Chapter 2: Bringing Courage

"Was that a rat I just heard?" Zelda muttered, tensing up. Link shrugged.

"What if it is? Rats aren't a problem."

"The rats of the Hylian sewer system grow to up to three feet in size." Zelda replied calmly. "They are omnivorous, and will attack anything they perceive to be a threat-mostly the Rope snakes that also dwell in the sewers, but generally anything larger than they are."

"Rats are a problem." Link amended his statement just as calmly. "Looks like there's a wall torch there. Light it with the lantern." Zelda obliged, and the level of light in the room improved a fraction, allowing Link to see several grey, furry shapes skittering across the floor. He started to move forward with his sword, paused, and used his boomerang instead, knocking the rodents senseless from a distance.

"Versatile." Zelda observed. "Captain Albert taught you well, I see."

"He was the best." Link sighed. "Except for Agahnim, that is. Now then, what's this about snakes?"

"The Ropes are even worse." Zelda told him clinically. "Four feet long and very vicious; they're not poisonous, so they compensate in sheer attitude. As soon as one sees you, he'll lunge."

"This is a charming little ecosystem down here." Link muttered as he led the way on down the tunnel. "All that's missing are the bats."

"Oh, the Keese? They're worst of all." The Princess smirked. "Well, not really; they can't do much more than nip at you, really. But they're the hardest to peg… at least, that's what I've heard, anyways." She added hastily. Link raised an eyebrow.

"Never been down here before in your life, I take it?"

"Never." Zelda agreed. "It's not exactly a suitable place for a princess to be… dad was big on things like that."

"I suppose so." Link nodded, calmly skewering the first Rope he saw as it approached him. "Of course, for most kids that sort of thing tends to make you want to do it even more… and EVERY kid needs someplace to hide when a flowerpot's been broken and somebody's storming around like the wrath of Din." Zelda raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? And where did you go?"

"Little cave north of Kakariko village." The warrior chuckled. "Me and the rest of the kids rigged it up with all sorts of things… a second entrance through the ceiling, hidden room in the back wall, etcetera… we all used it. Now that I think about it, all our parents and such must have known it was there, but I guess they all decided to respect it as off-limits."

"Well… maybe I did come in here once or twice. Just to look around." Zelda admitted. "All right, we turn left for a bit here… need to pick something up." The something turned out to be a grubby bronze chest. Opening it, Zelda removed a key. "We'll need this to get through a locked door ahead of us."

"Complicated path, I see… I approve." Link smiled. "This should help, too." He placed the key he had used to open Zelda's cell in the chest. "We can lock the door from the other side when we go through… then, even if the soldiers find the chest and the door, they won't figure we went that way since the key's still here. Eventually, one of them will actually try the key and find out it doesn't fit, but it should still buy us some time."

"Not bad at all." Zelda grinned as they opened the door and closed it behind them. "We can swap this one out for the next door and maybe confuse them even more."

"Worth a shot." Link agreed, stepping forward, and then halting suddenly. "…What have I just stepped in?"

"Hm… looks like the sewage is leaking across the floor here." Zelda noted, aiming the lantern's light around. "You just walked right into it… just be glad it's not too deep. Ah, here we go… dry spots I can jump across." She paused. "Well, hop across anyways. Stupid dress."

"Well, lucky you." Link grumbled, climbing onto the dry spots she had mentioned and bounding across easily. Fortunately, the leaking portion was small, and they were soon past it.

"The next key should be… oh, no." Zelda groaned as they approached a locked door with an empty peg on the wall next to it. "It's gone. A rat must have taken it… they like shiny things. The good news is they don't have large individual territories, so the one who did is probably still around here."

"Speak of the devil." Link caught a glint of light reflected far away from the lantern and took off after it. Finding a rat with the key in its mouth, he quickly retrieved it and returned to the princess. "Right. Old one on the peg, new one gets us through." Glancing around one last time, he frowned. "Hey, what's with that wall over there? Looks like a cave-in…"

"Yeah, I think it is." Zelda explained. "I always wondered about what was on the other side of it… geographically, it should be under the graveyard. Somehow, though, my dad always caught me going down with a bomb I managed to sneak, and yet never any time else."

"Funny how that works, all right." Link chuckled as they walked up a set of stairs behind the door. The room they emerged in was obviously not a sewer; instead, it was a well-lit chamber with a brown wooden floor. Zelda nodded.

"Right, this is the last obstacle. Sanctuary's through that door." She pointed at a firmly shut iron barrier with no handle. "See those switches on either side of it? Pull the one on the right."

