"Link, please, stop blaming yourself for all this." Zelda pleaded.
"I could have saved them. I know I could have saved them. I could've gotten rid of the Poes, and even gotten Darunia and his son outta there faster," Link said, pacing around his room.
Link had returned from Goron City after telling the Gorons what had happened. Needless to say, they were now in deep distress. But it was nothing compared to how Link felt now.
"Link, it wasn't your fault, and you know it." Link didn't listen.
"If only I'd left Goron City sooner, I could've saved Kokiri Forest.if I had gotten to Kakariko sooner, I could have stopped the Poes, and gotten the villagers and Gorons out of there before Volvagia showed up." Zelda saw the anger in his eyes. "But that goddamned Saphira's always one step ahead of me! She knew I couldn't make it in time to save anyone. She killed Epona.killed Mido and Tarnia.and damn near killed Serpentina." Zelda knew his anger was swiftly turning into rage.
"Link, please." Zelda said. But Link grabbed a vase, and screamed as he threw it against the wall. Zelda jumped as the vase shattered into a thousand pieces, and as she looked at Link, his eyes seemed to go blank. He looked down, and his lip started to tremble. Suddenly, he dropped to his knees and began to cry. Zelda went over beside him and sat down. She put her hands on his shoulders to comfort him, and he leaned against her and hugged her. She hugged him back, comforting him.
"I just can't stop blaming myself, Zelda," Link whispered. "It's like my whole world is falling apart. Saphira's killing off my friends, and kidnapping those who are dearest to my heart, and.oh, Zelda, if she were to get you." Link pulled away, his eyes looking into hers. "I don't know if I'd be able to take it."
"Link, you're the Hero of Time. You can stop her. You will be able to rescue the Sages. And if she should get so far as to capture me, I'll be safe knowing that you will come to rescue me." Zelda said. Link smiled, and hugged her again. When they pulled away, Zelda pulled him up, and led him out of the room. "Malon told me that she wanted to tell you something. Something you might want to know."
"What is it? Is it about Epona?"
"In part, yes. It also has to do with the seven years that went by while you were gone." She took him downstairs, where Malon was waiting.
"Hey, Link." She said.
"Hi," Link said. "Zelda said you had something to tell me."
"Yeah, but.ya might wanna sit down first." Malon said. She led them over to the dining hall, where they seated themselves.
"Okay. Shoot." Link said.
"All right. I saw ya lookin' at that big black filly before Death Mountain erupted, and.well.if you were thinkin' that she's Epona's daughter.you're right. She is." Link couldn't believe his ears.
"She's Epona's daughter? For real?"
"For real. I'd better start at very beginnin', though. I apologize, but it's a bit of a long story."
"Go on. I'm listening."
"Okay. Just after the Castle fell seven years ago, I was outside groomin' Epona, and Dad was off deliverin' milk to Kakariko. Ingo was in the paddock, tendin' to the horses. Suddenly, three big horses showed up. Two of them were ridden by Iron Knuckles, and the third and biggest horse was ridden by Ganondorf. I can remember him lookin' at me, and dismountin', then kneelin' in front of me to talk to me. Scariest thing that ever happened to me. He asked me if Dad was at the ranch, because he needed to talk to him. I told him Dad wasn't there, but Ingo was. Ganondorf seemed to think that was okay, because he went to the paddock to talk to him. I tried to follow, but the Iron Knuckles blocked my way. I told 'em I just needed to put Epona in the paddock, and they let me through. I went in, and let Epona go as promised, and I saw Ingo lookin' at me. I pretended to look innocent, and I went back to the stables to do some milkin'. When I came out, Ganondorf had left, and Dad had come back. But as he was greetin' me, Ingo came over and said Dad had to leave-Ganondorf had taken over the ranch and handed it over to Ingo. And if Dad didn't leave, Ganondorf's followers would be sure to harm me, so Dad left. Ingo took over as ranch owner, and I became a stablemaid. During that time, Ingo allowed me to care for Epona and raise her, but for some reason he kept very close eye on her. When she turned four, however, Ganondorf returned, but this time, he told Ingo that his stallion, Kumate, was ready to find a mate. So Ingo led him into the stables, and told me to come along. They looked at each of the mares- apparently Ganondorf only wanted the best mare to be his stallion's mate- and soon they stopped on Epona. Ingo told me to bring her out, and I did. Ganondorf looked her over, and then he said the she was the one. "I can remember leadin' her out to the paddock with Kumate. At first, she didn't wanna have anythin' to do with him. But he was a beautiful horse, even though he belonged to Ganondorf. I guess it was just his beauty that attracted her. So one thing led to another, and that was that. Not long after, Epona was in foal. Ganondorf was very pleased, of course, and told Ingo that we could keep the foal if we wanted to. Pretty darn gracious of him, I say. But I took care of Epona from that point on.and Ingo even let me help her when she gave birth to her foal-a beautiful black filly, with a white mane and tail, same white streak and socks.Of course, Ingo was so happy, he decided to let me name her, too. I decided to call her Danka."
"Danka," Link whispered. A thought clicked in his mind for a moment.
"Yup. I named her after the late Queen of Hyrule, because she looked just like a queen. But anyway.three years later, Ingo came up to me, and told me to tack up Epona with her finest saddle-he was gonna to present her to Ganondorf. I couldn't believe that he would do such a thing, but he threatened to harm Danka if I didn't do as he said.so I tacked Epona up, and led her out to the paddock. Ingo told me we would be goin' to the castle to present her to Ganondorf later on, but in the meantime, I had to do my chores. Then.you came in." Malon stopped to look at Link admiringly. "You even played Epona's Song to me to prove that you knew me.then.you got Epona out of the ranch. I was so happy that you took her, Link, because I knew that she loved you, too. Ingo then became good again, and I took care of Danka. I knew you'd come and sweep me off my feet someday, Link."
"Yeah," Link said, blushing a bit. "So that's the story with Danka." Link's voice trailed off. He had a feeling he knew that name.but how? Malon said that that had been the name of the late Queen of Hyrule. He looked at Zelda, and saw that she had a slightly quizzical look on her face, too. He shook the thought out of his head. "Oh, I almost forgot-how's Serpentina doing?"
"She's fine," Zelda said. "She's still shaken from that encounter with Volvagia, and Malon here tended to her wounds, but otherwise, she's just fine."
"Good, good." Suddenly, a thought struck his mind. "Zelda, where are the villagers and Gorons?"
"They're safe, don't worry. The Graguns agreed to let the Gorons and villagers stay in the city, so they'll be safe. Quogar doesn't think Saphira will be attacking their city for a while."
"Thanks, Quogar," Link said. "How are the Kokiri doing?"
"They're still very upset. But the boy-what did he say his name was.oh, Remi-is doing a fine job of comforting them. They seem to like the castle, too."
"And don't worry, my dad and Ingo are all right. The horses are all okay, too." Malon added with a grin.
"Great," Link said. "We know that everyone's safe. But if only we knew who Saphira will be going after next! I know she'll be saving you for last, Zelda, but.what about Rauru, Nabooru, and Ruto?"
"Well, Link, I don't know. I'd say Rauru's in the most danger, as he's right there in the Sacred Realm with Ganondorf, but like you said, Saphira doesn't seem to be following any pattern. Forest, Fire, Shadow.she might have gotten Darunia and Impa because they lived close to each other, but she could be going after any one of the Sages now. But you're right on something else. She's always one step ahead of you." Zelda said. There was a pause, and Malon yawned and stretched.
