Topaz
Chapter two of The Legend of Zelda: Time
Disclamer: I don't own anything!! Except okay...maybe my sis DOES own all the new chars. in this fic, but we don't own Zelda.
"I'm...not sure I want to do this anymore...." Lin said as he lifted his hand and looked at the brown gooey mud slowly plop off his hand and back into the dark puddle.
"Neither do I..." Topaz said from behind him. She sounded as if she was going to throw-up. "but...we have to if we want to save Hyrule."
"I know...but..how is walking through this mud helping us?"
"It's a short-cut to Saria town. It'll save us at least two hours than following the road."
".....okay..." Niklare whinnied his impatience. "I know, I know...."
"At least the horses aren't waist-deep in this stuff..."
"Yeah...be happy you're tall Niklare.....yeow!!" The mud had just gotten deeper, it was now up to his chest.
"This is cold!" Topaz yelped. From the height difference, it was neck deep to her. "I'll drown if this mud gets any deeper!"
"Don't worry, as long as you can swim, it'll be fine."
"Swim? Heh! I almost forgot! But...it's kindda' hard to swim in thick mud while guiding a horse."
"I thought you always went through here."
"I do, but not after the rainy season."
"....you're one weird girl...fist, you come and tell me some odd story, then hug Impa, and now, you're dragging me through mud that only the Goddesses know what is in it, and..."
"And what?"
"Never mind...."
There was an odd noise that the two had never heard before. It sounded like a deep squeak. "What was that?" Topaz asked a bit frightened.
"I...'m not really sure...." Lin gulped.
Whatever it was made the same noise again...followed by a few more of the squeaks. "What was that!?" she asked pointing towards a tree.
Lin looked and there was nothing there. "Probably nothing..." he said it more to calm himself than her.
"What's that..!?!?!?" she shrieked pointing behind him. Niklare tried to rear-up, but the mud stopped him from doing so. Triph backed up.
Lin turned around just in time to see something brown in color knock him over the head with something. He saw black and heard Topaz's shouts then he heard nothing.
Ÿ
Lin woke-up to find that he was tied up to a tree. A fire was burning right in front of him. "....uh.."
"Shut-up!!" a brown creature that looked as though it were made of wood shouted slapping his knee with a stick.
"Eheehee.." he grimaced.
"You don't want the same thing happen to you as it did that girl..."
Lin gasped. Did they...no...could they? Have killed her!?!? "You.."
*SLAP! WACK!!* "I told you to be quiet!!"
Lin now had two long red marks across his face. "....."
"Lin!!!" an excited cry came and the next thing he knew, two arms were hugging him.
"Oh no!! Get her away!!!" he cried trying to get away thinking it was Gwen.
"...heehee!!" the girlish giggles started. "Oh Lin! It's me, Topaz!! Not Gwen!"
He stared at her in shock. Was she reading his mind? "I...how...wha---huh?"
She laughed. "Heehee!!These guys didn't mean harm! They were just protecting their territory! They thought we were from Ganon's army..."
"Us!? Kids!?!?!"
"Yes..." her face turned serious "even children are requited by Ganon." she spat his name. "He's a sick man...very sick. He needs to be killed, yes...killed. He mustn't be just sealed-up, he must be killed. Killing...such a harsh word for such youth....but it doesn't matter...he must be killed this time."
Lin was taken aback, was she talking to herself? It sounded as if she were talking to other people...people that weren't there. 'What in the name of Nayru did I get into? I'm I'm listening to a crazy girl..younger than me!! By the Triforce I'm stupid....'
Topaz turned back to Lin. "I'm not crazy...." she told him.
He looked shocked.
"I'm just.....different....much more than the sages or anyone care. They don't believe that someone like me exists...but I do...Impa, Sage of Shadow is one of the only ones who knows who I am...or what I am...it doesn't really matter.....let him go please."
The wooden things untied Lin. "I don't get what you're saying." he said to Topaz.
"No one ever does....what happened to your face?" she asked changing the subject. Right then, he noticed how much she tried to avoid his eyes, as if, if he were to look in them, he would see something horrible. 'Doors to the soul' was what his mother told him.
"Someone" he glared at the creature that struck him across the face with the stick. "Hit me with a stick several times."
She giggled. "You shouldn't hit the Prince!"
"The Prince!?!?!" all the creatures gasped and bowed.
"Now you did it..." he told her.
"....uh...sorry?"
"You don't have to bow...." he told them.
"But we do!!" one said.
He rolled his eyes. "Okay...tell you what...you tell us what you are...and why you're here, and stop bowing or...I'll have the guards come and set fire to you." it was harsh... but, he hated it when he got treated better than those around him because of his status.
They stood up quickly. "We are Deku scrubs! We are here because we were on our way to Saria town to trade goods, when an evil Gerudo man came riding by on his horse, and destroyed all our goods, his Moblin friends chased us all over the forest! Now, we are lost..."
"Lost? How can you get lost only an hour away from town?" Topaz asked.
"We're made of wood....wood isn't that smart..."
She tried not to laugh. 'At least they admitted it!'
"We were on our way to Saria town...that is until you knocked us out."
"We are so sorry Prince Link!!" it cowered.
"No more 'prince' calling please..."
"As you wish your Highness..."
"None of that either..." The scrub opened his mouth but Lin cut him off. "That includes your majesty too. And 'my lege', and exulted one."
"Yes....Link..?"
