Author's Note: Thank you to Post Rapture, DoomRater, Mihaele Rose, Ides of Diamonds, and everybody who read and/or reviewed my first fic. This is not only my second attempt at a fic, but also my first attempt at a true epic. And I'd like to give credit to any author whose characters or excerpts from their stories (I don't think I'll use one, but time will tell) that I used. I can't stress enough how much I'd like everyone to READ AND REVIEW, because I feel this may be the beginning of something special (Hey, it looks good to me so far).


Chapter 9

Link's ego took a hit that night. He had been so sure that everything would be just like it was that night when he was ten. Of course he had no idea that two guards were placed in the inner courtyard. Maybe it was because Impa now resided in the Shadow Temple, or maybe Zelda requested the extra security. But whatever the reason, now Link and Malon were now in the dungeon.

It made Link a little upset. Especially since he didn't want to see Princess Zelda ever again. This woman had brought him so much grief. Link never wanted to take his stupid quest in the first place. But Zelda seemed so sure of everything. She made it seem so simple. 'Get three spiritual stones, take the Ocarina of Time, open the Door of Time, get the Master Sword, get the Triforce, and that's it. Peace comes to Hyrule.' She thought it'd be so easy, especially since Link would be doing all the work. But it wasn't that easy. It wasn't just that getting the spiritual stones was an extremely difficult task in itself, but it was the result of everything after. Link had lost seven years of his life trying to get the Master Sword. His best friend, Saria, tried to search for him while he was in the Sacred Realm and nearly died for going out into the vastness. Malon's father had lost the ranch to Ingo and she was beaten on a daily basis. Hyrule had nearly been left in ruins. And when Link saw Zelda again seven years later, all she could say was, 'I'm sorry. I didn't know.' The quest had brought Link so much pain, but it was the ignorance of Zelda that he blamed it all on. Had she known better, this might have all been prevented. And it was because Link blamed her that he never wanted to see her again.

But circumstances called for Link to meet with the princess again. A new evil had emerged. It was a sinister shape-shifter known as Meyson and his three Lizalfos sidekicks. He had already struck. He shackled Darunia, the Fire Sage, and took the Spiritual Stone of Fire. He forced the Gorons to evacuate Goron City and move into the Fire Temple. Link had no idea what he wanted or where he came from, but Darunia told him that Zelda would know. While Link thought of that, Malon finally broke the long silence.

"Well this is great. What are we supposed to do now?"

"I don't know," Link said. "Just wait, I guess."

"I thought you were so sure of this, Link," Malon frowned.

"I was," Link answered back. "How was I supposed to know that they got new guards?"

"I don't know, but I thought the princess would remember you. I guess she doesn't."

Link frowned. "Somehow, I doubt that." Out of the corner of his eye, Link saw Malon scowl at him with her arms crossed. 'Was it something I said?' he thought.

Before Link could say anything else, one of the guards approached the cell and looked at Link. "You're a lucky man, sir. You and your friend have been released by special request. Come this way."

Link and Malon walked out and followed the guard. He led them out to the inner courtyard where they had been caught. This time Link found what he hoped, sort of, to find in the first place. Standing by the window, looking as elegant as ever, was Princess Zelda.


Chapter 10

Link didn't know what to say when he saw Princess Zelda. This was the woman that brought him so much grief through that stupid quest. Yet, she appeared so innocent. But it was Zelda who spoke first.

"I'm sorry about the guards. They've been uptight ever since Impa left for the Shadow Temple. I hoped this wouldn't happen. Because I knew you'd come back."

'Great,' Link thought. She had seen them coming and she didn't even bother to get ready, but rather wait for them to be arrested first. Before he could say anything, Link felt an elbow poke him in the ribs. He felt that Malon was waiting for an introduction.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Link said. "Malon, this is Zelda, the princess of Hyrule. Zelda, this is my friend Malon."

Link saw a hurt expression cross Malon's face. He didn't understand why. 'Was it something I said?' he thought again.