"What's the one on the left do?" Link replied, doing so.

"Drops about twenty Ropes from the ceiling on you." Zelda shuddered. "Father Brian feeds them."

"Right, no pulling THAT." Link muttered as the door opened, revealing… the back of another ornamental shelf.

"What? Who's there?" An old man's voice called, surprised.

"It's me, Father Brian… Princess Zelda." Zelda called back. "And a young man named Link." A moment later, the shelf creaked away from them, revealing the Father, a gentle old man wearing blue robes and thick glasses.

"Princess… so you escaped. Thank the Godesses you made it here safely… and thank you, too, Link. I assume you helped the Princess in her flight?"

"Yeah…" Link lowered his head. "Me and Uncle Al… except he didn't… make it."

"I'm sorry, Link." Brian looked down as well. They remained silent for a moment, then looked up again, and Brian nodded. "Right, well. The rooms kept for the royal family in case of emergencies are still in order, Princess… and since you're the only one, Link can use one of the other chambers." Link blinked.

"What? But I couldn't…"

"Yes, you will." Zelda told him firmly. "You can't go anywhere exhausted. Stay here, sleep into the morning and get some strength back before you go tearing off. I know you have a job to do, but you need some time to recuperate. All right?" Link chuckled wryly and snapped a salute.

"Yes, MA'AM."

"Stop that." She chuckled as well.

"Well, now that that's settled…" Brian rubbed his hands together. "I have some breakfast cooking… simple fare, but it'll have to do, I'm afraid. Luckily enough, I made extra today."

"That'll be great." Link nodded. "And then after we wake up, we make our plans as to how we're going to bring down Agahnim."

"All right." Link leaned back in a wooden chair. He and Zelda had awoken an hour earlier, and along with Father Brian were now in a back room of the Sanctuary. "First of all, there are some things I'll need to know, princess… specifically, everything YOU know about Agahnim, my uncle, and everything. He never told me what he was mixed up in, and I think I'm going to need to know."

"Fair enough." Zelda agreed. "Where to begin… you know of the legend, of course. The one about the Seven Sages and the Hero of Time banishing the Evil King to the Sacred Realm. In time, all of them died; however, their duties were taken up in part by their sons and daughters, and then in turn by THEIR sons and daughters. Time passed, and this tradition continued… the oldest member of each bloodline passed their duties on to the next when they died. This brings us to present day."

"Wait wait wait." Link raised a hand. "Hold it. You're telling me descendants from all the Sages are in Hyrule today. But the people who four of the Sages belonged to-the Kokiri, the Goron, the Sheikah and the Gerudo-all departed Hyrule long ago. The only ones left are the Hylians and the Zoras, and the latter are no better than mindless animals now."

"Nobody's sure how, but it seems the lines of all the Sages eventually became Hylian." Father Brian spread his hands helplessly. "Nobody except possibly the descendants themselves know, and it would be unimaginably rude to ask them."

"As my uncle once said, that's what country boys like me are for." Link chuckled. "But go on, Princess."

"Right. The methods of preparing their successor for their task varied among individuals… my father decided I should know about everything that was involved even before I succeeded him." Zelda explained. "Obviously, I am a descendant of the original Zelda, the Sage of Time… and as you now know, Link, both your uncle and you are descended from the Hero of Time. That is why I called upon your uncle for help… even when I was little, I knew him and what power he held. As I knew the other six."

"Sahasrala, Chief of Kakariko Village, is one of them." Link stated, and Zelda nodded.

"Yes. The other five, when I was born, were Aginah, Morris, Quincy, Thomas and Valenas. A few years back, however, Valenas died and was succeeded by her son… the youngest of the eight at that time. His name was Agahnim." Link's eyes widened. "Now you know how Agahnim was able to infiltrate the castle so easily… my father knew and trusted him. By the time we discovered that he had turned against us, it was too late. Agahnim controlled the castle."

"Those disappearances…" Father Brian mused. "Do we know what purpose they serve?"

"Got me." Link shrugged.

"I know about that…" Zelda's face darkened. "Somehow… he's been sending them to the Sacred Realm. The Golden Land. The Dark World."

"Ganon's domain?" Brian whispered.

"Ganon's prison." Zelda corrected. "The barrier of the Seven Sages keeps Ganon from returning to Hyrule… but Agahnim seems to think that sending all the descendants across will shatter it. For all I know, he may be right."

"So we REALLY need to keep you away from him…" Link mused. "Not just for self-interest, but because if he sends you over it's game over for Hyrule… and probably the rest of the world, too. So you should probably lay low here."

