I'm really sorry about the wait for this chapter. I didn't have an excuse for my other story(besides laziness) but for this one it was because of writer's block. I have plenty of ideas for how I want the story to go, but for some reason I'm having trouble putting them into words. I tried my hardest with this chapter and I think it turned out all right, but I'm going to try to make the next one better. Anyways, thanks for all my reviews and I'm sorry for taking so long!
Disclaimer: If I owned this game, there wouldn't even BE a "Zelda". DIE PRINCESS ZELDA, DIE! MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
The Missing Link
Chapter 4: Hope for Hyrule
Saria knelt on the sodden ground, watching as her tears turned the dirt to mud. The forest was deathly quiet around her as she mourned its loss. Looking up at the gnarled brown trunk, she felt a fresh wave of sorrow descend upon her. The only source of help, the sole aid of the Kokiri, was gone. She'd come running into the clouded clearing, only to find a skeleton of the friend she once knew. The Great Deku Tree was gone, leaving behind only a shell of its former self covered in dried sap. Saria felt rain begin to fall around her, a quiet, even rain that lightly pattered against the roots of the late forest guardian, a rain that mixed with the salt on her cheeks. She held her head skyward, greeting the cold drops of water that matched her mood so wonderfully.
She'd already known this morning that something was not right in the forest, and her feeling had only intensified since she'd reached the sanctuary of The Great Deku Tree. She cursed herself as she glanced at the lifeless tree. Shouldn't she have seen this coming? She was a sage, after all. She should have known, should have been able to foresee this tragedy and prevent it. [But you didn't.] Saria told herself. [There were probably signs of this all over the forest, and you weren't paying any attention. Just like you didn't pay any attention to Link.] The bitter truth made her head ache.
And now it was too late. Saria looked up at the dark sky and let the rain sting her pale cheeks, ignoring how cold and numb she was, sitting there in her soaked, disheveled tunic with her stringy hair hanging in her face. She had deserted The Great Deku Tree, and now he was dead. She had abandoned Link, and now......what? What had become of him? Was......was he dead, too? The mere thought caused a wave of dizzy nausea to rise in her throat, and she gave up her breakfast to the saturated earth, shaking violently as she choked on her own sorrow and regret.
As Saria wiped the side of her mouth, grimacing in disgust, she faintly became aware of someone's presence in the clearing. Someone was there, watching intently, their eyes boring into her. The unknown gaze was so concentrated that it made the hair stand up on the back of her neck. Saria looked around in a rather frantic manner, searching for the source of the stare. The clearing was deserted, but she still sensed the presence of another. She was surrounded by emptiness, but she wasn't alone. "Who's there?" she called out, her own voice sounding strangled and shaky.
At first the only response she got was an echo, throwing the question back at her. Then, a few minutes later, she heard a voice. "Calm down, would ya? What the heck are you so paranoid about? A missing hero, a neurotic kid.......the things I have to deal with!" The owner of the voice was clearly annoyed.
"I'm not neurotic!" Saria protested, glancing around the clearing. She still didn't see anyone. "Where are you?" she shouted, frustrated that the stranger wouldn't show himself. Suddenly she heard a "hey!" from above her right shoulder. She turned to see her fairy bobbing up and down wildly, and motioning behind her. "What is it, Alia?" Saria asked the fairy curiously. Alia just continued waving her wings frantically in the direction of the entrance. Saria turned to look behind her, and at first she only saw the abandoned landscape. A few minutes later, a small fairy was bouncing around in front of her amethyst eyes. "What the- Alia, is that you?" she asked in confusion as she turned to look at the place above her shoulder where Alia usually lingered. However, her fairy was right where she always was.
"No, stupid, I'm not your fairy. The name's Navi. I'm sure you've heard of me before." Navi waved his wings as if trying to strike a pose.
Saria just looked at him in bewilderment. "No, I've never heard of you. Who are you? Why are you here?" She paused, and then remembered his earlier words. "And I'm not stupid!"
