Earth and Wind
Zelda was irritably awakened by something poking her in her side. She grunted and readjusted herself on Malon as the two lay in the hay. There was another slightly harder poke, causing her to murmur, "…Not now, Malon…"
"…Go back to sleep," she heard Malon mutter in the same half-sleep voice. "Ow… Cut it out…"
Zelda felt a hard poke against her side and she opened one eye and found her mother standing there in front of them, holding her scythe. "What do you want?"
"Huh?" Malon groaned, opening her eyes groggily. When she saw Ingrid, she was startled and hid behind Zelda with a blanket over the both of them. "Hey! Haven't you ever heard of privacy?"
"It's time for you to wake up," Ingrid said, butting the handle into the ground. "There is another Sage to be tended to."
"Can't it wait a few minutes?" Zelda muttered, sinking back under the blanket.
"Actually, I only need little Malon," Ingrid spoke. "Peach is already standing by."
Zelda sighed and said, "All right, I'm coming."
"Now, hurry up and leave!" Malon shouted, blushing.
"You don't have anything I haven't seen before," Ingrid said, teleporting out.
Once they arrived at Zora's Domain via the warp in Lake Hylia, they set off to the throne room to see Rita. They found her waiting at the top of the stairway. She looked a bit worried.
"I'm glad you came," Rita nodded. "…But why did you bring Zelda?" Malon took Zelda's hand. "Oh, I see. You two are like sisters, aren't you?"
"Yes," Zelda smiled. "I'm happy to hear you recognize that. Everyone else has been making ridiculous assertions."
"It's something that's become more and more common among Zoras," Rita spoke amiably. "Especially for the Delphi."
"Delphi?" Zelda asked.
"It's one of the types of Zora," Ingrid said.
"I gave Ingrid a short lesson on Zoras years ago," Rita smiled. "I had asked her why Hylians insist on wearing clothing and I…"
"I don't think we have time," Ingrid interrupted.
"Oh, pish-posh," Rita said dismissively. "Would any of you care for something to eat? We have fresh fish."
"A little too fresh…" Zelda said, watching one swim by.
"No thank you, your majesty," Malon bowed.
"Would you like me to give a brief explanation of our people?" Rita asked. Ingrid leaned on her scythe boredly, while Zelda looked a bit hesitant.
"I'd love to hear about Zoras," Malon said, sitting in place. "I've never met any before this mess started."
"I'd like to hear about them too," Peach agreed, also sitting.
"If that's what you want," Zelda said, sitting against Malon.
"Well," Rita said, sitting in the shallow pool of water. "Let's start with the Delphi, the most common type of Zora. They're the ones you see around here. They vary a bit occasionally, but if they have a dolphin-like tailfin coming out of their head, then they are Delphic. They represent the Zora race very well because they're so physically fit and charming. We've actually gotten a few love letters from Hylians. At least, that's how it was after the war ended anyway."
"What kind of Zora are you?" Malon asked.
"I'm of the Manta," Rita smiled, flattering herself. "Mantas are almost always female and they're always the most beautiful. It's not unusual for us to also have the best magical potential. The downside is that we aren't as strong or fast as the Delphi, but that's okay."
"I haven't seen any other Manta," Peach said.
"We're a bit rare. Sometimes, a Zora community will only have one Manta per generation. That is why Ruto and I are the only Manta here."
"What about your husband?" Zelda asked.
"Oh, him," Rita giggled girlishly. "He's what we call a Gordo…"
"That's a derogatory term," Ingrid added.
"The proper term is Imperator," Rita said in a mock-formal voice. "My husband is an extreme example of their kind. I don't do a very good job of saying it inoffensively, so Ingrid, if you wouldn't mind…"
"Imperators are the leaders of Zoras," Ingrid explained. "They tend to be only slightly less rare than Mantas, but that is because of their physical uselessness. They are slow, weak, and have a natural tendency to be obese. They have no physically redeeming qualities, but they are masterminds of the race."
"Very good," Rita said, clapping. "Do you know what the last race is?"
"Warrior," Ingrid said.
"Link said…" both Malon and Zelda began simultaneously.
"Go ahead," Zelda said humbly.
"…Link said the Warrior Zoras are the rarest kind. They have retractable fin blades, an electric shield, boomerang fins, and martial arts skills. Only one is born in an age because they're so powerful."
"Link must be that boy who came to the cavern to retrieve the Iron Boots…" Rita said thoughtfully. "He seemed to know the layout of the site very well."
"He was there before," Zelda said.
