Lines of Destiny

by MysticMew

Hyrule is at war. When two old enemies join to bring true darkness over the land, can the rivaling races once again find together and fight them or is the downfall of Hyrule already written in stone? (Link/Saria) PG-13-R. (Chapter 3 is up!)

2. Lost Innocence

Title: Lines of Destiny (2/?)

Author: Matthias aka MysticMew

Rating: PG-13 (I guess)

Pairing: Link/Saria, otherwise none specified at the moment

Spoilers: Places and people from TOoT and Majora, but you wouldn't read it if you didn't play the games, right?

Summary: Hyrule is at war. When two old enemies join to bring true darkness over the land, can the rivaling races once again come together and fight them or is the downfall of Hyrule already written in stone?

Chapter Two: Lost Innocence

Stone Tower, Ikana – The Realm of Termina (Saria)

Groaning, I felt life return to me. My vision was still blurry and my whole body ached. I could feel the cold metal around my wrists and, on impulse, weakly struggled to get free. On top of all of that I felt… different. Not my mind or spirit, but my body. I recalled that I had grown a few inches when the barrier collapsed but had shrugged it off as an aftereffect. Finally, I managed to clear my field of vision and almost wished I could go back into blissful unconsciousness.

My experienced eyes took in my surroundings. I was held captive in a dark, cold chamber of some sorts, maybe in a fortress, most positively in some sort of castle – it was the style of evil people like Ganondorf. Ganondorf… He was there with me and this fact alone sent an ice cold shiver down my spine that took a really long way to reach the bottom as I noticed but could not comprehend at the moment.

"Ah, so you're finally awake from your slumber." Ganondorf rose from his chair at the table in the middle of the room. My trained sage eyes noticed all sorts of potions, herbs and other magical items. Most of them seemed harmless to the innocent bystander though they were tools of dark mages in more than one case. Most of what I saw I didn't even thought the former, long denounced Gerudo King was capable of. I felt a strange sensation as if I felt a hidden presence somewhere in this room but there was nothing. The chamber was completely vacant of anyone but Ganondorf and myself. A very unpleasant thought. Very unpleasant indeed.

"I'm glad that we finally meet in person, my young sage. You bear a great interest to me after all, as a close friend of my hated rival." There was no mistaking in how glad he was to meet me. It surprised me though that I didn't scream right away and somehow managed to remain calm about the whole situation. I knew there was not much of a chance that I would survive this and even if, there was absolutely no chance of getting out of this unharmed – either physically or with deep emotional scars that would take a long time to heal. Zelda told me enough to be certain.

"Such vicious thoughts," Ganondorf chuckled to himself although I could by Farore not find anything funny about the whole thing. He fixed me with his cold yellow eyes and I felt my body yet again shiver in a creepy sensation. Briefly I wondered, why exactly I still lived and was unhurt as much as I could tell from my position. "Yes, I see now, why my rival desires you so much. I was a fool not to see the signs the first time I met you through my phantom. A cursed child indeed, in more than one sense. But I will make sure that you will forget all about him soon, my mate."

I blinked questioningly and wondered what exactly he meant by this and if I really wanted to know. With a look of shock, I noticed that the evil sorcerer now stood right in front of me with an expression of what I could only describe as maniacal joy. I shuddered when he reached out with one gloved hand and lightly tapped me on the forehead, a cruel smile forming in his face that all but put me at ease at the closeness of the Evil King. "You have been marked by one the Goddesses," he stated without much emotion in his voice. "Even better. You will make a formidable bearer of my spawn." I must have gaped at that and when I felt his finger slowly travel down the side of my face not stopping when he reached my neck and upper body, I trembled. The touch caused a strange, aggravating sensation, not a pleasant one, mind you. His hands were roaming my body in rather private places and I felt myself squirming under his touch. And then, with a dawning realization, I finally looked down at myself and confirmed both a fear and a hope that had grown with my feelings for Link. An adult body. I had grown to a physical age about the same as Link's. And suddenly the implications of the word "mate" became very clear.

With a rising terror I tried to avoid eye contact with my abductor when he forcefully raised my chin with one hand to look at me. His eerie eyes bore into me and I wished desperately that I could just die. "You soon will know your place and when Link finally finds me, I will swim in the emotion of vengeance. Because, child… You are his greatest weakness and when I'm through with you, it will crush him."

And I knew he was right. With every point he was right. I always knew whether or not I admitted it. Link and I depended on each other – like flowers need the sun to live, like a human needs air to breath, like one soul needs its other half to be complete. And there was only one thing that I could still hope now. That Link would never ever find me because when he did, the revelation of what Ganondorf would do to me would certainly destroy him. Link… I miserably thought. Please forget me. And I also knew how big that chance was – almost absolutely zero.

Fields of Termina (Tatl)

Depressed, I flew through the fields surrounding Clock Town, which separated the quite unusual city from the other lands. I had never felt so lonely before. Everything had crumpled in the space of mere seconds with the encounter between my brother, Skull Kid, myself and the dark wizard. It was foolish, I realized now, foolish to even think that we could rescue the fairy child from the clutches of a magnificent powerful sorcerer. A wielder of the dark arts and such power was someone we fairies could determine miles away and certainly not someone to confront alone by any means. And Skull Kid could hardly pass as a warrior – especially not in the class as Link. However, this hadn't held Skull Kid off. I've never seen him this frantic and furious before, not even under the control of Majora. He said he knew the fairy child somehow from somewhere, probably the other realm. The sorcerer barely gestured with his hand before it was over.