But rather than focus on that, he focused on the matter at hand. "Zelda…how did you know I was coming back?"

Zelda turned around and looked into the window. "I had…a prophecy. And in it, I saw you. I didn't think I'd see you again, but then I saw…it."

Link could see what she meant. "By 'it', I assume you mean the big guy, he was…"

Zelda interrupted. "…covered in brown skin and could shift his shape. Yes, you must mean Meyson."

She knew. She knew what this thing was. But did she have all the answers? "Zelda?" Link asked. "What is this thing? Where did it come from?"

Zelda turned back around and faced Link. "I had the feeling he was coming. I knew that Ganondorf had one more trick up his sleeve. I knew it since the day he held me captive, on the last night of the Imprisonment War…"

Zelda could hardly believe it. It had merely been minutes since she had shed the disguise of 'Sheik' to reveal herself as the Seventh Sage to Link, the Hero of Time. And Ganondorf had already found her and imprisoned her in a giant crystal. Now she was floating above in Ganondorf's lair while he played an evil tune on his organ.

"Well, princess," Ganondorf said. "How do you like what I've done with the place?"

Zelda gritted her teeth. "It won't last, you pig. The Hero of Time is coming and you're time will finally be up."

Ganondorf seemed confident. "Oh really, princess. Do you actually believe that this 'boy' can defeat me? I hold the Triforce of Power. I cannot be beaten."

"Your brand of evil will never win, Ganondorf. I know that Link can beat you."

Ganondorf laughed. "Oh, but you don't see it, do you? Even if the impossible were to happen, and this boy does beat me, then do you think it ends there?"

Zelda was confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Come now, princess. The Triforce of Power has given me powers beyond belief. Do you think that I've thrown EVERYTHING at the so-called Hero of Time? Of course not. I have an insurance policy. The ultimate hand is still out there. But you won't see it until it's too late. Mwahahahahahahahahaha!"

"He was right," Zelda continued. "I didn't see it coming. But it's here now. Meyson is his ultimate hand."

Link was fuming. How dense was she? But it was Malon who spoke. "He told you this five years ago, and you're figuring this out NOW?" It was as if Malon had read Link's mind.

"When Ganondorf referred to his ultimate hand, I thought he meant Ganon, the monster he became that night," Zelda answered. "But what he actually referred to was Meyson."

Link still had a few questions. "What exactly IS Meyson?"

"Meyson is an evil that emerged somewhere in Hyrule," the princess began. "I don't know where, when, or even how he came to be. But he's got magic powers that are exceeded only by Ganondorf. He possesses tremendous strength. And he has the ability to shift his shape and assume the form of anyone, regardless of their species."

Link nearly had all the answers he needed. "Zelda, what does Meyson want? He's got the Spiritual Stone of Fire. What he after?"

Zelda expression grew grim. "I think I know the answer." She stood silent. She couldn't find the words.

"Well?" Malon asked. "What does he want?"

Zelda looked at Link. "Link, think about it. He's looking for the Spiritual Stones. What's the one thing he can do with the Spiritual Stones?"

Link couldn't find the answer at first, but then it hit him. And the answer was a ghastly one. "He's going to use the stones to get into the Temple of Time. He's going to try to get into the Sacred Realm." It all made sense to Link now. The motive was clear. "He's going to try to release Ganondorf."

There was a long moment of silence. No one could think of any response to this. They could only think about what could happen if Ganondorf were to be unleashed on Hyrule once more.

Link finally spoke. "Zelda, do you know where Meyson could strike next?"

"I also saw in my prophecy that Meyson would head down into the Water Temple. He would be looking for the Spiritual Stone of Water."

Link knew what this meant. Meyson would tear the Water Temple apart looking for the Spiritual Stone of Water. And Ruto, the Sage of Water, wouldn't stand a chance against this fiend. "Then that's where I'm going." Link and Malon began to walk out.

"Ok," Zelda said. "We'd better leave right away."

Link stopped dead in his tracks. "Excuse me? Who said anything about 'we'?"

