Hi everybody. I hope you all liked my first fiction. I enjoyed everyone's opinions about it. Just keep sending the reviews. The Zelda characters are not mine. They belong to the guy who thought the characters up. I only keep characters that I come up with to my name. Permission needed to take those characters into other author's stories. Thanks.
Book One, Chapter Two: Three Dreamers and Their Dreams
Link looked over the balcony that was connected to his tree. He could see the liveliness of the Kokiri that were out today. Tilda was standing near the small pond's edge, trying to catch a fish with her bare hands, while her twin sister, Vitny, was playing hide-and-go seek with several other Kokiris that Link could not see, due to the fact that they were hiding. The know-it-all brothers were just coming out of the tunnel that lead to the Lost Woods and were frustrated once again that they found their way back to the Kokiri Forest; they had spent several weeks trying to find a way through the Lost Woods so that they could make a map for all the other Kokiri that wanted to travel through the woods as they pleased, without worry of getting killed by one of the many creatures that called that sacred woods their home. The shop owner was leaving his shop, looking for more items to stock. Fenoa, the only blond-haired Kokiri, was standing on her usual spot: at the end of the narrow bridge that was about ten or fifteen feet above the ground. Mido, the self-proclaimed 'Leader of the Kokiri,' was exiting his tree-stump house and looking around. He started yelling at Meno when he realized that he was not moving the rocks away from his house. Meno got back to work, but not without muttering a few curses under his breath. Brenet, the strongest among the Kokiri, was in the training grounds of the Kokiri Forest, punching and kicking an invisible opponent.
To Link, nothing looked out of the ordinary; it looked like just another typical day in the Kokiri Forest. To anyone else, especially those who had come upon the small wooden village for the first time, something was not right about the picture they were seeing. They would see kids, looking no older then the age of ten or eleven, but no parents. In fact, unless one came from the outside world, there was no adult in the village. Due to the magical influence brought upon by the Deku Tree, the Forest Temple and the fairies, none of the Kokiri ever grew up. They remained in the image of children for the rest of their lives.
Another thing that was different about the Kokiri was that, due to lack of the outside world's influence, they had no form of government. They were a tribe of beings who's only worry was when a creature made it's way into the village, in which case the Kokiri would band together and overcome the foe in numbers and armed with what weapons they had, which usually consisted of sticks, deku nuts, slingshots and bow and arrows. All Kokiri knew how to fight; living in the forest, with all of the creatures, made it a necessity to learn how to combat at a very early age.
The Kokiri also had wisdom, more then most adults did, because their life span was almost twice that of the Hylians, the dominate race in Hyrule. This was due to the fact that their metabolic rate was very slow at best. However, the advancement of buildings and architecture never went any farther then carving a home out of one of the many large tree stumps. For all of their intellect and knowledge, they were not a sophisticated society. Yet, even if they did know how to make such wonders like castles and roads, they would not dare ruin the splendor of the Kokiri Forest by making such things. The forest was and, to most, always will be their home.
There was one question that any person would have asked if they found the village, a simple yet reasonable question. How are the Kokiri born? The Kokiri were born from the Great Deku Tree. The Great Deku Tree gave birth to them by using the many large flowers that it had on its branches. It would allow the Kokiri to nurture in the flower till it was about the age of five. After that the Deku Tree would gently lower the flower to the ground and allow the Kokiri to exit it. Any new Kokiri would go to the village and be welcomed by all the other Kokiri. The new Kokiri would then be given cloths and a place to live. After that they could do anything they wanted, as long as they followed the few rules which were laid out by the Kokiri tribe (this is about as far as the form of government is in the Kokiri tribe). Those that could not abide by the rules were exiled from the tribe. This punishment was very strict, because those that were exiled from Kokiri Forest were said to eventually die. However, no Kokiri was ever exiled from the forest for the last two-hundred years, so no Kokiri was worried about leaving. The rules themselves were quite easy to follow.
Link checked his equipment, making sure he did not forget anything that he might need. Once he was sure he had all his gear he grabbed the ladder attached to the balcony of his house and descended down it. Once he was on the ground he made his way to the path, which was made by the constant walking on it, and looked about some more. Other then a few other Kokiri talking to one another, there was nothing else happening in the forest.
