A/N: Sorry I didn't get this up as soon as I had first stated that I would, but school is cray with my new courses and I pulled days of over time and double shifts so I had no time to write it up, that and I only have the laptop until 10:30 pm during the week since my comp is still broken. I want to thank all of you who have been reviewing, and a speacial thanks to ZombieDragon for telling me what you though, I will do as you asked :) I promise there will be some romance in the next chapter. And for any of you who asked me to look at something, I will as soon as I find time. And I will be having side things between dungeons, and this is the first one, hope you like it.
"Miss….miss? Hey wake up miss."
Misty groaned some as she opened her eyes, only to be greeted by the sight of two orange haired Kokiri kids. Blinking some she sat up in bed, the blanket Link had placed over her the night before falling partially off. Misty looked down at the sheet and smiled, fiddling with the corner before the two girls started up again.
"It's almost morning Miss, we have gifts for you. Please come with us for a relaxing morning, this is how we want to thank you for all you have done for us." They grabbed both of Misty's wrists, one on each side, and lightly tugged at her.
Stumbling out of bed, Misty looked around the room one last time before she was pulled outside. Stopping at the ladder as she waited for the first girl to climb down, she looked to the side and spotted Link, a smile appearing on her face again as she looked at him.
He was sprawled out on the ground, arms out to either side of him. His white shirt was grubby, as were his white pants. His hair was ruffled and sticking out at odd angles, and there were smudges of dirt and blood on his face. Navi who looked as perfect as ever was fast asleep on his chest.
As Misty climbed down the ladder she had to wonder exactly how bad she looked after seeing Link. Once she reached the ground, the two girls grabbed her hands again and pulled her up the small incline in front of Link's house. Pulling her along the path, they climbed up towards the Lost Forest. Losing herself again, Misty could only hope that they did actually like her and weren't going to leave her there to fend for herself.
They walked for a couple minutes when the log openings of the Lost Forest ceased, and they began to walk among large, thick trunk trees. Looking around Misty gave a small smile, watching the small lines of lights dance around the trees, and the different colored fairies that floated here and there. The twin orange haired girls looked back at Misty and giggled, taking and pulling her hands again. Misty's smile brightened, following after them as they walked around one very wide tree. What greeted her eyes around the turn made her jaw drop, and for once she was glad that she had been pulled into Hyrule.
Stretched out before her was a large opening in the trees, the whole ground covered in different colored pansies. In the center of the clearing was a large body of water with rocks spotting it here and there. There was one particularly large set of rocks in the dead center, and water fell from them as if it were a fountain. Even in the early morning dark, Misty could see the steam coming from the spring.
"Miss Navi made arrangements for us to take you here in order to thank you for all that you've done for us and the forest in general." One of the girls began, and then the second one chirped in. "We thought a relaxing morning in the hot springs watching the sun rise would be nice."
Misty stood there in a stunned silence before she walked towards the hot springs. Looking around she crouched down and dipped her hand in the water, the warmth of it making her relax some almost instantly. Standing up and turning to face the girls, Misty gave a bright smile.
"Thank you so much."
"It is our pleasure." The twins said in unison, and then the one on the right continued. "Please sit back and enjoy yourself, there are some scented oils on the rock ledge that you are free to use." Both gave one last smile and then they were gone.
Misty looked around at the slowly brightening forest around her for a couple more minutes before she quickly stripped off her damaged and dirty clothing and slipped into the water. Making her way out to the center pile of rocks, she looked at the assortment of different colored vials, opening each and smelling them. Once she found one that she liked, she submerged her head into the water, and once she resurfaced, set to work at cleaning herself up.
As soon as she was all clean, she sat in the hot springs with the water up to her neck, leaving her muscles relax fully as she watched the sun rise. Once the sun was up and the sounds of the birds' morning songs rang through the forest, Misty finally pulled herself out of the water and wrapped the towel that had been provided around her slender form. While Misty was wringing the water out of her hair, the twin girls walked back in with a bundle between them.
"We have one last gift for you." They said together and unwrapped the bundle.
Misty looked at what had been inside the package as they held it out for her to see. Misty's eyes scanned over it, and then a smile bloomed on her face as she spoke.
"Kickin'."
Link gave his head one last shake before slipping his hat on and then turned to Navi with his arms out to either side.
"What do you think?"
"You look much better Link; the morning at the springs did you good."
Link smiled at the compliment from the fairy and had to agree that even though it had been an early morning, it had been well worth his time.
The two guys he had first met at the house when he and Misty had entered the forest had woken him up before dawn. After learning that Misty had already left, they had taken him to another hot spring where he had let all the tension from his muscles wash away. Once the sun had risen the two boys had returned to the hot springs, bearing new clothing for him.
Looking at his reflection once more in the small waterfall, Link turned away and made his way back to Kokiri village.
"Where's our next stop?" Link asked Navi as they walked.