"Well, you could have fooled me!" Navi told her as Saria glared at him. Then he shook his head as he remembered his mission. "Okay, okay, enough insults. I've gotta job to do. To answer your questions, my name is Navi, and I'm a fairy that lives here in the forest. I was called upon by the Great Deku Tree to assist a hero by the name of Link, and-"
"Link?! You know Link?! What happened to him, where is he?!" Saria cried out frantically. Never mind that she had never seen this fairy in her life, or that he had called her stupid. Forget about what else he had to tell her. All she cared about was what had happened to Link.
Navi rolled his eyes. "No, I don't know....what's his name? Oh yeah, Link. Look, whether or not I know the little forest kid isn't important, so would you mind shutting your big mouth and letting me finish my story?"
Saria's shoulders sagged in chagrin and defeat. She felt so downhearted, she didn't even retaliate against Navi's comment. The little spark of hope that had flared within when she heard Link's name was doused, and now the inside of her was darker and more dismal than before. The situation had sunk back down into the ranks of hopelessness. "Oh, I'm sorry, I just...." her voice trailed off, descending into defeated silence. She couldn't take the pain of rejection, the frosty feeling of dread that had settled heavily in her chest. She strongly suspected that a second helping of breakfast would shortly be making its way upwards.
Navi took in her downcast face and forlorn expression. He was a headstrong fairy, always quick with biting wit and sardonic sarcasm. His mouth moved at unimaginable speeds, leaving his brain in the dust at the starting line, which tended to land him in trouble. When he had to, he would dramatize and make himself appear as melancholy as possible, but never before had he felt genuine pity for another, especially someone he knew about as well as those residing in the graves in Kakariko village. Compassion just wasn't part of Navi's character; it didn't fit with the mockery and insults. However, for some reason beyond this minuscule fairy's comprehension, the sting of hopelessness in this girl's sapphire eyes moved him to sympathy. Perhaps it was the severity of the situation they were in that led him to caring about another's welfare. The mercy came to rest resolutely as a cumbersome burden on his wings, refusing to be ignored. [Stupid conscience.] Navi cursed internally. He rolled his eyes, attempting unsuccessfully to push away the unwanted pity. After a few more rounds of eye-rolling and deep interior sighs, he finally opened his mouth to speak.
"Look kid, I'm sorry about Link, whoever he is. But if you're willing to listen to what I need to tell, then maybe we can find him. Now, as I was saying, there is a powerful evil descending upon the land of Hyrule, as you may already know. This child, Link, the boy without a fairy, is supposedly destined to become a noble hero, and he is the only one who can combat the bitter forces of darkness. I was sent by the Great Deku Tree, who succumbed to the shadow of death earlier this morning, to aid Link on his quest as a guide. However, something has gone wrong, and when I arrived at Link's home earlier today, he was nowhere to be seen." Navi sighed aloud, remembering. "He wasn't there, and I don't know where he is or what may have happened to him. All I know is that Hyrule needs him desperately. The reason I came to find you is because you are the Sage of the Forest Temple, and I was hoping to enlist your help. We need to find Hyrule's hero, for our sake and the sake of the entire land." Navi took a deep breath, hardly able to believe the words that had escaped from his mouth. The entire speech was void of any form of ridicule. It was perhaps the only time in his life that he thought before speaking.
While Navi speculated silently on his own solemnity, Saria felt a fresh wave of tears suffocating her. She rolled her eyes to face the cerulean sky once more, trying to ward off the saline waterfall that threatened to spill over. This fairy had already witnessed her vomiting, and possibly had even observed her crying earlier. [Talk about catastrophic first impressions.] Saria thought sourly. The last thing she needed was yet another display of grief to add to her distress, but she wasn't sure she could hold back her sorrow. Navi's declaration had only increased the pain in her disintegrating heart. The irony of his words was sickening, and once more she could feel the ever-threatening nausea foreshadowing a second manifestation of her morning meal.
