"Looks like we finally made it..." Ukyo sighed as she and Link walked past the statues and hedges in the courtyard of the castle.
"Those guards sure were easy to trick," Link grinned. "Now, where to find that princess..."
Akane, who was crouching behind a big statue, listened to the words of the two forest children.
'Kokiri?' She recognized their clothes from her mother's stories. 'What do they want? How did they get past the guards? And why do they want to speak to the princess?'
She looked around. 'And by the way, where's Ryoga?'
----
Unlucky Ryoga had lost his balance when Akane had suddenly jumped away from her position, hiding behind the statue before the two forest kids and their fairies arrived. Falling into one of the fountains with a splash, he instantly got transformed into his tiny, cursed form of a Cucco chick.
Angrily, he shook the water out of his feathers as he climbed out of the water.
Suddenly, he nearly got blinded by a gleaming ball of light that seemed to descend upon him. In the middle of the light, however, he could see the face of a cute girl with wings.
Navi smiled. "Hey there, little Cucco! How did you get here?"
Tatl landed next to her, the tomboyish fairy brushing her blonde hair out of her face. "Perhaps he's the pet of the princess..."
Ryoga sweated. In his cursed form, those fairies were even taller than him. Somehow, he felt very helpless when he realized this...
"Hey, don't play with the Cucco!" Ukyo shouted. "We have better things to do."
All of a sudden, a dark shape came leaping out of the shadows. Ukyo gasped as a barrage of sharp throwing darts came flying in her direction, and she jumped out of the way. Link yelped and took cover behind his Deku Shield. The darts instantly got stuck in the shield's wooden surface.
"Leave C-chan alone, you hear me?" their assaulter grumbled.
Ukyo frowned upon recognizing the other girl's garments... it was the traditional garb of the so-called 'Shadow Folk'.
"You're... a Sheikah..." she realized.
Akane nodded, but didn't went out of her battle stance. "That's right! I'm the daughter of the last Sheikah warrior... And now: Tell me what you want, now!"
"Akane!" a soft voice called out from behind her. "Leave them alone! I'm sure they don't mean any harm..."
Akane turned around. The calm presence of her friend and princess convinced her, so she relaxed and nodded.
Then she threw the two green-clothed kids an angry glare. "But you better not hurt my C-chan!" And protectively, she scooped up her little pet with her hands.
Link and Ukyo looked at the princess in awe... Zelda was somehow surrounded by a mystical aura of peace and light, which made her look even more beautiful, even at her young age. Link couldn't close his mouth.
Zelda smiled. "I am Zelda, crown princess of Hyrule." She took a quick look at Tatl and Navi. "I saw your fairies. So that means you're from the forest, right? May I ask for your names?"
Link looked like he couldn't say any intelligent word, so Ukyo took over: "I am Ukyo, and this is my friend Link. We've been send by the protector of the woods, the Great Deku Tree, to see you."
"I see..." Zelda nodded. "And you wouldn't, by any chance, carry a green, shiny gem with you?"
Ukyo gasped. "How did you know?" she asked and produced the Kokiri Emerald.
"I had a dream," the princess explained. "In it, I could see black clouds that were covering our country... But then, a green light came out of the forest and drove the darkness away. It took shape and turned into two children, wearing green clothes, a girl and a boy... And they were carrying a green, sparkling gemstone."
Akane had listened to the princess' story in awe, just like Ukyo and Link. She was one of the very few people to know that Zelda's dreams really could be prophetic at times... but what did that dream mean?
"So... the Deku Tree sent you, yes?" Zelda asked. "Well then... I believe it is time I told you what this gemstone is all about...
According to legend, Hyrule has been created by three goddesses... And after they finished, they left three golden triangles behind, which formed the most sacred artifact: The Triforce! They say that it has the power to grant any wish to the person who touches it. As legend has it, it's supposed to be hidden deep within the Sacred Realm, which entrance lies in the Temple of Time... And to open that entrance, three spiritual stones are needed. This stone... the Kokiri Emerald... is only one of them."