Zelda gave Link a cold stare. "Link, if Meyson is looking release Ganondorf, then he'll need the Ocarina of Time, which is held by me. You can't leave me here alone. The guards wouldn't last against Meyson's evil power. I'd be better off being protected by the Hero of Time."

Link couldn't believe it. His tenseness at that moment was exceeded only by what appeared to be Malon's anger.

"Y-You can't go," Malon said. "We only have two horses."

"We won't need horses," Zelda answered. "I have this." She pulled out something Link hadn't seen in a long time. It was the Ocarina of Time. "With the Ocarina of Time, I can transport us practically anywhere we need to go. And if we need to come back for the horses, then I'll transport us back here."

Link knew that he wasn't going to win this argument, either. He could hardly believe that his party of one had expanded into a party of three in the span of a few days. But as much as Link hated to admit it, Zelda made sense. She was the holder of the Ocarina of Time. If Meyson wanted it, he'd have to take down Link first. And the Ocarina's power can save Link days of travelling, especially when it appeared that time would be of the essence.

Link groaned. "Fine. You can come. But we leave now."

Zelda smiled. "Ok. You two had better come closer."

Link, Zelda, and Malon all huddled up. Zelda began a familiar tune. She played the Serenade of Water. And they were off.


Chapter 11

In a matter of moments, Link, Zelda, and Malon all arrived in Lake Hylia just directly above the Water Temple. Link hoped that it wasn't too late. If Meyson got the Spiritual Stone of Water, then there was only one left. He would want the Spiritual Stone of Forest. That was held by his childhood friend, Saria. He shuddered to think of what Meyson would do to her. He also shuddered to think of what would happen to the other 12 Kokiri that had just moved into the Forest Temple to live with Saria. He had to find out, but first…

"Um, ladies?" Link asked as he pulled out his Zora tunic. "A little privacy?"

"Sorry," Zelda and Malon both said. They turned around as Link changed into his Zora tunic. Link could've sworn that Malon tried to peek out of the corner of her eye. 'Nah, couldn't be,' he thought.

Link was ready to dive down deep into the Water Temple. He looked at Malon and Zelda. "You two stay here. I won't be long." He looked at Zelda.

"You'd better let me hold the Ocarina for safe-keeping."

Zelda handed Link the Ocarina of Time and he was ready. Link dove into Lake Hylia and swam into the Water Temple. This place had given Link many headaches during his quest. He had to endure various dead ends, fight a darker version of himself, and fight a giant amoebae. Of course, for Ruto it had to be a little better. She was a Zora princess, after all. She had to have Zora people coming in and out every day. And no one could say that the Water Temple wasn't roomy. And of course, it had it's own 'adjustable' swimming pool.

When he stuck his head out of the water, he noticed that Ruto was nowhere to be seen. Finding her in this huge temple could be a long and arduous task. So Link began looking. He opened the door to the center of the temple and hollered out. "HELLO?!?!"

There was no answer. Link left that room and continued his search elsewhere.



Malon wasn't a happy girl at that moment. She couldn't believe how Princess Zelda had somehow managed to horn in on this journey. And she was starting to grow more jealous by the moment. But her anger wasn't all directed at Zelda. Some of it was at Link.

Malon couldn't believe Link. Somehow Link knew that he would see Zelda again. She knew it since they were in the dungeon. She couldn't tell by the tone of his voice, but she sensed he was almost looking forward to it. But something Link said in the courtyard hurt Malon. He only introduced her as a 'friend'. That hurt Malon deeply. After everything they had gone through, Malon thought that she was more than a friend.

Suddenly the princess spoke. "How long have you known him?"

Malon was surprised at that question. 'A lot longer than you,' she wanted to say. "It's been so long, I can hardly remember. We met when we were ten. In fact, the day I met him, he was trying to go see you."

Zelda looked confused. "Really? What day was that?"

"It was the day you started him on his quest," she answered. "The quest to find those three stones."

Zelda still looked confused. "How do you know that? No one's supposed to remember that."

"What do you mean?" Malon asked.

