outside the ranch."
"Yeah, I know," Link replied as Epona arrived. Then, he turned to the filly. "It's so good to see you again, my friend."
Epona whinnied happily in response. Then, Link placed his foot in the left stirrup and mounted up. Once he was comfortably seated, he stroked Epona's neck. "Okay girl, we're going to go see Ruto and the Zoras," he told her.
Right as Link told her where they were going, the filly turned toward the north, the way to the river. Then, she began walking.
Link quickly and gently tugged on the reins, bringing Epona to a complete halt. "No, no, Epona. Ruto's at Lake Hylia today," he told her.
So without any further input from Link, Epona turned herself toward the southwest. Once she turned, Link gave a sharp kick to her side and sent her galloping toward Lake Hylia. Link had to admit, Epona wasn't just a fast and hearty horse, but also a rather smart one. She understood many things that Link both said and felt. She also remembered where just about every place in Hyrule was, and beyond. And if that wasn't enough, she even seemed to understand Link's feelings toward Saria.
So off they galloped toward Lake Hylia at nearly full speed. This was to be Link's second visit with Ruto since his return to Hyrule. It was no wonder that she was so anxious to see him. Then again, he had seen both Zelda and Darunia only once. Malon and Talon were his only friends whom he had visited many times. Not only did he visit them when he came to ride Epona, but also to order fresh Lon Lon Milk for everyone at Kokiri Forest. So it was easy for Link to visit them often.
Much of the ride was rather uneventful. Navi stayed on Link's right shoulder throughout the ride. She also stayed pretty silent and merely enjoyed the ride. Link, however, couldn't help but to think about Saria. Of course, he'd thought about her a lot even before he came back to Hyrule. But since his return, he only thought about her even more, especially after they shared their first kiss. So Link also remained quite silent throughout the ride.
Moments later as they galloped closer and closer to Lake Hylia, Link noticed a rather peculiar cloud of dust over the horizon coming from the lake. "What in Hyrule is up with that huge cloud of dust?" Navi wondered.
"I don't know," Link replied. "I just hope we're not in for a dust storm."
"But out here? We're nowhere near the desert, and neither Hyrule Field nor Lake Hylia are barren enough to fuel dust storms," Navi commented. "It's all too strange."
So Link lightly tugged on the reins, prompting Epona to slow to a stop. Then, he reached into his item bag and grabbed a spyglass. It was a very useful tool given to him by a sailor in Holodrum just before he had left for Labrynna. It proved quite useful to him many times on his journeys through both Labrynna and the outer islands. So he peeked through it and carefully examined the dust cloud. "Now why would we have a dust storm? It's not even windy," Link commented as he continued looking. "And it's coming this way too. What could be causing it?"
But moments after he made his comment, as the cloud of dust rapidly drew closer and closer, Link spied a few silhouettes within the dust cloud. 'What is that?' Link wondered as he focused in on one the silhouettes. And just as he zoomed in on it, the form of a large and muscular bipedal creature with a bulldog-like face and a pig's nose emerged from the dust cloud. It rode on the back of a rather large and powerful boar. Link gasped as more of them began emerging from the dust cloud. "Oh no, Moblins... on Bulbos," he said to no one in particular.
"Moblins? Here? Now?" said Navi, wondering where a group of Moblins came from and why they'd show themselves. "But, why are there Moblins roaming around? Didn't we defeat Ganondorf and his minions?"
Just as Navi asked, a sudden feeling of anxiety overtook Link. Just then, an over two-year-old memory flashed in his mind. Link suddenly remembered witnessing a scene much like this before in a dream he had before leaving Hyrule to look for Navi. And as many of the scenes from that old dream flashed rapidly through his mind, he turned to Navi hovering to his right. "Navi, whatever you do, stay close. Got it?" he commanded.
"Okay," Navi replied before she flew down to his shoulder and grabbed onto his tunic.
Link drew his sword and gave Epona a good slap to the hip, sending her galloping at full speed toward the group of Moblins. As he sped toward them, more and more Moblins came into view through the dust cloud. "Jeez, just how many of these guys are there?" he commented.
"I don't know," Navi replied, "There are definitely a lot of them if they're kicking up a cloud of dust that big."
"Great, just great!" Link said. Then, he thought to himself, 'Ruto's gonna be so mad at me for being late. But I just can't let these Moblins go.'
Finally, as Link approached the lead Moblin, he swung his sword at it. The well-timed swing struck the pig-nosed monster across the chest, knocking it from its mount and utterly slaying it. Link sheathed his sword and gave Epona a kick to the side, speeding up to put some distance between them and the Moblins.
