Hey, people! I know, I know – it's been forever. I don't have an excuse. Deal with it. I have writer's block, pure and simple. You have a problem with it? Too bad. And I intend on seeing this story through until the end, so there WILL be updates in the future! I promise!
On a friendlier note, thank you to all of those that reviewed last chapter. I hope you all like this one as well!
Lost in Time, Identity and Destiny
Chapter 41
This is all wet!
"Wow." Zelda said under her breath that evening, sneaking through the Castle Courtyard on their way out from visiting the Princess, "That was weird."
"Shhh!" Link said hastily, pulling her behind a hedge to escape being seen, "You'll get us found!" Zel rolled her eyes.
"At the rate you two are going we'll be lucky to get out of here by dusk." She complained. Her patience was wearing thin.
"Shhh!" Link hissed again as he climbed over a small wooden structure. Zel huffed and followed. Zelda eyed the construction warily. She didn't trust it. She hesitated for too long.
"Halt!" A guard rounded the corner, "Seize her!" Zelda suddenly found her arms bound and she was gagged. She immediately thought of Zel and Linn when they were thrown in prison back home.
"Throw her into the dungeons. She may be a Gerudo spy." Zelda heard a voice say. She was thrown over a guard's back and carted off inside. She tried to scream and fight against them, but there were at least two or three men there that were all twice her size.
"We'll deal with you later." One of them spat at her face. Another cut her bindings. Since she was going to be in prison, there was no need to keep her bound up. Zelda wiped the spit off as soon as her hands were free.
She couldn't help but wonder what these men would think in the future when she woke them from their stone slumber. For they did not look much older than herself – only eighteen.
Zelda sat in the darkness for hours, terrified. She tried to block out the shallow breathing down the hallway, the scratch and squeak of keys as the guards opened up cells, the muffled thumps as they threw prisoners in, the groaning as they bodily lifted a prisoner out of the cell, or the barking of orders from the warden.
"Psst!" A voice came from the darkness, "What's a pretty little thing like you doing locked up in this dark place? Finally give me the woman I've been asking for, have they?" Zelda turned around and screamed.
PRESENT HYRULE"We have a choice." Link sat Linn down later, "Only one of us can go to the Water Temple."
"I know." Linn nodded, "But which one? I mean, I know this isn't my Hyrule, but I'd gladly do it." Link looked to Navi, who had recently appeared and told them about Zelda and Zel being in the past.
"No." Link shook his head, "This is my task. There's something I want you to check for me."
ANCIENT HYRULE"Argh!" Zel yelled once they were safely outside of the Castle grounds and hidden in the back alleys, "I cannot believe she got caught!"
"Calm down." Link opened one eye to look at her. Even as a child he was well disciplined. His expression gave away nothing. Zel, on the other hand, was frantic.
"Calm down?" She screeched, "Calm down? How can you say that?"
"Because it requires calm thinking to plan a rescue." Link sighed, "If you rush into things too quickly you will end up getting hurt. Or killed. Either way you won't be of much use to Zelda. We're doing her better by just waiting here." Zel groaned and slid down the wall. He was right, and she was furious about it.
"So what do you propose we do?" She asked impatiently.
"We wait until they take her to trial. No. Listen." He held up a hand at her outraged face, "That's the time when security around the cells will be at its weakest. They'll all be worried about the King, so all the security will be around him. So it'll be easier to break in and sneak her out." Zel freaked out. Who knew how long it would take?
"It will take a week." Link said immediately at the sight of her face, looking out towards the moonrise, "It happens every full moon. It's easier this way, Zel. Remember, I look but a child, but I am really a man in a child's body. I know things."
Zel snorted, barely containing her laughter. The little boy, who could have easily passed for a girl, looked nothing like the child she had imagined. She had pictured a strapping young bloke who had hard features and a strong chin. Not this little pansy boy.
"Sure." She snickered, despite the situation, "Sure. Fine we'll wait a week. But what do we do in the meantime?"
"I need to stock up." Link rummaged behind his shield for a small backpack, "I'm out of Deku Nuts and Deku Seeds. I suppose we head to the Forest. We'll be back here in five days. Then we might as well stay in Kakariko Village until the trials. Then we can sneak into the Castle as citizens. We'll pretend you're my mother or something." Zel opened her mouth to protest.
"We'll think of the finer details later. Just come on. I want to get to the ranch by sunrise. I have business." Zel huffed and followed him along the dirt road. It was times like this when she had to remind herself she was a Princess, and not a common traveller.
PRESENT HYRULELinn snuck through the Moblin-ridden Market-Town. Navi had long since hidden in the folds of his clothes, in a desperate bid not to be seen. Linn looked towards his final destination – the Temple of Time.