"An amazing story..." Navi whispered. "We fairies have similar legends, but... It was never as detailed as in your tale."
Zelda smiled. "Well, my family has always been the keeper of the old legends... Also, we have to make sure that the Sacred Realm is never to be reached by anyone who would use the Triforce's powers for evil deeds..."
"But someone has to be out there, searching for it," Ukyo realized. "Our forest had been attacked by a dark man, who had placed a curse upon the Deku Tree... and he died. Well, at least Link and I were able to defeat the parasite within the tree and bring the emerald to you... I'm starting to believe that this gemstone was what he's been after."
"I agree," Link nodded. "But who could it be? Who is that man and what does he plan to do with the Triforce?"
Akane gasped and clutched C-chan to her chest (Ryoga nearly got a nosebleed). "Princess... you don't mean the very same man you've suspected all this time is actually..."
"Yes!" Zelda nodded. "I believe... the person who has attacked your forest, who wants to steal the Spiritual Stones and use the power of the Triforce... is this man!" And she gestured at a nearby window.
Curiously, Link and Ukyo peered inside... and saw the big throne room of Hyrule Castle.
And in front of them... a dark-skinned man wearing black armor was kneeling on the ground, facing the king sitting on the throne.
----
"Da big Kahuna proudly presents to ye: Ganondorf, king of da Gerudo tribe! Aloha!"
Ganondorf, the only existing male of the Gerudo tribe and therefore their king, could only felt irritation while kneeling down in front of the king of Hyrule.
'That chancellor is a pompous fool...' he thought. At first, he had pondered if he should use this man, the king's loyal advisor, as his own pawn to find out more about the royal family's secrets... But still, he had some pride. He would not employ the help of such a twisted Hylian such as Chancellor Kuno, and if it would mean his death...
But then, his gaze wandered over to the young soldier standing next to the chancellor... The son of Kuno, the young Tatewaki... Yes, Ganondorf could feel dark emotions swelling inside that boy's heart. Perhaps he could be of some use, if not his fool of a father...
"Lord Ganondorf!" the king smiled as he stood up and spread his arms. "Welcome! We were so pleased upon receiving your message... Finally, after all those years, we shall be able to place a treaty of peace."
Ganondorf stood up and lowered his head. "Your Highness, my only wish is for our people to live next to each other without having any worries in life..."
"I see, you seem to be an honorable man, Ganondorf," the king smiled. "But please forgive me my question: Why did you decide to put an end to the fighting between our people? For all those past years, the Gerudo had never agreed on making the step you just made..."
"It is true that my people are proud, sometimes even stubborn," Ganondorf said in a thoughtful voice. "But you have to understand, we're a tribe of desert dwellers... And our life can be quite harsh. At day, a burning wind is punishing my lands, searing the world... And when the moon climbs into the dark of night, a frigid gale pierces our homes... No matter when it comes, the wind carries the same thing: Death!"
He then smiled. "But the winds that are blowing across the green fields of Hyrule bring something other than suffering and ruin... And my tribe covets that wind, I suppose."
Again, he bowed towards the throne. "But from this day on, this shall change... If we have peace, Hyrule surely will be free to be roamed by my people..."
"I think I understand..." the king nodded, as he stroked his beard. "Well, I can imagine that desert life can be harsh at times... Right, chancellor?"
"Ah, I dunno, king..." Chancellor Kuno grinned. "Just imagine: A few palm trees an' a big ocean, and it will almost look like a tropical beach, eh?"
The king laughed. "Well, that's one way to look at it, I suppose..."
Outwardly, Ganondorf continued to smile, but deep within him, a fierce resentment against the chancellor was beginning to stir... No. He could NEVER take such a man as his servant...
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(Posted Fri, 08 Dec 2006 13:14)
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