**DISCLAIMER**I do not own The Legend of Zelda or any of its characters.
Leigh, Leena, Keman, Aiden, Rhiannon, and several other characters are
figments of my imagination.**
Chapter 3
"But, Sheik, what about Kakariko?" Sheik and I are dashing across the castle grounds on our way to the drawbridge, Sheik several steps ahead.
"Ruto will take care of it," he says, sounding unworried.
"Who?" I ask in confusion.
"That Zora we passed on the way here. She's the most powerful water mage in Hyrule; she'll put the fire out in no time," he answers, dismissing the topic. It's dark now, and there's only a crescent moon to see by. Hyrule Castle looms up ahead, hundreds of little lights showing through the windows. The grounds, across which we are running, are in darkness. In front of the moat a white marble wall with an iron gate stands behind two sentries. Sheik slows and finally comes to a stop in front of the gate, me following suit.
"We request entrance to the castle," Sheik says, addressing one of the sentries.
"And what is your business at the castle at such an hour?" the guard responds. "We do not usually admit visitors after dark."
"We must speak with the Princess immediately. It's urgent," Sheik answers. I turn to stare at him. The Princess? What do we need to see the princess for? And what is urgent?
"Her Highness said nothing about getting two visitors tonight. You had best have a name to back up your claim, or I'll have to send you away," the guard says.
"My name is Sheik," he answers. "I was Impa's apprentice. She will vouch for me." The guard nods.
"Your name will be enough. Lower the drawbridge!" the other sentry yells in the direction of the castle. Almost immediately, the drawbridge comes to life, the chains that lower and raise it clanking loudly. When the drawbridge is fully lowered, Sheik rushes across it with a hurried "thank you" to the guards. Once again, I follow him across the bridge, through a long courtyard, and through a side door. We wind through hallways until we finally reach an immense pair of grand looking doors. Sheik manages to pull one open a bit, then pushes me inside.
"I have to leave you here," he says. " The Princess will be with you shortly." And with that, he closes the door. I can hear his footsteps retreating down the hall.
I turn to survey the room I'm in. The walls are of a pale gray stone, leading to a high, vaulted ceiling. The room is very well lit by torches in elegant golden sconces lining the wall and a large golden chandelier overhead, their light reflected in a polished granite floor. The right wall consists almost solely of windows, while the left is bare. Across the room from me is a shimmering gold throne on a raised dais. Beside it is a smaller throne made of silver. The wall behind the dais is hung with a banner depicting the Royal Crest. Down the center of the room, from the thrones to the doors, runs a red velvet carpet. So this must be the throne room.
My thoughts are disrupted as the door behind me creaks open. I turn to see whoever has joined me and stop short, my breath caught in my throat.
Standing in the doorway is what has to be the most beautiful girl I've ever seen: Princess Zelda. Her hair falls down her back like a waterfall of spun gold. Her complexion is pale and creamy without any imperfections. She looks tall and slender in her dress of white and pale rose. But it's her eyes that hold me. They are a light blue with the slightest hint of green, like the depths of Lake Hylia. She looks like a goddess. She smiles, increasing her beauty one hundredfold.
"It's not polite to stare," she says with a little laugh. Mortified, I snap into a low bow, turning red to the tips of my pointed ears.
"My apologies, Your Highness," I manage through my embarrassment. Zelda gives another little laugh.
"You can stand up now," she says. I do, but I still can't bring myself to meet her gaze. When she continues, her voice is much more somber. "So why are you here?" she asks. I look up in surprise, now making eye contact.
"Hell if I know. Sheik was supposed to explain everything, but he just dumped me here and disappeared. He made it sound like you were going to explain," I say, adding as an afterthought, "Your Highness."
"Oh, I will explain. I was just wondering how much you knew already," Zelda says.
"I have no idea what's going on," I say, rather annoyed now that I realize that no one has been telling me much of anything about this whole ordeal. The person who has told me the most so far is the girl who set Kakariko on fire, and she wants to kill me. Go figure. "So you have a lot of explaining to do, Your Highness." Zelda nods, looking slightly dismayed. There must be a lot to explain.
"Well, to begin," Zelda says, "Does the name Ganondorf mean anything to you?" The name sounds sort of familiar, but then I remember why.
"No," I answer, "But the girl who set Kakariko on fire mentioned that name before she left."
