The Legend of Zelda
The Lost Kingdom
Chapter One
"Please.....help me, Hero of Winds..."
As Link, the Hero of Winds, drifted deeper and deeper into slumber, he began to hear a mysterious voice crying out to him.
"I beg of you, I need your strength!"
The girl whose voice cried out suddenly took form in his dream. She was dressed in black robe, and a hood hid her face from him. She knelt at the statue of the Hero of Time Link had once seen in Hyrule Castle. Her hands were nervously clasped together in her lap, and she was drenched in a cold sweat.
She began to speak again. "Great Hero of Winds, I am in desperate need of your assistance. A great darkness is coming. A great evil is stirring. You are the only one with the power to cease it!"
The girl buried her face in her hands and began to sob. "I...I cannot do this alone. Come to the Forsaken Fortress, and I shall speak with you there. Please hurry! It is closer than you think!"
At that instant, Link immediately awoke in his cabin aboard Tetra's pirate ship, short of breath.
The Forsaken Fortress...
The girl's voice rang repeatedly in his head as he struggled to haul himself out of bed. His heart pounded in his ears as if he had just run a mile with anticipation and fright. What had just happened?
The Forsaken Fortress, the cursed isle she had spoken of had once been the home of Ganondorf, the King of Evil and the Emperor of the Evil Realm, also known as the Dark World.
Once, in ancient times, Link had been told that that Evil Realm had been a place where the sky shone gold and peace and tranquility reigned. It was a place of the three golden goddesses: Din, Nayru, and Farore, where no man had set foot. when Ganondorf was sealed into that realm in order to keep him from the real world, he had corrupted it into a place of darkness. The only way to return the light to the realm was to return all three Triforce pieces to that world, and have the holder wish for peace. This, after hundreds of years, still had not been done.
The Forsaken Fortress had been completely abandoned ever since Link's defeat of Ganondorf, five years ago, when he was twelve. Now seventeen, Link had grown into a fine young swordsman, and the Great Sea was peaceful once again. He, Tetra, and the pirates took to the sea in search of new adventures, but never seemed to find whatever it was they were looking for.
Lately, Tetra seemed depressed and unsatisfied. She was rarely in good spirits, and refused to talk about her feelings. Even Link was beginning to wish that he could just be back at Outset Island, the place of his birth. There, he could see his grandmother and sister, Aryll. He had not seen them in years. He realized that now, Aryll would be fourteen.
Link sighed. How was he supposed to tell Tetra that he needed to get back to the Forsaken Fortress? He was determined to do so at this point. He would have to tell her at dawn when she was awake.
**********
A few hours later, Link, who had attempted to find sleep again but with no such luck, knew that he must find Tetra right away.
Link slipped out of bed and dressed himself in the hero's garments his grandmother had given him years ago. The clothes seemed to magically grow as he grew, so he always wore them.
As soon as this was done, Link exited his cabin and quietly walked over to Tetra's. As he walked, he could feel the weight of the ship rock back and forth amongst the ocean waves. He could smell that unique, soothing, salty sea mist that only lingered there in the morning hours. Knowing it wouldn't last much longer, he began to walk a bit slower as he sniffed and absorbed it all in.
When he reached Tetra's cabin, he took one last deep breath and knocked.
"Tetra?" he whispered. "Are you awake?"
No reply. He knocked softly once more. Still no answer.
"You won't find Miss Tetra in there, Sir Link!"
Startled, Link whirled around to find Niko, the swabbie, standing right behind him.
"Niko!" cried Link. "Don't startle me like that!"
Niko looked as if he might cry. "I'm s-s-so s-sorry, Sir Link! Please forgive me!"
Link sighed. "It's all right, Niko. I'm sorry. Where is Tetra?"
"The Miss has been on the watchtower since before sunrise, just starin' out into the sea."
Link looked off into the distance and shook his head. "She's been doing that a lot lately, hasn't she? I should have known."
"I should say so, Sir!" exclaimed Niko.
Link nodded. "Thank you, Niko."
Niko saluted. "Yessir!"