"If you remember the small poem Shiek said when we first met him then you should know. Since I doubt that you do remember though, it went something like: 'One in a deep forest', which would be the temple in the Lost Woods, and the second line was 'One on a high mountain' which would be death mountain, after all I don't know what other mountain he would be talking about. I wonder if the Goron's are in as much trouble as the Kokiri kids were because of the evil in their temple. I also have to wonder where that temple is located because Dodongo's cavern was already there, unless of course the temple is actually inside the volcano itself in which case we may have a bit of problem because it's so hot in there, you and I both know that we won't be able to last long inside there, remember we went there once seven years ago? Anyway we'll take care of that when the time comes. Even though I know you want to go straight to the next temple I really think we should go back to the Temple of Time where we first met Shiek. Perhaps he'll still be there and can tell us something useful. Even though we didn't trust him at first he is clearly on our side. If he wasn't, then he wouldn't have given that hint about Saria don't you agree Link?...Link? Link are you listening to me!?" The fairy chirped in his ear.
Link in truth was only half listening to what the fairy was saying at the moment. They had arrived back at the village and were walking to the log entrance that would lead them back out to Hyrule field. What had caught his attention though was the girl dressed all in green who was standing with two of the forest girls in front of the exit.
Hearing him approach, she turned around and smiled as Link stopped not too far away from her.
"Well?" Misty asked, hands on hips facing him. "What do you think?"
Link folded his arms over his chest and looked her up and down. She was now dressed in a short skirt with shorts underneath, her heeled boots stopping above her knees, four inches of skin showing between the bottom of the shorts and the tops of the boots. Her top was strapless; the bottom stopping three inches past her waist, a small belt hugging her slender waist. Added accessories consisted of a small choker around her neck and fingerless gloves that went up to her mid upper arm. Link honestly liked the whole outfit, but what made his chuckle slightly was the fact that she now matched him in his green tunic and hat. 'And I thought I attracted attention dressed all in green, now there are two of us.' He thought to himself, though he didn't say that part out loud.
"Looks good, ready to go?" He asked, strapping on his equipment that one of the forest boys brought him.
"Sure." Misty said in a flat voice, as she also strung her quiver through her belt, slipping the bow over her so that it hung diagonally against her body.
"Then let's go." Link said walking past her and out onto the bridge that lead to Hyrule field.
Misty gave a small sigh, following after him. When she reached Epona Link was already seated, and he held out his hand to help her up. Misty ignored the hand and grabbed onto the saddle. Pulling herself up behind him, she grabbed onto the sides of his tunic lightly, clearly not happy about something.
Link in turn just looked ahead after his help had been refused, and walked Epona out of the small area that lead to the forest entrance, bringing her out into the open field. Before he could go much further though, Navi zoomed out of his hat, stopping right in front of his face.
"So Link, where are we going?" She asked, annoyance playing across her words.
"The Temple of Time to see if Shiek is still there and then up to see how the Gorons are since the next temple is up their way." He replied smartly.
"Huh, so you were listening." Navi commented before slipping back into his hat.
"But of course." Link said before Epona set off at a gallop towards castle town. Link couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with Misty, but he wasn't dumb enough to ask. He may have been sealed away for seven years, but he still knew woman could get vicious when bothered too much when something was wrong.
When they reached the broken draw bridge that lead to the market, Link waited until Misty got off before swinging his leg over and dropping down from Epona. Walking ahead of Misty he moved through the moat and stepped up the broken bridge and onto the short stretch inside the castle walls that lead to the main market. Stopping, he looked over his shoulder to give Misty a fair warning.
"What ever towns person was left when Ganondorf took over have been turned into the undead. Don't go anywhere near them, their cry will paralyze you on the spot. When we get to the main market we're turning left and keeping left until you see a wide pathway that leads to a set of stairs. The stairs lead to a courtyard and then to the Temple of Time. Understand?"
He waited until Misty nodded her head before he continued the rest of the way down the stone path, and walked into the large square market. As soon as he left the safety of the stone path that had been lined with houses on either side, he darted off to the left and ran towards the Temple of Time.
Misty followed after him, and really had intended not to look around, but as soon as she stepped into the market placed she stopped dead. She could remember coming here at night, and how she used to gaze around at the lovely market. Now though everything was different. The once quaint houses were now dark and gloomy, holes ripping trough both roofs and walls alike. The cobble stones that used to sparkle under the sun were now stained with dirt and blood.
Her gaze traveled over the stone, and fell upon a pair of dead brown feet. Her eyes trialed up the figure whose back was to her, and when the undead turned around and stared blankly at her, she let out a horrified scream. She knew that at one time the thing before her had been human, but now it could be called anything but. She could see every single bone of its skeleton perfectly under the dead brown skin, and after the initial shock of seeing it; she covered her mouth with her hands to keep from screaming again. There wasn't much to the face, and perhaps that's what had startled her the most. The face looked wooden; a perfect oval shape as if it were a mask. The mouth was just a small open black hole, but the eyes! Black circles that seemed to gaze at everything at once, and seemed to swallow everything whole with its endless look.
