Chapter 14: Link's Return

The wagon was loaded by the time Link made it outside. Malon was attaching the last of two horses to the bridle that pulled the carriage. She was an orange mare with pure white hair. Her eyes shone in the morning light, and she clearly wasn't all that interested in pulling the cart.

"Hey! Epona! Stop!" Malon chastised. "You're going to work today, and that's final!"

"Horse trouble?" Link asked as he moved beside Malon.

She jumped. "Whoa! You just appeared, like a fairy or something. But yes. Epona is young and still doesn't like working."

Link walked up to the front of the carriage and ran his hand through Epona's mane. "Hey, girl. Hey." She pulled her head away from Link and brayed. Link smiled and took out his ocarina. "I think I know something you'll like."

He held the small instrument to his lips. It was much too small for his fingers, but he'd been playing it for years and was used to it. He blew three notes into the ocarina and repeated them before adding more and more to the song. Epona stared at him, entranced by the music, until she pulled herself, the cart, and the other horse forward a few feet to meet Link. Her head nudged against the ocarina a few times, and she messed her nose against Link's hair. He laughed and rubbed between her eyes before stepping away.

Malon watched, in a completely different trance. "You've got a way with horses, Fairy Boy. Where did you learn that?"

"I didn't," Link said simply, swinging into the carriage. "I've never taken care of a horse either."

Sliding into her own seat, Malon raised her eyebrows. "Well, you could have fooled me."

It didn't take long for the carriage to reach Market Town, and Link helped Malon carry the milk into the nearby bar. He waited outside while she exchanged the milk for money, and when she emerged, Link straightened up.

"I wanted to thank you before I go. You did more than you had to for a stranger."

Malon smiled. "It was my pleasure, Fairy Boy."

Link rolled his eyes. "So that's my new name now?"

"Absolutely."

"Great. Well, Malon, I'll stop by the ranch when I get some money."

"You know you don't need to, right?"

Link nodded. "I know, but I want to."

"Okay," Malon said as she took a few steps back. She waved and headed back for the gate, disappearing as she continued.

Link looked around Market town. It was as busy as he remembered it, though the last time he'd seen it, it was a madhouse of chaos as the warning bells tolled. Now, people buzzed through the streets with their tasks in mind and their feet madly hitting the cobblestones. Link was bumped more than once, and he had to push his way through the line at an auction stall.

His eyes landed on Hyrule Castle and his thoughts drifted back to the Princess. Find the Princess. Rauru had said. Link couldn't even imagine what she looked like. He wasn't shy in admitting he'd had a crush on her when they were young. To him, she was the beautiful princess who, for some reason, wanted to be his friend.

Who was she now?

Had she become more serious? More carefree? Was she hurt that day? Was Impa? He had so many questions and wanted nothing more than to find answers, but he headed for the Temple of Time first.

The doors were closed and the building was suspiciously empty. As he entered, the door slammed behind him and the room went dark. He could see the familiar droplets on the walls, and soon, Rauru appeared before him.

"Link, it's good to see that you made it here."

"Rauru! I'm awake! How are you doing this?"

Rauru chuckled. "This is my temple. Before I was awakened as a Sage, I built this place. Here, like the others in their respective temples, I can speak with you."

"The others? How are they?"

With sad eyes, Rauru looked away. "As you know, Purlo did not make it. Darmani had moments left of life before he passed. Oren was able to tell me that it was Ganondorf who sent his minions to destroy the temples. She said she fought them off and sealed the remainder of her spirit inside to protect it, as the others would have done. A new Sage must take their places."

"Nabooru? The Shadow Sage?"

"They are both safe. Nabooru sealed the temple in time and drove out the minions that she could. She has locked herself inside and won't return to the Sacred Realm until she knows that the other Sages have awakened. The Shadow Sage managed to do the same, though the temple is much more difficult for Ganondorf's minions. The Sage has set many traps and puzzles that no Stalfos could decipher alone."

"And you're safe."

