Saria was restless. She remained in a half-conscious, half-unconscious state for hours, never reaching full sleep. Tossing and turning, she eventually woke up to the smell of fresh stew. Salty and savory smells made her mouth water. Wiping her mouth with her sleeve and rubbing her eyes, she remembered where she was. She was in a small house in Kakariko Village.
"Oh, you're finally awake, dearie!" said a portly woman at a stove. "Are you hungry? I made potato stew if you'd like some."
"Y-yes, I'd appreciate that. Thank you."
As Saria sat up, she realized that Poppy was fast asleep inside her cap, right beside the pillow. She decided to leave the fairy alone and join the woman at the table. After being served a good portion of stew, Saria let the steam hit her face. Now she felt fully awake.
After blowing on a few spoonfuls of stew to cool it and eat, Saria said, "This is good! Thank you for this, miss…?"
"You can call me Ofukuro. And your name is Saria, right?"
"It is. My memory of our first meeting is fuzzy. I was pretty tired when I came here."
"It's fine. Your little fairy explained things." Ofukuro paused to eat some stew then continued. "It's probably not my business, but are doing all right, dear? You were crying in your sleep. Your fairy was so worried she stayed up the whole time to watch over you. She only recently fell asleep herself."
Saria glanced back at Poppy, who looked so sweet and peaceful. One of the fairy's legs twitched before she calmed down. The Kokiri's expression softened at the sight.
"I've been better, but I'm trying to make the most of things. Thank you for your concern, Ofukuro."
"Of course! And if you're still troubled, you can always come talk to me." By this time, the kind woman had finished her first bowl and got up to serve herself seconds – or so Saria thought. After filling several other bowls, she turned to Saria. "Since you're awake, if it's not too much trouble, my sons have been working all day in the village. They're carpenters that were all hired by Impa to help expand this village, but their boss, Mutoh, is always working them half to death. Could you take some stew to them for me?"
"I'd be happy to."
"Wonderful! They're all over village, but it shouldn't be hard to recognize them. They're all quite big, with hair the same color as mine. There's Ichiro, Jiro, Sabooro, and Shiro."
"Ichiro, Jiro, Sabooro, and Shiro. Got it."
Showing great dexterity, Saria grabbed two bowls and balanced two more on her arms. She swiftly made her way through the village, seeking out the oversized men. It didn't take long to find the first one.
The first son, Ichiro, was found inside a finished but empty building. His eyes lit up as he saw the stew and thanked Saria profusely for it, slurping it down in a go. After slamming the bowl on the counter, he said, "Ah, thanks for that!"
"You're very welcome," said Saria. "Say, if you don't mind me asking, what are you doing in here?"
Ichiro leaned in and said, "Between you and me, I'm actually hiding from the boss."
"O-oh, is that so?"
"I nearly threw out my back yesterday carrying wood and I barely get paid anything! I'll never get rich like this! It kinda makes me wonder if there's a way to work less but get paid more." The man scratched his chin. "I suppose I could become a thief."
Did he just say that out loud? Saria thought.
"Are you sure that's the best course of action? What if you get caught? Wouldn't you get in trouble?" asked Saria.
"Whaaaat? I'm sure that wouldn't happen. I just gotta… Find some people who are already thieves and join 'em. I'm sure my brawn would impress them!" The man laughed to himself. Saria decided to ditch him and move on.
Saria bumped into the second son after leaving the empty building. Jiro, a man with puffy hair, was running things back and forth between the center of town and up near the gate. He gasped upon seeing Saria masterfully balance all the hot bowls.
"Oh my goodness! Is that stew?"
After swiping a bowl, he quickly ate but soon regretted it, burning his tongue. "Ow ow ow ow!"
It was an amusing but worrying sight. Saria asked, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine. I was just so hungry I couldn't help myself! The boss is always making us work on all kinds of projects in the village. It's super hard work!"
Without missing a beat, Jiro continued his tasks, all while balancing the bowl atop his fluffy hair.
The third son, Sabooro, was found atop a half-finished building in the middle of the village. He was standing on a brick wall overlooking things while the fourth son, Shiro, was running supplies up to the building from the windmill.
