Upon arriving at the castle's main gates, Link was pushed aside by the rest of the Knights, who flew by in the opposite direction on their own horses. One of them stopped long enough to yell at him for not being around the castle, and to come and help put out the fire. He rode off again.
Link was dumbfounded. The fire was too far away to spot from the castle. How could someone have gotten back there before he did? The only way it could have been done was magic, but there was no one who possessed teleportation powers anymore, was there? He looked up, and standing in the doorway with a very sour look on her face was the Queen. Her scowl was penetrating, and very un-Zelda. For a brief moment, her gaze caught his, and her whole faced seemed to pale as she stared at him, with a look of near hatred.
Link didn't have to be told twice what to do. With a last look at Zelda's challenging expression, he urged Epona to turn around and rode off to join the crowd. He caught up with them in a matter of moments, and once on the site of the fire, joined a bucket brigade that started at the Lake to douse the flames.
The fire was still as lively as ever when Link returned. Those nearest to the blaze were already coughing violently, unable to withstand the smoke for very long. Still, they kept the buckets moving, though the water was of little aid. It was as useful as trying to bathe in a mud puddle. Despite that, Link found a place towards the end closest to the flames and passed buckets with his fellows.
And then, one of them fell. A Zora, not too far away from where Link stood, though further from the inferno. The bucket he was holding crashed to the ground and spilled, moistening the dirt he stood on. Another bucket followed suit before someone realized the hitch. The front of the line quickly ran out of buckets and complained, screaming at those behind them. They couldn't see what happened through the smoke. The back of the line panicked, not knowing what to do to help out the Zora.
Link tried to take control. He stepped out of his place in the line to direct and bring order back to the chaos. He screamed for attention, but above the roar of the fire and the din of the men's voices, he could hardly be heard. Faji noticed Link yelling at everyone, and lumbered to his side. Several of the Knights, especially the other Gorons, shouted at Faji for stepping out of place, while the remainder still worried about the Zora.
"What are you saying?"
"Listen to me, get yourself, Agnor, and the rest of the Gorons out in front; you are going to be the most fire-resistant. Next, the Hylians, and keep the Zoras closest to the water, got that? They'll pick up Zaphta and send him towards the Lake, meanwhile, the other end will keep sending buckets back up to the fire."
"Okay," Faji said. "We can do this together."
With the two of them working, each directing about half the Knights, they rapidly regained a working rhythm. Link commanded the bucket brigade and Faji organized Zaphta's transport to the Lake. Before very long, Zaphta was under supervised recovery lakeside, and the buckets were coming in at an even faster rate than before. The lines had become more efficient and they started making progress. Link was halfway pleased, but there were still loads of flames to douse.
Eons seemed to pass before the fire was out, and the Knights headed back on their horses, weary and covered head to toe in soot. The house, meanwhile, and the area surrounding it, was completely destroyed. Whoever was working there would have to find a new place to conduct her experiments, and perhaps a new place to live. Link couldn't help but keep looking back over his shoulder at the charred remains. The pain in his knee returned as a dull throb.
Zaphta rode back with a Goron, who made sure he didn't fall out of the saddle, as he was still uneasy on his feet, though feeling drastically better.
When they got back to the castle, it was Faji who dismounted first and spoke to the Queen.
"Your assessment, Sir Faji?" Zelda asked.
"A terrible blaze, My Liege, but all of the members of the Knighthood did their duty, one of us in particular."
"Oh?" Zelda said, a note of slight interest in her voice.
"Yes, Your Majesty. Sir Link--" Zelda made another disgusted face, but Faji continued, "was taking a great deal of responsibility on his own shoulders."
Zelda crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow skeptically.
"He took command of a rather grim situation, Your Highness. Completely reorganized the men without even thinking. It came naturally to him, and under such pressure. As young as he is, he should be commended."
Zaphta was feeling well enough to speak, and chimed in, "I nearly died because of the smoke, Majesty; I couldn't stand it. Sir Lincoln was the one who carried me back to the water while I was unconscious, I was told."
Link grimaced a bit at the sound of his proper name. Not to mention what Zaphta said wasn't exactly true. He liked that version of the story, but Link wondered who added the minor embellishment in their storytelling. He wanted to build up his own story! He strained his ears, though, to hear what Zelda would say next.