The very thing Link had lacked in this world was nothing high-maintenance. He wasn't materialistic, and could never ask for anything more than what was set before him. However, there was one desire in his heart that had never been fulfilled, something that, though it went unmentioned, was clearly longed for deep inside. The solitary entity Link had never possessed was a fairy of his own, a sole companion that accompanied him everywhere. This difference was what set him apart from the rest of the villagers, raising a wall between them that refused to come down. It pained Saria when she saw the Kokiri spite Link, and the defeated look of frustration in his azure eyes. It only lasted for a second, this hint of bitter despair, and Link would always return to his old self, smiling and interacting with others despite their prejudice. He didn't care about being different, didn't dwell on the partiality of others; Saria knew that. However, she had noticed that look far too often, and she suspected that buried within was an unspoken craving for a day when he could be just like everyone else.
[He was about to have that day.] Saria choked back a bitter sob at the atrocity of it all. On the very morning when he was about to get the sole object of his desire, he disappeared without a trace. Right before he was to be rewarded with his only want in this world, he vanished, leaving no clue of where he might have gone or what might have befallen him. Cruel fate, that was the only fitting description. It wasn't fair, it wasn't fair at all. Her head pounded with agony, transforming her emotional anguish into a physical obstacle. Suddenly, between the deafening beats of the drum shaking her mind, the second half of Navi's speech came back to her.
Saria thought she'd sensed some sort of disturbance, but she'd been so engrossed with assisting the villagers that she dismissed it as negligent, childish paranoia. [Now I know better, but it's far too late for that, isn't it?] Saria chided herself bitterly. Evil was truly consuming Hyrule, and according to this fairy and the departed forest vigilante, Link was the sole person who could terminate the destruction. However, he had faded away suddenly in the dead of night behind their ignorant backs, leaving nothing but enigma in his path and insurmountable danger in Hyrule. The hero may be missing, but the threat had certainly not retreated. Saria looked up at Navi, a look of defiant resolution replacing the void disquiet in her eyes. "Link is my best friend in this world and beyond, and I'd do anything to help him, and Hyrule as well. I'm ready and willing to do whatever you ask of me. I'll assist you in any way I possibly can."
Navi rolled his eyes at the girl's formalities, his sauciness returning now that she didn't look so dismal, but he couldn't help flicking his wings eagerly. [Finally, we can quit the small talk and cut to the chase!] Navi was constantly bursting with energy, a genuine fairy of action. The heavy-duty conversation business didn't suit him in the least; he was far too inattentive for serious communication. He opened his mouth to tell Saria of his plan, ready to increase his numbers. Himself and the Sage of the Forest; that made two fighting for peace. Perhaps there was hope for Hyrule, after all.
***
Far off from the gentle forest clearing where Saria and Navi were diligently strategizing, two other individuals were also devising their own schemes. The difference? This pair was planning the downfall of Hyrule, and their conquest had already begun. The foundation for their evil plot had been constructed, and now it was time to build upon it.
Ganondorf burst into the candlelit lair, nearly tripping over his own cloak as he did so. Gone was the villainous finesse and protocol he'd shown on their previous rendezvous. This time he was overdue, stumbling in like a student tardy for class, only with this particular master, the punishment wasn't a simple detention. The consequence for delaying Kalev was, to put it simply, life-threatening.
"You're late, Ganondorf." Kalev's voice shook the entire hideout, causing rocks and dirt to fall around them like pounding rain. Her raging silver eyes came to rest on him, bearing her scorn and hatred. "Did you carry out the task I gave you, or have you failed me miserably, proving yourself unworthy of the privilege some call life?" An uneasy silence descended upon the tiny circle of darkness, serving to distress one of the shelter's inhabitants, and downright irritating the other. "You're not responding, Ganondorf. I advise you to give me the answer I want immediately." Her eyes narrowed, fire burning within. "Unless, of course, untimely demise is an experience you're aspiring to receive."