"Ganondorf was once King of the Gerudo, and all female race that is ruled by the one male born to them every one hundred years," Zelda said. "He was an evil and power hungry man. He wished to find the Triforce to further increase his power, because the Triforce grants the wish of whoever touches it. You know what the Triforce is?" she asked, pausing in her explanation. I nod. The Triforce is the relic that was left behind by the Goddesses Din, Nayru, and Farore after they created Hyrule. It holds great power and is sought by many, but has yet to be found. It takes the appearance of three golden triangles arranged into one larger triangle with a triangular hole in the center. Each of the three pieces represents one of the Goddesses: the Triforce of Power for Din, Goddess of Power; the Triforce of Wisdom for Nayru, Goddess of Wisdom; and the Triforce of Courage for Farore, Goddess of Courage.
"Well," Zelda continued, "Ganondorf devoted his life to the study of the Triforce. He learned a great deal about it, more than any living person knew, until he discovered how it could be obtained. Four keys are required to unlock the door behind which the Triforce lies: a certain stone each from three races of Hyrule, and the Ocarina of Time. The Ocarina of Time is the treasure of the Royal Family, and Ganondorf needed to get it. So, after the Great War, he made a truce with the peoples of hyrule and swore allegiance to my father in hopes that one day he would get the opportunity to steal the Ocarina.
"Eventually, he entered the Sacred Realm by tricking a young boy into opening the door for him, and attempted to take the Triforce. It split into three pieces, leaving Ganondorf only with the Triforce of Power. The other two pieces went to their predestined owners. For seven years Ganondorf searched for the other pieces, until their carriers confronted him. The bearer of the Triforce of Courage, the boy he had tricked, now a young man bearing the title of 'Hero of Time', defeated him, but he used the Triforce of Power to resurrect himself as the creature Ganon. Ganon, too, was defeated and was sealed away in the Sacred Realm by the Seven Sages, each powerful mages of their element. The Seventh Sage, and bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom is me," Zelda says, removing her left glove and showing me the back of her hand. On it is what appears to be a scar in the outline of the Triforce with the lower left triangle completely filled in. When I see it, my stomach turns over. I've seen a mark like that before. I absently begin to rub the back of my left hand.
"And the Hero of Time and bearer of the Triforce of Courage is-"
"Me," I murmur, cutting her off as I pull off my left gauntlet and stare down at my hand. The mark there is nearly identical to the one on Zelda's hand, except that the lower right triangle is the darkened one. I remember the day the mark showed up. It had been my tenth birthday. It had been the day I was banished from Kokiri Forest.
I just stand here in awe for a few seconds, until I realize one major flaw in Zelda's story. I don't remember any of it. Not a thing. No Ganondorf, no Sages, no Triforce, nothing. And regardless of what Malon and Neal say, I am not so out of it that seven years of my life would just go by without my noticing. "Princess, I don't want to make it sound like you're dishonest or anything, but that lovely story you just told is impossible. Did you actually expect me to believe that shit?" Zelda pauses in slipping her glove back on, giving me a stunned look.
"Excuse me?" she asks.
"Your explanation is impossible. If all that really happened, then shouldn't I, I don't know, remember it?" I ask in a cynical voice, wrestling my gauntlet back onto my arm.
"Well, I wouldn't expect you to remember it. You see, after Ganon was sealed away, you were somehow sent back in time and your memory was erased," she says.
"How did that happen?" I ask. "I mean, people don't just get randomly sent back in time."
"I don't know how you were sent back", Zelda replies, an uneasy look on her face. "It just happened." She's a really bad liar; I can tell she's lying through her teeth.
"For the love of Nayru!" I yell, my temper flaring. "If you're going to lie to me, why bother explaining in the first place? First no one tells me anything, and now, when I have a perfectly legitimate question concerning my life, you can't even give me a straight answer!" Zelda takes a step back, unprepared for my reaction, with an expression on her face that says she feels that I'm clearly overreacting. Well, so much for being afraid to offend her. Me and my temper.
"Link," Zelda says slowly, patiently, "I am not lying to you. Please, you must believe me. And I'm not done explaining everything. That was just the background, the reason for what is happening now."
"What is happening now?" I ask, willing to listen now that I've been promised more information. I know she's lying about the whole memory thing, but I'll worry about that later.
"You have been told that people are looking for you, is that correct?" Zelda asks. I nod, and she continues. "Those looking for you are Gerudo still loyal to Ganondorf. This time around, he merely disappeared seven years ago, on the day that you were sent back to. While most Gerudo are now loyal to Nabooru, the new Gerudo leader, there are some who believe that their King shall return and they remain loyal to him. They are being governed by someone who knows what has truly come to pass: that Ganondorf is dead."
