The Price of Curiosity

Link summoned a deep breath and blew into his ocarina. The pacifying chirps of the crickets, slumber of the horses and soft breeze flowing through Lon Lon Ranch were overcome by the melody of Saria's Song. Link attempted to speak with Saria several times after his walk with Malon, but each time he was met with silence. Saria was either not able to hear him or was ignoring him, both of which did not seem the likely result of a telepathic connection. Shouldn't he at least be aware of her presence?

Lungs aching for breath, Link ceased playing his ocarina and lowered his arms to his lap. He sat reclined against a wooden post on the horses' pen unable to shake feelings of anxiety, concern, but most of all curiosity. Do not let Malon fool you... Saria's warning repeated in Link's head as clearly as the first time. What had Saria wanted to tell him? Malon, who was driven by her humility and integrity, could not be trying to fool him. Surely he had mistaken Saria's message. If he had waited just a moment longer before releasing the ocarina, she certainly would have told him something to the degree of, "Do not let Malon fool you when she doubted that you wanted to walk with her." Yes, Saria must have noticed his hurt that Malon thought his desire to walk with her was insincere, and Saria wanted to assure him that Malon meant no harm. Yet, as much as Link desired to believe this rationalization, he could not convince himself. Saria was discussing her concern of Zelda and Hyrule with him. Why would she suddenly bring up Malon if she had no relation to the topic of Zelda or Hyrule?

Link could not answer that question, but he did learn one thing from his hours of reverie. Saria's warning did not discourage his desire to be in the company of Malon in the least bit. Instead, the warning inspired a curiosity that Link would pay for more dearly than he would ever imagine. A payment which was long overdue...

Malon brushed her hair for the third time that hour, not noticing that she completely neglected a tangled knot on her left side. Her mind, however, was not in the task, and was instead preoccupied with the promise she had made herself the day before. The promise that today would be the day she would tell Link the truth. She brushed more rapidly at this reminder, unconsciously leading her hand toward the knot. She tugged the brush with a force that made her yelp in pain and surprise. Immediately, she released the brush, but it stubbornly clung to her hair. Gazing at herself in the mirror, Malon fought hard to control the frustrated tears that threatened to fall. She was already ten minutes tardy for her meeting with Link, and she could not afford to keep him waiting any longer. Not when he deserved to know the truth...

With that final thought, Malon turned from the mirror and sauntered to their meeting place beside the horse pen. With each step her stomach turned and her heart throbbed violently in her ribcage as if she were walking to her execution. She somberly strode towards Link who greeted her wearing an apprehensive smile.

"Hi Malon. Did you need me to help you with your chores?"

Malon shook her head. "No, Link, I actually need to tell you something but it is not easy for me to say. I ask for your patience..."

"Of course, Malon," Link sincerely replied.

Malon took a deep breath and spoke. "I do not wish to revive painful memories for you Link, but I need to just this once because I owe you an apology. You see, everything that occurred between you and Zelda is..." Malon trailed, fumbling with her words. She opened her mouth to speak but no sound came out. While such behavior could normally be attributed to awkwardness or nerves, Malon felt a barrier form inside her that penetrated her memory. Before she knew it, she was speaking again, but the words did not feel like her own.

"Link, I must ask that you leave Lon Lon Ranch," Malon solemnly spoke.

"Wha- what are you talking about?" Link stammered.

Malon desperately struggled to regain control of herself, but her efforts were useless. What is happening to me? she wondered as she felt herself about to speak again.

"You heard what I said...my father and I are no longer able to give you residence here."

Link was speechless, but what could he do? He had no claim on Lon Lon Ranch so Malon and Talon could dismiss him at any time. Defeated, he nodded glumly and spoke to Malon as he strode away.

"I will pack my belongings..."

