Princess Zelda stood at the gates of Lon Lon Ranch, her cloak and hood wrapped tightly around her in the cool autumn dusk. Epona stood behind her, restlessly pawing at the ground. Having been excluded from the journey into the Sacred Realm had annoyed the horse to no end, and Zelda thought this clandestine meeting might help put her in a better mood.
Because that was certainly not true for Zelda.
Every minute she stood there, she became angrier than the minute before. Angry, anxious, and perhaps a little frightened. Even during the whole debacle seven years ago, she had only ever seen Ganon maybe half a dozen times. He was a phantom menace that haunted her nightmares and brought apprehension to her days. No, she was not looking forward to this meeting, and his being late angered her even further.
"Sorry to have kept you waiting, your highness."
Zelda and Epona turned at the voice, and watched as the Lord of Darkness stepped out of the shadows of the gate. His huge armored frame towered over her, and his golden eyes blazed with an inner fury. A wolfish grin spread across his face. "You know how it is; time flies when you're having fun."
"Obviously we have different definitions of 'fun'." Zelda's voice was cold and unmerciful. "I have come here to…"
"I see you brought the horse," Ganon interrupted, stepping up to Epona. The roan reared back and whinnied in hatred. "I always envied Link when it came to this beast. Truly a magnificent animal. But you were saying…?"
He was baiting her, hoping she'd lose her cool. Zelda didn't bite. "I have come here to tell you the terms of your surrender. You will remove all forces from western Hyrule and send them back to wherever they came from. You will return all stolen land and property you have acquired. You will stand trial before myself and the other Sages for crimes against Hyrule, including unlawful invasion, mass murder, terrorism…"
She was interrupted again, this time by Ganon's laughter. "Princess, princess, princess…" he chastised, as if scolding an incompetent child. "You misunderstand the purpose of this meeting. I did not come to listen to your pathetic attempts at intimidation, nor did I come to hear this comedy, as enjoyable as it is. I came here so that you might look upon he who will be your destroyer, he who will raze your precious country to the ground. We both know that surrender is not an option, and I am not so stupid as to believe you will ever do that. I know more about you than you can possibly imagine."
"I highly doubt that."
"As I thought you would. So I will explain. You know that it was I who commanded my brothers to send the messenger, which started this whole fiasco; so obviously, I knew the truth about yours and Link's lineage even better than your father. I also knew what buttons to press to get you both riled up and easier to manipulate. Why do you think I attacked all five races of Hyrule? Do you think I didn't anticipate that their leaders would all come at the same time, just in time to witness my return? Perhaps more importantly, did you think that I wouldn't anticipate this expedition to the Sacred Realm to defeat Necron and diminish my power? Why do you think I let the old bird live? You are all my puppets, Zelda, and the enjoyment I get from watching you dance is incalculable."
Zelda listened to this rant with a blank face. When he was through, she just stared at him. Then she began to giggle, then laugh. Epona began to snigger. The grin wiped itself from Ganon's face to be replaced by a scowl of fury. "And what, pray tell, is so funny little girl?"
"The thing about puppet masters," Zelda said between laughs, "Is that they never see entirely what the audience sees. Perhaps you should be watching exactly what your puppets are doing." Her laughter stopped abruptly, but a determined grin still remained. "If you know me as well as you claim, then you must also know that I would never expect you to comply with my terms. You would have known that I came here for another reason. Would you like me to explain it to you, little boy?" Fury clouded his features, and she continued. "I came here to examine my enemy, to search out any weaknesses. As a politician, it is something I am quite good at. And thanks to your little speech, I have found yours: you are nowhere near as powerful as you could be."
"What?" Ganon snarled through clenched teeth.
"I said you are nowhere near as powerful as you could be. Your constant teasing and taunts are no better than that of a childish bully. The skulls and whatnot. You are overcompensating for something, which I have just discovered to be your power level. If you were as strong as you claim you are, you wouldn't have stopped your army's advance. You wouldn't even have bothered with the west, the least populated part of Hyrule; you would have staged a coup directly upon the castle. You say that you knew I would never surrender, but if that were true then you wouldn't have wasted your or my time on this pointless meeting. No, you secretly hoped I would surrender. You have stopped your army because you are waiting for something, something that will make you all-powerful. My guess is that this has to do with something in the Sacred Realm, and as long as Link and the others are there, you know that there is a slim chance your agents there will fail. Just as you know there is a slim chance you will fail here. You aren't stupid, Ganon; you know that unless something is a hundred percent guaranteed, there can be no room for error. You are just as frightened of us as we are of you. And that is all we will need to win."
With that, Zelda turned away and started to mount Epona, leaving the Dark Lord to stand in his fury. He reached out and grabbed at her shoulder, only to be thrown back by a flash of golden light. "Do not ever try to touch me again," Zelda threatened from Epona's back. "And take all the time you need to await Necron's success. We'll have beaten your army by then." She and Epona looked down at him one last time.
