 "CHILD OF DESTINY" By Diana Koch The following story written by Diana, is perhaps the best piece of Zelda Fiction I've ever read. This represents a monumental effort and a keen knowledge of everything that makes Zelda unique. She captures the essense of the fantasy aspect of the game and portrays familiar characters with depth. One thing I have to say about Zelda is that in many ways the plot was a little on the sparce side. Yes the game has a basic goal to accomplish (save the princess) and we meet various characters along the way but what was missing was significant dialogue and character development. I truly wish a storylike like Diana's manifested itself in the Zelda experience. The future of the game on the GameCube is uncertain, but I have an endearing hope that the creators of this legendary video game take the effort to breathe life into Link, Zelda, and all the Characters of Zelda that we have come to know and love. I can't believe the quality Diana's story represents and the sheer length of it. This will become and remain a very valued addition to the Odyssey of Hyrule Anthology, "The Many Adventures of Link"
I'm presently a junior in high school (I'm 17 years old right now) and I
live in Illionis. I've always had a bit of a passion for writing and
sketching, and I've been doing both since I was a kid. My folks and friends
say I've got a real talent for writing, and I also have a real wide
imagination--especially when it comes to fantasy-related fiction. I'm a big
Zelda fan, as you could probably already tell, and so are a lot of my
friends. Your Zelda site is one of my favorites--I love the "Something to
Laugh At" and trick sections. They're awesome!
__________________________________________________________________ Chapter 1 In her castle on top of Crystal Mountain, Saphira was looking out her window, in the direction of Hyrule-the former kingdom of her love, Ganondorf. She had been Ganondorf's lover during his reign, and wanted to avenge him. Oh, Link and Zelda would pay for sealing him away in the Evil Realm! Yes, they would! Saphira went to her throne, and lovingly ran her fingers along her staff, reminiscing about the past. She remembered first meeting Ganondorf. Yes, that was a wonderful day, indeed. It was a few years after Ganondorf had become King of Hyrule. She had decided to leave her land of Crastalyina, and introduce herself to the new King. She hadn't really liked the old King all that much, but she liked the prospects of this one. So she went to Hyrule to visit him. He had been fairly wary of her at first. He was a Gerudo, after all, and didn't trust anyone. But she managed to convince him that she was willing to be his ally. She told him of her kingdom, and how she, being evil, had managed to rule over it for the past ten years. She had been queen since she was sixteen, and knew how to rule a kingdom-and also how to fight. She would help him during wars, as she had a formidable army. He liked this woman, and agreed. He even asked her to stay for a while. Then came the night. They were talking in the great hall of his castle, when she suddenly felt the urge. She stepped close to him, and kissed him on the lips. He was stunned at first, but almost immediately relaxed and kissed back. She could feel his big strong hands moving up her waist and under her arms. Then he pulled her close. They were kissing as though they would never stop, as though a fire had grown inside them. When they finally pulled away, he took her to his chambers. They immediately started their fiery kissing again, and they began removing each other's clothes. She felt her cape go sliding to the floor, and she unclipped Ganondorf's as well. She removed his armor and clothes, and he did the same with her elegant gown. It wasn't long before they were making love. They did this all through the night, and all day the next day... Then she had to leave. Her advisor had come and informed her that she couldn't remain away from her kingdom any longer. If she did, her people would think she was an irresponsible ruler and attempt to overthrow her. Reluctantly, she had left, but not before kissing Ganondorf one last time and telling him she loved him. She did visit him several times over the years, and every night they made love. Each night was better than the last. Then, one morning when she had to leave, he popped the question, asking her to marry him. He then slipped a beautiful ring on her finger, most likely one he'd gotten from the Gerudos, and Saphira had to say yes, she loved him so much by that time. She promised to visit him again soon, after she had taken care of her kingdom. But one day, as she was speaking with one of her advisors at her castle, one of Ganondorf's messengers came in. "Your Highness," he panted. "Ganondorf has fallen." Saphira stood up slowly and went over to him. "What?" She asked softly. She couldn't-and wouldn't-believe that her fiance was gone. "Ganondorf has been overthrown. He was banished to the Sacred Realm by Princess Zelda and Link, the Hero of Time." The messenger stopped, and Saphira just stared at him. The huge sapphire on her staff glowed ferociously. She turned around, and took a few steps toward her throne. But suddenly she whirled around, pointing her staff at the man. The magic that poured from the staff was enough to kill him. Saphira turned to the guards, who were staring at the dead man. "Get him out of here. I don't care where you put him. Send him back to Hyrule in a wicker basket for all I care." Then she departed to her quarters. If there was anything that the natives feared about Saphira, it was her immense magical powers. If there was anything the natives feared more, it was her staff. The staff was made of finished rosewood, and accented with a spiral of pure gold, running from the pointed tip of the staff to the very top. Between the rings of the spiral were small sapphires, which were Saphira's personal stone. But the most dangerous part of the entire staff was the huge sapphire, held by four golden prongs at the head of the staff, that held concentrated magic. When Saphira was extremely angry, her powers would be sent to the staff, adding to the magic already in the sapphire. Then all she had to do was aim and release. Indeed, it was a useful weapon. She rubbed the beautiful ring that was on her finger, and she clenched her teeth. She went to a table that stood in the center. On the table rested another huge sapphire, which glowed with a gentle aura. This one was almost as big as a human head. It had been a gift from the Graguns at her coronation. Saphira went over and asked it, "Where is my love? Is he all right?" "He is alive, my Queen," the sapphire replied. Its voice sounded like that of five people whispering at once. "And he now resides in the Sacred Realm. But his human form was changed through the Triforce of Power. He is now this creature." The aura surrounding the sapphire rose up, and formed a ring. Inside the ring came the image of Ganondorf-only it wasn't Ganondorf. It was a hideous monster, and Saphira knew he must have changed himself while fighting Link. But even while looking at his hideous form, she knew he still had that love for her. "Sapphire, can he change himself back?" "Yes, my Queen. Whenever he pleases." That was a bit of a relief. At least the Triforce's spell hadn't completely overtaken him. "Sapphire, take me to the Sacred Realm." Saphira commanded. The sapphire could transport her to any place she wanted, and-unbeknownst to the Graguns-it was the only other link to the Sacred Realm besides the Temple of Time in Hyrule. "My Queen, no one is allowed in the Sacred Realm," the jewel replied. "No one except my Ganon, and I know he wouldn't mind my coming. Take me to the Sacred Realm!" "As you wish." The image ring disappeared, and Saphira felt herself being transported to the Sacred Realm. Soon, she found herself in it, and saw a castle in the distance. She walked toward it, and was almost immediately stopped by two Moriblins. Ganon must have conjured them up to guard this place, Saphira thought. "Let me pass," Saphira said. "I am Queen Saphira of Crastalyina, and I am here to see Ganon." For a moment, they stood their ground. But then they let her pass. Within minutes, she had entered the castle, and she found herself in the Great Hall-and there was Ganon, sitting in a huge throne. He stared at her for a moment, then stood. "Saphira, is that you?" he asked. His form had changed, but his voice was still the same. "It is I," Saphira said, nodding and smiling. Ganon came to her, and looked at her. Saphira could see that he was amazed to see her here. "Did the Sages banish you here as well?" Ganon asked. "No, they did not. I came here of my own free will. And it seems you have already made yourself at home." "Well, I am stuck here. There's no way for me to get out of this cursed place, so I built myself a nice home." "Oh, my darling, I'm so sorry this had to happen to you." He then took her hand in his, and she kissed his hand. Suddenly, his form changed. He was no longer a hideous creature; he was now the man she had known. "Oh, my Ganondorf," she breathed. "Saphira," he whispered, and he pulled her close as they kissed. When they pulled away, Ganondorf looked her in the eye. "Saphira, would you still love me if I was a monster?" "Of course." "Then you don't mind if..." "Of course not." With that, he changed his form, and almost immediately Saphira wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. She didn't care how ugly he was. This was her fiance. She felt him wrap his arms around her. But after their kiss, he changed himself back to his human form. "It just doesn't feel right in my other form," Ganon said. "Not as pleasant as it is now." That night, they romanced each other like they had never done before. And for the next week, they kept making love every night. One night, after he had been ravishing her, Saphira asked Ganon a question. "Darling, I want to ask you something. How were you sealed away here?" He sighed, as though he didn't want to say it. "Link and Princess Zelda worked together to round up the six Sages, then they fought me-and defeated me. After I had fallen, the Sages sent me here for all time-with the aid of Zelda and Link." Saphira could see the hate burning in her love's eyes. "My darling, I shall avenge you. I will capture the Sages and destroy them. I will destroy Link and Zelda, along with everyone and everything else in Hyrule." Saphira said. Ganon smiled. "Oh, now I know I proposed to the right woman." he said, and they kissed again. Suddenly, a bright glare filled the room. Saphira cried out in fury-this was the sapphire's portal. "DAMN YOU!" Saphira cried. "Can't you see I'm busy?" "Yes, and I'm terribly sorry, my Queen, but you do have a kingdom to rule. And it seems that there's some problems with some of your allies." The voice that spoke was that of Saphira's advisor, Tyano, and his image formed in the portal. He definitely had Saphira's attention now. She sat up, holding the covers over her naked body. "Go on." "The Graguns say you do not serve them as well as you promised, my Queen. They say they hereby break the alliance." Saphira's jaw dropped. "Who are the Graguns?" Ganon asked. "They've been Crastalyina's strongest ally for several hundred years. They live in the mountains between Hyrule and Crastalyina, and they produce a lot of the materials that make my kingdom thrive. My love, I-" "I know. You must go. Get dressed and take care of your kingdom. I shall see you soon?" "I hope so, yes." Saphira got dressed, kissed Ganon goodbye, and stepped into the portal. Within seconds, she was back in her chambers. Tyano was there, waiting for her. "I sincerely apologize, my Queen, I'm aware that you wanted to be alone-" "No need for apologies. You had good reason, and I forgive you. Now, about the Graguns." "Well, apparently, they don't like the fact that you decided to marry Ganon, and they seem to hold allies to their promises. And you promised to keep good relations with them, which you didn't." "Is that all? Come now, there has to be more to it than that!" "Well, they believe that they're just your kingdom's workhorse, seeing as you've barely given them anything for all the contributions they've made to us." "Well, that is a good reason, but couldn't we try negotiations first?" "Your Highness, every time they stepped in for negotiations, you were gone visiting Ganon. In fact, they came in just a few days ago to negotiate with you, but you had already gone to the Sacred Realm. They were furious that you had once again left, this time to the Sacred Realm, of all places, and just to see your banished fiance. Not to mention the fact that you had neglected to give them anything for that last shipment of mortar that came in last week-or even tell them that that confounded sapphire could transport you to such outrageous places." Tyano stopped, took a deep breath to help him relax, and continued. "Therefore, they decided to break the alliance." "Ohh, this is terrible," Saphira said, putting her face in her hands. "First my fiance is banished to the Sacred Realm, then you come in and tell me that I've lost our country's strongest ally!" "I apologize for not notifying you sooner, my Queen. I..." Tyano stopped. Saphira looked up at him. He had a guilty look on his face-one that said he had failed her miserably. "Now you listen to me." Saphira said firmly, putting her hands on his shoulders. "I have known you since I was just a little girl, and there was never a time where you failed me. I trust you more than I do anyone else, and truthfully, if you weren't so much older than I, I would marry you. That's how much I believe in you and confide in you. Now, I must follow my own path, and that path is to marry Ganon...and get revenge on those who go against us." "Your Majesty, are you saying what I think you're saying?" "Yes. I will do away with Hyrule and the Graguns. The Sages sealed Ganon away in the Sacred Realm, right? If I capture them, I can not only get my revenge, but my love will also be back with me!" "But my Queen, how do you plan on getting rid of both Hyrule and the Graguns? Both are powerful forces." "Simple. I shall simply take them down one step at a time. Now leave me-I must work on my plans." "Yes, your Majesty." He left, and Saphira went to the window, looking out at her kingdom. Soon, my love. Very soon. With that, she went to her desk and began her plans. Meanwhile, Link and Zelda were in the dining hall. He had refused to be sent back to his original time, and he now lived with Zelda in her castle. With her phenomenal powers, she had managed to restore Hyrule Castle, curtains and all. They were eating dinner, and Link was gorging himself. It had been months since he'd had a decent meal, and he was making up for it. "Link, do you think you can eat any more?" Zelda asked. "Nope! I've just started!" Link replied, lifting a huge forkful of food to his mouth. "Link, you've been eating for over an hour. If you keep eating like this, you're going to eat all the food in the castle." "Oh, come on, Zelda. You haven't eaten much in the past seven years, I can tell. And you're