"I'm gettin' pretty tired. I'm goin' to bed. See ya tomorrow." Malon said, and she left the room. But Link had a thoughtful look on his face. "I just don't get it. How does she know where the Sages are? She lives in Crastalyina.but then again, Ganon would have told her who the Sages are.But then.how could she have known what Epona looked like? Quogar told me that she tells arrows like the one that killed Epona who to hit, but Ganon probably never mentioned Epona to her.It doesn't make sense." Link said putting his head in his hands.
"Maybe you should pay another visit to Quogar." Zelda said. "He knows her, so he could tell you how she's doing this."
"Yeah. All right, I'm going to Draconiara. Tell the Kokiri I've gone out for a while-I have a feeling they'll be wanting to see me at some point."
"All right. Be careful."
"I will. See you later." And with that, Link ran out to find Serpentina.
"Why, Link! I had a feeling you would come, with the refugees that came in earlier," Quogar said as he greeted Link and Serpentina outside his castle.
"I need to speak to you about Saphira, Quogar." Link said, and Quogar knew that it was urgent.
"Come in and tell me what's troubling you." Quogar said, leading Link and Serpentina in the castle.
"Just after I left here, Saphira sent an army of Stalfos to attack Kokiri Forest. They killed the Kokiri leader and his fairy, destroyed the town, wounded the other Kokiri, and kidnapped Saria, the Sage of the Forest, and my old fairy, Navi." Quogar sat down in his throne, staring at Link in surprise.
"Go on."
"And just after I got the surviving Kokiri to Hyrule Castle, Death Mountain erupted. The soldiers and I tried to evacuate Kakariko, but Poes were causing trouble. Impa, the Sage of Shadow, tried to hold them back, but then I realized that Volvagia had awakened. I went up the mountain to get the Gorons out of there, but Volvagia got out just as Darunia and his son were getting on Serpentina. Then I saw that the Poes had gotten Impa and were taking her away. Volvagia chased us, but managed to get Darunia-the Sage of Fire."
Quogar leaned back in shock. "She's going after the Sages," Quogar said. "But it almost doesn't make any sense. Reviving Volvagia.having Poes kidnap Impa.killing your horse and ravaging Kokiri Forest." Quogar paused, and Link knew that he was trying to piece things together. Suddenly, Quogar's eyes lit up, and he snapped his fingers.
"I know how she's doing this.I knew by what you told me that the planning seemed too intricate.Link, this'll take a bit of storytelling to explain."
"That's okay. I'm listening."
"All right. When Saphira was being coronated as Queen of Crastalyina, she received two gifts, one from her people, and the other from us. The natives gave her a staff, made of rosewood and accented with gold. They used sapphires given from us, and at the head is a large sapphire. The whole staff was fashioned by us, but it was only proper for them to present a gift as well. The gift we gave her was an even larger sapphire. Now, you may think that's not exactly a good gift, but you see, the sapphires we give Saphira carry magic-the largest ones have magic of unimaginable proportions. The one that's on her staff is used as a weapon-she has magic powers of her own, so she transfers that magic to the staff, and can use the sapphire to kill. But the sapphire we gave her is even more valuable. See, it acts almost like a crystal ball-it speaks to Saphira, and it knows everything about everything. Not only that, but it also shows Saphira stuff by emitting an image ring-she asks to see something, and she'll be shown an image of that something."
"Are you saying that's how she knew what my horse looked like? And where Saria was?" Link asked.
"Yes. But that's not the worst of it. See, Saphira discovered a trait in that sapphire that we hadn't found before offering it to her-she can have it transport her to anywhere she pleases, even the Sacred Realm. My guess is that she used that confounded gem to transport her Stalfos to the forest, and also to get to Death Mountain so she could revive Volvagia and recruit Poes. I'd say that's how she's been planning these attacks."
"There's no way for you to tell what she'll be doing next?"
"I'm afraid not. Each gem we dig up is unique from the next-and the one we gave Saphira is one of a kind. If there was one like it, we could use it to see what she's been planning, but.we just don't have it."
"So what do I do? She's not following any pattern, as far as I can tell, and I don't know who I should try to protect."
"Well, my boy, I don't know what to tell you. I can say this-be on your guard. Saphira has fought in wars before, and she's an expert at coming up with good battle strategies. If I were you, I'd warn the other Sages so they'll know what's coming. The Gerudo should have some area to hide in-but if I know Nabooru, she won't give up without a fight."
"You know Nabooru?"
"Oh, of course. I've met with leaders from every region of Hyrule, and that includes Nabooru. But anyway, see what you can do with them. By the way, try not to have too many people come down here. If Saphira gets wind of where refugees are going, she may decide to attack again-although I strongly doubt that she would."
"Don't worry, Quogar. I know the Zoras and Gerudo well-I know they can figure something out. It's Rauru I'm really worried about.but thank you for your help, Quogar." Link said, shaking Quogar's clawed hand.
"No thanks necessary, Link. Just remember what I said and be on your guard."
"Believe me, I will."
"So, where do we go now?" Serpentina asked as they flew over Hyrule Field.
"Well, a good place to start would be Zora's Domain. Besides, I'd like to see Ruto again." Serpentina turned toward the river, and before long they had entered the caverns. Zoras pointed and shouted in amazement at the sight of Serpentina, but when they saw Link, they seemed reassured. Ruto was elated to see Link, and King Zora was very happy indeed. "Link, my boy! You seem bigger and stronger than when I last saw you!" King Zora said when Link entered his chambers.
"Oh, Link, I'm so happy you came! I missed you so much!" Ruto said as she practically jumped on Link and hugged him.
"Yeah, I'm glad to see you, too. Looks like the Domain is back to normal," Link said, grinning and looking around.
"All thanks to you. I hope you're not too upset about my dumping you, Link, but."
"It's okay, Ruto. I fully understand."
"Well, since Ganondorf is gone for good, at least we can still be friends."
"Yeah, um.that's what I want to talk to you and your father about-about Ganondorf, I mean."
"What do you mean?" King Zora asked.
"Well, you see, Ganondorf apparently has a fiancee in a neighboring country- Queen Saphira of Crastalyina, actually-and she's not too happy about Ganondorf's banishment."
"You mean someone actually fell in love with that troll?" Ruto said in disbelief.
"Ruto," King Zora said warningly. "Yes, I know of Saphira. Quogar of the Graguns told me of her when I met with him. Link, go on."
"Saphira's mainly angry with me and Princess Zelda, but she also wants to get rid of Hyrule. But she decided to start by killing my horse-"
"She killed Epona?!" Ruto cried.
"Yeah. And she also decided to attack the Graguns, because they'd broken the alliance with her country."
"Yes, yes, Quogar told me about that. Said that she hadn't given them anything for the contributions they'd made to her country, and had been visiting Ganondorf in the Sacred Realm somehow. Go on."
"Well, Quogar had me help get rid of the problems in Draconiara-that's how I got Serpentina here-and then I saw that Kokiri Forest had been attacked." Ruto gasped.
"I heard about that.but I didn't want to believe it." she whispered.
"Yes, Saphira sent her Stalfos army to attack Kokiri. When Serpentina and I got there, the village had been destroyed, the leader Mido and his fairy were dead, and the Stalfos had kidnapped Saria and Navi." Ruto clapped her hands over her mouth, and King Ruto looked shocked.
"Saphira went so far as to attack a village of children?" he said. "She's mad."
