Disclaimer: I do not own Zelda or anything I could be sued for
Italic = Saya thought
Bold = Ryu thought
Underlined = Link thought
As young Link entered the Market, he looked around him. Everywhere people were buying and selling wares and food of every kind, color, shape, and size. "Wow…Even though I've been here before it always amazes me." he said to Navi as they stopped a minute to stare. "This place is huge!" Navi gasped as well mocking Link's face. "Ha, ha," Link grumbled as he looked up at his fairy. "Very funny." Suddenly, Link was about to take a step forward, but then a man running with a sack on his back quickly flew past him almost knocking him over. "Hey!" he called, as the man didn't stop for an apology. "Jerk." But the two continued through the frenzy deeper and deeper. Looking around, Link sighed. "I guess it isn't so bad." He thought as he passed a food stand. Until,
"Hey kid, watch out! The cart!"
And Link blacked out.
***
"Uhm…" Link groaned as he gripped the ground under him. "Hey…" a voice said as smooth as water. "Are you alright?" Slowly, Link blinked his eyes open. "Hey you!" Navi's voice came over. "What do you think you're doing? Get away from him!" Again, the smooth voice, now a bit rougher exclaimed, "Hey! Come on, I'm trying to help!" Groaning again, Link slowly opened one eye. "Who…?" he asked as his focus slowly slid into view. "Where am I?" he asked. "Navi?"
"LLLIIIIINK!"
Quickly, Link felt a tiny fairy body press close against his forehead. "Link!" Navi sobbed. "I was so worried! A cart tipped over on you and I thought you were dead and when we pulled you out, you were bleeding and…and…!" As Navi once again broke into tears, Link sighed. "Navi…" he said reassuringly. "I'm fine, don't worry about it." As a flash of blue caught his eye, Link looked up. "Hey," he said to the blue flash. "Wait, who are you? Did you help me?"
Why did you help me? Is there something you want from me?
There, a small girl about his age with long bangs, yet short hair that came to her chin, and sky blue hair tipped at the bottoms with silver stared back at him with amber colored eyes. She was wearing a long sleeved shirt that obviously looked too big for her (the collar hung on her shoulders. Any farther and it would have been embarrassing) made of rough brown cloth and dirty tan pants that were also way too big for her. Her clothes also had a few holes and a rope was tied around her waist to hold her pants up. The only sign of shoes was a tip of brown showing at the end of her pants. "I see you're awake." She said with the same watery smooth voice. "So you don't need my help anymore." And with that, she turned away. "See you around kid." She said as she began to walk. Link stared a minute at the girl.
"Kid?!"
Excuse me? Kid?!
Navi looked down to see Link angrily stand and shout, "I'm not some kid!" he retorted. Angry too, Navi turned on the girl too and shouted, "Yeah, look at yourself! You're a kid too!"
The girl stopped.
Who the heck are you? Some kinda forest kid?
Who the heck are you? Some kinda market kid?
Link fixed his brows as the girl turned to meet his blue eyes. Slowly, she said, "I don't have time for you." And turned away again.
I have things to do…secrets to keep…
Furious at her insult still, Link shouted, "So I guess that means you don't think I'm worth the effort to help me? Why did you help me if you're so smart?"
Why help someone if you hate them five seconds later?
The girl only grinned to herself. "Because…" she said. "You need it." Snickering to herself, the girl quickly turned a corner and left Link alone.
You have no idea who you're dealing with.
"Why you…!" he growled as he chased her. "Come back here!"
Don't mess with me!
But as he turned the same corner he had just seen her in, he nearly ran into a brick wall. "What the…?" Link muttered as he stared at the wall. "You see?" a voice said above him. "You need all the help you can get!" Swiftly, Link turned his head skyward, to see the same girl standing on a roof. "You!" he cried as he glared up at her. "Take back what you said!" The girl only snickered as she sat down. "Or what?" she asked. "You're gonna run home to your mommy and snivel and cry about it?" she asked smugly. Link looked away as he felt a sinking sensation. "No…" he said. "I don't have a mother…"
A mother…she died…
Looking up again with more confidence at the girl's shocked face, he yelled, "And even if I did have one, I wouldn't need her to take care of you!"
No mother? Are you…one of us too?
The girl said nothing as Link stared angrily back at her. "You…you don't have a mother?" she asked amazed. "Are you…are you like me?" Link glared back in response. "I'd never be like you!" he growled. "You're unkind and…and you're mean!"
