Author's Note: Due to my computer needing maintenance, I'm afraid that I will be out of commission from Monday to sometime on Tuesday, possibly longer (but hopefully not). I'm sorry, everyone. I promise that I will try to update as soon as I can. In the meantime, please review! Thank you to all those that have reviewed so far! I hope to get more input from you! Thanks for understanding!
CHAPTER FOUR: DISCOVERY
The sun was blazing, and the sands only amplified the effects of the sun as Link trekked across them, a white cloak and hood over his regular clothes, to shield him from the sun.
It was mid-day, and he still hadn't found the Dindar Dries. He'd left Hyrule Castle at early morning, using the Requiem of Spirit, the song that brought him to the Desert Colossus, as a short-cut, and had gone from there.
It had been hours, and Link was parched. Then, as if in answer to his unspoken prayers, he saw a single palm tree in the distance, with a pool of water at its base: an oasis. With renewed energy, Link rushed to the oasis, knelt at the pool's edge, and took quite a few large handfuls of the sweet water, quenching his thirst.
He happened to look up as he drank...and saw the outlines of mighty rock formations in the distance, the sand turning to pebbles.
The Dindar Dries.
After drinking his fill and filling his canteen with the precious liquid, Link headed for the Dries. Before long, he'd reached them, walking into the vast canyons of the Dries. As he walked, he got the distinct impression that he was the only living person in the entire Dries; he was, save for Navi, all alone.
Finally, he came to the end of the canyon, and there, carved into the rock, was the front of a magnificent temple: the Earth Sanctum. Walking towards it, Link headed inside.
Inside the Sanctum, Link removed his cloak, folding it up and putting it away, no longer needing it. The interior of the Sanctum was made of the same golden-brown rock as the rest of the Dries, and it was very dark inside, numerous rock columns holding up the roof, the darkness illuminated by only a few torches. Cautiously, Link headed through the next door; he'd have to be careful.
The next room was completely empty; nothing was there, including the next door. He was about to turn back when the door sealed shut behind him! Then, sand began to flood into the room at an incredible rate; it would be flooded in mere minutes! Looking for a way out, Link saw a Grapple-Hook point descend from a hole in the ceiling. Taking a chance, Link threw his Grapple Hook at it, catching it, and then leaping off, swinging back and forth. His weight triggered some switch, and he felt the grapple-point begin to rise to the next floor, taking him to safety. Link quickly climbed up his rope, but the grapple-point was going too slow; at this rate, he'd be buried before he escaped. 'It's too slow!' Link thought. 'It has to go...FASTER!'
His desperate thought kindled some unknown power in himself; his hands glowed silver, and the silver energy flowed up to the grapple-point from him, energizing it and pulling him to safety at lightning speed. Soon, he was on the next level, the path behind him safely sealed, as Link leapt to the floor, releasing his Hook and putting it away.
"Wow!" Navi exclaimed, darting out of Link's cap. "Link...not only do you have elemental magic powers, but...you have Time Magic!"
"What's Time Magic?" Link asked.
"You can manipulate the flow of Time itself!" Navi exclaimed. "You just used the spell 'Speed-Up', which makes time go faster for what the spell is being cast upon. I bet you're capable of using the Slow-Down spell, and even the Stop spell! You'll probably learn even more as you go on!"
Navi's words amazed Link, as he looked at his hands, now more aware of the power of the magic he wielded. "I'll have to be careful with this." he murmured. Then, he kept going, deeper into the Sanctum.
The next room was an uphill incline, with a pit ahead of Link. Link was about to jump across the pit, when he heard a rumbling...and saw an enormous boulder roll down the incline into the pit. A few seconds later, another boulder followed, and another after a few more seconds, creating a clear timing pattern. Looking up the incline, Link saw indentations in the wall...and got an idea. He focused his energy, and, just as the last boulder fell in the pit, he yelled, "Slow-Down!"
The entire room took on a light-gold tint, save for himself and Navi, and the boulder slowed considerably, giving him ten times the amount of time he'd had before. Link leapt across the gap and sprinted up the incline, darting into the first indentation just as the magic wore off, and the boulder rolled by. When the next boulder passed, Link used Slow-Down again, and made his way to the next indentation. When another boulder passed, Link Slowed it once more, letting him get to the top of the incline, beyond the start of the boulder's path. When the magic faded, Link entered the next room.