How I managed to survive this encounter while Tael and Skull Kid didn't, I had really no idea. Maybe my quest with Link had still left me with some privileges with the gods of this world or even the Goddesses the boy often talked about. I didn't know why and as I continued my silent flight through the thick grass, I really wished fate wouldn't have spared me. It was too much to endure. While we fairies had a different understanding of the cycle of life, I valued the well-being of my friend and brother. The further I mindlessly traveled, and the more time passed I felt myself slipping deeper into the emotions of depression and grief. A blinding rage, a cold fury had prevented me from realizing the full impact of what happened. A determination to avenge the death of my brother and the Skull Kid mixed with a need to inform my former companion about the location of one of his friends.

However, now I just couldn't remain in this denying stage. I had to face the truth. My friend and above else my dear brother was… dead. Murdered at the hands of a ruthless sorcerer that wielded power far beyond my imagination. Killed with not much more than a single hand motion. And suddenly it all came crushing down at me and I sank to the ground, every inch of strength drained from my body. Finally I allowed the tears to flow freely. Dead, Tael was dead. Cruelly and heartlessly murdered and I wasn't able to do even one thing about it. Feelings of helplessness plagued my heart – feelings of failure. I was unable to protect my brother from harm. I had sworn to do so, ever since the Majora incident. And I had failed.

"Why?" I choked out. "Why them? Why HIM?" I nearly screamed at the unfairness of it all. Tael had never done anything. When Skull Kid was under the influence of Majora, it was always him who had tried to warn me. He had never committed a single crime, never lied once. I was always so selfish and full of myself – Tael didn't deserve this fate. If someone deserved it, it should be me. I hadn't even been able to trust the single fairy boy until the final confrontation came, despite all what he'd done, all what he'd achieved, I never completely trusted him. I wasn't worthy to live, but surely surviving was a deserved punishment.

"Ouch!" Jolted out of my state of misery, I whirled around towards the sound coming from my right. What I saw left me gaping. There, in the middle of the grassy area towards the swamp and Milk Road, lay a human form cloaked in the same green garb as the fairy child we encountered earlier and furthermost Link for that matter. Even the style was the same, a sword and shield present. The hat was missing but I really didn't mind that. What really raised my suspicion was the well-developed brown hoarse with a white mane. Both of them seemed to have popped out of thin air without me even noticing.

Hovering in front of the young teenage male, I suspected it was my old friend – the boy groaned slightly and began to regain conscious. I noticed a nicely-shaped ocarina clutched in one hand while the other one had loosened its grasp on the sword that emitted a strong aura of power. He lifted his face and blue eyes stared straight at me, confused and a little disoriented. There was no mistaking it now. The gentle kindness and strained innocence behind the battle-stricken features was unmistakable. "Hi, there!" I chirped, momentarily pushing aside my grief and all the dark thoughts that had just run through my mind. "I must say, you people became less rare with every visit."

Link blinked twice, when refocused his eyes on me. "Tatl?" I felt like hitting him. Despite all his ability with solving complicated riddles, sometimes he really was slow. "Why, finally! And there I thought you would forget an old… friend." I slightly hesitated with the last word, but he didn't seem to notice as he sat up, just acknowledging me with a spare glance – which really disturbed me – and looked around. "So, I guess I'm in Termina. At least I know the terrain." Link dusted himself of and stood up. "We are here. You can come out now." Another fairy emerged from out of nowhere – we fairies tended to do this. She regarded me with a brief glance and a nod. By this time I was pretty confused and was torn between yelling in anger for ignoring me and deep concern for my old friend. He seemed distant and deeply troubled. Carefully, I felt along our old link and just the brief impression of heart-wrenching pain that I received made me recoil in surprise.

"Now, we just have to find Saria. Do you think you can track her from here?" Sar… Oh shit! That child was… Now everything was beginning to make sense. Link and I had spent long hours talking in the Inn when we waited for one particular thing to occur during a loop. He told me a lot about his old adventures and his home. While I always thought most of the stories were pure fiction, I listened nonetheless and it suddenly dawned on me that everything was true. His quest, Ganondorf – no doubt the sorcerer we encountered – and most importantly the feelings for his childhood friend. I realized with dawning dread that I had stumbled into something far greater than I expected and the deaths of Skull Kid and my brother were just the beginning of it all.

"I think Ganondorf – if my guess is right about him – went in the direction of Ikana Canyon. To make a logical guess, I would say Stone Tower." For a moment Link paused to look at me and the hurt and terrorized look in his eyes set me terribly at unease. Without a further word he hopped onto the horse's back – Epona, I guessed – and before I could ask even one question of my own, I found myself hurrying after my old friend and the other fairy.

Lost Woods – Hyrule (Impa)

Calmly, I observed the work done beneath me while I sat on the burnt grass on the ledge overlooking Kokiri Forest – or what was once Kokiri Forest. It was a strain and a work of several hours for Nabooru, Ruto, the Princess and myself to create a shield at least somewhat similar to the broken barrier of the Lost Woods. It was barely covering the forest area and I had no idea how long it would hold. The sprout of the Deku Tree was still too young and week to do something like THAT and other than Saria or Link – who were both not present – I knew nobody linked enough with Farore to perform such a thing.