eating as much as I am." "I...well...never mind that!" Zelda said. "The point is, you're going to lose your look if you don't stop." "Speak for yourself-no offense, by the way. I'll get plenty of workout time, don't worry. It's not like Ganon's coming back, you know." "Yes, I do know. Fine, gorge yourself to death." She went back to her own plate, and Link looked at her. She had a certain look in her eyes, like she wanted something. "Zelda, is there something you want? I can see it in your eyes. You want to ask me something." Link said. Zelda looked up, and smiled slyly. "Actually, yes. There is something I want. And it's something only you can give me." "What is it?" Link asked. But Zelda didn't reply. Instead, she got up and went over to Link's chair. She then pulled him up so he was standing, put her hands on his shoulders, and looked into his eyes. "Link," she said. "Kiss me." Link was amazed at this request, but he did it anyway. He leaned forward, closing his eyes. His lips closed around hers, and they embraced in a fiery kiss. He felt her hands slip down over his back, and his own hands started making their way up her waist and around her. He pulled her even closer, and they seemed to kiss forever. When they finally pulled away from each other, Zelda's eyes were sparkling. "Now," she whispered. "Come with me." She led him up the stairs, and into her chambers. Link suddenly realized what she wanted to do. "Zelda-" Link stopped as she put her fingers to his lips. "Make love to me, Link." Zelda said. She then kissed him again, and Link suddenly couldn't resist any longer. He started to remove Zelda's dress as she led him over toward the bed. But suddenly, he got a strange feeling, and stopped. Zelda pulled away, and saw the odd look on Link's face. He shook his head, and dropped his hands. "I'm sorry, Zelda, but I can't do this. I don't know why, but.it's like something inside me is telling me I shouldn't do this. It's like...I don't know. it's a weird feeling I got when I kissed you. Like we're not supposed to do this for a reason." Zelda looked into his eyes, and saw that he did love her.he just had a nagging feeling that told him to stop. She nodded. "It's all right, Link. Actually, to tell you the truth, I got a weird feeling myself. Like we'd been together for a long time, but.well, we both know that's impossible." She started to pull her dress back on, and Link stepped away. "Well, it's getting late, so I'll go on to bed. Good night, Zelda." "Good night, Link. Sweet dreams." But as they slept, each of them had a dream that was certainly not sweet. Zelda dreamt that a woman made of sapphires was threatening a race of creatures. They were half-man, half-dragon. She recognized them as the Graguns-like the Gorons, they lived in the mountains, only the Graguns lived in the mountains that bordered Hyrule. They were a prosperous race, and were close allies of the Gorons, but for some reason they didn't want to have anything to do with the rest of Hyrule. Suddenly, Zelda was in Hyrule, and that same woman was there. Zelda watched in horror as the woman raised her staff to the sky, and three powerful bolts of magic shot out of the sapphire that the staff held and eliminated Hyrule. Zelda woke up just as one of the beams was about to strike her. She found herself soaked in sweat, and she got out of bed. She rushed out of her bedroom and made her way toward Link's room. Link's dream was even worse. He dreamt that a mysterious woman dressed in blue, violet, and gold with a staff made of sapphires captured all the Sages-including Zelda-and watched as the seal that locked Ganon inside the Sacred Realm broke. He watched with horror as Ganon and the woman got married, then brutally slaughtered the Sages. The two destroyed the rest of Hyrule together, saving Link for last. The two villains combined their powers, and just as the magic was about to hit Link and send him to his death, Link awoke. He sat up to find Zelda next to his bed, with a look of horror on her face. "Zelda, did you have a nightmare, too?" he asked. "Yes...yes, I did...Oh, Link, something terrible is going to happen!" Zelda said. "I had that feeling, too. What did you dream?" Link asked. "A woman made of sapphires was threatening the Graguns and even destroyed Hyrule, and she was about to kill me when I woke up." "Wait a minute-who are the Graguns?" Link didn't know who they were. "They live in the mountains that border Hyrule. They're creatures that are half-man, half-dragon." "It seems that every other race in this world is half-human, half-something." "But Link, the woman was threatening to destroy their entire race! And I'm afraid this is one of my prophetic dreams!" "Zelda, I think I dreamt about that same woman." "Really?" "Yeah. But you're not going to like what she did in my dream. It's probably worse than yours." "That's definitely not good. Tell me." "All right. That woman...in my dream, she married Ganon." He stopped as Zelda's jaw dropped. "She did what?!" Zelda cried. "That's not all. Before that, she captured and destroyed all the Sages, including you. That's probably why you almost got killed in your dream. The seal blocking the Sacred Realm broke, and Ganon got out. Together, they destroyed you and the other Sages, then all of Hyrule, and they were about to kill me when I woke up." "Oh, Din, Nayru, and Farore," Zelda whispered. "This is horrible. Just when we managed to get rid of Ganon by the skin of our teeth, someone decides to try to set him free." She put her face in her hands. "Oh, what are we going to do?" Meanwhile, Saphira had come up with a good plan. She would first send a message to Link and Zelda to let them know they now had a new enemy. But she would have to strike a chord in their hearts, of course, in order to send the message in the right way. She went to her sapphire. "Sapphire," she said. "Tell me-who are some of the people that Link loves?" This would be perfect. To kill someone he loved very much would get the message across very well. The sapphire glowed. "There are many people who are close to Link's heart, Queen Saphira. And some of them are Sages-who you plan to capture, not kill right away." "Hmmm. Well, who's one person that I can get to who is not a Sage?" The image ring extended from the sapphire, and it showed a row of barns. Saphira was confused for a moment, but then she realized these were the royal stables of Hyrule. The image faded a little, then showed a beautiful bay mare. "This is Link's horse, my Queen," the sapphire said. "She carries him on all his journeys, and it would pain him very much if he should lose her." Saphira grinned. "Very good. Very good indeed." She left the sapphire, and went to her closet. It held every bit of clothing she had ever owned, and also her weapons. She pulled out her bow and quiver, which held specially made arrows. The heads of the arrows were made of her trademark jewel, and were quick on the wind. She took one out, and put the quiver back. She then went to her desk, and wrote a letter. She wrapped the letter around the arrow, and tied it with a blue ribbon. She then picked up the bow and arrow, and went to a window. The bow was so powerful and the arrow so quick that the arrow could fly for hundreds of miles before hitting the target. And these were no ordinary sapphires. Saphira could telepathically tell the arrows who to hit, and the arrow would swerve around any object that was not the specified target. Saphira had gotten rid of many enemies and won many wars this way. She held the arrow up, and spoke to it with her mind. "Strike only this animal." Saphira said. She closed her eyes, and sent an image of the horse to the arrowhead. The arrowhead glowed, showing that it acknowledged who its target was. She notched the glowing arrow to the bow, pulled back, and fired. Within a few seconds, it was out of sight. Link sighed as he went out to the stables. He needed to shake off the fright he had gotten from his dream, and a good way to do that was ride his beloved Epona. He went in the stables, and was immediately welcomed by the whinnies of dozens of horses. "Hello, everybody," Link said. Suddenly a shriller whinny came up, and Link knew it was Epona. She hated being cooped up, and Link knew she would love to go out today. He went to her stall, and she nickered with her ears laid back. She seemed to be saying, "Let me out or I'll beat you to death." Link laughed at her expression, and went into the stall. "Hey, girl," he said. "Wanna go out for a while?" Epona whinnied, and Link knew it was a yes. He grabbed her saddle and tacked her up, then led her out of the barn. Once outside, he mounted Epona and they took off. Link closed his eyes and smiled as he felt the rushing wind in his face. I wish I could ride like this forever, Link thought. The arrow flew through the trees and hills, seeking its target. The target was a horse, and a bay at that. And it was getting closer...and closer... Link leaned forward, urging Epona into a gallop. She leapt forward eagerly, sweeping her elegant legs over the ground like she was flying. But suddenly, Link saw a blue streak coming toward him, and before he could react, it struck Epona. Epona shrieked in pain, stumbled in a shattering manner, and collapsed. Link cried out as he was thrown off, and he rolled as he came in contact with the ground. He raised himself up on one elbow, and gasped as he saw his beloved horse lying on the ground. An arrow had sunk into her chest, leaving blood gushing from the wound. "No," Link whispered. He dashed over to his horse, and looked at the arrow. A piece of paper was wrapped around it. He removed the paper, and saw that it was a letter. It read: To Link, the so-called Hero of Time-- You shall pay for banishing my love to the Evil Realm. Princess Zelda and the Six Sages will also pay dearly for what they have done. I shall destroy everything that you hold dear-starting with your beloved horse. It was unsigned, but Link's blood ran cold as he realized what the letter meant. Epona was going to die. He ran his hand over her, crying. "No, please don't die, Epona. You mean so much to me, girl. What would I do without you?" Epona nickered, and Link cried even more. Sniffling, he tried to hum Epona's Song to his horse. Her eyes slowly closed, but managed to stay open as he finished the song. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "I love you, Epona." With one last soft nicker, her beautiful violet eyes closed forever. Link broke down in sobs. He stayed next to Epona for hours, not wanting to leave her. But suddenly he realized something: Malon. Malon had raised Epona herself. She did deserve to know what had happened to Epona, but just imagining what her reaction would be nearly broke Link's heart. He looked at the arrow. He grasped it, and pulled it out of Epona's chest. He didn't notice that the head was a sapphire. He simply walked to Lon Lon Ranch, crying the whole way. When he finally reached the ranch, he could see Malon in the corral. He almost reconsidered doing this, but he knew she had to know. He stepped into the corral area, hiding the arrow behind his back. "Malon!" Link called. Malon turned. She was very beautiful indeed, Link thought. And somehow, he felt as though he had a bit of a crush on her. He shook away the feeling as Malon smiled and came up. "Why, howdy, Link!" Malon said. "Long time no see!" "Yeah, I know." Link said. Suddenly, Malon's smile faded a little. "Link, where's Epona? Did ya leave her out in the field?" Malon asked. Link's eyes started to water. He lowered his head and tried to blink back his tears. "Malon, let's go inside. I need to talk to you about something." "Why? What's wrong?" But she led the way to the main house, with Link following. When they were inside, he sat her down. "Malon, I have to tell you something. It's about Epona." Link said. "Epona? Is she hurt? Link, did she fall and break her leg? What happened?" Malon was very worried indeed. This was going to be tough. "Malon...Epona...she..." Link found he couldn't say it. He started to cry. He had to say it. "Malon, Epona's dead." Malon was stunned. Her blue eyes widened and her jaw dropped. For a moment she was still, then she started shaking her head. "No," she whispered. "No, not my baby Epona. Please, Link, tell me this isn 't true!" Tears were forming in her eyes. "We were galloping on the fields when an arrow came at us. I don't know who shot it-probably a sniper-but it hit her in the chest." Malon angrily grabbed him by his tunic. "Link, you're big ugly liar! My Epona can't be dead!" Malon screamed. Link winced, but knew that he had to show her the evidence. He took out the arrow. The blood was still very fresh. Malon stared at it in disbelief. "It's true, Malon. I'm sorry." Link whispered. Malon just stared at the arrow. Suddenly, she tore out of the house, screaming her horse's name. Link realized she was going to find her horse. "Malon, no!" Link called, and went after her. Malon kept running. Her beloved horse couldn't be dead. She went over a hill. There was Epona, lying on the ground. She kept running, hoping the horse would gather her legs under her and stand, but she didn't. As Malon got closer, she could see the blood on the ground. "NOOO!!" Malon screamed as she tried to run to her horse. But she stumbled, and fell to the ground sobbing. Link came up as she sat up, head down. He knelt down, and put a hand on her shoulder. Malon turned and hugged Link, sobbing. Link couldn't help but cry himself. They buried Epona at the ranch. They had hitched two of the ranch's cows up to a wagon, and Link had used his Silver Gauntlets to lift Epona onto the wagon. It was a sad funeral, and Link cried the whole way through. After the funeral, he spent the night at Lon Lon Ranch, sleeping on some hay that was in the main house. At one point, when he woke up, he thought he saw a blue glow coming from the other side of the room. At first he thought it was nothing. Then he realized it was coming from the arrow that had killed Epona. He got up to check it out. The blood had now dried up and cracked, and Link could see that this was no ordinary arrow. He picked it up, and wiped off the blood. He took a good look at the arrowhead. He saw it was some sort of blue stone. A blue topaz? No, it couldn't be. It certainly wasn't a carved-up rupee, either. Suddenly Link remembered something. The woman in his dream...on her staff, she'd had a bunch of sapphires...a whole line of them going up from the bottom, then a huge one fastened on the top. Link looked at the arrowhead once more. Yes, it had to be a sapphire-and it had to be from that woman! She had killed Epona! He stuffed the arrow in his tunic, and went upstairs to Malon's room, where she was still awake. He knocked, and she opened the door. "Link!" Malon said. "What's wrong?" "Malon, I hate to tell you this, but I have to go. I just realized something important that I have to tell Zelda." Link said. Malon nodded. "All right. Go on, Link-and be careful out there." Malon said. "Don't worry, Malon. You know I will. Oh, and Malon." Link took her hands in his. "I think, just to play it safe, you should move