"What does any of that have to do with the Gerudo searching for me?" I interrupt. Zelda gives me a look; I think her patience is running out. I smile inwardly at the thought.
"I was getting to that," Zelda continues. "There is a spell to resurrect Ganon, and I believe that our enemies have discovered it. It is rather simple and crude in its formation, but terribly particular in its requirements. It requires but one ingredient, really more of an activator of sorts, and no incantation whatsoever. It merely requires that the activator be used in a very specific place."
"You certainly are to the point, Princess," I say sarcastically.
"If greatest power you desire,
Seek the deities' treasure gold,
In the realm of Light so sacred,
Mortal hands ne'er dare to hold.
Should thine heart of treasures three,
Only one in strength possess,
Then shall split the golden trio,
And small shall be thine happiness.
But if thou shouldst gather the three,
Reunited they shall bind,
Three becometh one once more,
And the fates once more seem kind.
Seeker of the pow'r beware,
For thine fortune shall not last,
Ever damned shall be thine soul,
Golden bonds shall hold thee fast.
If freedom should thou wish to seek,
To open Light Realm's sacred door,
The blood of he that hath slain thee,
Shall set thee free once more. That was a poem I discovered recently in an ancient text, and I believe that the Gerudo have found it as well- Link? Are you all right? You're as white as a sheet," Zelda says, concerned.
"The blood of he that hath slain thee shall set thee free once more," I repeat dumbly. My blood had run cold at those words. My thoughts stray back to my dream, and the wolfish Gerudo. "I. I've heard those words before. in a dream.." Zelda gives me a concerned look.
"Link, what happened in your dream?" she asks urgently. "It could be important."
"I was standing in this strange room with a Gerudo. She stabbed me and then said that line," I answer.
"What did the room look like? Do you remember?" Zelda pries, her face grimly eager.
"It was just a cold stone room, like a dungeon. The Triforce was engraved into the floor, but other than that, it didn't have any distinguishing features." Zelda nods, visibly disappointed.
"Link, the poem mentions the spell for Ganon's resurrection. And I have heard of the spell elsewhere. The Gerudo are looking for you because. they need your blood, Link. They have to kill you in the room you saw in your dream. That will bring Ganon back to life." I gape at Zelda, unable to fully comprehend what I've just been told. According to her, I have a bunch of Gerudo hit men- excuse me, hit women- after me who are literally out for my blood. I swallow.
"They want my blood?" I ask in a weak voice. Zelda nods.
"Yes. But you see, the location is just as important as the blood, and they don't know where that location is just yet. Unfortunately, neither do we. But if we found it first, we might be able to destroy it somehow-"
Zelda is interrupted as the door to the throne room opens once more. Three figures enter. The first is a young Hylian man who looks to be about the same age as Zelda and me. His hair is auburn and his eyes brown and he is clothed richly in browns and reds. I can tell by his clothes and his posture that he's either royalty or a pretty high-ranking noble. A tall and imposing Sheikah woman closely follows him. She is dressed in the style of the Sheikah and her white hair is tied back. Her red eyes are cold and calculating, sharply contrasting with the warm and amiable face of the humanoid stone creature behind her. Living in Kakariko, I've seen a Goron once or twice before, but I've never gotten this close. Although he seems kindly, the Goron still carries himself with an air of authority. It is he that is the first to speak.
"We heard someone yelling about lies and explanations, or something of the sort and came down to see how things were going," the Goron says. "And since I haven't heard the Princess yell in quite some time, I took it to mean." he trails off and turns to look at me, grinning. "Brother, you have returned." I give the Goron a wan half smile, bewildered. Brother?
Perhaps sensing my confusion, Zelda steps in.
"Link, this is Darunia," she says, gesturing to the Goron. "He is the leader of the Gorons and the Sage of Fire. This is Impa," Zelda continues, and the Sheikah gives a curt nod. "She is the Sage of Shadow and a guardian of the Royal family. Impa, Darunia, you've both met Link."
"Not this one," Impa says. Zelda ignores the comment.
"This," She says, indicating the Hylian, "Is Prince Ronan of Dinahar. Ronan," she says, addressing him, "This is Link." I bow and Ronan nods.
"Zelda," Darunia says, no longer smiling. "Will you be summoning the others soon? I must return to my people."
"I do not think that it is necessary to summon them. You may return to Death Mountain, Darunia. I will summon you should anything arise," Zelda responds. Darunia nods.
"I shall leave in the morning, then" he says.