"Hey, Ofukuro wanted you to have this," said Saria, handing Sabooro a bowl.
"Ooooh, thank you!" The man sat down on the building frame, blew on the stew to cool it and started to eat, taking his time to enjoy every bite. "I gotta thank her for this. This really hit the spot! Come to think of it, I don't think I've seen you around before. Are you moving into the village?"
Saria sat down on the building frame as well, saying, "What? Oh no, I'm just passing through. I was just doing Ofukuro a favor since she gave me a place to rest."
"I see, I see," the man nodded, enjoying the stew. After taking a break from eating, he looked out across the village. "That's just how we are in this place. It was Impa that finally opened this village to the public so we poor folk could have a place to live. She even hired all of us to help expand it since we started running out of room for new people. I think that kindness was contagious, because everyone is always trying to help others in their own way here."
Saria listened intently to the man's words. Her first impression of Impa was frankly terrifying, but little by little, she started to realize that hard exterior bellied a great deal of kindness.
"I see… Impa is something else, huh?"
"You're telling me! It's a shame she's always so busy. She used to live here you know, before she had to spend all her time working in the castle. She may as well be the head of this village, though we rarely see her. I wonder when she'll be back?"
"If I happen to see her, I'll ask her."
"Well aren't you a helpful sort?"
"I'm just trying fit in."
The pair laughed together, and Saria started to feel at peace. The people she had met outside the forest were sometimes strange, scary, or downright rude, but there were many others who were pleasant and kind. She decided that, if possible, she would show all the Kokiri this village when time allowed.
"Oh wow, is that stew?" said Shiro as he swiped the bowl and went back to work without a second thought. Sabooro and Saria froze at the display, unsure how to react.
"Don't mind my brother," said Sabooro nervously. "Shiro and the others are, um, how should I put this? A bit blunt. They don't mean to be rude, they just don't think about these kinds of things."
"Reminds me of someone I know back in my village."
When Sabooro finished his stew, Saria went to reach for the bowl, but the man stopped her. "Don't worry, I'll take care of this and the other bowls myself. I'm sure you're plenty busy."
"Oh, I wouldn't say that. I'm still waiting for a friend to wake up."
"Really? Well… If you're feeling especially charitable, I know of a way you can kill time. You see that woman over there by the animal pen?"
Saria turned her head. A rather distressed-looking woman with dark red hair and blue eyes was frantically running about trying to grab cuccos, all of which were roaming free throughout the village.
"That's Anju," said Sabooro. "She's the daughter of our boss. I always feel bad for her, because she takes care of the village cuccos even though she has an allergy to them. I've helped her with the cuccos before, but they escape the pen so much it's hard to keep up with them."
"I see…" Saria looked around, noting the cuccos scattered throughout the village. She left the man by the brick wall, darting around the village at great speed and scooping up every cucco she could find until she dropped them back into the pen.
"W-wha? How did you do that so quickly? Thank you!" said Anju.
"It's no big deal! I heard you had trouble with these little guys, so I thought I'd help."
"Oh… I didn't mean to be a bother."
"No no, it's fine."
Despite Saria's words, Anju hung her head low. "I don't have many useful skills so I try and do what I can to help out around here. I was fine taking care of the cuccos for a while, but one day they started giving me goosebumps. It's so troublesome, but I don't want to stop and doing nothing all day."
"Is it really so wrong to sit around? I mean… I know how you feel, but it's okay to take a break every once and a while too. Don't be so hard on yourself."
"I appreciate your kind words, but it's hard convincing myself it's okay."
She has quite the complex, Saria thought. I wonder…
"Hey, do you know if anyone around here has a sewing kit?"
"I think that house over there might have one. Why do you ask?"
Saria took off running. "You'll see."
After talking with another villager and getting some supplies, Saria fashioned a thick pair of work gloves for Anju.
"Here, that should help."
"Oh! Thank you so much! But why the gift?"
"I figure if I can't convince you to take a break, I can at least make handling the cuccos easier. I made you a bandana as well so you could cover your face when you needed to. I hope it helps!"
As Anju gripped the gloves and bandana, tears streamed from her eyes.
"W-wait, what did I do?" asked Saria.