"In another time," Malon added.
"That sounds interesting," Rita said.
"Enough idle chatting," Ingrid said. "I know where one of the remaining Sages is. You know the other."
"The forest," Rita said simply.
"That can't be right. That's where the dead Sage is."
"I don't know whether she's alive or not, but she's in the forest."
"The forest…" Zelda spoke quietly.
"Don't worry," Malon said, holding her close and kissing her forehead. "We'll be there for you."
"Yeah," Peach smiled, laying a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm afraid I won't," Ingrid said.
"Why not?" Malon asked.
"We have other matters to attend to," Rita said. "You see, Ingrid, Nabooru, and I need to go to the Gorons to explain things. As leaders, we should be able to convince them about our current situation."
"War is coming to Hyrule," Ingrid said. "The enemy has become more daring as of late. The events at Kakariko only bought them more time to organize. They were able to send that giant to the Desert Colossus. They were able to effectively frame Zelda and Peach throughout this journey. It is only a matter of time before they make a substantial move."
"Does Ganon have anything to do with it?" Zelda asked.
"I'm sure he does," Ingrid said. "Unfortunately, it will be up to you and Peach to face him alone."
"But you'd be so effective…"
"Rest assured, I would prefer to destroy Ganondorf myself, but I've sensed him dabbling in the services of the dead and damned… His magic is strong enough to wrestle the evil spirits from my grasp and even create his own. I can only hope that the slain armies of Hyrule's past will be able to fight against his monstrous forces. It is for this reason that you must hurry and awaken the final Sages. Hopefully, they are both in the forest."
Zelda, Malon, and Peach warped to the Forest Temple and made their way to Kokiri Forest. The entire forest was still eerily quiet. It was not long before they began seeing Poe lanterns lying about. Fortunately, it was not difficult to simply move around them and reach the village. Once they had reached the main area of the village, a Kokiri girl ran up to them.
"Is your name Zelda?" she asked.
"Yes…" Zelda answered cautiously. "How did you know?"
"Fado told me to have you meet her if you came back," she replied. "She's staying in Saria's house. It's the stumpy one, right there."
"I see…" Zelda said uneasily. Both Malon and Peach took her hands and they walked into Saria's house. Fado was sleeping peacefully in Saria's bed. All of the curtains were closed, so the room was very dark except for a few streaks of light. Zelda walked to Fado and gently shook her to awaken her.
"…Oh," Fado said sleepily. "You're back, huh?"
"Yes," Zelda said. "I was told you wanted to see me."
"It's about the dead Sage," Fado yawned. "She's waiting in the Great Deku Tree's garden. Though, I think you should stay here…"
"How do you know about the Sages?" Zelda asked.
"Those two are Peach and Malon, right?" Fado asked.
"Yes, but…"
"When Nabooru took everyone's souls," Fado said. "That's how I know."
"Oh…"
"But seriously, you should stay here and let your friends handle this one."
"It won't be any different from the others," Zelda sighed. "Why should I sit out of this one?"
"She's a Stalfos," Fado smirked sleepily, laying her head down again. "If you destroy her as she is, you might as well look for a new Sage. Unless you know the Song of Healing, you'd be totally useless."
"Do you?" Malon asked.
"Nope."
"I can't just stand aside while my friends put themselves in danger," Zelda frowned.
"Trust me," Fado said, rolling onto her side and closing her eyes. "The fight will be easier if you aren't there to make her angry. Just go hang out in Link's house or something. It wouldn't be such a bad idea to pick up some of his stuff for later."
"But…"
"We'll be fine," Peach assured her.
"Yeah, don't worry so much," Malon smiled.
"All right," Zelda sighed, walking out. Once they exited, Zelda headed up to Link's house while Malon and Peach trotted toward the Great Deku Tree's garden. After reaching the wide, open area, they could see the Deku Sprout in the usual column of light. Malon was overwhelmed by the sheer size of the deceased Deku Tree.
"That thing is huge!" Malon exclaimed.
"Shh!"
"What?"
"Over there…" They could see something hiding behind one of the large roots of the Great Deku Tree. They carefully moved around the root and saw a monstrous skeleton crouching and covering its face.
"Is it…afraid?" Malon whispered.
"Excuse me," Peach called, stepping toward it. "Are you okay?" The Stalfos's red eyes turned toward them and it slowly uncovered its face.
"Where…" it spoke in a vaguely female, though garbled voice. "Where…is Link?"
"Do you know him?" Malon asked.
"Where…is…Zelda?"
