Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Zelda, but I do own the
Sage of Balance, a.k.a. the Lost Sage.
Chapter 4: Journey to the West
Link sat up quickly in the soft bed, wondering where he was. The sweet, soothing smell of pine filled his senses and he saw pine needles strewn across the stone floor. He sat in a sumptuous bed in a large, comfortable room with a window that looked out onto the castle gardens.
He slowly realized where he was: the Hyrule Castle. Zelda had insisted that they stay there for the night and wait until the morning to leave. She had also added that there was no way they were going to leave without her going with them.
~
"Saria! Princess Zelda!" Link shouted as he tossed his pack over Epona's back.
"Yeah?" Saria said, poking her head around the corner into the stables. "Oooh! Look at those beautiful horses!"
She practically dashed inside and began petting the towering beasts. Link stifled a laugh at her antics and watched her with a smile as she spoke softly to the horses. She looked over at him, her green eyes sparkling happily, as if she had forgotten their dangerous journey.
"Link, are you ready to go?" Zelda asked, holding the hem of her dress up as she entered the stables.
"Uh, almost, I just have to load up a horse for Saria," he replied.
"Oh! I'm so sorry Link! I'll do that instead!" Saria said, shamefacedly realizing that she had totally forgotten about that.
"Oh, it's no trouble," Link answered.
"Link, I need your help planning out the route we're going to take," Zelda chimed up in irritation.
"It's okay! I'll load the horse while you help you the Princess!" Saria said enthusiastically. Her almost childish excitement caused Link to grin at the girl. He hugged her and ruffled her hair before following Zelda out of the stables.
"If you need any help, just come and ask me," he called back.
"No problem," Saria replied.
~
About an hour later, Saria emerged from the stables leading her horse. Link and Zelda stood over a huge parchment map, tracing out their route. They talked quietly to each other, and occasionally Link would make a mark on the map.
"Um, Link, I'm all done," Saria said as she neared them.
"That's great! We just finished too. Looks like we're ready to go," he replied enthusiastically.
Link helped Zelda onto her horse and turned to help Saria, only to see her swing up gracefully, as if she had been doing it all her life. He grinned and mounted Epona after rolling the map up and shoving it under the saddle.
"Well, ready?" he asked.
Saria nodded excitedly, as if they were going on a great adventure. Zelda smiled coyly and nodded, and the three of them set off. As they rode, Link went over their route in his mind. They would head for the desert, where they would search for the Gateway. The Gateway was a place found only in the old legends. It supposedly led to another, mirror-like world, exactly the same as Hyrule, except for a few differences. The Gateway led to the Shadow Realm, where all the demons and dark gods were sealed away hundreds of years ago. There, they would find the unpredictable, faithless Sage of Balance, and there, everything they worked for would end, for good or for ill.
Chapter 4: Journey to the West
Link sat up quickly in the soft bed, wondering where he was. The sweet, soothing smell of pine filled his senses and he saw pine needles strewn across the stone floor. He sat in a sumptuous bed in a large, comfortable room with a window that looked out onto the castle gardens.
He slowly realized where he was: the Hyrule Castle. Zelda had insisted that they stay there for the night and wait until the morning to leave. She had also added that there was no way they were going to leave without her going with them.
~
"Saria! Princess Zelda!" Link shouted as he tossed his pack over Epona's back.
"Yeah?" Saria said, poking her head around the corner into the stables. "Oooh! Look at those beautiful horses!"
She practically dashed inside and began petting the towering beasts. Link stifled a laugh at her antics and watched her with a smile as she spoke softly to the horses. She looked over at him, her green eyes sparkling happily, as if she had forgotten their dangerous journey.
"Link, are you ready to go?" Zelda asked, holding the hem of her dress up as she entered the stables.
"Uh, almost, I just have to load up a horse for Saria," he replied.
"Oh! I'm so sorry Link! I'll do that instead!" Saria said, shamefacedly realizing that she had totally forgotten about that.
"Oh, it's no trouble," Link answered.
"Link, I need your help planning out the route we're going to take," Zelda chimed up in irritation.
"It's okay! I'll load the horse while you help you the Princess!" Saria said enthusiastically. Her almost childish excitement caused Link to grin at the girl. He hugged her and ruffled her hair before following Zelda out of the stables.
"If you need any help, just come and ask me," he called back.
"No problem," Saria replied.
~
About an hour later, Saria emerged from the stables leading her horse. Link and Zelda stood over a huge parchment map, tracing out their route. They talked quietly to each other, and occasionally Link would make a mark on the map.
"Um, Link, I'm all done," Saria said as she neared them.
"That's great! We just finished too. Looks like we're ready to go," he replied enthusiastically.
Link helped Zelda onto her horse and turned to help Saria, only to see her swing up gracefully, as if she had been doing it all her life. He grinned and mounted Epona after rolling the map up and shoving it under the saddle.
"Well, ready?" he asked.
Saria nodded excitedly, as if they were going on a great adventure. Zelda smiled coyly and nodded, and the three of them set off. As they rode, Link went over their route in his mind. They would head for the desert, where they would search for the Gateway. The Gateway was a place found only in the old legends. It supposedly led to another, mirror-like world, exactly the same as Hyrule, except for a few differences. The Gateway led to the Shadow Realm, where all the demons and dark gods were sealed away hundreds of years ago. There, they would find the unpredictable, faithless Sage of Balance, and there, everything they worked for would end, for good or for ill.