CHAPTER NINE
"LINK!" roared Navi as she soared over the town. "LINK!" The tiny faerie swooped down, trying to find her companion.
'WHERE IS HE?' she thought, agitated. 'Epona's been captured! I MUST FIND HIM!'
"LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINK!!!!!" screamed the panicky faerie. "Link, Link, Link!" Navi paused for a moment and, quite suddenly, heard the Hero's voice.
"Link!" she shrieked with joy. She swooped down towards the small, square of light where Link's voice was floating out of. It was close to ten o'clock pm. Navi was glad, yet surprised, that Link was still awake.
Navi rammed into the glass window with all of her might.
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Song jumped as a bulb of light slammed into the window. She threw open her bedroom window and the bulb of light flew in.
"Navi," cried Link happily, "where have you been?"
"It's Epona! She's been captured!" panted Navi breathlessly. Link was up in a flash as he reached for the Master Sword.
"What? By who?" he snapped, his face hardening. Kyle's eyes opened wide and Song stood up with him. The girl reached for her own sword. Naiya stood up, too.
"I don't know, but they were taking it to a farm!"
Naiya gasped, her face reflecting horror. "Song, I think that it's the Farm!"
Kyle and Song both gasped. "No!"
"What's 'the Farm'?" asked Navi impatiently.
"The Farm is where stolen horses are kept and sold. We must find Epona!" cried Song, strapping her sword on her waist.
"The ass who runs the farm has guns, Song. I doubt that swords can defeat him," Kyle whispered anxiously.
"Well, we'll just have to try, won't we?" growled Song. "Naiya, d'you have your driver's license with you?"
Naiya nodded.
"Good. Run home and get your car."
Naiya leapt up and obeyed.
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Ganondorf gave a sly grin at Saria. She trembled and tears burst from her eyes.
"Come with me, forest-child. It won't hurt me." Ganon grabbed Saria and dragged her into Zelda's bedroom. He threw her on the bed. Saria tried to curl into a tight ball, but Ganondorf grabbed her by the ankle and stripped her of all of her clothing. She lay on the bed, naked and scared, while Ganondorf stripped himself of his clothes.
"You'll be helping me, forest-child. It will be...fun."
Saria sobbed as Ganondorf laughed. The King of Evil stood over Saria and descended.
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Impa had always told everyone that she was the last of the Sheikans. But this was not true. Impa was the last Sheikan in Hyrule. The rest were in Termina and another neighboring kingdom called Kilor. Impa knew how to get to Kilor, but she had no idea how to get to Termina.
The Princess's nursemaid swung onto her horse and galloped off into the North, where the cold kingdom of Kilor lay.
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Zelda jerked out of a doze, her eyes wide with excitement.
'Of course!' she thought. 'How did I contact Link last time? Telepathically!'
Zelda screwed her eyes shut and concentrated on communicating with Link.
Link? Link! Link, can you hear me?
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Link, Song, Kyle, Akio, and Naiya squeezed out of the car.
"That is one strange invention," Link muttered.
"No time to examine it," squeaked Navi.
"Yes, yes, I know!" cried Link, drawing the Master Sword.
"One sec," interrupted Akio. "I know that we all care about Epona and such, but...why can't we just go in and ask for her back? Then we won't have to be, like, chased by the police."
Kyle rolled his eyes. "Akio, you have to know that these idiots won't give us Epona freely."
Akio sighed. "I know, I know. Let's just...go in and...try to take her back without any commotion, okay?"
Song drew her own weapon and shoved it into the ground. She gripped the pommel. "I swear not to go beyond this stop till Epona in safe. Anyone want to vow this with me?"
"Of course I will!" Link exclaimed, his hand covering Song's. Then Naiya, who "would go anywhere that Song went, from California to Massachusetts to Canada to Hyrule to Termina, wherever and whenever". Then Kyle and Akio slapped their hands down.
"We're with you, Song. The ass that runs this place won't forget us in the long run!"
Link reached into a small pocket in the inside of her tunic and pulled out a cobalt item.
"Of course," breathed Naiya. "Epona's Song!"
Link put the instrument to his mouth and closed his eyes.
"Hold on...is it la sol fa? Or ti la sol? Or..." Link pulled the Ocarina of Time from his mouth.