into the castle." "What?!" Malon cried. "Your dad and Ingo can come, too. And you can keep the horses and cows in the royal stables." "But why, Link?" "Malon, the arrow that hit Epona had a letter wrapped around it. The woman who wrote it said that she would kill off everyone I love-and that includes you. So I want you, your dad, and Ingo to move to the castle with the animals. You'll be safe there." "But what will Zelda say?" "Malon, she cares more about her kingdom than herself. I don't think she'd mind if you moved in." With a sigh, Malon nodded. "We'll start movin' tomorrow," she said. Link smiled, and hugged her. "Thank you, Malon." With that, Link left. He ran back to the castle, and by the time he came in he was exhausted. Zelda was in the Great Hall, waiting for him. "Link! What happened to you?" Zelda asked, running over to him. "You look like you ran here from Kokiri Forest!" "Actually, from Lon Lon Ranch," Link breathed. "From the ranch? Did something happen to Epona?" Link bowed his head. "She was killed, Zelda. Someone shot her while we were galloping." "WHAT?! But how could someone do that?" "I don't know, but I think I know who did it. Look at this." He pulled out the arrow, and held it out to Zelda. Zelda gasped as she realized what kind of stone the arrowhead was made of. "A sapphire," Zelda whispered. "The woman in our dreams killed Epona?" "And that's not all." Link said, taking out the note. Zelda read it, and her eyes widened in fear. "I knew it had to be a prophecy," Zelda said. "But who is this woman?" "I don't know. But we have to find someone who does know-and fast. I had to ask Malon to move here just to be on the safe side." "You what? But Link, I.oh, what am I complaining about, you have good reason to ask her to come. Heaven knows we don't want to lose our only ranch. Wait a minute! In my dream, the woman was attacking the Graguns! Perhaps they know who she is!" "But Zelda, how do we know that they do? The Zoras didn't know who the heck Barinade was when he attacked Jabu-Jabu. Nabooru didn't know Koume and Kotake were in the Spirit Temple before she was captured, and when I was in the Forest Temple, I certainly wasn't expecting Phantom Ganon to be there. This woman could just be a stranger to the Graguns." "Well, you should still ask them. If they know the slightest bit of information about her, that might be enough." Zelda said. Link sighed. "All right. How do I get in those mountains?" "The Gorons would know. Go to Goron City and ask Darunia." "Okay. I'll see you later." With that, Link left. Chapter 2 Link couldn't have been more surprised when he entered Goron City. All the Gorons welcomed him and hugged him, still thankful to him for saving their lives in the Fire Temple. But Darunia knew Link had something important to talk about. He shooed the other Gorons away, and led Link to his chambers. "Now, Link, tell me what the problem is." "It's a fairly long story, Darunia-" Link was cut off. "Oh, don't worry, Link! I can handle sitting through any story of any length. Now tell me-what has brought you here?" "I'll start at the beginning. Just two nights ago, Zelda and I had prophetic nightmares. Zelda's was of a woman made of sapphires who was destroying the Graguns." "The Graguns! Are you saying they're in danger?" "I'm not finished yet. My dream was even worse. The same woman Zelda dreamed about was in mine-and that woman captured and destroyed all the Sages; and after freeing Ganon she married him and helped him to destroy Hyrule." Darunia sat down in his chair in shock. "So you're saying we're all in danger?" "Yes. But first, I have to find out who this woman is. The only people Zelda and I can think of are the Graguns, but I don't know how to get to their city." "No problem, Brother. Come with me." He led Link up to the third floor, where the blacksmith's shop was. Medigoron was pleased with the company, but Darunia explained the situation. Medigoron crawled away from his resting spot-revealing a tunnel! "Take this tunnel, and you'll go straight into the bordering mountains. It should only take you a half-hour to reach their city, Draconiara-it basically circles Hyrule." Darunia handed Link a torch, but put a hand on Link's shoulder before he left. "By the way, I should warn you-the Graguns don't care for visitors very much, except if they have some relation to the Gorons. Do you still have the Goron Bracelet?" Link nodded. It was on his wrist, but the gauntlets that he wore covered it. "That'll be evidence enough that you know me. I only give those bracelets to men that I truly trust, and since I keep them with me, no one can steal them. So just show them the bracelet if you have any trouble with them." He patted Link's shoulder and smiled. "Good luck, Brother." Clasping Darunia's huge hand, Link went on in. The tunnel was roughly constructed, and Link often tripped on rocks. But he managed to find his way through, and he soon found the entrance. But as Darunia had expected, he was not welcomed as warmly by the Graguns as he had been by the Gorons. The instant Link came in through the entrance to Draconiara, he was grabbed by two enormous creatures. They lifted him up, held him against a wall and held their huge swords against his neck. The creatures looked like Dinolfos, only they had more meat on their bones and their tails dragged on the ground. They had features that looked very much human-arms, hands, and legs-but the rest of them was basically reptilian and covered with scales. In fact, they looked like dragons. These must be the Graguns, Link thought. Their chests and bellies were covered with reptilian breastplates, and they had armored skirts. They were also twelve feet tall, and Link didn't even have to look down to know that his feet couldn't touch the ground. Their eyes were a bright, burning yellow, with slits for pupils. One of them leaned forward a bit. "You're under arrest for trespassing," he said. This sounded more like raspy snarl, but he was able to distinguish what the Gragun said. Link took a deep breath. "Under what grounds?" Link asked. "We do not allow anyone from the outside into our city." The other said. "You will be held prisoner until our leader has determined that you may be released." The first Gragun said. Link remained silent. He knew better than to try to pick a fight with these two. He wasn't even in a position to fight back. Plus, they didn't look like they trusted Link enough to let him show them the Goron Bracelet. He simply nodded in acknowledgement. The two Graguns lowered him to the ground, and promptly tied his hands behind his back. They then led him through the city. It was exquisite, even though buried underneath rock, and Link could see it was heavily populated. Little Graguns played in the streets, and adults conversed near their homes. Link felt a little edgy as they stared at him as he went past. The looks they had on their faces certainly weren't very comforting. Within minutes, he and his captors arrived at a prison. Surprisingly, it was empty-apparently no one tried to make trouble with the local authorities. His captors cut the ropes binding his hands, then they shoved him into a nearby cell. After locking him in, they simply glared at him and left. Link looked around. A small bed made of hay in the corner, with a barrel of water sitting in the opposite corner. "This is going to be fun," Link muttered. "I get thrown in jail the second I come into town. Reminds me of when I met the Gerudos." The Gerudos had behaved in the very same manner when Link had gone to their hideout. Link sighed, and sat down on his bed of hay. He laid down, and started to sleep. For the next few days he stayed in his cell, with the two guards standing across from the door. They did give him some bread for his meals, but Link was still pretty hungry. But he never complained. He had to remain civilized. One day, while Link was snoozing, he heard the sound of a door opening. The guards left their posts to greet the visitor, and Link could hear them conversing. Suddenly he heard huge, pounding footsteps, along with slightly softer ones. Link sat up abruptly. Within seconds his two captors appeared-and so did an even bigger form. He was even more muscular than the two guards, and had to be sixteen feet tall. He looked like Ganondorf's lizard counterpart. Link gulped. This was most definitely the leader of the Graguns, as he held his head up high and his shoulders back. Suddenly the bigger Gragun spoke. "What is your name, intruder?" Link stood up. "I am Link of Hyrule." "We Graguns do not allow anyone from there past our borders unless they are Gorons." "I know that, sir. But I was sent here by Princess Zelda." "Princess Zelda, hmm? Well, her orders do not matter here unless they have to do with problems in my kingdom-and I doubt she would know anything about them. Now, how were you able to get into our city?" "Well, sir, Big Brother Darunia let me through." "Oh, did he?" The big creature laughed. "You'll have to do more than tell me that for me to believe it." "Well, sir, that's why I have this." Link took off his gauntlet, revealing the Goron Bracelet. The big Gragun gasped. "The Goron Bracelet...you do know Darunia!" "Yes, sir. He actually made me his Sworn Brother after I saved his people several years ago." "Wait a minute...now I remember! You're that young man Darunia told me so much about! The one who not only cleared out Dodongo's Cavern, but also killed Volvagia in the Fire Temple!" "That would be me, yes." "Well, then, I do apologize for this inconvenience! Guards, let him out." "Yes sir." The door opened, and Link came out. The big Gragun towered over him, but he was smiling. "Again, I must apologize. But with a kingdom so large we must not take any risks with intruders. Not to mention we have been having some problems lately." "It's no problem, sir. This wasn't the first time I was thrown in jail because I trespassed." "Oh, really?" "Yes, sir. I went to Gerudo Valley and, of course, they jailed me. But I managed to get out and gain their respect." "Hmm. Must have taken a lot of hard work. But anyway, I'm Quogar, King of the Graguns." He extended his hand. Link bowed in respect, and shook his hand. "It's an honor to meet you, sir." "Oh, and don't bother with all that 'sir' stuff. Just call me Quogar." "Certainly." "Now, why don't we head over to my castle? We'll talk there." With that, he led Link out of the jail. Sitting there in the street was a carriage-and hitched up to the carriage were two black dragons! They weren't very big, though-only about twenty feet long from the tips of their noses to the tips of their tails. But they certainly were muscular, and Link could tell by the smoke coming from their nostrils that they could breathe fire. Quogar noticed Link staring at the creatures, and chuckled. "I know, you weren't expecting to see a dragon-drawn carriage. But they can move quickly, and are an easy mode of transportation." Indeed, Link now noticed that next to many houses were stalls containing dragons of different shapes, sizes, and colors. "Where do you get them?" "They're all around us, living in caverns deep inside the mountains. They don't usually venture toward my kingdom, but sometimes they'll either show up in the mines or even come right out into the streets. It's not easy to catch them, but it's worth it later on, especially after they've been tamed." "How big do they get?" "They can get very big indeed. The biggest one I've seen so far had to be sixty or so feet long." "You use them like you would horses?" Link asked. "You could say that. Some of us ride them for pleasure, some use them for work." "Wow. I'd like to have one." "Well, you'd be accepting a major responsibility. Dragons are by far harder to care for than horses. They can be hot-tempered sometimes, and you're lucky if you can find one that isn't. But those that easy to handle are usually used for work." "Wow. They are beautiful; I'll give you that. But doesn't it seem weird to use them if you're half-dragon yourself?" "The Zoras eat fish, don't they?" Quogar had a good point. The Zoras were half-human, half-fish. Link nodded. "That is true. How fast can these dragons fly?" "Let's find out." With that, they climbed into the carriage, and the driver flicked the reins. The dragons spread their wings and gently flapped them. The dragons and carriage lifted off the ground, and they flew off through the city. Link noticed that the city was set inside one huge cavern, and that this cavern stretched unusually far. "How far does Draconiara extend?" Link asked. "It circles your land of Hyrule. There's only one entrance into our city from your land, and that's through Goron City." "How do you know the Gorons?" "We're mining creatures as well. But we don't just dig up regular stones like the Gorons do. We don't even eat rocks. We dig up iron ore, along with precious gems and stones, like rubies and emeralds. See, look over there. That's one of our diamond mines. And over on that side there's a ruby mine. The stones come in separate parts of the mountains, so we have many mines to collect them." "How many mines do you have?" "Oh, around a hundred." "A hundred?!" "Yes. These mountains are heavily populated with gems, especially sapphires." Link's mind clicked for a moment when Quogar said that. But he snapped out of it when Quogar pointed in front of them. "There's my castle." A huge castle rested in front of them. It was set in the rock, and Link could tell it was well defended. A waterfall came down from one side, forming a river that became a moat. Not only that, many guards patrolled the towers and walkways. "That's a nice castle," Link said. "Wait 'til you see the inside." After the carriage had landed, Quogar led Link inside the huge structure. Link was astonished by what he saw. The Great Hall was nearly twice as big as Hyrule Castle's! There were huge marble columns, red carpets, and other rich items all over. Link also realized that the main floor was under them-he was standing on an upper floor that circled the main room like a balcony. On one end of the room stood a grand throne. Then Link noticed something else. A portcullis was built in one of the walls of the main floor. The space beyond it was pitch black, and Link couldn't help but wonder what was beyond it. This place was amazing. "This...this is even grander than Hyrule Castle," Link said. "This comes from trading, my boy. With all the stones we dig up, we have to find people who are willing to accept them in exchange for something else. Not too hard, as you can see. We also have a steady supply of mortar and iron that we sell to other countries, including the Gorons." "The Gorons?" "Yes. They need maintenance on the Fire Temple, and mortar and iron are good ways to keep it in shape." "I can understand that. Um, Quogar, I need to ask you something. It has to do with why Princess Zelda sent me." "Well, ask away." Quogar sat down in his throne. "Well...um...do you know of a woman who is obsessed with sapphires?" "Link, that's like asking me how many stars are in the sky. I know of many women who love sapphires." "Well, specifically, one who seems to have fallen in love with