Chapter Two: Riddle Me This, Part One
"It's been a long time, Link," called the evil man. Link stared at his rival, knowing this was the battle he had longed for since he first defeated him. His rival stared in the exact same way.
"I only have one question," said the hero, unsheathing his sword.
"And that is?"
"How did you come back, Ganondorf?"
"You already know the answer, fool."
"Master Hand?"
"Is that a problem?"
"But how?"
"His power works in mysterious ways, just like the magic of the goddesses."
"Where's Zelda?"
"Defeat me, and you'll find her. I should warn you, though, this battle will take place all over Hyrule. Each time I get the upper hand, that section will be annihilated. I, of course, won't tell you where I will begin, so listen carefully. Childhood memories are grand, but this place is grander. Where a friend was called, and where a friend was reclaimed."
"What?"
"Solve it to find me," said Ganondorf, disappearing. Link ran to where he was, but there was only a small patch of dead grass.
"Okay, childhood memories are grand, but this place is grander." Link looked around and saw Talon's Ranch.
"Is that it?" He didn't know, but he was going to find out. He started the long trek towards the ranch, hoping it was the right place.
In the Kikori forest, at the Forest Temple, Saria was lying on the Forest Emblem. A dark figure was walking around her, making sure she didn't try to escape. Saria watched him from half-closed eyes, seeing if she could escape.
"I know what you're doing," said the Dark Figure, coming to a halt. He unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Saria's face.
"How..."
"I can see into your soul, Saria, all of Master Hand's minions can. The second you jump up, you're going down."
"Even I can see through that," said Saria, going into a sitting position.
"What do you mean," said the Dark Figure, walking around the emblem again.
"If you were meant to kill me, you would have done it already."
In a flash, the sword was up against Saria's throat.
"I would if my master didn't stop me from doing it."
"I see," said Saria, lying back down. "Link will find me, you do know that, right?"
"Right now, he has entered Talon's Ranch, but he is going to find more than just him and his daughter."
The Dark Figure began to laugh, making Saria feel discomforting.
Link walked into the ruins of the ranch, seeing nothing but the carcasses of several animals. He continued on and into the corral where the horses used to be. He saw all of them dead, just skeletons.
On one of the fences, a horse that tried to escape whatever happened here was hanging on the sharp points. Link recognized the saddle as being Epona He turned his face and saw that the tower near the corral laid in ruins.
He turned back and went inside the barn. The cows were just the same, and Link had the feeling that the skeleton at the back was Ingo's. He left and went into Talon's house. Decaying feathers were everywhere, but no Cuccos.
Link looked at where the stairs were and saw that they were destroyed. He pulled out his hook-shot and shot at the post above the second-floor door and entered.
The room was dark and dismal, with everything askew. Link was appalled at how evil the place was. He looked at the destroyed bed and saw that there was still someone in it.
He walked over to it and removed the covers. From it shot out a corpse that latched out onto him.
"Aaayeee!" cried Link, pulling free of the corpse. It was a Redead, and it nearly started to suck on him. He pulled out his sword and held it up to strike. From somewhere, light reflected off the blade and onto the Redead. Link nearly gasped at who it was.
"Talon?"
It tried to speak, but the words were muffled because of the years of decaying flesh.
"What happened to you?"
"Eew!" Talon replied, reaching out for Link's life-force. Link slashed at the hand, cutting it away easily. Talon laughed at the attempt, bending down to pick up his lost hand. He then reattached it to his arm and began to walk towards Link.
Link backed away and hit something. He turned to look and saw another Redead. It was Ingo from the barn. He reached out for Link, but had his arm cut off.
"What is going on here?"
"They're trying to get your life-force, Link," said someone from nowhere. Link looked around, cutting Ingo's head off and trying to find the speaker.
"I'm here," it called again, from outside the room. Link jumped towards the door, avoiding Talon.
The stairs were back, but how? Suddenly, he felt that this was a dream. He saw Maren and Talon talking, playing with the Cuccos. Ingo walked in and snickered at the two. He was heading up the stairs. Link tried to get out of his way, but Ingo passed through him like ghost.
"What is this?" asked Link, jumping down to where Maren and Talon.
"It's a memory of what happened on the day you disappeared," said the voice.
"I'm going to take a nap, Maren," said Talon, walking up the stairs to the bedroom. Ingo was walking back out and bumped into his boss.
"Watch it you fat oaf," cried the evil man, continuing on his way. Talon ignored him and walked into the room. Ingo walked out of the house, followed by Maren. Link followed them as well.
Ingo went into the barn to work and Maren went into the corral.
She sang her song, calling Epona to her.
"Oh, isn't it a grand life, now that everything is back to normal," she said. She didn't notice that Ingo had walked back outside to watch her. He was grinning an evil smile and started to walk over to her.
Then, the sky turned purple and an evil voice called over the ranch.