Ganondorf felt a biting chill sweep through him at the downright bluntness of her words. She left no consequence to be imagined. Unable to devise an alternate course of action, he threw himself down on the frigid black stone, his raven cape falling around him like a shadowed wave of villainy. "I apologize most humbly, all powerful Kalev, for returning late. Rest assured, it will not occur a second time." Ganondorf kept his head bowed, not daring to meet her eyes. He pulled his cloak tighter about him, as though attempting to hide something from Kalev's sharp vision.
Kalev glared at him, her metallic orbs flashing. "You have yet to answer me, Ganondorf. Vexing my patience, you are, with your worthless repentance." A bitter wind passed through the room, an ominous sign of Kalev's impending fury. Her voice grew threateningly low. "I can assure you that if you have failed in your duties, tardiness will become the least of your problems."
Ganondorf gulped under his breath, and gathered his composure as he prepared to face Kalev. When he at last looked up, he wore a look of confident ease, shrewdly masking the anxiety within. "All has been done as you requested, O Queen of the Shadows. The child, the young hero, has been taken care of. I have not failed you." His voice was assuredly steady; his eyes never broke contact with hers, though his courage wavered under her concentrated stare with each passing second. He stood his ground, however, knowing that a simple tremor could be misconstrued as a sign of dishonesty. It was imperative that he appeared fully certain and poised, so as to leave no doubt in the goddess's mind.
Kalev eyed her servant in a mixture of slowly dissolving wrath and satisfaction. A closer look revealed that a third sentiment lingered in those lustrous depths. The element of suspicion. Ganondorf paled slightly when he realized this, an alteration so slight and sudden that it went unnoticed by the figure who stood before him, focusing with consistent scrutiny on his face, searching for any sign of duplicity, no matter how small. A goddess's intuition was a potent ability, and Ganondorf could only pray that she would find no intimation of apprehension exposed in his face.
After minutes that were surely hours, Kalev finally relaxed her gaze and let her eyes wander. Ganondorf sighed internally, grateful beyond words that she found no reason to disbelieve his declaration. Tentatively, he rose, coming to tower above the omnipotent deity. Despising appearing inferior to anyone, particularly an elementary mortal, Kalev brought herself atop Ganondorf, glaring at him for daring to rise above her. "Very well. I trust you'll delay me no further?"
Ganondorf shook his head, bowing slightly before her. "There shall be no more hesitations, almighty Kalev. What do you wish for me to do now? Presently, we have a window of opportunity, so to speak. There is no longer a hero standing in the way of our domination. We are free to do as we please."
"Do you not think I am aware of this? Do not plague me with trivial knowledge, particularly when I am already fully conscious of what you feel the need to share. I advise you to lessen your devotion of your voice, for others do not share the eagerness to hear it. The next phase of action involves the young Princess Zelda, and I will share with you my strategy when the time is right. At the immediate moment, I would recommend that you prepare yourself for the next ordinance, so as not to leave me in skepticism a second time. You may depart now, for I have no further use for your presence. Go, and remain inconspicuous. The time for integral mastery is not yet at hand. Patience is my parting word, patience." With that, Kalev vanished into the murky depths of her hidden cavern, offering no words of praise to her follower. Not that Ganondorf had expected any.
He sighed in relief, aloud this time, now that the goddess was no longer around to witness his every motion. Their age of tyranny was at hand and there was no threat of death in his immediate future. Turning to leave, he felt confident and assured. Perhaps...too confident. Working under the jurisdiction of an authoritarian deity was a precarious affair, particularly when she could crush him in her potent fist at any time, as though he were a feeble Deku Scrub. True, all seemed to be going well at the moment, but circumstances were inconstant. Everything could always change for the worst, and overconfidence could prove fatal; he should have been acting with caution. After all, working for a goddess was an extremely risky business. Especially when you were deceiving her.