He sighed. "Good enough...where are our horses?"
"Over there." he gestured to Triph and Niklare, whom were grazing slowly on the grass in the small clearing.
"Good...we'll be one our way then..." he stood. "You may come with us if you wish."
"Thank you Link!!!" they all cheered.
Topaz smiled. 'No wonder his people love him so much. He's so nice to them. I'm going to hate having to do this to him.....'
"Something wrong Topaz?" Lin asked her.
She looked at him and stood up. "No, nothing's wrong." 'Sorry Lin....' "Come Triph." she called to her horse who obeyed.
Lin lead Niklare over to the mud's edge. He sighed, "What lucky scrubs, they can walk over the mud. Poor us, we have to trudge through it. 'Once more, our heroes'...er... 'hero and heroin step into the mud of doom....filled with...only the Goddesses know what.'" The two kids laughed. "Wow, what an exciting book that would make......I can see it now, 'The Adventures of the Mud Slayers'! Heh, that one would get us a medal...is this all we do? Run around in the mud, being knocked out by Deku scrubs? What an adventure..."
Topaz laughed like crazy. "I'm going to enjoy this journey! And yes Lin, we will fight and see more action...we'll be right in the middle of it!" She took a few deep breaths to calm herself. "Now....we better get this over with."
He had an evil smirk on his face. "Ladies first!"
Before she knew it, she was chest deep in the mud. "AAHH!! Yuck! Ew!! Lin!! There will be justice! One of these days, I'll pay you back! This is freezing!!! Triph, come!" The horse reluctantly went into the mud as did Lin and Niklare. They trudged on with the many lost Deku scrubs followed. Suddenly, Topaz stopped in her tracks.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing...." she smiled. "I can hear the voices of Saria town, it's close, no more than a mile away, let's go!"
Ÿ
They arrived in Saria town around 23:00. The scrubs left the two Hylians to themselves, giving their thanks in small joyous squeaks. The two sat down on a bench. "I'm so tired, I feel like a Poe..." Lin said tiredly.
Topaz nodded a bit. Lin could have sworn he saw fear in her eyes, but didn't dare ask. "I'm not that tired..." she yawned.
"Not tired huh?"
"Nope...not one...." she yawned again. "..bit."
"Uh-huh....and I'm chopped cuckoo.."
"You are?"
"heh...this is going to be one humorous trip." He leaned back and folded his arms behind his head. He looked at the stars. "Wow...the sky's beautiful..."
"Not for much longer I'm afraid..."
"huh? Why do you say that?"
"Ganon..remember...?"
"Oh..yeah..." he frowned. "I'm going to try to not think about it until morning...heh... there's not as many stars here as there are in Castle Town."
"...it doesn't really matter..."
"Why?" he looked at her.
"The stars in the sky....and the moonlight, are little protection against the demons of the night."
"huh?" He gave a small shiver.
She shook her head. "Never mind...I'm going to try and stay up.."
"Why?"
"Because...well...just because...."
".....okay..."
A few minutes later, Topaz shook Lin's arm gently. Her eyes saddened. "....oh...you're asleep.." She frowned. She sighed. She leaned back. Her eyes had started to get heavy about an hour ago, and they were getting a bit too heavy. Finally, she gave up and fell asleep...
"Huh? where....? Where am I...?" It was white everywhere. She looked around and noticed that she was floating around in the air, sideways.
"You are in the Sacred Realm...." a voice said. It sounded as if the slightest breeze would break it.
"I know that voice....who are you!?"
"I...I am you..."
"what...?"
"I know you think it is impossible.....but it is true....."
"Than show yourself!"
"That...I can not do...for I am in you......"
"Than how can I believe something I can't see?"
"do you believe yourself?"
"Yes..."
"Than you believe me. Now....listen....look to your hands..."
"Why..."
"Just do it."
She looked at her hands...palms...than backs... "!!huh?!"
"Yes....I know....the only way Hyrule may have a chance of surviving this evil this time... is if you take it..."
"No! I can't! No!! I knew it!!! You're just another one trying to make me take it!!! No!!!"
"Please Topaz...."
"No!! Go away!!!" she screamed and covered her ears. "Please!!!"
"You can not hide from yourself! It is who you are, it is what you are!!!"
She squeezed her eyes shut.
"uh..." She opened her eyes to see the sun rise over the houses. "Lin!" She shook him. "Lin, wake-up!"
"Huh!!? Wha...who....huh? Oh, Topaz...what's wrong?" He looked at her and noticed how her eyes looked. They seemed to change every second. Like, the first time he met her, her eyes were filled with happiness, wonder, and now...they seemed to be filled with worry, sadness, and....was she scared? It was like she knew something horrible, something that held even Hyrule on a string.
"Nothing...I just..." Her eyes relaxed. "nothing..anyway...you better wake-up...we don't need an oversleeping Prince right in the middle of Saria town. She smiled.
"Okay..."
"Anyway.....I think we better start heading to the stores, we'll need to get some supplies."
"Oh, yeah...right...Ganon...I forgot..." He slowly stood. "Than...let's go!"
She nodded. "Okay."
Ÿ
They stood right at the edge of the town. "Are you ready for this?" Toapz asked, not taking her eyes off of the horizon.
"I guess so..."
"No," she snapped. "Either you are, or you aren't."
"Oh....well...I gue...I'm ready. If my father could do it, than I can."
"Good." A huge gust of wind came and blew dirt everywhere. "A storm's coming..." she whispered. "Ganon has arrived."