"I shall see to it personally that Sir Lincoln is rewarded properly," Zelda said quickly, with the same deathly serious expression as before. "There shall be no more discussion of the matter, Sir Faji," she went on, taking one last look at Link and disappearing inside the castle before anyone could notice that she had.
She never calls me by my full name, Link thought, still mounted on Epona.
"Do you hear that, kid?" One of the Knights asked, slapping Link heartily on the back. "The Queen's going to see to it personally that you're rewarded!"
"Yeah, I heard," Link said blandly. He dismounted Epona and led her to the stable, as some of the other Knights had already started to do. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Agnor and another Goron helping Zaphta down from the horse, and the other Zoras rushed over to help get Zaphta out to the infirmary.
The sun was just starting to rise over the eastern side of Hyrule Castle. It shone with all its might, but made no difference. The night sky was brightening; the full moon and stars were starting to go out just now, and the temperature was cool and brisk. A breeze whistled through the trees, rocking them gently. No one really noticed it, but a snowflake fell from the sky.
"That boy Link is going to be trouble, Zelda. What do you propose we do?"
Nothing, a defiant voice answered itself.
Lily was tormenting her again. The taunting was almost more than she could stand. It was midday, and after everyone finished sleeping, the Queen and her parasite included, Zelda found herself sitting on her bed with Lily.
"Oh, but I beg to differ. He's not any smarter than I thought, but, what's the word? Nosy. He's too much into your business, Zelda. That shouldn't be," Lily said, standing, approaching a mirror to gaze at the young Queen's flawless visage.
We've been friends since childhood, and he's my sworn protector. He has a right to know my business.
"Yes but you're the Queen. Even if he is a Knight, he should be nothing to you now." Lily idly fingered the ends of Zelda's hair.
Well he is something to me.
Lily arched an eyebrow and continued, throwing the lock of hair over Zelda's shoulder, turning away and pacing back across the room.
"And this Impa. Of what relation is she to you? I don't like how that boy goes off and keeps talking to her."
I don't have to answer you.
"You know I'll only make it worse for you in the end, Your Majesty," Lily chuckled mockingly.
Go find out yourself! Zelda screamed, a little more bravely than she'd intended.
"As you wish," Lily said, undaunted. "You know how easily I could make use of that little triangle you hold within you. And, well, since I am you, it's within me. And even if you did try to stop me, my power overrides yours." Lily was silent for a moment as she searched Zelda for information. "Your nurse, that Sheikah. I pity her. To have to have looked after the likes of you; you and your kind. How you all disgust me! To think, that generations before her, Sheikah have died fighting the Hylians, and now she works for them. Shameful. And she knows a bit, too. So the boy keeps going for advice," Lily hissed. "She's the brains and he's the brawn."
Zelda remained quiet.
"Two is always better than one, Zelda. Remember that when he foolishly wanders in here for a challenge. You know he will."
I do. But he'll win. I know that, too.
Link slept in that morning, and straight through until the afternoon. When he finally did wake up, sat up in bed to think. What exactly happened last night?
"Zelda got upset and left her room. I trailed her outside, lost her, but found someone else instead. She was a Sheikah, working magic."
He paused. Something seemed wrong about that. His left hand began to itch, and he scratched it absently, then ran it through his hair in an effort to tame it a bit.
"And she disappeared just as quickly." He made a mental note to ask Impa the next time he spoke to her if the Sheikah people were capable of teleportation.
But wait, he thought. If Sheik could... but Sheik was Zelda... but Zelda was under Impa's care... oh, I'll ask anyway. Watch Impa think I'm stupid or something.
He decided he couldn't push his tired mind any further, so he got dressed in uniform. The Queen wanted to speak with the Knights about what was going on recently in Hyrule, and wished to hold council with them about how to stop it. Something about this didn't sit well with Link, either, but he shrugged it away. Maybe something would come up during discussions. He headed downstairs, to where one of the dining halls was converted into a meeting room.
Link was surprised to find that he wasn't the last to arrive. He took a seat along the side of the table facing the window, between a Zora and a Hylian. The rest of the chairs quickly became occupied, and the moment they were, two heralds trumpeted a fanfare to announce the Queen's arrival. The Knights quickly jumped to their feet as though they had sat on porcupines. Link winced. It wasn't all that smart to have them inside. In such an enclosed space, they seemed very loud. Zelda entered through a set of double doors, trailed by several maids fanning out her robe and attending to her train.
