Before the Game Begins...

The Death of the Queen

Chapter 9 Death Mountain

The Queen packed some provisions. She scooped up the little one and placed him in his carrier and slung him on her back. He laughed whenever she did this, and inspite of the dismal prospect, she felt her heart lighten. She smiled as she walked out the back gate of the town. It would be a long, hard climb, but the sun was shining, and as she climbed, she felt as if she rose above the world of strife.

Half-way up the path, she rested, settling on an outcrop that overlooked the town. She could see in the dim haze beyond, the Plains of Hyrule upon which sat Ganondorf's army like an ugly dark blot. She nibbled on some lunch, a small arrow of sadness piercing her heart when she gazed downward. She lamented when she thought of her people suffering because of Ganondorf, but her blue eyes became like flint a moment later. Such audacity by the young upstart had already caused serious personal reprecussions for herself and her family. He had placed her and her son in this vunerable position, and by Din, Farore, and Nayru, she would play to the last act the role they required of her, even if it meant her own death. Everything that had gone wrong till now, she must believe with all her heart, would lead to the good of the world in the end. She had to believe in Din's power, Farore's courage, and Nayru's love. She would never curse her fate and she would meet that fate, not with slumping shoulders, but with a straight back and a peircing gaze!

She couldn't get back to the castle. She would never again see her King and husband. Her daughter would grow up motherless. Her son would never know his family. By all that was within her, she vowed to sacrifice all these things and save her son at all costs so that he, in turn, could save the world. For a moment, she saw him in her mind's eye as he would be: an heroic figure, slashing his way through the world, righting wrongs. Even in death, she vowed that she would be standing behind her fearless boy who would hold in his hand a shining sword. She would guide him from place to place in the world, vanquishing unimaginable enemies that crawled upon the face of the country. He would clear the world of evil things that kept everyone hiding in fear. She would be with him always, even if she would die.

The premonition of her own death did not disturb her. It merely strengthened her resolve. Death wasn't the end, but she sensed that the goddesses were testing her courage, her determination, and her love.

The vision faded, and in the distance, a wolf howled, beckoning the night. The day had lapsed without her realizing that time had passed. She picked up her son and once again slung him on her back. She continued up the mountain path in the darkening night. Here and there, a Goron greeted her cheerfully. She knew that she was getting close. Darunia would be able to help her. He was a moody King, but she knew he had a heart of gold and would not hesitate to help her and the Heir to Hyrule. Little did she know how bummed out he would get because of her.

When she arrived, the torches warmly lit the cavern of the Gorons. With her walking stick, she lit the sconces by the door, thus announcing her presence to those stationed there. Nearby Gorons responded by approaching her with warm greetings. They offered her a place to rest. But, they said, Darunia had been called away by the King of Hyrule. He had left when 2 musicians had appeared a few days ago at the platform inside the volcano. They had played the Bolero of Fire with the Ocarina of Time. The King of Hyrule needed Darunia's advice about sealing the sacred triforce away, for it hadn't been done for so long.

She stayed a few days, but Darunia did not return. The entranceway to the Lost Woods was blocked, and no one could remove the giant boulders for her. Not knowing what else to do, she decided to go back down the mountain through Kakariko Village and try to gain entrance to Kokiri Village from the Plains of Hyrule. She would avoid the dangers of the Lost Woods, and exchange them for the dangers of the ambitious Lord Ganondorf. If night time caught her on the field, she could briefly take refuge in Zora's Domain.

She gathered her things and hunted her son down (he was crawling around a gigantic jar on the ground floor). She swung him up, tossing him lightly just to hear his laughter. "Oh my little Link!" she exclaimed out loud, for he was now her only link to her husband, to her family, to Hyrule. The name struck her as a good one while they ran from Ganondorf. She had chosen a name for herself as well, although she revealed her real name to the gravedigger and to the giant Goron who spent his time forging swords and bragging about another, bigger Goron who also forged swords as a hobby. It was he who would tell Darunia that the Queen, burdened with the little prince had climbed Death Mountain to seek his aid. It was he who would say to him that she waited for several days, and had asked that someone remove the boulders blocking the way to the Lost Woods. It was he who told Darunia that no one could help her.

Darunia, hearing this, realized that no one could help her to the Lost Woods because it was he who had the Goron's bracelet.

She left Death Mountain, and it was the last anyone ever saw her or the prince. Darunia was the one who had to bear the burden of reporting it to the King of Hyrule. For a long time afterwards, because of this burden, Darunia often fell into a funk out of which no one could rouse him, until, one day, a little boy appeared before him, playing a tune upon a crude ocarina, a tune that somehow uplifted him...

(Segue to Deku Tree's meadow)

Out of the three guardians of the spiritual stones, only the Deku tree could not physically retrieve the treasure of the forest from the altar in the Temple of Time. The emerald had to be given to him for safe keeping during evil times. Saria, one of the ageless and always young Kokiri, seemed endowed with more wisdom than any other Kokiri, was chosen by the Deku tree to retrieve the emerald from its place. It had been a long time since the emerald had been in the Deku tree's safekeeping. The Deku tree, sensing unsettling events in the outer world, summoned Saria to his meadow.

"Young sprite," he began, although Saria was probably older than he was, "I need you to perform a most important task for me."

Saria put her ocarina away and focused all her attention on the old tree. He went on to relate what his deep roots told him: the outer world was experiencing strife. Something evil had arisen, and the emerald was in jeapordy. She needed to travel to Hyrule to retrieve the spiritual stone of the forest.

"I cannot leave the forest." she told him bluntly.

"Ah, that you can, small sprite." he said. He knew that she worried about the effect that the outer world had on the Kokiri. "Why is it, dost thou think, Saria, that thy hair is green?"

"I planted you. What do you know of my hair?" was all she could think of in defense

"My roots tell me, that it is Farore's favor upon you." He went on to say: "I feel in my bark that no harm may come to you because of this. Be not afraid of the outside world. There are sages ready to aid you in your quest."

Saria agreed, saying that she could travel directly to the Temple of Time with her ocarina. She just had to practice a little, since she had forgotten the Prelude of Light. She hastened to the Forest temple and sat on the tree stump beside the triforce platform. She practiced a little, then with lungs filled with forest air, laid a blast on the ocarina that sent the music soaring throughout the woods. In a twinkling of an eye, she transformed into a stream of sparkling light, and then she found herself in the dim cavernous temple. Behind her, the deserted altar silently proclaimed that the emerald was gone. With a grim look upon her face, she thought: I hope there is a good explanation for all this.

The King of Hyrule was in trouble now.