"I… I… You're just so kind! I don't know what to say!"
Rubbing the back of her head, Saria said, "Don't worry so much about it! It's fine. Honest!"
"No, this won't do. I was raised better. Hold on!"
Anju sped to the top of the village. It sounded like she was frantically searching through her house. When she returned, she gave Saria a fine glass bottle (eerily similar to one Impa had).
"Here, take this!"
"Anju, it's fine."
"No! I refuse! I can't just let you be so nice without trying to give something in return! Please, accept it!"
Feeling defeated, Saria smiled and accepted the bottle, putting it away in one of her pouches.
"Ah, well, I'm sure I can use it for something… Thank you very much, Anju."
"And you as-" Anju gasped. "Oh no! I don't even know your name! I'm sorry!"
"It's Saria."
"Saria? I'll do my best to remember the name. Thank you once again!"
Saria nodded along, smiling but a little nervous as she walked away.
She's a bit sensitive, it seems. That's okay, though. It wouldn't be the first time I've dealt with people like that.
The Kokiri reminisced about a time in her village when two of the boys were playfighting with wooden swords. One was a bit too rough and tore a hole in the other's tunic. As Saria had helped fashion the tunic for the boy, he became so mad that he lashed out at his opponent, hurting him more than he intended. Saria had to break up the fight and set the two aside, giving both a talking to. After Saria helped fix the tunic and gave the other some medicine, they both wept profusely before Saria, apologizing over and over for their behavior. Those same two boys went on to become good friends. Saria realized she had been smiling the whole time she was reminiscing, her cheeks grown warm. Somehow, spending time in Kakariko Village and helping the villagers was making her homesick.
I should visit them soon…
With matters settled in the village, Saria returned to Ofukuro's house to check on Poppy. When she stepped inside the house, Poppy flew straight into her chest.
"There you are! Why were you gone so long? I was worried about you!" the fairy fumed.
"I was helping out in the village. Don't worry so much." Saria gave Poppy a pat on the head, frustrating the fairy.
"Don't tell me what to do! I have every right to worry after everything that's happened!"
Even as Poppy continued to grumble, Saria chuckled at the sight. Hearing Poppy's words brought Saria great joy. It was a busy morning, but somehow, she felt more rested than she had when she first woke up.
"Hey, Ofukuro, we're taking off now. Thanks for all the help!" said Saria.
"Leaving so soon? All right, dearie! Feel free to come back anytime!"
Saria and Poppy said their goodbyes, leaving the house behind and making their way toward the gate that led to Death Mountain. As they did, Saria noticed a man stuck on a roof. He was looking past the Windmill to a corner of the village she had yet to explore.
"Looks like another storm," said the man.
"A storm? With this weather?"
"There's always a storm brewing over the graveyard. Not sure why."
"A graveyard? What's a graveyard?"
The man looked puzzled at Saria's words. "Are you serious? It's where the dead are buried."
"Oh, I'm sorry. When someone passes away in my village, we simply return them to the soil under our great tree."
The man seemed unsure how to respond. He said, "Graveyards aren't too different from that. The one in this village uses stones to mark where the dead are buried. Past members of the Sheikah and Royal Family are buried there, supposedly. Old Dampé maintains the place if you're really curious, though I suppose he's likely asleep at the moment…"
Saria looked to Poppy. "Why would there be perpetual storms over such a place? Wouldn't such an important place have protective magics? Unless…" Saria paused, lost in thought.
"I don't know, but it gives me the creeps," said Poppy.
"We should check it out, just in case."
"What? Why? We have a mission to get to!"
"I want to make sure the village will be okay. It should only take a minute."
Saria thanked the man on the roof and walked away. Poppy watched her go and fumed. "You say that about everything!"
When Saria first stepped into the village graveyard, the weather seemed calm, yet the closer she got, more and more dark clouds formed overhead, rumbling with thunder and lightning. Soon enough, rain was coming down all over the graveyard. Passing through the fence that separated the village from the graves, Saria found a large stone that read:
"R.I.P. Here lie the souls of those who swore fealty to the Royal Family of Hyrule. The Sheikah, guardians of the Royal Family and founders of Kakariko, watch over these spirits in their eternal slumber."
