Chapter Six: A New Hero, A New Quest
Zelda didn't sleep at all that night. She sat up in her room all night crying. She didn't once think about the horrible deeds that her father was conspiring. All she heard was fierce deity Link's words over and over again. She looked at herself in the mirror and was disgusted by what she saw. "How could you..." she said to herself "How could you be so careless? How could you be so selfish? He loved you!! He trusted you! And you let that happen to him!! You're the monster! Not Link! You!!!" Zelda then turned away from the mirror and fell on her bed crying.
The next morning, her servants fetched her for breakfast, and, understandably, she wasn't too cheerful. She looked out the window and saw that the sky was dark with thick black clouds everywhere, as far as the eye could see. Even when Ganondorf ruled Hyrule, it wasn't this bad. Zelda was like a zombie with out a will. Her hair was tousled. She didn't eat anything. There was much commotion in the castle that morning people were running back and forth like the castle was getting ready for a festival and a war all at the same time. The King was having breakfast with his military advisors and Rauru, discussing defense plans against Link. No one bothered to notice the princess, who was an emotional mess. She needed someone's help. But she was shunned as plans were made to destroy Link. Zelda understood how Link felt the previous night when no one would help him mend his aching heart. And that just made her feel worse.
Reports were coming in of a man with a large sword standing on the highest place in Hyrule field, overlooking the rest of it. The reports say he appeared there last night and had been standing there ever since, like he was waiting for something. The description and time of appearance matched Link perfectly.
Zelda withdrew from the chaos to the solitude of her room. She sat and thought for a long time. She was still beating herself up over being the one responsible for Link's fate. She was the one he wanted to turn too. But she ended up being the one who caused him to turn in the first place. She had no idea about the dreams he was suffering from. She didn't learn of them until Rauru described them to her. She didn't know why he didn't just tell her about them. She couldn't believe that he never told her his feelings either. "If he really was in love with, me, why couldn't he just tell me? What was he afraid I was going to do? Laugh at him? I would never. In fact, I would almost like him to have told me that. It would have made me so happy." Zelda wished Link was there with her so she could ask him all her questions and find out why he was hiding all that he was hiding. She thought back to all the times she had the opportunity to ask him but never did. She kicked herself for her foolishness.
She tried to forget about it, but it was impossible. Link had taken over all her thoughts. The guilt tormented her soul. Desperate for help, she went to Rauru. She found him in her father's bedchambers going over all the data he had on Charantanatah. She requested an audience with Rauru. Rauru, figuring she wanted to discuss the fierce deity mask, excused himself from the meeting. Zelda took him out to the garden, because no one was there.
"What are we doing out here?" asked Rauru
"I need to talk to you about something." asked Zelda who was looking over Rauru's shoulder to make sure no one was coming.
"Charantanatah?"
"No. It's about Link." Rauru gave a look of disdain and tried to turn and leave.
"Zelda, this is no time to talk about Link! Whatever he has become is what is important!"
"No Please! Humor me for but a few minutes please!" Rauru reluctantly stayed and listened.
"Did Link ever...say anything about me?" Rauru's look of annoyance contorted to a more severe level. "Did he ever mention his feelings...about me?" Zelda was uncomfortable asking the questions.
"No. He never did." Zelda looked down with confusion.
"Did he ever-"Rauru held up his hand to silence the nervous princess.
"I know what your asking Zelda. But it's too late now to wonder if the crisis could have been averted. I doubt it's your fault."
"But it is my fault Rauru! Purely my fault! No one else is to blame except me!"
"What happened last night may have had something to do with you indirectly, but what it all amounted too was bad timing. The love letter, the planned marriage, Prince Zensha's interloping, the trickery of Charantanatah...it all came together at the wrong time and looked worse than it really was."
"But it is my fault! You don't understand! Link was my responsibility! His feelings, his heart, all were my responsibility and when he needed me the most, I failed him! I told you about it last night; fierce deity Link said it himself that it was my fault." Rauru put his hands on her shoulders to try and calm her down.
"Rubbish child. Don't you dare believe a word that trickster told you. What he said was an over exaggeration! I have no doubt that everything he told Link was a lie, or half-truth; the mask tricked him. He made his own choice to put on the mask, and it was a mistake. Link is not a bad man. He is a great man! A great man who did a bad thing, you must understand that he made a mistake and now he's in trouble; he needs our help." Rauru's words seemed sweet and were what Zelda needed to hear, but she couldn't shake the feeling of guilt.
"Okay, Rauru what if you're right? Why do I still feel so guilty? So personally responsible, for Link?"
"I don't know child. Could it be because your 'feelings' of responsibility are more than just responsibility?"
"What?"
"I must get back to the King Zelda. Think about my words. And above all, search your heart. Sometimes it isn't always as straightforward with you as you think it is." And with that Ruaru quickly left. Zelda was left to think about what he meant.
"'More than responsibility...whatever did he mean? That they were feelings of duty?" Zelda couldn't make any sense out of what she heard regarding her feelings towards Link. But one thing Rauru said stuck in her mind and made her think: "He's in trouble and he needs our help." Zelda hadn't bothered to think that putting on the mask meant he wasn't beyond redemption. Zelda needed to be sure if Link could still be helped. As her father made plans to destroy fierce deity Link, she sneaked off on horseback, alone to go speak with him to see if she could still find Link behind the mask.
Zelda approached Link from the rear. She got off horseback some ninety yards away and decided to walk the rest of the way. Fierce deity Link stood facing the south, overlooking all of Hyrule field. The clouds were dark, and lightning tickled the lost woods and the gerudo valley in the far distance. Fierce deity Link faced straight ahead with a look of stern focus, his arms rested powerfully on his sword that was propped up in front of him. The blade touched the ground and his hands rested on the end of the hilt, one hand on top of the other. His pose was proper, calm, yet intimidating; it demanded awe. He had been standing that way ever since the previous night. He seemed to be waiting for something. As Zelda got within two to three yards distance, she was terrified and walked very slowly towards him, afraid to speak. So fierce deity Link spoke first.
"What are you doing here?" His voice startled the princess causing her to gasp loudly. He asked the question without moving even his eyes; his voice was one of calm disdain. Cleary, the fierce deity Link was too busy too be concerned with the mortal woman.
"I-I came to speak with you...is-is that all right?" asked Zelda still standing behind him but very far out at an angle so, she could see his face.
"No." said fierce deity Link in the same calm demeanor without moving an inch. Zelda tried to feign confidence by raising her chin up and straightening her back and by not fidgeting her fingers, all in an attempt to make fierce deity Link take her seriously. He didn't.
"Oh?" she tried to ask confidently. "W-why not?" Fierce Deity Link turned to look at her. She immediately shrank back down and backed away several steps, in fear. Fierce Deity Link, not changing his posture, looked at her with disdain for a moment, and then looked back to his original point of focus.
"Why must you insist on annoying me woman? I've no concern for the likes of you." stated the fierce deity.
"Because, I-I want to talk to you, Link."
"I am not Link." he stated. "He is the vessel with which I live again."
"Well, why are you standing here?"
"I am waiting."
"F-for what?"