The Kokiri were adapting quite well, you had to give them that. Within hours most of them had grown to at least the age of fourteen. However their innocence and worldview were now completely crushed and this time there wasn't a setback of time to give it back to them – never again. Mido was in shock and the Know-it-all brothers were taking most of the responsibility since their unofficial leader and sage were missing. Ganondorf's sudden attack had ripped right through the heart of Hyrule – literally and mentally –, the Gorons had willingly agreed to the temporal truce contract and reverted back to the Death Mountain area, even giving up their post in front of Gerudo Valley. Not that Darunia had showed his face to aid, which was probably because of Ruto's and her fellow Zoras presence. I was surprised that the Zora Princess had reacted so quickly and wasn't budging on the subject of helping the Kokiri out. But Link's former fiancée had always had a soft spot for Saria, that much I knew. We all had been surprised that Ruto had so easily cut the engagement shortly after Link had returned from Termina, just a few months before the war broke out. Ever since then, her and Saria had been getting along quite nicely.

"Any word from Link or Rauru on that matter?" I didn't bother to turn around and address my princess formally, for I knew she simply wouldn't have any of it. Zelda, at the moment, who was not bothering to hide behind her secret identity, sat down beside me and looked down at the activity. Kokiris, Zoras and Hylian soldiers were working side by side to at least return the village to a normal state of appearance – a rare display in the last seven years. Sadly, it would only last a few days, if we were lucky.

"No, not really. But I get the feeling that Link found the right place." I nodded. If the boy was determined to achieve a goal then he would do almost anything necessary. There was no doubt his bond with the young sage was strong enough to follow the King of Evil wherever he went. Zelda paused for a moment and her voice became serious when she continued. "However, Rauru is worried about some details. He examined the broken seal and stated that there shouldn't have been any chance for Ganondorf to break it in the next millennia. Not alone anyway." I raised an eyebrow at that. "Outside help?" She didn't have to answer this question because I knew the answer before I even asked. The sorcerer had been banished straight to hell and there was really no chance at all that he had freed himself without assistance. This however, left the question of the nature of this assistance. Something strong enough to seriously help a master of the dark arts and the wielder of the Triforce of Power was a serious enough threat to consider.

"That cannot be helped now. If you allow I can try and investigate this further, in ways my opposite is not able to." As the Elder Sage, Rauru was a formidable source of wisdom but even he who devoted himself to the light, could not match the skills of the Sheikah to discover necessary information, especially regarding any sort of evil linked to the Realm of Shadow. "You may do so. I feel a great disturbance in the flow of fates. Something terrible is going to happen and I fear this war is just like the clouds announcing the storm." I nodded at her obvious serious concern and vanished into the shadows of the world without further words.

Ikana Canyon – Termina (Link)

It was odd seeing all this again. Especially Ikana, which was a unique place only Termina bore. While the swamp could at least on some level be compared to the Lost Woods, the ancient kingdom of Ikana – now not much more than a place of roaming, restless spirits – was nothing like its most likely counterpart of the Gerudo Valley and the desert. However, as much as I felt a kind of nostalgia overcoming me, my mind and my entire feelings were solely focused on one purpose only. Rescuing Saria, at any cost and without further delay. The closer our little rescue party came to her suspected position, the stronger the feeling became that there was almost no time left. Ganondorf captured Saria for the purpose of hurting me and I could just begin to imagine what cruelties my childhood friend and secret love would have to endure by the hands of my ancient foe.

I halted Epona at the base of the ledge leading up to the valley and from there the path traveled towards Ikana Castle and Stone Tower. There was no way I could get my trusted horse up there without trouble but there also was no way I could travel all the way up – judging by the time it took me on my first try. "Now what?" I glanced at Tatl, who was more experienced with the general outlet of Termina. What I saw there in the face of the small fairy yanked me momentarily out of my focused state. There was clearly a great deal of pain, the sort I had felt when Ganondorf took Saria away. The fact that she didn't answer right away added to my growing worry and I chided myself for being so thoughtless and ignorant. After all this was the first time we had met again in seven years. I didn't even asked what happened to her and her brother…

Where was Tael anyway? The question suddenly came to me and then I knew that her absent-minded state must have something to do with the other fairy. "Tatl," I began softly, "where's Tael?" I might have asked differently if there was time but there wasn't and I needed Tatl to focus on our mission. If necessary I could work with Dalia but Tatl knew me better; we already shared a fairy-charge link like Navi and I once had.

A choked sob escaped from the blond fairy's throat and Dalia instinctively rushed to her side in an effort to calm the distraught fairy. After a few seconds of barely controlled tears and muffled sounds, Tatl finally calmed down a bit and looked up to me with a grave expression that I knew all too well and made me sympathize with her all the more. "He's dead. Together with Skull Kid when we foolishly tried to help the other fairy kid against the one I believe was Ganondorf." I probably sat there for a few seconds, stunned and with a mixture of various conflicting emotions coursing through me. Hadn't this goddamn war taken enough innocent lives? Now this… How could he? Wasn't it enough to hurt Saria and I, did he also have to slay my friends? My fists clenched in anger as I felt a rage building up inside of me that I had never felt before. Ganondorf was going to pay for this! Oh, and how he was going to pay!

My mind set again I wiped out my Ocarina of Time and without hesitation played the notes to the song the old owl of this realm taught me. Feeling the ancient transport magic engulf me in magical wings, I focused my mind on the place I wanted to go and a plan formed in my head. Right before the musical spell was complete, I laid a hand on Epona's forehead and forced a tiny stream of my Triforce's power into her for later use. It was risky – the decision I had made – but it seemed to be the only way. And with that, Tatl, Dalia and I blinked out of existence and reappeared right across the stronghold of Ikana, known as the Stone Tower.