"Give it to me, Link. I memorized the song. It's do ti la, do ti la, do ti la, ti la. Re do re do la do, do, ti la sol. Do ti la, do ti la, do ti la, ti la. Re do re la ti do, do re do." As soon as Song stopped singing Epona's Song, she took the Ocarina and put it to her mouth. She played it perfectly and beautifully. Link closed his eyes as the music that Malon used to vocalize came to him, the song that used to be heard all around Lon Lon Ranch.
Link? Link! Link, can you hear me?
Link jumped. Song stopped playing the song and looked at Link.
"Link, what's wrong?" Song, Naiya, Kyle, and Akio chorused.
"Shh!"
Link, it's Zelda. I need your help. Ganondorf has returned. I heard him gabbling on about someone – or something – by the name of Master Sapleo. Sapleo seems to be a god. Please, we need help. Ganon has captured Malon, Saria, Ruto, and me. He has already raped Malon and Ruto, and is doing it to Saria now! Link, I need your help. I'm going to be next...Link! Help us!
Link's face showed the horror that Zelda's message had inspired.
"Ganondorf has returned. He's raping the maidens...to get children!!!" Link looked at Song, who still had the Ocarina. "Epona first. Then, I must return to Hyrule."
"We're with you, Hero of Time," cried Naiya. With Song and Link in front, the small band crept into an old barn that was filled with the sound of one horse whinnying.
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"Why the hell is that damn horse whinnyin'?" roared a voice that was obviously drunk. A man with red hair stumbled into the barn. "Wha's wrong with the damn mare?"
Suddenly, he felt cold steel against his throat.
"You are in no position to beg for your life, Gerudo thief," hissed a male voice very swiftly to avoid any preamble. "Give us the rust-colored horse with a white mane. You must also turn yourself in, saying that you hold illegal weapons and you own a ranch for stolen horses."
"The state – approves," choked the man untruthfully. He had no idea what a "Gerudo" was, but was sure that he had heard the word before from one of his kids.
"Liar!" cried a female voice. "We live in this state. We know that this farm is illegal. Stealing is illegal, and so is selling stolen things. Free the whinnying horse."
A girl – or was it a boy? It was hard to tell with the short haircut and in the pitch-black of night – held a sword at a stable door.
"Swords – are illegal!"
"You ass," commented a male voice lightly. "Not if you're over eighteen. Someone over eighteen ordered it for her."
The girl with the sword cried, "Watch out, Epona!" and slashed through the stable door. The mare neighed happily and strode forward to the man who was holding a sword against his neck. The farm owner gasped and spluttered.
"Let 'im go, Link. You'll kill him. Won't be good on your conscious, will it?" laughed another female voice dryly.
The farm owner was released. He whirled around to get a look at the party who surrounded him. There were five, two girls and three boys. The girl with a sword was stroking the freed mare's mane.
"Turn yourself in, or we'll be back," promised the boy with a sword as he mounted the mare and sheathed his weapon. The girl also sheathed her weapon and climbed onto the mare behind the boy.
The other three raced after the horse as she galloped away into the night.
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Naiya, Akio, and Kyle all piled into Naiya's car. Song and Link raced along on Epona.
"We did it, we did it!" yelled Song happily. But Link had other things on his mind.
Link, where are you? Zelda's telepathic voice kept on asking. We need help! Oh, Great Goddesses, he's coming out to get me!!! Hurry, Link! Where are yooooou?
Link flicked the reigns to make Epona speed up. The horse began to canter. She tried to leap over a huge shrubbery, but failed. Before any of the five knew it, Link, Epona, and Song were plummeting down, down through the shrub to a hidden hole which led to a certain place. Navi gave a cry of fear and sped down after them. Naiya, Kyle, and Akio clambered out of the car and dived headfirst after them, hoping to save them from an awful fate.
() Sooooooooooooooooooooooooo sorry that it took soooo long for this chapter to come out! You have all waited faithfully and now the exciting chapter is out. So...anyone got a guess of where the tunnel leads to? Guess in a review and I can add you in as a character!!! It's my fic and I will if I wanna, will if I wanna! You would too if it happened to yooooou! ()
)( Heh heh. Sorry about the singing. )(