Lin gulped. 'This....is going to be a really long week....most likely painful too...ohh...' They mounted their horses and left Saria town in the dust. No sooner than the sun went down, trouble started. Stalchildren appeared so thickly, they couldn't even move their horses, more or less dismount to fight with swords. They shot arrow after arrow at the advancing living skeletons. Soon, they ran out of arrows, and converted to kicking the stupid things as they rode past. The only thing that the children left behind, were rupees...which weren't of much help. Though when Topaz threw one at a Stal's head, it knocked it off and it rolled a couple of feet away. Finally, the sun came up and the Stalchildren left. "Uh....that..was a little crazy."
"I know...the further from the castle we get, and the closer we get to the Dark Realm, the worse the monsters...we'll probably see some Moblins pretty soon."
"And we'll have to fight them hand to hand...we're out of arrows."
"I know..Ruto town is the closest town, and that must be at least about a day or two away, and the way our luck is going so far, I'd say it'll take us at least a week."
He nodded. "Let me guess, and that's only if we run into small casualties...?"
She nodded. "You catch on quick. Anyway...we need some arrows.....I don't think it'll be too great of an idea to fight Moblins at our age and height, it's be a joke. They're at least three times as big as we are. Besides, I'm more comfortable with arrows at long distance."
"Heh...they may be big...but they're pretty stupid. My father said that they couldn't count to ten if their lives depended on it. And if you're so comfortable with arrows, if you hacked enough bushes, you could probably find some."
"You must love to listen to your father."
"I do. Besides, it's funny to hear how he made fun of Ganon." he smiled.
She smiled back. "I bet. Anyway...we better get going. The clouds over there don't look too happy....."
He looked at the clouds to the west, and indeed, they didn't look that good. They were pitch black, and even from where they were, they could see lightning. "Right....than let's start." He kicked Kiklare into a gallop, Topaz followed suit with Triph.
Ÿ
It was about noon, when the storm hit. The rain felt like bee stings against their bare skin. They had to keep their heads down and covered with the hoods of their cloaks. The horses kept their heads low to the ground and walked slowly through the wind that threatened to blow both Lin and Topaz away. They rode side by side holding each other's arm to make sure they stuck together. The only time they could see was when the lighting struck, and even then, they could only see a few feet. The thunder shook the entire earth, like Din was slamming her fists into it. It seemed like forever since the storm had started, and it showed no signs of letting up. At that point, they didn't care if they got lost, there was no where to go anyway....they just kept going straight. "This is ridiculous!!" Lin shouted over the thunder and pouring rain.
"I know!!" Topaz shouted back. "We just need to keep going..."
"We'll probably get lost before the storm lets up!"
"Don't worry!!! At least things can't get any worse!! Just be glad that we haven't run into any Moblins!!"
"Things can always get worse!!"
"How do you know!?"
"Heh....it pays off to have a father who's a hero!!"
"You have trouble looking on the bright side don't you!?"
"What bright side!? I only see black clouds, lighting, rain, rain....and more rain!!"
"Just be grateful!"
"Grateful for what?!"
"Be grateful that we aren't Ganon's minions!"
"Amen to the Goddesses for that one!"
"Yes, amen to the goddesses for that..." she whispered.
"HA!!" something cried right in front of them. The horses reared up and threw the two kids to the ground and raced off.
"You okay!?" Lin asked Topaz as he got up.
"I'm fine! What was that!?"
"I don't know! You tell me!!"
"Huh!?"
"HAHAHA!!!" the voice sang. "We caught a kids!!!"
"Duh...yeah!! We caught kiddies!!!" another voice sang.
Whatever they were, they were dumb...real stupid. "Kiddies!! Hooray!! We duh...gots kits!" a third sang along.
"This isn't good..." Lin mumbled under his breath.
"Uhaahhhh!!!" Topaz screamed as a big hand grabbed her and picked her up. "Let me go!!" she kicked and pounded.
"Topahhh!!" Lin was grabbed from behind. "Let us go, now!!" he ordered as he was slung into a bag, on top of Topaz.
"Ouch!! Lin!"
"Sorry!" he said as he tried to get off her.
"Ow!! Er..." she said as they repositioned themselves in the small bag.
He sighed. "Just great, we're not even a week into this trip, and we've had the most bad luck in all of Hyrule."
"Sorry Lin..."
"Sorry for what?"
"Getting you into this....if I hadn't of spoken up to your parents and Impa....we wouldn't be in this mess...I'm so sorry Lin!" she started to cry.
"Uh...oh...um..." he didn't know what to do. He sighed. "It's okay..you don't have to cry.. I mean...it's not your fault."
"Yes it is!"
"No it's not....now....please...stop crying."
"I can't help it, I know it's my fault." she sobbed.
He put an arm around her shoulders to comfort her. "Don't blame yourself...please? Please stop crying?"
She looked at him, even though they could barely see. "You're asking me to stop crying?"
"Yeah...or would you like me to tell you to? Or tickle you to death?"
She smiled. "I'll stop crying. I'm amazed at how calm you are during a crisis. You'll make a fine king one day Lin."
"Uh..thanks...my mother says I take too much after my father...so..don't be surprised if I all of a sudden get pissed."
"Lin! Is that anyway for a prince to talk?"
"Oh great....another mom..."
"I'm just kidding..." Whatever the bag was attached to, it started to move, sending their heads banging together.