Darkness blanketed Hyrule Castle, a welcome cloak for Sheik. Exhibiting a cat-like grace, she hurdled across the castle rooftops, pausing only to eavesdrop on some passing guards. Though she normally would have summoned the guards to her aide in such a situation, something held her back. It was a suspicion, the kind normally regarded as paranoia, that something was not right. She huddled closer to the shadows, emerging only when the guards' footsteps faded. Intent only on escaping the castle, she soared towards one of the courtyard oaks, barely managing to snatch one of the branches. It was a daring maneuver that would have made any Sheikah proud. Spinning three times around the branch, she slowed herself enough to land upright on the flower bed. Sheik would have taken time to marvel at her fortune had she not landed in the path of an approaching sentry. The sentry regarded her a moment before confirming her earlier suspicion.

He lunged at her which she easily evaded with a back flip. The sentry did not expect this stunt nor the spring of her legs which easily rendered him unconscious. Hustling from the courtyards, she encountered three more guards. Sheik instinctively removed three venomous darts from her belt and flung them at the hearts of her approaching assailants. Her attacks, though precise, were not rapid enough. Several more guards approached from all directions as they came to investigate. Sheik tossed all of her darts at the seemingly infinite number of guards before resorting to her last hope...her chain whip.

Snagging the legs of several guards, she yanked and watched as they each lost their footing. She fought heroically, injuring and killing several guards, but her efforts were in vain. She was soon overwhelmed and pinned to the ground. Several guards quickly seized her and bound her arms behind her back. Though she desired to vanish using her Sheikah ability, she found she did not have the strength nor the ability to warp a great enough distance away from her attackers. She ceased struggling under the weight of the guards when a familiar chuckle resonated from somewhere to her right. In her last measure of strength, she feebly raised her head toward the laughter. Ganondorf gazed down at her with a controlled smirk on his face.

"I must condone you, your highness, for you managed to escape with the Triforce of Wisdom just as it was within my grasp. I underestimated you, but it shall not happen again. Any final words?"

Zelda suddenly felt one of the guards tighten the rope binding her wrists, but she refused to give him the pleasure of seeing her so much as gasp. Summoning all of her fury and hatred, she placed it within a gaze she shot at Ganondorf.

"You may get two pieces of the triforce, Ganondorf, but you will never acquire the third!" Zelda spat.

Ganondorf chuckled maliciously. "If I may, your highness, the third will be on its way momentarily." At Zelda's incredulous look he added, "You didn't possibly think I only intended to achieve your piece of the triforce, did you?"

Zelda's head collapsed on the mulch both from fatigue and dismay. No Link, no... she concentrated, praying Link would telepathically receive the message. In the meantime, Ganondorf seized on her distraction, and Zelda didn't even so much as struggle.

All Link desired after leaving the ranch was a friendly voice, and the risk of facing another prolonged silence from Saria didn't seem different than his current situation. He softly played Saria's song, and at the sound of her greeting, the anguish, frustration and confusion of Malon's sudden dismissal rushed out of him at once. Link completely dropped his guard and started to tell Saria about Malon before she cut him off.

"Listen Link...I know what happened and I don't know any other way to say this to you except bluntly. Malon was being controlled by a priest named Agahnim."

Agahnim? Link asked, finding his curiosity displaced his emotions.

Saria resumed with a hint of urgency in her tone. "Years ago, Hyrule was threatened by the destruction of a powerful storm. The citizens desperately prayed for the goddesses to deliver them, and it was then that Agahnim appeared and quelled the storm. The king bestowed many gifts on Agahnim and appointed him high priest of the lands. Agahnim, however, unbeknownst to the king, was a servant of Ganondorf. It was not long before his intentions to rule Hyrule and release Ganondorf from the Sacred Realm were revealed. The king, however, was helpless to do anything as Agahnim entered the minds of the royal guards and bid them to do his will. The king vanished, and all hope seemed lost until the legendary hero appeared. This hero battled Agahnim and Ganondorf, eventually restoring peace to Hyrule."

Link started to speak, but Saria anticipated his question.