Niko soon took off, and Link headed for the upper deck. As soon as he stepped onto the ship, he was bombarded by the other pirates, busy at work. Link just could not get used to how early these men (and woman) began their day.
Dodging the pirates, Link climbed the ladder to the watchtower. Sure enough, there was Tetra, gazing out into the ocean.
Link cleared his throat. "Good morning, Tetra," he greeted her. "So, where are we?" Looking around, Link saw no familiar landmarks.
"Just north of the Forsaken Fortress," she replied dryly.
Link jumped at the mentioning of that place.
"We passed it last just an hour or two ago," Tetra added.
Worried, Link asked Tetra, "Are you all right, Tetra?"
"I'm fine, Link," she mumbled.
Link mustered up all his courage, and finally spoke of what was troubling him. "Tetra, I need to tell you something," he told her.
Tetra sensed the anxiety in his voice and whirled around to face him. She was not about to be left in the dark. "What is it, Link?" she asked. "What's wrong?"
Link told her all about his dream. "Tetra, I'd like to go to the Forsaken Fortress." He listened in his head as the girl once again cried out to him with a call that could not and would not be ignored.
"What!?" Tetra cried. "Link, how are you planning to do something like that?! You can't go gallivanting off to help some strange girl who may not even exist! And what if it's some sort of trap?"
"Zelda, I can take care of myself. You know that."
Tetra gasped and glared at him. "Link! Don't call me by that name as long as you are aboard my ship!" she commanded. "I don't want any of the pirates to find out about what happened to me five years ago!"
"Look," said Link, "I'm sorry, but I feel that I need to do this."
"Link, we can't..."
"Ze-Tetra, I can go out on my own. You don't have to come with me."
"But Link...," Tetra stuttered. She sighed, both with sadness and disgust. "Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you!"
"I take it this means you're not coming with me," said Link.
Tetra hung her head. "No, Link. I'm not going to get involved. I'll tell the pirates that you'll soon return and not to worry."
She looked up. "And I hope I'm right."
**********
So, that evening, Link stepped into his boat, the King of Red Lions, and sailed away south....into the blanket of fog casually floating upon the black sea.
Link was sailing for quite awhile, and it began to get lonely. He thought of those first couple of years sailing on the ocean with Tetra and company. The sea was so calming then; his troubles melted away with the passing waves. But soon after he began to go mad with the loneliness and lack of action. He never felt like doing much of anything anymore. Sometimes he wanted to cry.....almost.
He looked down at the dragon-like face of his boat. The King of Red Lions used to speak to him, claiming to be gifted with speech. Of course, Link later discovered that it was never the boat, but the Hylian King speaking through the boat.
After a couple of long hours, Link noticed something familiar on the horizon. It looked like a gigantic, sinister-looking tree rising out of the ocean.
He had found it-the Forsaken Fortress.
As he approached it, the seas became rough, and rain clouds began to gather around him. Determined to press on, Link kept going until he reached the fortress gate.
He expected to be bombarded by monsters upon his arrival, but the isle was hauntingly silent. The only moving objects were the dead leaves sweeping past his face. It was both disturbing and relieving.
Link headed for the top of the tower: climbing stairs and passing through dark tunnels. It was a very quiet, peaceful trip up.
He hauled open the tower door, and looked around at the familiar setting. He noticed the prison cells lining the walls. This was where he once rescued Aryll from captivity.
Link deeply breathed in and began to climb the spiral stairs along the wall leading to the top of the tower. When he arrived at the top, he climbed out a large hole atop the tower and headed down the path to-
Link jumped in amazement. On the very top of the tower rested a giant, decrepit ship. He had known this, but the ship had been burned away long ago by a fierce dragon. He had witnessed this himself. However, the ship had reappeared!
Now more curious than ever, Link shoved through the door into the ship. As he stepped in, he carefully looked around. There was nothing to see, but he could make out a blood red carpet on the floor.
But there was no sign of the girl. Link began to feel as if he was chasing shadows. Had he come here for nothing?