"Definitely." Father Brian agreed. "Nowhere else is safe for you, Princess… the Knights will be looking for you."

"I suppose…" Zelda sighed. "All right. But what will you be doing in the meantime, Link?"

"What else?" The hero's eyes flattened. "I'll look for a way to kill Agahnim. My uncle never stood a chance against him, so I can't beat him now… but I'll find a way. Somewhere in Hyrule, there has to be something I can use to win!"

"I don't know about that." Brian shook his head. "As the descendant of a sage, and a powerful sorcerer in his own right, Agahnim was already a force to be reckoned with… and now, his power is augmented even more by the evil he has allied himself with. I do not think there is any person in Hyrule stronger than him now… nor has their been for a long, long time. Ever since…" He fell silent, eyes widening.

"Ever since our ancestors fought with the Evil King." Zelda finished, staring at Link. "YOUR ancestor… the Hero of Time… defeated Ganon. And he did it using the only weapon in existence that could harm him… the Master Sword."

"The Master Sword…" Link murmured. The blade wielded by the Hero of Time remained, even now, the most mysterious aspect of the legend. Its forger, purpose, and the source of its power were all unknown. It had some connection to the Triforce of Power, and had been the final barrier in the original pathway to the Sacred Realm. When the original Link had pulled it from its resting place in the Temple of Time, he had then used it to great effect against the forces of darkness. Even Ganon himself could be defeated, and was, by the sacred blade. "But… where is it?"

"My father told me it was in the Lost Woods, to the northwest." Zelda shrugged. "That's all I know… but I'm guessing even if you find it, it won't be so easy to bring it back into the world again."

"I know." Link admitted. "But right now, it's the only lead we've got."

"There may be one other possibility." The priest disagreed. "Sahasrala… he may still remain uncaptured by Agahnim's forces. Somebody at Kakariko village should know where he is. If you meet with him, he may be able to help you."

"There is that." Zelda agreed. "He's held his position for many years… doubtless he knows more than I do. And he already knows you, right?"

"Oh yes." Link stood up. "It's a plan, then. You two stay here while I go check out the Master Sword and then search for Sahasrala." Zelda nodded, smiling slightly.

"Link… thank you. You've already done so much for me, and now…"

"I live in Hyrule too, princess… and I don't want it ruled by Agahnim any more than you do." Link smiled as well. "I'll be back."

"Better not go out straight through the garden…" Link muttered to himself as he closed the doors behind him. "I'll sneak around the outside." Finding a gap in the fence, he crept through and around to the road. It had been the right call; Link immediately spotted a Knight of the Purple patrolling past nonchalantly. Once he had passed, Link headed west towards the Village. The good news was that it was not a long walk; the bad news was that there were a pair of Green Knights lingering by the north gate, and there was no way to avoid them. "Man… they're out in force, all right. Good thing they're only greens… I've got no choice, then." Here, the Green Knights were carrying swords, but Link ambushed them from the side and cut them down easily. As he hid the bodies in the bushes nearby, the young warrior felt more eyes watching him, and he spun around to see… a chicken, curiously eyeing him. Unable to stop himself, he laughed, then continued south into the village. As soon as he entered, something caught his eye. "Hey, they've changed the signs…" The new boards had, in addition to their message, a fairly good drawing of his face.

WANTED: For kidnapping Princess Zelda. Call a soldier if you see him!

"Agahnim thinks fast, I'll give him that." Link shook his head. "Most of the people here won't buy into this… but a few of them will. I need to find out which ones…"

"Link, is that you?" A familiar voice asked, surprised. Turning, Link saw Miz Emma standing behind him, sweeping the pavement stones. "Don't worry, young man… I know that sign's not worth the wood used to make it. I still trust you and your uncle."

"Thank you." Link smiled. "But I'm guessing not everybody in the village feels the same way."

"Unfortunately…" Emma sighed. "First things first, you need to get out of sight. The soldiers are patrolling around here thicker than the coffee Burt drinks in the mornings." Her eyes darkened. "Your old hideout's no good… Sally and Jessica have let their fear control them. They've told the soldiers everything they know about you." Link closed his eyes; the two girls in question had both been friends of his growing up, and it wasn't pleasant to hear that they had given in.

"Any of the other kids?"

"We suspect Benny may be getting nervous, but we don't think he's actually gone over to them… yet." Emma sighed. "But old Burt and George… and Burt's son Mike, of course… are holding out. So is Harry the smith."

"All of those four have had family and friends go missing…" Link remembered.