Ganondorf." Quogar's eyes widened. They burned for a second. "How did you know about that?" "Well, Zelda and I have prophetic dreams, and last week I had one where a woman who seemed to have an affinity for sapphires was marrying Ganondorf. Zelda also had one where the same woman was trying to destroy your race. Now tell me-do you know who she is?" Quogar sighed and leaned back in chair. "I was hoping you weren't going to ask that. I had heard that Princess Zelda has prophetic dreams, and I feared that she would find out about us. But...it seems I can't keep a secret any longer. Yes, I know who that woman is. She is Queen Saphira, and she rules the land of Crastalyina." "Crastalyina? I've never heard of that place." "Well, it's a country to the west of these mountains. It's a fairly large country, maybe twice as big as Hyrule. The people there love crystals, which is why their home is called Crastalyina. But despite her large size, Crastalyina doesn't have many resources. She never has, and probably never will. Centuries ago, a king ruled there, and he was as dependable as your old king was. He made an alliance with us, promising to keep a steady trade link between us." "But what do they have that you don't? You said they don't have many resources." "That I did. But one thing they do have is wood. Crastalyina may not sound like it, but it's mostly forests. So they trade us their wood for our gems and mortar." "Sounds like a good trade." "Indeed it is. The alliance was strong for the next few hundred years. But ten years ago, Saphira became queen. She held up her kingdom's promise to us for a while, but after she met Ganondorf she started to neglect us. I held my faith in her for a while, and even visited her castle several times to remind her of our trade agreements. But each time I went to Crastalyina, she was off visiting Ganondorf. One day, I went to see her, and found out that she had gone into the Sacred Realm to visit Ganon. Of course, I was furious when I found out where she was. That was the last straw. So I broke the alliance, and hoped that that was the last I would hear of her." "But it wasn't, was it?" "No, it wasn't. That woman sent some of her minions to come into my kingdom and kidnap the kingdom's guardian." "Your guardian?" "Yes. She is very important to us. You could say she's like a goddess to us. She's the reason the dragons are so willing to serve us. That's how important she is." "When was she taken away?" "Just five days ago." Link gasped when he heard this. "What is it?" Quogar asked. "Quogar...your guardian was taken the day after Saphira killed my horse!" "She killed your horse?" "Yes. She shot her with this arrow," Link held it out to Quogar. "She knew Epona meant a lot to me, and killed her." Quogar took the arrow, and looked it over. "This arrow...Son, this isn't just any ordinary arrow. She can telepathically tell it who to hit, and it will strike it without hitting anything else. She fires these all the way from her castle in Crastalyina and kills her enemies on the first shot. But one thing confuses me-why wouldn't she have killed you in the first place?" "I'm the Hero of Time, Quogar. I helped Princess Zelda and the Sages banish Ganon to the Sacred Realm. So now she wants to slowly get her revenge on me, one step at a time. And that first step was my Epona." "Well, I'm very sorry to hear that your horse died. And I'll tell you one thing-you'll be lucky if she doesn't send out another of these arrows. They 're some of her favorite weapons. But since you're here, and since you have had extensive fighting experience, I want to ask something of you." "Sure, anything." "It seems that Saphira has invaded the caverns near my kingdom. Remember how I told you that we get our dragons from those caverns? Well, she seeks to destroy them, then our mines, then Draconiara in its entirety-all with the aid of the monsters she has placed in our caverns. So I ask you-would you defeat the creatures who are disturbing the peace in our mountains?" "Yes, of course. But one question-do you know what kind of creatures are in the caverns?" "Our worst enemies-Lizalfos and Dinolfos, along with some Moriblins and Monblins." Link tried hard to keep from showing his displeasure. Lizalfos were okay as far as beating them went, Dinolfos were a maybe-they were fast and powerful, and never hesitated to try to slice Link into ribbons. But Moriblins and Monblins were the worst. Moriblins were goblins, and were almost twice as tall as Link. These guys carried huge spears, and would charge at Link if he crossed their line of vision. Link almost got killed once or twice just fighting them. But Monblins...Link nearly fainted at the thought of them. Monblins were twice as tall as the Moriblins, and held huge stone hammers that could mash anyone flat on the first swing. Link had fought one of these guys before, and he hadn't enjoyed it at all. "Well, I'm sure I can take care of them." Link said. Quogar smiled with relief. "Thank you, Link. If you could defeat the monsters in the Dodongo's Cavern and Fire Temple, I'm sure we can depend on you." Link nodded, and Quogar stood. "Now, let's go. Are you ready?" "As ready as I'll ever be." "Follow me, then." Quogar took him through the castle, into the courtyards, and soon they were in the royal stables-and it was filled with dragons. Quogar went to one of the stalls, and led out a big red dragon. "This is Firona. She's my dragon, but I'll lend her to you for a while. She knows the way to the caverns, and will take you there as quick as lightning. And you don't have to worry about her abandoning you-she never leaves her rider behind, even if he falls off." "Wow. Thanks, Quogar." Link said. He was actually going to ride a dragon! Quogar helped Link onto Firona's back, then put a bridle on her head and handed Link the reins. "Now hold on tight, Link. Grab the spikes on her back, and keep a tight grip-otherwise, she'll fly right out from under you. I know from experience." Quogar grinned, and Link smiled at the thought. He gripped Firona's spikes tightly, and Quogar patted her shoulder. "All right, girl. Take him there." With that, she turned, spread her wings, and took off. Link nearly fell off, but pressed his legs tightly against her sides to steady himself. She was very fast indeed, probably even faster than the running man in Hyrule. They flew through the city, and before Link could try to guess how far they were from the caverns Firona slowed down to land. He saw a huge cave opening in front of them, and a sign next to it. It read: "Dragon Caverns-Do Not Enter." Firona snorted, and raised her head with interest. Link remembered that she had come from this place. "Sorry, girl. You can't go in with me. You have to stay here and wait for me to come back. I'll be back in a while." Firona nodded in understanding. With that, Link entered the mouth of the cave. It was dark for a moment, but after taking a few steps forward a red-orange light slowly illuminated the tunnels. Link could hear lava bubbling and fire crackling. Must be a dragon's paradise in here, Link thought. He slowly walked forward until he reached the inside of the caverns. Link expected to be bombarded by enemies and vicious dragons, but instead was shocked when he saw that the place was deserted. "What the hell...?" Link whispered. No dragons or enemies were in sight. Then Link took a good look around. The layout of this place was similar to that of Goron City, only with many more tunnels and caves. Link realized he was standing in the heart of the caverns. A huge pool of lava lay in the center, and flames spouted from it every few seconds. Suddenly, Link heard something. It sounded like a roar, but it somewhat like a scream as well. Then Link heard something else. A creature was roaring back at whatever creature had roared first. The sounds were coming from a tunnel on the left. Link entered it, and went through it until he found what he had heard. A small cave lay at the end of this tunnel, and inside was a Moriblin and a dragon! The dragon, a big green creature that was about Firona's size, was pinned to the floor by chains, and the Moriblin was poking it with his spear. Link bristled at how cruel the goblin was toward the dragon. He drew his Biggoron Sword, and with a cry he leapt out to attack. The Moriblin turned, and he charged. Link dodged the attack, and he counterattacked with a slash from his sword. The Moriblin hollered, then turned to try to skewer Link with the spear. With another slash, Link chopped the spear in two. As the Moriblin stopped to look at his broken weapon, Link stabbed the monster with his sword. The goblin died instantly, and disappeared in a flare of green flames. Link turned to the dragon, who was staring at Link in awe. Link went over, and knelt next to the creature. "Are you all right?" The dragon nodded. Link looked at the chains, and stood up. "Okay. I need you to hold still, all right?" The dragon nodded again, and Link raised the sword over his head. He brought it down on the chains, which broke in two. The dragon was free. As the dragon stood, Link put his hand on its shoulder. "Wait a minute. I have to ask you something. Are the caves in here homes for dragons?" The dragon nodded a third time. "Okay. Now, I need you to stay here, just for a while. There are probably monsters in all of the other caves, so I need you to stay here and out of sight." The dragon then slinked over to a corner of the room and hid in the shadows. Link left the room, and went to the next cave. A slightly smaller dragon was chained to the ground, and a pair of Lizalfos were circling it. Link walked in, and cleared his throat. The two lizards looked up, and Link charged at them. Within seconds, the Lizalfos were dead and the dragon freed. Over the next few hours, Link fought Moriblins and Lizalfos, and freed seventy or so dragons. However, he didn't fight any Dinolfos or Monblins. He looked in each of the rooms he had entered, looking for signs of them, but couldn't find anything. He knew there was something amiss here, but he couldn't figure out what. Suddenly, he felt something touch his arm. It was Firona! "Firona! I told you to wait for me!" Link hissed. But the dragon gently took his sleeve in her teeth and tugged. "Firona, I can't play right now, if that's what you want." But she kept pulling, and Link realized she was trying to lead him somewhere. He followed, and she stopped at a huge boulder sitting in the main room against the wall. She went over to it, and pushed with all her might. It rolled out of the way to reveal a tunnel. Now Link could hear noises. "Those Dinolfos and Monblins must be guarding even more dragons in there.Okay, Firona, I need you to do me a favor. Go to each of the rooms, and tell the dragons that it's almost safe again, okay?" The dragon flew off, and Link entered the tunnel. He had barely taken three steps when he heard a shrill, raspy scream that made his skin crawl. He moved on, wondering what it was that made that sound. He soon entered a new extension to the caverns, and what he saw stunned him. Dozens of cages lined the room, each of them holding a huge dragon inside. These dragons had to be between thirty and forty feet long, and Link knew they were powerful creatures. Another tunnel lay on the other end of the room, but Link didn't move because he saw that this room had guards-Dinolfos. He counted them, and found that there were ten of them. He wouldn't be able to survive ten swordfights with these guys, Link knew. He looked around, and saw a boulder sitting off to the side. He carefully tiptoed over to it, and hid behind it. He took out his bow, and took an arrow out of the quiver. Link had very good sniping skills, and knew he'd be able to do away with five or six of these guys before they realized he was there. He aimed carefully, and hit one of the targets in the chest. The other Dinolfos looked around, wondering what had killed their comrade. Link took that opportunity to kill off two more in quick succession. The other seven were getting anxious now, and Link felt pretty lucky. He killed two more, and the remaining five suddenly decided to start looking. Link knew he would have to be quick. He killed three more, one by one, until only two were left. Finally, he put away his bow, and took out his sword. He leaped out from his hiding place, and the two remaining Dinolfos looked up in surprise-then tried to slash at him. Link barely managed to keep from getting a slash in the ribs, but was successful in making off with his adversaries in a few seconds. After that, he went to the cages, and carefully freed the dragons. After that was done, he proceeded to the tunnel. He heard the eerie scream again, but kept going. Soon, he found what had been screaming in the next room. It was a huge serpent-like dragon, probably sixty or so feet long. Instead of spikes and horns along her head and spine, she had a huge mane of fire streaming from her forehead to the tip of her tail. Her wings were also very exquisite-instead of reptilian wings like those of the other dragons, she had wings like those of an eagle. The feathers were brown and cream colored, and her scales were emerald-green. Her eyes were yellow,with round red irises. But what troubled Link was that she was in a worse state than the other dragons had been in. She was chained to the ground, but a pair of Monblins stood on either side of her, hammers and whips in hand. The Monblins didn't use the hammers, but they continuously lashed her with their whips. She was bleeding from several wounds, despite all the scales that covered her, and Link knew that she was in terrible pain. He took out his sword, and walked in. The big goblins turned around, and bellowed in rage at the sight of Link. They raised their whips, and Link readied his sword. As the lashes came down, Link slashed his sword so that the whips were cut in half. This angered the Monblins even more, and they took out their hammers. Link knew he would have to be quick on his feet. He started running, and at the same time he took out his bow. As he dodged the shockwaves caused by the hammers, he notched an arrow in his bow and fired. His aim was true, and it severely wounded one of the Monblins-but it wasn't enough to kill him. Link continued this until he had gotten rid of both Monblins, then approached the huge serpent. "Boy, you sure are pretty. Let' s get you out of this mess." He used his sword to break the chains, and stepped back. The dragon looked at him, as though she wanted something. "Go on, dragon," Link said. "You're free." The serpent stared at him for a bit longer, then went off. Suddenly, Link heard something coming from a nearby tunnel. He focused his hearing, and a chill went up his spine as he realized what it was-a horde of Dinolfos. He ran toward another tunnel just as they came into the room, and tried to keep from tripping. He felt like he had been running forever, and the lizards were closing in. He saw a dim light up ahead, and thought he was home free. But he didn't notice the huge pit in front of him, and he fell in. He screamed as he saw the huge spikes down at the bottom. But just as he