"For a challenge." His volume increased and his head, ever so slightly lowered, on 'challenge'. It caused Zelda to jump and gasp loudly again. She then put her hand on her chest and closed her eyes as she tried to calm herself down.
"From who?" Fierce deity Link turned to look at her once again. And Zelda opened her eyes to see Link staring at her with the same look as before. She slowly recoiled as her face welled up with fear.
"Anyone who can give me one." he said and turned his head once again. Zelda waited for a shock of fear from his words to happen but it never did, then confused she said,
"You took over Link's body just so you can wait for someone to pick a fight with you? That's so stupid!"
"He feels the same way." commented the fierce deity. Zelda squinted at the deity, in curiosity. Just then, a nearby commotion caught their attention and they both turned to look. It was half the Hylian royal army, supplemented by several brigades of the Calatian militia that had accompanied King Heuaris to Hyrule. "What is this?" asked the deity with a fleck of curiosity in his voice. Zelda's heart skipped a beat.
"No father don't!" she thought aloud. Fierce deity Link, still unmoved from his pose, smiled an evil smile and said,
"Little boys shouldn't play with big toys..." the army was marching in unison and then came to a halt. Fierce deity Link's brow furrowed in anger as he waited to see what the army was planning. The army's leader raised his hand, and with it, the flag bearers raised their flags and the trumpet blowers raised their horns to their lips. The field leader paused for several tense moments, and then lowered his hand and the charge was sounded. The soldiers charged screaming with swords drawn. Fierce deity Link smiled. "Alright then..." he said as he finally broke his pose and lifted his giant blade up, swinging it over his head. "I accept your challenge!" He shouted with a smile. Zelda backed up in fear and braced herself for something horrible. Swinging his blade over his head, fierce deity Link finally brought the sword down in a large horizontal slash. The slash unleashed a giant disc of light energy that flew towards the charging troops. The disc's radius was fifty yards long. It flew right at the troops, while the fierce deity watched with tense excitement as the disc swept through the body of troops, cutting everything that lay in it's path in half. "Yesssss! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" cheered the fierce deity as he returned to his statuesque pose of patience and discipline. Zelda was terrified.
"You-You just killed all those men! With one blow you-you killed them all!" Zelda had never witnessed such awful carnage, not even under the reign of Ganondorf.
"You saw that too?" asked the fierce deity with sarcasm.
"Link would never do such a thing you monster! Do you hear me Charantanatah?" Zelda shouted. Upon hearing his name the fierce deity's pose broke and he turned to face Zelda's tearful eyes with confusion.
"How did you know that?" he asked.
"Because your not Link. You're the horrible monster that tricked him in a moment of weakness. And if he were here right now, he'd put his sword right through you for what you just did you butcher!"
"He is far too weak to do anything woman. If he weren't, he would have stopped me, but he didn't did he?" he taunted as he reclaimed his pose. Zelda looked at him unable to respond. Then she grinned and sniffed back some tears and said,
"No, but now I know you can be beaten..." Fierce deity Link turned around and looked at her with surprise. "Because now I know he's alive. And as long as he's alive, I have hope!" she said to the deity, for the first time with true confidence. This angered the fierce deity. He slowly turned around to resume his waiting posture.
"So after what you just saw me do, you still do not think of me as a force to be feared? Then perhaps I need to fight an opponent who has real power, then you will fear my power." Zelda's expression reverted back to one of concern because she knew the deity was not bluffing. "Let's ask your friend Link if he knows anyone..." he said as he closed his eyes. Zelda looked on, as her look of concern became a look of fear. She watched and waited, as he stood motionless with his eyes closed. The tension drove her near madness as she waited for him to seal her kingdoms fate. Suddenly he opened his eyes, "Why not Ganon?" Zelda's blood ran ice cold.
"N-no, please, I beg you. Leave Ganon be." Zelda begged with a hushed voice while more tears built up in her eyes. The fierce deity smiled.
"Link is protesting quite ferociously as well...you fear Ganon princess? Then I shall challenge him and destroy him and then this pathetic country will fear me. Lets ask where he is..." the fierce deity's smile faded to a look of anger. For a few seconds he stared in anger and then his expression changed to one of acceptance. "Link wont tell me where he is, how peculiar..." Zelda smiled and her eyes beamed with hope. The deity closed his eyes and concentrated for a few more seconds, and then smiled. "His will is strong. That I'll concede. It will only take a mere week before he gives in and I unlock the secrets of his soul. Then the great battle will begin. No doubt this pitiful world will be torn to pieces in the war...such a pity..." he said with casual indifference. Zelda wasted no time as she turned and ran for her horse.
Back in the castle Zelda sat in her room, looking at herself in the mirror, her eyes were full of tears as she neared weeping once more. However, just as she was beginning to cry, she stopped. The tears ran down her face but she looked at herself in revelation. Her expression then changed to one of determination. "No..." she growled to herself. "No more. I cry too much. No more crying...no more weakness..." she said as she slowly rose off of her stool. Her anger began to rise. "Even possessed by Charantanatah, Link's spirit is fighting. He's giving everything he has to protect us from the unleashing of Ganon!" she shouted at herself. "He needs my help! I can't just sit here and cry!" she screamed as she threw her stool into the large mirror, breaking it into a thousand pieces. Her royal honor guard came charging into the room with his sword drawn.
"M'lady! I heard shouting and a crash! Are you injured?" Zelda turned to the guard with very serious authority in her eyes and said,
"Summon Rauru, I would have words with him." The guard bowed and immediately left to fetch the sage of Light. Zelda turned to look at Link's trusty weapons she had lying on her bed.
Some tense moments later, Rauru approached Zelda's room. He opened the doors to see the Princess wearing the clothing of the sheikan warrior. He recoiled in disbelief.
"Zelda! What are you doing?" Zelda's eyes glanced up from adjusting her armbands to Rauru with a piercing strength that seemed to tell him everything he needed to know. "You can't be serious." he said.
"I am dead serious, Rauru" said the princess in a deep voice. "I've had it." she spewed. "I'm not going to sit around anymore. Link is in that, that, monster somewhere, and he needs me. I won't fail him again." Rauru crossed his arms with a stern look. "I didn't call you in here to stop me Rauru, I need your guidance." she said as she strapped on Link's sword and shield. Rauru, raised an eyebrow. Zelda stopped fussing with the stubborn strap and looked at him. "What?"
"I was right when I said youthful emotions can make a person do anything wasn't I?" Zelda stopped and looked at herself and then at her broken mirror, and then back to Rauru. She paused for a moment, and then continued to fuss with the sword strap. Rauru smiled and sighed. "I wont stop you Zelda, I cant."
"Thank you"
"But you must stop and ask yourself if you can do anything to help Link, and if there is anything that can be done, are you able to do it? I know your love is blinding you-"Zelda immediately stopped fidgeting with the shield and glared at Rauru with surprise at his bold statement. Rauru continued. "...But I also know your smart enough to not simply charge out there after that deity. Not after witnessing him slaughter an entire army with the swing of his sword." Zelda, still frozen, stared at Rauru for a while, looked out the window in the direction of fierce deity Link, and then continued trying to get Link's shield onto her back. Finally she said,
"That's what you're here for, to tell me what I'm supposed to do." she said. Rauru threw his hands in the air with a look that seemed to shout: "I'm open to suggestions" Zelda looked to the floor in thought. "Well, what about a ritual cleansing?" she asked as she looked up at Ruaru. Ruaru, arms crossed, furrowed his eyebrows in question. "Well, as a sage, we have the power to cleanse an artifact of evil and all power don't we?"