"We're here to help you," Peach said, continuing to walk forward. "You're a Sage, right?"
"Stay away!" the Stalfos growled, crawling over the side of the root.
"Wait, we want to help you!" Peach said, giving chase.
"Why don't you just heal her and be done with it?" Malon asked, also running.
"I can't if she's out of my range," Peach said. "I need to get closer."
"She sure can run," Malon noted. The Stalfos was skittering from hiding spot to hiding spot. It eventually neared the entrance, seemingly ready to escape. A heavy wind blew through the entrance and knocked her over. Peach managed to get close and began to use Therapy.
"No!" the Stalfos screamed in anguish. "Go away! No more pain!" It burst into purple flames and burned to ashes.
"Oh, no!" Peach yelped in shock.
"This isn't good," Malon said worriedly. "I think we blew it…"
"No, you didn't," a voice called from near the Deku Tree.
"Who said that?" Malon asked. They moved closer and saw that it was the Deku Sprout. "You can talk?"
"Of course," the Deku Sprout spoke.
"I almost forgot about you," Peach said with slight embarrassment. "What should we do now?"
"The Sage of Life needs to revive the spirit that was cursed to become a Stalfos," the Deku Sprout replied. "She died here long ago. When Ganondorf saw that you were reviving Sages, he found her first and imprisoned her spirit in a Stalfos body. Fortunately, you purified her."
"Right," Malon said, walking back to the ashes. After a brief glow of rainbow, an unconscious woman appeared where the Stalfos had been. Her hair was long and blonde. She wore a brown cloak over a white tunic and turquoise dress. Judging from the way she was dressed, she had been in the upper class of society.
"Is she okay?" Peach asked.
"She will be fine," the Deku Sprout said.
"Let's move her inside," Malon said, picking her up.
"You're kind of strong," Peach said as they began walking back to the village.
"I work on a farm," Malon giggled. "Those crates of milk don't move themselves."
"By the way, you wouldn't happen to know where that wind came from, would you?"
"It might be the next Sage. They did say that both of them would be here." When they reached Saria's house, they saw Zelda climbing down the ladder at Link's house.
"Is that her?" Zelda called, quickly running over.
"I think so," Malon said, carrying her inside. She laid her onto the other bed. "Ganondorf turned her into a Stalfos, but we fixed it."
"Who is she?" Zelda asked.
"I was hoping you knew…"
"She's Link's mother," Fado said, turning over to face them. "She died trying to get him to safety when he was still an infant. She had been mortally wounded before she even got into the forest. She asked the Deku Tree to take care of Link and died soon after."
Zelda raised an eyebrow and asked, "Does anyone else find it strange that all of the Sages we've revived are mothers?"
"All of the original Sages were people Link knew," Fado said. "It's not too far of a stretch."
"Good point…"
"Do you know who the other Sage is?" Peach asked. "We think he or she may have caused that wind that kept this one from getting away."
"I did," Fado smiled. "I'm the one you're looking for. The Sage of Wind. She's the Sage of Earth."
"That's convenient," Peach smiled. Zelda dashed outside under a table and put up her shield.
"Peach, heal her now!" Zelda yelled.
"There's no need for that," Fado said, still lying down.
"So…you're not trying to kill Zelda?" Malon asked, already reaching for her bow and arrow.
"Nope," Fado answered. "Never crossed my mind."
"That's strange," Peach said.
"I think the curse is weakening," Fado said. She glanced over to Zelda. "You can come out now."
"Just being cautious," Zelda said. "Would you mind if Peach healed you?"
"Not at all," Fado smiled. Peach glowed pink briefly.
"…She's fine," Peach smiled. "She can't get any better than she already is."
"That's a relief," Zelda said, coming from under the table and dispelling the shield. "The last thing I need is someone ripping me apart in a tornado."
"Even if I wanted to fight," Fado spoke, "I don't think I'd hold up very well against any one of you. Not in the condition I'm in, anyway."
"But Peach said you were fine," Zelda said curiously. Peach also gave her a questioning look.
"They are," Malon spoke understandingly.
"They?"
Fado smiled and patted her stomach. "Apparently, all of the Sages you've been finding are mothers…or at least will be."
"Where am I?" the Earth Sage asked meekly.
"Good, you're awake," Peach smiled.
"You're in the Kokiri Forest," Malon said.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"I'm Malon," she replied.
"Malon?" she said, looking confused. "You look awfully youthful for…what's it been…almost seventeen years… Have you been taking your own concoctions again?"