Much to his relief, his suspicions were denied.
"Is that you? Are you the hero?" It was the voice of the girl from his dream.
Keeping a hand on the hilt of his trusty Hero's Sword just in case, he answered, "Yes. It is I. Show yourself!"
A shadowy figure stepped into the light from a corner. It was the girl-the very same girl. she was cloaked in black, with the same hood hid her face from him.
"What do you call yourself?" she asked.
"Link," he replied.
"Link, I have a very urgent request for you," she told him. "First, let me tell you who I am."
The girl removed her hood. Link was amazed at what he saw. The girl reminded him so much of Zelda, somehow. He first noticed that she had the same gorgeous blue eyes whose shimmer comforted him and made his blood race with newfound strength. Their depth alone seemed to show the wisdom she possessed.. Link didn't have to hear her speak. He saw her soul right there in her eyes. This girl also had Zelda's blonde locks. Yet, Link began to realize that while she looked so similar, there was something else about her that made her seem so very different at the same time. Strangely enough, he felt the source of this strangeness was in her eyes. Their depth, unlike Zelda's, seemed to reach forever into a black pit of darkness full of horrors and fears of evil things this girl was too young to have seen, but saw anyway. This girl knew things even some of the darkest of beings did not know.
She studied him with a very neutral look about her face. She did not seem disappointed, but she did not seem satisfied either. She did not looked frightened at all, like Link had expected. It was difficult to tell exactly what this girl was thinking. Link had never seen anyone like her before.
"My name is Mena," she said finally. "Ganondorf, whom you know as the King of Evil, is my father."
Link's eyes widened in shock. Just the very sound of Ganon's name made Link's blood boil. He struggled against his powers for far too long, and he was not about to get tangled up in such destruction again. Without hearing her say another word, the saddened tone in her voice told Link that something was very wrong, probably involving Ganondorf. Just the thought, just the possibility that all the blood, sweat, and tears that his journey claimed had been a waste was more than he could handle. He began to feel a fiery rage within him.
Link could not comprehend how this all could even be possible. Ganon couldn't possibly have a child! If he did, who was the mother?
"How is that possible!?" he cried. "It can't be true!"
"It is, Link," she replied. Mena sounded as if she had braced herself for such a reaction. "I'm so sorry, but-"
"Well, well, who is your mother!?" Link interrupted in a frenzy.
Mena sighed. I know I once had a mother, but I don't know who she is," she said.
"You don't remember her at all?" Link asked frustratedly. He wanted answers.
Mena gazed upward thoughtfully as if something there had caught her attention. "No, but I've seen her in my dreams," she told him. "Only shadows and hidden figures, but I know it's her."
"Listen, 'Mena', I'm sorry. But what's going on? Why am I here?"
"If you'll just be patient, Link, I'll tell you all I can," Mena said.
"You have my undivided attention."
She began, "You see, my father, Ganondorf, is the only human being I've ever known, if you can call him human. He raised me until I was twelve- which was five years ago. That was when you defeated him. If I'm not mistaken, what remains of him still lies beneath the Great Sea along with the Master Sword. Anyway, I was kept hidden away, but it was all I knew. I never questioned it. When he began his search for the Triforce of Wisdom, I discovered the horrible truth. It was then he told me of his history, in detail, including the legend of the Hero of Time. He also told me about his future plans. It was all too devastating. He also said soon before he died that I must take his place as the Queen of Evil. He probably sensed his demise coming all along."
Mena's chin began to quiver and tears took form in her eyes. She lowered her head, trying to hide them from Link.
"It's so horrible, Link, and it's not my fate! I know that I was not born to follow in his path. Can you imagine!? Causing so much pain and suffering..." She began to sob.
Link normally would have comforted her, but at the moment his mind was blurred by all his questions. "B-but Ganon is gone!" he exclaimed. "Peace reigns now. You are perfectly safe." Although this seemed logical, deep down Link knew it was not so- or wouldn't be so shortly. Something was terribly wrong here.
Mena looked up, reveling the tear streaks running down her face. The hopeless look in her eyes almost made Link want to cry.