"Exactly." Esma nodded. "Mike's own son, Simon, is probably just off wandering like Mike and Burt used to in their youth… something in the blood. But George's grandson, Larry… as well as Tom the smith and his daughter, Lucy… there's as yet no explanation for them going missing. "

"What about Mary?" Link inquired. "Is she the only one of the old gang still around who won't turn me in?"

"If by the old gang you mean all you scamps… I'm afraid so." Esma admitted. "But Mary's a good girl… come to think of it, she might know a place you can hide for now. Your house has already been ransacked, if I know the soldiers… oh, where's your Uncle?" Link didn't say a word; he simply hung his head and fell silent. "…Oh, no. Link… I'm so sorry."

"I'll explain it to everybody later…" Link promised. "Let's find someplace for me to stay… then tonight, have everybody you mentioned come there and I'll tell the story."

"All right…" Emma glanced down a street. "Hey, Mary! There you are! Mary, over here!"

"Eh?" Mary wandered over. "Hey, Miz Esma… and yo, Link!" She grinned. "Been a while!" A bookish girl who always wore huge glasses, Mary was nevertheless an excitable, outgoing young woman. "What are you doing out in daylight, crazy man? The soldiers'll spot you!"

"Believe me, I know." Link sighed. "I'm only here to try and find out some place to shack tonight where they won't conduct an impromptu search."

"Well, the hideout's no good, since Sal and Jess gave in…" Mary thought for a moment. "How about the old thieves' den?"

"Oh, the one the Black Eye gang used to meet in?" Emma sniffed. "Those rogues… it was a blessing for Hyrule when they all disappeared ten years ago."

"I hadn't thought of that." Link admitted. "I barely remember those guys…"

"They were a terror." Mary recalled. "Their leader was this guy named Blind… they called him that because he hated bright light. Back on the subject, the old den's been unoccupied since they left. I head down there whenever I want to read without anybody bothering me."

"Then that sounds like the perfect place." Link decided. "Get everybody who we can trust there tonight at ten… I've got one heck of a story for all of you." Mary nodded.

"Got it. What are you doing until then?"

"I've got something to find in the Lost Woods." Link frowned. "About that… do either of you know anything about the Master Sword?"

"Master Sword?" Mary frowned. "Just the usual legends…"

"Yes…" Emma's eyes grew distant. "A treasure from long ago, when Hyrule was even more prosperous than now, before the Evil King arose… the blade whose only purpose was to thwart evil." She blinked. "Link… is that what you're looking for in the forest?"

"You got it." Link nodded. "Obviously, I won't be able to pull it out… but I think it would be a good idea to at least see it."

"This must be one doozy of a story…" Mary shook her head. "Well, good luck to you. We'll see you tonight."

"Right." Link left the way he came, through the north gate, and immediately walked into the thick forest in front of him.

Some landmarks in Hyrule, such as Death Mountain and Lake Hylia, always remained constant… but others, such as the Lost Woods, shifted. Legend claimed that the original Lost Woods had been in the far east, between Lake Hylia and Zora's Domain, but that area was now a barren wasteland. A new forest had sprung up in the northwest, though, and that forest had adopted the name. As he entered the forest, Link frowned; there was a strange haze everywhere he looked. "Where'd this come from? Fog…? No, this can't be natural… it cuts off perfectly at the boundary between the forest and the village…"

"Hey, Link!" Two figures walking through the fog yelled as they approached. Link grabbed his sword, then relaxed as he saw who they were. It was only the Bumpkin Brothers, a pair of lumberjacks who lived near the woods.

"Hey, guys. Been a while." Link greeted them. "What's up with this haze?"

"No idea." One of the brothers shook his head. "Came in just last night… we have to be careful where we're going. Hope it clears up soon. Whatcha doing, anyways?" Link thought a moment, then decided to go for broke.

"I'm looking for the Master Sword… heard it's around here."

"The Master Sword?" The second brother whistled. "Whooee! Not many people know about THAT… well, if you already know it's here, there's no harm in you taking a look, I suppose. Go straight north of here, and look for a log tunnel. The grove of the Master Sword is on the other side."

"Just don't go in any other log tunnel you find." The first brother cautioned. "The one in the east leads into the hideout of the Bronze Hand thieves… they're not really that bad of guys, but you'll still lose your wallet if you just walk right in."

"Those punks are still hanging around? Sheesh…" Link sighed. "Well, thanks guys. See ya." Walking north, he soon began looking for the log tunnel… without much success. "Stupid haze… I can barely see two feet in front of me… huh?" He had almost tripped over something. It appeared to be a sword, embedded in a tile set in the forest loam. "The… Master Sword?" Grabbing the hilt, he easily pulled it out. "No, this can't be it…"

"All right, kid. Don't try anything." A voice behind him told him wearily. "That thing's wood, and it's as blunt as I am. I, on the other hand, have a very sharp metal knife, and I'm not a greedy man. I could be talked into settling for only a few Rupees."