Link was about to leave, but then he looked to his right. Next to his house was the large tree stump that his best friend, Saria, used as her home. He suddenly remembered his dream, her being clad in armor and fighting in that battle. He knew that, if these dreams were in fact prophecies, she would have to battle next to him. If she did that she would have to give up her duties as the future Sage of the Forest Temple. It struck him suddenly just how much he needed to know from Zelda. If the Sage of the Forest was not there to guard the temple how could Hyrule survive if another powerful evil entered it? Would her absence mean the downfall of Hyrule? Could it be that, if Zelda told him she was also having these dreams, he would have to make a choice on risking the world for Hyrule's safety? He suddenly didn't know what to do.
He made his way to her house. Since the Kokiri knew everyone in the village, and made friends with most of them, they didn't bother placing doors to their stump-houses. Link entered her house. The interior was, like most houses in Kokiri Forest, a one-room house. Two rectangular-shaped holes were on opposite sides of the house, serving as a window to let breezes enter and leave easily. The floor was covered by a hand-made carpet that laid over most of the floor, save about five or so feet from any walls. A round table was placed to the right wall of the house with cylinder-shaped logs that were used as chairs. Unlike Link's table, Saria's was clean of all dirty dishes. A bed just big enough for a kid was placed near the left wall of the house; it looked very neat and well made.
Saria was not home right now. Link knew she wouldn't be home; she hardly ever is. He needed to talk to her though, needed to say something to her, but he could not think of anything to ask or tell her. She was his best friend. How could he tell her that she may have to put aside her place as the Sage of the Forest Temple so that she may join him in a journey that may very well mean the end of her life? Should he even tell her that? He didn't know what to do. Maybe it was a mistake trying to talk to her right now.
Another thought entered his mind suddenly. If she did do this and did not become a sage, then she would not have to spend the rest of her life cut off from the rest of the world save the temple she was guarding and the chamber of the sages. She could do whatever she wanted to do and go anywhere she wanted to. He could stay with her and they could travel anywhere they wanted to, even beyond Hyrule. Sure, he would show her Death Mountain and Zora's Domain and all of Hyrule first, but after that…
No. None of that would happen and Link knew it. He knew that, if his dreams were true, she would be bound to the quest and would have to participate in any battles that came up. It would mean leaving Hyrule and giving up her innocence to battles and death in unknown lands. It would mean getting injured in battle and probably dying. If she did have to participate in this, she would give up her good life, with many friends, to a life where each new day brought another battle and death was lurking right behind you all the time, just waiting for that one attack to come and give him permission to reach his bony hands out and take her soul to whatever place it was destined to go.
He couldn't talk to Saria, not right now. She would know something was wrong for sure; they are best friends after all, like a brother and sister almost. He needed to know if Zelda was having these visions as well. He needed to know if it was even worth mentioning to Saria. If it was necessary, he would tell her what he and Zelda were seeing. If not, he wouldn't tell her a word.
Link left the tree-stump house and turned to his left. He followed the path right to the tunnel that connected to the Kokiri Bridge. He took that path and passed the bridge. After that he went through another tunnel that was connected to Hyrule Fields. Though the air was crisp that day and the sun was out in a perfect sky, Link didn't notice at all.
He took his wooden ocarina, a present given to him from Saria, and played Epona's song. He heard a horse cry in the distance and the sound of hooves running on a strong, healthy ground. It didn't take Link long to notice a horse coming to his right, a young, red-coated mare with beautiful white hair coming off the back of her neck and tail. When she came to Link he patted her nose gently, a warm welcome gesture to the young mare.
"How are you doing Epona," Link asked. "Do you want to take a run to Hyrule Castle?" Epona snorted and nodded her head up and down. Link knew by now that, when she did this motion, she agreed. He hoisted himself up on her bare-back. He then turned her to the north and was off to Hyrule Castle Town. Hopefully, he would be able to get to meet Zelda.
xxxx
If anything can get one's mind in a better mood, a trip to the Hyrule Market was the thing to do it. Link loved it there; the crowds, the shops, the food to buy, the games, the people. Everything excited him about it. And it was as busy as ever it seemed. Why not? Today the king and princess Zelda were going to make an appearance in the market. Link had to stifle a laugh at the thought of it; Zelda told him that the king did that because he loved the attention and the cheering. Link remembered the first time he saw the king and the princess make an appearance: it was shortly after the battle at the castle, when Ganondorf and his army were concurred at the hands of the castle guards. Though Link knew that it was really him that sent Ganon to the sacred realm, he thought best not to gloat. Especially since his friends knew who the real hero was.