"N-no, I'm n-not," she stuttered. "My father is not dead. He will return. He has been sending me such messages telepathically and even in my dreams I see his vision coming true. His voice haunts me day and night!" she cried.
Link was beginning to feel as frightened and hopeless as Mena. "Are you sure of this?" he asked timidly.
"Yes," she replied. "I have even seen the kingdom of terror and darkness he plans to create out of Hyrule."
Hyrule? Link thought.
Before Link had a chance to ask about this, Mena wiped away her tears and began to speak again.
"Link, you must find the Master Sword immediately, no matter what it takes. I know that you know that it is the only weapon that can defeat Ganon."
"The Master Sword?" he asked. "But that's at the bottom of the ocean!" he cried.
Mena stepped forward and placed her hand on Link's shoulders. She gripped them tightly, and slightly shook him as if to say, "focus". "Link, there is a way to retrieve it. I know there is a way. Please don't doubt my word."
Link took in a deep breath, looked her straight in the eye and nodded.
"Now," Mena continued, "we don't have much time. I am going to go immediately into hiding on Windfall Island, where I'll blend in. I'm so sorry to be doing this to you, but I must leave the rest up to you. Don't ever lose faith, Link. The answer is out there somewhere." She let go of him.
Link did not speak. He wasn't sure of what to say.
"Here's an item that may be of use to you," she added. Mena pulled from her cloak a red magnifying glass. One side of the glass was blue, the other red. She handed it to Link as he studied it carefully. "It's called the Lens of Truth," she said. It reveals what is invisible or false to a mortal's eye. It's all I can offer you right now."
Link pocketed it and, strangely enough, smiled. "Thank you," he said.
"You must leave quickly," ordered Mena. "If Ganon appears, I will contact you immediately. Just find that sword and wait until you know the time is right to strike."
Mena forced a smile and watched Link turn to leave.
"Good luck," she murmured under her breath.
Link did not look back, as if doing so would turn Mena to stone. He hauled open the doors and ran.
The Lost Kingdom
Chapter One
"Please.....help me, Hero of Winds..."
As Link, the Hero of Winds, drifted deeper and deeper into slumber, he began to hear a mysterious voice crying out to him.
"I beg of you, I need your strength!"
The girl whose voice cried out suddenly took form in his dream. She was dressed in black robe, and a hood hid her face from him. She knelt at the statue of the Hero of Time Link had once seen in Hyrule Castle. Her hands were nervously clasped together in her lap, and she was drenched in a cold sweat.
She began to speak again. "Great Hero of Winds, I am in desperate need of your assistance. A great darkness is coming. A great evil is stirring. You are the only one with the power to cease it!"
The girl buried her face in her hands and began to sob. "I...I cannot do this alone. Come to the Forsaken Fortress, and I shall speak with you there. Please hurry! It is closer than you think!"
At that instant, Link immediately awoke in his cabin aboard Tetra's pirate ship, short of breath.
The Forsaken Fortress...
The girl's voice rang repeatedly in his head as he struggled to haul himself out of bed. His heart pounded in his ears as if he had just run a mile with anticipation and fright. What had just happened?
The Forsaken Fortress, the cursed isle she had spoken of had once been the home of Ganondorf, the King of Evil and the Emperor of the Evil Realm, also known as the Dark World.
Once, in ancient times, Link had been told that that Evil Realm had been a place where the sky shone gold and peace and tranquility reigned. It was a place of the three golden goddesses: Din, Nayru, and Farore, where no man had set foot. when Ganondorf was sealed into that realm in order to keep him from the real world, he had corrupted it into a place of darkness. The only way to return the light to the realm was to return all three Triforce pieces to that world, and have the holder wish for peace. This, after hundreds of years, still had not been done.
The Forsaken Fortress had been completely abandoned ever since Link's defeat of Ganondorf, five years ago, when he was twelve. Now seventeen, Link had grown into a fine young swordsman, and the Great Sea was peaceful once again. He, Tetra, and the pirates took to the sea in search of new adventures, but never seemed to find whatever it was they were looking for.
