CHAPTER 8
"Ruto?"
He had to say it three or four times before his voice would come out, but the hatchling's dark eyes lit up when he finally managed to speak its – nay – HER name aloud. The light faded almost as quickly as it had appeared, however, and she went absolutely limp in Link's arms.
"You. . . . . . . . .recognize me. . . . . . . . .?" she mumbled glumly, her tears dripping into the pool at Link's feet. "How. . . . . . . . .?"
He needed no further confirmation.
As elated as he was to see Princess Ruto again, trepidation quickly drowned out his excitement. If she was here, then she wasn't in Zora's Domain. Moreover, the Ruto that he'd known was, at most, a year younger than him. How in Farore's wind had she regressed into. . . . . . . . .this? What was she doing in the middle of a forest? Who had done this to her?
The only clear answer came to him almost immediately.
Ganondorf.
True, Kafei had fallen victim to Majora's Mask (via Skull Kid) in this same manner – but that was in Termina, and as far as Link could discern, he was in Hyrule now. Here, only Ganondorf had that sort of power – and, if such things were happening to the Sages, then. . . . . . . . .
There was only one way to rule the Gerudo King out.
"Ruto?" the lad inquired, as gently as he could. "There's something that I need to know. Well, two things, actually. First off – does the word 'Termina' mean anything to you?"
The look of absolute confusion on her face told him everything that he needed to know. He was in Hyrule. Had Termina been a kingdom that bordered Hyrule, Ruto would probably have heard of it.
"And second off. . . . . . . . ."
He trailed off for a moment, trying to decide how best to phrase the question. After all, one didn't invoke such a blighted name as Ganondorf's carelessly, especially not in the presence of somebody who'd witnessed the man's wickedness first-hand.
Finally, he simply asked her point-blank: "Did – did. . . . . . . . . he do this to you?"
Ruto, clearly knowing whom Link meant, vigorously shook her head. "Ganondorf," she managed, "had nothing to do with this, Link! We seal – we sealed him away, remember?"
Link remembered, all right – and, even as he sighed in relief, his eyebrows furrowed in panic. She shouldn't remember sealing Ganondorf away – it was seven years too early. She hadn't even –
Then it occurred to him. "You're not the Ruto of this era. . . . . . . . .are you?"
She shook her head again, less vigorously this time, as a slight smile crossed her tear-stained face, revealing that she did indeed have a mouth, apparently only there when it was needed. Link needed no further confirmation. Somehow, he held the Sage of Water in his small hands, seven years before she was due to awaken – and he knew precisely what he needed to do.