Chapter Four: Death storm
Link woke up the next morning, in his bed, warm and comfy.
He grinned to himself as he remembered last night. He was so happy that it had finally happened, after six years of waiting.
He got up, dressed quickly, and hurried over to Zelda’s Quarters.
She was once again awake when he came in, doing her hair in her bathroom.
“Good morning,” he said to her with a smile, as he walked in. She stopped combing her hair to look at him.
“Good morning,” she said happily.
Link hesitated for a second, then said “Zelda, I don’t know how to say this, but...I loved you since the moment we met ten years ago.”
“I did too,” Zelda said, and walked right over to Link, and kissed him. “And we will be together for the rest of our lives. There will be time for us after this war is over. But we must not get distracted from the important matters at hand.”
“I know,” Link said seriously, “today we go up Death Mountain to talk with Darunia.”
Zelda remained silent, still smoothing out her hair to it’s normal, silky look. She didn’t even need to put anything in it to make it shine like it did, Link thought admiringly.
“Also,” she continued, as she finished with her hair and reached toward her white gloves, “we need to figure out how Ganon made those...er...crossbreeds.”
“Yes,” Link agreed, “I have no idea how he could have done it. It doesn’t seem possible! He doesn’t have any Zora’s working for him. The Zora’s are on our side.”
“Well, we will get to the bottom of this,” Zelda said, “one way or another.”
He felt something shoot past his face, and looked around quickly to see a copy of Hyrule Weekly once again zoom into Zelda’s outstretched hand. She snorted at it, and threw it into the trash, once again.
“I am sick of all that trash being printed where people can read it,” she said icily. “It says here that the crossbreeds that were spotted marching toward Zora’s River were aliens that were trying to steal the “sacred holy diamond” that the Zora’s are hiding from Hyrule. I have no freaking clue where they got that idea, but it is again complete utter rubbish.”
“The paper is going down the crap hole,” said Link scathingly, as he watched Zelda pull her white gloves experimentally.
“Okay, they’re all adjusted...lets go!” she said, and walked past Link with a quick peck on the cheek.
Link walked after her, and they made their way down the huge steps into the Great Hall. The King stopped them at the bottom of the steps.
“Hello Link! And hello, Zelda.”
Link and Zelda did not want to tell him that they were from the future. They were sick of telling everyone. They pretended that they were in the normal time.
“Father, we have something to tell you...” Zelda said. She looked over at Link.
“Uh...” Link nervously shifted his weight from foot to foot, then said, “we’re–uh–in love with each other.” he put his arm on Zelda’s shoulder.
The King stared for a second, then smiled and hugged them both.
“And I couldn’t think of a better pair! Go on, then! I don’t want to bother you two! Go on.”
He walked away, smiling.
“He, er, took that rather well!” Link said. Zelda seemed surprised at how he didn’t seem to mind.
“Well,” she said, “we do make a good pair.”
Link laughed, and they proceeded outside of the castle, where Epona was standing, though she was sleeping still.
“Oy!” Link yelled, poking her in the side. She blinked, and looked at him tiredly with one eye.
“It’s time to go. We’re going to Death Mountain today, instead of all that water. I’m sure you’ll like this place better. Not as much jumping gaps!” Link said to her. Epona blinked again, then reluctantly opened both her eyes and allowed Link and Zelda to clamber onto her. They rode from the castle, and past the guards, through the marketplace, and out of Hylia City.
As they went over the bridge and sharply pulled left toward Kakarikoo Village, Zelda asked, “so–what is Darunia like?”
Link could hear a bit of anxiousness in her voice.
“Do not be afraid, Zelda,” he said soothingly, “he is a gentle being. He is only rough when he must. But I am his sworn brother, so he should treat you royally as well. Although, even if we weren’t together, he would treat you royally anyways, because you are royal.”