Suddenly he heard a loud cheer that brought his attention back to his reason coming there. At the path to the castle grounds, one of the guards was announcing the king's arrival. Another loud cheer followed and horses started coming out one at a time, each one of the horses bearing a guard on their backs. Trumpets blew and drained out some of the cheering that was going on at that moment. The guards surveyed the area, ensuring the safety of the king and princess. One of the guards gave a signal to the guard who was making the announcement of the king and princess, a signal ensuring that the area was searched and cleared of all suspicious looking people (thankfully Link hid himself in a tree and was not noticed by the guards; had he been seen he would have been escorted off the area as well because of the sword he was carrying on his back).
A chariot, pulled by eight beautiful looking mares, showed itself in the Hyrule market several minutes later. The chariot, round and big, had a golden color to it, making it very bright in the high sun of the day. The door was made of silver and in the middle of it was an emblem of three golden triangles forming one bigger triangle, with a space in the middle that looked like it could house a fourth piece if it was placed in upside-down: the Triforce. A window was on the door just above the emblem of the Triforce. Link could already see movement in it; one large figure was shifting inside and a much smaller figure was sitting next to the larger one.
The guard riding on the front of the chariot got off and made his way to its door. He pulled it open and a figure, which looked like he could have enough build to fill in an iron knuckle's armor, stepped out. His height was grand, almost seven feet, and he looked strong enough to crush boulders with a single flick of his wrist. His beard and mustache was blond and cut short on his handsome face. His blue eyes held knowledge that few could know and a deep understanding that none could match. His crown and scepter, a proud symbol of his high ranking, was solid gold, and embedded into each were rubies and diamonds that sparkled beautifully, as if they were boasting of their worth. On his right hand he had a ring that housed a jewel that Link had never seen before, and for a brief moment he desired it himself, but dared not attempt to take it; seeing it was enough for his lust. His garments were beautifully hand-made by the finest of tailors in the land of Hyrule. A red cloak was attached to the shoulders of his armor and fell across his back. His armor was that of mythril and had an emblem of the Triforce embedded in it.
Another figure strolled out of the chariot, following the king's footsteps. The young girl, no more then the age of eleven she looked, stepped next to the king and held his hand; her hand nearly vanished within her father's. Her hair, which resembled gold worth more then all of a kingdom's treasures, was long and fell very neatly behind her, stopping at the middle of her back. Her eyes were a perfect resemblance of the king's: blue, with knowledge and deep understanding held in them. Her dress, which clung to her body, showed off her figure, which was perfect for a girl her age. The dress was mostly a very faint purple with golden-colored yarn etched in it; on it was an emblem of the Triforce. On the top of her head sat a piece of cloth that matched her dress. On the cloth was a golden tiara which was lined with ten small, perfectly cut diamonds. Although anyone could have told you they saw all of that, there was one thing that only Link and Zelda herself could of seen that no one else could of, and that was the Triforce markings of the back of her left hand. She was blessed with the wisdom of the goddess Nayru while Link was blessed with the courage of the goddess Farore.
The only things that could be heard after that were the people in the market cheering and praising their king and princess. Many even started chanting and singing in their names. They did this, for it was the king that had saved Hyrule from the King of the Gerudo, Ganondorf. Had he taken the castle from the king of Hyrule all would have been lost one year ago.
Link kept himself in the tree just above the king and Zelda's heads. He knew that if he said anything the castle guards would shoot him down and take him in for questioning, if he survived the arrows. He suddenly regretted his choice of hiding because he could not gain the noticing of the princess without giving himself away to everyone else. Now he would have to wait for another time when the king presented himself to the peasants to ask Zelda the questions he needed answering. He could not enter the castle anymore. Ever since the happenings with Ganondorf, the Castle Guards have increased their watch on the castle and now none could get anywhere near it.
"You worry too much about yourself at times Link." Link jumped at what he just heard. It struck him that Zelda must of known where he was the whole time. And she just found a way for them to communicate: telepathically.
"Zelda," Link said in his mind. "I'm glad to see you. I need to talk to you. It's about the dreams I've been having."
"Yes Link, I know," Zelda replied. "I have been seeing these visions myself. I believe these dreams are another prophecy. I can not make any sense of it though."