He loaded his Grappling Hook, and threw it up to the roof of one of the nearby buildings. Making sure it was secure, he scaled the vertical wall to emerge on the roof. He then snuck from rooftop to rooftop, until he came to the gates of the Temple.
When he climbed down, he realised that there were two Stalfos guarding the door. He inwardly groaned, and tried not to wake them as he passed them. Once he was safely inside, he closed and barricaded the doors with a large plank of wood that was used by the Royalty for just such occasions.
"Up there." Navi indicated the open portal, "That's it there. It will take you to wherever you want it too." Linn nodded.
"Hold on tight, Navi." He muttered, taking a running leap at the portal. When he passed through it, it was as if it had never happened. The only difference was that it was sunset, and there was no portal on this side. Linn cursed.
"How are we supposed to get back?" He asked testily. Navi's glow faltered.
"We have to complete the same mission that Zelda and Zel do." She muttered. Linn sighed, and headed out of the Temple. He was lucky that the clothing he was wearing fitted in so well with the times. No one gave him a second look as he passed through the streets while people were heading home.
He saw unusual movement out of the corner of his eye. He instructed Navi to hide, and followed the two people, a woman and a child, exit the town through the back alleys.
"Argh! I cannot believe she got caught!" Linn knew that voice. He didn't want them to know he was there, though, so he stayed hidden. Maybe he might learn a thing or two along the way.
"Calm down." The child had his back to Linn, but there was something familiar about him.
"Calm down? Calm down? How can you say that?"
"Because it requires calm thinking to plan a rescue." The child was smart, Linn thought wryly, "If you rush into things too quickly you will end up getting hurt. Or killed. Either way you won't be of much use to Zelda. We're doing her better by just waiting here." Zelda? Linn's ears perked up.
"So what do you propose we do?" She asked impatiently.
"We wait until they take her to trial. No. Listen." The child held up a hand at her outraged face, "That's the time when security around the cells will be at it's weakest. They'll all be worried about the King, so all the security will be around him. So it'll be easier to break in and sneak her out." Linn could tell Zel was freaking out.
"It will take a week. It happens every full moon. It's easier this way, Zel. Remember, I look but a child, but I am really a man in a child's body. I know things." Linn raised an eyebrow. Geez, this kid was full of it, wasn't he? Zel snorted, barely containing her laughter. Even Linn was having a hard time.
"Sure." She snickered, despite the situation, "Sure. Fine we'll wait a week. But what do we do in the meantime?"
"I need to stock up." The child pulled out a small backpack from behind his over-large shield, "I'm out of Deku Nuts and Deku Seeds. I suppose we head to the Forest. We'll be back here in five days. Then we might as well stay in Kakariko Village until the trials. Then we can sneak into the Castle as citizens. We'll pretend you're my mother or something." Zel opened her mouth to protest.
"We'll think of the finer details later. Just come on. I want to get to the ranch by sunrise. I have business." Zel huffed and followed him along the dirt road. It was now that Linn chose to make his appearance.
"Zel!" He called out, emerging from the shadows, "Forgotten about me already?" She gasped and spun around.
PRESENT HYRULELink aimed the hookshot at the top of the entrance to the Water Temple. Sharply compressing and releasing the chain, he let it spring towards the switch. It hit with a ching and opened slowly, letting some of the water rush in.
Link dragged his heavy feet into the Temple, and braced himself. Who knew what was waiting for him inside? He closed his eyes as he removed his Iron Boots and floated to the surface of the water.
He opened his eyes after a few moments. The room was empty, save for the remains of the ancient Tektikes that were scattered about. He dragged himself out of the water and onto the platform. Going to the edge, he looked downwards.
The water was too deep and too murky to see clearly all the way to the bottom. He thought he saw a flurry of movement about halfway down, but he couldn't be sure. He didn't want to take his chances in the water, but there was no other choice. He'd have to swim across to get to the centre.
Steeling his courage, he jumped into the water. It was freezing cold. He had barely adjusted to its temperature before he climbed out again on the centre platform. Shaking his head to rid himself of most of the water, he rounded the corner. There was a door there.
He tried to open it. Nothing. It was locked. Link studied the lock on the door. It was amazing that it hadn't rusted. He sighed, and moved on. There had to be an open door around here somewhere.
He came to the next corner, and turned. Across the water, there seemed to be a pillar that the hookshot might attach to. He aimed and fired it, but it wasn't long enough. It made it about three quarters of the way, before stopping and coming back. Link huffed and searched the rest of the room that was above water. There was no choice but to sink into the murky depths, where he was certain only his hookshot would work. If it didn't he was a goner.
Yay! Done! I hope you all enjoyed it and I promise that there will be future updates – though there's no guarantee on how soon it will be.
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