"Highness, if I may?" Impa asks. Zelda nods, and she continues. "While I agree that it is unnecessary to summon all the Sages, the boy does need a guardian, and I don't believe Sheik will be available for the task. Perhaps you should assign a Sage to guard him. They could fill things in a bit more, as well."
"I don't need a guardian," I say indignantly. "I can take care of myself."
"Can you, now?" Impa asks in a bored voice. "Your Highness," she says, turning to Ronan. "May I borrow your sword?"
"Of course," Ronan says, looking rather puzzled as he unsheathes his sword and hands it to Impa. She takes it and tosses it to me with a sharp "here" before unsheathing a long dagger of her own. Surprised at having the sword thrown at me, I've just managed to grip its hilt when I'm forced to bring the blade up in order to block Impa's attack as she comes at me with the dagger. She strikes again, lower this time, and I lower the blade to block. We continue this sequence of strikes and blocks, Impa's strikes getting faster and my blocks getting clumsier. I've only held a sword once or twice in my life before this, so I have no clue how to use it beyond the instinctive "it's sharp so use it to hit things" idea that most people are born with. I now have to step back in order to effectively block Impa's onslaught. I soon find myself backed up against a wall and frantically trying to block Impa's repeated attacks. With a triumphant smile that is visible only in her eyes, she darts behind my defense with the dagger and slashes it across my chest, only cutting deep enough to draw blood.
"First blood on the torso," she says, stepping back and sheathing the dagger. "I win." I glare at her.
"And what," I ask tensely, "was the point of that?"
"You claimed that you could defend yourself," Impa answers. "I was merely testing you. I was not sure if, despite your loss of memory, you had retained your skill with a sword. Apparently," she continues, her voice disdainful, "you have not."
"Just because I can't use a sword doesn't mean I can't defend myself," I counter.
"Oh?" Impa says, clearly disinterested. "And what battle skill could you possibly possess?"
"Archery," I answer. Impa folds her arms and sighs, as though summoning the strength to explain something very complicated to a young child.
"In order for archery to be effective, you must have time to draw and shoot. I assure you that that will not be the case if one of Ganon's minions attacks you. They will most likely attack before you know that they are there. Archery would prove useless. I could have Sheik teach you hand- to- hand combat," she says, more to herself than anyone else.
"Well, Impa," Zelda says, "You have proven your point. Who do you suggest I assign to guard Link?"
"That is your decision, Highness," Impa responds. "But I would choose Nabooru. Since Gerudo are pursuing Link, it might help to have a Gerudo guarding him. She would obviously know what to expect. However, she may have her hands full with her people at the moment, and Gerudo Desert is so far away. Perhaps Darunia could take Link back to Goron City with him. Darunia will do a good job of explaining everything, and they were good friends, after all."
"Who were good friends?" I ask.
"The Hero of Time and Darunia," Impa answers. I have a feeling that she doesn't consider my past self and who I am now to be the same person.
"That's a wonderful idea," Zelda says, then, turning to Darunia, "Is that alright with you, Darunia?" He nods.
"It's fine."
"Zelda?" Ronan interjects. "It is getting rather late, and your father was wondering if you were coming to bed?"
"I will," Zelda responds. "I believe we're done here. Good night, everyone." She moves to go out the open door, closely followed by Ronan, when he stops and turns to me.
"Er. Link, was it?" he asks.
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Could I have my sword back?"
"Oh," I say, realizing that I'm still holding the sword. "Of course, Your Highness." I walk over to him and hand the sword back.
"Thank you," he says, sliding the sword back into its sheath. "Perhaps I can teach you to use it some time, hm?" he says in a slightly condescending tone. He's not trying to rub in the fact that I can't use a sword, that's just the way royals talk to everyone else, but the comment still angers me. But of course, since he's royalty, I can't tell him off.
"That is a generous offer, Your Highness," I respond stiffly. "But I'm afraid it will be unnecessary." Ronan shrugs.
"Very well," he says, and follows Zelda out of the room. Impa leaves behind them, leaving only Darunia and me standing in the room.
"Well," the Goron says, "It is very late, so I suppose you can stay in my quarters as you will be accompanying me tomorrow."
"Um, thanks," I say, following him out of the room and into the dark hallway.
"Don't mention it, Brother," he says good-naturedly.
"Why do you call me that?" I ask. "Brother, I mean."
"You and I are Sworn Brothers."
"Sworn brothers?" I ask, completely lost.
"You certainly ask a lot of questions," Darunia says with a laugh.