I don't really want to badly insult her…
But the girl laughed as she jumped down from the roof and landed gracefully in front of him. "And you can't come up with good insults." She grinned. "So…what's your name kid?"
Yes, what is your name? Is it from far away? Or are you from Hyrule?
Instantly before he could answer, Navi flew up in front of Link's face into the girls and said angrily, "He doesn't need to tell you anything! Right Link?"
Navi…
Link slapped a hand to his forehead.
"Link huh?" the girl said "Interesting name." But Link glowered as the girl only grinned back at him. "What's so interesting?" he mumbled feeling an insult was coming on.
Why do you care?
But the girl only shrugged and said, "Nothing. It just sounds interesting." Link sighed as the girl stared at him. Then, as if he were a bug, she poked him in the arm. "Hey!" Link cried as he grabbed his arm. "What was that for?" The girl snickered as she stared at the place where she poked. "You're a bit flimsy." She said. "You better get home. You won't last long out here after dark."
Hurry or it will be too late…then HE and his soldiers might get you…
Link glared as Navi shot up in the girl's face for a counter attack. "Oh yeah?" Navi cried circling around the girl's head. "Well…you…you're clothes are dirty!" But the girl grinned and stared at the blue orb flying around her head. "So?" she asked shrugging again. "You can't help it when you live here. No place to wash clothes."
I don't understand…
Link stared at the girl for a minute. "What do you mean?" Link asked as he let go of his arm. "Plenty of people here have decent washed clothes. And you say you can't? Why not?" Silently, the girl glared and she turned away. "You wouldn't understand." She said leaving Link to his thoughts. "People out there…yeah, they are able to keep neat…but for people who live where I do…there's not much of a choice."
We never have a choice of anything…
Following the girl out of curiosity, Link said, "Hey…what do you mean people who live 'here'? Where's 'here'?" The girl said nothing as she turned to a wall. Then, pushing on a brick, Link watched as the girl stood back and then the wall…
The wall slowly sank back to form a small hole large enough for a kid to get through. "If you want to know…" she said as she ducked inside. "Follow me." And then, she closed the brick barricade back in place as if nothing was there.
Will you come to learn my secret?
"Link…" Navi said as he stared at the hole. "Come on, we have more important things to do." But Link continued to stare at the brick wall. Then, without a word to Navi who was still raving about girls with too much attitude, he slowly went over to the wall. "And I think that…hey! Link!" Navi cried finally noticing he was gone. "What are you doing?" Link grunted as he pushed on the same place that the girl had done. "Following her." He said simply.
I want to know…
Then, with one more hard shove, the brick hole finally opened for him. Slowly crawling inside, Link looked around. "L-Link…" Navi whispered as they looked around. "It's cold and dark in here…" Looking around, Link could see a pole made of iron standing on in the middle of a long passageway that led even further down into the darkness. Below the pole, a flight of stairs could be seen. "Link…" Navi whispered. "Don't go down there…it could be dangerous…what if the girl's working for some evil force?" Link said nothing as he began to descend. "I doubt that." He said as he walked slowly down, not bothering to draw his sword. "Evil people generally want people with power and I doubt she has any. Gannondorf is gone, and nothing will happen. So don't worry." Navi only gulped.
She may be rough…but she is kind…
As he climbed farther down, Link stared at the damp walls around him. "Why is this pole here?" Link asked to no one as he climbed down. "Where does this lead?" After what felt like forever, Link finally saw a light up ahead and began to hear voices.
"I don't know…but I hear something bad is gonna happen…"
"What do you mean? Where did ya hear that from?"
"I heard that something with some guy in the castle is going to try to take over…"
Then the girl's voice came over them all. "Guys…we don't need to worry about what's going on in the castle. Let them do what they want, I don't care. By the way…I think we should be having a visitor soon…" Link slowly and cautiously walked closer to the dim orange light. When he came to the clearing, he gasped a bit. There, kids about five and ten were huddled around a fire in the center of something almost like a hollowed out cave, a window as the next source of light open to let the smoke out. In front of him with her back turned the blue and silver haired girl sat on an overturned box. "So…" she said not turning around. "You came." Navi gasped as she realized where they were. "Link!" Navi whispered to Link who was staring back at all the other kids. "They're abandoned children!"
Abandoned?
Link slowly looked around. About six kids were in that room, not including him. Two of them were frightened and were quite small as one gripped onto another boy and the other onto another girl.