"Gentlemen," Zelda began. "You are now no strangers to the bizarre occurrences that have befallen our country. The heatwave that claimed the lives of so many Hyrulians of all races was, by no chance, a mere seasonal abnormality. This morning, I was able to spot frost on the grass in the Courtyard, and as sure as some of you were sensitive to the temperature's rise, some of you are, no doubt, sensitive to its fall. As the Queen of Hyrule, it is my job to guide the people. As Knights, it is your job to protect them. However, I am at a loss. I suffered a great personal loss, as did many of my subjects, but I fear I have no way to guide them through. As my Knights, I am asking each one of you to keep protecting the Hyrulian people, and to help me guide them. Perhaps we can figure this out together," Zelda concluded, finally taking a seat. The Knights followed her.
"What do you propose we do?" she asked, lacing her fingers and, with her elbows propped on the table, rested her chin on them, head tilted to the left.
The Knights seemed nonplussed. Their sovereign, the Queen Zelda, ruler of Hyrule and Keeper of Knowledge, clueless! What in the hell were they supposed to do, then?! Most simply looked at one another, or suddenly became interested in the fabulous woodwork on the table and chairs. One of them dared to speak.
"Actually, Your Highness," he paused. Zelda nodded in acknowledgement and he stood to continue. "I saw something strange last night. Before the fire broke out."
Zelda's face went sour as Lily's efforts to refrain from frowning failed. She knew perfectly well what Link had to say. However, she had to remain outwardly uninformed, and let him speak, wondering exactly how the Knights would react.
"Well, Your Majesty," Link began. "I went for a short walk, but before I knew it, I found myself near Lake Hylia." He could see Zelda grinding her teeth together. "Before the cottage caught fire, I was able to see a Sheikah woman inside, and she was...."
But Link never finished his sentence because the room filled with laughter.
"A Sheikah?!"
"There aren't any Sheikah left!"
"Poor kid, slipping up again!"
At that point, a pink bobble hat was deposited on his head by an unknown source and even harder laughter followed. Link violently removed it from his head, going an angry shade of red and plopping down in his chair.
Lily covered her mouth to suppress giggles, but was relieved that the Knights though the idea of a Sheikah existing ludicrous.
You stop that! Zelda cried out.
Lily ignored her.
When the laughter died down, Zelda spoke first.
"It is obvious," and she paused until the laughter completely stopped, "that low spirits need to be raised."
The Hylian Knight on Link's left stifled his sniggering.
"But this is no laughing matter. It is gravely serious."
And seriously fun!
Do shut up, Zelda shot back.
"If you wish to say something of importance, good Knight, then speak it now, but do not waste Hyrule's time with such foolishness."
Link caught Zelda's superior expression and huffed, his eyes flashing with the anger of yet another unjust situation. He had something of importance to say, all right, but to say it would be treason, and the punishment for treason was death, even for someone as valuable to the kingdom as Link. He bit he tongue and thought it instead.
You've become a real bitch, Zelda. I know you have something to do with this; you know that I know, so why are you puppeting me around like this?
"Any ideas, gentlemen?" Zelda asked. The Knights shared dumb, blank looks.
And if no one believes me, I'll have to take care of it by myself, just like last time.
Last time, Link reasoned with himself, meant when he was a child and only he and Zelda believed her dreams (last night's fire didn't count). Of course, they'd been on the same side then.... But it didn't matter, and this time he'd pull through. A talk with Impa would calm him down and curb his eagerness a bit, perhaps set him more stable and more level than he was at the current moment.
Before he could realize what happened, Link found himself climbing a set of stairs in Kakariko, the ones that led up to Impa's front door. In another blink of an eye, he was seated beside her at the table. They were conversing over tea.
"And I don't suppose you were thinking very much in the first place," Impa scolded.
"What? I thought a lot! I had to reorganize everyone. Well, Faji did, because no one would listen to me, but it was my ide--"
"No, not that. You had your ocarina, didn't you? You could have played the Song of Storms and have been done with the whole thing."
"Oh. Oh yeeeeeeeeeah, that would have worked, wouldn't it? Still, nothing explains how the Knights knew before I could tell them what happened."
Impa shrugged.
"Anyway, I should get going. It's gonna rain or something. I can feel it; my knee's killing me," Link said, standing up to stretch. He nearly bumped his head on the low ceiling in Impa's cottage, but was careful to watch out for it. When his back cracked and he was relieved from at least that much discomfort, he moved towards Impa's door.