"What was that?" Tatl asked gasping for air, not because of the transportation that she was used to, but because of the channeling of raw power. "You'll see. We have not much time to lose. I'm sure Ganondorf senses that we are near." I pulled out my lens – also known as the Eye of Truth – and once again focused my will and Triforce's power through the magical item in order to inspect the high tower. It took me only a few moments to spot the thick wards of black magic and the center they originated from. The center was most surely the place where Ganondorf was hiding… and Saria. I smiled without much humor when I recognized the room as one of the inverted type. Aiming a Light Arrow at the red eye above, I initiated the process of inverting the most dangerous and complex dungeon of all of Termina. "Let's go," I declared formally, unsheathing the Master Sword and adjusting the Mirror Shield.

Death Mountain Crater – Hyrule (Darunia)

I stared up into the bright morning sky, clear and beautiful, which was totally betraying the mourning mood the land had fallen into. It didn't suit me well – the truce with the Zora people that is – but there was little I could do. Our land's center had been ripped apart in the short time of a few minutes. Had this been our fault? Did we weaken the seal with this ridiculous war? Well, if anything, it was this kinky Zora Princess' fault. She had started the whole thing and was so obsessed with what she called reality that I hardly believed she would ever accept the true truth.

What really got to me, was that it had been her playing the role of the noble hero, rushing to help my sworn brother and his little Sage friend Saria. Saria… My expression saddened when I thought about her. She didn't deserve this madness. It was bad enough this war happened outside but for her to experience such violence and bloodlust… Now she was captured by Ganondorf, so I heard, and I longed to go there and help. However, that was impossible, since Ruto and her people had declared the forest momentarily under their protection. They didn't say it – officially the forest was still neutral ground, but their presence there was more than enough. I feared that Ruto would use the opportunity to come into the Princess' good grace. The Zora's presence could shift the balance and lure the neutral Hylian's onto their side.

I sighed yet again and returned inside the inactive volcano. The whole matter was getting out of hand and I didn't know what to do. On the one hand, I knew that the Sages would eventually have to unite again to face the King of Evil in all his twisted glory. On the other hand, I knew that I could never rest until I had my vengeance. The vengeance for the only one ever really dear to me by blood. I had sworn to avenge his death. Nobody really knew anymore what this war really was about aside from me, Ruto and a few others involved and over the years my anger had clouded my perspective more and more. I knew this and I knew that I could never stop before Ruto and her kin had paid for his death – even if the ultimate consequence was to sacrifice Hyrule in the process. That was my worst fear and my only motive…

While musing over these conflicting, dark thoughts, I had reached the little stone altar build in one of the many side caves. Warded, guarded and secured. The last place of honor that was left of the one it was built for. A few items lay here – a tiny sword of stone and a collection of rocks that would be considered quite a delicacy with my people. In the center stood a single picture. A picture I hated as much as I loved it. A young Goron child was portrayed there, his features still a bit babyish for his actual age, but nonetheless promising to become a handsome species man one day. At his side stood what was considered the perfect picture of teenage beauty within her kin. A striking beauty of a Zora. The Princess Ruto herself.

They looked so happy, I thought somberly. Who would have thought it would all turn out like this… I heaved another sigh. This charming witch who had dared to use my son for her own goals would pay. That I had sworn. I would avenge the one I had once called my son, named after my sworn brother. Link.

Stone Tower, Ikana – Termina (Ganondorf)

I had to admit: Link had excellent taste. However, he would never knew what he missed by not taking steps to ensure his bonds to this forest girl. When I entered into the realm of Hyrule again, my mind was only set on vengeance, in the purest form possible. I wanted to slowly punish my hated rival by slowly taking away everything he held dear to him. The boy had humiliated me and anything less in return would surely be unacceptable. However, when I made my presence known by striking at the very home of his childhood – not to mention the only balance the war-stricken world still had –, I had not suspected such opportunities. With Majora's mind-probing abilities, I was able to find the very weakness of the boy. To find it in the person of a young Kokiri child, Sage no less, was unexpected but most positively interesting because I saw my chance in making my vengeance swift and all the more painful, before I could more quickly when anticipated attend to the conquest of Hyrule once more.

I took a moment to critically regard the young female with the most striking, natural exotic beauty. The change brought upon by the non-existence of the Lost Wood's barrier was rather astonishing. Her hair fell right past her shoulders and waist, in a most lovely wavy pattern.  She had a slim waist with just the right proportions. Long, slender legs made the whole picture just perfect. Forest Sage Saria would make a fine queen indeed. The only thing disapproving at the moment was her state of mind. She had her eyes tightly shut and my experienced senses could determine her whole spirit and soul were in a meditative state. I didn't really mind that. When I was finished with her before the sun set again in this world, her mind would bend to my every wish. She would be mine. And that would crush Link.

Majora laughed in the back of my mind, probably amused by my antics but clearly enjoying my line of thoughts. One would have proclaimed this pact thoughtless, a rushed decision. I knew fully well how dangerous the ancient warlock spirit really was. I could not afford to underestimate an obvious ally that greatly. But what did I have to lose? Staying in this hellhole for maybe a few millennia? Never accomplish the revenge against the ones who sealed me? Leaving the world to grow, possibly up to a level where it became sheer impossible to conquer it? No, definitely not. Everything was better than hell. And Majora knew this as well as I did. We both were equals, both able to overpower the other in certain aspects, at certain times. And that is why this pact was definitely not one of trust but of respect and regard of our own devious plans. Because the moment you trust another evil being, you deliver your existence to the final judge.