would've landed on the spikes, something went under him and he landed on it. The thing swooped up, and Link held on so he wouldn't fall back down. He saw the Dinolfos standing at the edge of the pit, waving their spears in anger. Then Link realized that the thing was taking him through the tunnel.and that the thing was the dragon he had just rescued! He managed to hang on for the ride, and soon they were back in the main room. Firona was waiting there, and she roared. All the other dragons came out and roared in reply. Link got down from the serpent, and faced her. "Thanks for saving me," Link said. He patted her on the neck, then went over to Firona. He got on, and Firona took him back to the castle, where Quogar was waiting. He was elated to see him back alive, and even happier to hear that the caverns were safe. "I knew you could do it!" Quogar said, patting Link's back. "Tonight, I'm going to hold a feast for the entire kingdom-and you're going to be my guest of honor." "Thank you, Quogar. But do you suppose I could get cleaned up first?" Link was covered in dirt, and was bleeding from a few cuts. "Why, certainly! I'll even give you a room for you to rest in before and after the party." Later that evening, in the grand hall, Quogar held the party as promised. Link hadn't thought that the entire kingdom could fit inside the castle, but they could. The common folk were on the main floor, and the upper-class folk were on the balcony floor. Link sat next to Quogar, and he certainly felt honored. Soon, Quogar stood, and the room fell silent. "Friends," Quogar said. "We are here tonight to celebrate a courageous feat accomplished by this young man, Link." The crowd clapped, and Link blushed a bit. "This young man went into the dragon caverns to take on the enemies inside, and was not only successful in doing that, but also successful in rescuing our guardian." The crowd clapped and cheered, and Link wondered for a moment as to who the guardian was. He couldn't remember saving anything except dragons. "Now, I will present this courageous young man with a gift unlike any other." The crowd went silent again, and Quogar clapped his hands. Link heard a scraping-rumbling sound, and saw that the portcullis on the main floor was opening. The Graguns on the floor stepped back, so there was plenty of space. After a moment, a creature flew through the opening, and Link gasped. It was the serpent he had rescued! He turned to Quogar in amazement. "You're giving her to me?!" Link asked. "Meet Serpentina," Quogar said, nodding. "She's Draconiara's guardian, but she and I have agreed to make her yours." "Quogar, are you sure about this? I mean, what if Saphira attacks again?" "Well, actually, the dragons who live in the caverns have all decided to protect the kingdom. Serpentina helped arrange that." Link was astonished. He hadn't thought that after losing Epona he would actually be replacing her. "I.I don't know what to say." "You don't have to say anything. Serpentina's the one you should thank. She's willing to carry you anywhere and everywhere, and will protect you by any means necessary." Suddenly, Serpentina spread her wings and flew upward so she was in front of Link. She brought her head forward a bit, and Link was amazed at what she did next-she spoke! "Link, you rescued me and my kind back in those caverns. I don't know of anyone else who deserves as great a reward. I would be honored to serve you as I have for Draconiara," she said. Link stared at her for a moment, then at Quogar. He looked back at Serpentina, and smiled. He went up to her, and hugged her. The crowd cheered. Link pulled away, and he realized he had tears in his eyes. Quogar patted his shoulder, and smiled. After the party, Serpentina made herself comfortable on the floor of the main hall, and Link retreated to his room. He still couldn't believe that Serpentina was now his. Link closed his eyes and slept without dreaming. The next day, he went immediately to Quogar. "Quogar, I really hate to say this, but." Link stopped as Quogar raised his hand. "I know. You must go. I know you have much to tell Princess Zelda, and I think you should be ready for anything else that may happen in Hyrule." "What do you mean?" "Saphira finds out about things very quickly. In fact, one of her messengers came in after you'd gone to bed, and I sent him back with the message that we were all still alive and well-along with the dragons and Serpentina-and that the dragons are now the city's sworn protectors. I wouldn't be surprised if she found out about the dragon caverns this very minute. The point is, though, that you should go back home in case she makes another attack." "Yes, sir. We'll keep in touch." Link shook his hand, then called for Serpentina. Chapter 3 "WHAAT?! You mean to tell me that the dragons are still alive?" Saphira screamed. "Yes. Quogar sent me back to inform you that not only are the dragons are alive and well, but their guardian, too. And the dragons have become the sworn protectors of the city." The messenger said. The young man was a native of Crastalyina, and was one of Saphira's finest messengers. She had sent him to the Gragun City to see if it had been demolished yet, and he had come back with less-than-satisfying news. Saphira looked as though she might kill him with her magic, but she controlled herself. She took a deep breath, and turned away. "How many other messengers do I have that are as good as you at their job?" Saphira asked. "Umm...well, I'd have to say two or three, my Queen." "Hmm. Not a whole lot. Well, for your efforts, I should reward you, shouldn't I? Stay right there while I go to my chambers." Saphira left, and the messenger sighed with relief. However, as Saphira entered, she said to Tyano, "Release Saberjewel." "Saberjewel! But Your Highness, aren't you overreacting a little bit?" "Overreacting! One of my key plans just got shot to the ground, so I have to take it out on someone. And I choose that messenger outside. If there's one thing I do not like, it's being sent bad news. Besides, it's been a while since Saberjewel had a decent meal. Now-let-my-dog-out." Tyano nodded, and went over to a nearby rope. He pulled it down, and meanwhile, a small portcullis opened in the Throne Room where the messenger stood. He saw the door opening, and gasped. He knew what this meant. He turned to the main doors, but the guards had left the room and closed them. There was no way out. The portcullis opened fully, and a pair of glittering blue eyes gleamed in the darkness. The messenger couldn't move, he was so frightened. The creature stepped out of the darkness, revealing a huge wolf. This wolf had thick purple armor all over him, and this armor was dotted with sapphires and silver spikes. However, the most frightening aspects were his enormous size, his glowing blue eyes, and his huge white teeth. The messenger looked around, and the wolf moved closer. Inside her chambers, Saphira waited. Soon she heard was she was waiting for-screams of pain and furious snarls. Saberjewel had been a gift to her from her father, and he was the most efficient guardian anyone could ask for. He had been found in the dense forests as a cub, with no mother or pack to care for him. Saphira 's father had taken him back to the castle, and kept him a secret from Saphira while he trained Saberjewel to be the best bodyguard a princess could ever have. When he finally did present him to Saphira, it was when a criminal was going to be executed for his crimes. Saphira had been pleased by the wolf's performance, and was forever grateful to her father, who died a few weeks after. Suddenly, there was an extremely loud crunch, and a loud, disgusting gulping sound. Saphira, with a smug and satisfied glint in her eyes, went back to the Throne Room. Tyano chose to remain, as he didn't wish to see the spectacle. Saphira found blood all over the place, Saberjewel sitting innocently on the bloodstained carpet, and a bit of armor that the messenger had been wearing. Saphira smiled, and went over to the wolf. "Very good, Saberjewel. Did you enjoy your dinner?" The wolf grinned and wagged his tail. Saphira patted his shoulder, and Saberjewel retreated to his den. Several maids entered, cleaning equipment in hand. Saphira went back to her chambers, and Tyano looked up. "Well, now that you've reduced our messenger numbers by one, what do you plan on doing now?" he asked. "Well, I've decided not to destroy the Graguns after all. I'm sure they've realized that I am a force to be reckoned with, and will not make such a foolish move again. However, there are other matters at hand." "You mean with the Hero of Time." "No, I mean with the other messengers. Of course, I mean that cursed rat Link! Now, I have to figure out who to strike at next. Excuse me for a moment." She left to her room, where the sapphire stood. "Now, Sapphire, who can I attack next? Hopefully someone linked to both the horse and Link?" "The only people who fit that particular description are Malon, Talon, and Ingo of Lon Lon Ranch. However, they have moved themselves and their animals out of your reach." "What do you mean, out of my reach?" "They have moved to Hyrule Castle, the area you have saved for last." "Oh, and I wonder who had them relocate? Don't answer that, I already know. Hmmm.Ah! I have an idea! Where did Link grow up?" "In Kokiri Forest, located within the heart of the Lost Woods." "Does one of the Sages live there?" "Yes-Saria, the Sage of the Forest." With that, the image ring appeared, and Saphira saw a young girl with green hair sitting on a tree stump, playing some sort of flute. The girl looked to be about twelve years old, but Saphira knew that she must be much older than that. The Kokiri never grew older than age twelve, at least in terms of appearance. A small green fairy floated serenely over the girl's head, dancing to the music. Saphira could see other Kokiri in the background, each with their own fairy. Several houses stood along the sides, and Saphira knew that this was the village. If anything, this was the perfect time to start hunting down the Sages. She smiled, and left the room. She went to Tyano, who was waiting anxiously for her. "Send for our Stalfos warriors," Saphira ordered. "Tell them they're taking a walk through the woods." As soon as Link made it back to Goron City with his new friend, he was ambushed a second time by the Gorons. Darunia looked especially proud. "Quogar sent me a letter telling me all about your adventure. I must say, you've grown into a true-what in the name of the goddesses is THAT?!" Link looked behind him, and saw that Serpentina had slithered up behind him. "Oh, this is Serpentina. She used to be the Graguns' guardian, but now they've got the entire population of cavern dragons guarding the city. So Quogar presented her to me." The other Gorons were still a bit wary of Serpentina, but Darunia was elated. "So you're that wonderful dragon Quogar told me so much about! I must say, it's an honor to meet you, my lady." Darunia bowed-or rather, he tried to bow without falling over. Serpentina smiled, and Link could swear she was blushing. "Well, many thanks to you, Darunia. I have heard much about you as well. And from what I hear, the Gorons couldn't have a finer leader." Serpentina said. The Gorons realized that she meant them no harm-unlike Volvagia, who had been an eater of Gorons-and crowded around her. After a few minutes of unending attention, Link pushed through the crowd, and managed to get them to let Serpentina pass. Darunia escorted them out of the city, but once he did Link had a horrible feeling that something terrible was about to happen. Serpentina could sense it, too. Bidding Darunia goodbye, Link hopped onto Serpentina's back and they flew off. Meanwhile, in Kokiri Forest, all the children were playing outside enjoying the sunshine. Mido was conversing with Saria, trying to get the scoop on what happened in the Forest Temple and defeating Ganondorf, and the Know-It-All Brothers were eavesdropping, jotting down notes. Fado, a young Kokiri girl, was flirting with Remi, a Kokiri boy who was an expert at swordfighting. In the nearby meadow, the Deku Tree Sprout was growing at a steady pace. Everything was at peace once again. Suddenly, a flock of birds came squawking out of the Lost Woods, flying in all directions. The children fell silent. Mido and Saria stood, and they listened intently. They could hear the forest spirits calling to them: "Go! Run! Leave the forest or you'll be done for!" Mido was alarmed, but Saria was frightened. Should they leave the forest? Or should they stay and see what had frightened the birds? The other children looked around, wondering who would dare enter the Lost Woods. "It can't be Hylians," One of the Know-It-All Brothers said. "The only one who can actually enter here is Link." "Yes, but if it's not Hylians, then who else would try to invade our home?" Fado asked. Suddenly, Saria gasped. Her face paled, and her beautiful eyes held nothing but fear inside. She turned to the others, and they knew that she knew who was approaching. She trembled as she tried to speak, but she was able to speak the one and only word necessary to say who the intruders were. "Stalfos," Saria whispered. Suddenly, a huge army of them came crashing out of the Lost Woods, and the children scattered, screaming. The Stalfos charged, wielding their swords and carrying huge torches, and prepared to attack the town. Link looked around as they flew over the field. He couldn't see anything suspicious just yet, but the feeling that something bad was happening grew stronger by the second. Suddenly, Serpentina looked over to the left, and gasped in horror. "Link! Look!" She was looking in the direction of the Lost Woods. Link's heart seemed to shatter as he saw the billowing clouds of smoke rising from his beloved home. "No!" Link cried, and Serpentina turned to fly toward Kokiri Forest. But Link had the dreadful feeling that they were too late. He searched in vain as they flew through the black smoke, but he couldn't find the village. Suddenly, Serpentina cried out, and swooped down. Now Link could see the flames towering over the trees. Serpentina flew over them, then turned her head toward Link. "Hold on tight, Link," Link grabbed her neck, and she flapped her wings so hard that the wind coming from them blew out the flames. They flew down, and Link couldn't believe what he saw. All the houses had been destroyed, with nothing but ashes and burned pieces of wood lying on the ground. Kokiri Village was no more. Link looked down, and saw a small orange fairy lying on the ground. She was no longer glowing, and her wings were gone. Link then saw fragments of the wings scattered around the fairy's tiny body. Link knew she was dead, but wondered who she had belonged to. All of a sudden, he saw a pig-tailed girl running toward him. "Link! Link!" The girl cried. Link realized it was none other than Fado, who had been one of his best friends. Her dress was torn and covered with dirt and ashes, and she was bleeding from minor wounds and had some small burns on her skin, but she didn't seem worried about that now. "Fado!" Link