The next chamber was a vast circular pit, with a single metal pillar at its center, with many platforms on metal poles orbiting it. After observing them, Link realized that, every so often, for a fraction of a second, the platforms formed a path to the other side. Getting another idea, Link focused, waited for the perfect moment, and yelled, "Stop!"
The golden tint returned, as all the platforms lined up into a path and freezing there, as time stopped. Link quickly made his way across, leaping from one platform to the next, reaching the other side just as the natural flow of time resumed. Continuing on, he hurried up another incline, and came out into the light of day.
Link now stood on top of the canyon, in the sandy soil of the Dries. A few feet away was a ceremonial altar, with a glowing sphere of brown-gold light – the Earth Essence! Link hurried forward to claim it...when the earth began to shake, and the altar sank into the sand, taking the Essence with it. Then, all of a sudden, a huge, worm-like creature, over a hundred feet long, with skin thicker than plate armor, and a mouth full of rows of razor-teeth, large enough to swallow Hyrule Castle whole, and still be hungry, breached from the sand, then diving beneath the sand again. "Link, that was a Giant Moldorm, the Supreme Predator of the Desert!" Navi cried. "This must be part of its territory! They're thought to be...extinct!"
"Well, it looked real to me." Link said.
"We have to keep still and quiet!" Navi squeaked softly. "Any excess noise and it'll come right up under us! We have to wait until it comes up to circle; when it does, go for the tip of its tail! That's its weak point! A few good hits should scare it away!"
Link nodded, and then kept very still. Sure enough, after a few minutes, the Moldorm rose, circling, sifting and tasting the sand in its enormous mouth. "Speed-Up!" Link declared, using his magic on himself, then darting at super-speed towards the worm's vulnerable tail, blade drawn. The Moldorm couldn't turn in time; one hit would send it running...
Suddenly, Link stopped; he'd felt more vibrations, smaller ones. Then, with tiny, bleating, mewling cries, three smaller worms, with much thinner hides, and no teeth at all, burst from the sand – Baby Moldorms.
On hearing the cries of the Baby Moldorms, the Giant Moldorm rose up, bending back to rear above Link menacingly, roaring angrily, ready to defend the Babies with its life.
Link understood; he put the Master Sword away. "Link, what are you doing!" Navi cried.
"Navi...the Moldorm isn't evil." Link said softly. "She's a mother, those are her babies, and this is her home. She's just protecting her young; to her, we're the intruders." To the Moldorm, he said, "I'm sorry. I'm not here to hurt you or your babies. I just need the Essence; after that, I will leave you in peace."
At that, the Moldorm stopped roaring, and the Babies ceased their cries, as if they'd all understood. Then, the Giant Moldorm reached to its full, towering height, as if reaching to the clouds...and began to sing, the notes of its song-call clear, echoing of the deep desert and all its mystery, and of promises made and honored long ago.
"I...I don't believe it..." Navi murmured.
"What is it?" Link asked.
"The Gerudo told tales of the Moldorm, the creature they called Shai-Hulud, and the Great Lord of the Desert. The legends say that the Moldorm is sentient." Navi said. "Before settling in Gerudo Valley, the Gerudo lived out here. As legend goes, one Gerudo warrior rescued a Baby Moldorm stranded on the bedrock and returned it to its mother. The mother then...sounded a call, which the Gerudo learned to imitate. When they sounded it, the Giant Moldorms came to them, and allowed the Gerudo to ride on their backs, and led them to their new homeland – Gerudo Valley. The Gerudo, from then on, revered the Moldorms in their legends." Navi paused. "Link...that sound...the one the Moldorm is making...it must be their ancestral song-call, the one the Gerudo called...Sonnet to the Shai-Hulud."
Link was amazed...and honored that this ancient creature was teaching him her song-call. Quickly, he took out the deep blue Ocarina of Time, and imitated that song, carving each note into his memory, learning the Sonnet to the Shai-Hulud.
Once Link finished, the Moldorm went silent, and then uttered several long, deep, unintelligible noises – that unbelievably ancient language that the Moldorms spoke – and then turned and dove beneath the sand, the Babies mewling happily before following their mother.
