Disclaimer: I've spent the past week and a half coming to grips with the realization that I do not own the Legend of Zelda. I've even joined a support group.
A/N: Seriously though, I've been pretty busy this past week, so this chapter has been on the burner for a while. I also had to finalize a lot of character motivations, plot ideas, etc. Add in some writer's block and… you get the picture. This is a big chapter in the scheme of things, and it shows in its length. Enough about me, though. On with the story!
Ingo walked out of the storage tower, a bucket of sudsy water in one hand and a mop in the other. He'd been cleaning the stables at Lon Lon Ranch for nearly fifteen years now, with little to no help from his boss. Ingo was sick of doing all of Talon's work for him. Ingo would have thought that the owner of a ranch would put some time and effort into maintaining that ranch, but all Talon ever did was sleep and spend time with his simpering little daughter. That little wench was another thorn in Ingo's side; if she ever saw him disciplining the horses, she'd complain to her lazy father, who would reprimand Ingo for doing his job. Neither of them understood that if horses misbehaved, they had to be punished. And the only punishment they understood was pain.
Come to think of it, that applied to children as well. Ingo had never seen Talon punish his daughter, and as a result she had become a spoiled little brat. She thought she knew everything about horses and how to care for them, and with even the slightest manipulation she could get any thing she wanted out of Talon. Ingo was disgusted; disgusted with her, disgusted with him, disgusted that he continued to work for these simps. He himself could do a better job of running the ranch than Talon could, and then he could teach Malon how to really care for horses. She'd learn, Ingo thought with a smile. She'd learn or be thrown out of the ranch.
Ingo entered the stable, absorbed in his bitter thoughts. He began to scrub the floor when he saw something in a stall that made him stop. He dropped his mop and grabbed a pitchfork that was leaning against the wall. Ever so slowly, Ingo crept up into the stall.
"What're YOU doin' here!"
* * * * * *
Link awoke with a start to see a pitchfork staring him in the face. He froze on the spot, his mind groggily trying to assess the situation. There was no way he could reach his sword before the pitchfork would skewer him. Beside him, Saria woke up and gave a small cry when she saw the pitchfork aimed at her friend. Link kept his eyes on his assailant, then realized there was something familiar about him.
"Ingo!" he blurted in recognition.
The stablehand's face wrinkled in surprise, but he advanced the pitchfork closer to Link's chest. "Who are you? What are you doin' here? And how do you know my name?"
"Uh," Link stammered, realizing his mistake. "Malon mentioned you when we came in last night."
"That's right," Saria added. "We asked for a place to stay for the night, but the owner said you didn't have a room."
"Yeah, that's right," Link continued, "so they put us here in the stable."
Ingo glanced back and forth between the two children. "How do I know you ain't thieves waiting to steal the horses? Eh?"
Link tried to scoot backwards towards his sword and had the pitchfork pressed against his chest for his trouble. He glanced at Saria helplessly.
"You can ask either Talon or Malon. They would agree with us," Saria suggested.
Ingo did not seem convinced. "And I suppose Talon didn't even make you pay to stay here?"
"Pay to stay in a stable!" Link cried out indignantly. He was about to continue when Saria put a hand on his shoulder.
"We don't have any money, sir," she answered calmly.
Ingo scowled and spat on the stall floor. "Darn guy doesn't know how to run a ranch. He ain't never gonna get any money lettin' ragged children sleep for free. Dirtyin' my stables!" He removed the pitchfork from Link's chest and Link let out a sigh of relief.
"Well, you have to get out of the stables now. I've got to clean 'em," the stablehand growled. When Link and Saria were slow to move he bellowed, "I said, get! I ain't got all day!"
Link grabbed his sword and Saria's satchel and ushered her out in front of him. Ingo's glare followed them across the stable until Link had shut the door behind them. Once outside, Link handed Saria her satchel and started to strap his sword across his back.
"What an unpleasant man," Saria commented, yawning.
"He always was a little bitter," Link agreed, adjusting his ruffled tunic. "We should be going soon."
As he spoke, the office door opened and Malon stepped out. She stopped short at the sight of her guests.
