Chapter 3: Many Revelations
The old Hylian scholar absently rotated a glass of wine in his hands as he watched Ganondorf stride proudly towards the king of Hyrule in the castle's Grand Audience Chamber. The Gerudo's heavy boots resounded loudly with each footfall, and his armor rattled with even the smallest of movements. It was all the old, balding man could do to keep the looming dread he felt within from showing outwardly.
The scholar nearly spilled his wine when he felt a small tug on his robe. He looked to his left and down to see a small girl, no more than nine or ten years old, gazing up at him with emerald green eyes. She had auburn hair down to her tiny shoulders and wore a blue dress after the style of the upper class women of Rhydale. Apparently, some foreign dignitary decided to bring his or her daughter along for the occasion.
He smiled down at the girl, who in turn giggled. "Well, hello there. What's your name?"
"I'm Cytha," she said unabashedly, performing a small curtsy.
"Cytha? That's a very pretty name." She blushed at the compliment and looked from him to the window behind them. The scholar followed her gaze and saw the back of a small girl's dress through the glass.
Cytha turned back to him and asked, "Who's that girl over there?"
The man recognized the young heir to the throne instantly. "That's the princess of Hyrule. Her name is Zelda."
"Why does she get to have fun in the garden? It's boring in here. Even you are boring, old man."
The scholar ruffled a little at her precociousness, but maintained his smile. "Well, in that case, I suppose I should share a secret with you."
"I'm really good with secrets, Mr…."
"Call me Rauru. And the secret? I agree with you. It is most certainly boring in here."
She grinned widely. "Does that mean I get to go out in the garden? You can come with me, Mr. Rauru."
"If only things were so simple as to drop all your duties and responsibilities and leave."
She furrowed her brow and persisted, pointing out the window. "But if I was out in the garden then I'd get to meet him."
Rauru looked once more, and, this time, he was able to spot a boy wearing a green tunic, standing in front of Zelda. Green, thought Rauru, his anxiety suddenly replaced with curiosity. So it begins.
Link crept cautiously into the inner courtyard of Hyrule Castle, wary of guards that might have been patrolling this area as well. All he knew was that he was to meet someone known as the "Princess of Destiny." He had no idea what she looked like, what her name was, or even how old she was.
Feeling extremely exposed in the openness of the garden courtyard, he tiptoed the entire way to a small figure that was standing next to a window. It looked to be a girl about his age. She's definitely not a guard, thought Link, hopeful. Maybe she can tell me where to find the princess.
When he was about five feet away from her, she turned and let out a small gasp of surprise. Navi flew out from under Link's floppy green cap and lighted on his shoulder. You shouldn't sneak up on people like that! she reprimanded him under breath.
The girl in front of him was wearing a pink, white, and blue long-sleeved dress with a golden triangular design on its front. Her headdress had the same symbol, and her hair was barely visible beneath it, excepting a couple of blond strands that had freed themselves. Her blue eyes gazed intently at him, taking in his appearance.
"Who, who are you?" she stammered. "How did you get past the guards?" Link looked back to Navi, but she offered no further advice. "Oh? What's that? Is that..." She stepped forward and reached out a hand towards Navi to touch one of her wingtips. The fairy sprang up into the air with a giggle, tickled by the girl's fingers. "...a fairy?!"
Navi came back and settled herself on Link's other shoulder. "I'm Navi. Nice to meet you. This is my partner."
The girl gazed a second longer at the bright blue fairy then looked back at Link. "Then, are you...are you from the forest?" Link only nodded. Her excitement seemed to be rising the more she spoke with the two unexpected guests. "Then...then...you wouldn't happen to have...the Spiritual Stone of the Forest, would you? That green and shining stone...do you have it?"
"I...yeah, it's right here." He fumbled around in his belt pouch and removed a stunning round emerald set in a gold frame that curved elegantly around the precious rock's features. "Taa-daa," he said weakly, managing a small grin.
With a smile, she reached over and plucked the stone right out of his unsuspecting hands. She eyed it for a moment, tracing the outlines of it with her fingers. "Just as I thought!" she exclaimed happily, placing the emerald back in Link's still-outstretched hands. She took on a solemn tone. "I had a dream. In the dream, dark storm clouds were billowing over the land of Hyrule, but suddenly, a ray of light shot out of the forest, parted the clouds and lit up the ground. The light turned into a figure holding a green and shining stone, followed by a fairy." She looked to Navi, and the fairy stared right back at her, entranced by the details of the dream.