"That's not all. I got the survivors, along with Talon, Malon, Ingo, and their animals, to the castle, but as soon as I had, Death Mountain erupted. Zelda sent the soldiers to evacuate the town, and I went along to warn the Gorons. But a bunch of Poes got Impa, and Volvagia got Darunia as we were trying to get away from the mountain." Ruto was beginning to cry now.
"I can't believe it.why is she doing this?" Ruto asked.
"She wants to release Ganondorf," King Zora said. "So she's capturing the Sages, and trying to wreak havoc at the same time."
"And that's why I came. I came to warn you that Saphira might be after Ruto next. I know that Saphira won't want Ruto harmed, but I don't know what she 'll do to you and your people. I don't know how she'll go about getting Ruto, either-for all I know, she might have an army of Baris come in and attack the Domain." Link said. "All I do know is that she won't like it if Ruto's kept out of reach-that's why Kokiri was destroyed, because they tried to keep Saria away from the Stalfos. Volvagia nearly killed Serpentina when she tried to keep Darunia away from him. So be prepared for the worst." King Zora nodded.
"Thank you very much for warning us, Link. We're extremely grateful to you. We wil be on our guard for anything that may happen." King Zora said. "Keep in touch, Link, and tell us of anything that happens." Ruto said. "All right. Be careful." Link said, and he left.
"So that lousy woman is going after the Sages, huh? Didn't like her when I met her, and I still don't think any better of her." Nabooru muttered. Link had just traveled to the Gerudo Fortress to visit Nabooru, and had explained everything that had happened. "To kill a horse.that's one thing. But to destroy a village of children, that's absolutely heartless." Nabooru growled.
Link knew that Nabooru was very chivalrous, and hated to even harm women and children-and as a Gerudo, she considered killing horses to be a sin. She had been upset when he had told her Saphira had killed Epona, and had been enraged when he told her Kokiri had been burned to the ground. But hearing about the Sage kidnappings seemed to make her more anxious. "What I'm afraid of, Nabooru, is that you may be the one Saphira attacks next. I've already warned Ruto, but I don't know if Rauru knows about what Saphira is doing." Link said.
"Well, if he's in the Sacred Realm, he should, since you said that Saphira visited there. But then again, he might just be trying to lie low from Ganondorf. Although I don't think that'll do much good." Nabooru said. "And besides, do you think Saphira would attack the Gerudos? We're Ganondorf's family, for crying out loud!"
"Yeah, but you hate him, and he knows that. Not to mention you helped banish him to the Sacred Realm. Saphira won't care if they're innocent-she' ll kill them anyway if she has to. Don't expect her to leave you alone, because she won't. She plans to bring Ganon back to Hyrule, and she'll go to any lengths to succeed." Link said. Nabooru stared him in the eye for a moment, then sighed and put her face in her hands.
"You're right. Who am I trying to fool, saying that she'll leave us alone?" Nabooru said. "But how am I going to try to keep safe from her?" "I don't know. But what you should be worried about is how you're going to keep the other women safe. Like I said, Saphira will kill if she has to-so far, Mido and Tarnia are the only two people who have died since she started hunting down Sages, but I won't lie and say no one's been injured. But since this entire fortress helped me, I hate to think how Saphira will attack them."
"Yeah. But there's just one problem-the only shelter we have for emergencies is the Spirit Temple."
"That's fine. Only the Gerudo can get over there without any trouble, so that'll be a safe spot for you. But as for you.I don't know. It'll be a dangerous risk if you try to hide, because then Saphira will start hurting the Gerudos. She won't let her army harm you if they capture you, but-"
"Link, you're forgetting something. I'm a Gerudo-a trained swordswoman and thief. And if you know me, you know that I won't give in without a fight."
"That's what Quogar told me."
"Should've listened. I'll take your word for it, Link, and I'll make sure that the others are safe. But in the meantime, I will not resort to being captured." Link sighed. There was no arguing with Nabooru. She trusted him, yes, but she was very willful and stubborn.
"All right. But be careful, okay? I'd hate myself if you taken away."
"Don't bother, Link. You know I wouldn't like that. Oh, and by the way-I would try to get the Kokiri settled back in the forest. If Saphira suddenly decides to go for Zelda instead, you don't want the Kokiri to be caught in the middle."
"Okay. Thanks, Nabooru."
"Anytime."
As soon as Link got back to the castle, he was immediately greeted by the Kokiri. "We missed you, Link!" "Where were you?" "I got scared when you left, Link-I thought something had happened!" "Did you find Saria and Navi, Link?" Zelda watched with an amused smile on her face as he tried to get through the crowd. When he reached her, Remi sensed that Link wanted to talk to Zelda.
"Okay, guys, lay off him-he wants to talk to the Princess," Remi called.
"Come on, let's go to bed. It's getting late."
"I need to talk to you too, Remi. This involves you as well." Link said. Remi looked a bit surprised.
"Okay.uh.could Fado come, too?"
"Uh.I guess.why?" Link replied.
"Well, she's kinda my second-in-command," Remi said, rubbing his toe on the ground. Link had a feeling there was more to it than that, but he nodded.
"Sure, Remi, she can come."
"Okay. Fado! Come here!" Fado came over, her blond pigtails bouncing. Link took one look at her adoring grin, and realized that she was not only Remi's SIC, but also his girlfriend.
"Well, let's go to the dining hall and talk." Zelda said, and she led them to the hall once again. "Okay, Link. So what happened?"
"Well, I talked to Ruto and Nabooru. They're both going to try to lie low while keeping their people safe."
"Well, that's good."
"Yes, but there's something else, too. Fado, Remi-I think it's time that we got you back to the forest." The kids' faces fell.
"You don't want us here anymore?" Fado asked.
"It's not like that, Fado. Of course I want you to stay. But the thing is, if this mean evil witch lady suddenly decides to attack the castle, I don't want you and the others to be in the middle of it."
"Oh. But what about Malon?" Remi asked.
"I'll be talking to her, too. I know things are getting dangerous out there, but I don't think Saphira will be attacking the same places twice unless we provoke her." Link said.
"Okay. So when do we head back?" Fado asked.
"Well, I thought tomorrow would be a good day. Serpentina and I will take you guys there, and even help rebuild everything." Link said.
"Okay. Thank you, Link. Come on, Fado, let's go tell the others!" Remi said, taking Fado's hand and leading her to the room where the Kokiri were staying. Link watched them go, and looked at Zelda. Her soft, approving face gazed back at him.
"They were beginning to miss their home, you know." Zelda said. "They love having you around, Link-it gives them a sense of security-but a few of them told me they wanted to go back."
"Well, they got their wish. I'm sure they'll be a bit happier." Link said. Then he stood. "I have to talk to Malon. I'll be back in a while." He got up and went outside to the stables. Talon and Ingo had chosen to sleep in the castle, but Malon had chosen to sleep above the stalls-she hated to be away from her animals. He went up the ladder leading to the loft, where Malon was sitting at a table. She saw Link, and smiled.
"Hey," she said, standing and walking over to him.
"Hi," Link said. "Nice place you've got here."
"Yeah. So what brings you here?"
"Well, I wanted to talk to you. See, I realized that Saphira probably won't attack the same places twice unless we upset her, so."
"So you think my father and I should move back."
"Yeah."
"Link, we've barely been here for a whole day! And I... I'm afraid to go back."
"Malon, if Saphira attacks the castle, I don't want you and the Kokiri caught in the mix. The Kokiri are going back to the forest tomorrow, and I feel you should do the same."
"Oh. I see." She turned away. "So I guess we're not important to you, huh?"