"Yes..." Ruaru's eyes shifted up in thought as he tried to follow the princess' logic.
"Well, what if we tried that? Together? Will it still work even though Link's wearing the mask?" Ruaru didn't move. He thought silently for a long time.
"Perhaps...but, it would require the combined effort of all the sages for it to even have a chance of working..." he explained. Zelda nodded. "...But there's no way we could all get close enough to him to perform the ceremony. He would wipe us out just by looking at us." Zelda sighed. "But then again..."he thought aloud. "It is the best suggestion anyone has offered so far." Zelda smiled.
"One more question." said Zelda in a very serious tone. "...What about..." Zelda looked around the room, afraid to meet Rauru's eyes with the question. "What about the Master Sword?" Ruaru's eyes widened.
"The Master Sword?!...What about it?" Ruaru eyed the princess with extreme suspicion.
"Would it, stand up to the fierce deity? It is the 'sword of evil's bane' so I wondered if..."
"Well, it was never forged to go up against a god but...I suppose it could in theory, but..." said Rauru as he scratched his chin. "Why would you want the Master Sword? It's sealed away in the temple of Time. You would have to recollect all the spiritual stones to open the door. And that alone would give fierce deity Link a way to reach Ganondorf..." Zelda squinted.
"How did you know about that?" Ruaru smiled.
"I know. That's all that's important." Zelda looked at the floor.
"Well...I'm just trying to think ahead to be ready for every possible situation. That's all."
"Just like I taught you, very good. But Link is the only one who was ever able to survive all the trials it took to win the Master Sword. And you wouldn't even know how to use the sword's power anyway, I wouldn't worry about the Master Sword if I were you." said Rauru. Zelda bowed to her teacher.
"Thank you for your advice Rauru, but I would like to try to get the Master Sword anyway." Zelda walked over to the window and started to climb out.
"Sneaking out?" asked Ruaru
"Father would never let me go. You can't tell him of my mission Ruaru, promise me."
"I do. But, where are you going?"
"Link's house." she shouted as she crawled down the wall of the turret.
"Do you know where that is?" shouted Ruaru out the window.
"No. But I know someone who does!" she shouted back.
When Zelda reached the bottom of the castle, she used the Sheikan stealth tactics taught to her by Impa, her nursemaid, to avoid detection by the guards. She made her way to the royal stable, where Link's trusted horse Epona was being kept. Epona would not cooperate with the princess. So Zelda pulled out a small flute and tried to remember the tune Link always played for Epona. She had heard it several times before. It took her fifteen minutes, but she finally got the song right. Epona whinnied in acceptance. Zelda rode Epona out the back of the castle, the same way she went to sneak out to speak with fierce deity Link. Once she was in Hyrule field, she brought Epona to a slow trot as she passed through the battlefield where the fallen army lay. She looked in horror at the carnage. Epona was uncomfortable too. Zelda surveyed the damage. At least three thousand troops were in the attack. No one survived. Zelda looked up and in the distance, saw fierce deity Link standing, and waiting. She furrowed her brow in concern, then clicked her heels at Epona and gave a strong "Yah!" She continued to play Epona's song for the horse in hopes that Epona would just go home. Zelda's strategy worked. Epona led her to a small cottage on the outskirts of the lost woods.
At first Zelda didn't think she had found Links home. She figured it to be too humble for the mighty hero of time. She hitched Epona to her stable and strapped on her feedbag, that oddly had no oats in it. After giving Epona some oats, Zelda sneaked into Link's house to investigate. It was a small cottage of one room. Against the wall to the left was Link's bed. To the right of the bed, in the corner, was a small chest. On the wall that was to the right of the bed, was a fireplace. Above the fireplace were various items hanging on the wall. Shields, gadgets, swords, and masks were neatly posted on the wall, making a sort of trophy wall. Against the wall on the right, was a small dresser with a mirror. Next to the dresser was another door that lead out to the stable. A small rug lay on the floor in the center of the room. Zelda felt a feeling of warmth that made her smile. Link never required much. It was a far cry from the way she was accustomed to living. She was used to vast rooms of stone and marble, not a tiny room of wood. She was used to elegant furnishings, not quaint little dressers and small rugs. She wished that she could have lived there. Though she would have none of the service or convenience of living in the castle, she felt that somehow living with Link would be more satisfying than anything the royal court could provide.
Zelda basked in the homeliness of Links habitat for a few more seconds before she remembered her mission. Zelda walked over to the dresser to investigate. She looked around the surface of the dresser. There was a comb, an even smaller chest, and an image. Zelda was taken aback by the image that seemed to float there. Then she remembered the strange contraption Link had shown her once before. He called it a "Pictograph" it would copy the essence of something and preserve it forever. She picked up the pictograph that was propped up by a home made wooden frame. It was a pictograph of her. Zelda felt a rush as her emotions escape unrestrained. The pictograph was of her from roughly two years ago. In it, she was reaching up and touching a flower that was on a tree in the courtyard. It was quite a breathtaking shot. Link snapped it and kept it and never told her about it. Zelda closed her eyes in remorse. She had no idea how much she was the center of Link's simple little world. And then she thought of how horrible it must have felt to read Zensha's pathetic note. She finally understood how severe the damage was to his heart. It literally brought his whole world crashing down. She then felt even more determined to help him. She put down the picture and opened the small chest. There was some money inside, only about thirty rupees worth, not very much. She searched through the drawers of the dresser. All she found were some spare tunics, each one made of different fabric, and of a different color. The bottom drawer was most peculiar however, for in it was ten or twelve of Link's caps, all green. Zelda then noticed how every time she saw him he was wearing one. She wondered what his obsession was with the cap.
She turned around and put her hands on her hips in frustration. "I know he has it...it has to be somewhere..." she said as she studied Link's "trophies". There were two very large and heavy swords on the wall, to heavy for Zelda to carry, one was of Goron craftsmanship, and the other had black roses etched into it. She saw a mask of a goron, a zora, and a deku scrub as well. She saw a small wooden shield on one side of the chimney, and on the other side was a larger shield, about the size of Link's choice Hylian knight shield that Zelda wore on her back, but this shield was much more solid, it had a thick gloss over it and was made of an extremely hard metal, a kind she had never seen before. It wasn't until she saw her reflection in it did she realize that it was the fabled "mirror shield"; the shield said to be strong enough to deflect the strongest of attacks, and even reflect magic back at the attacker. Zelda's eyes widened in awe as she thought about Link actually being able to recover this mythical shield. She saw a slingshot, a boomerang, and an archer's bow. She saw an odd shaped gadget, the tip of which looked like a harpoon. She picked it up and studied it. "I've seen this before, I've seen Link with this during the imprisoning war...what did he call it?" She started to play around with it. She pushed down on the trigger and felt it click. She pointed it too the floor as she tried to look at the back to see what she pushed. Then she let go of the trigger and it shot out at the floor with a loud boom. It struck the floor hard, nicking a chunk of wood off the floor as it ricocheted off and automatically retracted. Zelda looked at the gash in the floor with a worried look. "Whoops..." Then her eyes widened. "Oh, yeah, 'the hookshot!'" she said in a happy tone. "I may need this..." she said as she tucked it behind her shield. She didn't like rummaging through Link's house and taking his possessions without asking permission, but Link wasn't around to ask anymore. She promised herself that she was 'just borrowing it for a while'. But she still hadn't found what she was looking for. She turned around and saw the larger chest in the corner.