When Link turned left and looked toward the group of Moblins, he found every one of them turning to the right and toward him. So he quickly grabbed his quiver from his item bag and strapped it to his left hip. Then, he grabbed his bow, knocked an arrow, drew the string, and aimed at one of the Moblins as they completed their turn toward him.
"Wait! You can still do horseback archery?" Navi asked as Link released the arrow. His shot struck the Moblin's throat dead center, knocking it off the Bulbos boar and thus killing it.
"Of course I still can," Link replied as he quickly knocked another arrow. "I got this bow in Termina, and I started shooting from horseback again in Holodrum. I learned during our first adventure, remember?"
Link aimed at another Moblin and fired, striking it dead in the chest and killing it instantly. Then, he grabbed the reins as the group came too close for Link to fire another shot.
"Yes, I remember now. Nabooru and the Gerudos would be so proud of you," said Navi. "Oh, and I counted the Moblins. There are nineteen of them left."
"Nineteen?" Link exclaimed as he steered Epona and sped by the group of angry Moblins, out of reach of their weapons.
"Oh come on, Link, you've fought much worse on even your first adventure," said Navi. "I know you can handle these guys."
"Yeah, but nineteen? It's gonna take a while to slay them all," said Link as he turned Epona to the right. He then knocked another arrow and turned his body toward the group of Moblins. After picking his target, he drew and released another arrow. It fell short of the Moblin, but hit the Bulbos he was riding right through the side, causing it to fall dead and throw its rider.
As he and the Moblins paralleled, Link knocked another arrow and quickly dispatched another Moblin. And just before they completed their turn toward him, he fired another arrow into the crowd. He struck another Moblin in the chest and knocked it from its mount, taking down three more Moblins behind it.
And suddenly, just as Link reached for the reins to turn Epona toward the Moblins, a spear flew no more than a few inches in front of her face, spooking her. Epona shrieked as she came to an abrupt stop, rearing up and dropping Link from her saddle to the ground.
"Link! Are you alright?" Navi asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Link replied, and then turned to the frantic filly. "Epona, run! Get out of here."
And just as Epona turned to run away, Link leaped to his feet and grabbed his shield just in time to deflect two more spears being thrown at him. As the Moblins sped closer to Link, brandishing their spears and clubs, Link quickly drew his sword. He then ducked low and began slashing, thrusting, and spin-slashing at each of the Bulbos as they sped by him.
This tactic worked quite well. Of the thirteen remaining mounted Moblins, nine of them lost their mounts with most of those nine falling violently to the ground. Link turned around and quickly struck a few of the dazed Moblins with well-timed jump thrusts, dispatching them with ease. He then swiftly slashed at a couple more as they were staggering to their feet, striking them hard and killing them instantly.
Link then sheathed his sword, dropped his shield, and grabbed his bow. He turned toward a few of the distant Moblins that were forcibly dismounted by their slain comrade and quickly knocked an arrow. His aiming proved much easier without having to deal with bouncing up and down on horseback. So he fired at one Moblin, then quickly knocked another arrow and drew the bow before the arrow hit its mark. He then fired at the second Moblin and followed up on the third.
With those Moblins out of the picture, Link dropped his bow, snatched up his shield, and drew his sword just in time to meet three of the mounted Moblins head on. As one of them lowered its club to the ground to send Link on a violent ride, Link leaped in the air and spun around in mid-air. His sword released a powerful wave, striking all three Moblins in the face and utterly destroying them.
"Look! There's one running away," said Navi. Link looked to see the last mounted Moblin making a break for the northwest. "I've got him," said Navi as she quickly bolted off after it.
"Navi, get back here now!" Link yelled, fearing for his guardian fairy's safety. But just as he did, a Moblin's roar behind him grabbed his attention. Link quickly spun around and jumped of the way just as a bug heavy club slammed into the ground where he stood. Link turned to the perpetrator, who quickly and effortlessly lifted the club back up and swung it at Link. Link rolled under it and slashed at the Moblin's legs, dropping it to the ground with a loud crash. Link then leaped into the air and drove his sword into the injured Moblin's back, utterly finishing it off.
Link quickly grabbed his bow, placed his fingers to his lips, and whistled loudly for Epona. Then, he quickly dispatched the remaining Moblins with his well-honed archery skills. Just as he finished off the last Moblin, Epona came galloping toward him. "Epona, quick! We must go after Navi. She's chasing one of the Moblins," he yelled as she ran up to him.
