A note from the Hime no Argh herself–
Thanks for all the feedback from the last chapter, I'm glad to see people haven't forgotten this fic exists. ^^; I was just watching The Apprentice on NBC–you know, that Donald Trump show? I don't know how businessmen and women do it. I'm so glad I'm a writer. Of course, I'll probably be dead poor after college...ah well...
I got a question last time regarding the whole time-traveling thing I have going on. Zeldafan wanted to know if going to the past would completely screw up the future, especially now that the sages know they die. Well, in this instance, not necessarily. It goes back to that question of fate that I've been exploring throughout the story–does fate control our lives, or can we get around it? Using the sages' example, everyone knows that death is coming for them, sooner or later. There's no way to stop it; you can't cheat death. So even if you knew when and how, would you be able to escape it?
These are a lot of open-ended questions that I certainly don't have the answers to. I just enjoy exploring them. Within the context of this story, as much as my characters would like to believe that fate is escapable, I think they're slowly realizing it's not. So going to the past would probably change little.
***
Chapter 25
Mountain and Temple
Ruto remained in the Zora Kingdom to do exactly as Sheik had advised–appoint a regent and prepare her kingdom for her absence. "Unlike you, I cannot simply drop everything and leave," she informed Nabooru with a sniff. "When you have found the other sages, return here and I shall be ready."
"Just like Sheik commanded, eh?" Nabooru jabbed.
Ruto narrowed her eyes. "I do not take orders from Sheikah peasants," she said calmly. "But as he has reminded me, a sage is in need–" She cast a rather disdainful look at Zelda, "–and it is my duty to aid her."
"Don't mind Ruto," Nabooru advised Zelda as they left the Zora Domain together. "She puts on airs, but she's really all right."
Zelda shook her head. "I don't mind. I'm just interested in finding the sages and getting back to my time. Not that I'm looking forward to that much," she added with a shudder. "Link is going to murder me."
Nabooru looked at her with interest. "So you have a Link in your time, too," she said slowly. "Well, of course you do–I suppose you'd need him to defeat Ganondorf."
"Yes," Zelda replied quietly. Then without warning, all of her frustration spilled from her lips. "I don't understand, Nabooru! Why must Link and I be Destined? Why should we even bother trying to defeat Ganondorf if he's just going to be reborn again in another generation?! What the hell is the point?! Link and I could be killed, our loved ones could be tortured and murdered–there's far more at stake than some obscure destiny! You–you come from this time, where it's peaceful and Hyrule Field is green, and there are no monsters, human or otherwise, and Ganondorf isn't here!"
"Stop it," Nabooru said sharply. "Don't you dare try to tell me what it's like living under Ganondorf. Believe me, Zelda, I know. It's been five years since Ganondorf was defeated and sealed away inside the void. Only five years to try and erase the memory of the horror that Ganondorf wrought upon this land. Has no one ever told you our story?"
Zelda shook her head slowly.
They emerged from the waterfall out into the sunshine, on the rocks above which Blue perched. Nabooru looked up to the cloudless sky, her eyes dark. "The Gerudo are a race of women. We birth a male only once every century, and this male becomes our king. Unfortunately, we birthed Ganondorf. I grew up under his command as he slowly spread his evil over Hyrule. Of course the goddesses could hardly fail to notice this, and by fate or I don't know what, Link and Zelda were born. When they were ten years old, Ganondorf made his move. He attacked the castle. Link went to the Temple of Time for the Master Sword–"
Zelda blinked. "Link has that sword. That is, my Link."
Nabooru nodded. "Of course he does. It's the only sword that can defeat the ultimate evil–that can kill Ganondorf. Link took the Master Sword, opening the door to the Sacred Realm, but he was much too young to defeat Ganondorf at the time. So the goddesses put him to sleep for seven years.
"Ganondorf entered the Sacred Realm and stole the Triforce of Power. He used it to destroy Hyrule in just seven years. Your mother could do nothing. It was around that time that I broke away from Ganondorf's rule, but I too, could do nothing. The world waited with bated breath for Link to awaken. When he did, he managed to defeat the Black King, but it has taken the work of five years to restore Hyrule to its former glory, and our work is not done. Meanwhile, we have a Queen with no heir and a Hero who refuses to–" Nabooru broke off, drawing a long breath.
"But you," she said slowly, looking at Zelda, "you say you are the Queen's daughter. Do you know, then, who your father is?"
Zelda hesitated. "Yes," she said quietly at last. "So, I think, do you."
If you are finished with your conversation? Blue inquired, sounding bored. We really must be on our way.