Back to my soon-to-be queen. She was definitely worth something in this more adult physical state. The Sage still had her eyes firmly closed and an aura of extreme stillness and inner peace created around her. Nothing I could not master of course. The necessity to break her will to my bidding was actually a task I would most definitely enjoy. And so I didn't hesitate in ripping open the robe-like clothes she wore – I was a bit disappointed to not even receive a slight voicing of disapproval. Her trance was strong, I had to give her credit for that.

A thought came to my mind and I licked my lips in anticipation. I could take her now, probably without the faintest of reactions and I could do so again and again, until I had her finally submitting into me. However, how sweet would my revenge on Link be that this girl would willingly wish me to conquer her. That would not happen of course, not out of total free will. There had to be something done to ensure her compliance. And I wasn't called a master of the black art for nothing. With Majora's mind altering abilities mingling into my power, it would be even more easy to influence the young Sage's mind. No spiritual shields could stand against such power.

Convinced like that I reached out with one hand to touch her bare skin, slowly sliding down her body without the faintest reaction, just as expected. Smiling to myself, I began pouring my own magic into the mental shields and starting to apply a totally new kind of pleasure. Naturally joyful about my near conquest, what happened next caught me completely off guard and neither Majora nor I were able to defend ourselves against the sudden counter, a counter I had clearly not expected. True, the girl seemed to be marked and cherished by Farore herself, but the goddesses had long lost direct influence on the affairs of their realm – not to mention that this wasn't even their realm! However, there was no mistaking that the young Sage alone could not have inflicted the hot, searing pain suddenly exploding into my very being with a force I had nothing to defend against. The powerful magic that turned my world momentarily into a single color of blinding white was aimed at one particular spot that I had so carelessly forgotten. Forgotten because I never thought possible for what exactly I felt happening right now. In one fluid motion, I felt my body being striped of my most priced possession, the one thing that had marked the beginning of my reign and had always been the object of my desires. The Triforce of Power was literally ripped from my existence and out of reach before I could even think again.

(Link)

Flanked by Tatl and Dalia, I jumped up to the level where I had located the location of Ganondorf and Saria. Gathering magic as I had been taught countless times by Zelda, Impa and Saria herself, a powerful blast of fire ripped apart the wall before me, tearing through the wards and protection like a knife through paper. However, I admit being surprised as I barely managed to dodge the sudden burst of energy which was so pure that there was no mistaking of its heavenly nature. A golden triangle, surrounded with a red glow shot straight out of the hole in the wall and vanished through a high window into the morning sky.

I blinked astonished before I finally turned around to see Ganondorf standing there, his breathing coming in quick, short gasps – clearly stunned by the sudden departure of his self-gained Triforce piece. For a moment, I totally forgot why I came here but then my eyes averted themselves towards the figure next to the entitled King of Evil, and if I had carried a weapon it would surely have escaped my grasp at that moment. The beautiful girl beside him totally took my breath away. One might say, that sounded corny in a situation like this but there was no better way to describe the sudden feeling rushing through every nerve ending in my body. The radiant forest-green glow, the aura of pureness and oh so full of life… Every single detail described only by one person that I knew, yet the body standing there betrayed all that I knew of the mere child of innocence. A teenaged girl, in her full bloom, a natural beauty that neither Zelda nor Malon could stand up to. An angel to my eyes, suddenly promising so many opportunities. "Sar…" I whispered breathlessly and Dalia gave an equal squeak of surprise.

But then, I finally caught sight of the chains holding my best friend and the obvious signs of her cut robe and exposed flesh. It took me only a few moments to comprehend and fully understand what had been about to happen. "About to" were the keywords here, I would have known if something of that nature had happened because the aura of pureness and innocence around the now adult Kokiri was still intact. However, the implications of what Ganondorf might have done to her if I had arrived only a little later or if he had not been distracted by loosing his Triforce fragment…

A cold burning rage suddenly overcame me and I didn't have any intentions of stopping it. Anger and rage could sometimes be powerful allies, if you managed to tame them, controlling them in a cool, calculative manner. Impa had taught me many things about this and in comparison to Ganondorf, who liked to give its darker urges free reign, I was not in danger of being consumed by my own hateful emotions. I would first be in danger of losing control when I pulled out my ultimate weapon.

"Ganondorf!" I growled threateningly, drawing the sorcerer out of his trance state. Saria's eyes suddenly snapped open and followed Ganondorf's gaze towards me. Surprisingly enough my mortal enemy managed to compose himself and though the absence of his main power supply, I felt hardly any weakening in his aura. I expected with the fragment out of his control the battle would be easy and I might be able to deliver my own vengeance swift and without much effort. But, there was nothing. The strength and incredible power I first experienced in Kokiri Forest only a few hours was still as strong as ever, frighteningly strong.

"Ah, Link!" Ganondorf chuckled in his twisted manner. "I didn't expect you here this early. I think I underestimated your abilities yet again and… your knowledge about this realm. Otherwise, you have a great timing. I was just going to make this rather stunning female my mate of choice, the mother of my children." He said it so calmly and even that somebody would think he would give a lecture about a really interesting science topic. That fueled my own anger even more, threatening to burst any moment, but I calmed myself down again with an effort of restrain.