Link grasped the saddle horn with his left hand and leaped onto Epona's back. He then gave her a slap to the rear with his bow and sent her galloping at full speed. Remembering where he last saw the fleeing Moblin, he grasped the reins in his right hand and steered Epona in that direction. 'Hang on, Navi. I'm coming,' Link thought to himself as he raced after her and the fleeing Moblin.
After a few minutes of galloping, Link spotted the silhouette of a mounted Moblin behind a cloud of dust. And to his relief, he also spotted the glowing dot of Navi still chasing after it. "Alright Epona, get me close enough to that Moblin so I can shoot it," he said to the filly.
Epona whinnied in response as she picked up the pace after the fleeing Moblin. Link grabbed an arrow and waited as Epona drew nearer and nearer his target. Once he was close enough, Link knocked the arrow, drew the bowstring, and aimed at the back of the fleeing Moblin. Then, he released the arrow, sending it on an arcing trajectory through the dust cloud. It struck the Moblin in the back of the head, killing it and causing it to fall off its mount and tumble on the ground.
"Yeah! Got him!" Link celebrated as he and Epona ran toward the fallen Moblin.
"Nice shot, Link," Navi praised as she met them halfway.
"Yeah, thanks," Link replied. "Don't scare me like that again. He could've been leading you to his friends."
"Well, I didn't want him to get away so he could report us to his friends... or someone worse," Navi explained.
"I'm just glad you're okay," said Link as they reached the fallen Moblin. "But where did these Moblins come from all of a sudden... and why?"
"I don't know, but I'll take a good look at him," Navi replied. So she floated down to the Moblin while Link dismounted and put his bow away. As Navi examined the dead Moblin, something shiny in one of its pockets caught her attention. So she took as close of a look as she could. Then, she discovered the large shiny object to be some kind of jewelry. "Link, look!" she said, getting his attention.
Link walked up to the dead Moblin and kneeled down where Navi was. He reached into the Moblin's pocket, feeling the smooth metallic and facetted non-metallic surfaces that certainly felt of jewelry. So Link grasped the object and extracted it from the Moblin's pocket. When he did, he and Navi both gasped in shock at the object they had found. It bore three large, round, faceted blue gemstones, which were joined together in a triangular pattern by a shiny and ornate gold sculpted stone. It was an object that was all too familiar to them.
"Is this Zora's Sapphire?" Link astonishingly asked.
"It sure looks like it... and feels like it too," Navi replied as she picked up the powerful energy coming from that stone. "I can feel the aura emanating from it. It is definitely Zora's Sapphire."
"Oh no, this is not good," said Link as his heart sank in his chest. "These guys must've been after the other two Spiritual Stones as well... so they can try to free Ganondorf."
"It's a good thing you vanquished them and put a stop to those plans," Navi added.
As Link held Zora's Sapphire, a sudden feeling of anxiety washed over him. As he did, the sight of a robed figure blasting Navi with a vicious bolt of lightning flashed in his mind. Remembering that horrible part of his dream from over two years ago, Link dropped the Spiritual Stone and quickly drew his sword.
"What is it, Link?" Navi anxiously asked.
"Stay close to me," said Link. "Something doesn't feel right all of a sudden."
"Um, okay," Navi replied as she floated up to Link.
Link quickly looked all around him. He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, expecting the sky to suddenly turn black at any second, just like in that old dream.
"Link, you killed them all," said Navi, trying to reassure him. "I don't think any more are coming."
"No, it's not that," said Link as he relaxed and sheathed his sword. "Before I left to search for you, I had a dream just like this... with Moblins and this guy in a robe."
"I see," said Navi as she floated closer to Link.
After a couple anxious minutes of looking around Hyrule Field and waiting for trouble, Navi finally spoke up. "Link, I don't think anything's going to happen."
"Yeah, you're probably right," said Link.
"Let's go and take the Spiritual Stone back to Ruto," suggested Navi, "Besides, I'm sure she's still waiting for us."
"Okay," Link replied. He kneeled back down and picked up Zora's Sapphire. Once he placed both it and his quiver of arrows safely in his item bag, he walked over to Epona and mounted up.
'This is strange... just too strange,' Link thought to himself. Then, he gave Epona a sharp kick to the side and yelled "Hyah", sending her galloping toward Lake Hylia.
Later, Lake Hylia...