"Oh, you two are up early!" she said brightly.
"We met your stablehand," Saria commented dryly. "He told us he needed to clean the stables."
"Oh, did Ingo give you trouble?" Malon's face frowned cutely. "He's so grumpy in the mornings! I'm sorry about him."
"It's all right," Link returned. "We need to be leaving now anyway."
"Oh, must you go already?" Malon cried, face falling. "We have breakfast inside, and you haven't even met the horses yet!"
Link felt Saria's eyes on him, but his resolve stood firm. "Yes, I'm afraid we must go. We have an important appointment to keep in Hyrule Castle Town."
Malon's eyes widened. "Oh, are you going to the castle? That's so exciting! What's your appointment for?" When Link didn't respond immediately, she backtracked. "Oh, that's OK; you don't have to tell me. I was there just last week! There was a lot of gossip going on around the marketplace about the princess."
Link tried to mask his surprise. "What kind of gossip?" he ventured, feigning indifference.
Malon gave him a curious look. "They say she had a prophetic dream. No one really believes it was a prophecy, but you know how rumors spread."
Link and Saria exchanged a glance. Malon gauged their interest, then continued, "They've really tightened security around the castle. Apparently a couple people tried to sneak in to see her, so now the guards aren't letting anyone into the castle without official business." Malon looked closely at Link and Saria. "You wouldn't be trying to see the Princess," she said hesitatingly, "would you?"
"No!" Link blurted quickly. "No, we're just there on, ah, well…"
"We're going to meet a friend of ours," Saria interjected. She glanced at Link and rolled her eyes.
"Oh, okay," Malon said, shrugging.
"Tell Talon that we appreciate your hospitality," Saria told the farm girl.
"I will. Have a good time with your friend," Malon returned, smiling brightly once again.
"It was nice to have met you," Link called softly over his shoulder as they left the ranch.
* * * * * *
Saria sat in a patch of grass, her satchel open between her legs. Link sat opposite her, sharing their lunch of berries.
"I could really use some real food," Link complained. "These berries aren't much to live off of."
"Quit complaining. You're supposed to be the hero, and you can't deal with a little bit of hunger?"
Link refused to answer, chewing on his berries. Saria smiled inwardly.
"And don't even get me started on your social skills."
"All right! What did I do to deserve this?"
"'We're there on, ah, err, well…'"
"Oh, shut up. If you woke up with a pitchfork in your face, you'd be a little bit disoriented, too," Link grumbled.
"Like you haven't seen worse than a grumpy bald man with a pitchfork."
"It's not the most pleasant sight to wake up to," Link pointed out.
Saria laughed merrily, popping a few berries in her mouth. She'd been feeling much better today. They'd been walking for about four hours, and her legs were only a little bit sore. Her magical power seemed to have recharged somewhat as well; Saria had never felt emptier than just after her battle. Now she could feel the forest inside her again, albeit fainter than usual.
Saria let out a sigh once her laughter subsided. "So how much longer do we have until we reach the castle?"
Link looked around them, then checked the position of the sun. "I'd say we'll get there sometime in the late afternoon. All this walking makes me wish I had Epona again."
"Epona?" Saria echoed.
"Yeah, Epona. She was the most beautiful horse I'd ever seen. Malon gave her to me when I helped restore the ranch to Talon." Saria could hear the wistful tone in Link's voice. A sudden thought struck her, and she decided to pursue it.
"How well did you know Malon?" she asked, trying to mask the tension that was inexplicably rising inside her.
Link lay on his back, gazing up at the clouds drifting through the blue sky. "I only met her three times. There wasn't a lot of time during the quest, and most of it was spent saving Hyrule, you know? I met her in Hyrule Castle Town, the day after I left the forest. She was the first real friend I made on my quest. I stopped by the ranch on my way back to the forest to see you, and she taught me her mother's song. After that, I didn't see her again until after my little nap. I found Ingo running the ranch. Malon was basically his slave, and he'd kicked Talon out of the ranch."
Link sat up and started playing with the grass between his legs. Saria was outwardly patient, but her insides were tense. What was the matter with her?