Yeah, another chapter done! Due to popular demand(uh, one review), this is NOT going to be a S/L! Nope, it's not! And for those of you who are wondering about our dear Hylian Link, my response to that is: Keep reading! This is a mystery, after all. You think I'm just gonna tell you what happened?! If you pay attention to certain details in later chapters, you may be able to figure everything out. Anyways, please review and let me know what you think of this chapter! Thanks so much to everyone! ^_^
Disclaimer: If I owned this game, there wouldn't even BE a "Zelda". DIE PRINCESS ZELDA, DIE! MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
The Missing Link
Chapter 4: Hope for Hyrule
Saria knelt on the sodden ground, watching as her tears turned the dirt to mud. The forest was deathly quiet around her as she mourned its loss. Looking up at the gnarled brown trunk, she felt a fresh wave of sorrow descend upon her. The only source of help, the sole aid of the Kokiri, was gone. She'd come running into the clouded clearing, only to find a skeleton of the friend she once knew. The Great Deku Tree was gone, leaving behind only a shell of its former self covered in dried sap. Saria felt rain begin to fall around her, a quiet, even rain that lightly pattered against the roots of the late forest guardian, a rain that mixed with the salt on her cheeks. She held her head skyward, greeting the cold drops of water that matched her mood so wonderfully.
She'd already known this morning that something was not right in the forest, and her feeling had only intensified since she'd reached the sanctuary of The Great Deku Tree. She cursed herself as she glanced at the lifeless tree. Shouldn't she have seen this coming? She was a sage, after all. She should have known, should have been able to foresee this tragedy and prevent it. [But you didn't.] Saria told herself. [There were probably signs of this all over the forest, and you weren't paying any attention. Just like you didn't pay any attention to Link.] The bitter truth made her head ache.
And now it was too late. Saria looked up at the dark sky and let the rain sting her pale cheeks, ignoring how cold and numb she was, sitting there in her soaked, disheveled tunic with her stringy hair hanging in her face. She had deserted The Great Deku Tree, and now he was dead. She had abandoned Link, and now......what? What had become of him? Was......was he dead, too? The mere thought caused a wave of dizzy nausea to rise in her throat, and she gave up her breakfast to the saturated earth, shaking violently as she choked on her own sorrow and regret.
As Saria wiped the side of her mouth, grimacing in disgust, she faintly became aware of someone's presence in the clearing. Someone was there, watching intently, their eyes boring into her. The unknown gaze was so concentrated that it made the hair stand up on the back of her neck. Saria looked around in a rather frantic manner, searching for the source of the stare. The clearing was deserted, but she still sensed the presence of another. She was surrounded by emptiness, but she wasn't alone. "Who's there?" she called out, her own voice sounding strangled and shaky.
At first the only response she got was an echo, throwing the question back at her. Then, a few minutes later, she heard a voice. "Calm down, would ya? What the heck are you so paranoid about? A missing hero, a neurotic kid.......the things I have to deal with!" The owner of the voice was clearly annoyed.
"I'm not neurotic!" Saria protested, glancing around the clearing. She still didn't see anyone. "Where are you?" she shouted, frustrated that the stranger wouldn't show himself. Suddenly she heard a "hey!" from above her right shoulder. She turned to see her fairy bobbing up and down wildly, and motioning behind her. "What is it, Alia?" Saria asked the fairy curiously. Alia just continued waving her wings frantically in the direction of the entrance. Saria turned to look behind her, and at first she only saw the abandoned landscape. A few minutes later, a small fairy was bouncing around in front of her amethyst eyes. "What the- Alia, is that you?" she asked in confusion as she turned to look at the place above her shoulder where Alia usually lingered. However, her fairy was right where she always was.
"No, stupid, I'm not your fairy. The name's Navi. I'm sure you've heard of me before." Navi waved his wings as if trying to strike a pose.
Saria just looked at him in bewilderment. "No, I've never heard of you. Who are you? Why are you here?" She paused, and then remembered his earlier words. "And I'm not stupid!"
