"I never forgot the vows we made to each other seven years ago!
You're a terrible man to have kept me waiting for these seven long years..."
(Ruto)
Chapter Ten
"A Set-Up"
(Part Two)
"Saria, Zelda! You're both back!" Rauru said happily.
Nabooru sat up, "And it looks like you two had a bit of trouble." She gestured at their slightly torn clothes.
Saria spoke, "We...uhm, ran into a little roadblock."
Zelda smiled, "But it's been taken care of."
The other sages showed Zelda and Saria their keys, the Goron Ruby and the Zora Sapphire.
Zelda smiled, "I guess that means we have the Kokiri Emerald." Saria agreed, "I'm glad we managed to get it before Aghanim managed to steal it away." Rauru raised a brow and stepped towards the two girls, "Wait...who did you say was trying to steal the Kokiri Emerald?"
Zelda opened the bag, "I think his name was Aghanim. Why?"
Rauru thought about this as Zelda reached into the bag, suddenly Rauru's eyes widened, "WAIT! DON'T OPEN THAT BAG IN HERE!"
It was too late. A flash of light escaped from the bag and blinded everyone in the room.
As the light faded and the sages slowly regained their sense of sight, Zelda, Saria, Impa and Nabooru found themselves trapped inside a barrier of some kind. Electrical currents etched along the barrier's blue hued walls.
Ruto, Darunia and Rauru had managed to dive away and escape capture. Suddenly a sinister laugh filled the room, "Hahaha! I've already rendered four out of seven sages useless with just one spell. You are all such amateurs!"
The voice was Aghanim's and a second later, Aghanim appeared in another flash of light in front of Rauru and the others, he wore a cocky smile and clapped sarcastically.
Zelda glared from behind the barrier, "I see you got your arm back."
Aghanim smirked at Zelda, "Nothing a little regeneration spell won't fix."
Ruto rushed forward, "Hey, peon! How dare you treat the Zoran Princess this way!" Aghanim turned and looked at Ruto. Ruto extended both palms out and fired off two pressurized blasts of water. The water was strong enough to carve through the hardest of metals. Aghanim smiled, sidestepped the spell and fired off a bolt of electricity at Ruto. It struck Ruto in the chest and she screamed as electrical currents flowed through her body. She collapsed, steam rising slowly from her unmoving body.
"Kids..." Aghanim said with an annoyed tone while wearing his ever present smile, "they're so predictable." He turned to Rauru, "Don't you agree, Rauru old buddy?"
Rauru glared, "We were never friends...not after you betrayed us."
Aghanim smiled, "Well, I see we're still as grumpy as ever. Look at you, you're old. You're tired and cranky and quite frankly, you've overstayed your welcome on this world."
Zelda whispered to Saria, "We need a distraction. Something the other three..." Zelda glances at an unmoving Ruto, "...the other two could use to take out Aghanim."
Saria nodded, already knowing this, they really needed a distraction for Aghanim...but what?
Darunia knelt down beside Ruto, tending to her.
Meanwhile, Rauru and Aghanim were catching up on old times, Aghanim was speaking. "...You really should've used that youth potion I offered you so many years ago."
Rauru stepped forward, looking Aghanim in the eyes with a fierce expression, "I've refused before and I'll refuse once again."
Aghanim shook his head and shrugged, "Eh, don't worry gramps, I'm not going to offer you the potion, it's too late now."
Darunia stood up and looked at Aghanim, Aghanim had his back turned to him, this was his chance.
Aghanim smiled, leaning in closer to Rauru, "Anyways, as a former Sage of Shadow, I think I should take this pathetic group of so-called sages off your old hands and show you how a real pro leads." Without warning, he grabs Rauru by the throat and slams him against the wall, pinning him there and slowly tightening his grip.
Darunia was about to rush forward when Saria whispered to him, "Darunia, stop."
He stopped and looked at Saria, Saria glances at Zelda and the others with her, "I think we have our distraction right here."
Darunia looked confused, "What do you want me to do?"
Saria leaned in as close as she could to Darunia, without having to touch the barrier, "I need you, Darunia...to dance."
Darunia backed up and whispered back hoarsely, "...you WHAT!"
"Shh!" Saria whispered back, glancing quickly at Aghanim, who was still slowly choking the life out of Rauru, "I said...I need you...to dance. It'll distract Aghanim long enough for Rauru to take him out."
Darunia crossed his arms, "No, I'm sorry, but theres got to be a less...degrading way. I, Darunia, Sage of Fire and Leader of the Gorons, refuse to do something so stupid."
Saria sighed, backing up, "Then you leave me no choice." Saria reached into her shirt pocket and pulled out her Fairy Ocarina.
Darunia's eyes widened, "Oh, no."
