DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own The Legend of Zelda or any of it's beloved characters. The only thing I own is the plot to this story and my OC's.
Okay, so I freaked out a little upon realizing it's been quiet while since I last updated. SORRY! I've just been busy as of late. My toddler has been cranky (leaving me no time to type) and one of our dogs got fixed, so we had to keep a close eye on her the first couple of days. I was also preparing to go to a race in Darlington (I'm a redneck, sue me) so we needed to get quite a bit of stuff together for it. On top of all that, I got a nasty cold once we got back from said race. -_-
I also want to remind you guys that you can ask me anything in the reviews and I will do my best to respond to them.
Anyhoo, I once again apologize about the wait for this chapter and I hope you enjoy it!
SONG FOR THIS CHAPTER:Sacred Grove & Saria's Song
Saria's Song
Rusl ran like a madman through the forest. He had to find Link before something happened to him.
"Link!"
He stopped for a minute to catch his breath, his heart pounding as he inhaled the humid air.
"Hey! Mr. Swordsman! You don't wanna go that way!"
Rusl turned around to see Coro walking after him. He held a small box of rupees and a blue bird with a matching afro sat on his shoulder.
"Why not?" Rusl asked, desperately wanting to be on his way.
"Because there was a huge blast of fire earlier and it caused the ground in front of the monkey temple to collapse into the ravine," Coro explained.
The bird began to pout. "My shop is gone."
"Please tell me you're joking," Rusl muttered, desperately wanting this whole thing to be nothing more than a bad dream.
"I wish we were. We lost a lot a stuff when the ground collapsed," Coro sighed, not picking up on the swordsman's distress.
"Dammit!" Rusl swore before sprinting towards the ravine.
"Mr. Swordsman! Wait!" Rusl heard the salesman call after him, but he no longer cared about what he had to say.
He finally reached his destination and fell to his knees as he stared into the black abyss.
"Link..." The sound of footsteps drew his attention. He saw a pair of bare feet and sighed. "Ilia, what are you doing here?"
"My reason is the same as yours," she solemnly replied, her eyes brimming with tears as she stared into the nothingness. "He's dead, isn't he?"
Rusl stared into the ravine for what felt like an eternity before he finally answered her. "I honestly don't know."
The two Ordonians sat there for over an hour, mourning the possible loss of their companion until Zelda, followed by some of the villagers, found them.
The queen gazed into the distance and knelt, closing her eyes. Ilia let out a surprised gasp as her triforce began to glow through the wrapping on her right hand. Zelda remained like that for several minutes before her mark dimmed. She opened her eyes, the reflecting sun causing them to flash.
"He is weak, but alive," She announced, relief evident in her voice.
"Thank the Goddesses," Rusl sighed, throwing his head back.
A few tears slipped down Ilia's cheeks. "How are you able to do that?" The Ordonian suddenly gasped and blushed upon realizing how informal she was being. She quickly bowed. "I-I hope you don't mind me asking, your grace."
"Please don't do that," Zelda frowned, her eyebrows knitting together. "I have been thrown out of the castle and thus am no longer your queen. Just treat me like you would any other hylian and call me Zelda... or Tetra."
"Y-yes, ma'am."
Zelda sighed and held up her right hand, unwrapping the cloth she was using to hide her mark. "As I'm sure you already know, Link has this same mark on his left hand. It is proof of our blessing by the Goddesses and through it we can feel each other regardless of far apart we may or may not be. This power is how I know he's alright."
"You wouldn't happen to be able to tell us where he is, would you?" Rusl asked as he stood and dusted his pants off.
"He's in the ancient grove."
"Ancient grove?" Ilia questioned.
"It's a sacred place that only a select few have ever seen," Rusl explained before turning back towards the queen. "but how did he get all the way over there?"
"The same way he got here, of course."
"Can you use spells like that?" Uli asked, hopeful.
"I have an exceptional talent in magic, but that particular spell tends to go haywire when I use it," Zelda admitted, mumbling the last part in embarrassment. She glanced at Rusl. "I will attempt the spell, but I'll need you to come with me. I won't be able to carry him should he be unconscious."
"I understand," Rusl replied.
Zelda held out her hand and Rusl tightly grasped it as they were surrounded by a strong wind and a green light. The light and wind faded and they found themselves standing in the middle of the grove. Zelda had intended for them to teleport to where the master sword lay, but this was good enough for her, especially considering she could've easily accidentally sent them to the desert like she'd done when she first learned the spell.
Rusl had started walking when Skullkid suddenly fell from above, landing on a nearby stump and pointing his finger accusingly at them. A horde of puppets surrounded them and Zelda took a step back in surprise while Rusl drew his sword.
"You're the ones who hurt Link, aren't you!? You came back to finish him off, haven't you!?"
"You're mistaken. We're his friends. We came to help him," Rusl tried to explain, but Skullkid wasn't having it.
"Filthy adults! Lying adults! I have no reason to believe you!" Skullkid yelled.
Rusl was about to lose his temper with the small creature when Zelda intervened. "I'm Zelda, a dear friend of Link. Please let us go to him."
"Zelda?" Skullkid asked, the name sounding strangely familiar. He tilted his head to the side and grinned. "I remember him mentioning a Zelda."
"So you'll let us through?" She asked, clasping her hands over her chest.
Skullkid shook his head and pulled out a trumpet. "When Link last lived he taught me a song. He also taught that song to a girl named Zelda so that she could prove she was his friend if she ever came here. I'll play the first half of the song to help jog your memory and you have to fish it. If you can't I'll through you in the ravine."