"Well, you could have fooled me!" Navi told her as Saria glared at him. Then he shook his head as he remembered his mission. "Okay, okay, enough insults. I've gotta job to do. To answer your questions, my name is Navi, and I'm a fairy that lives here in the forest. I was called upon by the Great Deku Tree to assist a hero by the name of Link, and-"
"Link?! You know Link?! What happened to him, where is he?!" Saria cried out frantically. Never mind that she had never seen this fairy in her life, or that he had called her stupid. Forget about what else he had to tell her. All she cared about was what had happened to Link.
Navi rolled his eyes. "No, I don't know....what's his name? Oh yeah, Link. Look, whether or not I know the little forest kid isn't important, so would you mind shutting your big mouth and letting me finish my story?"
Saria's shoulders sagged in chagrin and defeat. She felt so downhearted, she didn't even retaliate against Navi's comment. The little spark of hope that had flared within when she heard Link's name was doused, and now the inside of her was darker and more dismal than before. The situation had sunk back down into the ranks of hopelessness. "Oh, I'm sorry, I just...." her voice trailed off, descending into defeated silence. She couldn't take the pain of rejection, the frosty feeling of dread that had settled heavily in her chest. She strongly suspected that a second helping of breakfast would shortly be making its way upwards.
Navi took in her downcast face and forlorn expression. He was a headstrong fairy, always quick with biting wit and sardonic sarcasm. His mouth moved at unimaginable speeds, leaving his brain in the dust at the starting line, which tended to land him in trouble. When he had to, he would dramatize and make himself appear as melancholy as possible, but never before had he felt genuine pity for another, especially someone he knew about as well as those residing in the graves in Kakariko village. Compassion just wasn't part of Navi's character; it didn't fit with the mockery and insults. However, for some reason beyond this minuscule fairy's comprehension, the sting of hopelessness in this girl's sapphire eyes moved him to sympathy. Perhaps it was the severity of the situation they were in that led him to caring about another's welfare. The mercy came to rest resolutely as a cumbersome burden on his wings, refusing to be ignored. [Stupid conscience.] Navi cursed internally. He rolled his eyes, attempting unsuccessfully to push away the unwanted pity. After a few more rounds of eye-rolling and deep interior sighs, he finally opened his mouth to speak.
"Look kid, I'm sorry about Link, whoever he is. But if you're willing to listen to what I need to tell, then maybe we can find him. Now, as I was saying, there is a powerful evil descending upon the land of Hyrule, as you may already know. This child, Link, the boy without a fairy, is supposedly destined to become a noble hero, and he is the only one who can combat the bitter forces of darkness. I was sent by the Great Deku Tree, who succumbed to the shadow of death earlier this morning, to aid Link on his quest as a guide. However, something has gone wrong, and when I arrived at Link's home earlier today, he was nowhere to be seen." Navi sighed aloud, remembering. "He wasn't there, and I don't know where he is or what may have happened to him. All I know is that Hyrule needs him desperately. The reason I came to find you is because you are the Sage of the Forest Temple, and I was hoping to enlist your help. We need to find Hyrule's hero, for our sake and the sake of the entire land." Navi took a deep breath, hardly able to believe the words that had escaped from his mouth. The entire speech was void of any form of ridicule. It was perhaps the only time in his life that he thought before speaking.
While Navi speculated silently on his own solemnity, Saria felt a fresh wave of tears suffocating her. She rolled her eyes to face the cerulean sky once more, trying to ward off the saline waterfall that threatened to spill over. This fairy had already witnessed her vomiting, and possibly had even observed her crying earlier. [Talk about catastrophic first impressions.] Saria thought sourly. The last thing she needed was yet another display of grief to add to her distress, but she wasn't sure she could hold back her sorrow. Navi's declaration had only increased the pain in her disintegrating heart. The irony of his words was sickening, and once more she could feel the ever-threatening nausea foreshadowing a second manifestation of her morning meal.