"OW!" they said together.
"We should have been ready for that one..." Lin stated. "I wonder where we're going."
"Probably to a prison of some sort....." she shivered.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm just worried at what they'll do to us in that prison."
"Okay....so..waht will they probably do to us? Poison us? Beat us? What?"
"Well....I think they're evil."
"Evil? How can you tell?"
"Well...it's a feeling...when you can't tell from their eyes, you can tell by the way they act, or by your sense."
"By your sense?"
"Yes...few people know how....some people must learn how to feel the presence of evil, others, it comes naturally. Here...close your eyes, and concentrate really hard on nothing at all."
"okay..." he did as told. He felt something....it felt like something big, and heavy was creeping up his throat, chills ran up his spine, it felt like something was on his chest, something heavy. Then, he felt something close around his mind. He opened his eyes quickly. "Was that it?"
"Chills up the spine? Something heavy on your chest? Something creeping up your throat? Closing around your mind?"
He nodded, "Yeah."
"Than yes...that's it....evil. In time you will sense it without having to think of nothing, without having to close your eyes. And it gets worse. The worse the evil, the worse the feeling."
"Do.....do you feel it....?"
"Yes...I feel it often...in my sleep...."
"Hey, you know a lot about me, tell me about yourself. All I know about you, is that you have an older brother, a mother, a father, and that you know how to use a bow."
"I can't..."
"Please? I won't tell a soul, not even the Goddesses if you don't want me to."
She sighed and closed her eyes. "Okay.....it goes like this...
Years and years ago....after Hyrule was made....and the Goddesses had left and gone into the heavens, they made beings to manage the laws...
They made Saria, Sage of Forest, to manage the forests.
Darunia, Sage of Fire, to manage the fires.
Ruto, Sage of Water, to manage the waters.
Impa, Sage of Shadow, to manage the darkness.
Nabooru, Sage of Spirit, to manage the spirits.
and Rauru, Sage of Light, to manage the light.
With the Triforce able to make the sages of Wisdom, Power, and Courage, all the laws were managed, except for one. The law of Time.
Time...it is forever moving. It creates things, and kills things. Brings life, than death. It tells destiny when it will happen, and to whom it will happen to. It tells plants when to grow, when to sprout, and when to shrivel up, and when to drop it's leaves and sleep. It tells animals when to wake-up in the spring, and when to sleep in the winter. It tells cuckoos when to crow, it tells us when to get up, when to rest, when to eat, when to drink, when to have fun, when to be sad, angry, it tells us when to love.
Time is everything. And nothing managed it. Hyrule was still nothing but chaos. So.. the Goddesses, took pieces of their own flesh, and drops of their own blood, and put them together.. creating a small Triforce, small enough to fit into a child's palm. The necklace, in turn, created a spirit. A spirit of a woman, she wore the crown of the crowned princess of Hyrule, and a glossy white dress, with an apron that hooked around her waist by a golden chain. She had blond hair, as golden as the sun it's self. And when she opened her eyes, they were bluer than Lake Hylia. She was only a spirit....but still...she was the daughter of the Goddesses. She had Nayru's Wisdom, Din's Power, and Farore's Courage.
The Temple of Time was created, people came and went, the Royal Family flourished. They became a great power, and the Goddess knew, that one day, they would have a special role in destiny....for that is how she made it. She appeared one day...in the throne room, in front of the King of Hyrule. She told him, that she had been watching him, and that his family would be of great importance one day. And as a gift to him, she created the spiritual stones, and said to him, 'These are the three keys that shall unlock the Door of Time.' And then she created the Ocarina of Time, and told him, 'This is the key that shall open the Door of Time.' She played the Song of Time and said, 'That is the song that will alow the key to open the Door of Time.' Than at last, she summoned the Master Sword, and told the king, 'This is the key that shall lead to the Sacred Realm.' She held up one finger and said, 'One boy shall come one day, and he who holds the spiritual stones, and holds the Ocarina of Tme in his hands, and plays the Song of Time, shall open the Door of Time. Then he shall retrieve the Master Sword, but only one may carry this sword, one who opens the door in the name of peace, and takes the sword in peace. For the sword, has it's own will.'
Her task done, she left and placed the stones around Hyrule, and put the sword in it's pedestal. She then kept in the sacred realm, until one day, she was born. The little Triforce, was given the the babe shortly after birth, it was the Goddesses whom gave it to her.
One day, the girls family was killed by a mad man, she roamed Hyrule until finally, someone took her in. She grew up in their village, Kakariko.....and no one knew...or knows....
Even up until now....no one knows who or what, or even where she is. But now you do. And as for the necklace...." She pulled it from under her dress. "...I still have it. It's the only reminder of who and what I am."
"You're...you're a sage?"
"No....a Goddess, yes Lin, I am the Goddess of Time...and...another thing...something I promised not to tell. But every night, I am haunted by the demons in the night. They come in my sleep. That's why I'm afraid to sleep....I'm afraid to be alone...." She looked at him. "That's why I asked you to come. Please Lin! Please help me....you must help me put away Ganon, you're the only one who can."
"But why?"
"Because, you are a lot like me....you are destined to be a hero Lin.....like your father, only...much more complicated...."
"Duh!! Stoppy! We home!!" one of the voices said. The bag was lifted, and then it was even darker than before.
"Where...are we?" she asked and plugged her nose.
Lin did the same. "I don't know. But it smells nasty!"