"What is happening?" asked Link, seeing a purple bolt shoot down at Ingo. It hit him, making him shriek in pain. He ran into the barn and was followed by more bolts and screams. The cows inside grunted and mooed in pain like Ingo. Then, one went through the roof of the house. Talon's scream was loud and boisterous.
"Nooo!" cried Maren, running to see if her father was all right. Epona grabbed at her shirt and beckoned her to climb on. She complied, jumping on. The horse ran towards the fence that Link used to escape the ranch once before. A purple bolt shot out and hit Epona, who fell onto the spikes. Maren fell off and onto the other side of the fence. Epona was dead before it could die the pain of the purple bolt.
Maren looked at the sky and ran towards the tower, but a bolt shot out an hit it, destroying it.
"What is going on!" cried Link, searching for the person responsible for the purple sky. He then saw him coming, from the heavens. Ganondorf.
"Aaaah!" cried Maren, who had finally been hit by a bolt. Link looked in horror as she started to decay before his eyes. Then, from nowhere, a bright light shown and engulfed the almost dead girl. She disappeared and from it came someone. Two of them, wearing a strange clothing. Not as strange as Samus's. They were little kids wielding hammers. They called to the evil one for a fight, and Ganondorf laughed at them, sending a bolt at them. They both hit it back, striking Ganondorf. He fell the rest of the way, probably losing most of his life-force. The two ran out to find him.
Link suddenly returned to the real world.
"What the?"
"They saved me," said the voice again. Maren appeared to Link, covered in a white glow.
"You're alive!"
"Yes, but only as long as Nana and Popo stay alive. Go, you're first task is in Kikori Forest. Save Saria, and then you will fight Ganondorf with the help of all those you were meant to ally with. Master Hand has effected, not only this realm, but other realms of the heavens. You must fight, or you will perish!"
Maren disappeared and Link walked out of the ranch.
"Well, at least it wasn't a waste of time," said Link, heading towards the forest.
"This isn't good," said Ganondorf, watching Link with his mind.
"What do you mean?" said a small, dark figure next to him.
"Well, if it wasn't for the Ice Climbers, he would have been dead by Ingo and Talon. Their power led him outside to the corral, which protected is from the Redeads.
"How did Ingo get into the house, then?"
"He didn't touch the ground that was part of the corral, you fool."
"Why did you kill Ingo, I thought he was one of your loyal servants."
"He was an egotistical idiot."
"So, what do we do now?"
"We wait, if Master Hand has anything for us, he'll tell us. We'll just wait for now."
"Okay."
"It's been a long time, Link," called the evil man. Link stared at his rival, knowing this was the battle he had longed for since he first defeated him. His rival stared in the exact same way.
"I only have one question," said the hero, unsheathing his sword.
"And that is?"
"How did you come back, Ganondorf?"
"You already know the answer, fool."
"Master Hand?"
"Is that a problem?"
"But how?"
"His power works in mysterious ways, just like the magic of the goddesses."
"Where's Zelda?"
"Defeat me, and you'll find her. I should warn you, though, this battle will take place all over Hyrule. Each time I get the upper hand, that section will be annihilated. I, of course, won't tell you where I will begin, so listen carefully. Childhood memories are grand, but this place is grander. Where a friend was called, and where a friend was reclaimed."
"What?"
"Solve it to find me," said Ganondorf, disappearing. Link ran to where he was, but there was only a small patch of dead grass.
"Okay, childhood memories are grand, but this place is grander." Link looked around and saw Talon's Ranch.
"Is that it?" He didn't know, but he was going to find out. He started the long trek towards the ranch, hoping it was the right place.
In the Kikori forest, at the Forest Temple, Saria was lying on the Forest Emblem. A dark figure was walking around her, making sure she didn't try to escape. Saria watched him from half-closed eyes, seeing if she could escape.
"I know what you're doing," said the Dark Figure, coming to a halt. He unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Saria's face.
"How..."
"I can see into your soul, Saria, all of Master Hand's minions can. The second you jump up, you're going down."
"Even I can see through that," said Saria, going into a sitting position.
"What do you mean," said the Dark Figure, walking around the emblem again.
"If you were meant to kill me, you would have done it already."
In a flash, the sword was up against Saria's throat.
"I would if my master didn't stop me from doing it."
"I see," said Saria, lying back down. "Link will find me, you do know that, right?"
"Right now, he has entered Talon's Ranch, but he is going to find more than just him and his daughter."
The Dark Figure began to laugh, making Saria feel discomforting.
Link walked into the ruins of the ranch, seeing nothing but the carcasses of several animals. He continued on and into the corral where the horses used to be. He saw all of them dead, just skeletons.
On one of the fences, a horse that tried to escape whatever happened here was hanging on the sharp points. Link recognized the saddle as being Epona He turned his face and saw that the tower near the corral laid in ruins.
He turned back and went inside the barn. The cows were just the same, and Link had the feeling that the skeleton at the back was Ingo's. He left and went into Talon's house. Decaying feathers were everywhere, but no Cuccos.