Ganondorf looked directly at me with an expression of triumph in his face. "I will make you watch, Link. I will make you suffer for every single of the seven years you and the Sages have sealed me in hell. And there is NOTHING you can do about it!" A crazed laugh sounded through the chamber as Ganondorf threw his head back in obvious belief that all of his statements were the truth and unchangeable. Well, that's where he was wrong.

"I think you forgot something." The King of Evil suddenly grew deadly silent as he fixed his gaze upon me again. "What?" he demanded, quite unbelieving that I wasn't affected by his speech or showing any signs of fear. "I said, that you forgot something important," I replied evenly and began to rummage through my subspace pocket. "This is not Hyrule. In this realm other laws apply. Such as… this." A single item appeared in my hand and brought several different reactions from all persons and beings present. The Fierce Deity Mask.

Ganondorf staggered backwards in actual fear, although I wondered how he knew about the purpose of the mask. Dalia shot me a skeptical glance while Saria voiced her protest rather loudly in which Tatl soon joined, knowing fully well what the mask could do to a person. I experienced all of this once and I had sworn to myself, I would never to use it again. It was easy to beat Majora like this. But… Wearing the mask was as if you signed a contract with the devil because the mask gave you powers worthy of an Oni, a demon of incredible status and power. It was mind-twisting, barely manageable to stay in control and not go on a vicious rampage. The time I fought Majora I was almost at the edge of insanity and only the explosion of the moon that triggered the retransformation had saved me. After that, I had never ever touched the mask again.

"Link, don't do it! You don't know what can happen. With the Triforce and the Master Sword the mask will become to powerful to handle," Saria reminded me forcefully but my decision was already made. The risk was worth all that, if it meant saving Saria's life. If it meant guaranteeing the only person that truly mattered to me freedom, I was willing to risk my own sanity and probably my very life in the process.

Holding the mask in one hand and taking the holy blade of blades, the Master Sword, in the other, I slowly lifted the Fierce Deity Mask over my face, whispering three last words and making sure Saria heard them. "I love you…" And then the power overtook all my other senses. I had never felt so much power before, intoxicating like nothing I ever experienced, power so incredible I felt able to move mountains with a single thought. I was prepared though, as the essence of the entity began to tap into my emotions of anger, rage and vengeance about the unbelievable attempt at Saria's innocence, pushing the emotions higher and higher like waves in a growing storm. Fighting with every remaining inch of my free will against the almost demonic-like power, I barely but eventually balanced the power and forcefully clamped down on the almost unlimited resources boiling just under the surface.

Briefly checking myself, I noticed that once again I wore a white-bluish version of my Kokiri tunic. An aura of forest green, mixed with an almost unhealthy bright white crackled with raw energy around my physical form. The Master Sword had transformed into a single blade of pure white light, blinding for human eyes to even cast a glance at and clearly setting Ganondorf at unease. Shifting my gaze towards my mortal enemy again, I knew that I had to finish this quickly because my conscience threatened to drift away once again and I found it more and more difficult to remain in control.

With a cry of barely restrained rage, I launched myself at the evil sorcerer and let loose with a mighty energy blast slicing through the air from the tip of my blade. Ganondorf managed to bring his cloak in front of him and shielded himself against the light. But before he had time to recover, I had already reached him and soon found my godly blade locked in a standstill with Ganondorf's own, filled with black energy. Still, it was only a matter of time that I began to gain the advantage once again, forcing my opponent backwards.

The King of Evil didn't have his reputation for nothing, but he didn't know how to best answer my strategy and overwhelming strength. So he simply reverted to stalling by avoiding my fury of attacks and casting defensive spells. Ganondorf wouldn't be able to tire me out – that was for sure. But he seemed to know fully well that the longer the fight continued, the more I surrendered to the power fueling my enormous battle energy, the sooner I would have to submit to the consequences. And with Saria still in danger, he knew that I would never allow this.

Producing a light arrow out of nowhere, I let it explode right in Ganondorf's surprised face, leaving him to recoil in pain and dismay. With two quick sword blasts, I had cut the chains holding Saria in place. Giving a final glance at my mortal enemy who was still distracted and blinded, I jumped towards my best friend, feeling the pull of the daring and demanding power of the mask. Before the green-haired Kokiri could protest, I pulled her into my arms, waved one hand at a nearby wall which exploded right away and jumped out of it into the clear sky.

(Dalia)

Saria let loose with a screech that I soon joined as we jumped through one of the top windows of this enormous high tower. So sudden was the action that took place I was locked into the moment and momentarily forgot that I could fly. At a reckless speed, we shot down into the seemingly endless abyss with the clear promise of a deadly landing. If I wasn't so scared at the moment, I would have cursed at Link – or whatever he was now – for using such a dumb escape route. However, there was no need to do so as I determined moments later. The Triforce symbol on his palm flashed once and I made out a shape in the distance that was quickly closing in on our position. Before any of us could fully comprehend what exactly was happening we made a soft – as soft as possible under the circumstances – landing upon the back of who could only be Epona, if that wasn't so ridiculous. Still, it turned out to be the truth, although Link's trusted horse bore little similarities to her former form – with white skin, light bluish mane and a set of Pegasus wings. For some reason it seemed that the horse had reacted to the change of her master.