Chapter two of The Legend of Zelda: Time
Disclamer: I don't own anything!! Except okay...maybe my sis DOES own all the new chars. in this fic, but we don't own Zelda.
"I'm...not sure I want to do this anymore...." Lin said as he lifted his hand and looked at the brown gooey mud slowly plop off his hand and back into the dark puddle.
"Neither do I..." Topaz said from behind him. She sounded as if she was going to throw-up. "but...we have to if we want to save Hyrule."
"I know...but..how is walking through this mud helping us?"
"It's a short-cut to Saria town. It'll save us at least two hours than following the road."
".....okay..." Niklare whinnied his impatience. "I know, I know...."
"At least the horses aren't waist-deep in this stuff..."
"Yeah...be happy you're tall Niklare.....yeow!!" The mud had just gotten deeper, it was now up to his chest.
"This is cold!" Topaz yelped. From the height difference, it was neck deep to her. "I'll drown if this mud gets any deeper!"
"Don't worry, as long as you can swim, it'll be fine."
"Swim? Heh! I almost forgot! But...it's kindda' hard to swim in thick mud while guiding a horse."
"I thought you always went through here."
"I do, but not after the rainy season."
"....you're one weird girl...fist, you come and tell me some odd story, then hug Impa, and now, you're dragging me through mud that only the Goddesses know what is in it, and..."
"And what?"
"Never mind...."
There was an odd noise that the two had never heard before. It sounded like a deep squeak. "What was that?" Topaz asked a bit frightened.
"I...'m not really sure...." Lin gulped.
Whatever it was made the same noise again...followed by a few more of the squeaks. "What was that!?" she asked pointing towards a tree.
Lin looked and there was nothing there. "Probably nothing..." he said it more to calm himself than her.
"What's that..!?!?!?" she shrieked pointing behind him. Niklare tried to rear-up, but the mud stopped him from doing so. Triph backed up.
Lin turned around just in time to see something brown in color knock him over the head with something. He saw black and heard Topaz's shouts then he heard nothing.
Ÿ
Lin woke-up to find that he was tied up to a tree. A fire was burning right in front of him. "....uh.."
"Shut-up!!" a brown creature that looked as though it were made of wood shouted slapping his knee with a stick.
"Eheehee.." he grimaced.
"You don't want the same thing happen to you as it did that girl..."
Lin gasped. Did they...no...could they? Have killed her!?!? "You.."
*SLAP! WACK!!* "I told you to be quiet!!"
Lin now had two long red marks across his face. "....."
"Lin!!!" an excited cry came and the next thing he knew, two arms were hugging him.
"Oh no!! Get her away!!!" he cried trying to get away thinking it was Gwen.
"...heehee!!" the girlish giggles started. "Oh Lin! It's me, Topaz!! Not Gwen!"
He stared at her in shock. Was she reading his mind? "I...how...wha---huh?"
She laughed. "Heehee!!These guys didn't mean harm! They were just protecting their territory! They thought we were from Ganon's army..."
"Us!? Kids!?!?!"
"Yes..." her face turned serious "even children are requited by Ganon." she spat his name. "He's a sick man...very sick. He needs to be killed, yes...killed. He mustn't be just sealed-up, he must be killed. Killing...such a harsh word for such youth....but it doesn't matter...he must be killed this time."
Lin was taken aback, was she talking to herself? It sounded as if she were talking to other people...people that weren't there. 'What in the name of Nayru did I get into? I'm I'm listening to a crazy girl..younger than me!! By the Triforce I'm stupid....'
Topaz turned back to Lin. "I'm not crazy...." she told him.
He looked shocked.
"I'm just.....different....much more than the sages or anyone care. They don't believe that someone like me exists...but I do...Impa, Sage of Shadow is one of the only ones who knows who I am...or what I am...it doesn't really matter.....let him go please."
The wooden things untied Lin. "I don't get what you're saying." he said to Topaz.
"No one ever does....what happened to your face?" she asked changing the subject. Right then, he noticed how much she tried to avoid his eyes, as if, if he were to look in them, he would see something horrible. 'Doors to the soul' was what his mother told him.
"Someone" he glared at the creature that struck him across the face with the stick. "Hit me with a stick several times."
She giggled. "You shouldn't hit the Prince!"
"The Prince!?!?!" all the creatures gasped and bowed.
"Now you did it..." he told her.
"....uh...sorry?"
"You don't have to bow...." he told them.
"But we do!!" one said.
He rolled his eyes. "Okay...tell you what...you tell us what you are...and why you're here, and stop bowing or...I'll have the guards come and set fire to you." it was harsh... but, he hated it when he got treated better than those around him because of his status.
They stood up quickly. "We are Deku scrubs! We are here because we were on our way to Saria town to trade goods, when an evil Gerudo man came riding by on his horse, and destroyed all our goods, his Moblin friends chased us all over the forest! Now, we are lost..."
"Lost? How can you get lost only an hour away from town?" Topaz asked.
"We're made of wood....wood isn't that smart..."
She tried not to laugh. 'At least they admitted it!'
"We were on our way to Saria town...that is until you knocked us out."
"We are so sorry Prince Link!!" it cowered.
"No more 'prince' calling please..."
"As you wish your Highness..."
"None of that either..." The scrub opened his mouth but Lin cut him off. "That includes your majesty too. And 'my lege', and exulted one."
"Yes....Link..?"
He sighed. "Good enough...where are our horses?"