"Well, you would too if seven years of your life was erased from your memory," I respond, but now I'm smiling too. Darunia's good mood is really rubbing off. Talking to him is like. well, I guess it's like talking to an old friend.
"But, Sheik, what about Kakariko?" Sheik and I are dashing across the castle grounds on our way to the drawbridge, Sheik several steps ahead.
"Ruto will take care of it," he says, sounding unworried.
"Who?" I ask in confusion.
"That Zora we passed on the way here. She's the most powerful water mage in Hyrule; she'll put the fire out in no time," he answers, dismissing the topic. It's dark now, and there's only a crescent moon to see by. Hyrule Castle looms up ahead, hundreds of little lights showing through the windows. The grounds, across which we are running, are in darkness. In front of the moat a white marble wall with an iron gate stands behind two sentries. Sheik slows and finally comes to a stop in front of the gate, me following suit.
"We request entrance to the castle," Sheik says, addressing one of the sentries.
"And what is your business at the castle at such an hour?" the guard responds. "We do not usually admit visitors after dark."
"We must speak with the Princess immediately. It's urgent," Sheik answers. I turn to stare at him. The Princess? What do we need to see the princess for? And what is urgent?
"Her Highness said nothing about getting two visitors tonight. You had best have a name to back up your claim, or I'll have to send you away," the guard says.
"My name is Sheik," he answers. "I was Impa's apprentice. She will vouch for me." The guard nods.
"Your name will be enough. Lower the drawbridge!" the other sentry yells in the direction of the castle. Almost immediately, the drawbridge comes to life, the chains that lower and raise it clanking loudly. When the drawbridge is fully lowered, Sheik rushes across it with a hurried "thank you" to the guards. Once again, I follow him across the bridge, through a long courtyard, and through a side door. We wind through hallways until we finally reach an immense pair of grand looking doors. Sheik manages to pull one open a bit, then pushes me inside.
"I have to leave you here," he says. " The Princess will be with you shortly." And with that, he closes the door. I can hear his footsteps retreating down the hall.
I turn to survey the room I'm in. The walls are of a pale gray stone, leading to a high, vaulted ceiling. The room is very well lit by torches in elegant golden sconces lining the wall and a large golden chandelier overhead, their light reflected in a polished granite floor. The right wall consists almost solely of windows, while the left is bare. Across the room from me is a shimmering gold throne on a raised dais. Beside it is a smaller throne made of silver. The wall behind the dais is hung with a banner depicting the Royal Crest. Down the center of the room, from the thrones to the doors, runs a red velvet carpet. So this must be the throne room.
My thoughts are disrupted as the door behind me creaks open. I turn to see whoever has joined me and stop short, my breath caught in my throat.
Standing in the doorway is what has to be the most beautiful girl I've ever seen: Princess Zelda. Her hair falls down her back like a waterfall of spun gold. Her complexion is pale and creamy without any imperfections. She looks tall and slender in her dress of white and pale rose. But it's her eyes that hold me. They are a light blue with the slightest hint of green, like the depths of Lake Hylia. She looks like a goddess. She smiles, increasing her beauty one hundredfold.
"It's not polite to stare," she says with a little laugh. Mortified, I snap into a low bow, turning red to the tips of my pointed ears.
"My apologies, Your Highness," I manage through my embarrassment. Zelda gives another little laugh.
"You can stand up now," she says. I do, but I still can't bring myself to meet her gaze. When she continues, her voice is much more somber. "So why are you here?" she asks. I look up in surprise, now making eye contact.
"Hell if I know. Sheik was supposed to explain everything, but he just dumped me here and disappeared. He made it sound like you were going to explain," I say, adding as an afterthought, "Your Highness."
"Oh, I will explain. I was just wondering how much you knew already," Zelda says.
"I have no idea what's going on," I say, rather annoyed now that I realize that no one has been telling me much of anything about this whole ordeal. The person who has told me the most so far is the girl who set Kakariko on fire, and she wants to kill me. Go figure. "So you have a lot of explaining to do, Your Highness." Zelda nods, looking slightly dismayed. There must be a lot to explain.
"Well, to begin," Zelda says, "Does the name Ganondorf mean anything to you?" The name sounds sort of familiar, but then I remember why.
"No," I answer, "But the girl who set Kakariko on fire mentioned that name before she left."