Link arrived at the large and majestic late that sat on the southwestern edge of Hyrule. The waters glistened in a beautiful display of shimmering gold under the mid-morning sun. And despite the upcoming summer solstice, the gentle breeze kept the air around the lake comfortably cool.
As Link approached the lake on Epona, he spotted a group of Zoras at the water's edge by the Lakeside Laboratory, right where Ruto had instructed to meet her.
"Link! You're here!" a girl's voice shrieked. And suddenly, a smaller Zora girl burst out of the crowd and ran toward Link and Epona, with her forearm and pelvic fins trailing in the wind. Despite having smooth-scaled skin and a sloped hammerhead, she had a face not much different that that of a Hylian's or a Kokiri's. Only her darker eyes, pointed nose, and rounded ears differed.
She wore a rather simple blue skirt just under her pelvic fins that went down mid-calf, and had a slit all the way up the left side to promote free movement. She also wore a matching blue halter top that left her midriff completely exposed, taking her pelvic fins into consideration. She wore no shoes, just like all Zora didn't with their webbed feet. She was certainly a different-looking Zora girl than when Link had first met her. Even though this was their second meeting, Link couldn't help but to inwardly praise her growing Zoran beauty.
So Link dismounted and braced himself for the hug from the hammer-headed Zora girl via flying tackle that he was about to receive. He spread his arms wide as Ruto threw herself at him. She wrapped her arms tightly around his chest and squeezed him affectionately. In response, he wrapped his arms tightly around her shoulders and returned her friendly hug.
"Oh Link, I'm so glad you made it," she said in a rather wavering voice.
This, however, alarmed Link. Something about her seemed rather off as she seemed to be hugging him more out of fear than for joy. "What's wrong, Ruto?" he asked.
Ruto loosened her grip and looked into his blue eyes, her feelings showing on her face very explicitly. "We were attacked, Link... by a group of bandits," she replied.
"Oh no," Link gasped. Then, he grasped her shoulders, held her at arm's distance, and looked into her eyes. "Bandits? When? How many? What did they look like?"
"They attacked about an hour before you came," Ruto explained. "There were about a couple dozen of them. They were big and ugly. They had these dog-like faces with pig's noses..."
'Moblins,' Link thought to himself as Ruto continued.
"... And worst of all... they stole my mother's heirloom," she wailed, on the verge of tears. And Link pulled Ruto into a tight embrace as she cried.
"So that's what happened," said Navi.
"Yeah, they sensed the power of the Spiritual Stone and robbed her for it," said Link. Then, he let go of Ruto and looked into her eyes. "It's okay, Ruto..."
"No, it's not okay. I'm mad," Ruto interrupted, "I'm mad 'cause some ugly monsters stole my mother's stone. It's supposed to go to the man I'm going to marry, and those ugly dog-faced creatures robbed me of it."
"No, no, it's okay. I defeated them," said Link, trying to calm the angry Zora princess down.
"You... did... say again," said Ruto, not quite grasping what Link just said.
Link let go of Ruto and reached into his item bag. "I said I defeated them already. I ran into them on my way here," said Link as he fished out Zora's Sapphire. "They were carrying this."
Ruto's eyes sparkled as she laid them upon the glittering stone in Link's hand. "Oh my goddesses, Link, you found it!" she gleefully said. "You really got my mother's stone back. Did you really punish those thugs severely for robbing a sweet and innocent little princess like me of her sacred treasure?"
"You bet he did," Navi replied for Link. "He was so amazing, fighting off and defeating every last one of those Moblins. He even impressed me with his fighting. He's grown so much in so many ways, you know."
Then, Ruto walked up to Link, kindly took Zora's Sapphire from his hand, and politely hugged him. "Thank you, Link," she softly said. "Thank you so much for getting my stone back."
"You're welcome, Ruto," said Link as he returned her hug.
"Please... don't tell my father what happened," she softly requested. "If he finds out that I was robbed, he won't let me come out here again."
"It's okay, Ruto. I won't tell him," said Link.
Then, Ruto let go of Link and smiled. "Good. Since you're here now, let's go do some fishing," said Ruto, her usual spunk quickly returning to her. She turned around and quickly ran off to rejoin her Zora comrades.
'Bandits... right," Link sarcastically thought to himself as he walked casually toward the group. 'I believe those Moblins had more sinister plans than just plain robbery. Moblins are Ganondorf's minions. Surely they were after the stone so they, or someone else, can try to release him from his prison. I need to tell the Great Deku Sprout about this. Maybe he can tell me what's going on. I just hope to the goddesses I'm wrong."
That afternoon...