So…you made it through.
So…I made it through.
The last kid was a boy whose purple bangs that were swept to his left were long enough to almost cover his left green eye and the other eye silently glared at Link. "Who are you?" he asked dangerously getting up and taking a step forward. "We don't allow outsiders." Link watched as the two small ones, both boys, one with black hair and eyes and the other with blonde hair and blue eyes like Link's gripped the older kids tighter. The two older ones, the boy, had dark brown hair and soft brown eyes while the girl had long red hair tied in a ponytail and violet eyes.
Is this your home?
All except the girl Link met previously and the boy who stood were sitting. "Calm down Ryu." The girl with blue and silver hair said as she too got up to face him. "He's with me." Ryu didn't move, but only deepened his frown at Link who inched nervously back.
"Look at that…" Ryu frowned. "Too scared to move or speak aren't you?" he asked. "Loser."
Don't think you're here to take my friends away!
Again, Navi quickly came to Link's "rescue". "What?!" she shrilled flying over and screaming in Ryu's face. "How dare you! I never! If I were a human, I'd go and beat you…!" Link sighed and turned to the girl he met earlier. "So…" Link began as he let Navi deal with Ryu. "What's your name?" The girl said nothing as she grinned. "So…you figured out my hiding place." She began. "You're braver than I thought kid." Link glared as he heard the word "kid". "I'm not a kid…" he muttered angrily. "I'm the same age as you." But the girl smiled. "I know." She said. "I figured we were the same. But that doesn't matter. What matters now is now you know. Now you know why we can't live like others. I hope you remember that." Link felt a stab of guilt as the girl walked up to him. "You may not be street wise," she said. "But you've got something. I don't know what it is, but, I like it." Grinning, the girl put her hands on her hips.
What is it about you? I can sense…you're a very special person…
However behind her, Ryu continued to glare at Link with poised hate. "Uhm…" Link began as he stared back at Ryu. "My name is Link…it's nice to meet you…oh!" Link looked down as he saw one of the small boys come up to him and grip onto his tunic. "Hello…" Link said as he smiled at the small boys big blue eyes. "My name is Link…what's yours?" Instantly, Ryu came up behind the boy and pulled him off. "His name is none of your concern." Her said coldly. But the boy smiled at Link. "My name is He-" But Ryu cut him off by saying, "No! Don't tell him!" Just as quickly, the boy fell silent.
He'll lead the others to us!
"His name is Heron."
Turning his head in surprise, Link looked to see the girl's grinning face. "His name is Heron. The other small kid is Refton." Both Ryu and Link opened their eyes in shock. But Ryu's shock quickly turned to a glare as he exclaimed, "How could you! Now he'll tell everyone where we are! You've sentenced us all!" But the girl sighed in response. "Ryu," she said. "He already know your name so it doesn't matter anymore if he knows everyone's." Then turning to Link and giving him a secret grin that Ryu didn't see, she said, "Including mine soon." The other girl and boy blinked at each other for a minute and then turned to Link. Gently, the boy got up and said, "My name is Genfor. It's nice to meet you Link. I am nine years old." The girl also stood in her long red dress that was a bit too big said, "I'm Serene. It's also nice to meet you." Link nodded his head in response and smiled.
Are you a god? Or a magician in training? Do you have magic powers?
"Okay Ryu…" the girl said, as she looked him in the eye. "Your turn." But Ryu turned away and said nothing but sat back down in his former place and glowered at Link. "Loser." He grumbled. Navi laughed as she flew around Ryu's head. "So that's you name?" she asked laughing. "Loser is your name? How funny!" Angrily, Ryu quickly waved a hand, almost hitting Navi. "Hey!" Link called as Navi flew over to him and hid under his hat. "That wasn't very nice!" But the girl shook her head and smiled. "Ryu's just mad…" she whispered. "He's eleven, the oldest, so he thinks he needs to watch us that's all." Link stared down as he shuffled his feet. "So…" he said as he turned to leave. "I guess I'll go…" but as he turned, the girl stopped him by catching his hand. "There's something I have to tell you before you go Link…" she said. "Come on…" As they left, Link caught a glimpse of Ryu glaring at him.
What is it?
Why is that guy mad at me?
Why does he have to be here?