"'See you soon'."
* * *
"It is a shame."
"What is, Mattalla?"
"To see all these delicious looking rocks and not be hungry for them."
Indeed, the cavern the six companions traveled through was practically glowing with any number of ores, glittering stalactites, and other minerals with light reflected from the fire Link held in his hand. Following Link's instincts, they had traversed from their camp into the valley, and eventually into a cave leading into the side of the cliff. Their trail steadily sloped downwards, and the entrance was far from sight.
"Just because you're not hungry doesn't mean you can't taste them," Shrike said. Mattalla considered this for a moment, then reached out and pulled a stone from the wall. He crunched on it for a moment then smiled. "Ahhh…the only worthwhile part of this journey." The others couldn't help but laugh.
As usual, it was Zakro who spoke what everyone was thinking, though perhaps a little less tactfully. "So, now that we're hopelessly lost in this tomb, does anyone have any idea what we're looking for?"
"We'll know it when we see it," was Link's only reply. He continued to lead them on, occasionally glancing at the glowing mark on his hand. He had been quiet ever since they entered the cavern, as if inwardly searching for something.
"I think we may have found it," Numaru said, a few meters ahead of the others. When they joined her, they saw what she was talking about. Towering over them, the top disappearing into the blackness of the cavern's roof, stood an iron door, blocking their path. The slab was covered with arcane writings and symbols. Level to their eyes was the symbol of the Triforce.
Malon stepped up to the door. "What does it all mean?"
"I can understand some of the words," Shrike said. "They're written in the dead language of the Sheikah. Impa had me study it. The others…"
"Here are some Zora words," Zakro pointed out.
"And some Kokiri," Link said. "It's a mixed dialect; a combination of all the different languages of Hyrule." He looked at the inscription underneath the Triforce. "Of each race one shall journey to Fate, through the Land of Now and Then. Destiny's hunger The One must sate, to bring peace to the Realms again. What could that mean?"
While the others examined other parts of the door, Malon continued to stare at the symbol. She absently ran her fingers over the engravings underneath it. In response, a loud tone echoed through the cavern. She quickly pulled her hand back and turned to find the others staring at her, weapons drawn. "S-s-sorry," she stammered. "I didn't mean…"
"Wait." Link looked down at the Master Sword. The blade was pulsing with a blue light. He sheathed the sword and stepped up to the door, placing his hand over the Kokiri part of the inscription he had read. Another tone played, this one with a different pitch. The others followed suit, putting their hands over their language, as different notes chimed through the air. When Shrike, who was the last, placed his hand on his section, the notes came together, forming a melody. It took Link a moment to recognize it as the Song of Time. The Triforce symbol glowed, and the door lifted off the ground, just as the Door of Time had done for Link eight years ago.
The chamber revealed by the door was brightly lit with a pale blue glow. The floors and walls were carved of marble, intricate designs painted onto them, and massive pillars marked their path. Link extinguished the fire and led them onwards. They walked forwards, slowly, almost reverently, until they came to a stone pool. The water was clear and still, and they could see their reflections in its surface. "That water isn't natural," Zakro said. "No liquid in Hyrule can reflect like that."
"You are no longer in Hyrule…"
The voice caused the companions to jump back from the pool, as the waters began to swirl and twist higher into the air. The liquid spiraled into the shape of a closed flower. When it opened, a globe of soft blue light rose from its center.
"Welcome, Chosen of Hyrule," the light greeted in a gentle, feminine voice. "Welcome, Hero of Time. It has been far too long."
"By Din's fiery arms!" Mattalla breathed.
"Who are you, spirit?" Numaru asked reverently. "How is it you know of us?"
"I know all that concerns with your quest in this land. I am the beacon for all holy travellers. I am the light that guards the Goddesses' holy artifact. I am the Sacred Fairy of Good."
Link stepped before the Sacred Fairy. "I…do I know you?"
The Fairy made a sound almost like a laugh. "Do you not recognize me? After all we have shared? I suppose this form can be a little daunting. Perhaps something you are more accustomed to…" With that, the ball of light began to take shape. It took the form of a young, petite woman with short, spiky blue hair and clear butterfly-wings growing from her back. Link's mouth moved, as if trying to form words.
"It…it can't be…Nav…Navi?"
"Hello, Link. I have missed you."
"This is Navi?" Malon asked, stunned. "Your fairy?"
"I'm glad you remember me Malon, because I haven't forgotten you. As for the rest of you, it is truly an honor. I've waited eight years to finally meet you."
"Navi," Link stammered, "What happened? I spent so much time looking for you…how…how did you become like this?"