"It's not like that, Malon-"
"I suppose you love Zelda more than the rest of us, huh?" She said this somewhat sharply.
"Malon.I love Zelda, but not so much that she's my girlfriend." Link said. Malon was silent for a moment, then spoke again, this time in a whisper.
"Link.I couldn't say it before.but..." She turned to face him. "I.I think I' m in love with you." Link was speechless. He'd known that Malon liked him, but.suddenly, he realized that he loved Malon as well. He stepped forward, and took her in his arms. She looked into his eyes, and he looked into hers.
"I love you, too, Malon." She smiled, and tears came to her eyes. She then hugged him, and he hugged her back. When she pulled away, he tipped her chin up, and lowered his lips toward hers. He kissed her gently, and within seconds he felt her arms come around his shoulders and his own wrap around her waist. Suddenly, Link realized that Zelda was probably waiting for him. He turned to Malon, who seemed to be reading his mind.
"I don't mind, Link. You can go. And I'll tell my dad that we can move back to the ranch." Malon said. Link smiled.
"Thanks, Malon." He gave her a kiss on the cheek, and left the stable. When Link returned to the castle, he reported to Zelda that Malon had agreed to move back to the ranch.
"Well, I'm sure she needed convincing. I know it's hard, Link. But we can' t risk them being hurt should Saphira suddenly attack us." Zelda said.
"Yeah, I know." He yawned, and stretched his arms. "Man, I gotta go to bed. I'll see you in the morning."
"Good night."
Meanwhile, Saphira had decided to make plans on her next capture. "Sapphire- what Sages are left?" she asked the sapphire. "Princess Ruto, the Sage of Water-she resides in Zora's Domain." The image ring appeared to show Princess Ruto. Saphira had heard of the Zoras, but she had never seen one before. "Rauru, the Sage of Light-he resides in the Temple of Light in the Sacred Realm." The image shifted to an old man in orange and red robes standing in what had to be the Temple of Light. "Nabooru, the Sage of Spirit-she resides in Gerudo Valley." The image shifted to Nabooru, and Saphira bristled. She had met Nabooru before, and they had not gotten along well at all, even though Nabooru had been Ganondorf's second-in-command at the time.
"Well, I'll take great pleasure in capturing her," Saphira said. "She'll be next."
The next morning, Link woke up to see Fado jumping on his bed. "Come on, Link, we gotta go to the forest!" Fado said excitedly.
"Okay, okay, I'm up!" Link said, grinning as he got out of bed. He shooed Fado out before he got dressed, and then went down to breakfast, where the Kokiri were so excited they looked ready to throw their food rather than eat it. After they had eaten, Link led them outside, where Malon and Serpentina were waiting. Link went over to Malon, who hugged him.
"Thank you, Link," she said. She stepped back, and helped the Kokiri onto Serpentina's back. Then she went over to her father, who waiting nearby with the animals. Link watched as she mounted Danka, and led the group to the ranch. Link sighed, and got on Serpentina's back, then flew her toward the forest.
Nabooru sighed as she looked out the window. It was totally silent outside and inside. Nabooru had sent her comrades to the Spirit Temple, as she had a strong feeling that someone would be coming for her soon. She paced around, and went to her quarters. She then went to a chest in the corner, and opened it. Inside was a beautiful sword. It was a lot like the ones that the other Gerudos had, but a bit bigger and heavier. She took the sword out, and wielded it in her hands. If anyone was going to come, she would be ready.
The other thieves hadn't been too keen on leaving Nabooru at the fortress. They had insisted that she go with them, but she explained what could happen if she tried to hide with them. Yes, they were skilled fighters, but she didn't want any of them to die because she had decided to hide. Nabooru left the room, and patrolled the halls. She decided to practice her stealthing skills while she was walking around, although this didn't last long-it was no fun with no one to practice with. She sighed, and turned around-and nearly jumped out of her skin.
"We meet again, Nabooru," Saphira said. She looked very formidable, and Nabooru knew that she was in for a rough morning.
"If it isn't Saphira of Crastalyina," Nabooru said through clenched teeth, clutching the handle of her sword. "Long time no see."
"I am not here to socialize. If you wish to remain unharmed, you will surrender immediately."
"Ha! Since when have you known a Gerudo to surrender? You should know better than that, Saphira."
"I'm warning you, Nabooru. I have a couple friends here who recently decided to join my ranks, and I don't think you want to mess with them." Nabooru heard the unmistakable sound of clinking armor and heavy footsteps. Within seconds, two enormous Iron Knuckles were standing behind Saphira, axes at the ready.
"Well, that's it! You can make yourselves at home!" Link said proudly. With a good deal of effort, he and the Kokiri had managed to rebuild everything that the Stalfos had destroyed. The Deku Tree Sprout was very happy to see the Kokiri back, and knew that Link was happy, too.
"Thank you very much for helping them, Link. You're their guardian angel." The Sprout said.
"Well, I've always a certain attachment to this place," Link said. But as the Sprout was about to say something, it frowned.
"Link.I sense a surge of evil.it is faint, but I can sense it.it's coming from Gerudo Valley." Link gasped.
"No.Nabooru! Saphira's gone after Nabooru! I'm very sorry, but I have to go!" Link dashed out, leaped onto Serpentina's back, and flew her straight toward Gerudo Valley.
Nabooru glowered at the two Iron Knuckles, who slowly twirled their axes in their hands. Then she glared at Saphira. "You can't scare me with these metalheads, Saphira," Nabooru said. "I'm a trained fighter. And I do not give up easily."
"Indeed. I know you are an expert swordswoman-which is why I recruited these two to help me in capturing you. Now, I didn't plan on having to fight you, but if that's the way you want it." Saphira snapped her fingers, and the Iron Knuckles stepped around Saphira and toward the Gerudo Queen. Nabooru went into a fighting stance, and got ready. She knew that Iron Knuckles were somewhat stupid, but very powerful at the same time. Not a good combination. The Knuckles stopped, as though giving her a chance to prepare herself. She grinned, and beckoned them to come forward. They came at her at the same time, and she found herself trying to remember the tactics for fighting two warriors at the same time. She tried hard to dodge their attacks, and nearly got slashed several times. But for some reason, they didn't seem to want to harm her. But why? This was a swordfight! She struck at them with all her might, but it was a losing battle-they were unfazed, and she was tiring. Soon, she tried a jump spin attack, but the Knuckles saw this coming-one of them grabbed her arms, and the other grabbed her feet. Nabooru screamed and hollered. Saphira laughed.
"Well, that's another mission accomplished. Let's go." Nabooru gasped as a bright white portal opened in the hallway, and Saphira entered it. She vanished, and the Knuckles started toward it. Nabooru screamed once more as the Iron Knuckles carried her closer to the portal.
"Stay right where you are!" A voice shouted. The Knuckles stopped, and All of a sudden, Link came flying through the window. For a moment, he was relieved that Nabooru hadn't been taken. But his relief swiftly turned to fear as he laid his eyes on the Iron Knuckles. For a moment, the Knuckles stared at Link, and he stared at them. He didn't know whether to strike, because they might use Nabooru as a shield. And apparently, the Knuckles were trying to decide whether to drop Nabooru and fight, or to forget this challenge and go through the portal. Suddenly, one Knuckle took Nabooru fully in his arms and dashed to the portal. "NO!" Link cried. He dashed forward to try to get her back, but all of a sudden the Knuckle hit him with the flat side of his axe, sending Link flying. Link slammed against the wall, and heard Nabooru scream his name as he blacked out.