"That a fact…" Link spun and hurled the useless fake sword at the man standing behind him, and when the thief grunted and deflected it from his head, Link drew his sword. "THIS sword, now… this sword is like your knife. Metal, and very sharp. And yes, I do know how do use it."

"…Ah." The thief nodded. "Then in that case, I don't think any payment is necessary after all." He grinned sheepishly. "Man… the brotherhood just hasn't been the same since Bronze Roger left."

"He was the boss?" Link guessed.

"Yeah…" The thief sighed. "And then one day he just decided he wanted to retire, and that was it. Ever since… it's been different, you know? Oh well, it's a living…" He glanced around. "Hey, check that out!" Link followed his gaze. On the ground, a squat, bulbous mushroom with a red cap was quietly twitching. "It's one of those magic mushrooms!" Link frowned.

"What, the ones that make you see dancing pink Dodongos?" The thief chuckled.

"Ha! No, no… I mean REAL magic. Some witch who lives over in the east comes here every couple of months to collect them."

"Huh…" Link shrugged and plucked the mushroom. "Well, what the heck. Maybe I'll find somebody who can use it."

"That's the ticket!" The thief grinned. "Well, I'm off. If I can't make any scores today, I might as well catch some dinner. See yas!" Within moments, he vanished into the trees. Slipping the mushroom into a pocket, Link continued on. Eventually, the young warrior finally found what he was looking for.

"Right, here's that log tunnel…" Walking through the hollowed-out wooden shaft, he emerged in a grove surrounded by trees even more tightly packed than the rest of the Lost Woods. They were practically walls; even small animals would find it nearly impossible to get through, and yet, as he walked forward squirrels and birds cleared out of his way. And then… he saw the pedestal, and the altar. It looked as if it had been taken directly from some cathedral or temple; a few stairs led up to a platform of marble, upon which the altar was perfectly centered. The front of it held three empty sockets; what they were supposed to hold, Link could not guess. Below them was a plaque, but the writing on it was bizarre… strange, unreadable symbols danced and curled across it. Shaking his head, Link looked instead to behind the altar, to the pedestal… and there it was. As a blade itself, its shape was nothing special; not particularly long nor broad. The hilt was painted blue, and bound with black leather. And yet… the leather had not rotted in all the time the sword had been here, and the crosspieces of the hilt were shaped like wings. The blade shone like silver, though it was obviously forged from far sturdier metals. And on the side of the blade, right where it met the hilt, was a mark… three golden triangles forming a pyramid, with an empty triangle at the center.

"The symbol of the Triforce…" Link realized. "This is it, then… the Master Sword. This… shall be Agahnim's doom." And then, again, as when he had met Zelda, he saw an image in his mind. Walking up to the altar, in a huge, empty temple… the sockets were there, but the plaque was different. But he did not read it, he had no time… instead, he placed… things… in the sockets. Three jewels… one green, one red, one blue… each the size of his fist, each beautiful beyond imagination… and then he played some musical instrument, and a door behind the altar opened. Walking past it, and through the door, he saw the sword… the Master Sword, embedded in the pedestal. Somebody was talking, but he could not hear the words… he only saw the sword, as he walked forward, and pulled it from the stone with a single motion. And then, everything was a blinding white light… and then Link saw a man's face. Dark-skinned, red-haired, smirking in triumph. Pride, greed, and wrath were etched on every line of the man's face, as he laughed… and then Link was back in the forest, staring at the sword, still embedded in the pedestal.

"Huh… what was up with that?" Link wondered. "This place is weird…" Shaking his head, he looked at the Master Sword again. Once, it had been the bane of evil… in his ancestor's hands, it had struck down Ganon. Now, though… now, it was motionless, silent… sleeping, even. No fallen leaves touched the pedestal and altar, there were no signs of animals… it was as if, for the Master Sword, time did not actually pass. It slept for now… but it was waiting. Waiting for the day in which it was needed again. "That need is now… and I'm not getting any closer to that by standing here." Link turned away and started to walk, then stopped and glanced back at the sword. "I can't take you yet… I don't know how. But one of these days… very soon… I will return. And you shall save Hyrule again."

"Hey, Link!" Mary called into the thieves' den. "Don't get excited, it's just us!"