"You want to know how Agahnim got here? Many assumed that Agahnim and Ganondorf were the same being as Agahnim constantly referred to himself as Ganondorf's 'alter-ego.' That, however, was later found to be a term Agahnim bestowed on himself to express his loyalty to Ganondorf. The legendary hero faced Agahnim twice, and it was thought that Ganondorf destroyed Agahnim after the second battle, but it appears he merely banished him to another time...our time.

"His logic was this: the legendary hero appears when evil threatens the land, and each legendary hero is stronger than the last. You are the first known legendary hero Link...the Hero of Time...Agahnim does not believe that you have the power to defeat him as the legendary hero of his time defeated him."

A lump formed in Link's throat and he stared wordlessly at his ocarina. Link knew Saria expected him to speak, but he was overwhelmed by this new development. Saria acknowledged Link's shock and resumed answering questions she knew he wanted to ask.

"Agahnim knew you threatened his plans, but because your only friend was Zelda, he had no way of influencing you. Certain individuals are immune to his power, the bearers of the Triforce being one of them. So he devised a plan. He assumed control of two merchants and ordered them to assault Malon and leave her in a place you would find her. Once you rescued her, Agahnim acted on Malon's already existing feelings for you and revived a love she would have felt had she remembered you."

But Malon did remember me, Link defended.

"No Link, she didn't..." Saria gently spoke.

I don't understand, Link hopelessly replied.

"I will explain...Link, have you ever encountered an individual who reminded you of someone you never could place?" Saria already searched Link's mind for his answer, but delivered her message slowly so it sank in. "That was the feeling Agahnim stirred in Malon. You must remember, Link, that after defeating Ganondorf, Zelda returned Hyrule to the state it was before Ganondorf's arrival. She did this for many reasons, but the most important one is so every Hylian could resume their daily life without memory of the horrors Ganondorf unleashed. Malon was no exception to this."

But Malon mentioned I was in her dreams, Link persisted.

"Those were dreams that Agahnim created, Link. He wanted you to connect with Malon so that..." Saria trailed and attempted to change the subject. Link was quick to catch her.

So that what? Tell me, Saria.

Saria hesitated, but spoke when she felt Link's impatience rising. "So that Zelda's love for you would overwhelm you. So that your friendship would be destroyed and she would have no one to protect her."

The lump in his throat seemed about ready to burst. No...No, that can't be true.

Saria waited patiently.

Agahnim couldn't possibly have known about Zelda's feelings for me. How could he if she is immune to his powers?

Saria seemed to sigh. "Link...Zelda's love for you was evident to us all."

Link was speechless. It was humiliating enough to learn of one's own ignorance, but the humiliation was exasperated by the knowledge that others were not so naive. Link felt more dejected in this moment than he did during all of the years Mido taunted him for not having a fairy companion. He wondered how he could have missed something so blatantly obvious that accompanied such severe consequences. Saria, obviously realizing the direction of his thoughts, acted to mollify him.

"Link, do not blame yourself for this. Zelda recognized her feelings for you many months prior to her confession. She had those months to understand her feelings so that her confession to you was equally heartfelt and reasonable. Her only mistake was in forgetting that you had not yet realized your love for her and would need the same time to come to terms with your new emotions. You are not to blame, Link. Time is to blame."

Link shook his head. I am responsible for this, Saria. There is no use denying that fact, but there is also not time to analyze it. I must go to Hyrule Castle and remedy the consequences of my stupidity.

"Wait, Link!" Saria protested. "Ganondorf has both the Triforce of Power and Wisdom! You cannot possibly-"

Do not try and stop me Saria...

"But, Link-"

I will no longer resist my duty, Link firmly thought.

"Link, this is a trap. Please let the sages assist you! Their power is the only way you can defeat Agah-"

But Link had not heard. In an instant the ocarina was packed in his bag and he was hustling Epona towards Hyrule Castle.