The very thing Link had lacked in this world was nothing high-maintenance. He wasn't materialistic, and could never ask for anything more than what was set before him. However, there was one desire in his heart that had never been fulfilled, something that, though it went unmentioned, was clearly longed for deep inside. The solitary entity Link had never possessed was a fairy of his own, a sole companion that accompanied him everywhere. This difference was what set him apart from the rest of the villagers, raising a wall between them that refused to come down. It pained Saria when she saw the Kokiri spite Link, and the defeated look of frustration in his azure eyes. It only lasted for a second, this hint of bitter despair, and Link would always return to his old self, smiling and interacting with others despite their prejudice. He didn't care about being different, didn't dwell on the partiality of others; Saria knew that. However, she had noticed that look far too often, and she suspected that buried within was an unspoken craving for a day when he could be just like everyone else.
[He was about to have that day.] Saria choked back a bitter sob at the atrocity of it all. On the very morning when he was about to get the sole object of his desire, he disappeared without a trace. Right before he was to be rewarded with his only want in this world, he vanished, leaving no clue of where he might have gone or what might have befallen him. Cruel fate, that was the only fitting description. It wasn't fair, it wasn't fair at all. Her head pounded with agony, transforming her emotional anguish into a physical obstacle. Suddenly, between the deafening beats of the drum shaking her mind, the second half of Navi's speech came back to her.
Saria thought she'd sensed some sort of disturbance, but she'd been so engrossed with assisting the villagers that she dismissed it as negligent, childish paranoia. [Now I know better, but it's far too late for that, isn't it?] Saria chided herself bitterly. Evil was truly consuming Hyrule, and according to this fairy and the departed forest vigilante, Link was the sole person who could terminate the destruction. However, he had faded away suddenly in the dead of night behind their ignorant backs, leaving nothing but enigma in his path and insurmountable danger in Hyrule. The hero may be missing, but the threat had certainly not retreated. Saria looked up at Navi, a look of defiant resolution replacing the void disquiet in her eyes. "Link is my best friend in this world and beyond, and I'd do anything to help him, and Hyrule as well. I'm ready and willing to do whatever you ask of me. I'll assist you in any way I possibly can."
Navi rolled his eyes at the girl's formalities, his sauciness returning now that she didn't look so dismal, but he couldn't help flicking his wings eagerly. [Finally, we can quit the small talk and cut to the chase!] Navi was constantly bursting with energy, a genuine fairy of action. The heavy-duty conversation business didn't suit him in the least; he was far too inattentive for serious communication. He opened his mouth to tell Saria of his plan, ready to increase his numbers. Himself and the Sage of the Forest; that made two fighting for peace. Perhaps there was hope for Hyrule, after all.
***
Far off from the gentle forest clearing where Saria and Navi were diligently strategizing, two other individuals were also devising their own schemes. The difference? This pair was planning the downfall of Hyrule, and their conquest had already begun. The foundation for their evil plot had been constructed, and now it was time to build upon it.
Ganondorf burst into the candlelit lair, nearly tripping over his own cloak as he did so. Gone was the villainous finesse and protocol he'd shown on their previous rendezvous. This time he was overdue, stumbling in like a student tardy for class, only with this particular master, the punishment wasn't a simple detention. The consequence for delaying Kalev was, to put it simply, life-threatening.
"You're late, Ganondorf." Kalev's voice shook the entire hideout, causing rocks and dirt to fall around them like pounding rain. Her raging silver eyes came to rest on him, bearing her scorn and hatred. "Did you carry out the task I gave you, or have you failed me miserably, proving yourself unworthy of the privilege some call life?" An uneasy silence descended upon the tiny circle of darkness, serving to distress one of the shelter's inhabitants, and downright irritating the other. "You're not responding, Ganondorf. I advise you to give me the answer I want immediately." Her eyes narrowed, fire burning within. "Unless, of course, untimely demise is an experience you're aspiring to receive."
Ganondorf felt a biting chill sweep through him at the downright bluntness of her words. She left no consequence to be imagined. Unable to devise an alternate course of action, he threw himself down on the frigid black stone, his raven cape falling around him like a shadowed wave of villainy. "I apologize most humbly, all powerful Kalev, for returning late. Rest assured, it will not occur a second time." Ganondorf kept his head bowed, not daring to meet her eyes. He pulled his cloak tighter about him, as though attempting to hide something from Kalev's sharp vision.