Link had expected an enemy, but had found a friend, instead. He would never forget that song.
Once the Moldorm had left, the altar and the Essence rose back into view. Walking over to the altar, Link took the Earth Essence, putting it away. As he did, he heard Rauru's telepathic voice echo in his mind. 'Link! There is an emergency at Hyrule Castle!' Rauru called. 'Somehow, Moblin raiders have gotten through the Castle defenses! The Castle is under attack! Hurry back!' At once, Link took out the Ocarina of Time and played the Prelude of Light; the familiar golden aura engulfed him, taking him to the Temple of Time.
Once the magical warp had dropped him at the cathedral-like Temple, Link raced out of the Temple, towards Hyrule Castle, his Time Magic-boosted speed getting him there all the quicker. Racing into the Castle, he found the throne room swarmed with Moblins; the Knights were over-run, and the King and Zelda behind the line that the Knights had formed, the line that was weakening...
Re-casting his Speed-Up spell, Link drew the Master Sword and leapt into battle, darting from one foe to the next, stopping only to strike down a Moblin. In seconds, more than half the Moblins were gone...then only ten remained. One-by-one, Link picked them off: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine...and then his speed wore off, but he could handle one Moblin.
Speaking of which where was the straggler?
"Link, watch out! He's behind you!" Navi cried. Turning, Link saw the last Moblin leap at him with its club. Link readied a defense; this would be close...
"LINK!"
A sudden blast of silver-and-blue magical energy blasted the Moblin to nothingness at the very moment that Zelda screamed. Link's eyes darted around, trying to find the wielder of the magic...and froze when he saw a matching silver-and-blue glow on Zelda's extended hands.
Zelda dropped to her knees, staring at her hands as the glow slowly faded. "L-Link?" she cried. "H-How did I do that?!"
"I...don't know." Link murmured. He wished he could have eased her fears, but he could scarcely remove his own worries. Magical power strong enough to stop a Moblin in one blast was quite strong, indeed; Link had no idea what that power could do to Zelda, or even what it was.
"W-What's happening to me?!" Zelda cried, her teary gaze turning to her father. "D-Daddy?" she sniffed, pleading for answers.
It was then that Link saw the haunted expression on the King's face. "Knights!" the King suddenly ordered. "Out! Now! You're sworn to silence, all of you!" Obediently, the Knights left. To Zelda, he said, in a softer voice, "I have been both dreading and hoping for this day to come."
"What do you mean?" Zelda cried. "Daddy, what's happening to me?!" The frantic tone of her voice nearly broke Link's heart.
"Zelda, sweetheart...it's time for you to learn the truth about your mother." the King said. "In a sense, I told the truth about her; she was royalty, but not Hylian royalty. You see, Zelda, your mother, Alara...was the youngest daughter of Epheremelda, the Fairy Queen."
"But...but...that would make her..." Zelda stammered.
"...a Fairy princess." the King finished. "And she was, Zelda. And, as her daughter, you have inherited her powers."
"But...but...that can't be!" Zelda cried, confused. "I've never used any magic before now!"
"Yes, you have, sweetie. Don't you remember?" the King continued. "When you were little, do you recall all those vases breaking, all those suits of armor always falling over?"
"Y-Yes." Zelda replied.
"Sweetheart, that was you!" the King exclaimed. "It was your wonderful magic that did all that, but for some reason, every time you used your powers, you forgot, until today!"
Now Zelda was really upset, and it broke Link's heart to see her that way. She had no idea of who she really was, anymore...and he knew how that could feel. "Why...why didn't you tell me?!" she cried. "Were you ashamed of me?! Did you think something was wrong with me?!"
"Oh, no, Zelda!" the King exclaimed. "Please, just let me explain..."
But Zelda wanted to hear no more; she ran from the throne room before anyone could stop her, her face buried in her hands, crying.
After Zelda had fled, the King buried his head in his hand. "Oh, I made a mess of that, didn't I?" he moaned. "Why, oh why didn't I tell her before?"
"I don't know, Sire." Link answered. "Why didn't you?"