Saria put the Ocarina to her lips and...
Aghanim smiled at Rauru, "So...Rauru. I'll do you a favor and end it now. Goodbye old man!" Aghanim blinked as he heard some loud, catchy, fast beat song being played on an ocarina. This song was called by the simple title of: Saria's Song. He released Rauru and turned, "What the hell?"
Darunia was dancing like mad. He had no control over his body as he continued to dance rather poorly. It was just...stupid looking.
Aghanim spoke, absolutely confused, "What the fuck is this!"
Saria was playing her Fairy Ocarina masterfully, her fingers skillfully managing the notes and rhythm of her song. She tapped her foot to keep the tempo.
Aghanim smirked, "I don't know what kind of stupid plan you kids have thought of, but I'll end the Goron's ridiculous tantrum right now!"
Aghanim stepped forward his body began to charge with dark energy. Meanwhile, Darunia was dancing, totally absorbed in the music to do anything about it.
Aghanim laughed, "I'll give you this, Goron...you've got heart, as if it'll help you! Hahaha! Now, DIE!"
Suddenly, a chair broke over Aghanim's head and he collapsed before he had a chance to fire. He lay on the ground, unconscious. Pieces of the wooden chair covered him. Ruto muttered, dropping what's left of the chair she was holding, "Take a seat, asshole."
Saria took her lips off the ocarina as the barrier faded. They all rushed towards Ruto and jumped on her. Saria laughed, "You did it!"
Meanwhile, Impa had gone to Rauru to help him up, "You alright, Rauru?"
Rauru took a few breaths, coughing, "Yes...I'm fine."
Impa and Rauru glanced at the other sages. Saria and Ruto were at the center of the circle. Darunia laughed and said, "Hey, I kept him distracted! I should get credit!" They laughed again.
Rauru sighed, "You know, Impa, at first glance, you'd never think any of these people were sages. They certainly don't act like it."
Impa nodded in agreement, "They're young. They're all still in their teens. Well, except for Darunia. I think they add personality to the order of Hylian Sages, don't you think?"
Rauru chuckled, "I suppose."
Impa laughed quietly, "Although I have to admit, their style for taking down the bad guy is a bit...unusual for a sage."
Rauru shrugged, "Smashing a chair over the villain's head...I'm pretty sure this is the first time a sage has done that."
Nabooru smiled, "Ok, how about we all just split the credit before Darunia keeps whining?"
Rauru stepped forward, "I'm pretty sure the credit belongs to me, since I'm the one that made you all sages in the first place." He smiled.
Nabooru crossed her arms, "Pfft, right."
Rauru smiled proudly, "If it weren't for me, you'd all be living meaningless lives."
Nabooru raised a brow, "What are you talking about? I'm the leader of the Gerudo Thieves."
Saria smiled, and said, "I'm the second highest ranking official of the Kokiri Consul, plus I'm a chosen caretaker of the Great Deku Tree."
Zelda nodded, "I'm the Hylian Princess."
Ruto, not to be outdone, said, "I'm a Princess also, you know, Zoran."
Darunia smirked, "I'm the leader of the Goron people."
Everyone looks at Impa. Impa closed her eyes and smiled, "Well, I was the ex-caretaker of Princess Zelda. Now I'm the Commanding Officer of the entire Hylian Infantry. And I'm the head advisor to the throne."
Everyone looks at Rauru, he blinked, "Oh, yes...uhm...well...I'm...a Sage. That's all."
The others snickered.
Suddenly there was a loud crackle behind them, and they all turned in the direction of the sound, their smiles faded.
Aghanim had used all three keys to open the entrance to the Sacred Realm while the sages were celebrating, "I'd like to thank you all for being such idiots! Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a special someone to free!"
With that, he jumped into the portal.
Zelda rushed forward, "Oh no you don't!" she leapt into the portal after him as it began to close.
The other sages rushed after her, Rauru yelled, "Everyone, hold the portal open!"
The remaining sages extended their palms at the portal, straining to keep it from closing. The portal was the size of a baseball by the time they managed to stop it from shrinking. The sages strained as they struggled to open the portal wider, finally, they managed to open it wide enough for someone to pass through.
Saria looks at the others, then at the portal, "I'm going after them!" she yelled to the others and ran forward.
"NO!" Darunia yelled back to her. Saria stopped and turned, "Why not?"
Darunia said, "I know how you feel, but you must help us keep this portal open. Link is my sworn brother and I'd hate to not have a chance to save him. But, we need to keep this portal open so Zelda and Link will be able to return! We can't lose another sage before they return. We need as much help as we can to keep the portal open!"
Saria hesitated and nodded slowly, looking into the portal, she whispered, "Good luck, Zelda. Bring Link back...for everybody's sake. Bring him back for mine."