cried. She ran directly to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing lovingly against his chest. Link gently hugged her, and felt relieved that she wasn't dead. "Oh, Link, I'm so glad you're here!" Fado said. "But you're too late. We were attacked, and now." She trailed off, and Link had a feeling that something even worse was going on. Suddenly, Link heard sobbing. It was coming from the meadow. He dashed through the passageway to the meadow, closely followed by Fado, and found all the Kokiri children alive near the Deku Tree. Many of them were injured, and it made Link's blood boil to see his friends cut and burned so savagely. But then his eye was caught by one Kokiri in particular-Mido. He was lying near the Deku Tree Sprout, and some of the Kokiri were sitting next to him. Link came closer, and gasped in horror. Mido was bleeding all over, with vicious slashes and burns all over him. His wounds made those of the others look like paper cuts. Link also noticed that Mido's fairy was gone, with a familiar-looking green one in her place. Link knelt down next to him, and Mido opened his eyes. "Link," Mido whispered. "Well, Mr. No-Fairy, you're too late once again." He coughed. "Mido, I'm so, so sorry I didn't come in time. Please forgive me." "Well, it looks like I'll have to, huh? Besides, it wasn't really your fault that this happened to me." "Well, what happened?" "It...It was an ambush...we were all playing outside...suddenly the forest spirits warned us to leave the forest. We didn't know if...we should listen, because you know the whole Kokiri Law...but suddenly, a huge army of Stalfos came stampeding out of the Lost Woods. We.tried to get away from them, but....there was just too many of them. We were lucky no one got killed back there." "I tried to hold back the Stalfos from this meadow," the Deku Tree Sprout said. "I hoped that they would eventually turn back. But after a while, instead of leaving, they began to burn down the houses." "It was like they were threatening us," Mido said, coughing. "Like they were saying, 'Let us in or we'll destroy the entire forest.' Suddenly, we heard crying. The twin sisters were...trapped in their house, and the Stalfos were getting ready to burn it down. Saria refused to stay in the meadow and watch them die.so she dashed out of the meadow. And, of course, I followed her. How she managed to get past that army of Stalfos I'll never know, but next thing I knew...she came out with the twins. She pushed them toward the meadow, and I rushed them inside.but all of a sudden I heard a scream. I looked back, and I saw that.the Stalfos had grabbed Saria. I rushed forward to save her, but a huge pack of them attacked me. Tarnia tried to protect me with her magic, but.one of the Stalfos grabbed her in his hand and.crushed her to death. Saria's fairy, Marlida, tried to use her magic against them, but they just swatted her away. Navi came to help, too, but one Stalfos grabbed her and stuffed her in a bag. I could hear Saria screaming as the Stalfos carried her away.then I blacked out.and then I woke up to find you here." He was growing more and more pale by the second. Link lowered his head as he realized that it was Tarnia, who had been Mido's fairy, who was dead on the ground in the village. "But.why would they take Saria away?" Link whispered. "She certainly didn't do anything to disturb the forest spirits," one Kokiri girl said. "No, but maybe the Stalfos came from the Forest Temple. Saria did say there were lots of Stalfos there," a Kokiri boy said. "Wait a minute! I know why they took her!" Link exclaimed. "I can't explain it right now, because you wouldn't understand it. Oh, but Mido." "Don't worry about me. I'm no good as a leader anyway." But Link took a bottled fairy out of his tunic and released it over Mido's body. The fairy went into Mido's chest, but the wounds didn't heal. "You see? There's nothing you can do. Fairies won't work on us because.we're practically half-fairy ourselves. I'm dying, Link, and there's nothing any of you can do to stop it." Link started to cry now. "But Mido, this whole village will fall apart without you. And don't say that they have me, because the way I'm always fighting I'll probably die on them someday. Besides, I'm not a real Kokiri. You made that clear years ago." "I did, but.that's only because I was.jealous of you. You always had more courage than me, and not to mention every girl liked you more.especially Saria. Besides, the village did fall apart, after you left. After the Deku Tree died, I didn't know what to do when the monsters started popping up. Everyone started asking me what I was going to do, and that's why I went to the Lost Woods-I'm a terrible leader." "So now what? We can't just fend for ourselves." Fado said. "No.but I know someone who can teach you how to fight and be a good leader." Link said. He looked over at Remi. Remi had taught him how to fight, and had enough charisma to be labeled a leader. "Me?" Remi asked. He looked at Mido, who waved him over. "Remi.I want you to take over now.I won't be here much longer, and I.want to know that the others will have a good leader." Mido said. With tears in his eyes, Remi nodded. "Yes, sir." Remi took Mido's hand and gripped it. The other Kokiri looked on, knowing that things would be much different from now on. Link, surprisingly enough, still had the Kokiri Sword with him. He took it out with its sheath, and handed it to Remi, who took it with trembling hands. Mido smiled, and slowly closed his eyes. Link touched his shoulder, but he lay still. Bowing his head, Link cried freely. The other Kokiri started to cry as well. "Let me out, you mean ol' witch!" A voice screamed from the Throne Room. A huge iron cage had been hung from the ceiling, and inside stood a furious and screaming Saria, with Navi floating alongside. Saphira was ignoring the girl, as she was busy paying the Stalfos handsomely for a job well done. "I must reward each of you for bringing back the girl and fairy not only alive, but unharmed. However, I do have a few questions. One, did you destroy the village as I asked?" "Yes," the lead Stalfos snarled. "Were there survivors?" "Yes-but just the townspeople, and they were left with remnants of our attack." "And the leader of the village?" "Dead." Saria gasped when she heard this. Mido was dead? No, he couldn't be gone. But she had seen that mob of Stalfos attacking him back in Kokiri Forest.dropping to her knees, she began to cry. Saphira took little notice of this, and continued with the Stalfos. "Excellent. Here's a grand bonus for each of you, then. Now go and enjoy yourselves. You deserve a vacation." As the Stalfos marched out, Saphira turned to the girl. "And as for you, have you any idea why I asked them to bring you here?" "So you'd have a souvenir from the destruction that they left behind?" Saria sneered through her tears. "Careful, now, young lady. I have enough magic in this staff to obliterate your entire forest, and I'd hate to think what it could do to you. No, I had you captured because you are one of the Six Sages." "Six Sages? What do we have to do with you and your kingdom? We never did anything that could affect you." "Oh, but you did. You see, my dear, I am engaged to be married to the mightiest man there ever was-Ganondorf. Yes, I am going to be his bride. And you, with the help of your fellow Sages, took him away from me! So now, I will have my revenge, one step at a time." "Are you going to kill me?" Saria asked, trembling. "Kill you? Oh no, not yet, my dear, it's much too soon. All I need to do is capture the other Sages, then my fiance will be free. Then we can get married, then take pleasure in destroying you." "But there's one thing you're forgetting." Navi said. "And what's that?" "Link and Princess Zelda won't give up without a fight." "Well, I'm sure you're right, my little fairy friend. However, I have already made plans on how I will handle them. Plus, I am slowly breaking his fighting power, little by little." "How, by killing those he loved?" "Precisely. Now, if you'll excuse me, I am going to engage in my next plan. Oh, and I wouldn't try to escape if I were you." She snapped her fingers, and the portcullis opened, releasing Saberjewel. He leaped out with a snarl, and glared at the prisoners. Saria and Navi gasped and scooted back to the other side of their cage. "Oh, don't worry, he's harmless if you don't try to escape. He may try to bite you every once in a while, but that's typical of him. Now, Saberjewel, I want you to be a good wolf and guard this girl and fairy very carefully, understand? Good." With that, she turned and left, leaving a terrified Saria and Navi with the malicious wolf. "All right. So I now have one Sage out of seven. hmmm....now who to capture next.ah! Sapphire, who is the Sage of Fire?" "Darunia, leader of the Gorons. They reside in Goron City, located on Death Mountain." The image ring appeared, showing a big troll-like creature that looked like a cross between a man and a rock. "All right. Now, let's see.what if we were to kill two birds with one stone?.Sapphire, do any other Sages live near Death Mountain?" "Yes. Impa, a Shiekah woman who lives in and is leader of Kakariko Village." The image shifted to show an armor-clad woman who looked unmistakably like a Shiekah. "Excellent. Now.what creatures reside near Death Mountain and Kakariko that I can use?" "Near Kakariko-the Poes, who love to wreak havoc and are naturally evil. They reside in Kakariko Graveyard." The image shifted to show a bunch of ghost-like creatures with lanterns. Saphira recognized them as Poes-there were some living in the forests surrounding her country, but they stayed out of sight. "On Death Mountain-the dragon Volvagia, said to be dead. His skeleton lies in the Fire Temple, but he was once resurrected by the Gerudo King, Ganondorf." The image shifted once more to show a fiery black dragon-then that same dragon as a skeleton. Saphira's mind clicked for a moment. This dragon had been resurrected before.surely he could be brought back again.and those Poes looked as though they could be very helpful. "Sapphire-take me to the Fire Temple." Link attended Mido's funeral with a heavy heart, knowing that if he had gotten there just a few minutes sooner he would've saved the kid. Remi sensed this, and spoke to him. "Link, you shouldn't blame yourself. Even you wouldn't have been able to fend off all those Stalfos. They would've slashed you to ribbons." "I could've tried, Remi. Besides, I've got Serpentina back there. She would've been able to help me." "She probably would've set fire to the whole forest, too. Link, stop blaming yourself. Look at it this way-Mido died trying to save his and your best friend. He died with a courageous heart, which a great feat in itself for him." "I guess you're right." Link said. After the funeral, Link realized that Saphira might attack again. She knew that he loved these kids, and would probably try to kill them later on. He talked with the Deku Tree Sprout about moving the Kokiri. "You want to take them out of the forest?" The Sprout said. "Just for a while, in case this woman attacks again. She killed my horse, she killed Mido, and I know for a fact she's going to try to kill the other Kokiri, too. I just want to ensure that they remain safe for the time being." "Where will they stay?" "In Hyrule Castle. They'll be safe there." The Sprout sighed. "All right. They have my permission to go." "Thank you, Deku Tree." Link rounded up the Kokiri, and set them all on Serpentina's back. She was very long, so she could accommodate them. Link set himself on Serpentina's neck, and they flew off toward Hyrule Castle. The Kokiris' fairies struggled to keep up, and eventually they had to resort to being held. After a while, they arrived. Malon, her father, and Ingo were walking the horses when Link arrived, and the Kokiri dashed over to the horses in excitement. Zelda came over, wondering what the commotion was all about. "What's going on? Why are they here?" Zelda asked. "Zelda, Saphira sent an army of Stalfos into the forest and let them loose on the Kokiri. The Stalfos killed Mido, their leader, along with his fairy, and thank the gods no one else was killed. But the worst part is that.Zelda, the Stalfos took Saria, the Sage of the Forest, along with Navi. Saphira's hunting down the Sages, and at the same time trying to kill the people I hold dear!" "Oh, no.so who do you suppose is next?" "I have no idea. I wish I could sense a pattern, but I can't. She killed Epona as an ultimatum, then killed Mido because he was really a good friend.even though he was a bully." "Link, I have a bad feeling about this, keeping all these people in the castle. I mean, what if Saphira attacks us with all of them inside? We'd be sitting ducks. Link, I know you're trying to find shelter for these people, but you have to find some other way." "I know that. But we can't keep them in the temples, because Saphira's going to know that they're there! What place is there where we can keep them?" Link said, gesturing toward the refugees. The Kokiri were now enjoying pony rides atop the horses' backs, and Serpentina was snoozing a few yards away. Zelda sighed. "All right, we'll keep them here for the time being. I hate to sound negative, Link, I really do. But it's not like the castle is an inn for all of Hyrule." "I promise, I'll try not to keep doing this." Link said. Then his eyesight strayed back to the horses. He noticed one particular horse that looked very different from the others. It was a black filly, probably about two or three years old. She had white hooves and socks on each leg, and her mane and tail were a pure white. But the most striking thing about her was how much she resembled Epona. She had the same eyes.same muscular build.even the same white streak down her forehead. But Link shook his head. This couldn't be Epona's daughter. As far as he knew, Epona had never been bred to any stallions. Malon caught his gaze, and went over to him. "Link.I shoulda told you this before.but.I don't blame you for Epona's death." Malon said. "I know you don't, Malon." Link said. "I would never have tried to have Epona killed. I loved her almost as much as you did." "Which is why she stuck by you that whole time. Oh, Link, if only I could be able to hug her once more." Tears started streaming down Malon's face. Link was about to console her when the ground shook violently. The horses screamed, and everyone tried to keep the animals from stampeding. When the shaking stopped, Link looked around. He could sense something was wrong. Zelda came over, a look of fear on her face. "Link, what was that?" Zelda asked. "I don't know. I do know that wasn't any ordinary earthquake, but.wait a minute.Zelda, look!" Link cried, pointing toward Death Mountain. It was erupting! Link watched in horror as lava began to ooze out of the crater. "Oh, no," Zelda whispered. " It's going to hit Goron City and Kakariko!" Serpentina slithered up to Link's side, and Link got on her back. Zelda called the soldiers and ordered them to help her and Link evacuate the cities. The soldiers got on their fastest mounts, and