Lately, Tetra seemed depressed and unsatisfied. She was rarely in good spirits, and refused to talk about her feelings. Even Link was beginning to wish that he could just be back at Outset Island, the place of his birth. There, he could see his grandmother and sister, Aryll. He had not seen them in years. He realized that now, Aryll would be fourteen.
Link sighed. How was he supposed to tell Tetra that he needed to get back to the Forsaken Fortress? He was determined to do so at this point. He would have to tell her at dawn when she was awake.
**********
A few hours later, Link, who had attempted to find sleep again but with no such luck, knew that he must find Tetra right away.
Link slipped out of bed and dressed himself in the hero's garments his grandmother had given him years ago. The clothes seemed to magically grow as he grew, so he always wore them.
As soon as this was done, Link exited his cabin and quietly walked over to Tetra's. As he walked, he could feel the weight of the ship rock back and forth amongst the ocean waves. He could smell that unique, soothing, salty sea mist that only lingered there in the morning hours. Knowing it wouldn't last much longer, he began to walk a bit slower as he sniffed and absorbed it all in.
When he reached Tetra's cabin, he took one last deep breath and knocked.
"Tetra?" he whispered. "Are you awake?"
No reply. He knocked softly once more. Still no answer.
"You won't find Miss Tetra in there, Sir Link!"
Startled, Link whirled around to find Niko, the swabbie, standing right behind him.
"Niko!" cried Link. "Don't startle me like that!"
Niko looked as if he might cry. "I'm s-s-so s-sorry, Sir Link! Please forgive me!"
Link sighed. "It's all right, Niko. I'm sorry. Where is Tetra?"
"The Miss has been on the watchtower since before sunrise, just starin' out into the sea."
Link looked off into the distance and shook his head. "She's been doing that a lot lately, hasn't she? I should have known."
"I should say so, Sir!" exclaimed Niko.
Link nodded. "Thank you, Niko."
Niko saluted. "Yessir!"
Niko soon took off, and Link headed for the upper deck. As soon as he stepped onto the ship, he was bombarded by the other pirates, busy at work. Link just could not get used to how early these men (and woman) began their day.
Dodging the pirates, Link climbed the ladder to the watchtower. Sure enough, there was Tetra, gazing out into the ocean.
Link cleared his throat. "Good morning, Tetra," he greeted her. "So, where are we?" Looking around, Link saw no familiar landmarks.
"Just north of the Forsaken Fortress," she replied dryly.
Link jumped at the mentioning of that place.
"We passed it last just an hour or two ago," Tetra added.
Worried, Link asked Tetra, "Are you all right, Tetra?"
"I'm fine, Link," she mumbled.
Link mustered up all his courage, and finally spoke of what was troubling him. "Tetra, I need to tell you something," he told her.
Tetra sensed the anxiety in his voice and whirled around to face him. She was not about to be left in the dark. "What is it, Link?" she asked. "What's wrong?"
Link told her all about his dream. "Tetra, I'd like to go to the Forsaken Fortress." He listened in his head as the girl once again cried out to him with a call that could not and would not be ignored.
"What!?" Tetra cried. "Link, how are you planning to do something like that?! You can't go gallivanting off to help some strange girl who may not even exist! And what if it's some sort of trap?"
"Zelda, I can take care of myself. You know that."
Tetra gasped and glared at him. "Link! Don't call me by that name as long as you are aboard my ship!" she commanded. "I don't want any of the pirates to find out about what happened to me five years ago!"
"Look," said Link, "I'm sorry, but I feel that I need to do this."
"Link, we can't..."
"Ze-Tetra, I can go out on my own. You don't have to come with me."
"But Link...," Tetra stuttered. She sighed, both with sadness and disgust. "Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you!"
"I take it this means you're not coming with me," said Link.
Tetra hung her head. "No, Link. I'm not going to get involved. I'll tell the pirates that you'll soon return and not to worry."
She looked up. "And I hope I'm right."