"I'm down here!" Link hollered back from the lower level, where he was polishing his sword. A moment later, Mary and Emma came down the stairs, followed by two men. One of them was middle-aged and stout with a bristly black mustache, the other short and powerful, noticeable by his snowy white beard and arms like oak limbs. "Mary.. Miz Esma… Mike… Harry. Good to see you all… hey, where are your dad and George, Mike?"

"Those two? At this time of the night?" Mike chuckled. "Sleeping it off. They staggered back about an hour ago… got caught in the hedges again. I really should cut my lawn…" He shrugged. "Ah well. Good to see you're still doing all right."

"Miz Esma told us you had quite a story for us." Harry, one of the town's two blacksmiths, rumbled. "And that we'd find out about what's been happening in Hyrule recently… and why people have been disappearing."

"Yeah… I've got a story." Link set his blade aside. "I'm going to trust all of you, and tell you everything… I won't leave a single thing out. This means that some of this… a lot of it, really… may seem a bit far-fetched. Difficult to believe. But it's true, all the same." From there, he launched into his tale, beginning on the night before and going from there to the message he had received, the infiltration of Hyrule Castle, rescue of the Princess… and all the revelations about his heritage, the Sages and Agahnim. When he was done, all four were staring at him, wide-eyed.

"Link, if you WEREN'T making that up, you'd have one hell of an imagination." Mary admitted. "And it all fits… it all makes sense with what's been going on. Damn."
"What were the names of the current descendants of the Sages?" Harry's eyes were narrowed. Link thought back.

"Well, there's Sahasrala of course… Aginah… Morris… Thomas-" He broke off. "Hey, wait a second! Didn't your partner, Tom, and his daughter both vanish a couple weeks back?"

"You got it." Harry grunted. "A bit much to just be a coincidence, hm?"

"That was when Sahasrala and his daughter left town, too…" Emma recalled. "Now that we know Agahnim is only after the current titleholders and their daughters, it makes sense why Sahasrala left his grandson here…"

"What, Otto?" Link blinked. "He's eight now, right?"

"Correct… and he's likely the only one who knows where his grandfather is hiding out. Sahasrala asked me to take care of him…" Emma sighed. "Unfortunately, he's been depressed ever since his family left… with that and the cold he caught from the bad weather coming in off of Death Mountain, he refuses to see anybody but me, and he doesn't talk much even then."

"Well, we'll have to cheer him up, then." Mary decided. "Otto likes bugs… he's an insect nut. And I recall reading about a super-rare bee in a book once… the Gold Bee or God Bee or something…"

"Oh, you mean the Good Bee?" Mike inquired, surprising them all. "I know about THAT… supposedly the first bee ever made by the Goddesses. Blessed by their touch with incredible power and intelligence-well, for a bee, anyways. It lives in the Ice Cavern, near Lake Hylia."

"I forgot about your family trait…" Link chuckled. Mike, his father Burt, and all the patriarchal ancestors before had been possessed of an uncontrollable wanderlust when they were young, journeying off across Hyrule. It was assumed that Mike's own son, Simon, was currently continuing this tradition; his disappearance was the only one that hadn't caused worry. "Do you remember exactly how to get there?"

"Yup." Mike nodded. "Head south of the Castle, into the swamplands, down to the southern border, then turn east and head along Lake Hylia's shoreline. When you get to the southeast corner, turn north and you'll find the Cave."

"I'll go and get Otto's bug-catching net for you, Link." Emma promised.

"Thanks, guys." Link smiled. "All right then, I'll head there tomorrow."

"One more thing." Harry took a pack off his back and handed it to Link. "We all took our rainy day savings, and chipped in… bought you some gear from that traveling merchant who's been camping out in the town square." Inside were a pair of glass bottles; one was empty, the other filled with a red liquid medicine. There was also a hip pouch containing several spherical bombs, and a wallet with a couple hundred Rupees. Link blinked.

"Guys… I can't-"

"Yes, you can and you will." Harry grunted. "Take it. You're going to save Hyrule… this is the least we can do to help." The others nodded in agreement. "Now get some sleep. We'll get lost now so you can bunk down… but if you never need anything else, just come see us, you hear?"