"What is it that you have been dreaming," Link asked. "Maybe your dreams are different from mine."
"Link; if your dreams are different from mine, I'm not sure if it is a good sign. I have dreams of the world surrounded in a complete and overwhelming darkness. The moon is bathed in blood and the land is dead. People are screaming and being slaughtered by demons, their blood coating the Earth a crimson red. Suddenly a figure approaches and summons to him an army of angels with a sword that glows a holy golden light. But as the darkness fades the demons come at the angels and a battle takes place. Suddenly I hear a terrible battle happening in the sky, and above me there are four figures fighting. Three of the figures are fighting one, and the one is winning the fight. Suddenly the one figure looks at the figure on the ground that is summoning the angels and says only one word: Purgatory. The flying figure then flies down and kills the figure holding the sword. That terrible demon then kills all demons and angels around her in one blast of energy. But I swear, before I am taken by that terrible power, I see a triforce piece in the background and it is taking all the darkness to it. Before the dream ends, however, the triforce piece shatters. I am worried Link. I am worried that the world will face an evil, an evil more terrifying then Ganondorf ever was."
This information hit Link right in the gut. He was right. This evil was going to affect the entire world. Just like in his dream there was an unknown figure standing on the battlefield, but it looked like he was the one that summoned the angels into battle. Did that mean that the demons were already there? Was he the new bearer of the Triforce of power? Why did his sword have the ability to summon angels to his bidding? All these questions rose in his mind, but what he noticed was that word. It was in his dream as well. What did the word "Purgatory" mean and why was the lone figure struck after that dark entity said it? Why was he killed? More questions kept appearing in his mind. He didn't know what to think.
"Link," Zelda said. "You don't have to tell me what your dream was about. I read your mind as I was telling you all that I saw. Now I am worried. I don't know what to do. One thing is sure though, we must find that unknown fighter and see if he can't be put on our side. I have a feeling that, when all is said and done, he will be the fighter that will end the battle. Link, find him and ask for his help. I order you to do it. We need his help for whatever battles may come up."
"But Zelda," Link said. "I don't know what we should do. I have troubles that have kept me up for days at a time. I must know why Saria is in the battles as well. What role does she play in all of this?"
"I do not know yet," Zelda said. "I have seen her in my dreams as well and I am baffled as to why she is in the fights. She is destined to be a sage, and to fight in the battles to come would mean she would abandon her duties as the Sage of the Forest. Link, I have thought about so much in the past fortnight that I have put my mind in exhaustion. I will aid you in any way that I can, but for now I have nothing to offer but my hope. These questions that we both have can't be answered by us, at least not yet. Do what you can to find the answers that we seek."
"Zelda, I am troubled by what you just said to me. If that truly is all you can say then Saria will have to participate in the battles that seem to be between angels and demons. I wish I could just leave on the journey and face this evil alone, but I have no idea as to where I must go. From what I have seen in my dreams the battle will not be fought in Hyrule, but in a different land. That would mean Saria would not only have to leave the forest, but Hyrule as well. I am not sure she would be able to survive in the damned battles that may come. I am afraid of much, but Saria is my prime concern for now. She is my best friend and I wish not for her to risk her life. Please Zelda; can you say no more that could help me in anyway?"
Suddenly the trumpets sounded, signaling the king's and princess's departure back to the castle. The sound cut through the communication of the two minds like a sword through air. Zelda followed her father back to the chariot and soon the sounds of the horse's hooves were no longer heard as the chariot and all disappeared in the distance.
"Link, I am sorry," Zelda said. Her telepathic voice was far now and heard as a whisper in Link's mind. He had to strain to hear her voice and what she was saying. "There is one thing that I do remember now. It was another voice that I heard and it said something just before I woke up. It was a message I believe. It said 'When the keys unlock and balance breaks, purgatory will be unleashed and the final battle will be behind demonic gates.'"
Link could not believe what he just heard. The same voice and message was in his dreams just last night. He tried to contact her again, tried as hard as he could, but she was too far away now to be heard. She returned to the castle and could not return to his aid. She knew that she could do nothing now but pray to the three goddesses for their aid.
xxxx
In an area just on the Eastern edge of Hyrule, an area hidden for countless centuries, a small, green-haired girl just woke up from her nap. Her screams pierced the silence that the temple seemed to bring, scaring all the critters in the area. She had the nightmare again. She has been having them for about a month now. It was all so confusing, but, as crazy as it sounded, she believed the nightmares meant something. Especially now that she was having them every time she went to sleep.