He grinned at her as they galloped up the steps and into Kakarikoo Village. They proceeded up to the gate that led up Death Mountain, past the guards, (Zelda showed them her pass,) and were soon riding up the steep rocky ledges of Death Mountain.
It took them nearly a half hour to get up the entire mountain, but once they reached the entrance to Goron City, they were very proud of themselves, especially Epona.
They dismounted quickly. Link patted Epona on the head. “I’m proud of you. I couldn’t have asked for a better horse.”
Epona heard this, and stuck her huge snout affectionately into Link’s ear. He laughed, and they hugged for a second, then he hurried off after Zelda, into the City.
Link grinned enthusiastically as he laid his eyes on this wonderfully familiar sight. Goron’s rolled everywhere, some past Link and Zelda. Many Goron’s lay curled in little balls, snoring loudly, others, sitting on the floor chewing on pieces of the finest rock. The Goron drums were banging from somewhere in the place, but Link was overjoyed by this great place. How he had missed Hyrule so!
Zelda liked the Goron’s. She thought they were cute.
Since the entrance to Goron City was at the top, they slowly had to walk around the spiral staircase until they reached the bottom floor. Once they did, they hurried through the many Goron’s, some whom recognized Link, and got up to hug him. They went to Darunia’s great stone door that blocked his chamber from the rest of the city.
Link banged on it loudly.
The door swung open.
They stepped inside the darkness, and walked forward a short distance until they emerged in the small throne room of Darunia, the Fire Sage.
When he saw Link, he yelled with happiness, and sprung up from his rock throne chair. He beat his chest tremendously, and stamped his feet, rocking the room. Zelda smiled at him. Link grinned, and rushed forward.
“LINK! HOW HAVE YOU BEEN, BROTHER?!” they reached each other and embraced tightly, Darunia making sure not to hug too tightly, or else he would break Link’s spine.
“I’ve been busy,” Link replied truthfully, as Darunia let him go. Link felt his feet touch the ground again. “Saving different worlds than this.”
“Haha! I believe you. You saved our people twice, and I am quite sure that you can do it for others.”
Zelda instantly developed a liking for the Goron King. He was large, friendly, but not overly so.
“So, brother, what can I do for you today?” he said with a huge grin.
Zelda decided to answer this time.
“I am sure you have heard about Ganon’s return and him taking over the east woods?” she said to him.
The Goron King suddenly looked downward, his grin vanishing.
“Aaah, yes, I have. I am sorry for your losses Link. If there was anything I could do to help I would d–“
The Goron King stopped, and looked from Zelda to Link.
“Ah,” he said, figuring it out rather quickly, “yes, of course I will join your army! It’s the least I can do for Hyrule, brother!”
“Thank you, Darunia,” Zelda said sincerely.
“Listen, we need you to take all available soldiers you have to Hylia City and take up lodgings there until the time comes to fight,” Link explained to Darunia.
“All the Goron’s will fight.”
Within the hour, all of the Goron’s in the city were leaving, and hiking down Death Mountain toward Hylia City.
“We have been successful so far,” Link noted to Zelda quietly, as the Goron’s trooped past them, Darunia leading them.
“Yes,” Zelda said, “you have made some good friends, Link, for which we are all grateful for,” she said softly back.
He smiled to himself, as he watched the third part of his army march past.
They were soon galloping out onto Hyrule Field, after the Goron’s had gone to Hylia City.
Link, out of habit now, glanced at the east woods yet again.
“Where to now?” the princess asked the elf.
“The Gerudo’s,” Link said. “They are the only one’s left to recruit.”
They galloped all the way across Hyrule field, which took them over an hour to do, until finally, they reached Gerudo Valley, which they passed up. They rode across the bridge over the dark water’s that led all the way to Hylia Lake below, and on to Gerudo Fortress.
Once they got there, they rode up the steps, and out into the open dryness of the grounds.
Zelda’s grip around Link tightened. Link knew that even though she knew he had developed a truce with them, she did not trust them.