"I could have saved them. I know I could have saved them. I could've gotten rid of the Poes, and even gotten Darunia and his son outta there faster," Link said, pacing around his room.
Link had returned from Goron City after telling the Gorons what had happened. Needless to say, they were now in deep distress. But it was nothing compared to how Link felt now.
"Link, it wasn't your fault, and you know it." Link didn't listen.
"If only I'd left Goron City sooner, I could've saved Kokiri Forest.if I had gotten to Kakariko sooner, I could have stopped the Poes, and gotten the villagers and Gorons out of there before Volvagia showed up." Zelda saw the anger in his eyes. "But that goddamned Saphira's always one step ahead of me! She knew I couldn't make it in time to save anyone. She killed Epona.killed Mido and Tarnia.and damn near killed Serpentina." Zelda knew his anger was swiftly turning into rage.
"Link, please." Zelda said. But Link grabbed a vase, and screamed as he threw it against the wall. Zelda jumped as the vase shattered into a thousand pieces, and as she looked at Link, his eyes seemed to go blank. He looked down, and his lip started to tremble. Suddenly, he dropped to his knees and began to cry. Zelda went over beside him and sat down. She put her hands on his shoulders to comfort him, and he leaned against her and hugged her. She hugged him back, comforting him.
"I just can't stop blaming myself, Zelda," Link whispered. "It's like my whole world is falling apart. Saphira's killing off my friends, and kidnapping those who are dearest to my heart, and.oh, Zelda, if she were to get you." Link pulled away, his eyes looking into hers. "I don't know if I'd be able to take it."
"Link, you're the Hero of Time. You can stop her. You will be able to rescue the Sages. And if she should get so far as to capture me, I'll be safe knowing that you will come to rescue me." Zelda said. Link smiled, and hugged her again. When they pulled away, Zelda pulled him up, and led him out of the room. "Malon told me that she wanted to tell you something. Something you might want to know."
"What is it? Is it about Epona?"
"In part, yes. It also has to do with the seven years that went by while you were gone." She took him downstairs, where Malon was waiting.
"Hey, Link." She said.
"Hi," Link said. "Zelda said you had something to tell me."
"Yeah, but.ya might wanna sit down first." Malon said. She led them over to the dining hall, where they seated themselves.
"Okay. Shoot." Link said.
"All right. I saw ya lookin' at that big black filly before Death Mountain erupted, and.well.if you were thinkin' that she's Epona's daughter.you're right. She is." Link couldn't believe his ears.
"She's Epona's daughter? For real?"
"For real. I'd better start at very beginnin', though. I apologize, but it's a bit of a long story."
"Go on. I'm listening."
"Okay. Just after the Castle fell seven years ago, I was outside groomin' Epona, and Dad was off deliverin' milk to Kakariko. Ingo was in the paddock, tendin' to the horses. Suddenly, three big horses showed up. Two of them were ridden by Iron Knuckles, and the third and biggest horse was ridden by Ganondorf. I can remember him lookin' at me, and dismountin', then kneelin' in front of me to talk to me. Scariest thing that ever happened to me. He asked me if Dad was at the ranch, because he needed to talk to him. I told him Dad wasn't there, but Ingo was. Ganondorf seemed to think that was okay, because he went to the paddock to talk to him. I tried to follow, but the Iron Knuckles blocked my way. I told 'em I just needed to put Epona in the paddock, and they let me through. I went in, and let Epona go as promised, and I saw Ingo lookin' at me. I pretended to look innocent, and I went back to the stables to do some milkin'. When I came out, Ganondorf had left, and Dad had come back. But as he was greetin' me, Ingo came over and said Dad had to leave-Ganondorf had taken over the ranch and handed it over to Ingo. And if Dad didn't leave, Ganondorf's followers would be sure to harm me, so Dad left. Ingo took over as ranch owner, and I became a stablemaid. During that time, Ingo allowed me to care for Epona and raise her, but for some reason he kept very close eye on her. When she turned four, however, Ganondorf returned, but this time, he told Ingo that his stallion, Kumate, was ready to find a mate. So Ingo led him into the stables, and told me to come along. They looked at each of the mares- apparently Ganondorf only wanted the best mare to be his stallion's mate- and soon they stopped on Epona. Ingo told me to bring her out, and I did. Ganondorf looked her over, and then he said the she was the one. "I can remember leadin' her out to the paddock with Kumate. At first, she didn't wanna have anythin' to do with him. But he was a beautiful horse, even though he belonged to Ganondorf. I guess it was just his beauty that attracted her. So one thing led to another, and that was that. Not long after, Epona was in foal. Ganondorf was very pleased, of course, and told Ingo that we could keep the foal if we wanted to. Pretty darn gracious of him, I say. But I took care of Epona from that point on.and Ingo even let me help her when she gave birth to her foal-a beautiful black filly, with a white mane and tail, same white streak and socks.Of course, Ingo was so happy, he decided to let me name her, too. I decided to call her Danka."
"Danka," Link whispered. A thought clicked in his mind for a moment.
"Yup. I named her after the late Queen of Hyrule, because she looked just like a queen. But anyway.three years later, Ingo came up to me, and told me to tack up Epona with her finest saddle-he was gonna to present her to Ganondorf. I couldn't believe that he would do such a thing, but he threatened to harm Danka if I didn't do as he said.so I tacked Epona up, and led her out to the paddock. Ingo told me we would be goin' to the castle to present her to Ganondorf later on, but in the meantime, I had to do my chores. Then.you came in." Malon stopped to look at Link admiringly. "You even played Epona's Song to me to prove that you knew me.then.you got Epona out of the ranch. I was so happy that you took her, Link, because I knew that she loved you, too. Ingo then became good again, and I took care of Danka. I knew you'd come and sweep me off my feet someday, Link."
"Yeah," Link said, blushing a bit. "So that's the story with Danka." Link's voice trailed off. He had a feeling he knew that name.but how? Malon said that that had been the name of the late Queen of Hyrule. He looked at Zelda, and saw that she had a slightly quizzical look on her face, too. He shook the thought out of his head. "Oh, I almost forgot-how's Serpentina doing?"
"She's fine," Zelda said. "She's still shaken from that encounter with Volvagia, and Malon here tended to her wounds, but otherwise, she's just fine."
"Good, good." Suddenly, a thought struck his mind. "Zelda, where are the villagers and Gorons?"
"They're safe, don't worry. The Graguns agreed to let the Gorons and villagers stay in the city, so they'll be safe. Quogar doesn't think Saphira will be attacking their city for a while."
"Thanks, Quogar," Link said. "How are the Kokiri doing?"
"They're still very upset. But the boy-what did he say his name was.oh, Remi-is doing a fine job of comforting them. They seem to like the castle, too."
"And don't worry, my dad and Ingo are all right. The horses are all okay, too." Malon added with a grin.
"Great," Link said. "We know that everyone's safe. But if only we knew who Saphira will be going after next! I know she'll be saving you for last, Zelda, but.what about Rauru, Nabooru, and Ruto?"
"Well, Link, I don't know. I'd say Rauru's in the most danger, as he's right there in the Sacred Realm with Ganondorf, but like you said, Saphira doesn't seem to be following any pattern. Forest, Fire, Shadow.she might have gotten Darunia and Impa because they lived close to each other, but she could be going after any one of the Sages now. But you're right on something else. She's always one step ahead of you." Zelda said. There was a pause, and Malon yawned and stretched.