"I'm her daughter," Malon smiled. "These are my friends, Princess Peach Toadstool and Princess Zelda Hyrule."
"Oh, my gracious!" the Earth Sage said, bowing. "It is an honor to meet royalty in-person."
"Rise," Zelda said royally. "It is an honor to meet the mother of the Hero of Time. What would you like us to call you?"
"Salome will do nicely, milady," she answered. "Excuse me, but who is that young lady there?"
"My name's Fado."
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Salome said.
"If we're all done here," Zelda spoke, "we might as well go back to the ranch."
"Well, we have quite a few people now, don't we?" Mother Malon smiled. "It's a pleasure to see you again, milady."
"It's nice to see you as well, Malon," Salome nodded. "I don't mean to be rude, but what are the sleeping arrangements?"
"Well, I'll give my bed to Fado," she replied. "Everyone else is free to fend for themselves."
"I suppose the floor will do for me, then," Salome said. "Goodnight, everyone."
"Goodnight," they all replied. Just then, Ingrid arrived.
"I see you succeeded," she said. "Very good."
"It was all Peach and Malon's work," Zelda said. "And since no one got hurt, I guess they really were better off without me. But when do I awaken as a Sage?"
"Who knows?" Ingrid shrugged. "I'm rather tired after dealing with angry Gorons."
"Did you succeed?"
"Fortunately, Nabooru and Rita are much better at diplomacy than I am," Ingrid said. "We will begin preparations tomorrow. Goodnight." With that said, everyone began moving to their chosen sleeping areas. As Peach began to follow Ingrid into the barn, Ingrid turned around and signaled her to stop. "I insist that you sleep away from me."
"…O…kay," Peach said, as Ingrid shut the door behind herself. Only Malon and Zelda were still out, watching the dying light in the sky. Peach smiled upon seeing them in the distance. She looked at the dim stars beginning to appear in the rouge-colored sky.
"It's almost over, Zel," Malon sighed, leaning against her. "Everything will be right again. We'll even have our mothers back…won't we?"
"I hope so," Zelda said, stroking her hair. "It would be a shame only to have them back just for this occasion."
"Malon...Zelda…"
"What was that?" Malon asked.
"That was…Sheik?"
"Yes, it's me."
"What are you doing here?" Zelda asked, despite not seeing anything.
"I was hoping that I'd be able to help again," he said. "I just want to help… I'll understand if you don't trust me anymore…but I can't do anything in this state."
"We'll need all the help we can get," Zelda said with a small smile. "Malon." Malon used her power and Sheik appeared before them.
"Thank you," he bowed. "It was rather difficult to wander this far from the graveyard, but it has paid off. Thank you both."
"You're welcome," Malon said. Sheik looked around distractedly.
"She's over there," Zelda smirked. Sheik blushed immediately. "Go to her."
"I am in your debt," Sheik bowed once again. He sighed nervously and walked to Peach, who was still looking into the darkening sky.
"Don't you think they'd make a cute couple?" Malon asked.
"That would be creepy…"
"What makes you say that?"
"He looks a bit too much like me," Zelda said. "I'm fairly certain he's related to me."
"Hello, Peach," Sheik said, nearly startling her.
"Sheik? Is that you?"
"In the flesh," he smiled beneath his veil. She rushed up to him and embraced him.
"I thought I'd never see you again!" Peach said, giving him a peck on the forehead.
"I'm back for good," he said, trying to keep his composure. "I missed my own body a lot…but I missed you more…"
Mother Malon snuggled up against Talon as they sat against the crates in the chicken coop. Though he spent most of the day and night sleeping, she still loved him nonetheless. However, she made a mental note to prepare a remedy for his snoring. At the moment, she simply pinched his lips closed until he began to breathe through his nose. Everything was peaceful from that point on. She was nearly asleep when she suddenly felt something move against her.
"Malon?"
"Sorry, Mother," Malon whispered. "You don't mind, do you?"
"Of course not," she smiled, wrapping an arm around her. "It reminds me of when you were still a little girl… But what about Zelda?"
"Oh, Mother," Malon giggled, lying against her. "We're not joined at the hip, you know."
Ingrid was fast asleep in the barn. She was sitting in the hay peacefully when she felt something moving around her. She opened her eyes as Zelda sat in her lap and laid her head against her chest. It was something that had not happened to her since she had finished raising Impa.
"Trouble in paradise?" Ingrid asked.
"We decided to let Peach have the spot," Zelda sighed. "…You're warm."
Ingrid held her close and smiled.