This next "history" lesson is dedicated to my friend, who also happens to be my editor-type person, Lady Ophelia Rose-Hildeguard Tipperwaut. I had issues with this chappiepoo, and since she listened to me complain about how slowly it was moving, and I had trouble coming up with a "history" lesson, I asked her to think of something. She said "Cuccos!" So, cuccos it is. If anyone has any suggestions to a new "history" lesson, PLEASE email me or something… It's hard for me to think of stuff now. xD


(Somewhat of a) History Lesson #2:

"Let's practice your spells on those cuccos right there!" Mara said cheerfully, gesturing the a gaggle of cuccos. Sheikora stared at them.

"Are you kidding me?" the girl replied. "Cuccos can actually attack when… attacked. That's what makes cuccos special … These are literally killer chickens!"

"So? Good practice for real fights!" the Sheikah said cheerfully. "Come on, now, blast it with a fire spell. I want some roasted bird for lunch!" She clapped her hands, as if calling for lunch to be served by a servant. However, Sheikora continued to stare at Mara.

Suddenly, Sheikora's face broke out into a rare, happy smile. Mara looked at her hopefully, wondering if the girl was finally through her miserable phase. Even the cows in the barn with them looked up, the hay being chewed lazily in their large mouths. The cuccos kept pecking at the feed on the floor.

"You'll do it?" Mara asked, amazed. She could almost taste the chicken in her mouth. Sheikora had decided.

"Get out," the girl smiled sweetly.


Chapter 12

"If I were a sage, where would I be hiding?" Sheikora said to herself, looking around the marketplace. With the night falling, the town was emptier than it was earlier that day. She had asked Mara if the sage would still be around at night.

"Of course the sage will! It might be sleeping, but it'll be around!" Mara had told her, putting emphasize on the word "it." So now Sheikora had no idea if this sage was a male or female, or of what race it was.

"Temple first," Sheikora said out loud, not sure where else to start. So the girl walked toward the temple slowly, looking at everyone she passed to see if any suspicious faces betrayed themselves, but there was no luck for the girl by the time she arrived at the large temple.

"Is anyone here?" she called out, glancing around. Her words reverberated off the walls, telling her there was no sage in this place. Refusing to believe it, she ran toward the opening where the Door once stood, and realized something had, in fact, changed. The sword was gone.

Her gasp echoed throughout the temple, and she ran up to where the Master Sword should be. But it was there this morning!

She ran up to where the pedestal stood, and knelt beside it, feeling where the sword had once been. But she recalled Impa's words from those many months ago, "…the one who bears the Sword of Time…will destroy evil."

Does that mean Link disappeared again? Frustrated, Sheikora threw her hands up and rocked backwards and hit the floor. She looked around the large temple, wishing she had answers.

Something caught her eye. The symbols on the floor! She crawled over to one, feeling it with her bandaged hands. She sat up and looked at the other carvings from where she was. There were six in total.

"The six sages" was what Mara had told her. Maybe these symbols stood for each sage! Excited, she ran over to the Triforce mark in front of the Spiritual Stones, and seeing a symbol in it, fell onto it as if in prayer.

"Sage of Light!" she called out. "If you can hear me, please wake up!"

There was silence after her echoes. She sighed. Sheikora stood, gave the Temple one last longing glance, and left.

The grass wasn't as soft, Sheikora noticed. She didn't pay as much attention to the smaller details when she had entered the Temple, but now she noticed the grass was drying up. Frowning, she bent to the grass, her red eyes following her bandaged hands as they ran across the dying blades. They didn't even have the normal night moisture on them. And the ground beneath was dustier.

Suddenly worried, Sheikora hurried down the stairs into the dark, empty market. Didn't dogs guard the streets at night, while guards guarded the entrance to the path to the castle?

I shouldn't be doing this stupid quest, Sheikora thought hopelessly. It seemed a whole lot scarier now that the market was completely silent. Angry with herself, she ran from the main market to the closed drawbridge.

"Let me out!" Sheikora cried angrily. She ran up toward the drawbridge and pounded on it. "Mara! I give up!"

"Li'l lad, what're ye doin' 'round here late at night?" a voice from above asked. Startled, she looked up. There stood a watchguard, an old man with grey hair barely showing from underneath his helmet.

"I'm sorry, but I accidentally missed it when my parents left," she lied quickly. The guard gave her a frown.

"I can't jus' let ye outta here! There be monsters out there!" he said, pointing outside the walls. "But I s'pose ye can stay here t'night, so long as ye don't eat all me food."