"I noticed that you seem to remember everything from the Imprisonment War. You remember Ganondorf and Link's quest? How?"

"I'm not sure. I just remember everything that's happened in that time. Where everyone else has forgotten, I seem to remember."

"Then you must be the one," Zelda said quietly.

Malon didn't catch that. "What?"

Zelda didn't answer. She only looked up at the sunset. "It's beautiful, isn't it? The sunset?"

Malon's anger had gone down. She was also marveling at the beauty of the setting sun. "Yeah. Sometimes Link and I would just spend nights looking at the sunset. It really is beautiful."

Zelda began to grow sad, though. "If Meyson succeeds and releases Ganondorf, it won't be like last time."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that Ganondorf will destroy everything. He won't be content with just ruling. He will mold Hyrule into his own land of evil. He will destroy Link, me, the Sages, and everything he can get his evil hands on. And I fear that combined with the power of Meyson, he will be unstoppable. And I don't think anyone will be spared."

Malon hoped that wouldn't happen again. Living under Ganondorf was a nightmare the first time. She was beaten daily by an Ingo possessed by evil. Her father had been exiled away from the ranch, all because of Ganondorf's will.

"If Link doesn't find the stone in here, then where do we go?" Malon asked.

Zelda's face was somber. "Meyson will go after the Spiritual Stone of Forest. It's being held in the Forest Temple."

The words 'Forest Temple' clicked in the head of Malon. That's where Link had gone two months ago. That's the home of his best friend, Saria. And that's the home Link found for his 12 Kokiri friends.

"Oh, God," Malon said. "If Meyson strikes the Forest Temple, it'll drive Link insane."

"It's ok," Zelda said. "As long as we have the Ocarina of Time, we can get there in minutes. I don't think we'll be too late."

Malon didn't want to picture the agony Link would be in if anything happened to Saria. She tried to change the subject. "Do you think he's found anything?"

Zelda nodded. "I think Link might have found something by now."


Chapter 12

Link had been looking for hours. He had cut through locked doors and padded doors, but there was no sign of Ruto. Then Link heard something.

"Hello? Anybody?"

It was Ruto. Link heard her voice coming from behind a locked door. It was the door that led into the former layer of Morpha, the giant amoebae. Link tried loosening the chains with his sword to no avail. He had bombs, but no way to light the fuse. 'I carry swords, hookshots, bombs, but I can't carry a simple lighter,' Link thought. Then Link dug deep into his quiver to find two arrows. He had an idea that might take a while to come through with. He began rubbing the two arrows together, but to no avail. He then dug deeper in his bag to find two Deku sticks, a souvenir left from his trip to the Forest Temple. He rubbed them together for what seemed to be hours, until sparks finally flew and he had a fire. Link lit the bomb and put it near the door. Link covered his ears as the bomb exploded and the door was blown off its hinges. He walked in the door to see Ruto shackled, much like Darunia was. Link walked towards Ruto and cut off the shackles.

"Are you ok?" Link asked.

Ruto didn't say anything, but rather gave Link a friendly, a very friendly, embrace. "You saved me again. Do you have any idea how romantic that is?"

Link pulled back. What would Malon say if she saw this? "Ruto? What happened?"

Ruto shook off her sudden ecstasy. "He's been here Link. Meyson invaded the temple."

"Did he…?"

"The Zora's Sapphire? I'm afraid so. He's taken it."

Link was too late. Meyson now had two of the stones. "Ruto, how did it happen?"

Ruto looked angry. It was a look of outrage. "He's slippery. I never saw him coming. But he came all right…"

Ruto had the day all to herself. She had the water level raised up to the second floor. And she was ready to take a relaxing swim. It was the first time she'd been alone in days, after so many of her father's messengers came by asking about her and telling her what was happening back at the domain. Ruto was ready to dive in, when something jumped out of the water. Ruto leapt back apprehensively, but it was just a Zora. It was undoubtedly another messenger.

"Greetings, Princess Ruto," he said. "I am a messenger from your father."