The girl closed her eyes. "I know this is a prophecy that someone would come from the forest." She opened them again, a curious look within them. "Yes, I thought you might be the one."
Link looked at Navi. "Well," he said, "you're right. Navi and I are from the forest. You've been expecting us, so...does that mean that you're...?"
Her eyes widened, and an apologetic look appeared on her face. "Oh, I'm sorry! I got carried away with my story and didn't even properly introduce myself!" She composed herself quickly, and placed a small hand upon her chest. "I am Zelda, Princess of Hyrule."
This meeting was already very different from the first time Link had met the Princess of Destiny. He had quickly stepped up to her, addressed her by name, and introduced himself as Link.
"You must be the boy from the forest," discerned Zelda. "The fairy is missing, but you do have a green and shining stone, do you not?"
Link fished something out of his pack. Looks like I got sent back to a time right after I received this, he thought, plucking the Kokiri's emerald up in his hand. I suppose that also means that the Great Deku Tree in the Kokiri forest is already…
"Here, you can have it," he said bluntly, placing the stone into Zelda's right hand. "But we won't be needing it this time around."
"'This time around?'" Zelda paced in front of him, studying the stone. "If you're from the forest, then you must keep this stone...if we are to follow my plan...if..."
Link frowned. "Not a chance. We can't risk Ganondorf getting into the Sacred Realm."
"If you would listen," she demanded, forcibly placing the stone back in Link's open pouch, "you would realize that we share the same goal."
Link took hold of Zelda's hands and looked her squarely in the eyes. She flinched, but remained in his grasp. "I'm listening, and yes, we do share the same goal. Moreover, I've seen what will happen if he gets his hands on the Triforce. And...I already know what you're planning."
"You...you do?"
"Yes, I know that you plan on entering the Sacred Realm before him. That's why you want me to keep the Spiritual Stone...and collect the others for you from the Gorons and the Zoras."
She relaxed a little. "Then it is agreed! We haven't a moment to waste, Ganondorf is-"
"And your plan fails," Link quickly interjected. "You can trust me on that; I've seen the outcome."
She glared at him, a bit dejected. "But...it's the only way to stop him..."
Link gritted his teeth. "It can't be the only way, not anymore." He raised his left hand and showed Zelda the mark on the back of it.
"That…" She pulled away from him. "It must be a trick…some illusion."
"It's too late," Link went on. "You may not believe what I have to say, but you must listen."
He swallowed before continuing. "I've come from the future." As expected, her eyes met his with confusion.
"I…I'm starting to think that you aren't who you say you are."
Link walked past Zelda and glanced inside the castle. The crowded audience chamber was as impressive as the last time he saw it, but it offered no suggestions for the moment. He watched as Ganondorf strode proudly up to the king, stopping ten meters before the throne and kneeling before him with one fist across his chest in salute. The man turned briefly to look out the window and locked eyes with Link. The boy held his gaze, and the other eventually turned his eyes back to the king. Link slumped and put an arm against the stone window frame and rested his forehead against it.
"Zelda…"
"Please. I think it's best if you leave."
"In the past," Link persisted through the princess's protests, "you would have insisted that I believe your words. In fact, I'm almost certain you wouldn't have let me walk out here unless I agreed to your plans." He turned his head to look at her. "Right now, I'm asking that you believe me. I need you trust my words."
She took a step towards him and slowly inclined her head. "I…will give your words a chance."
He removed his arm from the stone and stood up a little straighter. "I've met you before...I…no, we tried your plan. It ended in failure. Ganondorf was the first to touch the Triforce, and it split into three pieces because of his imbalanced heart. Though he retained only the Triforce of Power, it was enough for Hyrule to suffer under his rule."
"How did he manage to get there before us?"
"Originally, you had planned on entering the Sacred Realm once I opened the Door of Time. Ganondorf made certain you were otherwise engaged, so it was up to me to go in your place. You gave me the Ocarina of Time, and, though I opened the door, there was one final lock in place."
"Another…lock?"
"The Master Sword."
She turned pensive. After a moment, she walked away and down the steps that led back to the garden proper.
"Zelda?" Link called after her. "Are…you okay?"
"I…I don't know," she finally answered, remaining turned from him. He walked down the stone steps after her and stopped at her side. "If what you are saying is true…then…how did you…?"