She opened up the chest to see a variety of things. There were a few bombs, some arrows, and three glowing rocks: one red, one blue, and one was yellow. There was a book that said "Bomber's Secret Notebook" "What's a 'bomber'?" she asked herself as he pushed the book aside. There was a shovel and a pick ax for various jobs Link had to do. There was a sharpening stone, and a journal. Zelda gasped when she found Link's journal. She picked it up and looked around wildly. "Ooo...do I dare?" Zelda wasn't thrilled about the invasion of privacy, she knew if someone found her diary she wouldn't want them to read it, but she couldn't help herself. If there was one thing that she and Ruto loved to do, it was gossip. And, it was part of her nature to be nosy, so Zelda cracked open the book and flipped through the pages, and then slammed the book shut. "No, I cant...I cant do it." Zelda used every ounce of will power she had to stop herself. She wouldn't let herself read the book, but she decided to take it with her to keep a little piece of Link close to her heart. She kept digging through the chest and found various tools and items, but she still hadn't found what she was looking for. She plopped down on Link's bed in despair and lay back on his pillow and stared at the ceiling.
"Now what? I've searched everywhere...I've done everything accept rip up the floorboards...I don't think Link would be too happy with me if I did that." sighed the Princess. She rolled over on her side since lying on the shield and sword was uncomfortable. And as the Princess likes to do, she stuck her arm under the pillow to keep it fluffed and from sliding out from under her head. She felt something cold under the pillow. "Huh? What's this?" Zelda felt around under the pillow and felt something cold and hard. She sat up and lifted the pillow and saw what she was looking for. "Yes!" she said as she picked it up. The Ocarina of Time glowed with magic as Zelda looked at it. "I haven't seen this in a long time. Now I have it: 'Link's legacy'!" she said as she held it up in triumph.
"Hey! Who's in there?" shouted a small voice from outside. Zelda quickly pulled down the ocarina and hid. She was worried. It wouldn't look good to be caught stealing. But knowing the secrets of the Shiekah, Zelda had an edge in not being seen. Suddenly through the window, a little ball of light came fluttering into the room. "I know you're in here! Come out right now!" threatened the ball of light. Zelda cocked her eyebrow in confusion.
"What's this?" she thought to herself. Zelda emerged from her hiding place and silently approached the little ball of light. "Ahem!" said Zelda with her arms crossed. She startled the little ball of light as it gave a sharp squeak and zipped up the chimney to hide. It slowly peered through the fireplace and tried to sound tough again.
"Who are you?" demanded the scared, pixie-like creature
"That's what I was just about to ask..." Zelda said with a calm confident voice as she stood with her arms crossed in annoyance. The little ball of light slowly came out of the chimney. Scared, it immediately complied with Zelda's wishes.
"M-my name is Mema." she said.
"Okay...A better question would be, 'what are you'?"
"I'm a s-stray fairy, what else would I be?"
"A stray fairy?" asked princess Zelda as she uncrossed her arms
"Yeah, there are tons of us. We live throughout the lost woods. We're called 'stray fairies' because we don't have a kokiri child to look after."
"Do you know Link?"
"Well of course I know Link, everyone in the forest knows Link! You're the stranger! Who are you? How did you find this place? And how do you know Link?" demanded Mema
"I'm Princess Zelda..." before she could finish Mema cut her off.
"What?! You aren't the Princess! You look nothing like her! The princess would never show off her curves like that you tramp!" accused Mema, referring to Zelda's Sheikah uniform that fit her form tightly. Zelda grimaced in anger behind her mask. "Now how did you find this place?"
"Epona brought me here..." Mema cut her off in mid sentence once again.
"What?! You didn't ride Epona! No one can ride Epona accept Link!"
"Well I did." Snapped the princess as she put one hand on her hip and flexed her hip out with attitude. Mema neared Zelda's one exposed eye and asked quietly,
"How do you know Link?"
"I told you. I'm Princess Zelda. I rode hear on Epona so I could find the ocarina of time."
"I don't believe you." said Mema. Zelda looked at Mema blankly for a moment and then played her lullaby on the ocarina
"That's-That's The royal family's special song! H-how do you know that song?!" Mema asked in shock.
"Because it was my lullaby when I was a little girl. I'm Princess Zelda, and Link needs my help."
"Link's in trouble?!" shouted Mema. "What's happened to Link?" she asked in a worried tone. Zelda calmly told Mema the events of the past forty-eight hours, and of the countdown to doomsday, when Ganon would be freed. Mema, was quiet for a long time. And then said, "Okay, let's say you are the 'Princess of destiny', what are you going to do to help?"
"Whatever I can. I have some ideas of what can be done, but it will be difficult. I need to speak with the other sages. Time is running out. Excuse me." said the princess as she turned to leave.
"Wait!" shouted Mema as she chased after Zelda "Please wait! Please?" she asked timidly as she flew in front of Zelda, brining her to a halt. "I want to help. Let me come, please." begged Mema.
"What can you do to help?" asked Zelda, who was thinking in terms of combat.
"'Whatever I can.'" she said. "Please, Link's my friend. He helped me out a long time ago and I owe him. The least I can do is try." Zelda's stone cold look, slowly faded to a smile.
"Of course you can come." she said.
"Terrific! We'll make an awesome team! 'Mema and Zelda'! We'll be legends! 'Charababa' won't know what hit him!" shouted Mema zipping about while Zelda calmly walked out to the stable to un-hitch Epona. Once Zelda mounted Epona, Mema asked, "Where do we go from here?" Zelda thought for a moment.
"I need to speak with Saria, do you know her?"
"Yeah! I know all the kokiri children! Ya' ever heard of 'Mido'? He's a real sleaze. One time he-"
"Can you take me to her?" asked Zelda
"Sure! She lives in the forest temple! Just follow me!" Zelda kicked her heels into Epona and made a clicking noise with her mouth. "So anyway, as I was saying, 'Mido', he thinks he's a real great leader! There was this time he-"
"How could you be friends with Link? He's always so bashful and quiet. And here's you who won't stop talking." asked Zelda
"How could you be friends with Link? At least I don't steal his sword and shield and Horse!" she raised her volume on 'horse'. Zelda looked up in annoyance.
"I did not! I'm just borrowing them for a while"
"Yeah, borrowing on a permanent basis you mean!"
"You take that back!"
"No! Make me!" And the duo bickered all the way into the heart of the lost woods.