He started to play a song that was once joyous in nature, but became sad and lonely over time. He stopped half way through and looked at Zelda expectantly. She closed her eyes and hummed the first part of the song three times, unlocking a distant memory from a past life. Her eyes opened, flashing with determination.
"Over here?
Over there?
Where is that lovely song coming from?
If you don't follow it
In this forest you'll surely get lost
Pay attention
Listen close
Don't forget
You'll find the end in just a little bit
Come on now
Don't give up
Don't despair
Deep Inside the Sacred Grove you will surely find me there"
Zelda and Rusl waited in anticipation, hoping she'd sung the right song. They let out a sigh of relief when Skullkid smiled and the trees began to part, revealing a hidden path.
"Thank you," she told him, bowing deeply.
Rusl mimic'd her actions and Skullkid and his puppets were gone when they looked back up.
"Why can't that boy have normal friends?" Rusl sighed, running a hand through his hair as they ran through the newly discovered path. "Also, I'm glad Link taught you that song, or else we'd be seriously screwed right now."
"Yeah, about that..."
Rusl raised an eyebrow at her. "Did he not teach it to you?"
"Yes and no. Um... He, uh, taught me it in a previous life. He never mentioned it in this one," She confessed, avoiding his gaze. She knew she probably shouldn't be telling other people about this, but she desperately needed to talk about it to someone other than Link.
"Seriously?" Rusl asked in awe. "Do you remember things from past lives a lot? What about Link? Does he do it, too?"
"Yes, yes, yes and yes," Zelda shyly answered, glancing up at the older man. She visibly relaxed upon seeing his gentle smile.
"I guess that explains why Link zones out and looks lost all the time," He chuckled, earning a musical laugh from the queen.
"That's only half why, I'm afraid. That one seems to live in his thoughts," She laughed, slowing to a jog as they reached what remained of the temple of time.
They walked cautiously through the ruins and Rusl let out a small smile as he examined their surroundings. He hadn't been able to accompany the restoration committee when they'd visited the place, so this was a first for him. Zelda, on the other hand, had been there with Link when he had returned the master sword to it's pedestal. Rusl sighed as he wished they were there under better conditions.
They found Link unconscious in a patch of grass in front of the master sword, which gleamed in the bright sunlight. His clothes were torn and his broadsword was no where to be seen. Zelda wasted no time running to his side.
"Someone bandaged his wounds," Rusl mumbled, dumbfounded as he examined the poorly wrapped wound on Link's side. "Do you think it was that little guy?"
"I don't think so."
"Then who else could've of...?"
"I couldn't let him die," An unknown voice confessed.
The duo whipped around to find Iasik staring at the ground in shame with his hands shoved deep in his pockets.
"You're on their side. Why did you help him?" Rusl demanded, drawing his sword just in case the ivory haired man should try something.
"The brute that attacked your friend was Norman. He saved my life when I was just a kid and he used that and countless lies to make me do what ever the hell he wanted. He said we were taking over Hyrule to free it from a corrupt queen and that no one would get hurt. As I'm sure you already know, many died. I didn't want to help any more, but then he convinced me that you had escaped and were harming people. I finally decided to go against him when he threatened to kill your friends," Iasik told them, his head bowed in shame. "I've also come to realize that you're not a tyrant, but a kind person who helps others."
"After all you put us through, I'm not sure if I can trust you," Rusl told him, pointing his sword at the Sunscorgian.
"If I were lying I wouldn't have used my last potion to keep your friend from bleeding out," Iasik argued, desperation in his voice.
"That doesn't-!"
"I believe him," Zelda said, cutting Rusl off. She knelt beside Link and brushed his bangs out of his face. A gentle smile spread across her face.
Rusl stared at the queen defiantly before sighing, sliding his sword back in it's scabbard. "You know Impa is gonna try to kill him the second she sees him, right?"
"Not if I explain the circumstances."
"Wait. Who said I going back with you?" Iasik interjected, looking very much confused.
"Well, you don't have anywhere else to go," Zelda informed him as she gazed at the unconscious hero. "By fleeing the battle in Ordon, you have officially become a traitor against Sunscorge. If you were to return with things as they are, you'd be slaughtered."
"Oouuwwah," Iasik groaned, his head lolling back. "I didn't think about that."
"So you'll join us us?" Zelda asked, way more hopeful than she should've been considering he was an enemy less than a hour ago.
"I don't really have a choice."
Zelda did a tiny cheer and Rusl knelt beside her before removing his sword so that it wouldn't get in the way.
"Help me get him on my back," He ordered.
"I'd get someone with some actual medical experience to look at the wound on his side," Iasik told them as he helped get Link on Rusl's back. "I poured an entire bottle of red potion on it, but it didn't do much to help it."
Rusl stood and Link started to slip, so he instinctively bounced to regain his hold on him. Link made a pained noise before he fell unconscious once more. Zelda released the breath she'd accidentally been holding. Rusl let out a nervous sigh.
"Uli's a good healer. I get her to look at him when we get back," Rusl said, "Zelda, try and warp us as close to the village as you can."
The queen nodded and grabbed both of the men. She used Farore's Wind and they were surround by a green light.
AN: Okay, so I kind of realized that some might think Iasik is older than he is due to his hair color (oops), So I want to inform you all that he's only 24 (I obsess over my character's ages)
Oh, and if you haven't already guessed, the song it Saria's Song from OoT. It took me over an hour to come up with those lyrics XD
I also want to point out that all of my OC's are hylian unless I say otherwise.
SKULLKID: (PULLS OUT TRUMPET) Review!