"I was able to remove the sword. That was the easy part."
"And Ganondorf followed you once the portal that led to the Sacred Realm opened," she guessed. "Why did you not use the sword to stop him? Did he defeat you?"
"Neither that nor the other. The sword…it sealed me away for a long slumber. I was unable to act in defense of the Triforce."
"Why would it do such a thing?"
"I was later told that, even though I was worthy to wield it, I was not ready to use it. In other words, I was too young."
"That is indeed unfortunate. And the Triforce? What of the other two pieces?"
"The Triforce of Courage came to me. This mark," he raised his left hand in front of him again, "is evidence that I somehow still possess it. As for the Triforce of Wisdom…well, that one found its way to you."
"It did?" Zelda pondered on that for a moment then allowed herself a smile. "Of course it would." She motioned for Link to follow her back up the stairs. "But that was, as you claim, in the future. You still possess a piece of the Triforce in this time. So the other two...?"
"I don't know," admitted Link, walking with Zelda back to the window. "I thought maybe you would know something about that. Could they still be in the Sacred Realm? Or maybe…"
Link grabbed for Zelda's hands again and studied them. "You don't think…" she started.
"It's possible. My Triforce piece should resonate when in proximity to another. Aha!" His mark began to glow, its light cascading around their hands. Slowly, but surely, a similar, glowing mark appeared on the back of Zelda's right hand, and she looked on it in wonderment. "Well, we can account for the location of the Triforce of Wisdom. I think it's safe to assume the other piece isn't in the Sacred Realm either."
Zelda took a moment to admire the unexpected appearance of the Triforce mark on her hand. Finally, she asked, "Could it be with Ganondorf?"
Link felt a shiver run down his spine. "Let's hope not. Speaking of which, Ganondorf is being accepted today as an ally to the kingdom. If we don't do something soon, this castle will fall under his control within a matter of days, and the king will fall by his hand."
A large hand was suddenly placed upon Link's left shoulder. He gulped and turned to face the large woman just behind him.
"Young man," said the tall, silver-haired woman.
"Impa!" exclaimed Link, throwing Zelda's attendant a huge smile.
She frowned, unimpressed. "He is...the boy from your vision...?"
Zelda nodded. "He is…and I believe all that he has to say. And look!" She showed the Sheikah the mark on her hand.
Impa's countenance intensified. "That's… Then what he says is true? Ganondorf will kill your father?"
"Not if we stop him first!" Link exclaimed, pounding his fist against his open palm. "Anyone opposed to crashing this party?"
A loud shattering of glass sounded throughout the chamber, immediately halting the voice of the King, who had begun his formal announcement of Ganondorf's allegiance to those gathered. The little girl beside Rauru ducked behind his decorative robes. Triyu and Ruhne unsheathed their swords in unison, prepared to confront the disturbance.
Impa, Zelda's secretive handmaid, was crouched by the now broken window overlooking the castle garden, glass shards falling off her frame and to the floor. She quickly stood up and leapt into the air, over Triyu's head, and landed neatly in the center of the chamber, about ten paces behind Ganondorf, who was still kneeling in submission before the king.
King Ignacio stood quickly from his throne, red in the face. "What is the meaning of this, Impa?!" he demanded. "What in the name of Din, Nayru, and Farore are you doing?" Beside him, Ruhne took a step forward, sword at the ready. The castle soldiers were a mass of confusion, some bringing their spears to bear, others murmuring jokingly that this was just part of the ceremony. Most of the foreign dignitaries stood aghast at Impa's behavior, and many of their accompanying guards had drawn their own weapons, expecting trouble.
"Your majesty!" her voice boomed. "I, Impa of Kakariko, one of your most loyal subjects and attendant to your daughter, Princess Zelda, cannot allow you to proceed with this mockery of a peace negotiation. To do so is to sign your own death warrant by this man, Ganondorf, an obvious thief and murderer!" She drew her own weapon, pulling it from the small sheath that rested on her lower back, and pointed it toward the kneeling Gerudo. At this, the castle soldiers, at first unsure of the situation, stiffened and readied their spears, staring as menacingly as they could at the Sheikah warrior.
"You have no authority here!" the king howled. "Your outburst during this solemn and historic event is unthinkable! You will cease your actions immediately and allow the soldiers to take you into custody."
