Hey, I'm back! Oh, the humanity!

Chapter 8

Found Her!

Link swung around, sword drawn out of habit. He slowly walked over to the bushes, and pushed the branches apart with his sword. His eyes found a newborn child, wrapped in a blanket, with a note pinned to it's blankets. Bending down, Link picked up the small, sleeping baby, and read the note aloud.

"Dear person," Link read, "Please take care of my daughter. I am going away, and I cannot take her with me. It breaks my heart to leave her behind, but I cannot provide for her, and she will not be welcome where I am going. She is only a day old, and her name is up to you. The only request that I have, is that her name have some symbolic meaning. Please take good care of my baby."

When Link finished reading, the baby began to cry. He didn't know what to do, and looked fairly desperately at Farore, who laughed. She took the squalling infant in her arms, and began to hum a soft melody to her. Link knew the song as 'Zelda's Lullaby'. When the child did not stop crying, Farore looked at Link, and shrugged, indicating that she could do no more. Link, figuring that it couldn't hurt to try, pulled out his wooden ocarina, and began to play that same melody. It seemed to have a different effect on the child, and she was soon giggling happily in Farore's arms. Farore handed the baby girl back to Link.

"She's all your's, Link." The Goddess laughed, her voice light and musical, "What's her name?" Link looked slightly baffled. He had never cared for a child before. He had no idea how to.

"I don't know! I've only ever held a baby once before! I wouldn't know how to care for her!" Link looked a Farore, pleading with his eyes. Farore just laughed harder.

"Sorry, Link," She wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes, "I don't control destiny. You'd have to appeal to Nayru. Not me. Even then, there's not much that she can do. Your destiny is set in stone, Link." Farore quickly covered her mouth, obviously having said too much. Immeadiately, she slapped herself in the head. Link, figuring that he'd better distract her from what she just said, changed the topic, although his mind was buzzing with questions.

"You said that you wanted me to take you somewhere?" Link enquired, shifting the baby slightly, "Surely you could just... I don't know... teleport there?" Farore sighed.

"Link, have you noticed that the world has been a bit... off kilter lately? In the last ninteen moons, to be exact?" Link looked at her darkly.

"No, I've been imprisoned for the last eighteen moons. All I noticed was that the weather was a little off." He said, shrugging. Farore looked sorry for him.

"If I had any idea, I would have slapped my sister." Link laughed, upsetting the baby a bit. She began to whimper a bit. Farore noticed, and it distracted her for a few moments.

"So, what's her name?" Farore asked again.

"I don't know... What about Trinity? You know, three? For the Triforce?" Farore nodded her approval.

"Fitting. Her mother asked for a symbolic name." Farore contemplated, "But aren't you worried that it is a little sacreligious?"

"Not anymore." Link grinned mischeviously. He then reminded himself that he was in the presence of a Goddess.

"Anyway..." Farore tried to draw Link's attention back to the matter at hand, "As I was saying, the world has been in chaos for the last ninteen moons, because the three Goddesses, Din, Nayru, and myself, have not had any power in the world. When you and Zelda banished Ganondorf to the Evil Realm, we had to deal with the monster polluting our home, but we tolerated it. Eventually, though, Ganondorf began gaining strength, and he forced us out of the last remaining sacred part of that world. With us out of the way, he claimed himself as a God, and we had to flee to the mortal realm. You and Zelda would be dead already if Ganon had figured out how to change what Nayru has written for you. But, reguardless, it is time for the Champion of the Gods to rise once more."

"And who is the Champion of the Gods?" Link seemed a little skeptical.

"The Hero of Time also goes by the title 'Champion of the Gods'. It is you, Link. You must once again rise to defeat Evil, using the Master Sword. You must fight a God." Link took several steps back.

"No!" he bellowed, heedless of Trinity's whimpering, "I almost died the first time! Ganondorf is a God! I can't fight him!"

"Well," Farore seemed as if she was not going to give up, "Zelda has agreed to help us. Will you help her, or will you leave her to die?" Link looked at Farore, wanting to stab her. If Zelda was in any sort of danger, it was his duty to follow her. Besides, that was what he had set out to do, wasn't it? He had to find her.

"Very well." Link gave in, "But let it be known that I doubt my ability to battle a God. Even with Zelda's help." He gave Trinity to Farore, and pulled his ocarina out again. Playing Epona's song, he contemplated the situation he was in. He was almost certainly going to die, and so was Zelda. He did know, however, that he had no choice.

Epona came belting through the trees, and skidded to a stop right in front of Link. He held out a hand, and helped Farore mount her, while she was still holding Trinity. Once Farore was salfely in the saddle, Link vaulted himself up behind her.

"Well, which way?" Link asked.

"North." Farore pointed in the proper direction. She didn't have to, though. Link knew where north was. He steered Epona in the correct direction, and they took off at a brisk pace.

SOMEWHERE IN HYRULE, THE NEXT DAY

Zelda and her strange companion came to the edge of the treeline. Pressing on, they came upon a small cottage a little further in the trees. Zelda and the other woman removed their cloaks, and entered the small house.

"Dede!" Naz shouted, disturbing the quiet atmosphere, "I'm back! And I've brought the Princess!"

"Good." Dede appeared from the next room, looking intently at Zelda, "Now all we need is for Rore to return with Link."

"Link is coming?" Zelda's eyebrows shot up. Had she known what Link knew, she would have been acting completely differently. She did not know that she was in the presence of one Goddess, let alone two.

Zelda could hear a horse's hooves coming form a distance. Straining her ears, she could that they were coming vaguely from the same direction that she and Naz had just come from.

Peering throught the curtains, she saw a familiar horse pelting through the trees. Looking up at the riders of the horse, she saw a familiar face behind the woman who sat at the front.

Pulling the horse to a stop, Link climbed down to the ground, and helped the woman get down. Once she was back on her feet, she handed him the little bundle that she was carrying. Link looked as if he would ratehr anything else in the world than to take that bundle, but he did.

Zelda gasped when she saw the bundle was. Since when did Link have a baby?

Even more surprising, though, was the fact that he spoke to her.

"Princess," He said, as if he were telling off a naughty child, "Kindly inform someone if you plan to wander off again."

Needless to say, Zelda was lost for words.

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