"So it's true," said Saria. "This really is the burial site of the Sheikah and Royal Family."
"Sounds like a good reason to leave them alone," said Poppy.
Saria looked around. There was a small wooden shack to her right – likely the home of the gravekeeper – and a small boy who was swinging about a stick up ahead, saying he was imitating Dampé because he was bored. Other than that, there was nothing but rows and rows of graves with elaborately carved headstones. When she looked at the far end of the graveyard, Saria felt a wind blow that chilled her to the bone.
"What was that? It felt so… Unnatural."
The Kokiri made her way to the very top of the graveyard. A large grave with two smaller graves dedicated to composers sat just before a raised fenced-off area. A strange, dark energy could be felt emanating from the cavern beyond the fencing up above.
"Curious… I wonder what's up there?" asked Saria.
Poppy, who kept looking over her shoulder, said, "I don't think it's our business to know. We should get out of here!" Poppy checked her surroundings once more. "There's something not right about this place. The spirits here are… Restless."
"I feel it too, but this could be a good opportunity to learn about the Sheikah. Impa seems nice enough, but I still don't trust the Sheikah." Looking up at the fenced-off area, Saria said, "They're hiding something, and I want to know what."
Stepping closer to the large grave between the composers' graves, she noticed an inscription, as well as the symbol of the Royal Family. Thinking back to the song Impa taught her, curiosity got the better of the Kokiri girl.
"It proves your connection to the Royal Family, does it? I wonder…"
Standing before the large grave, Saria played the song using her ocarina. Up above, the storm clouds continued to rumble and quake. They grew in intensity until finally, a lightning bolt shot out of the sky and struck the large grave, shattering it and revealing a deep pit. The explosive bolt startled the young boy in the back of the graveyard, sending him running.
"Ha! I knew it!" said Saria in triumph. "Well, except for the exploding stone part. I'm not sure how to fix that…"
Poppy floated over the dark pit, looking down. "What do you think is in there?" she asked.
"Sheikah secrets, no doubt," Saria smugly grinned.
Saria joined her friend at the edge of the pit. It was deep enough that the faint light around the graveyard could only illuminate the first few feet. Saria was still curious, but now she wasn't sure how to even get down there. While she was distracted, a sudden kick to her back knocked her down the hole.
"Saria!" shouted Poppy, flying after her.
The Kokiri fell for what felt like hundreds of feet. Down, down, down into darkness she went, yet before she hit the bottom, she stopped mid-air and floated gently onto a magical platform that shimmered with light. After straightening herself out, she looked up.
"Saria, are you all right?!" asked Poppy, joining her.
"I'm fine. I don't know what happened, though. It felt like I was pushed. Did you see who did it?"
Poppy raised a finger and was about to speak but stopped. "I… Flew down too fast to notice."
Saria sighed. "It's fine…" Testing her foot against the sparkling platformed, she realized it was enchanted. "I see. This should take us back to the top."
"Oh good! Let's get going, then."
"Hold on," Saria raised a hand. "We've come this far already. I sense dark spirits further within." Saria drew her dagger and walked forward.
"That seems like a good reason to not stick around. Why do you want to look around so badly, anyway? Are you that curious?"
Saria reached the middle of the blue tiled chamber. The floor was littered with the bones of animals, monsters, and Hylians. She shuddered, holding a hand to her mouth.
"Wicked things truly do rest here…"
Keese noticed Saria and took flight, attacking her. Saria sliced at them as they attacked, and soon after their bodies disappeared.
"Poppy…"
"Yeah?"
"I want to keep those villagers safe. Some of them are rude and dimwitted, but many others are kind, doing their best to live their lives. I couldn't possibly leave knowing they might be in danger."
The fairy calmed down and looked at her friend with a tear in her eye. "Saria…"
The Kokiri girl stepped lightly around the chamber. No other monsters attacked. She did notice something else, however. She could hear the whispers of the dead.
"Shine light on the living dead…" said one of the voices.
"Those who break into the Royal Tomb will be obstructed by the lurkers in the dark…" said another.
A third voice said, "I… See… You…"
Saria stepped back. "What?"