**********
So, that evening, Link stepped into his boat, the King of Red Lions, and sailed away south....into the blanket of fog casually floating upon the black sea.
Link was sailing for quite awhile, and it began to get lonely. He thought of those first couple of years sailing on the ocean with Tetra and company. The sea was so calming then; his troubles melted away with the passing waves. But soon after he began to go mad with the loneliness and lack of action. He never felt like doing much of anything anymore. Sometimes he wanted to cry.....almost.
He looked down at the dragon-like face of his boat. The King of Red Lions used to speak to him, claiming to be gifted with speech. Of course, Link later discovered that it was never the boat, but the Hylian King speaking through the boat.
After a couple of long hours, Link noticed something familiar on the horizon. It looked like a gigantic, sinister-looking tree rising out of the ocean.
He had found it-the Forsaken Fortress.
As he approached it, the seas became rough, and rain clouds began to gather around him. Determined to press on, Link kept going until he reached the fortress gate.
He expected to be bombarded by monsters upon his arrival, but the isle was hauntingly silent. The only moving objects were the dead leaves sweeping past his face. It was both disturbing and relieving.
Link headed for the top of the tower: climbing stairs and passing through dark tunnels. It was a very quiet, peaceful trip up.
He hauled open the tower door, and looked around at the familiar setting. He noticed the prison cells lining the walls. This was where he once rescued Aryll from captivity.
Link deeply breathed in and began to climb the spiral stairs along the wall leading to the top of the tower. When he arrived at the top, he climbed out a large hole atop the tower and headed down the path to-
Link jumped in amazement. On the very top of the tower rested a giant, decrepit ship. He had known this, but the ship had been burned away long ago by a fierce dragon. He had witnessed this himself. However, the ship had reappeared!
Now more curious than ever, Link shoved through the door into the ship. As he stepped in, he carefully looked around. There was nothing to see, but he could make out a blood red carpet on the floor.
But there was no sign of the girl. Link began to feel as if he was chasing shadows. Had he come here for nothing?
Much to his relief, his suspicions were denied.
"Is that you? Are you the hero?" It was the voice of the girl from his dream.
Keeping a hand on the hilt of his trusty Hero's Sword just in case, he answered, "Yes. It is I. Show yourself!"
A shadowy figure stepped into the light from a corner. It was the girl-the very same girl. she was cloaked in black, with the same hood hid her face from him.
"What do you call yourself?" she asked.
"Link," he replied.
"Link, I have a very urgent request for you," she told him. "First, let me tell you who I am."
The girl removed her hood. Link was amazed at what he saw. The girl reminded him so much of Zelda, somehow. He first noticed that she had the same gorgeous blue eyes whose shimmer comforted him and made his blood race with newfound strength. Their depth alone seemed to show the wisdom she possessed.. Link didn't have to hear her speak. He saw her soul right there in her eyes. This girl also had Zelda's blonde locks. Yet, Link began to realize that while she looked so similar, there was something else about her that made her seem so very different at the same time. Strangely enough, he felt the source of this strangeness was in her eyes. Their depth, unlike Zelda's, seemed to reach forever into a black pit of darkness full of horrors and fears of evil things this girl was too young to have seen, but saw anyway. This girl knew things even some of the darkest of beings did not know.
She studied him with a very neutral look about her face. She did not seem disappointed, but she did not seem satisfied either. She did not looked frightened at all, like Link had expected. It was difficult to tell exactly what this girl was thinking. Link had never seen anyone like her before.
"My name is Mena," she said finally. "Ganondorf, whom you know as the King of Evil, is my father."
Link's eyes widened in shock. Just the very sound of Ganon's name made Link's blood boil. He struggled against his powers for far too long, and he was not about to get tangled up in such destruction again. Without hearing her say another word, the saddened tone in her voice told Link that something was very wrong, probably involving Ganondorf. Just the thought, just the possibility that all the blood, sweat, and tears that his journey claimed had been a waste was more than he could handle. He began to feel a fiery rage within him.