"I'm gettin' pretty tired. I'm goin' to bed. See ya tomorrow." Malon said, and she left the room. But Link had a thoughtful look on his face. "I just don't get it. How does she know where the Sages are? She lives in Crastalyina.but then again, Ganon would have told her who the Sages are.But then.how could she have known what Epona looked like? Quogar told me that she tells arrows like the one that killed Epona who to hit, but Ganon probably never mentioned Epona to her.It doesn't make sense." Link said putting his head in his hands.
"Maybe you should pay another visit to Quogar." Zelda said. "He knows her, so he could tell you how she's doing this."
"Yeah. All right, I'm going to Draconiara. Tell the Kokiri I've gone out for a while-I have a feeling they'll be wanting to see me at some point."
"All right. Be careful."
"I will. See you later." And with that, Link ran out to find Serpentina.
"Why, Link! I had a feeling you would come, with the refugees that came in earlier," Quogar said as he greeted Link and Serpentina outside his castle.
"I need to speak to you about Saphira, Quogar." Link said, and Quogar knew that it was urgent.
"Come in and tell me what's troubling you." Quogar said, leading Link and Serpentina in the castle.
"Just after I left here, Saphira sent an army of Stalfos to attack Kokiri Forest. They killed the Kokiri leader and his fairy, destroyed the town, wounded the other Kokiri, and kidnapped Saria, the Sage of the Forest, and my old fairy, Navi." Quogar sat down in his throne, staring at Link in surprise.
"Go on."
"And just after I got the surviving Kokiri to Hyrule Castle, Death Mountain erupted. The soldiers and I tried to evacuate Kakariko, but Poes were causing trouble. Impa, the Sage of Shadow, tried to hold them back, but then I realized that Volvagia had awakened. I went up the mountain to get the Gorons out of there, but Volvagia got out just as Darunia and his son were getting on Serpentina. Then I saw that the Poes had gotten Impa and were taking her away. Volvagia chased us, but managed to get Darunia-the Sage of Fire."
Quogar leaned back in shock. "She's going after the Sages," Quogar said. "But it almost doesn't make any sense. Reviving Volvagia.having Poes kidnap Impa.killing your horse and ravaging Kokiri Forest." Quogar paused, and Link knew that he was trying to piece things together. Suddenly, Quogar's eyes lit up, and he snapped his fingers.
"I know how she's doing this.I knew by what you told me that the planning seemed too intricate.Link, this'll take a bit of storytelling to explain."
"That's okay. I'm listening."
"All right. When Saphira was being coronated as Queen of Crastalyina, she received two gifts, one from her people, and the other from us. The natives gave her a staff, made of rosewood and accented with gold. They used sapphires given from us, and at the head is a large sapphire. The whole staff was fashioned by us, but it was only proper for them to present a gift as well. The gift we gave her was an even larger sapphire. Now, you may think that's not exactly a good gift, but you see, the sapphires we give Saphira carry magic-the largest ones have magic of unimaginable proportions. The one that's on her staff is used as a weapon-she has magic powers of her own, so she transfers that magic to the staff, and can use the sapphire to kill. But the sapphire we gave her is even more valuable. See, it acts almost like a crystal ball-it speaks to Saphira, and it knows everything about everything. Not only that, but it also shows Saphira stuff by emitting an image ring-she asks to see something, and she'll be shown an image of that something."
"Are you saying that's how she knew what my horse looked like? And where Saria was?" Link asked.
"Yes. But that's not the worst of it. See, Saphira discovered a trait in that sapphire that we hadn't found before offering it to her-she can have it transport her to anywhere she pleases, even the Sacred Realm. My guess is that she used that confounded gem to transport her Stalfos to the forest, and also to get to Death Mountain so she could revive Volvagia and recruit Poes. I'd say that's how she's been planning these attacks."
"There's no way for you to tell what she'll be doing next?"
"I'm afraid not. Each gem we dig up is unique from the next-and the one we gave Saphira is one of a kind. If there was one like it, we could use it to see what she's been planning, but.we just don't have it."
"So what do I do? She's not following any pattern, as far as I can tell, and I don't know who I should try to protect."
"Well, my boy, I don't know what to tell you. I can say this-be on your guard. Saphira has fought in wars before, and she's an expert at coming up with good battle strategies. If I were you, I'd warn the other Sages so they'll know what's coming. The Gerudo should have some area to hide in-but if I know Nabooru, she won't give up without a fight."
"You know Nabooru?"
"Oh, of course. I've met with leaders from every region of Hyrule, and that includes Nabooru. But anyway, see what you can do with them. By the way, try not to have too many people come down here. If Saphira gets wind of where refugees are going, she may decide to attack again-although I strongly doubt that she would."
"Don't worry, Quogar. I know the Zoras and Gerudo well-I know they can figure something out. It's Rauru I'm really worried about.but thank you for your help, Quogar." Link said, shaking Quogar's clawed hand.
"No thanks necessary, Link. Just remember what I said and be on your guard."
"Believe me, I will."
"So, where do we go now?" Serpentina asked as they flew over Hyrule Field.
"Well, a good place to start would be Zora's Domain. Besides, I'd like to see Ruto again." Serpentina turned toward the river, and before long they had entered the caverns. Zoras pointed and shouted in amazement at the sight of Serpentina, but when they saw Link, they seemed reassured. Ruto was elated to see Link, and King Zora was very happy indeed. "Link, my boy! You seem bigger and stronger than when I last saw you!" King Zora said when Link entered his chambers.
"Oh, Link, I'm so happy you came! I missed you so much!" Ruto said as she practically jumped on Link and hugged him.
"Yeah, I'm glad to see you, too. Looks like the Domain is back to normal," Link said, grinning and looking around.
"All thanks to you. I hope you're not too upset about my dumping you, Link, but."
"It's okay, Ruto. I fully understand."
"Well, since Ganondorf is gone for good, at least we can still be friends."
"Yeah, um.that's what I want to talk to you and your father about-about Ganondorf, I mean."
"What do you mean?" King Zora asked.
"Well, you see, Ganondorf apparently has a fiancee in a neighboring country- Queen Saphira of Crastalyina, actually-and she's not too happy about Ganondorf's banishment."
"You mean someone actually fell in love with that troll?" Ruto said in disbelief.
"Ruto," King Zora said warningly. "Yes, I know of Saphira. Quogar of the Graguns told me of her when I met with him. Link, go on."
"Saphira's mainly angry with me and Princess Zelda, but she also wants to get rid of Hyrule. But she decided to start by killing my horse-"
"She killed Epona?!" Ruto cried.
"Yeah. And she also decided to attack the Graguns, because they'd broken the alliance with her country."
"Yes, yes, Quogar told me about that. Said that she hadn't given them anything for the contributions they'd made to her country, and had been visiting Ganondorf in the Sacred Realm somehow. Go on."
"Well, Quogar had me help get rid of the problems in Draconiara-that's how I got Serpentina here-and then I saw that Kokiri Forest had been attacked." Ruto gasped.
"I heard about that.but I didn't want to believe it." she whispered.
"Yes, Saphira sent her Stalfos army to attack Kokiri. When Serpentina and I got there, the village had been destroyed, the leader Mido and his fairy were dead, and the Stalfos had kidnapped Saria and Navi." Ruto clapped her hands over her mouth, and King Ruto looked shocked.
"Saphira went so far as to attack a village of children?" he said. "She's mad."