"I talked Ingo into wagering Epona on a horse race, and when I beat him, he tried to make me a prisoner in the ranch." A small smile played on Link's face as he continued. "We jumped the fence and went on to the forest. When I was done in the temple, I went back and checked on Malon. She was running the ranch, and Ingo was a stablehand again. I stayed a day at the ranch before I went to the Fire Temple." Link stopped his story and was silent for a minute. "There weren't a lot of good memories from my quest, but Malon was one of them."
Saria was quiet as Link finished his story. She felt so sorry for Link, with all he had to go through on his quest. She supposed it was good that Link had some good memory to take from his quest, but why did she feel jealous about it? Saria didn't have any good memories from Ganondorf's takeover. She had lost her best friend, lost her mentor in the Great Deku Tree – twice now – and she'd even lost her life, in a fashion. But that didn't mean she had to be envious of Link's good times. He'd traveled a much harder path than she.
Link stood up and stretched, then reached for his sword. "We should get going again."
Saria sighed and closed her satchel. She was ready for this adventure to be over.
* * * * * *
Saria's eyes were wide with wonder as they approached the drawbridge leading into Hyrule Castle Town. They had caught sight of the castle at the top of the last hill, but it had taken them over an hour to reach the massive drawbridge set in the outer battlement. Saria had spent her entire life in the forest. She had thought the Forest Temple was the most impressive structure in the world, but even the drawbridge of Hyrule Castle dwarfed her previous impressions.
"It's so big!" she said aloud, standing just beyond the great moat that separated the Castle from the rest of Hyrule.
Link, who had already started across the drawbridge, turned to Saria and smiled broadly.
"Wait until you see the castle. It's unbelievably beautiful," he called. "Come on! We still need to reach the castle before nightfall."
Saria wrenched her eyes away from the battlements and ran to join Link. Her head darted left and right as she tried to absorb all the sights at once. Link and Saria were greeted at the portcullis by an armored Hylian Knight. The knight smiled at the sight of the two children.
"Welcome to Hyrule Castle Town!" he exclaimed cheerfully. "We're a peaceful, prosperous town. If you're looking for lodgings, the inn is three blocks down to the right. The marketplace is open all day, and you can find all sorts of shopping, games, and entertainment there. I'm afraid the castle itself is closed to visitors right now, but the Temple of Time is open for prayer. Enjoy your stay!"
Link nodded at the guard as they passed. He stopped at the first intersection, and Saria could hardly believe the activity she saw before them. They had barely stepped inside the gates, and already she had seen more people than she had in her entire life. Men and women walked the streets in both directions. Two children darted through the town, chasing a Cucco. Wild dogs barked back and forth at each other. A cart wandered through the streets, carrying large jugs of some exotic drink. A group of people stood at the corner, carrying on in animated conversation. The noise was constant and there was a grand splendor to it all that Saria found quite overwhelming. She gave a small start as Link touched her arm. He smiled back at her and held out his hand.
"Stay close to me. It can get very crowded in here," he commented.
Saria took his hand and he began to lead her through the streets of Hyrule Castle Town. Saria tried to take in everything as Link wound through the streets. She saw a store that sold spices on one side, next to a fruit stand that sold all sorts of fresh goods. Raucous cheers came from a tavern that they passed, and a baker stood outside his store, calling to passersby to try his bread. Saria saw quite a few kids all peeking in the window of one store, and she tugged on Link's shirt.
"What's in there?"
Link glanced over at the store and smiled briefly. "That's the Shooting Gallery. They use bows and arrows for adults and slingshots for children. The proprietor was very surprised when I came in and hit every target on my first try."
Saria laughed and they continued through the streets. Suddenly, Link pulled her sharply to the right as something splashed down next to her. Saria glanced at the putrid looking pile on the ground and looked at Link.
"Not everything in Hyrule Castle Town is exciting and pretty," he commented. "Only some parts of the town have running water. The rest make do."
Saria wrinkled her nose in distaste as Link continued their journey.