Link looked at where the stairs were and saw that they were destroyed. He pulled out his hook-shot and shot at the post above the second-floor door and entered.
The room was dark and dismal, with everything askew. Link was appalled at how evil the place was. He looked at the destroyed bed and saw that there was still someone in it.
He walked over to it and removed the covers. From it shot out a corpse that latched out onto him.
"Aaayeee!" cried Link, pulling free of the corpse. It was a Redead, and it nearly started to suck on him. He pulled out his sword and held it up to strike. From somewhere, light reflected off the blade and onto the Redead. Link nearly gasped at who it was.
"Talon?"
It tried to speak, but the words were muffled because of the years of decaying flesh.
"What happened to you?"
"Eew!" Talon replied, reaching out for Link's life-force. Link slashed at the hand, cutting it away easily. Talon laughed at the attempt, bending down to pick up his lost hand. He then reattached it to his arm and began to walk towards Link.
Link backed away and hit something. He turned to look and saw another Redead. It was Ingo from the barn. He reached out for Link, but had his arm cut off.
"What is going on here?"
"They're trying to get your life-force, Link," said someone from nowhere. Link looked around, cutting Ingo's head off and trying to find the speaker.
"I'm here," it called again, from outside the room. Link jumped towards the door, avoiding Talon.
The stairs were back, but how? Suddenly, he felt that this was a dream. He saw Maren and Talon talking, playing with the Cuccos. Ingo walked in and snickered at the two. He was heading up the stairs. Link tried to get out of his way, but Ingo passed through him like ghost.
"What is this?" asked Link, jumping down to where Maren and Talon.
"It's a memory of what happened on the day you disappeared," said the voice.
"I'm going to take a nap, Maren," said Talon, walking up the stairs to the bedroom. Ingo was walking back out and bumped into his boss.
"Watch it you fat oaf," cried the evil man, continuing on his way. Talon ignored him and walked into the room. Ingo walked out of the house, followed by Maren. Link followed them as well.
Ingo went into the barn to work and Maren went into the corral.
She sang her song, calling Epona to her.
"Oh, isn't it a grand life, now that everything is back to normal," she said. She didn't notice that Ingo had walked back outside to watch her. He was grinning an evil smile and started to walk over to her.
Then, the sky turned purple and an evil voice called over the ranch.
"What is happening?" asked Link, seeing a purple bolt shoot down at Ingo. It hit him, making him shriek in pain. He ran into the barn and was followed by more bolts and screams. The cows inside grunted and mooed in pain like Ingo. Then, one went through the roof of the house. Talon's scream was loud and boisterous.
"Nooo!" cried Maren, running to see if her father was all right. Epona grabbed at her shirt and beckoned her to climb on. She complied, jumping on. The horse ran towards the fence that Link used to escape the ranch once before. A purple bolt shot out and hit Epona, who fell onto the spikes. Maren fell off and onto the other side of the fence. Epona was dead before it could die the pain of the purple bolt.
Maren looked at the sky and ran towards the tower, but a bolt shot out an hit it, destroying it.
"What is going on!" cried Link, searching for the person responsible for the purple sky. He then saw him coming, from the heavens. Ganondorf.
"Aaaah!" cried Maren, who had finally been hit by a bolt. Link looked in horror as she started to decay before his eyes. Then, from nowhere, a bright light shown and engulfed the almost dead girl. She disappeared and from it came someone. Two of them, wearing a strange clothing. Not as strange as Samus's. They were little kids wielding hammers. They called to the evil one for a fight, and Ganondorf laughed at them, sending a bolt at them. They both hit it back, striking Ganondorf. He fell the rest of the way, probably losing most of his life-force. The two ran out to find him.
Link suddenly returned to the real world.
"What the?"
"They saved me," said the voice again. Maren appeared to Link, covered in a white glow.
"You're alive!"
"Yes, but only as long as Nana and Popo stay alive. Go, you're first task is in Kikori Forest. Save Saria, and then you will fight Ganondorf with the help of all those you were meant to ally with. Master Hand has effected, not only this realm, but other realms of the heavens. You must fight, or you will perish!"
Maren disappeared and Link walked out of the ranch.
"Well, at least it wasn't a waste of time," said Link, heading towards the forest.
"This isn't good," said Ganondorf, watching Link with his mind.
"What do you mean?" said a small, dark figure next to him.
"Well, if it wasn't for the Ice Climbers, he would have been dead by Ingo and Talon. Their power led him outside to the corral, which protected is from the Redeads.
"How did Ingo get into the house, then?"
"He didn't touch the ground that was part of the corral, you fool."
"Why did you kill Ingo, I thought he was one of your loyal servants."
"He was an egotistical idiot."
"So, what do we do now?"
"We wait, if Master Hand has anything for us, he'll tell us. We'll just wait for now."
"Okay."