Navi looked down at him, a gentle smile on her lips. "I am sorry, Link. You deserve an explanation." She spread her arms wide, beckoning for the others to come closer. "When we parted ways, I told you that with Ganon defeated and your heritage as a Hylian revealed, you no longer had any need with me. I told you that my destiny lay down a different path from yours. Do you remember?"
"I remember," Link said, eyes to the floor. "How could I forget?"
"After I departed through the window in the Master Sword's chamber, I heard my name being called. I returned to the chamber but you had already left. The voice was coming from the sword itself. In its blade I saw the faces of the Goddesses. They told me that my destiny was not yet fulfilled, that they had need of me in the Sacred Realm. They reached through the Master Sword and brought me here, to this very room. They gave me more power than I had ever dreamed of having, transforming me. They told me that the original Deku Tree had created me different from other guardian fairies. I was given knowledge on the weakness of enemies, knowledge of the wishes of the Goddesses, things that no other fairy possessed. The Tree knew that when I had helped you fulfill your role as the Hero of Time, that I would be needed for other matters. The Goddesses put me in charge of guarding the Triforce."
"I thought the Triforce split into three pieces," Mattalla said, "And that a piece of its power resided in Link, Zelda, and Ganon."
"True, a portion of the Triforce's power did bind itself to the Chosen Ones, but not all of it. The physical Triforce—the actual relic—remained, along with the remainder of its power. No one knew of this truth save the Goddesses and myself. That is, until Ganon joined his power with Necron's. Now he too is aware of its presence, and he has sent Necron to retrieve it. Once it is in his grasp, his power will be complete. Nothing will be able to stop him."
"Then we have to find it before him," Zakro said matter-of-factly.
"Easier said than done," Numaru pointed out. "We have no way of finding him."
"The mark on Link's hand will lead you. It will be your beacon."
"Navi," Shrike said, "How is it that Necron was able to survive all these years? Does time not run in the same path as our realm?"
"Yes," Navi replied, "Time does flow in a similar fashion. However, as Link has already discovered, travel between realms heals the body. And to answer your next question, no he does not travel back to Hyrule. Think of the Sacred Realm as a way station; the mid-point between the realm of the living and the realm of the dead. There is no going back, unless one can find a loophole, like Ganon did. With the aid of his head sorcerer, who was banished here along with the rest of Necron's army—including the rat-men you met—Necron makes periodic trips into the Realm of the Dead. His trips are instantaneous, lasting no more than a second, but when he returns his body is rejuvenated, as fit as the day he first arrived."
"So not only are we facing a man who nearly destroyed Hyrule, but on top of that we have a wizard and an army of mutant hybrids?" Zakro crossed his arms and frowned. "This just gets better and better."
"Navi," Malon said slowly, stepping before the fairy. "When we arrived here…in that castle…what was it?"
"That castle is the nexus for this realm, a joining of all time. You see, within the Sacred Realm, relics of all history coexist on the same plane of existence. That castle is a record hall, of sorts. The past, present, and future exist within its walls. That is how Ganon was able to follow Link's progress."
Malon continued. "But the statue…the graves…are they true?"
"…"
"Are they?"
"Yes." Navi's face was a visage of pain and sorrow. "They are true. Link will die this year, and there is nothing we can do to stop it. I do not know how, and I do not know when, but it will happen. You have no idea how sorry I am."
"No…" Malon sobbed, burying her face in Link's chest. "It's not…it's not…"
"I need to be alone with Navi for a moment," Link declared, handing Malon into Shrike's arms. The Sheikah nodded, and the others turned to follow him out of the chamber. When they were gone, Link turned to his friend, who had lowered herself down to his level. He couldn't help but smile. "I still can't get over how big you are."
Navi returned the smile. "I just wish you could have seen under better circumstances. If it makes things any easier, chances are good that Malon and the others will survive what is to come. But I cannot tell you how it all will end."
"It does help. Thanks." They stood in silence for a moment, neither wanting the other to leave. Link reached out and embraced her. "I missed you Navi. You have no idea how much. When I couldn't find you, I thought…"
"I know Link. I wanted to tell you…to let you know, but it was forbidden. But I have never stopped watching over you, Link. I sent you those dreams these past couple months. I tried helping you in the castle with the frost ogre…"
"I know," Link said, "I heard you tell me how to beat it." After a while he released her. "Thank-you, Navi. I never got a chance to tell you that."
"Me too Link. Me too. Now go. Your friends are waiting. And Hyrule. And I am truly sorry. If only there was something I could do…"
"I know Navi. And no matter what happens, you'll always be my friend. Who knows? I might even be seeing you again within the next year."
Navi laughed a little, but tears began to form in her eyes. She began to melt back into the pool, once again a ball of blue light. "Goodbye, Link." And then, she was gone.
Link stood there a moment longer. The words, "Goodbye, Navi," passed through his lips, and with that the chamber was empty once more.