"LINK!" Saria suddenly cried out loud enough to shake us all out of our somewhat paralyzed and numb state. I whirled around and took in at once that while Saria looked better than ever – her robe reformed and no indications of torture evident anymore – Link wasn't quite in the same state. Still in what Tatl had briefly mentioned as the Oni-form, he sat there staring at nothing in particular. Even without taping into his spirit and soul, I could tell his consciousness was slipping away beyond reach, even for a fairy. The blonde-haired fairy immediately noted the condition of her former charge, but recoiled as if burnt the moment she tried to tap into their old link.

My charge didn't hesitate once. We both remembered the stories Link told her – since I was always present – about Termina and his adventures here. Once he mentioned the terrifying power of the Fierce Deity Mask and that had been enough to cause us a not-so-easy sleep for several nights! I could only begin to imagine what it would feel like. And to imagine that Tatl had assisted him during the whole fight did wonders to my opinion of her. Saria had produced a single wooden flute, an instrument she managed to play just as perfectly as an ocarina. The flute was an instrument of her Sage status, I assumed, although she never explained to me where she got it; only that it was a special gift. What my charge played was a fluid and powerful version of the song once taught to Link by the Masks Salesman. The Song of Healing.

I hardly recognized the young teenage girl on the back of the winged horse on her way towards Clock Town. She played with such passion and skill that one would think the tune came directly from the heavens. Mentally, I reached out to my long time companion, friend and charge in a mixture of curiosity and wanting to aid her… But I pulled back quickly because what I touched had an aura of pureness that I briefly got a flash of Farore herself. Had she gotten so addicted to her role as the forest's guardian that the Goddess herself had marked her? And even more importantly, since when? The source was tied deep to the core of her being and that couldn't be achieved just overnight. Suddenly the girl in the green forest robes had become very alien to me.

The music seemed to penetrate the control of the mask somewhere. As Saria lifted one hand in a daze-like manner channeling scaring high magic, a green glow began to surround Link's head and the outlines of the mask became visible, growing more and more solid. With one final high recitation of the healing tune, the mask finally surrendered to its soothing power and fell forward from Link's face. Saria caught it and if she hadn't quickly cast it away in subspace it might have burned her with the amount of highly-charged energy. Link's form shook violently as he returned to his normal form and then he suddenly fell forward, giving Saria barely enough time to catch his unconsciousness form.

"Link!" For a moment a look of terror crossed her features and I sensed the change in the boy's life force, the power drain proving to be too much for him – his spirit and soul in serious danger of separating from their human shell. Quickly, Saria turned dead serious, a remarkable display of bravery in a situation like this. "Epona, go down into the town. Right at the inn. Link told me you spent a lot of time there resting between battles?" she began giving orders and turned a glance towards Tatl who nodded, surprised at being so suddenly addressed. "Good, then that might serve as the best place we have at the moment. I wished to have the environment of the meadow for this, but it can't be helped."

I didn't understand right away but I did notice the change in her expression. Becoming more serious and thoughtful, something that had looked out of place for the ten year old she had once been. It was the look she always had when some kind of plan formed in her head. And most of the time it was never really something pleasant. "Saria, I don't know I like the sound of this…" She hushed me with a simple gesture that made me wince and wisely shut my mouth – knowing fully well that whatever my charge had planned was most likely the only thing to save Link's life and that nothing, absolutely NOTHING, was going to stop her.

Golden Heaven (Din)

Sitting cross-legged at the top of the Triangle Palace, the home of my sisters and me for millennia, I tried to think. An action far more difficult for me than one might think of a Goddess. Compared to my sisters, I was never one to sit around and think on a problem, rather, act on it. This sort of false bravado and headless decisions had brought me more trouble than I'd like to admit – such as ending up with Ganondorf as a bearer of my insignia. However, this time it wasn't just a typical struggle of balance between the specific aspects of us sisters, as it usually happens whenever the Triforce is obtained anew. No, this time we were forced to actually work together against something equally as powerful as us.

The union of Ganondorf and Majora troubled my sisters deeply and we've gone as far as to accept the otherwise out-of-question suggestion from Farore. But even though her intervention through her avatar and the separation Ganondorf's from my power triangle, the Evil King proved to be far more resourceful than even I imagined. It seemed that in his time of banishment, he had mastered the Triforce's full power and seemed to have been able to create something of an equivalent. A darker form of my legacy. I was not totally certain about the how and exactly what, but worried enough to revert to a more despised technique of meditation.

Now I sit here, trying to think up the best way to achieve the main objectives of my sister's plan of action. Choosing a new bearer for my mark of power would be difficult enough because we needed all pieces on our side to counteract the magnificent force of Ganondorf and Majora. I had a couple of choices, with the single problem that the current war threw most of them out of the picture. Young Link had been a very formidable and quite promising young fellow and if I had had any motives for stripping the dark sorcerer of my triangle at that time, he would have made a remarkable bearer… A sad thing how his existence came to such a ruthless end. Apart from him, there was his father but the war and the loss of his only son had made him thick-headed and unable of objective perception. No chance there.

The other possibility was to search in the other realm. That had been part of the impromptu bargain with the Termina gods and Nayru had already chosen her avatar in the other realm. Which brought me to the second problem of finding a suitable and willing mortal to carry out my will in the realm of the living. It was the only way we Goddesses were able to influence the mortal plane. I had no idea how to chose the right person and was quietly contemplating if I should wait a bit longer, and maybe monitor the Hero and the Sage, Farore's apprentices through fate and choice, for some time. The Hero of Time tended to meet the most interesting sort of people. Maybe I could pick my own choices through them.