Soon, they reached what seemed to be the center of the town. A grand plaza opened up from the street. Link paused next to the statues that flanked the entrance and let Saria take in the sights. Topiaries and trees dotted the plaza. In the very center, there was a grand fountain, shooting water high into the air. All around the plaza, carts were set up, with proprietors peddling their wares. One side of the plaza was storefront, and Saria could see armories and potion shops. If anything, the marketplace was even more crowded than the rest of the city. Huge crowds were gathered around some carts, and people milled back and forth, browsing to find the best bargains available to them. A large tower poked up above the roofline to Saria's right, and she pointed it out to Link.
"Is that what I think it is?" she said excitedly.
"Yep," Link answered, grinning at Saria's wonderment. "That's the Temple of Time. It's actually the quietest part of town. And if you look over there," he said, pointing, "you can see the turrets of Hyrule Castle."
Saria followed his finger and saw several towers with grand banners blowing in the wind. The tallest tower was in the center, and Saria was almost certain it would reach the clouds. It was the most amazing sight she had ever seen.
"It's absolutely amazing," she breathed, placing her free hand on her chest.
Link's smile only broadened. "Wait 'til you see it up close!" He clenched her hand tighter. "Be sure you keep close. It's very, very rough in here."
Saria nodded to Link and they began to weave their way through the crowd. She heard various voices as they dodged through the masses.
"Fifty rupees for this necklace!"
"Did you hear what happened to Lari?"
"I'm not paying for that!"
"Do you think it will rain?"
"I'll give you twenty, and that's my final offer!"
"Hey! Watch where you're going!"
Link brushed by a portly woman in front of them, and Saria nearly was squished between her and the cart to the side. Saria fought to retain her balance and her grip on Link's hand. Meanwhile, the marketplace bustled around her.
"I'll take three of those."
"Where do you get off selling at those prices?"
"My wares are only the highest quality!"
"Did you hear what Princess Zelda said?"
Saria's ears perked up at that last statement. She strained to hear more, but unfortunately they had already passed the speakers. Suddenly, a hand grabbed her arm. She turned and stared into the toothless grin of a wrinkled old man.
"Pleasse, m'lady! Ssumphin nissse pher ah poor beggah!" he pleaded, grasping at her arm.
Saria pulled back in disgust as Link stepped in front of the beggar. "Sorry, we're broke," he said shortly, pulling Saria back into the crowd.
"Sorry about that!" he called back. "There are some people down on their luck here."
"It's alright," Saria gasped out.
Thankfully, they had soon crossed the marketplace. They dodged through the gate leading towards the castle and out of the crowds, and Saria breathed a sigh of relief. That town was crazy!
* * * * * *
Link walked along the road towards the castle. He was pretty confident that he could sneak into the castle. He would just have to follow the same path he did in his other reality. But first…
Link edged around the corner and stole a glance at the castle gate. Sure enough, a Hylian Knight paced back and forth in front of the locked and barred gate. Link turned back to Saria and spoke.
"We'll have to take the long way around." Link pointed towards some vines growing up a cliff face. "You go first; that way I can catch you if you fall."
Saria gave Link a pointed glance, then grabbed the vines in her two hands. Before Link could blink, she had scaled the vines and was looking down at him from the top of the cliff.
"Come on, Link," Saria called down. "I'm waiting for you."
Link sheepishly climbed up to join her. When he saw the amused smirk on her face, he shrugged. "Just trying to help."
"Where to now?" Saria returned.
"Follow me."
Link slunk along the cliff until he was even with the gate. A quick glance across the stone bridge assured him that two knights were guarding that avenue as well. Link motioned downward to Saria, then slid down the hillside to come to rest just behind the gate. After checking to make sure Saria was still following, he continued up the road until it began to curve left and uphill, motioning for Saria to stop.
"There are two guards halfway up this hill," he whispered. "I'll throw a rock over there, and when they go to look, we'll bolt through the little meadow here."
Saria nodded silently. Link located a small rock, tossed it once in his hand, and hefted it against a tree on the opposite side of the road. Hearing footsteps and voices just up the road, he pushed Saria ahead of him and they slunk through the grass, passing the main drawbridge of the castle to their right. They reached a small cliff, and Link boosted Saria over the ledge before climbing up himself. After climbing up an incline, Link dropped of a small cliff and caught Saria as she jumped down. They were now on the opposite side of the iron gate blocking the road. Link verified that the drawbridge was up, then turned to Saria.
