A/N: Not too much to say. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far, especially the ever-constructive Fortuna! ^_^; It'll keep on coming if you keep on reading, guys~! (though I AM having lots of fun with this. X3) A note on the Imprisoning War as it fits in with the timeline for OoT, though— it seems that the Imprisoning War took place before the events of OoT, given that it was at that time when the Master Sword was forged, but it's also said to be the time when Ganon was sealed in the Sacred Realm. Now unless the Master Sword was created about five minutes before Link got there, I'm guessing it's a plothole. Navi refers to it as being "legendary", after all… So, I just decided to choose one and ignore the other. While I think it'd be neat to have the Imprisoning War take place at the same time as OoT, I'm going with the Master-Sword-forging thing for my own purposes. I guess I DID have much to say… O_o
Chapter Three: The Wait
"…And I was four years old when Impa took me under her wing. I was entirely serious when I described myself as survivor of the Sheikahs in our former story… Most of us were killed in the Imprisoning War long ago— protecting the Royal Family. I am told that our loyalty to the king and queen at that time took us to the front lines when the violence of the war reached its peak… And as a result, few of us survived. But it is what
we were meant to do…"
Link lay on his stomach behind Sheik, head resting on his arms as he watched and listened intently. The other man sat thoughtfully on the edge of his bed, gazing out the
window. The clouds were gathering with more intent; it would rain soon. Toying with the
edge of a lapis-colored sleeve, he looked back to Link.
"But I have a secret, Link. I believe that no one is born with a destiny written into his or her soul. I cannot abide by anything that robs us of our freedom as creations of Hyrule."
Smiling a little to himself, Link rolled onto his back, hands resting behind his head. "…I like that."
"I'm glad," replied Sheik, cocking his head to peer back at him. "I don't feel as though I can tell anyone I please these things."
"Why not?"
"Have you not seen how heavily our lives revolve around what we are destined and destined not to do, Link? Sometimes," he sighed. "Sometimes it seems to me that
anyone in this world can do as they will, passing it off as destiny. Perhaps Ganondorf did the same."
Link sat up.
"Maybe… But I want to have more faith in people than that."
He blinked and shifted as Sheik's eyes fixed upon him strangely. Then the man just sat back and chuckled.
The reply died on Link's lips as he caught a flicker of blue flitting across the skylight. A fairy.
"They're here…"
*******
"Link! Oh, it's been years, hasn't it," Ruto exclaimed as she promptly threw her arms around the startled young man, who had just emerged from his room. Her tone quickly shifted to one of annoyance. "And why haven't you visited in so long? How dare you keep a lady waiting!"
"W-waiting… Waiting for what?" He seemed at a loss as Sheik looked on curiously behind him, offering no help whatsoever.
Fortunately for him, Ruto's incensed retort was cut short by Impa's entry, the heavy door closing with an echoing thud. "Welcome to Hyrule Castle, Princess Ruto. Her Highness will be seeing all the Sages here in a few minutes."
Ruto had the good graces to straighten and look embarrassed, brushing past Link to climb the stairs. "O-of course. Thank you, Impa. Link, we'll talk later."
"Hi, Link!"
He turned and grinned at the small figure standing at the entrance. He knew that fairy meant Saria had come!
"Hey! Wow, you got here fast…"
She smiled and shrugged, "That's what happens when you can use magic."
Pausing, Saria looked up to the balcony on the second floor upon which Impa waited and folded her hands in front of her, awed. Regardless of her duty as a Sage, she'd
never actually been inside the castle before; magnificent didn't even begin to describe it.
While the atmosphere was much cleaner and more austere than the home she had made in the Forest Temple, it was far larger, the colorful tapestries adorning the walls catching her eye every so often. Still, she couldn't help but think it would look even more
impressive with a little moss or ivy here or there… But she knew she was biased.
With the Great Deku Tree's permission, she had opened the Temple as a sanctuary for all Kokiri, not just herself. She wanted to share the beauty of the place with everyone. Even Mido was impressed when he saw it.
