"No! No! Nonononono!"

Saria stood paralyzed as Martha shrank into the distance on horseback.

"She took Mari!... she... she lied to us..."

Hardly bruised from his scuffle, Link stood up and stared after the girl and his horse. Both just a speck on the horizon. It hurt him... he had thought Martha a friend.

"Oh... ooooh... what do we do? What-do-we-do-what-do-we-do-what-do-we-do!? Martha took Mari, now she's got the harp fragment, and she's taking it to Mandgrova! If Martha really was sent here by Mandgrova, then no doubt, she's the villain of the story! She's the one who tried to destroy the city! I think I just-... I think I just gave up everything we worked for... whatever happens next... it's my fault."

"Don't say that..."

Link knew he had played a part in Martha's theft. He had softened up to her. Saria turned to her bashful friend in a rather livid mood. Link could only look at his feet.

"Why Link? Why shouldn't I? Have you ever made such a big screwup? Have you ever just handed victory to your adversary, on a sliver platter no less?!"

Both shared a tense silence. Sighing, Link looked Saria straight in the eyes.

"Yes... yes, I have."

Though she wanted to say he was wrong, Saria knew in her heart that he was right. Link was the reason Ganondorf had risen to power in the first place in Saria's world. He had quite literally let him walk right into the sacred realm. That he was on the verge of escaping his seal was only more to make Link feel at fault. Saria herself felt guilty for thinking her problem exclusive to herself. She shed her face of anger for one of distress. One of fear.

"Then tell me Link, what do I do? What do we do? I'm afraid, Link! We don't have any idea the kind of chaos that may break loose when that harp is fixed! Mari's life may very well be on the line, and it's all because of me! So what do we do?!"

Link turned to the side and put a hand to his forehead. There was no short answer to that. His friend needed comforting words, but that wasn't really his thing. He was simply no good with words. Of course, it wasn't like Mari was there to say anything. Well, here goes nothing.

"We stand up to face the chaos. Have courage, Saria. A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage. Without courage... you are powerless. It doesn't matter what has happened, or even what is going to happen. What matters is that you face it! Because if you don't face it, then you're just-... you're just..."

"A coward?"

That wasn't the word Link wanted to use to describe his friend, but it had been said now.

"Yes... a coward. But I know you're not one. You've already faced so much with me Saria... a giant peahat... a lava monster... a really ugly fish skeleton... even ghosts, Saria. You used to be deathly afraid of ghosts. But you stood up and faced your fears. So please... do it again. You have to be strong..."

"But... Mari was with us before. She isn't now."

"Before... I felt the same without Navi. But now, I know the truth. You were without Mari in the temple of lost souls... and you made it just fine. Your courage doesn't come from your fairy. Your courage comes from you."

Link pointed a finger right at his friend's heart.

"Now... I'm running after Martha... are you coming with me? Or are you going to stay here and worry about what is to come?"

After her mistakably mute friend finished talking, Saria shivered. That was the most Link had ever said to her in one conversation. If he had that much to say, then clearly, he meant it. His words echoed in her ears continuously. She wasn't a coward... she had shown courage before. If it potentially meant Mari's life, then she could do it again. Saria cracked an unsure smile and nodded.

"Of course I'm going with you. I said I'd do anything for Mari, didn't I? So let's do this for Mari!"

Now she was getting it! Link put on his own confident smile, and motioned ahead. He started off toward the city, Saria with him.

"Remind me Link, why are you always so quiet? You really do have a way with words!"


"Oh granny, look what I've got!"

Under the city at the ancient fairy fountain, Martha waved the purple fairy harp fragment with a singsongy voice.

"Oh, excellent dearest! Finally, the great fairy harp is once again in my grasp! Quickly child, place it with the others!"

Martha slid the purple piece onto the stone table with the green, blue, and red fragments. After a moment of looking at the piece, something seemed to click in Mandgrova's head.

"Did something go wrong? Why didn't the boy bring the harp piece? You do know we need a fairy to play it, don't you? If he and his fairy aren't here, how will I play it?

"He and that nosy little fairy started getting too suspicious. I was worried he wouldn't bring it, so I had to take it from him. Stole it right out from under his nose, heh. Luckily, I got the fairy too!"

From her pocket, Martha pulled her bottle, Mari still inside. Like the feisty sprite she was, she knocked against her glass prison.

"Link and Saria will get here, do you hear me? They won't be pleased! Whatever happens, I can assure you it won't be pretty!"