* * *
Sheik had apparently disappeared. "No time to go looking for him, I suppose," Nabooru said regretfully as she and Zelda climbed onto Blue's back. "I wonder where he went?"
Zelda said nothing. In truth, she was relieved. Sheik unnerved her in a way that no one else ever had, and she wasn't sure she wanted to know why.
Blue unfurled her wings and took to the sky once more, and momentarily they were speeding north, toward Death Mountain. It was the highest mountain in Hyrule and a volcano besides, its peak always surrounded by an ashy ring of clouds. Zelda had never been to the peak herself, nor to the Goron city that lay within the heart of the mountain. This city was their next destination.
"Darunia's a fun guy," Nabooru called over the wind rushing through Blue's wings. "He's a king in his own right, but he doesn't put on any airs. He treats everyone as his equal, Goron or not. He shouldn't be too hard to convince."
"Here's hoping," Zelda called back as Blue descended toward the mountain.
The dragon circled the mountain and touched down carefully upon the path that wound its way up from Kakariko Village. As Zelda and Nabooru slid from her back, what initially appeared to be a boulder sat up and looked at them with bright, beetle-black eyes. The Goron climbed to its feet and waddled over to them, not at all intimidated by Blue's presence. In fact he seemed quite enchanted.
"Beautiful," he said in a low, awed voice, placing a hand against the dragon's flank. Blue began to hum, her eyes half-closing as the Goron scratched her hide.
"She's very friendly," Zelda said unnecessarily.
Nabooru smiled at the Goron. "Is your Big Brother around, friend?"
The Goron nodded. "In the city. Go. You are welcome."
"Thanks," Nabooru said cheerfully. She tugged at Zelda's shirt sleeve. "Come on."
Zelda glanced back as she and Nabooru made their way up the trail to see the Goron entertaining Blue. "He was so trusting," she said quietly. "What if you and I intended to attack their city or their king?"
Nabooru sighed. "The Gorons' trusting nature was what got them in trouble with Ganondorf long ago. But they'll never change. That's just the way they are."
Zelda was silent. The few Gorons she knew in her time were as suspicious and distrusting of strangers as everyone else in Hyrule, but she didn't want to tell Nabooru that she was wrong.
The Gorons' city, like the Zora Domain, was inside an enormous cavern, but devoid of water. It was cool and dry, the air pleasantly earth-scented. Nabooru led Zelda down several winding staircases to the lowest level. They passed several Goron, many of them napping lightly, but none stopped them or asked what their business was, as if Nabooru and Zelda themselves were Gorons.
On the lowest level, situated in the center of the city they found a group of Gorons. They were seated on the packed earth underfoot, intent on what appeared to be some sort of dice game using differently-shaped and -colored rocks. A Goron glanced up as the two women approached.
"Zelda! Nabooru!" Abruptly the women were caught up in a bone-crushing hug.
"Hello, Darunia," Nabooru squeaked.
The Goron squeezed them once more and let go. Standing, he towered over the women, a big-bellied, broad-shouldered fellow with a wide, fierce smile and beetle-black eyes lit with intelligence. His feral face was surrounded by a beard and thick mane of hair, giving him the appearance of a wild demon.
"This is unexpected," he boomed, his voice as impressive as his appearance. "Tell me you're here on holiday, Zelda, and not to impart some dire news of the kingdom."
Zelda grimaced. "Dire news, I'm afraid," she told Darunia, the Sage of Fire.
"Ack. I thought you might say that." Darunia glared around at his fellow Gorons. "Scram, all of you. It's secret meeting time."
Once they were alone, Darunia folded his arms across his chest and looked Zelda over with a critical eye. "What are you doing without your royal guards?" he demanded. "For that matter, why do you look like a peasant?" His wide mouth curled into a frown. "There's something different about you, but I can't quite put my finger on it."
Nabooru exchanged a grin with Zelda. "There is something different about her, Darunia," the sage confided. "Something big, actually."
A thick eyebrow rose. "What kinda trick are you kids pulling on me?" Darunia wanted to know.
"No trick," Nabooru assured him, clapping Zelda on the shoulder. "Darunia, this is your niece's daughter."
Darunia blinked at her. Nabooru took advantage of his silence to inform Zelda, "The former king, your grandfather, made an oath with Darunia and became his Sworn Brother. Your mother is Darunia's niece, which means he's your great-uncle."
"What in Din's name are you blithering about, Nabooru?" Darunia bellowed, scowling. "Zelda's mother is dead! She's my niece." He gestured at Zelda.
Nabooru sighed. "Darunia, take a good, long look at her. Believe it or not, she's not the Zelda you know."