Zelda didn't sleep at all that night. She sat up in her room all night crying. She didn't once think about the horrible deeds that her father was conspiring. All she heard was fierce deity Link's words over and over again. She looked at herself in the mirror and was disgusted by what she saw. "How could you..." she said to herself "How could you be so careless? How could you be so selfish? He loved you!! He trusted you! And you let that happen to him!! You're the monster! Not Link! You!!!" Zelda then turned away from the mirror and fell on her bed crying.
The next morning, her servants fetched her for breakfast, and, understandably, she wasn't too cheerful. She looked out the window and saw that the sky was dark with thick black clouds everywhere, as far as the eye could see. Even when Ganondorf ruled Hyrule, it wasn't this bad. Zelda was like a zombie with out a will. Her hair was tousled. She didn't eat anything. There was much commotion in the castle that morning people were running back and forth like the castle was getting ready for a festival and a war all at the same time. The King was having breakfast with his military advisors and Rauru, discussing defense plans against Link. No one bothered to notice the princess, who was an emotional mess. She needed someone's help. But she was shunned as plans were made to destroy Link. Zelda understood how Link felt the previous night when no one would help him mend his aching heart. And that just made her feel worse.
Reports were coming in of a man with a large sword standing on the highest place in Hyrule field, overlooking the rest of it. The reports say he appeared there last night and had been standing there ever since, like he was waiting for something. The description and time of appearance matched Link perfectly.
Zelda withdrew from the chaos to the solitude of her room. She sat and thought for a long time. She was still beating herself up over being the one responsible for Link's fate. She was the one he wanted to turn too. But she ended up being the one who caused him to turn in the first place. She had no idea about the dreams he was suffering from. She didn't learn of them until Rauru described them to her. She didn't know why he didn't just tell her about them. She couldn't believe that he never told her his feelings either. "If he really was in love with, me, why couldn't he just tell me? What was he afraid I was going to do? Laugh at him? I would never. In fact, I would almost like him to have told me that. It would have made me so happy." Zelda wished Link was there with her so she could ask him all her questions and find out why he was hiding all that he was hiding. She thought back to all the times she had the opportunity to ask him but never did. She kicked herself for her foolishness.
She tried to forget about it, but it was impossible. Link had taken over all her thoughts. The guilt tormented her soul. Desperate for help, she went to Rauru. She found him in her father's bedchambers going over all the data he had on Charantanatah. She requested an audience with Rauru. Rauru, figuring she wanted to discuss the fierce deity mask, excused himself from the meeting. Zelda took him out to the garden, because no one was there.
"What are we doing out here?" asked Rauru
"I need to talk to you about something." asked Zelda who was looking over Rauru's shoulder to make sure no one was coming.
"Charantanatah?"
"No. It's about Link." Rauru gave a look of disdain and tried to turn and leave.
"Zelda, this is no time to talk about Link! Whatever he has become is what is important!"
"No Please! Humor me for but a few minutes please!" Rauru reluctantly stayed and listened.
"Did Link ever...say anything about me?" Rauru's look of annoyance contorted to a more severe level. "Did he ever mention his feelings...about me?" Zelda was uncomfortable asking the questions.
"No. He never did." Zelda looked down with confusion.
"Did he ever-"Rauru held up his hand to silence the nervous princess.
"I know what your asking Zelda. But it's too late now to wonder if the crisis could have been averted. I doubt it's your fault."
"But it is my fault Rauru! Purely my fault! No one else is to blame except me!"
"What happened last night may have had something to do with you indirectly, but what it all amounted too was bad timing. The love letter, the planned marriage, Prince Zensha's interloping, the trickery of Charantanatah...it all came together at the wrong time and looked worse than it really was."
"But it is my fault! You don't understand! Link was my responsibility! His feelings, his heart, all were my responsibility and when he needed me the most, I failed him! I told you about it last night; fierce deity Link said it himself that it was my fault." Rauru put his hands on her shoulders to try and calm her down.
"Rubbish child. Don't you dare believe a word that trickster told you. What he said was an over exaggeration! I have no doubt that everything he told Link was a lie, or half-truth; the mask tricked him. He made his own choice to put on the mask, and it was a mistake. Link is not a bad man. He is a great man! A great man who did a bad thing, you must understand that he made a mistake and now he's in trouble; he needs our help." Rauru's words seemed sweet and were what Zelda needed to hear, but she couldn't shake the feeling of guilt.
"Okay, Rauru what if you're right? Why do I still feel so guilty? So personally responsible, for Link?"
"I don't know child. Could it be because your 'feelings' of responsibility are more than just responsibility?"
"What?"
"I must get back to the King Zelda. Think about my words. And above all, search your heart. Sometimes it isn't always as straightforward with you as you think it is." And with that Ruaru quickly left. Zelda was left to think about what he meant.
"'More than responsibility...whatever did he mean? That they were feelings of duty?" Zelda couldn't make any sense out of what she heard regarding her feelings towards Link. But one thing Rauru said stuck in her mind and made her think: "He's in trouble and he needs our help." Zelda hadn't bothered to think that putting on the mask meant he wasn't beyond redemption. Zelda needed to be sure if Link could still be helped. As her father made plans to destroy fierce deity Link, she sneaked off on horseback, alone to go speak with him to see if she could still find Link behind the mask.
Zelda approached Link from the rear. She got off horseback some ninety yards away and decided to walk the rest of the way. Fierce deity Link stood facing the south, overlooking all of Hyrule field. The clouds were dark, and lightning tickled the lost woods and the gerudo valley in the far distance. Fierce deity Link faced straight ahead with a look of stern focus, his arms rested powerfully on his sword that was propped up in front of him. The blade touched the ground and his hands rested on the end of the hilt, one hand on top of the other. His pose was proper, calm, yet intimidating; it demanded awe. He had been standing that way ever since the previous night. He seemed to be waiting for something. As Zelda got within two to three yards distance, she was terrified and walked very slowly towards him, afraid to speak. So fierce deity Link spoke first.
"What are you doing here?" His voice startled the princess causing her to gasp loudly. He asked the question without moving even his eyes; his voice was one of calm disdain. Cleary, the fierce deity Link was too busy too be concerned with the mortal woman.
"I-I came to speak with you...is-is that all right?" asked Zelda still standing behind him but very far out at an angle so, she could see his face.
"No." said fierce deity Link in the same calm demeanor without moving an inch. Zelda tried to feign confidence by raising her chin up and straightening her back and by not fidgeting her fingers, all in an attempt to make fierce deity Link take her seriously. He didn't.
"Oh?" she tried to ask confidently. "W-why not?" Fierce Deity Link turned to look at her. She immediately shrank back down and backed away several steps, in fear. Fierce Deity Link, not changing his posture, looked at her with disdain for a moment, and then looked back to his original point of focus.
"Why must you insist on annoying me woman? I've no concern for the likes of you." stated the fierce deity.
"Because, I-I want to talk to you, Link."
"I am not Link." he stated. "He is the vessel with which I live again."
"Well, why are you standing here?"
"I am waiting."
"F-for what?"