"Over there." he gestured to Triph and Niklare, whom were grazing slowly on the grass in the small clearing.
"Good...we'll be one our way then..." he stood. "You may come with us if you wish."
"Thank you Link!!!" they all cheered.
Topaz smiled. 'No wonder his people love him so much. He's so nice to them. I'm going to hate having to do this to him.....'
"Something wrong Topaz?" Lin asked her.
She looked at him and stood up. "No, nothing's wrong." 'Sorry Lin....' "Come Triph." she called to her horse who obeyed.
Lin lead Niklare over to the mud's edge. He sighed, "What lucky scrubs, they can walk over the mud. Poor us, we have to trudge through it. 'Once more, our heroes'...er... 'hero and heroin step into the mud of doom....filled with...only the Goddesses know what.'" The two kids laughed. "Wow, what an exciting book that would make......I can see it now, 'The Adventures of the Mud Slayers'! Heh, that one would get us a medal...is this all we do? Run around in the mud, being knocked out by Deku scrubs? What an adventure..."
Topaz laughed like crazy. "I'm going to enjoy this journey! And yes Lin, we will fight and see more action...we'll be right in the middle of it!" She took a few deep breaths to calm herself. "Now....we better get this over with."
He had an evil smirk on his face. "Ladies first!"
Before she knew it, she was chest deep in the mud. "AAHH!! Yuck! Ew!! Lin!! There will be justice! One of these days, I'll pay you back! This is freezing!!! Triph, come!" The horse reluctantly went into the mud as did Lin and Niklare. They trudged on with the many lost Deku scrubs followed. Suddenly, Topaz stopped in her tracks.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing...." she smiled. "I can hear the voices of Saria town, it's close, no more than a mile away, let's go!"
Ÿ
They arrived in Saria town around 23:00. The scrubs left the two Hylians to themselves, giving their thanks in small joyous squeaks. The two sat down on a bench. "I'm so tired, I feel like a Poe..." Lin said tiredly.
Topaz nodded a bit. Lin could have sworn he saw fear in her eyes, but didn't dare ask. "I'm not that tired..." she yawned.
"Not tired huh?"
"Nope...not one...." she yawned again. "..bit."
"Uh-huh....and I'm chopped cuckoo.."
"You are?"
"heh...this is going to be one humorous trip." He leaned back and folded his arms behind his head. He looked at the stars. "Wow...the sky's beautiful..."
"Not for much longer I'm afraid..."
"huh? Why do you say that?"
"Ganon..remember...?"
"Oh..yeah..." he frowned. "I'm going to try to not think about it until morning...heh... there's not as many stars here as there are in Castle Town."
"...it doesn't really matter..."
"Why?" he looked at her.
"The stars in the sky....and the moonlight, are little protection against the demons of the night."
"huh?" He gave a small shiver.
She shook her head. "Never mind...I'm going to try and stay up.."
"Why?"
"Because...well...just because...."
".....okay..."
A few minutes later, Topaz shook Lin's arm gently. Her eyes saddened. "....oh...you're asleep.." She frowned. She sighed. She leaned back. Her eyes had started to get heavy about an hour ago, and they were getting a bit too heavy. Finally, she gave up and fell asleep...
"Huh? where....? Where am I...?" It was white everywhere. She looked around and noticed that she was floating around in the air, sideways.
"You are in the Sacred Realm...." a voice said. It sounded as if the slightest breeze would break it.
"I know that voice....who are you!?"
"I...I am you..."
"what...?"
"I know you think it is impossible.....but it is true....."
"Than show yourself!"
"That...I can not do...for I am in you......"
"Than how can I believe something I can't see?"
"do you believe yourself?"
"Yes..."
"Than you believe me. Now....listen....look to your hands..."
"Why..."
"Just do it."
She looked at her hands...palms...than backs... "!!huh?!"
"Yes....I know....the only way Hyrule may have a chance of surviving this evil this time... is if you take it..."
"No! I can't! No!! I knew it!!! You're just another one trying to make me take it!!! No!!!"
"Please Topaz...."
"No!! Go away!!!" she screamed and covered her ears. "Please!!!"
"You can not hide from yourself! It is who you are, it is what you are!!!"
She squeezed her eyes shut.
"uh..." She opened her eyes to see the sun rise over the houses. "Lin!" She shook him. "Lin, wake-up!"
"Huh!!? Wha...who....huh? Oh, Topaz...what's wrong?" He looked at her and noticed how her eyes looked. They seemed to change every second. Like, the first time he met her, her eyes were filled with happiness, wonder, and now...they seemed to be filled with worry, sadness, and....was she scared? It was like she knew something horrible, something that held even Hyrule on a string.
"Nothing...I just..." Her eyes relaxed. "nothing..anyway...you better wake-up...we don't need an oversleeping Prince right in the middle of Saria town. She smiled.
"Okay..."
"Anyway.....I think we better start heading to the stores, we'll need to get some supplies."
"Oh, yeah...right...Ganon...I forgot..." He slowly stood. "Than...let's go!"
She nodded. "Okay."
Ÿ
They stood right at the edge of the town. "Are you ready for this?" Toapz asked, not taking her eyes off of the horizon.
"I guess so..."
"No," she snapped. "Either you are, or you aren't."
"Oh....well...I gue...I'm ready. If my father could do it, than I can."
"Good." A huge gust of wind came and blew dirt everywhere. "A storm's coming..." she whispered. "Ganon has arrived."