"I made a promise...to my wife, Zelda's mother." the King replied. "Just after giving birth to Zelda, Alara made me swear not to tell Zelda of her powers until she was old enough to use them. I agreed...and then, Alara perished."
"I see." Link said.
"I never meant to cause her any pain..." the King continued. "Zelda is more precious to me than anything." To Link, he added, imploringly, "Please, Link...go find her. Tell her how much I love her."
"No, Sire." Link said. "With all due respect."
The King looked shocked. "'No'?" he repeated.
"I will find her." Link explained. "But she needs to hear that from you. Every child, regardless of age, needs to know that their parents love them; Zelda needs to hear you say that you love her." His expression and voice turned sad. "Take that from a child who never heard his parents' voices at all." he said softly.
Slowly, the King smiled. "Lad...you are wise beyond your years." he said. "Very well. Please...bring Zelda back." Nodding, Link went to find Zelda, knowing exactly where to look.
Before long, Link had reached their secret place; sure enough, Zelda was there, in their garden, under the tree, lying face-down, crying. Slowly, Link sat down next to her. "Hi." he said softly. "Are you...okay?"
"Why didn't he tell me?!" Zelda wailed. "Was he ashamed of me?! Did he want a normal daughter as his heir?!"
"Zel, you know that isn't true." Link said.
"Did he think I was...weird?!" Zelda cried, sitting upright, tears flowing from her crystal eyes. "I don't even know what I am, anymore, Link! Does he think I'm a...a freak?!"
Link firmly took her by the shoulders. "Zelda, stop it." he ordered. "No-one thinks you're a freak. I sure don't, and neither does your father! Your father loves you more than anything, Zel! You're the center of his universe! And as for me...I have always thought that you're the most special, wonderful woman in the world...and I haven't heard anything to make me change my mind."
Zelda turned to Link, her tears slowing. "Link, I'm...I'm so scared." she sniffed. "I mean...what if something...is wrong with me? What if these...these powers are dangerous? What if I hurt someone..?"
"It'll be okay, Zelda." Link assured her, gently taking her in his arms. Slowly, he helped her to her feet. "Come on; your father wants to talk to you." Then, he helped her walk to the throne room.
When they got there, the King rose from his throne. "Zelda, I'm so sorry..." he began.
Zelda held up her hand to stop him. "Link," she said, "could you leave me and my father alone for a minute?"
"Of course, Zel." Link replied. "I'll be right out here if you need me." Then, after giving her a loving kiss on the cheek, Link left the throne room, closing the doors behind him.
He hoped she'd be okay.
Once Link left, Zelda took a deep breath; she already missed Link's reassuring presence, his comforting embrace, his soothing smile. She felt weak without him...but, for her own sake, she had to do this herself, alone. "Father," she said, trying to keep her voice steady, "tell me the truth: were you ashamed of what I could do?"
"Oh, no, sweetheart! I was never ashamed!" her father exclaimed. "Every time I saw you use your magic, it made me so happy ; I was overjoyed at how easily you used your mother's gift to you, how natural you made it seem! I wanted so much to tell you how special you really were, but, on her deathbed, your mother made me promise not to tell you of your powers, not until you were old enough to truly realize that you were using magic."
"But...why would she want you to do that?" Zelda asked. "What...am I?"
"Oh, sweetie, I wish I could answer you." her father sighed. "But I truly don't have any answers."
Now Zelda felt utterly dismayed; her heritage was as obscure as before.
"However," her father continued, "your mother knew that this day would come, when you would inquire about your heritage, and your powers...so she left something behind."
"What!" Zelda exclaimed, hope returning. "What is it? Where did she leave it?"
"If only I knew!" her father sighed. "What I do know is that she left it somewhere in this Castle, in the last few weeks of her pregnancy with you, when she could still move about fairly easily. She told me of its existence, just before she died...that it would answer any questions you had about your heritage. She wanted you to find it, Zelda, when you were ready."
Slowly, Zelda nodded. "Oh, Daddy..." she sniffed, embracing her father, "...I'm sorry I got upset..."
"Sweetheart, you have nothing to be sorry about." her father assured her, hugging her. "I'm the one who's sorry, for keeping that from you for all this time."
Upon hearing all that, Zelda felt better. Now she knew that the answers she needed were near.
All she had to do was find them.