"Ganondorf was once King of the Gerudo, and all female race that is ruled by the one male born to them every one hundred years," Zelda said. "He was an evil and power hungry man. He wished to find the Triforce to further increase his power, because the Triforce grants the wish of whoever touches it. You know what the Triforce is?" she asked, pausing in her explanation. I nod. The Triforce is the relic that was left behind by the Goddesses Din, Nayru, and Farore after they created Hyrule. It holds great power and is sought by many, but has yet to be found. It takes the appearance of three golden triangles arranged into one larger triangle with a triangular hole in the center. Each of the three pieces represents one of the Goddesses: the Triforce of Power for Din, Goddess of Power; the Triforce of Wisdom for Nayru, Goddess of Wisdom; and the Triforce of Courage for Farore, Goddess of Courage.
"Well," Zelda continued, "Ganondorf devoted his life to the study of the Triforce. He learned a great deal about it, more than any living person knew, until he discovered how it could be obtained. Four keys are required to unlock the door behind which the Triforce lies: a certain stone each from three races of Hyrule, and the Ocarina of Time. The Ocarina of Time is the treasure of the Royal Family, and Ganondorf needed to get it. So, after the Great War, he made a truce with the peoples of hyrule and swore allegiance to my father in hopes that one day he would get the opportunity to steal the Ocarina.
"Eventually, he entered the Sacred Realm by tricking a young boy into opening the door for him, and attempted to take the Triforce. It split into three pieces, leaving Ganondorf only with the Triforce of Power. The other two pieces went to their predestined owners. For seven years Ganondorf searched for the other pieces, until their carriers confronted him. The bearer of the Triforce of Courage, the boy he had tricked, now a young man bearing the title of 'Hero of Time', defeated him, but he used the Triforce of Power to resurrect himself as the creature Ganon. Ganon, too, was defeated and was sealed away in the Sacred Realm by the Seven Sages, each powerful mages of their element. The Seventh Sage, and bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom is me," Zelda says, removing her left glove and showing me the back of her hand. On it is what appears to be a scar in the outline of the Triforce with the lower left triangle completely filled in. When I see it, my stomach turns over. I've seen a mark like that before. I absently begin to rub the back of my left hand.
"And the Hero of Time and bearer of the Triforce of Courage is-"
"Me," I murmur, cutting her off as I pull off my left gauntlet and stare down at my hand. The mark there is nearly identical to the one on Zelda's hand, except that the lower right triangle is the darkened one. I remember the day the mark showed up. It had been my tenth birthday. It had been the day I was banished from Kokiri Forest.
I just stand here in awe for a few seconds, until I realize one major flaw in Zelda's story. I don't remember any of it. Not a thing. No Ganondorf, no Sages, no Triforce, nothing. And regardless of what Malon and Neal say, I am not so out of it that seven years of my life would just go by without my noticing. "Princess, I don't want to make it sound like you're dishonest or anything, but that lovely story you just told is impossible. Did you actually expect me to believe that shit?" Zelda pauses in slipping her glove back on, giving me a stunned look.
"Excuse me?" she asks.
"Your explanation is impossible. If all that really happened, then shouldn't I, I don't know, remember it?" I ask in a cynical voice, wrestling my gauntlet back onto my arm.
"Well, I wouldn't expect you to remember it. You see, after Ganon was sealed away, you were somehow sent back in time and your memory was erased," she says.
"How did that happen?" I ask. "I mean, people don't just get randomly sent back in time."
"I don't know how you were sent back", Zelda replies, an uneasy look on her face. "It just happened." She's a really bad liar; I can tell she's lying through her teeth.
"For the love of Nayru!" I yell, my temper flaring. "If you're going to lie to me, why bother explaining in the first place? First no one tells me anything, and now, when I have a perfectly legitimate question concerning my life, you can't even give me a straight answer!" Zelda takes a step back, unprepared for my reaction, with an expression on her face that says she feels that I'm clearly overreacting. Well, so much for being afraid to offend her. Me and my temper.
"Link," Zelda says slowly, patiently, "I am not lying to you. Please, you must believe me. And I'm not done explaining everything. That was just the background, the reason for what is happening now."
"What is happening now?" I ask, willing to listen now that I've been promised more information. I know she's lying about the whole memory thing, but I'll worry about that later.
"You have been told that people are looking for you, is that correct?" Zelda asks. I nod, and she continues. "Those looking for you are Gerudo still loyal to Ganondorf. This time around, he merely disappeared seven years ago, on the day that you were sent back to. While most Gerudo are now loyal to Nabooru, the new Gerudo leader, there are some who believe that their King shall return and they remain loyal to him. They are being governed by someone who knows what has truly come to pass: that Ganondorf is dead."
"What does any of that have to do with the Gerudo searching for me?" I interrupt. Zelda gives me a look; I think her patience is running out. I smile inwardly at the thought.