Lin gulped. 'This....is going to be a really long week....most likely painful too...ohh...' They mounted their horses and left Saria town in the dust. No sooner than the sun went down, trouble started. Stalchildren appeared so thickly, they couldn't even move their horses, more or less dismount to fight with swords. They shot arrow after arrow at the advancing living skeletons. Soon, they ran out of arrows, and converted to kicking the stupid things as they rode past. The only thing that the children left behind, were rupees...which weren't of much help. Though when Topaz threw one at a Stal's head, it knocked it off and it rolled a couple of feet away. Finally, the sun came up and the Stalchildren left. "Uh....that..was a little crazy."
"I know...the further from the castle we get, and the closer we get to the Dark Realm, the worse the monsters...we'll probably see some Moblins pretty soon."
"And we'll have to fight them hand to hand...we're out of arrows."
"I know..Ruto town is the closest town, and that must be at least about a day or two away, and the way our luck is going so far, I'd say it'll take us at least a week."
He nodded. "Let me guess, and that's only if we run into small casualties...?"
She nodded. "You catch on quick. Anyway...we need some arrows.....I don't think it'll be too great of an idea to fight Moblins at our age and height, it's be a joke. They're at least three times as big as we are. Besides, I'm more comfortable with arrows at long distance."
"Heh...they may be big...but they're pretty stupid. My father said that they couldn't count to ten if their lives depended on it. And if you're so comfortable with arrows, if you hacked enough bushes, you could probably find some."
"You must love to listen to your father."
"I do. Besides, it's funny to hear how he made fun of Ganon." he smiled.
She smiled back. "I bet. Anyway...we better get going. The clouds over there don't look too happy....."
He looked at the clouds to the west, and indeed, they didn't look that good. They were pitch black, and even from where they were, they could see lightning. "Right....than let's start." He kicked Kiklare into a gallop, Topaz followed suit with Triph.
Ÿ
It was about noon, when the storm hit. The rain felt like bee stings against their bare skin. They had to keep their heads down and covered with the hoods of their cloaks. The horses kept their heads low to the ground and walked slowly through the wind that threatened to blow both Lin and Topaz away. They rode side by side holding each other's arm to make sure they stuck together. The only time they could see was when the lighting struck, and even then, they could only see a few feet. The thunder shook the entire earth, like Din was slamming her fists into it. It seemed like forever since the storm had started, and it showed no signs of letting up. At that point, they didn't care if they got lost, there was no where to go anyway....they just kept going straight. "This is ridiculous!!" Lin shouted over the thunder and pouring rain.
"I know!!" Topaz shouted back. "We just need to keep going..."
"We'll probably get lost before the storm lets up!"
"Don't worry!!! At least things can't get any worse!! Just be glad that we haven't run into any Moblins!!"
"Things can always get worse!!"
"How do you know!?"
"Heh....it pays off to have a father who's a hero!!"
"You have trouble looking on the bright side don't you!?"
"What bright side!? I only see black clouds, lighting, rain, rain....and more rain!!"
"Just be grateful!"
"Grateful for what?!"
"Be grateful that we aren't Ganon's minions!"
"Amen to the Goddesses for that one!"
"Yes, amen to the goddesses for that..." she whispered.
"HA!!" something cried right in front of them. The horses reared up and threw the two kids to the ground and raced off.
"You okay!?" Lin asked Topaz as he got up.
"I'm fine! What was that!?"
"I don't know! You tell me!!"
"Huh!?"
"HAHAHA!!!" the voice sang. "We caught a kids!!!"
"Duh...yeah!! We caught kiddies!!!" another voice sang.
Whatever they were, they were dumb...real stupid. "Kiddies!! Hooray!! We duh...gots kits!" a third sang along.
"This isn't good..." Lin mumbled under his breath.
"Uhaahhhh!!!" Topaz screamed as a big hand grabbed her and picked her up. "Let me go!!" she kicked and pounded.
"Topahhh!!" Lin was grabbed from behind. "Let us go, now!!" he ordered as he was slung into a bag, on top of Topaz.
"Ouch!! Lin!"
"Sorry!" he said as he tried to get off her.
"Ow!! Er..." she said as they repositioned themselves in the small bag.
He sighed. "Just great, we're not even a week into this trip, and we've had the most bad luck in all of Hyrule."
"Sorry Lin..."
"Sorry for what?"
"Getting you into this....if I hadn't of spoken up to your parents and Impa....we wouldn't be in this mess...I'm so sorry Lin!" she started to cry.
"Uh...oh...um..." he didn't know what to do. He sighed. "It's okay..you don't have to cry.. I mean...it's not your fault."
"Yes it is!"
"No it's not....now....please...stop crying."
"I can't help it, I know it's my fault." she sobbed.
He put an arm around her shoulders to comfort her. "Don't blame yourself...please? Please stop crying?"
She looked at him, even though they could barely see. "You're asking me to stop crying?"
"Yeah...or would you like me to tell you to? Or tickle you to death?"
She smiled. "I'll stop crying. I'm amazed at how calm you are during a crisis. You'll make a fine king one day Lin."
"Uh..thanks...my mother says I take too much after my father...so..don't be surprised if I all of a sudden get pissed."
"Lin! Is that anyway for a prince to talk?"
"Oh great....another mom..."
"I'm just kidding..." Whatever the bag was attached to, it started to move, sending their heads banging together.
