This is my first fic, please be kind!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own The Legend of Zelda.

Powers of a Black Rose Chapter 2

A Hard Decision

A few minutes later, the Temple of Time was filled with a blinding light. Link and Saria had arrived.

"See? I told you that the Deku Tree was lying! Kokiris don't die when they leave the forest…it was only a lie to protect you."

"I suppose," Saria said. "You know your way, right? I don't want to be on my own."

"Don't worry," Link replied soothingly, as they left the Temple. "What sort of a friend do you think I am?"

"A friend who forgets meetings?"

"Shut up."

They walked from the Temple into the Market. Saria, who had never been there in her life, didn't notice that there was a new stall open. Link, however, eyed it with suspicion.

"Look at those things she's selling…"

"What? Where?"

"She's selling bugs! That's the beggar who scrounges bugs off of you. She's started a business!"

"Hey! Want to buy a convenient beetle? Only 300 rupees!"

Link turned away in disgust.

"What?" Saria ran to catch up. "What do you not like about her?"

"Well, first she gives you 50 rupees for a bug, now she sells them for 300! It's a rip-off! And people are buying them. I sometimes wonder why I ever helped them."

"Link, that's an awful thing to say! These people are just interested!"

"Yeah, well, you can get bugs from under rocks anywhere. It's amazing how gullible the public is."

"Link, snap out of it! You're not one to say those sort of things…it's that mask again, isn't it?"

Link put a finger to his lips, in a shushing gesture. A guard walked up to them; they had walked to the gate of Hyrule Castle.

"Do you have business with the King?"

"I'd like to see Zelda, please."

"Well, you can't. Zelda has to learn to be a proper princess without mingling with the riff-raff like you. Now buzz off!"

Link made a movement to unsheathe his sword, but Saria pushed him out of the way. She walked up to the guard.

"Want to see the princess too? You'd be strange company, little girly. Sorry, but I can't let you in."

"Can I just say something?"

"Make it quick."

But Saria didn't say anything at all. She just stared into his eyes.

But then the guard grabbed a wrist.

"Don't try to hypnotise me…hey!"

Saria had distracted him while summing up her strength. She suddenly began glowing bright green, and floated in the air.

Then, roots grabbed the guard's feet and made him trip over. Saria made sure he was hidden and gagged before passing through the gate.

"Hey!"

Saria turned. It was Link.

"You forgot these…"

It was a Gate Pass.

"If you don't have these on you, the other guards will put you in jail!"

"Smart thinking."

For the next five minutes they flashed their Gate Passes at every guard they encountered, until they reached the courtyard. There, they found Zelda and Impa sitting reading books.

"Zelda!" Link ran up to her, waving.

"Hi! You're back!"

"Yeah, and we've got bad news," Saria said. Zelda and Saria already knew each other, seeing as Zelda was the Seventh Sage, the leader of the rest. Again, Zelda was destined to become this, but had not yet taken the position.

Link explained his last adventure to Zelda; his quest to stop the moon from falling, the struggle to free the guardians in time, and the three day cycle he had had to undergo many times. Finally he told Zelda of the final confrontation, and how he eventually put on the Fierce Deity Mask.

Then, Saria brought Zelda up to date, saying that the Mask was starting to take control of Link's mind, and the plan they had come up with.

"If the Fierce Deity Mask and the Master Sword are sealed away, then Ganondorf will never be able to break free. And soon Link will get over this, as the urges to put on the Mask will fade if he can't reach it."

Link nodded. "It's our only plan, and we need to hurry, before this feeling takes over me completely."

Zelda pondered this for a while. "It sounds tricky," she said. "But I can do it. Ganondorf can't venture out from the Chamber of Power, as he holds only that part of the Triforce."

"When should we do it?" Saria said. "We shouldn't wait too long, remember?"

"Tomorrow morning?"

"Yes."

They all agreed to meet each other in the Temple of Time. Link and Saria headed back to the Market, feeling safe that soon the Mask would be sealed away for good.

That's the second chapter! What do you think? Please be kind and send constructive criticisms!