The Return of the Evil Sages
By Susanne (SheikahWarrior@hotmail.com)


~ Part one: Back from the dead ~

Chapter one

It was late afternoon, almost evening. In a high, black tower, a young woman sat on a chair in front a table. She read a book with brown covers. A single candle lit up the room. The candle's light was dark purple, and shone in the same color as the woman's eyes. She rose from the chair, and her black dress whirled as she turned around. She walked up to the only window and looked out.
Far below her, the ground was covered with black sand and big rocks. Not a single blade of grass could be seen, and a cold wind blew over the desolate land. The sun was now red as blood, and it sank deeper and deeper, until it was lost behind a mountain.
The woman sighed and leaned out. The wind made her black hair blow around her head.
"I will return," she whispered to herself. "And then you'll die, pitiful elf."
Suddenly someone knocked at her door.
"Come in," she said, without turning around.
A tall man with blond hair and green eyes entered the room. His clothes had a dark purple color, and he wore a long purple cloak. He walked up to her.
"Agariah. I'm so glad to have you back."
The woman smiled. She had a scar in her face which made her look even more dangerous. "Evand," she said softly. "I didn't expect you."
"I was afraid we lost you when you battled the Hero of Time," Evand said. "How did you recover from all the wounds he gave you?"
Agariah's eyes narrowed. "I didn't." She looked at him, and he saw the scar on her cheek. "The next time I meet him, I'll make sure he'll get a scar of his own."
Evand grinned.

Thoughtfully, Link watched the sun rise from his room in Hyrule Castle. The view was fantastic, but he didn't actually see it. His mind was someplace else. He'd had that dream again, and it always made him nervous. Suddenly the door was opened, and Mauru looked in. "Link, can I come in?"
"Sure." Link turned around. "What do you want?"
"Princess Zelda wanted to see you. She's in the library."
"All right," Link said. "I'd better go see her, then."

"Link, where have you been?" was the first thing Zelda said to him. "You weren't here yesterday."
"No, Loora, Sheraa and I went for a ride on the magic carpet. We visited Impa in Kakariko Village."
"What about Mauru?" Zelda asked. "What was he doing yesterday evening?"
A grin showed in Link's face. "He and Dani took a walk in the moonlight." His grin became even wider. "At least he SAID they did."
Zelda smiled. "That wasn't what I wanted to discuss with you." She sighed. "There's something going on in Zora's Domain. Since we Sages were able to unfreeze it, we haven't heard anything from the Zoras. I want you to go there and find out what's going on. I think Ruto needs your help. She contacted me earlier today."
Link swallowed. "Ruto? Do I have to go?"
Zelda gave him the 'Royal look', which she always used when she ignored something that someone said or did. "You heard me, Link. Be off with you."

Chapter two

It was late afternoon when Link reached Zora's River. He got off Epona and jumped into the water, and murmured some very bad words. It was ice-cold. Link swam through the river and ended up under a small waterfall. Then he got out of the water. He followed the river to a huge waterfall with a Triforce mark in front of it. With a sigh, he played Zelda's Lullaby quickly jumped into Zora's Domain as the water stopped flowing.
Nothing could've prepared him for the sight that met his eyes. The water had turned red with blood, and dead Zoras laid everywhere. Link looked around, trying to find princess Ruto among the dead. When he saw she wasn't there, he let out a sigh of relief. A thought raced through his mind. Maybe she was hiding in her father's throne room.
Link ran towards the king's room, taking the steps two at a time. When he reached the top of the stairs, he froze.
A tall, blond young man dressed in purple sat on the throne. By his side sat princess Ruto, and her hands and feet were tied. When Link came in, the young man smiled. "Link. I didn't expect you already." He glanced at the princess. "She's very troublesome, isn't she? It took me half an hour just to tie her hands."
After a closer look, Link saw that Ruto was unconscious.
"Who are you?" Link asked. His voice trembled a little. "Where's the king?"
The man's green eyes became cold, and his smile faded. "I'm Evand. And from now on, I am the king."
"That's right," another voice said. "We control this place now." Behind Evand, Link could see the shape of a woman. She stepped out from the shadows, and Link gasped when he saw her. It was Agariah.
"You," he whispered.
"Yes, I," Agariah smiled. Four other shapes appeared behind her. She laughed. The laugh was all but friendly. "I - and the other Sages of Evil." They all raised their hands.
The last thing Link remembered was the sight of the Evil Sages, creating a black light.