"Eh, pipe down silly fairy. I took their horse, remember? By the time they get here, we'll already be finished!"

"Martha! Be polite to the fairy! She is our guest, after all. Please, let her free."

"But-"

"Open the bottle, young one."

"Oh... yes granny."

Martha popped the lid off of the container, allowing Mari to buzz as she pleased.

"Fools! You will get no help from me! I'm leaving, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!"

Immediately, Mari darted toward the exit. Their fault for opening the bottle.

"That is quite alright with me, my child. You have more than earned your own peace. Though before you go, I must ask that you hear me out. We are both fairies, after all."

Mari paused midair and pursed her lips. Fairies were supposed to be a sacred race, enchanted by the goddesses to do good in the world. It was not in the nature of a fairy to do bad. If this woman was straight up evil, as Mari had figured from the story and her own kidnapping, then she hadn't sensed it in her yet. Fairies were remarkable at seeing the intentions of other beings. Such was how she had seen Martha's deception moments before capture. Yet, she couldn't see any darkness to the woman. The least she could do was hear Mandgrova out. She was at one point in time a great fairy, after all.

"Alright... you have my ears. I'm listening."

"Thank you, dear. May I ask your name?"

"Mari."

"Mistress Mari, might I ask how you ended up in my valley?"

"I thought you were doing the talking?"

"Please humor me, Miss Mari."

"Alright... I was a guardian fairy of the Kokiri Forest. Until one day, around a year and a half ago, my child disappeared without a trace overnight."

"A sorry thing to hear of. Please continue."

"I'm sure you've heard of the Great Deku Tree's passing by now, yes? Without the Great Deku Tree to assign me a new duty, I was without a purpose. I knew a few fairy friends who had once visited this place, the city of Plurbiocris. They hailed it as somewhere every fairy should go at least once. That little visit turned into a month, and a month turned into a year."

"And do tell, how did you meet with the boy?"

"Link? Well, after having lived here for a bit over a year, some bunch of jerks swooped me up in a bottle and stashed me in a cupboard. There were some other fairies with me at first, but they got taken away, and it scares me to think about where they may have went. You don't wanna know the things I heard while sitting under that counter. I was in there for a bit over a month, until one of those guys pulled me out and handed me to Link. I think Saria said he was here looking for his own fairy. If I'm to be honest, the details are still a bit fuzzy. Not that it mattered to me, I was out of that stupid bottle!"

"I figured as much... don't you see? The people in this valley have forgotten their place. With our life energy, we are what keep this land prosperous. Yet, the people catch us in bottles and use us for terrible things. Potion brewing, item enchantment, pets, trophies, snacks even. Would you not say that the fairies deserve better?"

"Well, yes..."

"That is why I believe that this valley deserves a wake up call. The people's time of reckoning has come. With the fairy harp, I will bring justice to our race. I will rid our land of all pestilence, and make it a haven for fairykind once more!"

"And just what do you mean by that? Do you plan on wiping the plurbians out?! I've met the people of the lands, they are not all bad!"

"There are more than enough of the evil to make up for the sacrifice of the good. Don't you understand, my sister of the magic order? We are called to cleanse the land! That is why I need you. You are the only one who can return my power to me. You must play the harp!"

"I believe the goddesses put us here to spread good. Killing off a city isn't good no matter how you phrase it!"

"All I wish to do is protect my fairy brethren. It is my duty as a great fairy. Would you not do anything to protect your Kokiri child?"

"Don't you dare drag Saria into this! I would never do something as mad as you say! I will never help you! What you wish to do makes you worse than everyone else in the entire valley! Everyone in the entire valley combined! I guess you will just have to find someone else to play the harp, because I won't."

"I see..."

"Yes, I hope you do. Good day, Miss Mandgrova. I believe you've had my attention long enough."

Now certain that she was doing the right thing, Mari started back for the catacombs' exit.

"In that case... you may fire, Martha."

From across the room, an arrow whizzed, pinning Mari to the wall by her left wing. Martha had been standing in the corner, her bow trained on the fairy.

"Ahh! My wing! Ouch ouch ouch ouch! What's wrong with you!?"

"I got you pretty good, didn't I? I really love this enchanted bow. Never though I'd have to hit you of all people, though."

"You monster! An injury like that, I'll be lucky if I can ever fly again!"

"That's the idea, fairy."

"I did not want to hurt you, Mistress Mari. Sadly, fate wills it otherwise. You will help me use this harp, whether you like it or not."