they followed Link toward the cities. As soon as they entered Kakariko, the people came outside. "Get out of here now!" Link shouted. "The lava's going to hit this town!" The villagers shouted and screamed as they rushed to get their most precious possessions and left the town. Suddenly, Link heard an even deeper rumble. He looked up at the mountain, and did a double take. The lava had stopped flowing. Then he heard a shrieking roar echoing inside the crater. "Oh, no," Link whispered. "Not Volvagia." Then he heard screams coming from back of the village, near the graveyard. Poes were streaming out, swinging their lanterns at villagers. Suddenly, a blast of purple magic struck the Poes, causing them to retreat momentarily. Link looked to see where the magic had come from, and saw Impa standing on the roof of a nearby house. "Go, Link, go! Volvagia has awakened once again! You must go and rescue the Gorons before it is too late!" She turned and fired at the advancing Poes again. "But what about you?" Link could see the soldiers trying to get the villagers out of the town. "Don't worry about me, Link! Go and help Darunia! GO!!" Link knew he shouldn't disobey. He turned Serpentina, and they flew toward the mountain. The dragon hadn't emerged yet-it was still trapped inside the Fire Temple-but Link knew it wouldn't be long before it escaped. Serpentina soared through the air, flying as fast as she could toward Goron City. She flew right through the doors, and stopped in mid-air. All the Gorons had come out to see what was going on, having heard Volvagia roar. "You gotta get outta here, now! That dragon's gonna escape any second now!" The Gorons immediately ran toward the stairs, and soon reached the main doors. They rolled up into boulder-like balls, and rolled down the mountain. Darunia came out, and Link had him hop onto Serpentina's back. They were just leaving when Darunia cried out. "Link!" Link turned, but quickly realized that Darunia was not talking about him. He was looking down, where his young son, also named Link, had apparently gotten stuck between two boulders. The young Goron was struggling to free himself, but to no avail. Serpentina flew down, and Darunia jumped off to help his son. The human Link looked up, and saw a huge fireball come out of the crater. Volvagia had escaped. The other Gorons had made it out, and had evacuated to the Dodongo's Cavern-which provided too little space for Volvagia to move through-but Link was more worried about Darunia. He jumped down to help, and tried not to panic as the huge dragon emerged from the crater. Volvagia paused to breathe the air, and roared. Link and Darunia pulled with all their might, and finally pulled Link, Jr. free. But then Link heard a different scream. He looked toward the village. "No!" He cried. "IMPA!" The Poes had grabbed hold of her, and were dragging her away toward the graveyard. But then he remembered Volvagia. It was too late to rescue Impa, but he had to try to get Darunia and his son to safety. He and the two Gorons jumped onto Serpentina's back, and she flew away with no hesitation at all. Link felt a small wave of relief as they flew through the air. He looked back-and nearly fell off when he saw that Volvagia was in hot pursuit. "Serpentina! Fly faster!" "I'm trying, Link!" Serpentina cried. "But with all this extra weight, it's almost impossible!" "C'mon! He's gaining on us!" Serpentina noticed how close Volvagia was getting, and flapped her wings, gaining more speed. But Volvagia wasn't giving up. As they reached the village, Link saw that the soldiers were already riding away-no doubt to alert Zelda of Volvagia's return. Serpentina tried to catch up, but Volvagia was already flanking her. Link looked down at the evil dragon. Volvagia was very big now-Saphira had not only resurrected him, she had made him several times bigger-and he looked even deadlier than before. Volvagia glanced at Link, and Link saw his green eye glow fiercely for a brief moment. Link knew that the dragon had recognized him, and a cold chill ran down his spine. Then Volvagia rammed into Serpentina. Serpentina roared, and snapped at the other dragon. But he stopped in mid-air, and suddenly picked up speed again. He then opened his mouth, reached forward, and took Serpentina's tail in his teeth. Then he pulled back forcefully. Link, Darunia, and Link, Jr. went flying, and landed on the trail below. They got up, and looked up to see Serpentina fighting with Volvagia. Serpentina snapped and breathed fire at Volvagia, and tried to wrap her tail around his neck, but it was a losing battle-Volvagia was too big. Volvagia slashed and snapped at her, and whacked her with his tail. Serpentina was bleeding form dozens of wounds, and was quickly tiring. Volvagia sensed this, and grabbed her throat in his teeth, and threw her to the ground. She roared in pain, then collapsed. She was unconscious. "Serpentina!" Link cried as he ran to her. But then he saw that Volvagia wasn't done yet. The dragon flew down, and rammed Link into the wall. Link cried out in pain, and slid to the ground, nearly blacking out. When he finally recovered, he looked up just in time to see Volvagia reach out with one gnarled claw and grab Darunia. "Link!" Darunia screamed. "Darunia! No!" Link cried. Volvagia swiftly rose up into the air, out of Link's reach. Then, with amazing speed, he turned and flew away over the mountains. Link, Jr. was crying now, and Serpentina had woken up. Link had to try hard to keep from crying. He had let down Darunia and Impa, and both were lost. With a heavy heart, he helped Serpentina toward the Dodongo's Cavern to tell the Gorons of Darunia's kidnapping. "My, my, I never would have thought that Poes can be so dependable!" Saphira said as she watched her guards lock Impa and Darunia in their cages. "Nor would I have expected Volvagia to be so quick in obeying my orders." She turned to face the dragon and Poes, who all bowed instantly. Volvagia could barely fit inside the Throne Room, but he had enough room to move around. "Poes-did you cause any damage to the village?" The lead Poe, who was bigger than the others, floated forward and spoke in a soft, raspy voice. "Very little, I'm afraid, but we did manage to injure and frighten the villagers." He said. "Not bad at all. Not as good as I had hoped, but otherwise commendable. You may all stay here and serve me in my army if you wish." "Thank you, my Queen, you are most gracious." The Poe said, bowing and moving back to his group. The Saphira went over to Volvagia, who lowered his head. "And you.you did an excellent job in bringing me Darunia alive. I know your favorite dish is Gorons, and I must commend you in obeying my commands. And to injure that other dragon was excellent. If you wish to stay, I shall appoint you Head Guard of this castle. You may protect it from any intruder you see." Volvagia, who could also speak, bowed his head again and spoke in a deep, charred voice. "Thank you, my Queen. I shall serve you well." Saphira nodded, and waved them off. After the Poes and dragon had left, she turned to her prisoners. "Three down, four more to go. By the way, I do hope it's not too cramped in those cages." Saphira said. Darunia growled and clenched his fists, but Impa simply glared. "You will not succeed in this plan of yours," Impa said. "Whoever you are, you will pay for this." Saphira laughed. "Fool! Do you think I'm afraid of you? I've heard all about you.You, the poor, orphaned Shiekah girl, who is the last known member of her race, trained by the Gerudos and a nanny to that little brat Zelda! Believe me, Shiekah, your powers are nothing compared to mine! I have more power in my thumb than you have in your entire body. Don't try to threaten me, my dear, for it is your life that hangs in the balance as we speak." "Then why don't you just kill us right now and be done with it?" Darunia snarled. "Darunia!" Saria said. "That thought has crossed my mind once or twice. However, it wouldn't as pleasing to kill you now than it would be when my fiance is back, and your pathetic Hero of Time is here to watch." Saphira said. "Do you really think that he loves you?" Impa asked quietly. "Are you sure he knows how to love?" "How dare you ask such a question!" Saphira snarled. "Of course I know that he loves me! Otherwise he would not have given me this!" She raised her left hand, showing them her engagement ring. "You are living under a blindfold," Darunia snapped. "That man killed relentlessly and without regret, and threatened to destroy my race twice!" "And as far as I'm concerned, the world would be much better off without you." Saphira said coolly. "If you'll excuse me, I must go. Enjoy your new homes." With that, she stalked off. Saria sat down, and Navi floated down. "What are we going to do, Saria?" Navi said. "I don't know, Navi. But I'll tell you this much-Link will get us out of here." "He always has," Darunia agreed. "We must keep our faith in him. He is, after all, the Hero of Time." "Well, my Queen, what are you going to do now?" Tyano asked as Saphira entered her chambers. "I think I'll sit back for a little while and relax-Link is probably fretting over the loss of two more Sages, and will soon be racking his brain trying to figure out who I'll be after next. Yes, it'll be interesting to see how prepared Link will be when I attack again." "Who do you plan to kidnap next?" "Well, I have three choices, as I'm saving Zelda for last, but I do not yet know who I shall choose to be my next victim. Now-have our new spies picked up any juicy tidbits for us?" "Well, I have received reports from the Poes that the Kokiri have been moved to Hyrule Castle, and the Gorons and Kakariko villagers have relocated to Draconiara." "I see. So Link and Zelda are trying to keep those people safe from any further attacks. Hmmm. Very clever, but also very stupid. They don't know that I don't plan on attacking anybody a second time. Well, I'll give them some time to figure that out, and in the meantime, I'll be thinking about what to do next. Leave me now-I must rest." Chapter 4 "Link, please, stop blaming yourself for all this." Zelda pleaded. "I could have saved them. I know I could have saved them. I could've gotten rid of the Poes, and even gotten Darunia and his son outta there faster," Link said, pacing around his room. Link had returned from Goron City after telling the Gorons what had happened. Needless to say, they were now in deep distress. But it was nothing compared to how Link felt now. "Link, it wasn't your fault, and you know it." Link didn't listen. "If only I'd left Goron City sooner, I could've saved Kokiri Forest.if I had gotten to Kakariko sooner, I could have stopped the Poes, and gotten the villagers and Gorons out of there before Volvagia showed up." Zelda saw the anger in his eyes. "But that goddamned Saphira's always one step ahead of me! She knew I couldn't make it in time to save anyone. She killed Epona.killed Mido and Tarnia.and damn near killed Serpentina." Zelda knew his anger was swiftly turning into rage. "Link, please." Zelda said. But Link grabbed a vase, and screamed as he threw it against the wall. Zelda jumped as the vase shattered into a thousand pieces, and as she looked at Link, his eyes seemed to go blank. He looked down, and his lip started to tremble. Suddenly, he dropped to his knees and began to cry. Zelda went over beside him and sat down. She put her hands on his shoulders to comfort him, and he leaned against her and hugged her. She hugged him back, comforting him. "I just can't stop blaming myself, Zelda," Link whispered. "It's like my whole world is falling apart. Saphira's killing off my friends, and kidnapping those who are dearest to my heart, and.oh, Zelda, if she were to get you." Link pulled away, his eyes looking into hers. "I don't know if I'd be able to take it." "Link, you're the Hero of Time. You can stop her. You will be able to rescue the Sages. And if she should get so far as to capture me, I'll be safe knowing that you will come to rescue me." Zelda said. Link smiled, and hugged her again. When they pulled away, Zelda pulled him up, and led him out of the room. "Malon told me that she wanted to tell you something. Something you might want to know." "What is it? Is it about Epona?" "In part, yes. It also has to do with the seven years that went by while you were gone." She took him downstairs, where Malon was waiting. "Hey, Link." She said. "Hi," Link said. "Zelda said you had something to tell me." "Yeah, but.ya might wanna sit down first." Malon said. She led them over to the dining hall, where they seated themselves. "Okay. Shoot." Link said. "All right. I saw ya lookin' at that big black filly before Death Mountain erupted, and.well.if you were thinkin' that she's Epona's daughter.you're right. She is." Link couldn't believe his ears. "She's Epona's daughter? For real?" "For real. I'd better start at very beginnin', though. I apologize, but it's a bit of a long story." "Go on. I'm listening." "Okay. Just after the Castle fell seven years ago, I was outside groomin' Epona, and Dad was off deliverin' milk to Kakariko. Ingo was in the paddock, tendin' to the horses. Suddenly, three big horses showed up. Two of them were ridden by Iron Knuckles, and the third and biggest horse was ridden by Ganondorf. I can remember him lookin' at me, and dismountin', then kneelin' in front of me to talk to me. Scariest thing that ever happened to me. He asked me if Dad was at the ranch, because he needed to talk to him. I told him Dad wasn't there, but Ingo was. Ganondorf seemed to think that was okay, because he went to the paddock to talk to him. I tried to follow, but the Iron Knuckles blocked my way. I told 'em I just needed to put Epona in the paddock, and they let me through. I went in, and let Epona go as promised, and I saw Ingo lookin' at me. I pretended to look innocent, and I went back to the stables to do some milkin'. When I came out, Ganondorf had left, and Dad had come back. But as he was greetin' me, Ingo came over and said Dad had to leave-Ganondorf had taken over the ranch and handed it over to Ingo. And if Dad didn't leave, Ganondorf's followers would be sure to harm me.so Dad left. Ingo took over as ranch owner, and I became a stablemaid. During that time, Ingo allowed me to care for Epona and raise her, but for some reason he kept very close eye on her. When she turned four, however, Ganondorf returned, but this time, he told Ingo that his stallion, Kumate, was ready to find a mate. So Ingo led him into the stables, and told me to come along. They looked at each of the mares-apparently Ganondorf only wanted the best mare to be his stallion's mate-and soon they stopped on Epona. Ingo told me to bring her out, and I did. Ganondorf looked her over, and then he said the she was the one. "I can remember leadin' her out to the paddock with Kumate. At first, she didn't wanna have anythin' to do with him. But he was a beautiful horse, even though he belonged to Ganondorf.I guess it was just his beauty that attracted her. So one thing led to another, and that was that. Not long after, Epona was in foal. Ganondorf was very pleased, of