A/n: That was what I had planned from the beginning. Don't hate it. Mudora is GDT. That's what I wanted. Course, if you don't like it, you can always review, or review if you liked it too! I want to know your opinion! Anyway, read on!

A Princess' Destiny

Chapter 22: Life Anew

He was dead. There were few leaves left on the rotted body of the Great Deku Tree, and all there were had turned gray. His mouth was lowered in an expression of release, as one giving up their soul after great torment. The ground was littered with leaves.

"Filari," one of the boys of the forest said, taking her by the arm. "We don't come here. It's sad, and scary."

These children were frightened, even now, three years after his death. They didn't know what to do. There was no one to protect them; no one to love and comfort them, no one to tell them that everything was all right. She remembered when she was actually about their age, and she was going through a similar difficulty. There was none who believed in her, save one. That one had taught her to fend for herself.

"Filari, let's go," Jeran said again. "This is scary."

"Okay," she replied. "Let's go back to Know-It-All hill." They turned and left the Great Deku Tree's grave in peace. She decided then that they would need some comfort, and great comfort came in believing in your own ability. All those who would learn, would learn the ways of the Sheikah…

As I sat in the trees, awaiting Link's arrival, I remembered my purpose last time I was here. Those children had been so frightened… and they still were. This forest was overcome with a great evil, but soon Link would be along to eradicate it.

I was perched, under the guise of the camouflage spell, above the Sacred Forest Meadow, with my harp tucked neatly under one arm, watching the monsters argue back and forth. They were the stupidest creatures I'd ever laid eyes on, yet I could understand why Ganondorf would summon them up. They were incredibly strong, and couldn't have taken too much energy to conjure. He could easily create an unstoppable army of these monsters.

I had watched Ganondorf enter the temple myself. His horse made an unnatural jump straight up into the entrance of the temple, and I sensed the presence of three or four dark creatures going behind, though I saw none. This was some sort of trap. Why would Ganondorf leave his armies outside and go in with only a handful of warriors?

Then it hit me. He hadn't summoned an army of these boar-monsters large enough to expend his energy. He was going to summon more inside, and await the Hero's coming. But how did he know about Link, and that he was coming here? That I didn't know. And something kept pulling at me, in reference to Ganondorf's aura. It didn't seem as strong as usual, and at the same time, it reeked of darkness.

Suddenly, a figure stepped into the clearing from the south end. Link. He drew his sword and waited for the monsters to come. I could hear his fairy telling him something.

"Moblins," she said. "Big, strong, stupid. You know the type."

"Slow?" he asked.

"In many ways."

"Good." He wiped some dark blood off the tip of the Master Sword in the tall grass of the field. The creatures marched toward him, and he took a fighting stance. Suddenly, they were upon him.

In the mob of creatures, I couldn't see him, but saw a lot of dark-colored blood spewing from the ranks of these hideous monsters.

I considered joining the fray, but decided against it. He already didn't trust me a whole lot. In the heat of battle, we may accidentally clash with each other, or worse yet, he could assume that I was with them the whole time. I didn't want that.

From what I could tell, he was doing just fine on his own, though. What glimpses of his fighting style I caught were incredible. His mastery over his weapon earned his right to the title of "Hero" right off. What did I have to worry about?

Finally, I watched the last of these "Moblins"—as his fairy had called them—fall. He stood unscathed, though obviously out of breath.

A tremor ran through the ground, and it was all I could do to hold onto the branch I was hunched over. It happened again, and again, until another figure emerged from the forest. The big Moblin, the one with the club.

"You've gotta be kidding me," Link said.

The Moblin looked around at his fallen comrades and gave a loud, deep bellow of anger and sorrow. It charged at Link and swung its mighty cudgel. Link was paralyzed, and raised his shield in defense. The club mashed his shield arm into his chest and flung him backward like a child's doll. The Master Sword fell at the Moblin's feet.

Link got to his feet and quickly tested his right arm, his shield arm. He apparently decided it was too injured, and dropped the shield. He raised his other arm, only to find his sword not there.

"Navi, give me some info!" he shouted as a last resort.

"I don't know!" she said exasperatedly. "He's a big, big Moblin with a whole tree in his hands!" She started fluttering around him frantically, hoping to find a weakness.

Link was weaponless. I prepared to drop in and finish the battle to the best of my ability, but Link had an idea. He pulled out an item that was attached to his belt. He held it in his left arm and aimed the tip carefully. Suddenly, a chain shot out from the tip of the device and attached to the wooden cudgel of the Moblin by way of some sharp hook on the end.

I remembered the words in Dampe's diary. He said he had found a treasure that stretches and shrinks. This was it. Link had succeeded in retrieving the object. I was overjoyed.

The creature raised its club from the ground in curiosity. There was now a chain attached to his weapon, leading all the way back to his adversary. When he raised the weapon, it pulled Link just a little closer.

The monster slammed the club back down as Link was pulled in close at rapid speed by the artifact. Link picked up his legendary blade with his free hand as the creature lifted the club again, raising Link into the air. He raised Link to eye level, and after a moment's hesitation, Link jabbed the sword right into the creature's throat. Blood sprayed all over Link's body as the creature began to fall backward. Link withdrew the weapon and the hook weapon and landed on his feet as the giant crashed upon the ground.

He put the hook and chain back on his belt and, after wiping the blade clean in the grass, returned the Master Sword to its sheath on his back. He walked over to his shield and affixed it to his back as well. All the while, Navi, his fairy, was singing his praises. I wanted to as well. His fighting style was unique, but amazing. No other man could have taken down that giant Moblin the way he had, after such a strenuous battle.

He felt his shield arm, testing it out. It appeared to be tender in some places, but he decided it must be fine. Silence filled the meadow. That was my cue.