Though the king had, for all intents and purposes, ordered her arrest, not a soul made a move towards her. Ignacio's rage intensified, and, through all of this, Ganondorf remained kneeling, as if this debacle was of no concern. "Ruhne!" the king shouted, turning suddenly to face Triyu's father. "You arrest Impa! If she resists, you have my authority to deal with her accordingly."
Ruhne started towards the lone figure in the middle of the hall when another voice sounded over by the window. It was that of a small girl.
"Father, you can't go on with this!" shouted the young Princess Zelda, everyone's attention immediately going to her. Ganondorf finally stirred, turning his head towards her as well.
"My dear Zelda," said the King, watching her as she wove through the crowd to stand by Impa's side. The guards parted ways for her, not daring to lay hands on the king's daughter. Triyu followed her with his eyes, not sure what to think about this sudden turn of events. "What are you doing, child?"
"You failed to listen to me once, father, so it is time I made things a bit more clear. The person I told you of has visited me, which means the fate of the kingdom is nigh at hand."
"Is it this forest boy from your dreams?" asked the king condescendingly. "I have told you to pay no heed to that rot." The assembly stiffened at the king's harsh words. "The war is over! Do you think so little of what I am trying to accomplish?"
"Wait." It was Ganondorf that had spoken. He was now standing, facing the battle-ready Impa and the small form of the princess, and the crowd seemed to hold its breath. "This intrigues me, my friend." The Gerudo began walking towards the princess and her attendant, a sinister grin upon his face. He stepped five paces then stopped and said, "A forest boy, is it? I must regretfully inform you that the children of the forest are but legends, bedtime stories to put little Hylians to sleep at night. I would listen to what you father tells you, for you really should know better than to drag your handmaid into these little fantasies of yours. Impa most likely has more important work to do."
Triyu saw a flash of green, and a small figure suddenly appeared behind the Gerudo King with what appeared to be a miniature sword in hand. How he had moved so quickly and arrived at that location distressed him, but he stayed attentive lest he miss another detail like that. The young boy pointed the weapon directly at the Gerudo's lower back. "Impa knows exactly what she's doing," the boy in green said, his young voice betraying his menacing tone, "as does Zelda. And so do I."
Triyu couldn't allow this to go on any longer. The king was furious, and no one had done anything to stop this, not even his father Ruhne. He took two steps forward and bashed his sword forcefully against the one held by the boy in green. The strength of the impact caused the blade to drop from the small boy's hands. In that moment, Ganondorf whirled on the young lad and grabbed him by the neck in one of his massive gauntleted hands. A gasp arose from all who watched, but no one, not even Impa, dared intervene.
"Excellent work, Triyu," snarled Ganondorf as he held the intruding boy aloft for all to see. The green-clad child struggled at his captor, trying to kick at him, but he held him an impressive arm's distance away. The only thing keeping him from passing out was that he held onto the Gerudo's arm with both hands to support his weight.
"Link!" screamed Zelda. She began to run forward but was held back by one of Impa's restricting hands.
The King of Hyrule looked disbelievingly at the small boy in Ganondorf's vise-like grip. "Th-the boy from the forest? What...how...?" he sputtered.
"I suppose the legends are true after all," announced Ganondorf, looking around at the many spectators. "But there's something missing about this boy, something that would prove that he truly is an assassin from the forest." The Gerudo King paused for effect. "This boy has no fairy partner. He must be something else, someone..." A golden glow suddenly shone forth from the boy, and Ganondorf gasped in surprise. "What?! No! This cannot be! Am I...am I too late?"
"It's over, Ganondorf," said Impa calmly, finally breaking the tension in the air. "We know why you have come to Hyrule."
"You misjudge him," argued Triyu, pointing his sword towards Impa. "The king wants peace and trusts this man to uphold such. Can't you support the decision of our ruler?"
"Stay out of this, boy," warned Impa, a feral red glow appearing in her dark eyes.
"This...this is impossible!" spat out Ganondorf, still clutching on to Link's small neck. "Your majesty," he implored the king, "this boy has stolen your family's Triforce!"
Zelda took in a sharp breath, and Impa growled. The king grew pale in the face and stumbled backwards to sit heavily on his throne. "Th-the Triforce? This boy...?" His darting eyes rested on his daughter. "Zelda? What…what have you done?"