After catching quite a number of different kinds of fish, Link mounted up and parted ways with Ruto and the Zoras. She had given him a pair of special nets in which to carry all the fish back to Kokiri Forest. They strapped neatly on Epona's saddle just behind Link. They may have been extra weight that Epona wasn't used to carrying, but after carrying food for Link's and Saria's date a few days ago, she had no complaints.
So after a moderately-paced run across Hyrule Field, Link arrived back at the entrance to the forest path that led to Kokiri Forest. So he hopped off of Epona and turned to meet her eyes. "Thank you for a wonderful trip, Epona, and for helping me out with those Moblins," said Link.
Epona nickered happily in response and nudged Link's cheek with her nose.
"Go on home to Malon and Talon now," said Link as he walked over to her saddle and removed the nets full of fish. After taking a good whiff of the freshly-caught fish, he turned back to Epona. "You're gonna get a really nice and refreshing bath when you get home."
Epona whinnied, knowing exactly what Link was telling her, saying that she smelled of fish.
"See 'ya, Epona," said Link as he turned toward the forest with Navi in tow.
Moments later, Link crossed the rope bridge and entered Kokiri Forest. There, he saw quite a number of Kokiri boys and girls roaming about the village. Some were just standing around, while a few others were doing some odd chores for Mido. He even saw Kalo chasing one of other girls around the village. Link took a deep breath of the crisp forest air and thought to himself, 'It feels so good to be home again, especially after today.'
Soon, one of the girls noticed Link standing in front of the passage out of Kokiri Forest. "Hey everyone, Link's back," she called out to everyone in the village, "and he brought us some tasty food."
At the mere mention of food, all the Kokiri stopped what they were doing and ran toward Link. More Kokiri quickly emerged from their houses and joined the crowd rushing toward Link.
"Hi everyone," Link greeted as he dropped the nets full of fish to the ground.
"Link, you really brought us food," said a Kokiri girl.
"Again," a Kokiri boy added.
"Alright everyone, out of my way," said Mido as he pushed his way through the crowd. "I get first dibs on any food that Growing Boy brings home."
"Relax, Mido. There's enough here for everyone," said Link as he approached. "This is fresh-caught fish from Lake Hylia. Make sure everyone gets some."
So Link swam through the crowd of Kokiri as they rushed on the nets of fish. In the back, Link spotted a head of familiar-looking green hair. Once he emerged from the crowd, he found Saria standing with her hands together in front of her and smiling at him warmly.
"Hello, Saria," Link greeted.
When he greeted her, Saria walked up to him and hugged him gently. She wanted to hug him in a more intimate manner and even kiss him, but everyone was there and would very likely witness it. So she had to settle for a friendly hug. "Hi Link. Welcome home," she greeted as she hugged him.
"Yeah. After today, it feels good to be home," said Link as he returned Saria's friendly gesture with a hug of his own.
Saria then let go of him. "After today? What do you mean?" she wondered, wearing a look of concern on her face. "What happened out there?"
"I ran into a bunch of Moblins in the fields on my way to Lake Hylia," Link replied.
"Oh no," Saria gasped.
"And they had stolen Zora's Sapphire from Ruto as well," Link continued.
"You mean the same kind of Spiritual Stone as our Kokiri's Emerald that the Great Deku Sprout told me about?" said Saria.
"The very same kind," Link replied. Then, he backed away from Saria. "I'd love to stay and chat, but I need to go tell the Great Deku Sprout what happened," he said before he walked by Saria.
"It's okay, Link. I understand," said Saria, still wearing a look of concern on her face. 'Link looks really worried about it, and it's getting me all worried too,' she thought to herself. 'Oh my goddesses, I hope no one's gonna come after us too.'
Moments later, after dispatching a couple of angry and carnivorous Deku Babas, Link arrived at the vast meadow where the Great Deku Sprout and his long-deceased predecessor stood. Many of the Great Deku Sprout's fairies flitted about the meadow, while others sat next to the Great Deku Sprout and on the branches of his predecessor.
"Come hither, Link," said the Great Deku Sprout.
Link obeyed and approached the forest's guardian, with Navi following close behind.
"I understand that thou bring forth troubling news," said the Great Deku Sprout.
"Yes. While I was on my way to Lake Hylia, I ran into a group of Moblins," Link explained. "Navi and I have no clue where they came from, but they had stolen Zora's Sapphire from Ruto. I'm just glad I was able to stop them, because if they had Zora's Sapphire, then surely they would've come after Kokiri's Emerald.