She paused. Maybe she could discreetly ask about the Sages… "All right!" she replied, and the guard threw down a rope ladder. Making sure her Nuts were out of sight, she climbed the awkward ladder.

"Thanks!" she said, catching her breath at the top. The guard grunted, and stood at his post like a stone. "What's your name?" she asked politely.

"The name's Kiro," he said, holding out a stiff hand, which Sheikora shook. "And ye, lad?"

Sheikora thought for a moment. She figured it would be safer to play along being a boy, as she didn't know his reputation, and didn't want to get herself in trouble. But her name…

"Call me Sheik," the boy replied, nodding his blonde head.

"Sheik, eh?" Kiro said, scratching his head. "Fair strange name, fair strange eyes… ye Hylian?"

"Yes," he replied firmly. He didn't want to lie too much to the old guard. There was another long moment of silence, during which Sheik accidentally let a yawn escape. Kiro grunted again.

"Cot's over there in case ye get too tired," he said, jutting his chin over to a small tower. Sheik ignored him, and walked closer to the edge.

"What a view!" he said, looked as far as his red eyes could see. In the distance, he could see a shadow that was Lon Lon Ranch. Kiro grunted again. Sheik was wondering how much information he could get out of this man. "So, any other people work with you?"

"Only me on the night shift," Kiro said. Sheik waited a moment, but that was all the old man had to say. Sheik sighed.

"Do you ever work at the castle?" he asked. The guard tensed up, and Sheik guessed he had hit a sore spot.

"Not nomore," Kiro said strangely. "King Ganondorf decided I was too old, an' he put me on night-watchin' duty."

"Why don't you just quit?" Sheik pressed on. Angry, the old guard whirled around.

"Ye don't just quit from Ganondorf's service!" he bellowed. "Di'n't ye hear what happened to the Royal Family!"

This got Sheik interested, who wanted to hear this from a guard's point of view, and just what had Ganondorf been doing after Zelda had escaped?

Kiro bent closer to Sheik, and whispered, "I'm not s'posed to tell ye, but I figgered the young people's of the land must know the truth!"

The truth? Sheik's eyes widened. So, supporters of the Royal Family still worked at the castle! This almost made the boy smile.

"Ganondorf be tellin' all ye young'uns that the Royal Family is all dead! But I know otherwise," he said, his gruff whisper nearly bursting with excitement. "I was on night-watchin' duty when the princess an' her nanny were escapin', an' I saw 'em get away from the Evil King!"

"You mean, the Princess Zelda is still out there?" Sheik asked, feigning awe and excitement.

"Aye, lad, aye!" Kiro nodded, proud with himself, and excited he had caught that single moment of importance and truth. "I guess I be lookin' for the princess sometimes, when the nights are empty. I always hope an' hope the princess will make her return and take the crown from Ganondorf, and the land'll be at peace again!"

"Wow," Sheik said. Kiro had looked over the wall, a dreamy look on his old face. He was a supporter of the Royal Family. Would he have any knowledge of the six sages? Sheik coughed. "If I ask you something, can you promise never to repeat it to Ganondorf?"

"Wha'? Sure, lad," Kiro replied, surprised. Sheik took a deep breath and lowered his voice to a whisper.

"I know of six people who can unite and help bestow peace on the land," Sheik said, and the guard's eyes widened in awe. "Only trouble is, I can't find them. One of them is said to reside somewhere in the Castle Town Market," he said. The guard frowned a bit, knowing what Sheik wanted to know.

"I dunno… are the magical?" Kiro asked. "What're these six people anyways? What do ye call 'em?"

"The Six Sages," Sheik whispered. Kiro's eyes widened. He opened his mouth, then closed it. He attempted a smile.

"I might be able t'help. Ye go look for the others, then come back here. I might have an idea where to look," he said in a peculiar tone. Sheik looked down, and saw the guard's hands were shaking.

A wave of cold flowed through his body. What if the guard had been lying? The fright must have shown on Sheik's face, because Kiro sighed.

"I swear on behalf of the Triforce an' the Royal Family that I ain't lyin'," he said, ever-quietly. He paused, then added, "I swear I won't be telling Ganondorf, either!"


This chappiepoo was haaaaaard. I read it, reread it, revised, reread again, found Lady Ophelia to proofread it, revised, and yeah. It's also pretty short (in my opinion). But at least I'm moving on. Lady Ophelia said something about "random guards" and "revolution", so I hope it's good a good thing...?

Updates on my gaming life: I gave up starting a new game. Tooooo tedious! So, I found an old file. I beat the Shadow Temple today! The Haunted Wastelands makes me angry though... o.o