"Is he always like that?" Link asked as they climbed the stairs. "Always so…" "Mean?" the girl finished. "No, he's real nice to us and he looks out for us…even if he is a bit overprotective." As they reached the hole, the girl suddenly turned grim. "Link…" the girl, said as she stared him in the eye. "I have to make you promise me something. Promise me you will never let anyone else, not even your closest friend, know about this place. Do you promise? We can't let soldiers know about us. They might take us away and break us up. Or because we have so many records…for stealing…they could…you know…get rid of us. One of the officers named Lencel has been after us for a long time now." Link stared back confused. "I don't understand why Lencel would kill kids for stealing," he said. "But I promise." The girl grinned and silently pulled out the brick wall piece and light poured through. "It was nice meeting you Link." The girl said as she watched Link exit the hole. "Maybe we'll meet again." Link sighed as he turned around and sat down on the floor to face the girl. "I hope so."
Water…flow through my fingers…tell me where to begin…
He said happily as he watched her. "By the way…your name…what is it?" The girl smiled as she began to put the brick back in place. "My name…is Saya…" she said. "And I hope to meet you again Link. Until then."
I do hope to meet you again somewhere in the far future…keep my secret from everyone…please…
And then Link was left alone.
Good bye…
***
A young teen named Lencel sat in his room, his hand over his eyes, lying back, enjoying the sun on his face.
"Sir."
Lencel looked up to see a soldier with his black armor waiting in the doorway. "I'm sorry to bother you," the soldier began as he saluted. "But we have evidence that the street girl, the one who we were to leave alone, she had the powers of water sir!" Lencel smiled as he stared out the window. "Excellent." He said as he got up and walked to the soldier. "Then we shall put our plan into action right away as soon as my meeting with Zelda finishes." Confused, the soldier looked up at Lencel. "But, but sir," the soldier said as he watched Lencel reach for a black cloak that hung on a hook near the door. "Why don't we just take the girl? We know she as the power to-…" but he never finished as Lencel angrily slapped his face hard, knocking him to the floor. "Fool!" Lencel hissed as the soldier on the floor held his bruised face. "Do you think I am stupid? We have to have a body to do the exchange when my father is released and the only one who will be that one exchange will be the older Link! Father made it specifically clear in his last will to me to have the Link when he was the same age as when he defeated my father! Are you doubting my father?" The soldier frightened, looked into blazing violet eyes that glared back at him. "N-no sir!" he quickly said. "I would never…" But Lencel only laughed as he stepped over the soldier and out the door. "I know what my father wants, slime. Do not question me again!"
***
Link stared ahead during the meeting with Zelda, her officers and soldiers by her side. "And now…" a smart looking official said as he bowed. "Sir Lencel!" As a young handsome violet eyed boy with long orange hair that flowed down to his shoulders entered, Link stood yet again, for respect. As Link sat his tired bored ten-year-old self down again, Zelda caught his eye. "Almost done." She mouthed to him seeing the obvious boredom on his face.
I hate meetings…
"Hello my fellow officers and princess…Link…it has come to my attention that after the defeat of Gannondorf…Link…" Lencel gave an all to sweet smile to Link whenever he said his name. "That there are still users of forbidden magic lurking around. Examples…We had the son of a giant Poe the other year, which…Link…so bravely defeated. Then there was the dragon and then the ghost, and then the witch lady, which…Link…bravely defeated them all. Now all that's left is Morpha, the water demon. We know that as a result of defeating the original demons when Gannondorf was in power, each one was able to make a replacement of them. As a result, instant demons destroying Hyrule, now, it's said that if any one of those demons can give their power to the newfound Dark Temple, the Evil King will be reawakened." At this, many mutters and whispers flew among the officers.
Gannondorf…
"Lencel!" Link said standing up. "If this is true then we need to kill them! I've already killed too many things in my life…" Lencel laughed as Link glared him down. "Oh naïve Link…" Lencel said as he got up to face him. "Don't you care? The demon can make a totally new person of their own. The only way to kill one of these demons is to hit them in the heart. Straight through…or else, you won't really kill them. So here's the plan…" Link only could sigh as he sat back down and Lencel smiled and continued. "We find the spawn of the demon, we can stop it. If Link can travel forward in time, the demon will either be coming to power or already has, so finding him won't be any trouble at all. Do we agree?"
***
Link sighed again as he and Navi slowly walked away from the castle, a letter for new plans on keeping evil at bay with them. "Wow, that took a while." Link said as he and Navi made their way down the market. "And it's almost night. I was hoping to get here earlier."