~ Part two: Secrets of the desert ~

Chapter one

Link and Ruto laid on the floor of a small room, lit up with a candle which burnt in a purple color. They were still unconscious, but after a short while, Link woke up. His head ached badly, and he let out a groan. He turned to look at princess Ruto. Her eyes were closed, but at least she breathed. With another groan, Link rose up and brushed his clothes off. His Kokiri Tunic was replaced with a purple tunic. The Master Sword was gone, and his equipment had been confiscated.
Ruto began to wake up, and Link bent over her. "Are you OK?" he asked.
Weakly, Ruto nodded and sat up. Link smiled, but his eyes were dark. "What happened in Zora's Domain?" He sat down next to her.
"I tried to fight him," Ruto whispered. "I tried to save the Zoras, but I failed, and...and he and the other Sages killed them. Then they forced me to contact princess Zelda. I..." A tear fell from her eye. "I lied to her, Link. And I lied to you. We're captured here, and it's all my fault." She burst out crying.
"It's all right, Ruto," Link said, hugging her softly. "It's all right. At least you're not here alone."

Zelda and Mauru sat in the library. Mauru was very worried about Link. He hadn't heard anything from him since he left two days ago. Zelda tried to read an old book, but she couldn't concentrate, because of Mauru's whining.
"Calm down, Mauru," Zelda said. "He's probably on his way home - or maybe he's visiting Lon Lon Ranch, or Kokiri Forest, or..."
"But why didn't he tell us about it, then?" Mauru said. "Hyrule is quite small, you know. He can't be...gone."
"Maybe he's in another country," Zelda suggested.
"There aren't other countries than Hyrule, Zelda."
"You only say that because you've never visited another country," Zelda sighed. "I've been to many of them with my father before he was...was killed by Ganondorf."
"There ARE other countries?" Mauru asked, amazed.
Zelda gave him the Royal look again. "Mauru, if there weren't other countries, then how could I visit them?"
"I don't know."
Zelda sighed - a very deep sigh - and held up the book. "You're hopeless." She started to read again.

Chapter two

"What's that?" Ruto asked. She pointed towards the door.
Link turned around. He heard the sound of footsteps. Quickly, he got on his feet, and in the same moment, someone opened the door. It was Agariah. She stepped into the room, and her black dress was astoundingly beautiful.
"Well, well," she smiled. "What have we here?"
Five other shapes entered the room. Link took one step back and gasped. Ruto also got on her feet. They looked at the people standing there.
First they looked at Agariah. Then at Evand, who they knew as the Sage of Magic.
Behind them stood a muscular young man with fiery hair and green eyes. Agariah noticed their looks and smiled. "That's Garon, the Sage of Dragons." Then she looked at the other Sages. "The young man with brown hair and dark blue eyes is Zalan, the Sage of War. The young woman behind him - with blonde hair and golden eyes - is Ohlana, the Sage of Winds."
But there was another Sage, and she was the most terrifying of them all. Her face showed that she was young, but her hair was long and white and her eyes blood red. She had sharp teeth and a claw on each finger. She took one step towards them. Both Link and Ruto took one step back, and she laughed.
"My name is Twaara. I'm the Sage of Souls. My mission is to take care of the dead people - their souls - when Agariah's visited them. She's the Sage of Death." A grin lit up her face. "Soon, I'll probably be visiting Hyrule Castle to take care of the sad remains of princess Zelda."
The Sages laughed and leaved the room, and Link's and Ruto's eyes grew wide with fear.