The thing let out a heart stopping scream, and all Misty could do was stare at it as it crept closer and closer, the sound of it dragging its feet echoing around her, and she felt as if she were drowning in those endless orbs.
As if from far off she heard someone yell, someone call her name. She was just vaguely aware of something grabbing her wrist and pulling her away. Her mind wanted her to lash out at the thing holding her wrist, but instinct told her to leave it be, after all the fingers that held her were warm.
Nothing seemed to register as she was hurriedly pulled along, not the stairs she climbed, or the dead grass that crunched under her feet. She seemed to be lost in a void of darkness, and then, all of a sudden there was light.
Pausing she looked around at the gray walls, the red carpet she was standing on and the large archway at the other end of the room that was behind a small dais which held three gleaming stones: one green, one red, and one blue. She was in the Temple of Time, of that she was sure. When the warmth left her wrist she turned to look to her side to see Link standing there, looking none too happy. She wanted to say something to defend herself for she knew she hadn't listened to his warnings, but no words came out. Letting out a small shaky breath, her knees gave out and she collapsed on the ground.
Link was by her side in an instant, his anger turning to concern as he looked at her pale face. Having some of the worst social skills in the world, Link did the only thing he could think of, which was what Saria used to do for him when she had found him after a nightmare. Placing one hand on her back, he rubbed her gently as he spoke some encouraging words in a soft voice.
"It's okay; those things had the same effect on me when I first encountered them. I don't blame you for freezing up, it happens so don't worry about it, at least you're safe." He thought that it was also partially his fault for not having shown her one before coming here. There had been one of the undead in the Forest Temple, but he had disposed of it before she had entered the room where it had been waiting.
"But those things were once people." Misty said in a small voice. "Good people."
"I know, and this is Ganondorfs fault, that's why we have to keep moving. The faster we awaken the sages, the faster we can be rid of Ganondorf and avenge these people." He replied standing up and holding a hand out to help her up.
Misty looked at the offered hand a moment and after a small nod, she whipped away the couple of tears that had escaped and stood up with the help.
Releasing her hand, Link turned and walked for the giant arch at the other end of the room, Misty following close behind. Together they walked into the old resting place of the Master Sword, and up the stairs to the first platform that surrounded the platform that held the pedestal. Shiek was on the second platform, to the right of the pedestal.
"You destroyed the wicked creatures that haunted the Temple and awakened the sage." He started as soon as they two had stopped moving. "But there are still other sages who need your help. In order to awaken all the other sages, you must become even more powerful. You must travel over mountains, under water, and even through time. If you want to return to your original time return the Master Sword to the pedestal of time. By doing this, you will travel back in time seven years. The time will come when you will have to return here quickly, I will teach this to you for when that time comes. The song to return you to the Temple of Time, The Prelude of Light."
Once again Sheik too out his harp and played a light melody, and Link soon took up the song with his ocarina. Misty closed her eyes as she listened to the song, and she swore that with each note the room became brighter, banishing the darkness from the room, but also banishing the dark shadows of doubt from her mind. Opening her eyes once more, Misty listened to Shiek's final words.
"As long as you hold the Ocarina of Time and the Master Sword you hold time itself in your hands. Link, we shall meet again!" With that Sheik again drew back his arm and dropped something that caused a bright light which Misty and Link had to shield their eyes from. When they could see again Link turned around and made his way out of the Temple of Time.
"Do you know where we're going next?" Misty asked, hoping that he did so he wouldn't ask her directions again.
"Yeah." Link answered, making her hopes rise again. "Death Mountain. Navi thinks we should go check it out because of the strange red cloud around it, and besides, Shiek did say we would have to go over mountains, and that's the only mountain I know of."
The two of them left the temple and ran through the market again, Link making sure that he stayed behind Misty in case she froze again. The last thing he needed was something happening to her; after all, Navi would surly blame him for it. Once they crossed the broken draw bridge, Link mounted Epona, aided Misty in getting up behind him and then turned the horse in the direction of the small bridge that ran over a river and lead to Kakariko village.
"It shouldn't be too bad a climb, should it?" Misty asked looking up at the looming mountain ahead.
"No, there's a very easy trail leading to the Goron city, I plan to stop there and speak with them to see if they know what's wrong with the volcano."
"Oh good." Misty said leaning back some to relax during the short ride. "This should be easy then."
Little did she know what she was getting herself into……
PS A/N: Well I hope to have the next chapter up beforeFeb. 23 since I will be going away for awhile after that, but I make no promises. Again if anyone has something they would like to read as a side chapter, please let me know and I'll add it if I think it fits. Please review, it makes writing so much more fun! Well thats all for now since it's 1:20 am here, I need sleep but I had to get this chapter up.