I wanted to see Saya again…
Looking up at the sky, Navi nodded in response. The sky was getting darker and the sun was fading in the distance. Navi grinned as she looked down at Link. "If I didn't know any better," she teased as she flew around his head. "I'd say you like this girl Saya you want to see her again." Link smirked and turned his head. "Why would I want to Navi?" he asked. "It's not like I will ever see her anyway."
Do I really believe that?
Navi grinned as she stretched her wings and flew under Link's cap. "Don't be so sure." She said teasingly. "Look up." Link looked up to see a blue figure sitting on a roof, staring at the moon with a bag next to her.
It's you…
"Saya…" Link breathed as he watched her. Then before he knew what he was doing, Link found himself climbing up the house to see her. "Saya!" he called to her, as she paid no attention to him. "Saya…" Link struggled as he finally managed to climb over the house and onto the roof. "Saya, what are you doing here?"
It's you…
Saya turned to face him. "Link…" she said as she stared at him with her amber eyes. "So, we meet again." She said as she watched Link stare back at her. "How are you Link? Where did you go?"
Did you go some place magical where people like me could only dream about?
Link sighed as he walked up to her and sat down next to her. "Places." He said as he stared up at the full white moon. "And I've met…people."
I don't want to hurt your feelings…
Inside his hat, Navi whispered, "Good call, maybe you shouldn't tell her about royalty. It might hurt her feelings…being abandoned and all…" Saya nodded as she too turned her gaze to the moon. A few minutes passed without either of them saying anything, until Saya finally said, "Hey Link, do want to see something cool?"
If you're as special as I sense you are…I trust you with my biggest secret…
Link turned to Saya, her eyes shining in the moonlight. "Uh…sure…" Link said warily. Nodding, Saya gently put her fingers together and concentrated for a minute. Then, to Link's amazement, when she pulled them apart, a glassy water-like liquid glistened from them connecting finger to finger and floated in the air.
Water…
"Wow!" Link exclaimed as he watched the water shimmer in the moonlight. "That's incredible! How do you do that?" Saya nodded smiling as she closed her fingers together and then reopened them, the water gone. "I don't know." She admitted. "I've been able to do this for as far back as I can remember and no one else I've met before can. It's magic…" Link watched as Saya closed one hand and then opened it to reveal a orb of glassy water with a slight pink and blue aurora floating above her hand. As she tipped her hand over, Link stared as water began to trickle out of the rapidly shrinking orb and disappear back into Saya's other hand stretched out under the orb.
I'm going to give you something…
Link stared at Saya for a minute. "Saya…" he began. "I wish I had something to give you as a friendship token…because I…"
I care about you…we're friends now…
Saya shook her head as Link blushed with embarrassment. "Don't worry Link." Saya said as she closed her hand into a fist. "You've already given me your friendship and that's all I need. Here…" Pulling out a bottle from the bag, Saya smiled. "I want you to have this…" she said as she opened her fist to reveal a small water orb, perfectly round and smooth. "If you keep it in this bottle full of water then it can last forever. Eventually, if it's been in good condition, it'll keep without the water. Take care of it and it will always be with you."
Will you keep it close?
I can have this…?
Placing the orb in the bottle and putting some water from her hand into the bottle as well, Saya securely closed the lid and handed it Link. "Now…you have something from me." She said happily and sadly. "I sensed that you would be coming here to say good bye. Your eyes reflected your emotions to me." Link smiled as he stared at the little orb roll around lazily in the bottle. "Thank you Saya…" Link said as he watched the moon glint off the orb and into the sky sending a rainbow of colors off it onto him. "I promise to keep it close to me always."
I trust you…
I'll keep it near me…at all times…
Smiling back, Saya brushed some of her long bangs away as the wind blew. "Link…" she said as she stared at him. "Don't forget." Then, without warning, Saya jumped up and kissed Link's cheek. "Here's one for the road." She grinned as Link stumbled back a bit shocked. Saya smiled and winked. "And next time we meet, I'll give you one to seal the friendship, ok?"
Don't forget me…
Don't forget me…
Link smiled back as he got up and began to walk away. "Okay!" he said. "I'll be back to see you again." As Link walked away, he sighed. "I guess I better go to the Temple of Time…"
Good bye Saya…see you in seven years…what will you look like?
As Link jumped down and began to walk away, in the shadows, Ryu glared hard, watching the Hero of Time walk away from Saya, who thoughtfully watched him go.
Why?