"I suspected as much," Ruto said dryly. "What is it this time? Another visitor? Another complaint about the rigged diving game?"

"Actually, princess, the situation back at the domain is much more serious," the messenger said.

Ruto looked at him curiously. "Serious? What do you mean? What's happened?"

"Apparently something has come up. It must be extremely serious because your father hasn't informed us of the situation. All he asked was that I come here to retrieve the Spiritual Stone of Water."

Her father wanted the Zora's Sapphire? It must've been serious. But what would he do with it? Ruto shook off those questions. This could be a matter of life or death. She removed the Spiritual Stone of Water from around her neck and handed it to the messenger.

"I hope this does help," Ruto said. Then she saw something that shocked her. The messenger's eyes began to glow red.

"Oh, it'll help ME, all right," he said in a deep voice. The next thing Ruto saw amazed her. The Zora messenger was transforming. It had transformed into a tall being covered in brown skin.

Ruto's instincts told her to run. But she felt something come over her. She found herself unable to move.

"I'd hate to think you were trying to run, princess," he said. "I'm not through with you yet."

He was interrupted by what sounded like someone drowning. The shape-shifter shook his head and stuck his hand in the water, pulling out three heads one by one. They were the heads of three Lizalfos soldiers.

"Weaklings," he said. "Don't any of you know how to hold your breath?"

One of the Lizalfos coughed. "Come on, Meyson. We've been down there for about five minutes. Reptiles need air, too."

"I suppose it could've been worse," the thing called Meyson said. "You three idiots could've blown my whole charade. But I have what I came for. I now have the Spiritual Stone of Water in my possession. But there's the issue of what to do with the Sage of Water."

Ruto looked on in fear. She could only look with her eyes, but she couldn't move an inch. What kind of powers did this 'Meyson' possess?

"Can we eat her?" the short Lizalfos suggested. "I'm in the mood for seafood."

"No, no, no," the chunky one said. "I ate practically half the fish in Lake Hylia. We need to throw her in the sea."

"What are you, stupid?" the tall one asked as he slapped the chunky Lizalfos on the back of the head. "She's a Zora. Her entire domain's made of water. We need to do something like slice her and dice her."

"Hmm, you're suggestion is tempting, Kreature," Meyson said. "But my final objective is almost complete. And I want her around to witness the destruction of her people. No, we should do something simple and just leave her in shackles."

Ruto felt the three Lizalfos start moving her immobile body towards the room in which Link, the Hero of Time, defeated Morpha, the giant amoebae. As Ruto was being shackled, she had to say something.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Ruto asked.

Meyson laughed evilly. "I am the evil that hasn't been seen in Hyrule since Zora's Domain froze over. I am the final solution. I am the final and ultimate hand of the great Ganondorf. I AM MEYSON!! And what do I want? The thing I want from you is your stone, and I have it. The thing I wanted from the Fire Sage was his stone and I have it. Now there is one left." He looked at his three reptilian followers. "Get your bug spray, boys. We're going to the forest."

"Saving the easiest for last, are you Meyson?" the tall Lizalfos asked.

Meyson laughed again. "You read my mind, Kreature. It'll be like taking candy from a baby. Or…from a Kokiri." The evil being turned to leave, but abruptly turned back around. "Oh, yes. I almost forgot." Meyson raised his arm and a bright ball of energy formed in his hand. He then threw the ball directly at the chest of Ruto.

It was the last thing she remembered before slipping into unconsciousness.

"That's all I can remember," Ruto told Link. "But the point is, he's got it. He's got the stone."

Link knew that. He knows that Meyson already has the Spiritual Stone of Water. That's what had him so nervous at that moment. What did have him nervous was the thought of where Meyson would strike next. He knew the answer, but he asked anyway.

"Ruto? Where did he say he was going next?"

The Zora princess looked somberly at Link. "The forest. He said he was going to the forest."

Link had to leave immediately. His Kokiri friends were in serious danger. And he couldn't stand to think of what might happen to Saria. "Thanks, Ruto. I've got to get going. I don't have a moment to lose."