"For a challenge." His volume increased and his head, ever so slightly lowered, on 'challenge'. It caused Zelda to jump and gasp loudly again. She then put her hand on her chest and closed her eyes as she tried to calm herself down.
"From who?" Fierce deity Link turned to look at her once again. And Zelda opened her eyes to see Link staring at her with the same look as before. She slowly recoiled as her face welled up with fear.
"Anyone who can give me one." he said and turned his head once again. Zelda waited for a shock of fear from his words to happen but it never did, then confused she said,
"You took over Link's body just so you can wait for someone to pick a fight with you? That's so stupid!"
"He feels the same way." commented the fierce deity. Zelda squinted at the deity, in curiosity. Just then, a nearby commotion caught their attention and they both turned to look. It was half the Hylian royal army, supplemented by several brigades of the Calatian militia that had accompanied King Heuaris to Hyrule. "What is this?" asked the deity with a fleck of curiosity in his voice. Zelda's heart skipped a beat.
"No father don't!" she thought aloud. Fierce deity Link, still unmoved from his pose, smiled an evil smile and said,
"Little boys shouldn't play with big toys..." the army was marching in unison and then came to a halt. Fierce deity Link's brow furrowed in anger as he waited to see what the army was planning. The army's leader raised his hand, and with it, the flag bearers raised their flags and the trumpet blowers raised their horns to their lips. The field leader paused for several tense moments, and then lowered his hand and the charge was sounded. The soldiers charged screaming with swords drawn. Fierce deity Link smiled. "Alright then..." he said as he finally broke his pose and lifted his giant blade up, swinging it over his head. "I accept your challenge!" He shouted with a smile. Zelda backed up in fear and braced herself for something horrible. Swinging his blade over his head, fierce deity Link finally brought the sword down in a large horizontal slash. The slash unleashed a giant disc of light energy that flew towards the charging troops. The disc's radius was fifty yards long. It flew right at the troops, while the fierce deity watched with tense excitement as the disc swept through the body of troops, cutting everything that lay in it's path in half. "Yesssss! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" cheered the fierce deity as he returned to his statuesque pose of patience and discipline. Zelda was terrified.
"You-You just killed all those men! With one blow you-you killed them all!" Zelda had never witnessed such awful carnage, not even under the reign of Ganondorf.
"You saw that too?" asked the fierce deity with sarcasm.
"Link would never do such a thing you monster! Do you hear me Charantanatah?" Zelda shouted. Upon hearing his name the fierce deity's pose broke and he turned to face Zelda's tearful eyes with confusion.
"How did you know that?" he asked.
"Because your not Link. You're the horrible monster that tricked him in a moment of weakness. And if he were here right now, he'd put his sword right through you for what you just did you butcher!"
"He is far too weak to do anything woman. If he weren't, he would have stopped me, but he didn't did he?" he taunted as he reclaimed his pose. Zelda looked at him unable to respond. Then she grinned and sniffed back some tears and said,
"No, but now I know you can be beaten..." Fierce deity Link turned around and looked at her with surprise. "Because now I know he's alive. And as long as he's alive, I have hope!" she said to the deity, for the first time with true confidence. This angered the fierce deity. He slowly turned around to resume his waiting posture.
"So after what you just saw me do, you still do not think of me as a force to be feared? Then perhaps I need to fight an opponent who has real power, then you will fear my power." Zelda's expression reverted back to one of concern because she knew the deity was not bluffing. "Let's ask your friend Link if he knows anyone..." he said as he closed his eyes. Zelda looked on, as her look of concern became a look of fear. She watched and waited, as he stood motionless with his eyes closed. The tension drove her near madness as she waited for him to seal her kingdoms fate. Suddenly he opened his eyes, "Why not Ganon?" Zelda's blood ran ice cold.
"N-no, please, I beg you. Leave Ganon be." Zelda begged with a hushed voice while more tears built up in her eyes. The fierce deity smiled.
"Link is protesting quite ferociously as well...you fear Ganon princess? Then I shall challenge him and destroy him and then this pathetic country will fear me. Lets ask where he is..." the fierce deity's smile faded to a look of anger. For a few seconds he stared in anger and then his expression changed to one of acceptance. "Link wont tell me where he is, how peculiar..." Zelda smiled and her eyes beamed with hope. The deity closed his eyes and concentrated for a few more seconds, and then smiled. "His will is strong. That I'll concede. It will only take a mere week before he gives in and I unlock the secrets of his soul. Then the great battle will begin. No doubt this pitiful world will be torn to pieces in the war...such a pity..." he said with casual indifference. Zelda wasted no time as she turned and ran for her horse.
Back in the castle Zelda sat in her room, looking at herself in the mirror, her eyes were full of tears as she neared weeping once more. However, just as she was beginning to cry, she stopped. The tears ran down her face but she looked at herself in revelation. Her expression then changed to one of determination. "No..." she growled to herself. "No more. I cry too much. No more crying...no more weakness..." she said as she slowly rose off of her stool. Her anger began to rise. "Even possessed by Charantanatah, Link's spirit is fighting. He's giving everything he has to protect us from the unleashing of Ganon!" she shouted at herself. "He needs my help! I can't just sit here and cry!" she screamed as she threw her stool into the large mirror, breaking it into a thousand pieces. Her royal honor guard came charging into the room with his sword drawn.
"M'lady! I heard shouting and a crash! Are you injured?" Zelda turned to the guard with very serious authority in her eyes and said,
"Summon Rauru, I would have words with him." The guard bowed and immediately left to fetch the sage of Light. Zelda turned to look at Link's trusty weapons she had lying on her bed.
Some tense moments later, Rauru approached Zelda's room. He opened the doors to see the Princess wearing the clothing of the sheikan warrior. He recoiled in disbelief.
"Zelda! What are you doing?" Zelda's eyes glanced up from adjusting her armbands to Rauru with a piercing strength that seemed to tell him everything he needed to know. "You can't be serious." he said.
"I am dead serious, Rauru" said the princess in a deep voice. "I've had it." she spewed. "I'm not going to sit around anymore. Link is in that, that, monster somewhere, and he needs me. I won't fail him again." Rauru crossed his arms with a stern look. "I didn't call you in here to stop me Rauru, I need your guidance." she said as she strapped on Link's sword and shield. Rauru, raised an eyebrow. Zelda stopped fussing with the stubborn strap and looked at him. "What?"
"I was right when I said youthful emotions can make a person do anything wasn't I?" Zelda stopped and looked at herself and then at her broken mirror, and then back to Rauru. She paused for a moment, and then continued to fuss with the sword strap. Rauru smiled and sighed. "I wont stop you Zelda, I cant."
"Thank you"
"But you must stop and ask yourself if you can do anything to help Link, and if there is anything that can be done, are you able to do it? I know your love is blinding you-"Zelda immediately stopped fidgeting with the shield and glared at Rauru with surprise at his bold statement. Rauru continued. "...But I also know your smart enough to not simply charge out there after that deity. Not after witnessing him slaughter an entire army with the swing of his sword." Zelda, still frozen, stared at Rauru for a while, looked out the window in the direction of fierce deity Link, and then continued trying to get Link's shield onto her back. Finally she said,
"That's what you're here for, to tell me what I'm supposed to do." she said. Rauru threw his hands in the air with a look that seemed to shout: "I'm open to suggestions" Zelda looked to the floor in thought. "Well, what about a ritual cleansing?" she asked as she looked up at Ruaru. Ruaru, arms crossed, furrowed his eyebrows in question. "Well, as a sage, we have the power to cleanse an artifact of evil and all power don't we?"