"…Yeah." Link smiled. "Thanks, guys." They all shook his hand, and then they departed, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

"Come HERE, you-got ya!" Lunging at the Green Knight, Link caught him before he could vanish into the thick undergrowth of the wetlands again and disposed of him in one well-aimed slice. Another one destroyed the crossbow the Knight had been using. "Friggin' archers…" Down here, where there were plenty of places to hide and snipe, the Knights were equipped with crossbows and arrows. More than once, Link had come close to having his forehead decorated with feathers. "Sigh… all right, this looks like where I should turn east…" Looking in that direction, Link saw that the marsh gave way to normal dry ground. "Good." Heading there confirmed that he was indeed now south of Lake Hylia. There were no Knights here, but the Lake held its own threats. Zoras, hostile fish-men, would surface to glare at him before spewing a fireball and diving again, only to return once more a few moments later. And unlike the Knights, there was no way for Link to strike back; his sword could not reach them, and if he used his boomerang there was a fair chance he would lose it. Dodging the fireballs, Link grumpily continued around the Lake; first east, then north, until he came upon a solid cliff wall that extended to the west and turned to meet the lake. "So that's why I couldn't just come along the north side…" Shrugging, Link began searching the cliff, and soon discovered what he was looking for; a cavern mouth from which he felt an immense cold.

"Wish I'd brought a coat…" The young warrior muttered to himself as he walked inside, and it immediately grew four times as cold. "Geez… they didn't call this place the Ice Cave for nothing." Looking around, he saw a statue; it appeared to be some type of angel, with wings across its back and a serene expression. In one hand it held a rod of some sort; in the other, a bee. Most impressive of all was the statue's material; it looked as if it was carved entirely from ice, or possibly crystal. As Link gazed upon it, the bee in the statue's hand stirred, and then took flight, trailing icy blue sparkles. For a moment, Link thought it would sting him, but it simply circled his head, several times. Somehow, he got the feeling the bee was thinking about him. After a few seconds of this, the bee flew over to the rod in the statue's hand and sat on it.

"Huh…?" Link frowned. "Are you saying… I should do something with this?" The bee's wings twitched. "Well, okay…" Link reached up and grasped the rod. To his surprise, with a click it detached from the statue and came loose. "Whoa… cool." He examined it more closely. It was a simple, blue-and-white metal shaft, about a foot long. On one end, above some snowflake decorations, was a single, angular crystal of deep blue. "Huh… should I keep this?" The bee took off and buzzed around his head again. "Hm… well, okay. You sure are being helpful, aren't you…" He started to reach for his net, then paused. "I wonder…" Instead, he drew out his empty bottle and removed the cork lid. The Good Bee calmly flew down and settled inside the bottle, and Link replaced the lid. "Well, whatever works is cool. Let's get back to Kakariko Village, shall we?" The bee's wings twitched again as Link slipped the rod into his pack and set off.

"Did you get the Good Bee?" Emma asked as she answered the door of Sahasrala's house. Link nodded and showed her the bottle. "My, that's a pretty glow. Let's take it to him!" They walked up the stairs to a closed door. "Otto? You have a visitor!" After a moment, there was a sullen answer.

"Don't want one."

"He's got a present for you!" Emma persisted.

"Don't want that either." Otto said flatly. Link smiled.

"Not even a… sorry, THE… Good Bee?" There was a moment of shocked silence, and then the door was slammed open by a small boy with a mop of purple hair.

"You've gotta be kidding… let me see that!"
"Be my guest." Link opened the bottle, and Otto's eyes widened in awe as the Bee flew out.

"That blue glow… it IS the Good Bee!"

"It's yours, but don't go trying to pin it in a page or anything." Link cautioned. "It would NOT like that. Just take care of it, observe it for a while, and when you're done, Mister Mike next door can tell you where to return it to."

"All right!" Otto grinned. "Thanks… it's Link, isn't it?" His eyes grew cunning. "So… what do you want in return?"

"Sharp." Link smiled. "All right, I'll cut to the chase. I kind of need to see your grandfather… do you know where he is?" Otto's smile vanished.

"Why would I? The old man and my mom ran off and left me here."

"But he would have made sure somebody knew where he was." Link reasoned. "You're the only one who can help me here."

"Well…" Otto thought about it. "The whole point of hiding is so nobody can find you… but to be specific, he was hiding from the soldiers, and those jerks are looking for you too, I hear… so maybe you have a reason?"

"Yeah." Link nodded. "I need to ask him how to get the Master Sword… so I can kill Agahnim." Otto stared at him.

"Why didn't you say so in the first place? You have a map?"

"Right here." Link took it out. Grabbing a pen, Otto marked a large X on a spot in the barren lands east of Link's house.

"Right here… north of Lake Hylia. I've put the X on the exact spot… supposedly, there's a lot of old ruins in that area. He'll be in there somewhere."