"We have to go through the moat now. If we try to sneak along the road the guards at the gate will see us," Link explained.
Saria smiled and slipped into the moat, followed closely by Link. Link took the lead as they drifted by the drawbridge. He latched on to a rock as they drifted by, then helped Saria to climb out of the moat before dragging himself above the edge. He led the way to the side of the castle, where a door was set in the stone.
"That's the guardhouse," Link said aloud. "We're aiming for that small drain in the wall. It leads to the courtyard, where Zelda should be."
"I see," Saria returned. "How are we going to get there?"
"We're going to use these – wait a minute," Link stopped short. The crates he had used before weren't here! Link smacked himself in the head. Talon had yet to make his delivery of milk, so there weren't any convenient crates to use.
"Missing something?" Saria questioned.
"Um, yeah," Link stuttered. "There's supposed to be some crates here to use, but…"
"I'll take care of it," Saria asserted, turning to the drain. Link watched her hold her hands in front of her, and slowly a greenish light grew. The light stretched itself and slowly formed into a small bridge leading across the moat to the drain. Link smiled.
"You know, I keep forgetting about that whole sage thing."
* * * * * *
After sneaking by a few more Hylian guards, Link and Saria entered the castle courtyard. Zelda was standing at the center of the courtyard, her back to Link. He had an eerie sense of déjà vu, seeing the same girl in the same dress in the same situation. He glanced at Saria, who was looking at the Princess of Destiny. Link shrugged and walked towards Zelda.
"I've been waiting for you, Hero of Time."
The dulcet voice stopped Link mere steps in front of Zelda. She turned and regarded Link, bright blue eyes traveling up and down his impassive face. A smile spread over her face and she blushed faintly, eyes dropping to the ground.
"It's good to see you, Link," Zelda said softly.
Link stood, tongue-tied, as Zelda raised her head and suddenly caught sight of Saria. She frowned slightly, eyes traveling back and forth between the two.
"You've brought the Sage of the Forest with you," she said, confused.
"I don't believe we've met," Saria ventured.
"Oh, there go my manners again," Zelda berated herself. "My apologies. I am Zelda, Princess of Hyrule and the Seventh Sage."
"This is Saria, Sage of the Forest," a voice came from behind Link. He turned to see Impa, Zelda's attendant and the Sage of Shadow standing behind him and Saria. Saria turned to see the white-haired, armored woman and smiled in recognition.
"Impa!" Saria cried out, giving the woman a hug. Link put his hands on his hips in mock irritation.
"You know I hate it when people sneak up on me like that," he grumbled at Impa.
Impa looked down on Link, her red eyes flashing. "I would not have bothered to appear, but the presence of the Forest Sage has me concerned."
"I agree," Zelda interjected. "What happened to make you leave the forest?"
Saria looked at Link, then cast her eyes to the ground, unwilling to speak. Link sighed aloud, then looked into Zelda's searching eyes.
"The forest was… attacked, early yesterday morning. A group of Gerudo warriors came through and destroyed Kokiri Village and everyone in it." Zelda gasped and put a hand over her mouth. Link cast his eyes to the ground and continued as unemotionally as possible. "They killed the Great Deku Tree and took the Kokiri Emerald."
"How did they manage to kill the Deku Tree?" Impa questioned.
"Ganondorf," Saria spat out bitterly. "They were led by Ganondorf."
Silence reigned in the courtyard. Zelda was the first to recover, asking, "You say he has the Spiritual Stone?"
Link nodded, rubbing Saria's back with a free hand. She slowly brought her head up, eyes shining defiantly.
"He's after the Triforce again," Impa stated.
"Yes, but this time we can be organized against him," Zelda countered, steel in her voice. All eyes turned to her as she continued. "He still needs the other two Spiritual Stones. And even if he gets those, he'll need the Ocarina of Time." Her face hardened. "He shall not have that!"
"If we can get one of the Spiritual Stones before Ganondorf can, we'll force his hand," Impa said.