"I'll do what I can, Link." Ruto said. But Link knew she couldn't really do anything. It was up to him to stop Meyson. And Link left, swimming as fast as he could.


Chapter 13

The forest. The sun was starting to rise in the forest. Hardly anything could be heard that morning. But that was because there were no Kokiri in the forest. The forest village had been destroyed by an army of 30 radical Hylians. The 12 Kokiri who resided in the village had been relocated to the Forest Temple to be around Saria, the Forest Sage.

But whether it was 12, 13, or 100 of them, they were still just Kokiri. They were mere children and they would crumble at the hands of Meyson. And Meyson would have the Spiritual Stone of Forest. The only task remaining after that would be to take the Ocarina of Time from Princess Zelda. Then Meyson could infiltrate the Temple of Time and the Sacred Realm and release his master, the great Ganondorf.

As Meyson and his three Lizalfos cohorts approached the Forest Temple, Meyson stopped to see his next targeted location.

"Look at it, boys," the evil shape-shifter said. "The Forest Temple. The location of the final stone. What do you think? Are you three capable of handling 12 or 13 obnoxious Kokiri?"

The tall one, Kreature, answered first. "Of course, Meyson. They ARE just children."

The short one, Krash, continued. "They ARE just brats."

The chunky one, Og, finished. "They ARE what they are, because that's what they say they are, and that's all they can ever be."

Kreature smacked Og upside the head. "What the heck is that supposed to mean? You give me such a headache sometimes." Kreature looked back up at Meyson. "We can do it, Meyson. Because we're rowdy."

"We're ready," Krash continued.

"We're reptiles," Og finished.

"We are COMBAT," they said in unison.

Meyson groaned. "Do you know how old it's starting to get to see you three numbskulls do your song and dance all the time?"

"Really?" Kreature asked.

"We think we've got something fresh," Krash said.

"The Three Zora-teers got nothing on us," Og added.

"Never mind," Meyson said frustratingly. "Let's just get ready to go up. Hand me the rope, Kreature."

Kreature pulled out the rope. "Here you go, Meyson."

Meyson threw the rope up on the far side of the Forest Temple so that they would not be seen. All four villains climbed the rope.

"Should we invite ourselves in?" Krash asked.

"No," Meyson answered. "You three morons stay out here and wait for my signal. It's time I give another awesome performance and I don't need you three fouling it up."

Meyson began to transform. It would be a disguise that none of the Kokiri would be able to see through.

"Hey, great disguise, Meyson," Kreature said.

"They'll never be able to tell the difference," Krash added.

"Bravo. I know I'm convinced," Og finished.

"You three are too kind," Meyson said. "Now wait here. I may be a while."

Before Meyson walked in, Kreature asked one more question. "Hey Meyson, what about the Hero of Time, Link? What if he shows up?"

Meyson laughed. "Don't think I haven't anticipated the interference of the Hero of Time. After all, this 'Saria' is supposedly his best friend. And if I'm not mistaking, he should have Princess Zelda along with him by now. So I know which way they'll be trying to come in. Don't worry about him. I have a little something that should keep the Hero of Time far away from this temple."

And Meyson, in disguise, walked into the Forest Temple.



It was a long night for Malon. It was too hard to sleep that night. Link was used to sleepless nights, he was almost like a machine. But there were too many things on the mind of Malon. She wondered if Link had found the stone. He had been in the Water Temple the whole night, so she began to doubt it. If the stone was gone, then she wondered what kind of emotional state Link would be in. And she couldn't shake the possibility that the evil Ganondorf could return once more to wreak havoc on the world.

Then Malon saw a sight that both relieved and scared her at the same time. It was Link. He finally emerged from the depths of Lake Hylia. But the expression on his face was grim.

"Link?" Malon asked. "What happened?"

Link frowned. "We're too late. He's got the Spiritual Stone of Water. And…he's going to the forest."


Comments? Feel free to review below or mail me at HyruleKokiri13@hotmail.com