Zelda abruptly found herself under Darunia's thorough scrutiny. "Farore's mercy," the Goron said softly after several long moments. "Who in the hell are you?"
"The Queen's daughter," Zelda explained for the third time today, flushing under Darunia's scrutiny. "I've come back in time from some twenty-something years in the future to find the sages. In my time, Ganondorf has risen again and I need your help to defeat him." As an afterthought she added, "My name is also Zelda."
"After her mother, no doubt," Nabooru added impishly.
Darunia stared at her in silence, then abruptly stretched out an enormous hand. Zelda hesitated for a moment, not sure what he wanted, then placed her hand in his. She was suddenly engulfed in heat as old and powerful as the Death Mountain volcano itself; her skin flushed crimson and she had to pull her hand away, but not before something inside her had answered the call of the Sage of Fire.
"So you are the Sage of Time," Darunia said slowly, "and the bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom. But not, I see, the Zelda of this time."
"Does that mean you'll help us?" Nabooru said hopefully.
Darunia blinked. "'Course it does!" he boomed. "It's my duty, after all."
Zelda sighed in relief, but a strange excitement stirred inside her. She had found three Sages–only one remained.
* * *
Unlike Ruto, Darunia didn't need time to make preparations. He joined Nabooru and Zelda outside his city within ten minutes. "I told my son to look after things while I'm gone," he explained. "'Bout time he took some responsibility onto his shoulders anyhow. He's gonna be Big Brother himself someday, so this'll be good for him."
When Darunia saw Blue, his eyebrows shot up and he whistled, clearly impressed. "She's gorgeous," he said in awe while the dragon preened herself, pleased by the compliment. "So slender though. You sure she can handle my weight?"
Blue flared her wings to their full, impressive span, a clear answer. Where to next?
"Good question," Zelda replied, frowning. "Where to?" she asked the sages.
"Well, we've found Ruto," Nabooru said slowly, "and you say Impa and Saria are waiting for us in your time...so that just leaves Rauru." Nabooru and Darunia exchanged a glance.
"What is it?" Zelda asked.
"Rauru lives at the Temple of Time," Darunia explained. "It's in the Hylian Castle Town."
"Where your mother and her people reside," Nabooru added.
Uh-oh, Zelda thought. That could be trouble. She had no desire to run into her mother or father in this world.
Nabooru was silent for a few moments, thinking, then abruptly she smiled. "I think it's time for you and I to pay a visit to the Queen," she announced to Darunia.
Darunia grinned back. "Good idea. We'll distract her, then you can go to the temple and get Rauru," he added to Zelda.
Zelda blinked. "Alone?"
"Sure," Nabooru said casually. "Rauru's easy enough to find, he'll be the cranky old guy haunting the temple."
"That's not the problem," Zelda muttered. She didn't relish the idea of trying to convince a Hylian sage that she was not his Queen on her own.
Darunia clapped her on the back, nearly knocking her over. "You'll do fine, little lady. Don't worry about it."
Blue flew them down from the mountain, and touched down outside of the castle town in Hyrule Field. Zelda, Nabooru, and Darunia went on alone. Zelda didn't get to see much of the castle town, as Nabooru and Darunia insisted on skirting the back alleys to avoid any incidents of mistaken identity. Even the alleys of the castle town seemed tidy and well-kept. The buildings were mostly jaunty little cottages with flowers in the window sills. It seemed cleaner, brighter, than any town in Zelda's time.
They soon came upon the temple, a cathedral-like structure surrounded by a peaceful, quiet garden. "That's it," Nabooru whispered, "the Temple of Time. Darunia and I will head off to the castle. We'll meet you back in Hyrule Field, okay?"
"Okay," Zelda replied, trying not to feel nervous.
Nabooru gave her a little push toward the temple. "Good luck!"
Zelda watched the sages leave the way they'd come, then made her way through the garden and to the front doors of the temple. She hesitated, then pushed open a door and slipped inside.
It was well-lit inside the Temple of Time; watery sunlight filtered through dozens of pristine windows spaced along the walls. She found herself in a long hallway, the floor underfoot marble. A red carpet led to an altar and a door beyond. Zelda knew this place well. She had, after all, visited its sister structure in the Sacred Realm.
The temple appeared to be empty. Zelda took a hesitant step toward the altar, wondering where Rauru could be.
Then her arm was seized in a strong grip and twisted behind her back as a dagger pressed against her throat.
"Who are you," a harsh voice at her ear demanded, squeezing her arm painfully, "that dares to steal the semblance of the Queen?"
* * *
To be continued.