A ghostly creature manifested itself before her, holding a lantern. A second spirit appeared behind her. Each spirit had a mustache, a composer's baton, and flowing tattered robes with the symbol of the Triforce on them. Wearing hats, one was decorated with the image of the sun, while the other was decorated with the moon.
"Stop right there, trespasser!" said one spirit.
"You shall go no further!" said the other.
Before Saria had the chance to explain herself, the ghosts spun their lanterns around and attacked. Saria backflipped away, dodging the attack. The ghosts simply course-corrected and continued their charge. Saria answered their charge, dashing between the spirits and striking each with her dagger. The two spirits' eyes widened in shock before they fell apart. The lanterns shattered on the ground, revealing ghostly flames. These flames, it would seem, were the true spirits.
"GYAAAAH! YOU KILLED ME… Unbelievable!" said one spirit.
"GYAAAAH! I'M DEAD AGAIN! Wait…" the other spirit said, looking Saria up and down. "You don't look like one of Ganondorf's agents.
"What are you talking about?" the first one shouted. "Of course she works for Ganondorf! Why else would she be down here?!"
"Hey!" shouted Saria. "I do not work for Ganondorf. Let's get that straight right now. Furthermore, is that the only reason you attacked me? Have his agents come down here before?"
The fiery spirits looked at one another, then the right one spoke.
"Hm… Perhaps introductions are in order. My name is Sharp."
"And I'm Flat!"
"We're the Composer Brothers," said Sharp, taking a bow. "We Sheikah could never figure out the power of the Triforce, but we almost completed our study of controlling time with the tones of ocarinas. Uh, I mean… Actually, we did complete that study! We were almost famous!"
"But then Ganondorf got involved…" said Flat.
"That wicked sorcerer," Saria clenched her fist. "What did he do this time?"
"He tried to steal our results!" said Sharp. "Of course we would never let someone like him reap the fruits of our research. We gave our lives to protect our secret."
Flat nodded. "To tell you the truth, we were each studying a different song. I was studying the moon."
"And I, the sun. We once had a mission to study the mysterious powers of the Royal Family, which led us down this path."
"Now that I think of it, how did you get down here? Only members of the Royal Family should be able to reach this place."
"Well… I'm technically an envoy," said Saria, avoiding eye contact with the ghosts.
"Oh, is that so? Perhaps we finally have the chance to share our work!" said Sharp. He turned to face a doorway up a flight of stairs next to unlit torch sconces. "Through that door at the far end of the next chamber, the last of our work has been preserved. However…"
"However?"
"A bunch of monsters are waiting to attack any intruders," said Flat.
"What kind of monsters?" Poppy asked, biting her nails.
"The living dead," said Sharp. "Terrible, hollow shells of men come and gone. I want you to see our work, but it may be too dangerous."
"What would I find if I made it past them?" asked Saria.
"A magical song," said Flat. "One that makes the moon chase the sun, and the sun chase the moon."
"A song that could change night to day? Is such a thing even possible?"
"To be honest, we never tested it."
Saria stumbled back.
"We're pretty sure it works, but we were in a bit of a rush at the end. If it does work, however, you would have the power to shift the flow of time itself… Interested?"
"I'm not sure. What do you think, Poppy?" asked Saria.
"I mean it could be useful, but I don't know what you would do with such a power. Is it really worth the risk?"
Saria pondered the matter, then spoke to the Composer Brothers again. "What are the chances these living dead could make it to the surface?"
"Now that the seal is broken?" asked Flat. "Oh, I'd say pretty good. If they can get the door open – which only requires you to touch it - that shiny platform will take them to the surface no problem!"
Sharp glared at his brother. "Are you serious? Who even put that thing there? This is a disaster! If those things get out, who knows what they'll do!"
"I'll take care of them," said Saria. "I realize now I should never have come here, but I made this mess, so I'm going to clean it up."
"Saria, are you sure?" asked Poppy. Saria nodded.
"Then before we go," said Sharp, "let me give you some advice. The eyes of these creatures have a terrible power. They can paralyze you with a stare. They cannot see with their eyes, however. If you're careful, you may be able to get the drop on them."