"That's not all. I got the survivors, along with Talon, Malon, Ingo, and their animals, to the castle, but as soon as I had, Death Mountain erupted. Zelda sent the soldiers to evacuate the town, and I went along to warn the Gorons. But a bunch of Poes got Impa, and Volvagia got Darunia as we were trying to get away from the mountain." Ruto was beginning to cry now.
"I can't believe it.why is she doing this?" Ruto asked.
"She wants to release Ganondorf," King Zora said. "So she's capturing the Sages, and trying to wreak havoc at the same time."
"And that's why I came. I came to warn you that Saphira might be after Ruto next. I know that Saphira won't want Ruto harmed, but I don't know what she 'll do to you and your people. I don't know how she'll go about getting Ruto, either-for all I know, she might have an army of Baris come in and attack the Domain." Link said. "All I do know is that she won't like it if Ruto's kept out of reach-that's why Kokiri was destroyed, because they tried to keep Saria away from the Stalfos. Volvagia nearly killed Serpentina when she tried to keep Darunia away from him. So be prepared for the worst." King Zora nodded.
"Thank you very much for warning us, Link. We're extremely grateful to you. We wil be on our guard for anything that may happen." King Zora said. "Keep in touch, Link, and tell us of anything that happens." Ruto said. "All right. Be careful." Link said, and he left.
"So that lousy woman is going after the Sages, huh? Didn't like her when I met her, and I still don't think any better of her." Nabooru muttered. Link had just traveled to the Gerudo Fortress to visit Nabooru, and had explained everything that had happened. "To kill a horse.that's one thing. But to destroy a village of children, that's absolutely heartless." Nabooru growled.
Link knew that Nabooru was very chivalrous, and hated to even harm women and children-and as a Gerudo, she considered killing horses to be a sin. She had been upset when he had told her Saphira had killed Epona, and had been enraged when he told her Kokiri had been burned to the ground. But hearing about the Sage kidnappings seemed to make her more anxious. "What I'm afraid of, Nabooru, is that you may be the one Saphira attacks next. I've already warned Ruto, but I don't know if Rauru knows about what Saphira is doing." Link said.
"Well, if he's in the Sacred Realm, he should, since you said that Saphira visited there. But then again, he might just be trying to lie low from Ganondorf. Although I don't think that'll do much good." Nabooru said. "And besides, do you think Saphira would attack the Gerudos? We're Ganondorf's family, for crying out loud!"
"Yeah, but you hate him, and he knows that. Not to mention you helped banish him to the Sacred Realm. Saphira won't care if they're innocent-she' ll kill them anyway if she has to. Don't expect her to leave you alone, because she won't. She plans to bring Ganon back to Hyrule, and she'll go to any lengths to succeed." Link said. Nabooru stared him in the eye for a moment, then sighed and put her face in her hands.
"You're right. Who am I trying to fool, saying that she'll leave us alone?" Nabooru said. "But how am I going to try to keep safe from her?" "I don't know. But what you should be worried about is how you're going to keep the other women safe. Like I said, Saphira will kill if she has to-so far, Mido and Tarnia are the only two people who have died since she started hunting down Sages, but I won't lie and say no one's been injured. But since this entire fortress helped me, I hate to think how Saphira will attack them."
"Yeah. But there's just one problem-the only shelter we have for emergencies is the Spirit Temple."
"That's fine. Only the Gerudo can get over there without any trouble, so that'll be a safe spot for you. But as for you.I don't know. It'll be a dangerous risk if you try to hide, because then Saphira will start hurting the Gerudos. She won't let her army harm you if they capture you, but-"
"Link, you're forgetting something. I'm a Gerudo-a trained swordswoman and thief. And if you know me, you know that I won't give in without a fight."
"That's what Quogar told me."
"Should've listened. I'll take your word for it, Link, and I'll make sure that the others are safe. But in the meantime, I will not resort to being captured." Link sighed. There was no arguing with Nabooru. She trusted him, yes, but she was very willful and stubborn.
"All right. But be careful, okay? I'd hate myself if you taken away."
"Don't bother, Link. You know I wouldn't like that. Oh, and by the way-I would try to get the Kokiri settled back in the forest. If Saphira suddenly decides to go for Zelda instead, you don't want the Kokiri to be caught in the middle."
"Okay. Thanks, Nabooru."
"Anytime."
As soon as Link got back to the castle, he was immediately greeted by the Kokiri. "We missed you, Link!" "Where were you?" "I got scared when you left, Link-I thought something had happened!" "Did you find Saria and Navi, Link?" Zelda watched with an amused smile on her face as he tried to get through the crowd. When he reached her, Remi sensed that Link wanted to talk to Zelda.
"Okay, guys, lay off him-he wants to talk to the Princess," Remi called.
"Come on, let's go to bed. It's getting late."
"I need to talk to you too, Remi. This involves you as well." Link said. Remi looked a bit surprised.
"Okay.uh.could Fado come, too?"
"Uh.I guess.why?" Link replied.
"Well, she's kinda my second-in-command," Remi said, rubbing his toe on the ground. Link had a feeling there was more to it than that, but he nodded.
"Sure, Remi, she can come."
"Okay. Fado! Come here!" Fado came over, her blond pigtails bouncing. Link took one look at her adoring grin, and realized that she was not only Remi's SIC, but also his girlfriend.
"Well, let's go to the dining hall and talk." Zelda said, and she led them to the hall once again. "Okay, Link. So what happened?"
"Well, I talked to Ruto and Nabooru. They're both going to try to lie low while keeping their people safe."
"Well, that's good."
"Yes, but there's something else, too. Fado, Remi-I think it's time that we got you back to the forest." The kids' faces fell.
"You don't want us here anymore?" Fado asked.
"It's not like that, Fado. Of course I want you to stay. But the thing is, if this mean evil witch lady suddenly decides to attack the castle, I don't want you and the others to be in the middle of it."
"Oh. But what about Malon?" Remi asked.
"I'll be talking to her, too. I know things are getting dangerous out there, but I don't think Saphira will be attacking the same places twice unless we provoke her." Link said.
"Okay. So when do we head back?" Fado asked.
"Well, I thought tomorrow would be a good day. Serpentina and I will take you guys there, and even help rebuild everything." Link said.
"Okay. Thank you, Link. Come on, Fado, let's go tell the others!" Remi said, taking Fado's hand and leading her to the room where the Kokiri were staying. Link watched them go, and looked at Zelda. Her soft, approving face gazed back at him.
"They were beginning to miss their home, you know." Zelda said. "They love having you around, Link-it gives them a sense of security-but a few of them told me they wanted to go back."
"Well, they got their wish. I'm sure they'll be a bit happier." Link said. Then he stood. "I have to talk to Malon. I'll be back in a while." He got up and went outside to the stables. Talon and Ingo had chosen to sleep in the castle, but Malon had chosen to sleep above the stalls-she hated to be away from her animals. He went up the ladder leading to the loft, where Malon was sitting at a table. She saw Link, and smiled.
"Hey," she said, standing and walking over to him.
"Hi," Link said. "Nice place you've got here."
"Yeah. So what brings you here?"
"Well, I wanted to talk to you. See, I realized that Saphira probably won't attack the same places twice unless we upset her, so."
"So you think my father and I should move back."
"Yeah."
"Link, we've barely been here for a whole day! And I... I'm afraid to go back."
"Malon, if Saphira attacks the castle, I don't want you and the Kokiri caught in the mix. The Kokiri are going back to the forest tomorrow, and I feel you should do the same."
"Oh. I see." She turned away. "So I guess we're not important to you, huh?"