"Yes, I can understand why thou art worried," said the Great Deku Sprout. "Thou say to me that thou hast stopped them. I assume it means that thou hast slain them, am I right?"
"Yes, all two dozen or so of them," Link replied.
"Then may I see thy sword?" the Great Deku Sprout requested.
"Yes, of course," Link replied as he unsheathed his sword. "But why do you want to see my sword?"
"Because, my dear Link, if the blood of those Moblins still resides on that blade, then I can examine it and sense their lingering aura," said the Great Deku Sprout. "Just lay thy sword before me so that I may examine it."
So Link walked up to the Great Deku Sprout and laid his sword down right in front of him. 'I see now,' Link thought to himself as he backed away. 'It's just like back when Saria and I brought that dead Wolfos for him to look at.'
Link then stood there and waited with Navi hovering anxiously around him. It may not have looked it, but despite his inanimate traits, the Great Deku Sprout looked up and down Link's slightly bloodstained sword, studying the remains of the slain Moblins. For Link, what the Great Deku Sprout would find can either relieve him or trouble him even more. So needless to say, Link and Navi were both more than anxious.
After a few tense moments, the Great Deku Sprout finally spoke up. "Yes, these were a rather dangerous group of Moblins indeed. And the Bulbos they rode were certainly some hearty beasts," he said.
"Tell me about it. I was the one who fought them," said Link. "But who were they and where'd they come from?"
"Thou need not worry, Link. These Moblins must've come from one of the forests outside of Hyrule," the Great Deku Sprout replied. "Although they were quite savage, I assure thee that these Moblins were mostly benign."
"Benign? What do you mean 'benign'?" said Link, shocked more by the Great Deku Sprout's choice of words than by his findings.
"So they really were just a bunch of no-good bandits, just like Ruto said," Navi concluded.
"But how could monsters who've served under Ganondorf not be evil, outside of being common thieves?" Link wondered.
"Oh Link, thou know not thy monsters all that well, do you? But, I can understand thy prejudice, as the only Moblins that thou hast ever met were those that served evil beings such as Ganondorf," the Great Deku Sprout explained. "Ganondorf may have used them as loyal and powerful soldiers, but in all reality, Moblins are little more than a race of nomadic warriors with many tribes. This particular group of Moblins must've been a part of one of those tribes, making their living by thievery and pillory."
Upon hearing the guardian tree's explanation, Link let out a huge sigh of relief. "Man, am I sure glad they weren't part of some evil scheme," he said.
"Me too," Navi agreed.
"But thou has done a good deed, slaying those thieves and returning Zora's Sapphire to its rightful owner," said the Great Deku Sprout. "Thou shalt be proud of thyself."
"Believe me, I'm more than relieved," said Link as he walked up to the young guardian tree retrieved his sword.
"Worry not, my dear Link. I sense no immediate threat of anything dark and utterly evil," said the Great Deku Sprout. "However, remain vigilant, for there shalt always be evil in this world in one way or another."
"Yeah, I'll do that," said Link as he wiped the blade of his sword clean and sheathed it. Then, he turned to leave the meadow and return to the village. "Thank you, Great Deku Sprout."
"Oh Link," said the Great Deku Sprout, stopping Link.
Link turned around and replied, "Yes?"
"The summer festival is in ten days. Thou need not worry so much about the evils of the world. Instead, spend time with thy friends and help them prepare for the upcoming festival," said the Great Deku Sprout. "Thou art home now... 'tis a place of rest and relaxation."
Link smiled, "Yes, you're right. Thank you, Great Deku Sprout. You can bet I'll do that." Then, he turned and ran back toward the village, with Navi following close behind.
"Ah, youth," the Great Deku Sprout said to no one in particular. "Enjoy thy youth whilst thou can, for neither thou nor Saria wilt remain young for much longer."
end of chapter 10
I thought I'd write this chapter for a little change of pace. This is a Romance / Adventure story, after all. We can't have a Zelda story without Link getting into a scuffle with some bad guys, now can we? I know there wasn't nearly as much Saria in this chapter as there was in previous chapters, but I did finally include Princess Ruto. I'll be starting on Chapter 11 very soon... because I assure you, Link's and Saria's adventures are only beginning. All reviews are welcome.
Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda and its characters ain't mine, but belong to Nintendo and the various creators and directors of each of the games. So, please don't sue me. I'm just a lonely man who ain't got anything but his pride. Well, y'all enjoy this fanfic and review.
Have fun Zelda fans,
Viper Inferno
(Y2V)