She remembered what she dreamed. She was in a world that was not Hyrule. In fact, she doubted it was even Earth. Darkness was engulfing everything and had taken all but the ground she was standing on. She had in her right hand a sword and on her left arm was a shield. She was adorning armor that was light and made of a strange material she had never seen before. She looked around and strained her ears for any signs of life. There was none to be seen or heard.
Sound was suddenly heard. She saw two figures fighting. One was a strange looking Hylian, for he had no pointed ears. His hair was cut short and he had no armor on him that could be seen. He held a sword in his right hand and had a shielded left arm. His attire was kokiri in almost every way, but he didn't look kokiri at all; he was a mid teen height. The other fighter looked like a Hylian, but it looked like a monster as well. It was a woman, who towered over the other fighter; twice his height at least. She was slim, yet Saria could tell she had unmatched strength just by the way her body was moving. Her hair was golden and it seemed to glow slightly. The skin pigment was hard to tell: it looked somewhat tan, but it also looked like an aura was seeping through her skin and giving it an almost golden glow as well. Her legs were nimble and very fast. Her hands were perfect in shape, but had blood-stains on them. The face was what frightened Saria. It had a beautiful face, perfect in every way, but the look of insanity and lust for bringing death was what Saria noted. This monster wanted the other fighter dead. She wanted it, like a hungry lion wants a small, weak animal.
The smaller fighter was fending off her attacks with his sword and shield. His kokiri-like outfit was torn in some places and blood was staining the front of it on several areas of the chest and stomach region. He was clearly losing the battle against the monster he was fighting. He was just trying to hold off her attacks so he could find a way to escape from this fight. His look of desperation was apparent.
The monster then struck his sword and shield with a deadly force. The warrior's sword and shield left him and flew several feet away from him. He staggered and almost fell, but got himself planted firmly on the ground he was standing on, but only for a quick second. An arm, long and strong, pierced his abdomen and her hand came through his back. The unknown fighter went into a spasm and was coughing blood out his mouth. He gave one more jerk and then moved no more.
The monster, her now red coated arm removed from the fallen fighter, looked at Saria with a mixture of hate and joy. This monster hated Saria, hated her with a passion, but had joy for the pain she would deliver to her. She started to advance in her direction, when Link ran out from behind Saria and took the fallen hero's place. He attacked her and was holding her off, but the monster suddenly started to move quickly and attacked Link with a blast of energy that not even Ganondorf could have wielded.
Saria suddenly saw herself glowing. Light started coming off of her and a strong aura surrounded her. Her body started to vanish, started to fade away, but not completely. She was suddenly a being of pure energy, nothing but light. Her new body started moving in the air fast, going at a speed that she never dreamed possible, and was heading to the dead hero. As she entered his body, a voice that was strong and powerful filled her thoughts. Before she woke from this damned dream she remembered it telling her a message: 'When the keys unlock and balance breaks, purgatory will be unleashed and the final battle will be behind demonic gates.'"
She always woke up right after she entered the dead one's body, but that message only started coming to her for the past several nights. After that message started coming to her she always felt a strange presence surrounding her. She felt a strange power inside her, one that wasn't the power of the Forest Sage. She didn't know what it was.
It has been a good while since Saria had a full night's rest. Her hair was starting to lose much of its sheen. Her eyes were heavy and bloodshot. She felt very weak all the time now. And now she was starting to get agitated with every little thing. If Link saw her like this he would want to know what was troubling her. She couldn't tell him what she was dreaming, could she?
"What's happening to me," Saria asked to nobody in particular. "Why am I dreaming this nightmare every night? Oh Link, please help me. I need you to help me."
She took her ocarina and started to play her song, the song she made up a long time ago, the song that traveled throughout the entire forest and even entered the caves of Death Mountain, where the gorons would sit and listen to her beautiful song for hours at a time. She played her song, hoping to hear a response to it, hoping to hear Link trying to contact her. Her song was not heard or listened to by anyone that day, for the joy she once had in it left when the nightmares started coming. Link was not playing it either.
Saria put her ocarina back into her kokiri tunic. She looked down and noticed her hands were shaking, shaking in fear, but fear of what she did not know.
"Link," Saria begged. "Link, please, please help me."