"I was getting to that," Zelda continues. "There is a spell to resurrect Ganon, and I believe that our enemies have discovered it. It is rather simple and crude in its formation, but terribly particular in its requirements. It requires but one ingredient, really more of an activator of sorts, and no incantation whatsoever. It merely requires that the activator be used in a very specific place."
"You certainly are to the point, Princess," I say sarcastically.
"If greatest power you desire,
Seek the deities' treasure gold,
In the realm of Light so sacred,
Mortal hands ne'er dare to hold.
Should thine heart of treasures three,
Only one in strength possess,
Then shall split the golden trio,
And small shall be thine happiness.
But if thou shouldst gather the three,
Reunited they shall bind,
Three becometh one once more,
And the fates once more seem kind.
Seeker of the pow'r beware,
For thine fortune shall not last,
Ever damned shall be thine soul,
Golden bonds shall hold thee fast.
If freedom should thou wish to seek,
To open Light Realm's sacred door,
The blood of he that hath slain thee,
Shall set thee free once more. That was a poem I discovered recently in an ancient text, and I believe that the Gerudo have found it as well- Link? Are you all right? You're as white as a sheet," Zelda says, concerned.
"The blood of he that hath slain thee shall set thee free once more," I repeat dumbly. My blood had run cold at those words. My thoughts stray back to my dream, and the wolfish Gerudo. "I. I've heard those words before. in a dream.." Zelda gives me a concerned look.
"Link, what happened in your dream?" she asks urgently. "It could be important."
"I was standing in this strange room with a Gerudo. She stabbed me and then said that line," I answer.
"What did the room look like? Do you remember?" Zelda pries, her face grimly eager.
"It was just a cold stone room, like a dungeon. The Triforce was engraved into the floor, but other than that, it didn't have any distinguishing features." Zelda nods, visibly disappointed.
"Link, the poem mentions the spell for Ganon's resurrection. And I have heard of the spell elsewhere. The Gerudo are looking for you because. they need your blood, Link. They have to kill you in the room you saw in your dream. That will bring Ganon back to life." I gape at Zelda, unable to fully comprehend what I've just been told. According to her, I have a bunch of Gerudo hit men- excuse me, hit women- after me who are literally out for my blood. I swallow.
"They want my blood?" I ask in a weak voice. Zelda nods.
"Yes. But you see, the location is just as important as the blood, and they don't know where that location is just yet. Unfortunately, neither do we. But if we found it first, we might be able to destroy it somehow-"
Zelda is interrupted as the door to the throne room opens once more. Three figures enter. The first is a young Hylian man who looks to be about the same age as Zelda and me. His hair is auburn and his eyes brown and he is clothed richly in browns and reds. I can tell by his clothes and his posture that he's either royalty or a pretty high-ranking noble. A tall and imposing Sheikah woman closely follows him. She is dressed in the style of the Sheikah and her white hair is tied back. Her red eyes are cold and calculating, sharply contrasting with the warm and amiable face of the humanoid stone creature behind her. Living in Kakariko, I've seen a Goron once or twice before, but I've never gotten this close. Although he seems kindly, the Goron still carries himself with an air of authority. It is he that is the first to speak.
"We heard someone yelling about lies and explanations, or something of the sort and came down to see how things were going," the Goron says. "And since I haven't heard the Princess yell in quite some time, I took it to mean." he trails off and turns to look at me, grinning. "Brother, you have returned." I give the Goron a wan half smile, bewildered. Brother?
Perhaps sensing my confusion, Zelda steps in.
"Link, this is Darunia," she says, gesturing to the Goron. "He is the leader of the Gorons and the Sage of Fire. This is Impa," Zelda continues, and the Sheikah gives a curt nod. "She is the Sage of Shadow and a guardian of the Royal family. Impa, Darunia, you've both met Link."
"Not this one," Impa says. Zelda ignores the comment.
"This," She says, indicating the Hylian, "Is Prince Ronan of Dinahar. Ronan," she says, addressing him, "This is Link." I bow and Ronan nods.
"Zelda," Darunia says, no longer smiling. "Will you be summoning the others soon? I must return to my people."
"I do not think that it is necessary to summon them. You may return to Death Mountain, Darunia. I will summon you should anything arise," Zelda responds. Darunia nods.
"I shall leave in the morning, then" he says.
"Highness, if I may?" Impa asks. Zelda nods, and she continues. "While I agree that it is unnecessary to summon all the Sages, the boy does need a guardian, and I don't believe Sheik will be available for the task. Perhaps you should assign a Sage to guard him. They could fill things in a bit more, as well."