"This place is amazing…!"
"Thank you both for waiting. We must go and discuss the matters at hand with the
Princess now. Nabooru is already inside."
Saria cheerfully waved goodbye to Link and Sheik as she ran up the large, curved
staircase and into Zelda's study.
"I," Link said, blinking after the three women, "don't know what just happened."
"Alas, I have to leave you as well, Link. Impa asked me to intercept a delivery to the castle."
He gave the door a wan look. "However, I don't actually believe I was meant, as a protector of the Royal Family, to run errands…"
"Well," Link grinned back, "you did say you don't believe in destiny…"
"Touché."
"… Did you say a delivery?"
*******
Malon hefted the last of the crates off of the cart with a grunt. It wasn't as though she minded the hard work— especially given the possibility that she might run into Link, if he was still here— but a little help wouldn't have been a bad thing. But when she went to call her dad, he was napping of course, and she really didn't fancy spending any
quality time with Ingo.
It had never occurred to her to wonder why she remembered the events that overlapped the past seven years so vividly. All she knew was that Ingo believed their family owed him something big for his services, but had no idea how far he could actually go to take it. But Malon did, and she'd decided long ago that she'd never let it happen again. Ever.
"Need help?"
She jumped a little at the familiar voice, beaming with pride as she stood up straight to rest her arm on the crates. "Nope! I'm totally fine."
There was a man standing behind Link who she didn't recognize. If his clothes hadn't caught her attention first, his eyes certainly would have. Malon wasn't worldly enough to recognize his features as being of Sheikah origin, but she saw enough to know he was an odd one.
"Oh, hello, mister…"
"Sheik," the man replied, smiling politely. His voice was higher than Link's, holding the barest hint of an accent. "Just Sheik, miss."
Link yawned a bit and leaned against the steel gate behind him. "Sheik, this is Malon. A friend of mine."
Part of Malon felt elated at the introduction. The other part was rather
disappointed. There was something else nagging at her, too. Link was still here, after how
many days? …Was he living here now? With the Princess?
"Pleased to meet you, Malon."
She forced a smile. "Likewise. Link, what brings you here? Did something happen with Princess Zelda's prophecy?"
Link appeared eager to tell the story as he sat on a stray crate, ignoring Sheik's look of uncertainty.
"It's so weird, Malon— let me tell you…"
*******
The conference hadn't amounted to much; it was still maddeningly up to Zelda to decide what to do. Of course she wanted to investigate that strange new land, but she wanted to go herself. She succeeded in getting Impa to agree to that much after several minutes of arguing, but there still remained the greater decision of whether they would go at all.
There were just so many risks to take into consideration… What if they were met with hostility? What if they came back to find the gate had sealed itself again? Did she want to be responsible for that…?
"To the Gray Lands… go."
She looked up sharply, eyes darting about for the source of the voice. She felt herself instinctively tapping into the well of magic inside her should the need arise to defend herself.
"Princess Zelda. The fate of this world lies in your hands."
The voice had, in Zelda's mind, quite deliberately positioned itself between herself and the door. She braced herself against the wall near the window and began carefully composing her first words to the entity. As if it grew sick of waiting for her to say something, it continued with greater urgency.
"Take your Sages and Warriors by your side and journey forth to a new world…"
Zelda quickly raised a hand to her eyes as a blue light exploded soundlessly throughout the room, leaving in its wake a female figure clad in barely distinguishable smoky hues that did little to identify her through the hazy glow.
"State your intentions," Zelda struggled to keep her voice from trembling. "You are an intruder and will be treated as such if your intent is perceived as hostile!"
The soft laugh that echoed unnaturally through the fog unnerved Zelda to no end.
"We Ancient Ones, keepers and watchers of Time, bequeath unto you this charge: that
you go forth to the Gray Lands and reawaken that which has been lost to Hyrule… The
ones known as the Oracles of the Triforce…"
"I-I'm sorry… I don't understand," Zelda forced out. This strange, tremulous emotion that passed through her— it wasn't fear. She wasn't certain what it was. But the "Ancient Ones"… what did that mean? Surely it couldn't be…
"Go to, Princess Zelda. This is what you know as…"
The shape seemed to hesitate and Zelda leaned in a little closer in anticipation.