"All right, I'll keep that in mind. Thank you. The both of you," Saria smiled.
Flat blushed. "Oh, it was nothing… I'm just happy all our hard work will finally amount to something."
Sharp narrowed his gaze at his brother before saying, "Well, try not to make a habit of sticking your nose in other peoples' graves."
And then the flames puttered out, dissipating into the air. Before Saria entered the next chamber, Poppy slipped underneath Saria's cap.
"I'll just wait under here. I'm… Sure you'll be fine."
Saria could feel the fairy shivering. "That's quite all right. If things get too dangerous, return to the surface and warn the others of the danger."
Poppy gave an affirming nod, then slipped under the cap. Saria then touched a hand to the door, causing it to slide up and let her inside before shutting behind her.
Once everyone left the first chamber, a new figure slipped down the hole. After safely landing on the ground, she chuckled quietly to herself.
"So this is where they hid it…"
Saria stepped lightly, keeping her back to the left wall. At the end of a short hallway the room opened up. She could see pools of green sludge bubbling and release a foul gas into the air. It had a sharp, sickly-sweet smell to it. Dotting the visible walkways around the sludge were emaciating figures laying on the ground, crouching, or just staring at the walls. It looked like wooden masks had been strapped to their faces – and Saria had no doubt it was against their will.
Three, maybe four… It's hard to tell with all that gas, Saria thought. They're far enough away from each other that if I just stay quiet, I could-
A high-pitched whistle rang through the air from behind Saria. Someone or something had alerted the redead, and now they were all on the move.
Who did that?!
One of the redead slowly turned in Saria's direction, shuffling forward. For just a moment, her eyes met the eyes of the redead, and a blood-curdling scream echoed in her mind, freezing her in place.
Shoot! I was careless! My body… I can't… Move!
One step after another, the redead grew closer… And closer… A bony arm with long, bony fingers reached out to try and grab the Kokiri, but she broke out of the paralysis in the nick of time. The girl darted behind the undead monster and slashed away with her dagger, making the creature drop to the ground. Blue blood dripped from Saria's dagger as red blood dripped from her lips. When she was certain it was slain, Saria ran for cover, wiping her mouth on her sleeve.
Had to bite my tongue just to free myself. I can't even imagine what it would have done if I wasn't quick enough.
After catching her breath, Saria readied herself for the next attack, but then something strange happened. The remaining redeads shuffled over to the one on the ground, crouched down, and just… Stared at it. Poppy, who was quivering beneath Saria's cap, poked her head out and watched.
"W-w-w-what are they d-d-d-doing?"
"I'm not sure…" whispered Saria.
A few seconds passed, and the fallen redead's body seemed to disappear, almost as if it were never real to begin with. Whether the creatures finished their business or lost interest, they all stood back up and turned away.
Now's my chance!
Saria ran across the room, hopped over one of the sludge pits, then went wild with her dagger, striking the redead down one after the other. As frightening and durable as they were, they were too sluggish to defend themselves. With the last of the redead slain, Saria gasped for air. The gas in the room made it hard to breathe. The Kokiri struggled to get away, slumping against one of the walls and panting.
"It's… Done…"
"Saria, you don't look so good," said Poppy. "Here."
The fairy touched her hands to Saria's forehead and glowed with magic power. Trace amounts of life energy were passed to the Kokiri, reversing the effects of the toxic fumes. Within seconds, Saria was back to normal.
"Poppy, you didn't have to."
"I'm your fairy, remember? I can't sit by and do nothing while you're suffering. Besides, if I let you fall here, it's not like I could take on Ganondorf by myself."
"Right you are," said a woman's voice. Saria turned to face the source of the voice, narrowly dodging a dagger hucked at her neck. Saria knocked a second dagger out of the air by striking it with her own, and then she finally saw her. It was a tall and muscular woman with bright red hair, dark skin, and vibrant yellow eyes. She wore jewelry, thick makeup, and colorful clothes, as well as light armor across her forearms and shins. Seeing the resemblance, Saria realized she was a Gerudo woman.
"Who are you?" asked Saria.