"Yes..." Ruaru's eyes shifted up in thought as he tried to follow the princess' logic.
"Well, what if we tried that? Together? Will it still work even though Link's wearing the mask?" Ruaru didn't move. He thought silently for a long time.
"Perhaps...but, it would require the combined effort of all the sages for it to even have a chance of working..." he explained. Zelda nodded. "...But there's no way we could all get close enough to him to perform the ceremony. He would wipe us out just by looking at us." Zelda sighed. "But then again..."he thought aloud. "It is the best suggestion anyone has offered so far." Zelda smiled.
"One more question." said Zelda in a very serious tone. "...What about..." Zelda looked around the room, afraid to meet Rauru's eyes with the question. "What about the Master Sword?" Ruaru's eyes widened.
"The Master Sword?!...What about it?" Ruaru eyed the princess with extreme suspicion.
"Would it, stand up to the fierce deity? It is the 'sword of evil's bane' so I wondered if..."
"Well, it was never forged to go up against a god but...I suppose it could in theory, but..." said Rauru as he scratched his chin. "Why would you want the Master Sword? It's sealed away in the temple of Time. You would have to recollect all the spiritual stones to open the door. And that alone would give fierce deity Link a way to reach Ganondorf..." Zelda squinted.
"How did you know about that?" Ruaru smiled.
"I know. That's all that's important." Zelda looked at the floor.
"Well...I'm just trying to think ahead to be ready for every possible situation. That's all."
"Just like I taught you, very good. But Link is the only one who was ever able to survive all the trials it took to win the Master Sword. And you wouldn't even know how to use the sword's power anyway, I wouldn't worry about the Master Sword if I were you." said Rauru. Zelda bowed to her teacher.
"Thank you for your advice Rauru, but I would like to try to get the Master Sword anyway." Zelda walked over to the window and started to climb out.
"Sneaking out?" asked Ruaru
"Father would never let me go. You can't tell him of my mission Ruaru, promise me."
"I do. But, where are you going?"
"Link's house." she shouted as she crawled down the wall of the turret.
"Do you know where that is?" shouted Ruaru out the window.
"No. But I know someone who does!" she shouted back.
When Zelda reached the bottom of the castle, she used the Sheikan stealth tactics taught to her by Impa, her nursemaid, to avoid detection by the guards. She made her way to the royal stable, where Link's trusted horse Epona was being kept. Epona would not cooperate with the princess. So Zelda pulled out a small flute and tried to remember the tune Link always played for Epona. She had heard it several times before. It took her fifteen minutes, but she finally got the song right. Epona whinnied in acceptance. Zelda rode Epona out the back of the castle, the same way she went to sneak out to speak with fierce deity Link. Once she was in Hyrule field, she brought Epona to a slow trot as she passed through the battlefield where the fallen army lay. She looked in horror at the carnage. Epona was uncomfortable too. Zelda surveyed the damage. At least three thousand troops were in the attack. No one survived. Zelda looked up and in the distance, saw fierce deity Link standing, and waiting. She furrowed her brow in concern, then clicked her heels at Epona and gave a strong "Yah!" She continued to play Epona's song for the horse in hopes that Epona would just go home. Zelda's strategy worked. Epona led her to a small cottage on the outskirts of the lost woods.
At first Zelda didn't think she had found Links home. She figured it to be too humble for the mighty hero of time. She hitched Epona to her stable and strapped on her feedbag, that oddly had no oats in it. After giving Epona some oats, Zelda sneaked into Link's house to investigate. It was a small cottage of one room. Against the wall to the left was Link's bed. To the right of the bed, in the corner, was a small chest. On the wall that was to the right of the bed, was a fireplace. Above the fireplace were various items hanging on the wall. Shields, gadgets, swords, and masks were neatly posted on the wall, making a sort of trophy wall. Against the wall on the right, was a small dresser with a mirror. Next to the dresser was another door that lead out to the stable. A small rug lay on the floor in the center of the room. Zelda felt a feeling of warmth that made her smile. Link never required much. It was a far cry from the way she was accustomed to living. She was used to vast rooms of stone and marble, not a tiny room of wood. She was used to elegant furnishings, not quaint little dressers and small rugs. She wished that she could have lived there. Though she would have none of the service or convenience of living in the castle, she felt that somehow living with Link would be more satisfying than anything the royal court could provide.
Zelda basked in the homeliness of Links habitat for a few more seconds before she remembered her mission. Zelda walked over to the dresser to investigate. She looked around the surface of the dresser. There was a comb, an even smaller chest, and an image. Zelda was taken aback by the image that seemed to float there. Then she remembered the strange contraption Link had shown her once before. He called it a "Pictograph" it would copy the essence of something and preserve it forever. She picked up the pictograph that was propped up by a home made wooden frame. It was a pictograph of her. Zelda felt a rush as her emotions escape unrestrained. The pictograph was of her from roughly two years ago. In it, she was reaching up and touching a flower that was on a tree in the courtyard. It was quite a breathtaking shot. Link snapped it and kept it and never told her about it. Zelda closed her eyes in remorse. She had no idea how much she was the center of Link's simple little world. And then she thought of how horrible it must have felt to read Zensha's pathetic note. She finally understood how severe the damage was to his heart. It literally brought his whole world crashing down. She then felt even more determined to help him. She put down the picture and opened the small chest. There was some money inside, only about thirty rupees worth, not very much. She searched through the drawers of the dresser. All she found were some spare tunics, each one made of different fabric, and of a different color. The bottom drawer was most peculiar however, for in it was ten or twelve of Link's caps, all green. Zelda then noticed how every time she saw him he was wearing one. She wondered what his obsession was with the cap.
She turned around and put her hands on her hips in frustration. "I know he has it...it has to be somewhere..." she said as she studied Link's "trophies". There were two very large and heavy swords on the wall, to heavy for Zelda to carry, one was of Goron craftsmanship, and the other had black roses etched into it. She saw a mask of a goron, a zora, and a deku scrub as well. She saw a small wooden shield on one side of the chimney, and on the other side was a larger shield, about the size of Link's choice Hylian knight shield that Zelda wore on her back, but this shield was much more solid, it had a thick gloss over it and was made of an extremely hard metal, a kind she had never seen before. It wasn't until she saw her reflection in it did she realize that it was the fabled "mirror shield"; the shield said to be strong enough to deflect the strongest of attacks, and even reflect magic back at the attacker. Zelda's eyes widened in awe as she thought about Link actually being able to recover this mythical shield. She saw a slingshot, a boomerang, and an archer's bow. She saw an odd shaped gadget, the tip of which looked like a harpoon. She picked it up and studied it. "I've seen this before, I've seen Link with this during the imprisoning war...what did he call it?" She started to play around with it. She pushed down on the trigger and felt it click. She pointed it too the floor as she tried to look at the back to see what she pushed. Then she let go of the trigger and it shot out at the floor with a loud boom. It struck the floor hard, nicking a chunk of wood off the floor as it ricocheted off and automatically retracted. Zelda looked at the gash in the floor with a worried look. "Whoops..." Then her eyes widened. "Oh, yeah, 'the hookshot!'" she said in a happy tone. "I may need this..." she said as she tucked it behind her shield. She didn't like rummaging through Link's house and taking his possessions without asking permission, but Link wasn't around to ask anymore. She promised herself that she was 'just borrowing it for a while'. But she still hadn't found what she was looking for. She turned around and saw the larger chest in the corner.