"I am. But Link, I needed to tell you a few things in more detail. Do you see that pedestal with the stones atop it?"

Link moved closer. "Yes."

"This was how Princess Zelda opened the Door of Time and unlocked the Sacred Realm seven years ago. You must get her help to return inside and claim the Master Sword. From there, listen to the voices within. You will know where to find the Sages you seek."

The elder Sage began to flicker. "My powers weaken. I am sorry, Link. I cannot hold on without more Sages to help me. I will try to help you when I can, but until I had another Sage in the Sacred Realm, there is very little I can do. Go forth, Hero."

"Rauru!" Link called, but he was gone.

With a frustrated sigh, Link headed out of the Temple of Time, and toward Hyrule Castle.

It didn't take him long to remember the vines that he'd climbed as a child. The path was easy enough to follow, and the water was much warmer than the water at the ranch when he dove inside.

The hole he would need to crawl through was a different story.

Link sucked in every ounce of breath he could so that force his way through the tiny hole he used to squeeze through with ease. It had to have taken him twenty minutes, but he finally pulled himself through to the other side. After the trial, he needed a moment to breathe.

When he finally rounded the corner, he could see several guards on patrol. It was as if his inner child had broken free and he suddenly found a rush of excitement take over him as he expertly slipped past every patrolling guard until he stood in front of the courtyard.

There was a body inside.

Link glanced down at his gloved left hand: the one that bore the Triforce. It was now or never. Though he didn't want to drag the princess into his mess, Rauru said he needed her.

His hands shook as he took slow, cautious steps towards the figure on the ground. He could see her pools of blonde hair sprawled out around her. As he got closer, he could also see a blanket underneath her body, something that made him feel much better. For all he knew, she was dead on the ground. But when he drew closer, he could see that she'd fallen asleep while reading a history book.

She was dressed in a high-waisted yellow skirt with a tucked-in top and several long necklaces. She didn't wear shoes, though he could see them lying in the grass.

Link wasn't sure what to do. All at once, he felt a hundred emotions, a hundred conflicting thoughts, and wanted nothing more than to shake her awake. Of course, he wasn't about to do that.

He stood off to the side, giving her space, and leaned against the wall, trying to think.

Instead, all he could think of was the princess in front of him.

She certainly looked the same, though she'd grown into herself more. Where the young girl always seemed so clumsy in her movements, even while lying down, the princess looked regal, like her very sleep could have been a command. The book she was reading hadn't changed. He remembered her room being stacked high with books. He was glad to see that hadn't changed over the years.

Suddenly, Zelda stirred, her head shooting straight up. She looked around. "Is someone there?"

Link stepped away from the wall and into her line of sight. "Yeah, and you need better guards."

Zelda gasped at the voice, but as she turned to look at Link, her eyes widened and her hand flew to her mouth. "It's you."

Link nodded slowly, watching her reaction carefully.

When her hand moved away, he could see that there were tears in her eyes. "You're alive. I always knew you had to be!"

She pushed herself off the ground and stood in front of him, unsure of how to proceed. With a flustered huff, she threw her arms around Link, and he returned her embrace. She ran her hands along his neck and shoulders, pulling away and checking to see if he was real. Her eyes couldn't believe it.

"Ganondorf took you. I was sure he'd have killed you trying to take the Triforce. I wasn't sure what to believe, or who!"

Link pulled the glove off his hand and revealed the intact Triforce piece. "I still have it. He was never able to take it. It protects itself."

"It what?" she asked, running her fingers across his hand. She could feel the indent in his skin where the Triforce was. "We have to go inside. I need to hear what happened to you!"

"Princess," Link interrupted. "Wait. I want to. I want to hear everything that's happened, but I need your help. I need to open the Door of Time and get the Master Sword. I know you've done it before, and I need you to do it again."

Zelda took a step back and eyed him curiously. "How do you know I opened it before?"

He closed his eyes. "It's a long story. One I'll tell on the way. But please, Princess, I need your help."