"I don't need a guardian," I say indignantly. "I can take care of myself."
"Can you, now?" Impa asks in a bored voice. "Your Highness," she says, turning to Ronan. "May I borrow your sword?"
"Of course," Ronan says, looking rather puzzled as he unsheathes his sword and hands it to Impa. She takes it and tosses it to me with a sharp "here" before unsheathing a long dagger of her own. Surprised at having the sword thrown at me, I've just managed to grip its hilt when I'm forced to bring the blade up in order to block Impa's attack as she comes at me with the dagger. She strikes again, lower this time, and I lower the blade to block. We continue this sequence of strikes and blocks, Impa's strikes getting faster and my blocks getting clumsier. I've only held a sword once or twice in my life before this, so I have no clue how to use it beyond the instinctive "it's sharp so use it to hit things" idea that most people are born with. I now have to step back in order to effectively block Impa's onslaught. I soon find myself backed up against a wall and frantically trying to block Impa's repeated attacks. With a triumphant smile that is visible only in her eyes, she darts behind my defense with the dagger and slashes it across my chest, only cutting deep enough to draw blood.
"First blood on the torso," she says, stepping back and sheathing the dagger. "I win." I glare at her.
"And what," I ask tensely, "was the point of that?"
"You claimed that you could defend yourself," Impa answers. "I was merely testing you. I was not sure if, despite your loss of memory, you had retained your skill with a sword. Apparently," she continues, her voice disdainful, "you have not."
"Just because I can't use a sword doesn't mean I can't defend myself," I counter.
"Oh?" Impa says, clearly disinterested. "And what battle skill could you possibly possess?"
"Archery," I answer. Impa folds her arms and sighs, as though summoning the strength to explain something very complicated to a young child.
"In order for archery to be effective, you must have time to draw and shoot. I assure you that that will not be the case if one of Ganon's minions attacks you. They will most likely attack before you know that they are there. Archery would prove useless. I could have Sheik teach you hand- to- hand combat," she says, more to herself than anyone else.
"Well, Impa," Zelda says, "You have proven your point. Who do you suggest I assign to guard Link?"
"That is your decision, Highness," Impa responds. "But I would choose Nabooru. Since Gerudo are pursuing Link, it might help to have a Gerudo guarding him. She would obviously know what to expect. However, she may have her hands full with her people at the moment, and Gerudo Desert is so far away. Perhaps Darunia could take Link back to Goron City with him. Darunia will do a good job of explaining everything, and they were good friends, after all."
"Who were good friends?" I ask.
"The Hero of Time and Darunia," Impa answers. I have a feeling that she doesn't consider my past self and who I am now to be the same person.
"That's a wonderful idea," Zelda says, then, turning to Darunia, "Is that alright with you, Darunia?" He nods.
"It's fine."
"Zelda?" Ronan interjects. "It is getting rather late, and your father was wondering if you were coming to bed?"
"I will," Zelda responds. "I believe we're done here. Good night, everyone." She moves to go out the open door, closely followed by Ronan, when he stops and turns to me.
"Er. Link, was it?" he asks.
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Could I have my sword back?"
"Oh," I say, realizing that I'm still holding the sword. "Of course, Your Highness." I walk over to him and hand the sword back.
"Thank you," he says, sliding the sword back into its sheath. "Perhaps I can teach you to use it some time, hm?" he says in a slightly condescending tone. He's not trying to rub in the fact that I can't use a sword, that's just the way royals talk to everyone else, but the comment still angers me. But of course, since he's royalty, I can't tell him off.
"That is a generous offer, Your Highness," I respond stiffly. "But I'm afraid it will be unnecessary." Ronan shrugs.
"Very well," he says, and follows Zelda out of the room. Impa leaves behind them, leaving only Darunia and me standing in the room.
"Well," the Goron says, "It is very late, so I suppose you can stay in my quarters as you will be accompanying me tomorrow."
"Um, thanks," I say, following him out of the room and into the dark hallway.
"Don't mention it, Brother," he says good-naturedly.
"Why do you call me that?" I ask. "Brother, I mean."
"You and I are Sworn Brothers."
"Sworn brothers?" I ask, completely lost.
"You certainly ask a lot of questions," Darunia says with a laugh.
"Well, you would too if seven years of your life was erased from your memory," I respond, but now I'm smiling too. Darunia's good mood is really rubbing off. Talking to him is like. well, I guess it's like talking to an old friend.