"You'd better hurry up and get home," she said suddenly.
"What? Why?" Link queried.
"It's not raining, it's starting to snow. And hard," Impa said, sipping. "And you can't teleport like I can."
"What?!"
Before long, Link found himself trying to cross a very small section of Hyrule Field. Impa wasn't joking; this snow WAS coming down hard. The wind had picked up since that morning, too, blowing the snow in his face, stinging his eyes and blinding him. After what seemed like an eternity, Link made it back inside the walls of the castle. A guard at the entrance gave him a puzzled look.
"It's nasty out there," was Link's reply as he hobbled back up to his room.
When he got there, Link noticed his reflection as he passed his mirror. His hair had been turned brown from the snow and a fine white dusting still remained. He ran a hand through to brush the powder out of his locks. He sat on his bed to take off his boots. While he did so, he couldn't help but think.
What was it that Impa said as I was leaving? I can't what like she can?
He threw his boots across the room and under the window to dry where they landed with a thud. At that same moment, comprehension dawned on Link.
"I can't teleport! Impa's a Sheikah; she can. That Sheikah woman must have teleported back to the castle and since Zelda -- I hope I'm right about this."
He sat back on his bed, and then decided it was just better to lie down. Wiggling his toes unconsciously, Link tried to think through his best course of action and decided it would be, again, best to talk to Impa. Maybe she could think of some strategy that would help Link out.
Link stood back up, fidgety from his nerves, and happened to catch his reflection once more. The "powder" in his hair turned out not to be powder at all. It was his actual hair.
The end of the year means the end of Hyrule!
The words struck him suddenly. The old man's cryptic message made sense now. For whatever reason, that Sheikah woman was controlling the weather with her magic, or making time speed up. That's why the weather was so extreme. That's whey everyone aged and why people died. And that's why only Impa -- and Zelda too -- were unaffected.
Figuring his revelation too pressing to wait until dawn, Link hastily tore off his uniform and changed into his more comfortable everyday clothes and a bright red scarf. He grabbed the Master Sword in its scabbard and strapped it on. He also took his bow and about a dozen arrows and set back to Kakariko.
The same guard that greeted him on the way in frowned in confusion as he watched Link leave now.
"I thought you said it was nasty out there, Sir," the guard started.
"Yeah, but it'll be even nastier in here if I don't go," Link said, throwing the confused guard a smirk over his shoulder.
Link turned forward again and saw the snow falling harder still, almost like he was caught in a blizzard. It would be too much for Epona to go through; he'd have to leave her in the stable and trek through this on his own. His knee whined again as he took his first stop into the winter, but Link ignored it. This was infinitely more important. And, if he succeeded, his knee wouldn't bother him again for at least another twenty years.
Lily delighted in how well everything was working. She thought, for best results, she'd have to work away from the castle, where no one would find her. Now she knew that to be completely true.
Since that fool Link burned her house, Lily was forced to keep her true self hidden and work in disguise as Zelda. However, being closer to Link only increased the power of her Triforces, facilitating everything. She stood in a high turret, looking over the vast whiteness that was Hyrule.
"Almost done, Zelda," Lily said in Zelda's voice. "Look at that blizzard. Feel it! The end is almost near."
Praise the Goddesses.
"Foolish child. For one who holds the Triforce of Wisdom... Don't you see? Soon, it will end. I won't even need you. And then you will wither and die, like the rest of this pathetic land! And finally... finally... I'll be able to avenge my family and my people."
You're just talk.
"Not so, Queenie. I've made good on everything thus far. Why should this be any different?"
Link knows what you're up to. He'll stop you.
"That boy can't stop the pains in his leg. He cannot stop me," she said, surveying the landscape once more.
"I want a guard sent to Impa in Kakariko, to tell her you're alright in this weather. That way, she'll know just where to find your cold, frozen body tomorrow night," Lily said lightly.
Tomorrow night? Zelda panicked, for the first time, through that exchange. There was no chance of making it out on her own. Her only hope was Link, probably asleep in his bed, worn out and still slightly upset by the day's events.
Hurry, Link. Please figure it out!
"No use in that," Lily spat confidently. "He couldn't save himself."
She turned away from the window just in time to miss a green dot slowly crossing the dangerous Hyrule Field.