"It's not like that, Malon-"
"I suppose you love Zelda more than the rest of us, huh?" She said this somewhat sharply.
"Malon.I love Zelda, but not so much that she's my girlfriend." Link said. Malon was silent for a moment, then spoke again, this time in a whisper.
"Link.I couldn't say it before.but..." She turned to face him. "I.I think I' m in love with you." Link was speechless. He'd known that Malon liked him, but.suddenly, he realized that he loved Malon as well. He stepped forward, and took her in his arms. She looked into his eyes, and he looked into hers.
"I love you, too, Malon." She smiled, and tears came to her eyes. She then hugged him, and he hugged her back. When she pulled away, he tipped her chin up, and lowered his lips toward hers. He kissed her gently, and within seconds he felt her arms come around his shoulders and his own wrap around her waist. Suddenly, Link realized that Zelda was probably waiting for him. He turned to Malon, who seemed to be reading his mind.
"I don't mind, Link. You can go. And I'll tell my dad that we can move back to the ranch." Malon said. Link smiled.
"Thanks, Malon." He gave her a kiss on the cheek, and left the stable. When Link returned to the castle, he reported to Zelda that Malon had agreed to move back to the ranch.
"Well, I'm sure she needed convincing. I know it's hard, Link. But we can' t risk them being hurt should Saphira suddenly attack us." Zelda said.
"Yeah, I know." He yawned, and stretched his arms. "Man, I gotta go to bed. I'll see you in the morning."
"Good night."
Meanwhile, Saphira had decided to make plans on her next capture. "Sapphire- what Sages are left?" she asked the sapphire. "Princess Ruto, the Sage of Water-she resides in Zora's Domain." The image ring appeared to show Princess Ruto. Saphira had heard of the Zoras, but she had never seen one before. "Rauru, the Sage of Light-he resides in the Temple of Light in the Sacred Realm." The image shifted to an old man in orange and red robes standing in what had to be the Temple of Light. "Nabooru, the Sage of Spirit-she resides in Gerudo Valley." The image shifted to Nabooru, and Saphira bristled. She had met Nabooru before, and they had not gotten along well at all, even though Nabooru had been Ganondorf's second-in-command at the time.
"Well, I'll take great pleasure in capturing her," Saphira said. "She'll be next."
The next morning, Link woke up to see Fado jumping on his bed. "Come on, Link, we gotta go to the forest!" Fado said excitedly.
"Okay, okay, I'm up!" Link said, grinning as he got out of bed. He shooed Fado out before he got dressed, and then went down to breakfast, where the Kokiri were so excited they looked ready to throw their food rather than eat it. After they had eaten, Link led them outside, where Malon and Serpentina were waiting. Link went over to Malon, who hugged him.
"Thank you, Link," she said. She stepped back, and helped the Kokiri onto Serpentina's back. Then she went over to her father, who waiting nearby with the animals. Link watched as she mounted Danka, and led the group to the ranch. Link sighed, and got on Serpentina's back, then flew her toward the forest.
Nabooru sighed as she looked out the window. It was totally silent outside and inside. Nabooru had sent her comrades to the Spirit Temple, as she had a strong feeling that someone would be coming for her soon. She paced around, and went to her quarters. She then went to a chest in the corner, and opened it. Inside was a beautiful sword. It was a lot like the ones that the other Gerudos had, but a bit bigger and heavier. She took the sword out, and wielded it in her hands. If anyone was going to come, she would be ready.
The other thieves hadn't been too keen on leaving Nabooru at the fortress. They had insisted that she go with them, but she explained what could happen if she tried to hide with them. Yes, they were skilled fighters, but she didn't want any of them to die because she had decided to hide. Nabooru left the room, and patrolled the halls. She decided to practice her stealthing skills while she was walking around, although this didn't last long-it was no fun with no one to practice with. She sighed, and turned around-and nearly jumped out of her skin.
"We meet again, Nabooru," Saphira said. She looked very formidable, and Nabooru knew that she was in for a rough morning.
"If it isn't Saphira of Crastalyina," Nabooru said through clenched teeth, clutching the handle of her sword. "Long time no see."
"I am not here to socialize. If you wish to remain unharmed, you will surrender immediately."
"Ha! Since when have you known a Gerudo to surrender? You should know better than that, Saphira."
"I'm warning you, Nabooru. I have a couple friends here who recently decided to join my ranks, and I don't think you want to mess with them." Nabooru heard the unmistakable sound of clinking armor and heavy footsteps. Within seconds, two enormous Iron Knuckles were standing behind Saphira, axes at the ready.
"Well, that's it! You can make yourselves at home!" Link said proudly. With a good deal of effort, he and the Kokiri had managed to rebuild everything that the Stalfos had destroyed. The Deku Tree Sprout was very happy to see the Kokiri back, and knew that Link was happy, too.
"Thank you very much for helping them, Link. You're their guardian angel." The Sprout said.
"Well, I've always a certain attachment to this place," Link said. But as the Sprout was about to say something, it frowned.
"Link.I sense a surge of evil.it is faint, but I can sense it.it's coming from Gerudo Valley." Link gasped.
"No.Nabooru! Saphira's gone after Nabooru! I'm very sorry, but I have to go!" Link dashed out, leaped onto Serpentina's back, and flew her straight toward Gerudo Valley.
Nabooru glowered at the two Iron Knuckles, who slowly twirled their axes in their hands. Then she glared at Saphira. "You can't scare me with these metalheads, Saphira," Nabooru said. "I'm a trained fighter. And I do not give up easily."
"Indeed. I know you are an expert swordswoman-which is why I recruited these two to help me in capturing you. Now, I didn't plan on having to fight you, but if that's the way you want it." Saphira snapped her fingers, and the Iron Knuckles stepped around Saphira and toward the Gerudo Queen. Nabooru went into a fighting stance, and got ready. She knew that Iron Knuckles were somewhat stupid, but very powerful at the same time. Not a good combination. The Knuckles stopped, as though giving her a chance to prepare herself. She grinned, and beckoned them to come forward. They came at her at the same time, and she found herself trying to remember the tactics for fighting two warriors at the same time. She tried hard to dodge their attacks, and nearly got slashed several times. But for some reason, they didn't seem to want to harm her. But why? This was a swordfight! She struck at them with all her might, but it was a losing battle-they were unfazed, and she was tiring. Soon, she tried a jump spin attack, but the Knuckles saw this coming-one of them grabbed her arms, and the other grabbed her feet. Nabooru screamed and hollered. Saphira laughed.
"Well, that's another mission accomplished. Let's go." Nabooru gasped as a bright white portal opened in the hallway, and Saphira entered it. She vanished, and the Knuckles started toward it. Nabooru screamed once more as the Iron Knuckles carried her closer to the portal.
"Stay right where you are!" A voice shouted. The Knuckles stopped, and All of a sudden, Link came flying through the window. For a moment, he was relieved that Nabooru hadn't been taken. But his relief swiftly turned to fear as he laid his eyes on the Iron Knuckles. For a moment, the Knuckles stared at Link, and he stared at them. He didn't know whether to strike, because they might use Nabooru as a shield. And apparently, the Knuckles were trying to decide whether to drop Nabooru and fight, or to forget this challenge and go through the portal. Suddenly, one Knuckle took Nabooru fully in his arms and dashed to the portal. "NO!" Link cried. He dashed forward to try to get her back, but all of a sudden the Knuckle hit him with the flat side of his axe, sending Link flying. Link slammed against the wall, and heard Nabooru scream his name as he blacked out.