Link rode up to one, and asked politely, “where is Nabooru?”
“She is on the stand overlooking the desert,” replied the woman, pointing past them.
Link and Zelda rode over to the gate of the Haunted Wasteland, and
dismounted Epona. Link and Zelda both climbed up the ladder of the watch tower, and sure enough, they found Nabooru standing there, watching the dust storms of the desert.
She turned, and saw Link and Zelda come up.
“Link!” she cried, giving him a small hug. When they were done, she said, “I haven’t seen you for years! Where in Nayru’s Love have you been?!”
“To other worlds,” said Link truthfully, “saving other people.”
Nabooru smiled. “That sounds like you. Anyway, what brings you to the Gerudo’s F–“
BOOM.
The ground shook beneath them, and Zelda grabbed Link around the middle, trying not to fall. Link hurried to the other side of the tower, and peered down at the grounds of the fortress.
The sky, which was just blue, had turned black, and purple mist floated around a crater in the middle of the grounds. Several Gerudo’s lay on their backs, blood pooling beneath them. Nabooru yelled in grief at this, but Link held her from going down.
For Link remembered that purple fog all too well.
“Stay here,” he ordered Zelda and Nabooru both, without a hint of untruth in his eyes. Zelda wanted to obey, but she didn’t want to leave Link by himself.
Link climbed down the ladder quickly, then rushed up the stairs and onto the grounds, brandishing the Master Sword, and holding his shield steady.
The purple fog cleared, and a huge muscular, dark figure rose from it. Fear shot through Link, and everybody who saw who it was that was standing there on the grounds in front of Link.
Flaming red hair, and dark skin, with ugly long sideburns that rippled in the wind caught Link’s eye. A jewel rested on the man’s forehead, and he was garbed in black, with strange symbols all the way down the strange clothes.
The tall, 8 foot man stared down at Link, his long nose all too familiar to Link. As well as the scarlet eyes, and long cracked fingernails.
Ganon stood there, looking more dangerous than ever.
Link, who, though he had beaten him before, was trembling. He stopped himself from trembling. He was a warrior elf! He would not let this man destroy him! He stood tall, and stared back at Ganon without a hint of fear.
“Remember me?” Link said scathingly, holding up the Master Sword, “more importantly, do you remember this?”
Ganon quivered at the sight of the blade that had impaled his forehead before.
“I will be repaid in blood for that,” his deep evil voice growled. Link, suddenly overcome by rage at what he had done to the Deku’s, swung the Master Sword at Ganon. Ganon pulled out his own sword, and they clashed together.
They began one of the most fiercest sword fights Link had ever been in. Oddly, Link felt the Master Sword was lighter than before. He could control it better now. It felt like just an extension of his arm! He went into an even fiercer array of attacks, but every time, Ganon managed to block it with ease and strike out and Link with even more ferocity.
They moved back and forth across the grounds for at least 20 minutes, fighting, neither one of them getting in the least bit tired.
Ganon finally swung his blade so hard, that Link was knocked off his feet. Zelda screamed “NOOOO!!” and slid down the ladder. She ran to Link, and tried to pull him back up.
Ganon stood, looking at the pair with disdain.
“You two have irked me for far too long,” he said. He raised his hand. Zelda and Link were lifted from the ground, struggling. He moved his hand slightly, and they were both thrown over the gate, and went sailing very very far indeed into the Haunted Wasteland.
When they landed, the force released them, and they were once again all alone.
“NO!” yelled Link, the dust going into his eyes as he said this. “NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!”
He pounded the ground in frustration and fearfullness.
Zelda, who had never been here, suddenly fell to her knees, and coughed. Link drew her in close, protecting her from the sand that swirled around the pair. He hugged her tightly, and she did for him.
They had been cornered, and Ganon was going to take Hyrule in both this time, and the real time.
Link wept, as did Zelda.
They were trapped.