"The play has began and the act comes to a conclusion. The union will be performed today." I was not surprised as my sister blinked into existence behind me and joined me in my position. Farore's dark green hair fell slightly over her face and partially masked the lines of worry. Although it was thanks to her that we even had a plan to begin with, but nonetheless, she was not pleased with the unmistakable critical situation. None of us were.

To strengthen her power and influence on the mortal plane was far less problematic and in this case even logical. Ganondorf and Majora represented Power and Wisdom – in some wicked sort of way – but they lacked the balance that made our side's hero. The courage and independence, the focal point between the two other forces, between strength and magic. Uniting bearer and chosen avatar would raise their power to a marvelous level. Together they would be able to achieve things that any mere mortal – even one with a Triforce fragment in his or her grasp – would not even dream of doing. But it was not the worry about her charges or the nearing union that worried my sister, so much I could tell.

"Any progress in recreating the barrier?" I asked slowly after a time of mutual silence. Farore shook her head. "Not much. I will have to wait until Saria returns. I cannot directly intertwine and the Deku Tree Sprout is still to young to carry out my wishes. For the moment, the barrier of the Sages will protect the forest at least." She paused for a longer moment and cast her eyes down into the thick layer of clouds. "I'm worried about my children."

I laid a comforting hand on her shoulder, being very well able to understand her misery after watching the Gorons falling into the clutches of war for seven years. "We all do. They deserve nothing of this, nobody really does. But that is the flow of time and destiny. We can alter it but not totally change it… That's what you and Nayru are always trying to tell me." Farore managed a faint smile at this and I stared down at the single triangle hovering over my palm, wondering again what exactly I would to with it and to whom.

Clock Town, Termina (Saria)

Epona descended gracefully towards the ground in front of the "Stock Pot Inn". By the time we touched solid ground, several people had already gathered to see what all the excitement was about. I jumped down from Epona's back and let my eyes travel over the gathered crowd. There was not much time to do this. I could feel Link's life force weaken further with every passing moment. So, I simply cast a magic spell in my hand. Nothing more than a simple illuminating light, but effective for those not accustomed to magic. Several people suddenly flinched back at the display and I made a clear gesture for them not to come any closer.

"What's going on here?" a female voice demanded. I turned around and spotted a young, beautiful woman in the entrance of the inn. A young man with purple-bluish hair was right behind her and regarded our little group with suspicious eyes, until he focused on Link who was still on the back of Epona. Though about seven years had passed, he seemed to remember him at once, which only confirmed my identification of them, as Kafei and Anju.

"What happened to him?" Kafei let go of Anju's hand and rushed over to Epona to help me put Link down. "Very powerful magic," I explained. "Too much combined to be healthy." I glanced up at the other woman. "Can you clear the inn for now. No one is about to come near a radius of at least ten yards." Anju hesitated for a moment then nodded at the dead seriousness in my voice and turned around to reenter the inn. "Help me to get him into a suitable room," I turned back to Kafei. The young man nodded quietly and picked up Link's form to carry him into the inn.

I followed but instructed the two fairies to wait outside. I knew they didn't like what I was planning, although they didn't know exactly what it was. There was no time for hesitation, though. If I  wasted even a few minutes to discuss the crazy plan that had formed into my head, I would surely lose Link, and they knew it too. If there was any other way to save him, I would do anything to achieve it, and if I wasn't so absolutely sure that Link returned my feelings, I would never attempt such an act without his consultation.

"Anju told me that this was his old room," Kafei said as we entered a room on the first floor. I noted to myself that the room must have had its fair share of repairs because from what Link had told me, it had been a total wreck in the time he used it. Kafei placed Link on the bed and looked up at me questioningly. I smiled faintly. "Thanks, you better leave now. You don't want to be here when I get started." For a few seconds he stayed where he was, took one last look at Link and then slipped out of the room. I closed the door behind him and locked it with a seal of magic that would last for several hours. Checking with my mind that there were indeed no customers in the hotel anymore, I turned around to face the bed with Link. Under any other circumstances, I would have allow myself to feel the storm of emotions that threatened to burst outward any moment. As it was, there was just a slight tingle of nervousness. Other than that, I let my spirit link to our patron goddess Farore and a feeling of peace begin to fill me. Now it was time to make the preparations. I might have escaped the clutches of Ganondorf with my innocence still basically intact, but now I was willing to give it willingly to the boy I had always admired and loved in more ways than one. And I was grateful to finally be able to, although I had no idea if Link would ever be able to approve of the ceremony I was about to perform.

TBC in Part 3

What has Saria in mind to save Link and will it work? Her actions of saving her best friend and love are not without consequences and Ganondorf is not one to give up easily. In the meantime, the short period of peace becomes strained and Darunia is forced to meet with the other sages, including Ruto. See what happens in the next part.

Author's Note

Well, I managed to do this part earlier than I thought. This was mostly due to the fact that I had reached an important turning point in my ANH/SiL-continuity that acquired more deep thought about the further plot and new characters introduced.

This chapter had been interesting to write, with a lot of angst. I'm sorry to all Tael and Skull Kid fans for so easily putting them out of the picture. I was thinking about something to match the angsty atmosphere in this fic and the sacrifice of the two just came to my mind.

Nothing more to say. Mails as always to Solarsenshi@gmx.de. That's all for now.

Ja ne, yours

Matthias