"Wouldn't you like to know, fairy girl," the woman smirked. After pulling out a small chunk of stone from her pants pocket, the woman casually tossed the stone up and down with one hand. "Thanks for the distraction. It would have been a pain to get this without you."
"Wait, that inscription!" Poppy shouted. "Is that the Composer Brothers' song?"
"That's right," said the Gerudo. "The only copy of it in the world, no less. I had ample time to remove it from that tablet at the back of the chamber. Ganondorf will be pleased once he sees this."
Saria readied her dagger and drew a deku nut. "I won't let you get away."
"Oh, come on now. What do you care? You probably don't even realize the value of this song. Don't be a hero, girl. It's not worth your life." The woman grinned once more. "Unless you want to trade something for it. Call it a hunch, but I have a feeling you have something even more valuable than this song in one of those pouches." The Gerudo then pocketed the stone and stepped forward, drawing a pair of scimitars as if from the air itself.
"Be careful, Saria. I can tell she's no pushover," said Poppy.
"The fairy is right, you know. I may be a lowly spy at the moment, but one day all of Gerudo Desert will know the name 'Kitoga'!"
The Gerudo warrior dashed forward, swiping down at Saria. The Kokiri dodged, swerving to the right as she lashed out with her dagger. Kitoga parried, swinging once more with her second blade. Saria ducked, and Poppy shot up into the air, taking the cap with her. The pair of girls traded blows, one after the other as sparks fired from their blades every time they met.
Saria was pushed more and more on the defensive as Kitoga started reading her movements. Soon enough, all Saria could do was parry the Gerudo's blades as she was pushed back toward a wall. Just when it seemed like there was no more room to go, Saria flipped back onto the wall and kicked off of it, crashing into Kitoga and knocking them both to the ground. One of the Gerudo's scimitars fell into the green sludge while Saria's dagger was all the way on the other side of the room.
"Damn you!" shouted Kitoga as she hucked a dagger at the Kokiri. Saria tried to dodge, but the dagger cut across her shoulder, drawing blood. Closing the distance to her own weapon, Saria turned and threw her cloak into the air, blocking Kitoga's line of sight just long enough for Saria to toss a deku nut. Before the Gerudo realized what happened, Saria had knocked away her second scimitar, leaving her weaponless before the Kokiri.
"It's over," said Saria.
"Is it?!"
Kitoga threw a roundhouse kick at the girl, forcing Saria to dodge. The momentum was too much for the Gerudo's pocket, however, and the stone was flung across the room right toward a sludge pit.
"No!" shouted Saria. The Kokiri leapt for the stone and caught it midair, landing safely on the other side of a pit. When she turned to look for the Gerudo, she was gone.
"Poppy, where'd she go?"
"She went through the door!"
Saria pursued, opening the door. By the time she was on the other side, Kitoga was already rising into the air via the magic platform. After disappearing in a beam of light, she was gone. Saria's shoulders sunk. After smacking the side of her fist into the wall, she went back to the second chamber to retrieve her cloak.
"What's wrong, Saria? You got the song. You won, didn't you?" asked Poppy.
"She could have told us more about Ganondorf and his plans," said Saria.
"Ah. You make a fair point. So it's a draw, then."
"It would seem so."
Saria walked to the far end of the second chamber, finding a stone tablet on the wall. Missing from the tablet was the chunk of stone she was now carrying.
"Do I… Put it back? It seems wrong to take now."
"She'd come back for it if you did," said Poppy. "Might as well hold onto it for now."
Nodding in agreement, Saria read the tablet aloud.
"This poem is dedicated to the memory of the dearly departed members of the Royal Family.
The rising sun will eventually set.
A newborn's life will fade.
From sun to moon, moon to sun…
Give peaceful rest to
The living dead."
"Interesting poem," said Poppy. "So this is what the Composer Brothers left behind."
Looking at the chunk of stone, Saria realized it had a musical staff with a set of notes indicating the song. After playing the song with her ocarina, she felt a strange magic wash over the air, as if the very sky had shifted. No longer was a dark storm brewing overhead. The clouds had parted, and the sun shined all over Kakariko.
A voice whispered in the air, "Restless souls wander where they don't belong. Bring them calm with the Sun's Song."