"But how do we know which Spiritual Stone he'll go for first?" Link asked, shaking his head. "He could pick fire or water, and we have no way of knowing which he'll go for."
"Did you see which way the Gerudos went when they left?" Impa inquired.
"They didn't," Saria said shortly.
"They're still there?" Impa was clearly confused.
"They're dead," Saria bit out.
A surprised Impa looked to Link. He nodded briefly.
"Saria and I… took care of them," he stated quietly.
Another awkward pause. "Perhaps we've bought some time, then," Zelda suggested.
"It's unlikely," Link pointed out. "If I was Ganondorf, I'd try to strike as quickly as possible. He knows he's losing the element of surprise."
"But we still don't know which stone he'll go for first," Saria objected.
"Then we'll just have to cover both of them," Zelda declared. "Do you have enough power to make it to Death Mountain?" she asked, turning to Saria.
Saria returned her gaze blankly for a moment, then straightened and nodded. "Yes, I should."
"Who going to go to Zora's Domain and warn Ruto?" Link asked.
"Impa will," Zelda stated.
Impa looked faintly surprised, which was rare for the stoic Sheikah. "But Princess, Ganondorf may anticipate our movements. He may very well strike here first, for the Ocarina."
Zelda looked determined. "Then the Hero of Time will have to protect me. This is the only way we can assure both Spiritual Stones are covered."
Impa was quiet for a moment. "What about the other sages?"
"We have no way to reach Rauru in the Temple of Light," Link pointed out.
"And trying to get to Nabooru in the desert would be an unnecessary risk, as well as wasting precious time," Saria chimed in.
Impa looked at the children, realizing they were right. "Very well, then. Link, you and Zelda will protect the Ocarina of Time. I will join Ruto with the Spiritual Stone of Water, and Saria will join Darunia with the Spiritual Stone of Fire."
Zelda nodded. "Ganondorf will strike at one of those locations. Do not try to fight him; he is too strong for that. We can only defeat him when we are united, and escaping with the Spiritual Stones is our first priority."
"Where will we meet?" Link inquired.
Zelda shrugged. "Kakariko Village is too obvious, and if Ganondorf goes for Death Mountain first it's also dangerous. We could use Lon Lon Ranch."
Link shook his head. "We don't want to bring Malon and Talon into this."
"You're right," Zelda conceded.
"What about the Lost Woods?" Saria asked.
"That just might work," Link mused. "There are connections from both Goron City and Zora's Domain that the Sages could retreat through."
"It would also be the last place Ganondorf would think of us hiding. And I know the forest better than anyone."
"But if we retreat through these passages, what's to prevent Ganondorf from following us?" Impa asked irately.
The children looked at each other.
"Hopefully he won't see where we retreat," Link offered.
"Hopefully?" Impa echoed dubiously.
"We'll deal with that problem if it arises," Zelda interrupted, ending the discussion. "We don't have time to waste. Saria, you meet with Darunia, and Impa, you find Princess Ruto. Make arrangements to get the Spiritual Stone to the Lost Woods. Link and I will depart for the Lost Woods today." She looked at each person in turn. "Good luck."
Impa gave the Princess a hard but loving stare. "Be safe, princess."
With that, she dematerialized into a purple light, which rose swirling into the air. It was joined by a brilliant green light, and soon both shot off in opposite directions, leaving the Princess of Destiny and the Hero of Time behind.
A/N: And it begins. Can you guess where Ganondorf will strike next? Hehe… anyways, review responses:
Crab Apple Fairy: Yes, the sign has been destroyed, and so has poor Mido. My minor errors… well… they add… character… yes… never mind.
SilverCrystal(x3): Thanks for all your reviews! I know what it's like to be busy. I'm glad you enjoy reading my detail, because I like writing it! I guess Link and Saria had a very tragic beginning in this story… it just kinda came out that way. Their emotions will continue to play a large part in the story.
As for the sages uniting, I won't say anything about that. But keep in mind what Zelda says. Thanks for being my most consistent reviewer, and I hope this update was worth the wait!
Unfortunately, you're also close to my only reviewer for this section. But there's an easy way to remedy that! Please review!
-AE