"OW!" they said together.
"We should have been ready for that one..." Lin stated. "I wonder where we're going."
"Probably to a prison of some sort....." she shivered.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm just worried at what they'll do to us in that prison."
"Okay....so..waht will they probably do to us? Poison us? Beat us? What?"
"Well....I think they're evil."
"Evil? How can you tell?"
"Well...it's a feeling...when you can't tell from their eyes, you can tell by the way they act, or by your sense."
"By your sense?"
"Yes...few people know how....some people must learn how to feel the presence of evil, others, it comes naturally. Here...close your eyes, and concentrate really hard on nothing at all."
"okay..." he did as told. He felt something....it felt like something big, and heavy was creeping up his throat, chills ran up his spine, it felt like something was on his chest, something heavy. Then, he felt something close around his mind. He opened his eyes quickly. "Was that it?"
"Chills up the spine? Something heavy on your chest? Something creeping up your throat? Closing around your mind?"
He nodded, "Yeah."
"Than yes...that's it....evil. In time you will sense it without having to think of nothing, without having to close your eyes. And it gets worse. The worse the evil, the worse the feeling."
"Do.....do you feel it....?"
"Yes...I feel it often...in my sleep...."
"Hey, you know a lot about me, tell me about yourself. All I know about you, is that you have an older brother, a mother, a father, and that you know how to use a bow."
"I can't..."
"Please? I won't tell a soul, not even the Goddesses if you don't want me to."
She sighed and closed her eyes. "Okay.....it goes like this...
Years and years ago....after Hyrule was made....and the Goddesses had left and gone into the heavens, they made beings to manage the laws...
They made Saria, Sage of Forest, to manage the forests.
Darunia, Sage of Fire, to manage the fires.
Ruto, Sage of Water, to manage the waters.
Impa, Sage of Shadow, to manage the darkness.
Nabooru, Sage of Spirit, to manage the spirits.
and Rauru, Sage of Light, to manage the light.
With the Triforce able to make the sages of Wisdom, Power, and Courage, all the laws were managed, except for one. The law of Time.
Time...it is forever moving. It creates things, and kills things. Brings life, than death. It tells destiny when it will happen, and to whom it will happen to. It tells plants when to grow, when to sprout, and when to shrivel up, and when to drop it's leaves and sleep. It tells animals when to wake-up in the spring, and when to sleep in the winter. It tells cuckoos when to crow, it tells us when to get up, when to rest, when to eat, when to drink, when to have fun, when to be sad, angry, it tells us when to love.
Time is everything. And nothing managed it. Hyrule was still nothing but chaos. So.. the Goddesses, took pieces of their own flesh, and drops of their own blood, and put them together.. creating a small Triforce, small enough to fit into a child's palm. The necklace, in turn, created a spirit. A spirit of a woman, she wore the crown of the crowned princess of Hyrule, and a glossy white dress, with an apron that hooked around her waist by a golden chain. She had blond hair, as golden as the sun it's self. And when she opened her eyes, they were bluer than Lake Hylia. She was only a spirit....but still...she was the daughter of the Goddesses. She had Nayru's Wisdom, Din's Power, and Farore's Courage.
The Temple of Time was created, people came and went, the Royal Family flourished. They became a great power, and the Goddess knew, that one day, they would have a special role in destiny....for that is how she made it. She appeared one day...in the throne room, in front of the King of Hyrule. She told him, that she had been watching him, and that his family would be of great importance one day. And as a gift to him, she created the spiritual stones, and said to him, 'These are the three keys that shall unlock the Door of Time.' And then she created the Ocarina of Time, and told him, 'This is the key that shall open the Door of Time.' She played the Song of Time and said, 'That is the song that will alow the key to open the Door of Time.' Than at last, she summoned the Master Sword, and told the king, 'This is the key that shall lead to the Sacred Realm.' She held up one finger and said, 'One boy shall come one day, and he who holds the spiritual stones, and holds the Ocarina of Tme in his hands, and plays the Song of Time, shall open the Door of Time. Then he shall retrieve the Master Sword, but only one may carry this sword, one who opens the door in the name of peace, and takes the sword in peace. For the sword, has it's own will.'
Her task done, she left and placed the stones around Hyrule, and put the sword in it's pedestal. She then kept in the sacred realm, until one day, she was born. The little Triforce, was given the the babe shortly after birth, it was the Goddesses whom gave it to her.
One day, the girls family was killed by a mad man, she roamed Hyrule until finally, someone took her in. She grew up in their village, Kakariko.....and no one knew...or knows....
Even up until now....no one knows who or what, or even where she is. But now you do. And as for the necklace...." She pulled it from under her dress. "...I still have it. It's the only reminder of who and what I am."
"You're...you're a sage?"
"No....a Goddess, yes Lin, I am the Goddess of Time...and...another thing...something I promised not to tell. But every night, I am haunted by the demons in the night. They come in my sleep. That's why I'm afraid to sleep....I'm afraid to be alone...." She looked at him. "That's why I asked you to come. Please Lin! Please help me....you must help me put away Ganon, you're the only one who can."
"But why?"
"Because, you are a lot like me....you are destined to be a hero Lin.....like your father, only...much more complicated...."
"Duh!! Stoppy! We home!!" one of the voices said. The bag was lifted, and then it was even darker than before.
"Where...are we?" she asked and plugged her nose.
Lin did the same. "I don't know. But it smells nasty!"