Saria and Poppy looked around. Somehow the dark, dreary chamber felt… Peaceful. The Kokiri pocketed the Sun Song stone then looked to her companion.
"It's time. Let's get out of here."
"Right," said Poppy.
As Saria and Poppy walked back, Saria stopped, looking at the abandoned scimitar on the ground. Picking it up, Saria noticed the fine craftsmanship of the blade. Not only was the large blade sharp and thin enough to split hairs, but it also had a jeweled knuckle guard. Saria's eyes widened as she looked at her reflection in the blade.
"Saria? You're not taking that, are you?"
"I mean… She wouldn't miss it, right?"
"Saria…"
"What? It'd be a waste to leave it in this tomb!"
"I can't believe you!" Saria winced at Poppy's chastising, but then the fairy said, "I knew it was a good idea to bond with you, you little rascal!" The fairy ruffled the Kokiri's hair, making Saria blush. Despite the heavy mood of before, Saria's heart felt strangely light. Once the pair were in the first chamber, they stepped onto the magic platform and were pulled to the surface by a beam of light.
"Gah!" a Hylian guard shouted, falling backwards.
"Oh! Sorry about that!" said Saria after returning to the graveyard.
"I should say! What were you doing down there?! Were you grave robbing?"
"No, it's not like that!"
"Then explain that fancy sword!"
"This was a Royal Family tomb!" said Poppy. "Why would they have Gerudo weaponry?"
"W-why… Wouldn't… Um… Hm. Fair enough. I still don't know why you were down there, though."
Unsure of what to do, Saria presented Zelda's letter. The guard took the letter and looked it over.
"Wait a minute… This is the princess's handwriting! Let's see here… Hmm… Okay… 'This is Saria… she is under my orders to save Hyrule.' Wait, seriously?"
The guard started laughing hysterically at the letter. Saria stepped back, feeling uncomfortable.
"Is everything okay?" she asked.
"Ha ha ha! Oh, I think everything is fine. Seems the princess has come up with another funny game to play! Okay, okay, all right. Since she obviously put you up to this, I won't punish you. In fact, I might as well ask. What else did she want you to do?"
"To travel up to Death Mountain?"
"Ha! Now that's rich! All right, if that's your orders, I'll help you through the gate. Just be careful, Ms. Hero!"
The guard laughed all the way to the gate. Along the way, Saria and Poppy learned that he had been called to the graveyard to investigate the explosion from earlier. No one had seen any sign of a Gerudo. Even when Saria told the guard what happened, he didn't believe her.
"Then how do you explain this fancy sword?!" she protested.
"I mean… Lots of Gerudo have been coming to Hyrule castle as of late. Who's to say you didn't buy that at the marketplace in Castle Town?"
"He's got you there," said Poppy.
"Tell you what," the guard continued. "It's clear there must be something strange going on, what with all this explosive lighting and Gerudo scimitar business. I'll keep an eye out for anything strange, but in return, you can do me a favor. Have you ever heard of the Happy Mask Shop?"
Saria thought back to her time in Castle Town. The vague image of a colorful shop came to mind, but she never went inside.
"That sounds familiar…"
"It's a new business in the market. Everyone's talking about it! You must have seen my boy hanging out in the graveyard, right? He's always pestering me for this really popular mask. Next time you head to town, maybe drop on by the shop and pick it up. You'd be doing me a huge favor."
"Is there a reason you can't get it yourself?" asked Poppy. The guard stared at her and gestured to the gate.
"I can't just up and leave. My whole job is standing here and making sure the wrong people don't pass through the gate. If I left my post without good cause, they'd hang me by my ankles until my face turned purple!"
"He's got you there," Saria said to Poppy with a smirk.
"Shush, you."
"One more thing," said the guard. "Try and be careful while you hike up the trail. Death Mountain isn't just any ordinary mountain – it's an active volcano! Sometimes it shoots whole chunks of rocks and hot magma out. That, and the locals are uh… Well, you'll see, but they're a bit careless as of late. Just be careful where you walk, all right?"
"Will do. Thank you, sir."
"No, thank you Ms. Hero! Wah ha ha!"
As Saria walked off, Poppy floated after her and grumbled.
"I hate that guy."