"…your destiny."
*******
"Link…"
"What?"
"If you all go… I want to go with you!"
Link nearly reeled back in astonishment, glancing minutely to the curious look that came over Sheik's face at Malon's words. Practically picking his jaw up off the ground, he gestured nondescriptly for a couple seconds in an effort to convey his thoughts until he finally managed to force words out.
"What… Malon— No! It's dangerous! You've never traveled farther than this castle! You don't know what we're getting into! We don't know what we're getting into! What would your dad think?!"
He was just seeing the beginnings of Malon's argument as she braced her hands on her hips when he turned on Sheik, who was by this time chuckling indiscreetly behind him. "What's so funny…?"
Sheik shrugged, "The girl has spirit. And quite a lot of courage if she wants to venture so willingly into the unknown. Perhaps you should allow her to make the decision for herself?"
"Yeah, Link!" Malon asserted, folding her arms. "I'm an adult, just like you. I'm tired of leading such an uneventful life while you go off and see the world! I'll have to talk to Dad, but I think he'll let me; he always wanted me to do more than he got to do when he was young. I can handle it… I'm tougher than I look."
Link stared at her a long moment— she didn't seem to understand what it meant if the Princess decided they'd go on this quest. But… Looking in her eyes, seeing that will and strength, he thought she wanted more than just to follow him. She really did seem to want to see the world. Was it really up to him to decide for her? He knew it really wasn't. He worried for her safety, but that alone probably shouldn't be the deciding factor in what she wanted. It was selfish…
"All right," he sighed. "I won't try to stop you. But keep in mind that if the Princess doesn't want you involved, that's final."
Malon tried to suppress the internal grimace that Link's words stirred in her. It was always the Princess… She let it go for now. It was all right with Link, at least. She'd
finally get to see a side of his life she'd never known before, and it was exhilarating. She
wondered if Link lived every day like this.
"All right, Link. Then, I'm going back to the ranch to talk to Dad! You better wait for me!"
As Link watched her shrink into a little red dot behind the castle gate, he sank against the stone wall with a noise of exasperation. Sheik smiled knowingly.
"That girl… She's very taken with you."
He watched Link smirk wanly and rest his chin in his hand. "I know… but I guess it can't be helped."
"I can sense something very special about her, you know. I don't know what." Sheik raised an eyebrow. "Do you like her?"
Link stood suddenly and pointed to the open door nearby. "There's a guard calling us in… I guess they're ready."
"So they are," replied Sheik, cocking his head at Link's retreating back.
*******
The mood was tense in the reception room. Link quietly fidgeted with Sheik by his side as his eyes flitted around— Ruto still looked like she had something to say to him, but the situation mercifully kept her from following through with her earlier threat just now. Nabooru stood braced against the far wall, arms folded pensively. She seemed to have the greatest idea of what was going on… not that that said much. Saria seemed to be carrying on a quiet conversation with her fairy; Link couldn't hear what she was saying. Upstairs, Impa waited, as though guarding the door. She was a curious person… She was fairly representative of the Sheikah race to him— well, not anymore. Not now that Sheik had arrived so suddenly into his life…
He didn't have time to dwell on it; the door groaned open and Zelda emerged. He wondered if she looked a bit pale, or if it was just his imagination. Impa knelt out of the
corner of his eye as the Princess stepped forward, looking down at the group.
"I… have carefully considered our options. I believe that we have no other choice but to go forward, into what we do not know, in order to understand it. There are most likely dangers ahead of us, but I am prepared for anything that may come.
"If you are with reservations, I bid you stay here. We must pursue the future without fear, and without doubt. I believe that this is no less than our destiny. As such…"
She paused to take a breath. "We leave at dawn."
~end chapter three