I dispelled the camouflage and descended silently into the meadow. Link turned to face me, and an expression of surprise washed over his face. I called to mind the words of Mudora the Sage, and spoke to him in a cryptic manner.

"The flow of time is always so cruel. Its speed seems different for each person, but no one can change it." This was, of course, to provoke him. The statement really hinted toward what I knew about him, and he appeared a little overwhelmed.

"How do you know…?" he started. I heard him, but acted as though I hadn't. I wanted to get my message across. So I continued.

"A thing that doesn't change with time is a memory of younger days. You have been remembering your childhood being here, haven't you?" I was really pushing it, I knew, but this air of mystique was really helping my impression on him. Perhaps this cryptic way of pretending to know him so well could gain his confidence in me. That's what I tried to convince myself of, but truly, I thought his bewildered expressions were kind of funny.

"How do you know so much about me?" Link asked, somewhat angry. "I don't know anything about you!" He was growing hostile. Time to lay off a bit and get to the point.

"Your childhood friend has entered the temple, but she must awaken as a Sage," I said. "Only your awakening call can do this. In order to awaken the Sage of the Forest, play this minuet."

I pulled my harp out and began to play the Minuet of the Forest. Link listened as I played through the soothing melody that drew up thoughts of a tranquil forest meadow in my head as I played. Finally, I let a note ring and motioned with my hand for Link to join in. From within his tunic he drew forth the Ocarina of Time, hanging elegantly from a chain around his neck. So he had it.

It had been so long since I had seen the legendary instrument that had once been mine to play. He began to play, and though his large, leather gloves were fingerless, I wondered how he was able to play while wearing them. Still, the wondrous sound of the small, but powerful ocarina chimed brilliantly throughout the meadow.

Link didn't miss a note. I remembered Impa once telling me that she was teaching him to play the ocarina long ago, but she could not have even had an hour at that time, if I remembered correctly. Someone else had to have taught him to play, and play extremely well. Regardless, he had an unusually powerful ability to mimic notes. This ability would be very useful to him, I knew, especially with an instrument that makes songs into spells.

We only played through the minuet a couple of times, but the relaxing sensation of harmonizing in this quiet, albeit grave-like, meadow seemed to carry on our session for endless years of peace and joy. Finally, I stopped playing, and as if he knew I would, he stopped on the exact same note.

He knew the song; he knew what to do; he had the relic that would grant him access to the temple. My work here was done.

"Link," I said. "I'll see you again." I took a step backward and dropped a flash pellet. In the blinding flash that lasted but a split second, I signaled, channeled, and released the spells of jumping and camouflage, and returned to my perch in the trees. Once Link could see again, he looked around in amazement, as his fairy buzzed around excitedly.

"He was definitely trained by Impa," Link said.

"Oh yeah, Impa did that too!" Navi answered.

They turned toward the temple entrance high above, forgetting my entry and escape, and all that lay between. Link gazed at the platform high above him, at the feet of the crumbled staircase, trying to figure out what to do. It took but a second for him to reach to his belt and pull forth Dampe's treasure. He fired the hook into the air, and it wrapped around a thick branch hanging over the landing. The chain pulled him straight up through the air, to the threshold of the temple.

The hook freed itself of the branch and he landed. The whole thing looked clumsy, as though he hadn't actually tried it before, but at the same time, strangely graceful. The chain had to be very stiff for it to carry a full-grown Hylian straight up like that. Link was obviously thinking about something as he stared into the dark entryway. Finally, he drew his sword and shield, and stepped into the darkness within.

I prayed to the goddesses to protect him throughout his journey into the temple. I considered joining him. After all, Ganondorf had gone inside. But something about Ganondorf was different. Perhaps this difference would be to Link's advantage. A small, soothing voice in my head told me that this was not to be Link's true confrontation with the King of Evil, and I accepted that.

I had more to do. I rushed back through the Lost Woods toward Kokiri Village. I had one more task to complete here. I dropped from the trees as I hurried and brushed off the camouflage spell. Instead, I made the signals of fire and wind, and channeled them into my legs to conjure speed.

A Kokiri boy stood straight in my path as I ran, and raised his dagger high as I approached. I stopped in front of him.

"You," he said. It was Mido, the boss of the Kokiri. "You're on his side, right?"

"Who?" I replied.

"Link's." He said it quite matter-of-factly. I wasn't sure Link would reveal himself to his friends, but apparently he had.

"Yes."

"Did he get that man? The one on the horse?"

"He will. It is something he must do on his own."

"Will he? Good." The boy seemed quite reassured by my words. He lowered his sword, signaling me to go on my way. My legs were starting to ache from not using the spell they were bound to. I rushed onward, down into the village. There, I stopped for nothing—none of the children, none of the plant-like monsters that had overrun their village. I hurried straight to the Great Deku Tree's Meadow, on the east end of the village.

There, I beheld the rotted corpse of Mudora's second life. I dropped down into the meadow from the hill above, into the lake of dead and dried leaves that had fallen from his immense boughs. I cleared a space at the roots of the enormous tree and scooped out the ground with a dagger. I gently placed the large seed Mudora had given to me in the hole, and covered it again. The ground shifted slightly under me feet.

In mere moments, the grass on the ground of the patch of dirt I had turned grew upright again. A small sapling sprouted from the ground, and all the leaves leading from the hill to the sapling spread out and away from each other to make a path. I could sense that something great had just taken place, and respectfully left the sapling in peace.

I had completed all that the goddesses wanted from me in this forest. I did not know what they wanted next, or where they would have me go. But I was quite exhausted. All these spells I was using were wearing me out, and the supply of the magic potion that I wore upon my belt was depleted. I had some still in a cave I made use of long ago on Hyrule Field. I would go there, stock up, and await a sign from the goddesses.