Link could not comprehend how this all could even be possible. Ganon couldn't possibly have a child! If he did, who was the mother?
"How is that possible!?" he cried. "It can't be true!"
"It is, Link," she replied. Mena sounded as if she had braced herself for such a reaction. "I'm so sorry, but-"
"Well, well, who is your mother!?" Link interrupted in a frenzy.
Mena sighed. I know I once had a mother, but I don't know who she is," she said.
"You don't remember her at all?" Link asked frustratedly. He wanted answers.
Mena gazed upward thoughtfully as if something there had caught her attention. "No, but I've seen her in my dreams," she told him. "Only shadows and hidden figures, but I know it's her."
"Listen, 'Mena', I'm sorry. But what's going on? Why am I here?"
"If you'll just be patient, Link, I'll tell you all I can," Mena said.
"You have my undivided attention."
She began, "You see, my father, Ganondorf, is the only human being I've ever known, if you can call him human. He raised me until I was twelve- which was five years ago. That was when you defeated him. If I'm not mistaken, what remains of him still lies beneath the Great Sea along with the Master Sword. Anyway, I was kept hidden away, but it was all I knew. I never questioned it. When he began his search for the Triforce of Wisdom, I discovered the horrible truth. It was then he told me of his history, in detail, including the legend of the Hero of Time. He also told me about his future plans. It was all too devastating. He also said soon before he died that I must take his place as the Queen of Evil. He probably sensed his demise coming all along."
Mena's chin began to quiver and tears took form in her eyes. She lowered her head, trying to hide them from Link.
"It's so horrible, Link, and it's not my fate! I know that I was not born to follow in his path. Can you imagine!? Causing so much pain and suffering..." She began to sob.
Link normally would have comforted her, but at the moment his mind was blurred by all his questions. "B-but Ganon is gone!" he exclaimed. "Peace reigns now. You are perfectly safe." Although this seemed logical, deep down Link knew it was not so- or wouldn't be so shortly. Something was terribly wrong here.
Mena looked up, reveling the tear streaks running down her face. The hopeless look in her eyes almost made Link want to cry.
"N-no, I'm n-not," she stuttered. "My father is not dead. He will return. He has been sending me such messages telepathically and even in my dreams I see his vision coming true. His voice haunts me day and night!" she cried.
Link was beginning to feel as frightened and hopeless as Mena. "Are you sure of this?" he asked timidly.
"Yes," she replied. "I have even seen the kingdom of terror and darkness he plans to create out of Hyrule."
Hyrule? Link thought.
Before Link had a chance to ask about this, Mena wiped away her tears and began to speak again.
"Link, you must find the Master Sword immediately, no matter what it takes. I know that you know that it is the only weapon that can defeat Ganon."
"The Master Sword?" he asked. "But that's at the bottom of the ocean!" he cried.
Mena stepped forward and placed her hand on Link's shoulders. She gripped them tightly, and slightly shook him as if to say, "focus". "Link, there is a way to retrieve it. I know there is a way. Please don't doubt my word."
Link took in a deep breath, looked her straight in the eye and nodded.
"Now," Mena continued, "we don't have much time. I am going to go immediately into hiding on Windfall Island, where I'll blend in. I'm so sorry to be doing this to you, but I must leave the rest up to you. Don't ever lose faith, Link. The answer is out there somewhere." She let go of him.
Link did not speak. He wasn't sure of what to say.
"Here's an item that may be of use to you," she added. Mena pulled from her cloak a red magnifying glass. One side of the glass was blue, the other red. She handed it to Link as he studied it carefully. "It's called the Lens of Truth," she said. It reveals what is invisible or false to a mortal's eye. It's all I can offer you right now."
Link pocketed it and, strangely enough, smiled. "Thank you," he said.
"You must leave quickly," ordered Mena. "If Ganon appears, I will contact you immediately. Just find that sword and wait until you know the time is right to strike."
Mena forced a smile and watched Link turn to leave.
"Good luck," she murmured under her breath.
Link did not look back, as if doing so would turn Mena to stone. He hauled open the doors and ran.