Kalev glared at him, her metallic orbs flashing. "You have yet to answer me, Ganondorf. Vexing my patience, you are, with your worthless repentance." A bitter wind passed through the room, an ominous sign of Kalev's impending fury. Her voice grew threateningly low. "I can assure you that if you have failed in your duties, tardiness will become the least of your problems."
Ganondorf gulped under his breath, and gathered his composure as he prepared to face Kalev. When he at last looked up, he wore a look of confident ease, shrewdly masking the anxiety within. "All has been done as you requested, O Queen of the Shadows. The child, the young hero, has been taken care of. I have not failed you." His voice was assuredly steady; his eyes never broke contact with hers, though his courage wavered under her concentrated stare with each passing second. He stood his ground, however, knowing that a simple tremor could be misconstrued as a sign of dishonesty. It was imperative that he appeared fully certain and poised, so as to leave no doubt in the goddess's mind.
Kalev eyed her servant in a mixture of slowly dissolving wrath and satisfaction. A closer look revealed that a third sentiment lingered in those lustrous depths. The element of suspicion. Ganondorf paled slightly when he realized this, an alteration so slight and sudden that it went unnoticed by the figure who stood before him, focusing with consistent scrutiny on his face, searching for any sign of duplicity, no matter how small. A goddess's intuition was a potent ability, and Ganondorf could only pray that she would find no intimation of apprehension exposed in his face.
After minutes that were surely hours, Kalev finally relaxed her gaze and let her eyes wander. Ganondorf sighed internally, grateful beyond words that she found no reason to disbelieve his declaration. Tentatively, he rose, coming to tower above the omnipotent deity. Despising appearing inferior to anyone, particularly an elementary mortal, Kalev brought herself atop Ganondorf, glaring at him for daring to rise above her. "Very well. I trust you'll delay me no further?"
Ganondorf shook his head, bowing slightly before her. "There shall be no more hesitations, almighty Kalev. What do you wish for me to do now? Presently, we have a window of opportunity, so to speak. There is no longer a hero standing in the way of our domination. We are free to do as we please."
"Do you not think I am aware of this? Do not plague me with trivial knowledge, particularly when I am already fully conscious of what you feel the need to share. I advise you to lessen your devotion of your voice, for others do not share the eagerness to hear it. The next phase of action involves the young Princess Zelda, and I will share with you my strategy when the time is right. At the immediate moment, I would recommend that you prepare yourself for the next ordinance, so as not to leave me in skepticism a second time. You may depart now, for I have no further use for your presence. Go, and remain inconspicuous. The time for integral mastery is not yet at hand. Patience is my parting word, patience." With that, Kalev vanished into the murky depths of her hidden cavern, offering no words of praise to her follower. Not that Ganondorf had expected any.
He sighed in relief, aloud this time, now that the goddess was no longer around to witness his every motion. Their age of tyranny was at hand and there was no threat of death in his immediate future. Turning to leave, he felt confident and assured. Perhaps...too confident. Working under the jurisdiction of an authoritarian deity was a precarious affair, particularly when she could crush him in her potent fist at any time, as though he were a feeble Deku Scrub. True, all seemed to be going well at the moment, but circumstances were inconstant. Everything could always change for the worst, and overconfidence could prove fatal; he should have been acting with caution. After all, working for a goddess was an extremely risky business. Especially when you were deceiving her.
Yeah, another chapter done! Due to popular demand(uh, one review), this is NOT going to be a S/L! Nope, it's not! And for those of you who are wondering about our dear Hylian Link, my response to that is: Keep reading! This is a mystery, after all. You think I'm just gonna tell you what happened?! If you pay attention to certain details in later chapters, you may be able to figure everything out. Anyways, please review and let me know what you think of this chapter! Thanks so much to everyone! ^_^