"Got it." Link nodded. "Thanks, Otto… now I'm one step closer." Saying goodbye to Emma as well, Link spent the night in the thieves' hideout, then headed east, dropping by his house on the way. As he had expected, there were several Knights in the vicinity, whom Link removed on general principle before heading on, crossing the Hylian River into the barrens. "Now then… how do I get to these ruins…" Looking around, he saw something to the north; a hut that appeared to be built out of a dead tree trunk, still standing. "Aha… somebody might live there." This turned out to be true; an old woman wearing black was sitting outside, briskly stirring a cauldron.

"Greetings, young man… come for some of my medicines, have you?" She sniffed the air. "Wait… that aroma… do you have a Magic Mushroom?"

"Yeah…" Link took it out. "Would you happen to be the one the Bronze Hand thieves said comes to the Lost Woods looking for these?"

"That I would, that I would." She grinned at him. "These babies can be used to make some powerful transforming powder. Just sprinkle it on something… or someBODY… that's bothering you, and poof!"

"Poof what?" Link raised an eyebrow.

"You can see for yourself, if you like." She offered. "I'll mix that thing up for you, no charge. All I ask is that you take a look at my other wares."

"All right." Link handed her the mushroom and opened the hut's door. A much younger woman in a hooded robe was sitting next to a shelf full of cauldrons in different colors… red, green and blue.

"Aah… a customer?"

"Just browsing right now." Link admitted. "Might come back later, though…" He examined the red pot and brought out the bottle of medicine given to him by the Villagers. "Hey, I think this is the same stuff…"

"It seems to be… a gift from a friend?" The witch's assistant guessed. "Red medicine restores health and energy… you may try a sample, if you like." Dipping out a spoonful, she offered it to him. Link eyed it, then shrugged.

"What the heck." It actually didn't taste bad at all, contrary to his expectations; somewhat fruity, though he couldn't place it exactly. As he downed it, the slight weariness he had felt from his hike faded away. "Huh… that's pretty good stuff… eh?" He glanced down at his hand, where he had taken a hit from one of the native Octorocks; land-crawling mollusks who spewed stones at high velocity. The wound was actually closing before his eyes, and in moments it was gone. "Wow… this IS good stuff. What do the others do?"

"The green potion restores magic." The assistant explained. Link shook his head.

"Not much use for me, then… I don't have any."

"Everybody has it… it's just that most don't know it, and have no way to access it." The assistant chuckled. "Even if you know no spells… in time, you may find artifacts you can use to channel your power, and perhaps you will be interested in the green potion then."

"Perhaps." Link shrugged. "And the blue?"

"The blue restores both health and magic… but since you do not use magic now, the red would be cheaper. When you want to buy some, anyways." The assistant looked outside. "I do believe Syrup has finished your magic powder. Come back some time, hm?"

"Sounds like a good idea." Link nodded. Walking outside, he saw that the witch was indeed holding a brown pouch.

"Here you are… just a pinch will do."

"Right." Link pocketed it. "By the way… could you tell me how to access the old ruins around here?"

"Ah… go south until you reach the Lake, then east, and then north to the ruins." Syrup explained.

"Thanks… good luck to both of you." Link followed her instructions to the letter, and at the end of them, found himself staring up at a series of natural shelves protruding from the high cliffs of the area. They were practically a maze, and they were spotted with crumbling arches, stairways and statues. These last, most of all, caught Link's attention; there were several types, but the most common were vaguely humanoid. They had no arms or legs, but a shield and sword were attached to each nonetheless, and their heads were horned helmets. Link tapped one with his sword, and with a rumble, the stone statue sprang to life. "YAH!" He swung at it as it hopped towards it, and after several powerful blows, managed to slice the statue in half. "Yeesh… some kind of guardians? Gotta be careful…" Taking out his map, he walked to the area of the ruins where Otto had drawn the X, noting as he went that the statues sprang to life whenever he got too close. Fortunately, there were no soldiers. On the X, the young warrior found a small, ancient building; it was amazing that it had survived this long.

"What!" An old man whirled around as Link entered. He was completely bald, but his lean face was hidden by a long white beard. He wore robes of a sunny yellow, with a strange insignia on them that attempted to depict rays of sunlight. Inside Link's head, another memory was triggered… of another old man, one he had never seen. This man was much stouter, and wore brown robes with the emblem of the Triforce on them. He was bald as well mostly, but his white hair was bound in a ponytail in the back; he had no beard, covering his face with a thick handlebar mustache instead. And then the memory was gone, leaving Link wondering about what was happening, and Sahasrala's eyes widening with recognition. "Here now… you're… you're Albert's nephew, Link, aren't you?" Link composed himself.

"That's correct. And you… are Sahasrala. Chief of Kakariko Village… descendant of the Sage of Light."