The princess stared at her father in shock. "What have I done? Father! I…"
"Your majesty," continued Ganondorf from behind Triyu and Ruhne. "This is a treasonous affair. If we don't deal with this boy and his co-conspirators immediately," he gave a cursory glance in Impa and Zelda's direction, "there's no telling what kind of trouble they'll amount to...what with the Power of Gold...the Triforce..."
"Power of Gold?" repeated Triyu.
"If I may," Ganondorf implored the king, his tone more desperate, "It would do his majesty great honor if I took matters into my own hands...and then you would know for a certainty of the loyalty that my people and I hold towards this kingdom."
A bright light suddenly lit the grand hall. Many turned to spot the source, which turned out to be the old man Rauru. He shone with a brilliance that caused many to shield their eyes from view, especially those closest to him.
"The hero dressed in green," he said, in turn receiving many quizzical looks from the many people within the chamber. Ganondorf turned to face him, a look of puzzlement, then contempt crossing his olive-colored face.
"What are you blathering about, old man?"
"Silence, fiend!" A ray of light shot out from Rauru's hands and hit Ganondorf square in the chest, surprising the Gerudo and causing him to drop the small emerald-clad boy. Link hit the ground rolling then stayed crouched for a moment as he caught his breath, rubbing his reddened neck where Ganondorf had grasped him.
The Gerudo King drew his short, thick blade. "I will cut you to pieces, fool!" he bellowed, quickly recovering from Rauru's magical attack.
The king's eyes widened. "Rauru!" he called out. "Would you stand by these traitors as well?"
Rauru paid the king no mind, and remained facing Ganondorf. "Yes, what you see is indeed the Triforce. I am certain you also know that if you kill one possessing a piece of the Triforce, you will become its next bearer." He paused a moment, waiting for the Gerudo to respond, but he only glared at the sage, old man. Rauru continued. "But you seem fine with this knowledge...yes, you already know much about the Triforce. Do not bother denying your intentions any longer."
"Many know of the legends of the Triforce," he responded coolly to Rauru's accusation. "I know it to be the royal family's most guarded treasure. If this one possesses it now, that means that he has stolen it, and I believe such an offense warrants death. Is this not the law of your land?" In the meantime, Link circled around Ganondorf and picked up his small sword where it lay.
"And still you possess a thief's tongue," Rauru's accused him. "You may think me a foolish scholar, but I will soon show you who the greater fool is. Many do not yet know me as the Sage of Light," he glanced at Link, "excepting the young man in green, I would imagine. I keep watch over the Temple of Light within the Sacred Realm, Ganondorf. Is that not the place you seek? Is that not the resting place of the Triforce?"
"You…" rumbled Ganondorf.
Rauru continued. "I have seen the Triforce with my own eyes, and I am keenly aware of its current state. I know that it was not stolen. It has separated, and it sought out individuals worthy of its parts."
The Gerudo tightened his grip on his blade handle. "Impossible, how could you...?"
"Your time has come, Ganondorf," announced Rauru, cutting Ganondorf's sentence off sharply. "You have veiled our king's eyes from your true intentions, forcing him to go along with your lies. Yes, I know what you are capable of. I know of your dark powers. I remember how you fought in the war, ten years ago. You sought then what you still seek now: the Triforce. I am right. Do not deny your guilt!"
Triyu could not believe his ears. Yet, Rauru spoke with authority and knowledge; he had called himself the Sage of Light. Could he be one of the fabled sages of old?
Ruhne walked forward as if in answer to Triyu's thoughts. "Rauru is correct, Ganondorf. I also knew of your deceit from the very moment you arrived. Leave and never return, or stay and meet your doom."
The Gerudo laughed deeply in response. "You fools. Do you think that I did not foresee an event such as this? I feared it might come to bloodshed," he tarried on this word, sweeping his eyes over the throng of various people surrounding him, "and it turns out that I was right." He began seething with a dark inner power, a deep, violet glow escaping his large frame. He put his free hand to his mouth and placed two fingers into it, emitting a high-pitched whistle. The formally-clad Gerudo women shed their outer layer of clothing, revealing blood-red attire and thick, desert warrior leggings underneath. They each brandished twin scimitars, previously hidden by formal wear, the sight of which caused those around them to back away in fear. People began screaming and running in many directions, and complete chaos broke loose within the Grand Audience Chamber.
Still burning with dark inner energies, Ganondorf laughed again. "I had hoped it wouldn't come to this, but you Hylians leave me no choice. Who knew that I would take the Triforce today? How exciting!"