course, and told Ingo that we could keep the foal if we wanted to. Pretty darn gracious of him, I say. But I took care of Epona from that point on.and Ingo even let me help her when she gave birth to her foal-a beautiful black filly, with a white mane and tail, same white streak and socks.Of course, Ingo was so happy, he decided to let me name her, too. I decided to call her Danka." "Danka," Link whispered. A thought clicked in his mind for a moment. "Yup. I named her after the late Queen of Hyrule, because she looked just like a queen. But anyway.three years later, Ingo came up to me, and told me to tack up Epona with her finest saddle-he was gonna to present her to Ganondorf. I couldn't believe that he would do such a thing, but he threatened to harm Danka if I didn't do as he said.so I tacked Epona up, and led her out to the paddock. Ingo told me we would be goin' to the castle to present her to Ganondorf later on, but in the meantime, I had to do my chores. Then.you came in." Malon stopped to look at Link admiringly. "You even played Epona's Song to me to prove that you knew me.then.you got Epona out of the ranch. I was so happy that you took her, Link, because I knew that she loved you, too. Ingo then became good again, and I took care of Danka. I knew you'd come and sweep me off my feet someday, Link." "Yeah," Link said, blushing a bit. "So that's the story with Danka." Link's voice trailed off. He had a feeling he knew that name.but how? Malon said that that had been the name of the late Queen of Hyrule.he looked at Zelda, and saw that she had a slightly quizzical look on her face, too. He shook the thought out of his head. "Oh, I almost forgot-how's Serpentina doing?" "She's fine," Zelda said. "She's still shaken from that encounter with Volvagia, and Malon here tended to her wounds, but otherwise, she's just fine." "Good.good." Suddenly, a thought struck his mind. "Zelda, where are the villagers and Gorons?" "They're safe, don't worry. The Graguns agreed to let the Gorons and villagers stay in the city, so they'll be safe. Quogar doesn't think Saphira will be attacking their city for a while." "Thanks, Quogar," Link said. "How are the Kokiri doing?" "They're still very upset. But the boy-what did he say his name was.oh, Remi-is doing a fine job of comforting them. They seem to like the castle, too." "And don't worry, my dad and Ingo are all right. The horses are all okay, too." Malon added with a grin. "Great," Link said. "We know that everyone's safe. But if only we knew who Saphira will be going after next! I know she'll be saving you for last, Zelda, but.what about Rauru, Nabooru, and Ruto?" "Well, Link, I don't know. I'd say Rauru's in the most danger, as he's right there in the Sacred Realm with Ganondorf, but like you said, Saphira doesn't seem to be following any pattern. Forest, Fire, Shadow.she might have gotten Darunia and Impa because they lived close to each other, but she could be going after any one of the Sages now. But you're right on something else. She's always one step ahead of you." Zelda said. There was a pause, and Malon yawned and stretched. "I'm gettin' pretty tired. I'm goin' to bed. See ya tomorrow." Malon said, and she left the room. But Link had a thoughtful look on his face. "I just don't get it. How does she know where the Sages are? She lives in Crastalyina.but then again, Ganon would have told her who the Sages are.But then.how could she have known what Epona looked like? Quogar told me that she tells arrows like the one that killed Epona who to hit, but Ganon probably never mentioned Epona to her.It doesn't make sense." Link said putting his head in his hands. "Maybe you should pay another visit to Quogar." Zelda said. "He knows her, so he could tell you how she's doing this." "Yeah. All right, I'm going to Draconiara. Tell the Kokiri I've gone out for a while-I have a feeling they'll be wanting to see me at some point." "All right. Be careful." "I will. See you later." And with that, Link ran out to find Serpentina. "Why, Link! I had a feeling you would come, with the refugees that came in earlier," Quogar said as he greeted Link and Serpentina outside his castle. "I need to speak to you about Saphira, Quogar." Link said, and Quogar knew that it was urgent. "Come in and tell me what's troubling you." Quogar said, leading Link and Serpentina in the castle. "Just after I left here, Saphira sent an army of Stalfos to attack Kokiri Forest. They killed the Kokiri leader and his fairy, destroyed the town, wounded the other Kokiri, and kidnapped Saria, the Sage of the Forest, and my old fairy, Navi." Quogar sat down in his throne, staring at Link in surprise. "Go on." "And just after I got the surviving Kokiri to Hyrule Castle, Death Mountain erupted. The soldiers and I tried to evacuate Kakariko, but Poes were causing trouble. Impa, the Sage of Shadow, tried to hold them back, but then I realized that Volvagia had awakened. I went up the mountain to get the Gorons out of there, but Volvagia got out just as Darunia and his son were getting on Serpentina. Then I saw that the Poes had gotten Impa and were taking her away. Volvagia chased us, but managed to get Darunia-the Sage of Fire." Quogar leaned back in shock. "She's going after the Sages," Quogar said. "But it almost doesn't make any sense. Reviving Volvagia.having Poes kidnap Impa.killing your horse and ravaging Kokiri Forest." Quogar paused, and Link knew that he was trying to piece things together. Suddenly, Quogar's eyes lit up, and he snapped his fingers. "I know how she's doing this.I knew by what you told me that the planning seemed too intricate.Link, this'll take a bit of storytelling to explain." "That's okay. I'm listening." "All right. When Saphira was being coronated as Queen of Crastalyina, she received two gifts, one from her people, and the other from us. The natives gave her a staff, made of rosewood and accented with gold. They used sapphires given from us, and at the head is a large sapphire. The whole staff was fashioned by us, but it was only proper for them to present a gift as well. The gift we gave her was an even larger sapphire. Now, you may think that's not exactly a good gift, but you see, the sapphires we give Saphira carry magic-the largest ones have magic of unimaginable proportions. The one that's on her staff is used as a weapon-she has magic powers of her own, so she transfers that magic to the staff, and can use the sapphire to kill. But the sapphire we gave her is even more valuable. See, it acts almost like a crystal ball-it speaks to Saphira, and it knows everything about everything. Not only that, but it also shows Saphira stuff by emitting an image ring-she asks to see something, and she'll be shown an image of that something." "Are you saying that's how she knew what my horse looked like? And where Saria was?" Link asked. "Yes. But that's not the worst of it. See, Saphira discovered a trait in that sapphire that we hadn't found before offering it to her-she can have it transport her to anywhere she pleases, even the Sacred Realm. My guess is that she used that confounded gem to transport her Stalfos to the forest, and also to get to Death Mountain so she could revive Volvagia and recruit Poes. I'd say that's how she's been planning these attacks." "There's no way for you to tell what she'll be doing next?" "I'm afraid not. Each gem we dig up is unique from the next-and the one we gave Saphira is one of a kind. If there was one like it, we could use it to see what she's been planning, but.we just don't have it." "So what do I do? She's not following any pattern, as far as I can tell, and I don't know who I should try to protect." "Well, my boy, I don't know what to tell you. I can say this-be on your guard. Saphira has fought in wars before, and she's an expert at coming up with good battle strategies. If I were you, I'd warn the other Sages so they'll know what's coming. The Gerudo should have some area to hide in-but if I know Nabooru, she won't give up without a fight." "You know Nabooru?" "Oh, of course. I've met with leaders from every region of Hyrule, and that includes Nabooru. But anyway, see what you can do with them. By the way, try not to have too many people come down here. If Saphira gets wind of where refugees are going, she may decide to attack again-although I strongly doubt that she would." "Don't worry, Quogar. I know the Zoras and Gerudo well-I know they can figure something out. It's Rauru I'm really worried about.but thank you for your help, Quogar." Link said, shaking Quogar's clawed hand. "No thanks necessary, Link. Just remember what I said and be on your guard." "Believe me, I will." "So, where do we go now?" Serpentina asked as they flew over Hyrule Field. "Well, a good place to start would be Zora's Domain. Besides, I'd like to see Ruto again." Serpentina turned toward the river, and before long they had entered the caverns. Zoras pointed and shouted in amazement at the sight of Serpentina, but when they saw Link, they seemed reassured. Ruto was elated to see Link, and King Zora was very happy indeed. "Link, my boy! You seem bigger and stronger than when I last saw you!" King Zora said when Link entered his chambers. "Oh, Link, I'm so happy you came! I missed you so much!" Ruto said as she practically jumped on Link and hugged him. "Yeah, I'm glad to see you, too. Looks like the Domain is back to normal," Link said, grinning and looking around. "All thanks to you. I hope you're not too upset about my dumping you, Link, but." "It's okay, Ruto. I fully understand." "Well, since Ganondorf is gone for good, at least we can still be friends." "Yeah, um.that's what I want to talk to you and your father about-about Ganondorf, I mean." "What do you mean?" King Zora asked. "Well, you see, Ganondorf apparently has a fiancee in a neighboring country-Queen Saphira of Crastalyina, actually-and she's not too happy about Ganondorf's banishment." "You mean someone actually fell in love with that troll?" Ruto said in disbelief. "Ruto," King Zora said warningly. "Yes, I know of Saphira. Quogar of the Graguns told me of her when I met with him. Link, go on." "Saphira's mainly angry with me and Princess Zelda, but she also wants to get rid of Hyrule. But she decided to start by killing my horse-" "She killed Epona?!" Ruto cried. "Yeah. And she also decided to attack the Graguns, because they'd broken the alliance with her country." "Yes, yes, Quogar told me about that. Said that she hadn't given them anything for the contributions they'd made to her country, and had been visiting Ganondorf in the Sacred Realm somehow. Go on." "Well, Quogar had me help get rid of the problems in Draconiara-that's how I got Serpentina here-and then I saw that Kokiri Forest had been attacked." Ruto gasped. "I heard about that.but I didn't want to believe it." she whispered. "Yes, Saphira sent her Stalfos army to attack Kokiri. When Serpentina and I got there, the village had been destroyed, the leader Mido and his fairy were dead, and the Stalfos had kidnapped Saria and Navi." Ruto clapped her hands over her mouth, and King Ruto looked shocked. "Saphira went so far as to attack a village of children?" he said. "She's mad." "That's not all. I got the survivors, along with Talon, Malon, Ingo, and their animals, to the castle, but as soon as I had, Death Mountain erupted. Zelda sent the soldiers to evacuate the town, and I went along to warn the Gorons. But a bunch of Poes got Impa, and Volvagia got Darunia as we were trying to get away from the mountain." Ruto was beginning to cry now. "I can't believe it.why is she doing this?" Ruto asked. "She wants to release Ganondorf," King Zora said. "So she's capturing the Sages, and trying to wreak havoc at the same time." "And that's why I came. I came to warn you that Saphira might be after Ruto next. I know that Saphira won't want Ruto harmed, but I don't know what she 'll do to you and your people. I don't know how she'll go about getting Ruto, either-for all I know, she might have an army of Baris come in and attack the Domain." Link said. "All I do know is that she won't like it if Ruto's kept out of reach-that's why Kokiri was destroyed, because they tried to keep Saria away from the Stalfos. Volvagia nearly killed Serpentina when she tried to keep Darunia away from him. So be prepared for the worst." King Zora nodded. "Thank you very much for warning us, Link. We're extremely grateful to you. We wil be on our guard for anything that may happen." King Zora said. "Keep in touch, Link, and tell us of anything that happens." Ruto said. "All right. Be careful." Link said, and he left. "So that lousy woman is going after the Sages, huh? Didn't like her when I met her, and I still don't think any better of her." Nabooru muttered. Link had just traveled to the Gerudo Fortress to visit Nabooru, and had explained everything that had happened. "To kill a horse.that's one thing. But to destroy a village of children, that's absolutely heartless." Nabooru growled. Link knew that Nabooru was very chivalrous, and hated to even harm women and children-and as a Gerudo, she considered killing horses to be a sin. She had been upset when he had told her Saphira had killed Epona, and had been enraged when he told her Kokiri had been burned to the ground. But hearing about the Sage kidnappings seemed to make her more anxious. "What I'm afraid of, Nabooru, is that you may be the one Saphira attacks next. I've already warned Ruto, but I don't know if Rauru knows about what Saphira is doing." Link said. "Well, if he's in the Sacred Realm, he should, since you said that Saphira visited there. But then again, he might just be trying to lie low from Ganondorf. Although I don't think that'll do much good." Nabooru said. "And besides, do you think Saphira would attack the Gerudos? We're Ganondorf's family, for crying out loud!" "Yeah, but you hate him, and he knows that. Not to mention you helped banish him to the Sacred Realm. Saphira won't care if they're innocent-she' ll kill them anyway if she has to. Don't expect her to leave you alone, because she won't. She plans to bring Ganon back to Hyrule, and she'll go to any lengths to succeed." Link said. Nabooru stared him in the eye for a moment, then sighed and put her face in her hands. "You're right. Who am I trying to fool, saying that she'll leave us alone?" Nabooru said. "But how am I going to try to keep safe from her?" "I don't know. But what you should be worried about is how you're going to keep the other women safe. Like I said, Saphira will kill if she has to-so far, Mido and Tarnia are the only two people who have died since she started hunting down Sages, but I won't lie and say no one's been injured. But since this entire fortress helped me, I hate to think how Saphira will attack them." "Yeah. But there's just one problem-the only shelter we have for emergencies is the Spirit Temple." "That's fine. Only the Gerudo can get over there without any trouble, so that'll be a safe spot for you. But as for you.I don't know. It'll be a dangerous risk if you try to hide, because then Saphira will start hurting the Gerudos. She won't let her army harm you if they capture you, but-" "L |