She opened up the chest to see a variety of things. There were a few bombs, some arrows, and three glowing rocks: one red, one blue, and one was yellow. There was a book that said "Bomber's Secret Notebook" "What's a 'bomber'?" she asked herself as he pushed the book aside. There was a shovel and a pick ax for various jobs Link had to do. There was a sharpening stone, and a journal. Zelda gasped when she found Link's journal. She picked it up and looked around wildly. "Ooo...do I dare?" Zelda wasn't thrilled about the invasion of privacy, she knew if someone found her diary she wouldn't want them to read it, but she couldn't help herself. If there was one thing that she and Ruto loved to do, it was gossip. And, it was part of her nature to be nosy, so Zelda cracked open the book and flipped through the pages, and then slammed the book shut. "No, I cant...I cant do it." Zelda used every ounce of will power she had to stop herself. She wouldn't let herself read the book, but she decided to take it with her to keep a little piece of Link close to her heart. She kept digging through the chest and found various tools and items, but she still hadn't found what she was looking for. She plopped down on Link's bed in despair and lay back on his pillow and stared at the ceiling.
"Now what? I've searched everywhere...I've done everything accept rip up the floorboards...I don't think Link would be too happy with me if I did that." sighed the Princess. She rolled over on her side since lying on the shield and sword was uncomfortable. And as the Princess likes to do, she stuck her arm under the pillow to keep it fluffed and from sliding out from under her head. She felt something cold under the pillow. "Huh? What's this?" Zelda felt around under the pillow and felt something cold and hard. She sat up and lifted the pillow and saw what she was looking for. "Yes!" she said as she picked it up. The Ocarina of Time glowed with magic as Zelda looked at it. "I haven't seen this in a long time. Now I have it: 'Link's legacy'!" she said as she held it up in triumph.
"Hey! Who's in there?" shouted a small voice from outside. Zelda quickly pulled down the ocarina and hid. She was worried. It wouldn't look good to be caught stealing. But knowing the secrets of the Shiekah, Zelda had an edge in not being seen. Suddenly through the window, a little ball of light came fluttering into the room. "I know you're in here! Come out right now!" threatened the ball of light. Zelda cocked her eyebrow in confusion.
"What's this?" she thought to herself. Zelda emerged from her hiding place and silently approached the little ball of light. "Ahem!" said Zelda with her arms crossed. She startled the little ball of light as it gave a sharp squeak and zipped up the chimney to hide. It slowly peered through the fireplace and tried to sound tough again.
"Who are you?" demanded the scared, pixie-like creature
"That's what I was just about to ask..." Zelda said with a calm confident voice as she stood with her arms crossed in annoyance. The little ball of light slowly came out of the chimney. Scared, it immediately complied with Zelda's wishes.
"M-my name is Mema." she said.
"Okay...A better question would be, 'what are you'?"
"I'm a s-stray fairy, what else would I be?"
"A stray fairy?" asked princess Zelda as she uncrossed her arms
"Yeah, there are tons of us. We live throughout the lost woods. We're called 'stray fairies' because we don't have a kokiri child to look after."
"Do you know Link?"
"Well of course I know Link, everyone in the forest knows Link! You're the stranger! Who are you? How did you find this place? And how do you know Link?" demanded Mema
"I'm Princess Zelda..." before she could finish Mema cut her off.
"What?! You aren't the Princess! You look nothing like her! The princess would never show off her curves like that you tramp!" accused Mema, referring to Zelda's Sheikah uniform that fit her form tightly. Zelda grimaced in anger behind her mask. "Now how did you find this place?"
"Epona brought me here..." Mema cut her off in mid sentence once again.
"What?! You didn't ride Epona! No one can ride Epona accept Link!"
"Well I did." Snapped the princess as she put one hand on her hip and flexed her hip out with attitude. Mema neared Zelda's one exposed eye and asked quietly,
"How do you know Link?"
"I told you. I'm Princess Zelda. I rode hear on Epona so I could find the ocarina of time."
"I don't believe you." said Mema. Zelda looked at Mema blankly for a moment and then played her lullaby on the ocarina
"That's-That's The royal family's special song! H-how do you know that song?!" Mema asked in shock.
"Because it was my lullaby when I was a little girl. I'm Princess Zelda, and Link needs my help."
"Link's in trouble?!" shouted Mema. "What's happened to Link?" she asked in a worried tone. Zelda calmly told Mema the events of the past forty-eight hours, and of the countdown to doomsday, when Ganon would be freed. Mema, was quiet for a long time. And then said, "Okay, let's say you are the 'Princess of destiny', what are you going to do to help?"
"Whatever I can. I have some ideas of what can be done, but it will be difficult. I need to speak with the other sages. Time is running out. Excuse me." said the princess as she turned to leave.
"Wait!" shouted Mema as she chased after Zelda "Please wait! Please?" she asked timidly as she flew in front of Zelda, brining her to a halt. "I want to help. Let me come, please." begged Mema.
"What can you do to help?" asked Zelda, who was thinking in terms of combat.
"'Whatever I can.'" she said. "Please, Link's my friend. He helped me out a long time ago and I owe him. The least I can do is try." Zelda's stone cold look, slowly faded to a smile.
"Of course you can come." she said.
"Terrific! We'll make an awesome team! 'Mema and Zelda'! We'll be legends! 'Charababa' won't know what hit him!" shouted Mema zipping about while Zelda calmly walked out to the stable to un-hitch Epona. Once Zelda mounted Epona, Mema asked, "Where do we go from here?" Zelda thought for a moment.
"I need to speak with Saria, do you know her?"
"Yeah! I know all the kokiri children! Ya' ever heard of 'Mido'? He's a real sleaze. One time he-"
"Can you take me to her?" asked Zelda
"Sure! She lives in the forest temple! Just follow me!" Zelda kicked her heels into Epona and made a clicking noise with her mouth. "So anyway, as I was saying, 'Mido', he thinks he's a real great leader! There was this time he-"
"How could you be friends with Link? He's always so bashful and quiet. And here's you who won't stop talking." asked Zelda
"How could you be friends with Link? At least I don't steal his sword and shield and Horse!" she raised her volume on 'horse'. Zelda looked up in annoyance.
"I did not! I'm just borrowing them for a while"
"Yeah, borrowing on a permanent basis you mean!"
"You take that back!"
"No! Make me!" And the duo bickered all the way into the heart of the lost woods.