A wind blew over the Haunted Wasteland. It was early in the morning. A young Gerudo girl, maybe nine years old, ran across the desert, and the sand blew in her eyes. She'd been there many times, but never in such a storm. Her throat was dry and she could barely swallow. Finally, she reached an oasis not far away from the Desert Colossus. Tired, she fell on her knees and bent over the water. Then she let out a scream.
The water was red as blood.
She got on her feet and ran towards the Desert Colossus. She avoided the Leevers and reached the great statue after a short while. She ran inside and let out a sigh of relief. Safe.
"Nabooru?" The Gerudo took a step forward. "Nabooru, are you here?"
No answer. The girl went up the stairs, but she got too close to the Armos statue, and it came alive. With a scream, the girl pressed herself towards the cold wall, facing the enemy. The Armos came closer. She turned around to find an escape way and saw that a large, grey rock blocked the entrance to the Spirit Temple. She looked over her shoulder. The Armos was only a few feet away. Sobbing, the girl pounded at the stone.
"Please, let me in! Let me in!" She fell on her knees with tears in her eyes. The Armos would be there any second now. She closed her eyes and prepared to die.
Suddenly she heard an explosion behind her. Her heart was pounding, but she turned around. Two girls and a young man stood behind her, and the sound came from the exploding Armos. She looked at the young man, who still held a sword his hands, and managed to smile. Quickly, she got on her feet and looked at the two girls behind him. One of them was dressed in green, and she was probably in her own age, maybe a little older. The other one was Nabooru, the leader of the Gerudos. The girl sobbed again, but this time with relief.
"Nabooru!" she whispered. "Thank Din! I've been looking for you! I saw the most terrible thing happen in Gerudo Fortress!"
"What?" Nabooru asked.
"The woman - she killed Gerudos! There's blood everywhere!"
Nabooru's mouth fell open. "What did you say? Killed them?" She sighed. "I think we have a problem here. You must come with me to Hyrule Castle. We have to tell the princess about this."

~ Part three: Dark memories ~

Chapter one

"Let us out!" Link screamed. He pounded at the door with his bare hands until they started to bleed. "Let us out of here!"
There was no answer. Link sighed and turned around. Princess Ruto sat on the floor behind him, and she was very weak. They had nothing to drink, and Ruto needed some water. Link gave the door a final kick. The only result of that was that his toes started to ache badly.
"How are you?" he asked the princess.
"I've felt better," Ruto murmured.
Link clenched his teeth. "When I get my sword back, they'll be in major trouble."
He didn't say who 'they' were, but Ruto understood. "I'll support you." An evil grin lit up her tired face.
Suddenly, Link heard a tiny voice outside the door. "Link? Is that you in there?"
Link ran to the door and looked through the keyhole. A small blue creature flew up and down in front of his face. "Navi!" he yelled.
"I've been looking everywhere for you!" the fairy said. "One of the Great Fairies led me here. Otherwise, I'd never found this place."
"I'm so glad to see you," Link said, and he was actually honest this time.
"Do you know where you are?" Navi asked.
"I have no idea," Link admitted.
The little fairy was excited. "You're in a country east of Hyrule, and it's called Elaria as far as I know."
Ruto's eyes grew wide. "There are other countries than Hyrule?"
"Yes, isn't it amazing?" Navi asked. "And you've lived so close to it all your life! You can only reach Elaria from Zora's Domain."
Then they heard footsteps coming towards them. Navi tried to enter the room through the keyhole, but she was too big. "Link, I have to leave you! I'll get help! Promise!"
She flew away down the corridor and entered the first open door. When in there, she headed for the closest open window. Unfortunately, it was the window in Ohlana's room, and the Sage of Winds saw her as she tried to escape through it.
"Oh, my, what have we here?" Ohlana smiled. Quickly, she closed the window. Now Navi was trapped inside her room. The Sage took a step closer her.
"Isn't it a little fairy? Tell me, my friend, who are you?"
"I'm Navi," the fairy said with a trembling voice. "I...I got lost. Can you tell me how to get back home again?"
The Sage sighed. "Well, I guess a little fairy like you won't cause any trouble. Where do you live?"
"In...in Hyrule," Navi said.
Ohlana stretched out her hand. "Come. I'll take you out of here." Navi landed in her hand, and the Sage smiled. "You're a nice little creature." She went out of the room with Navi sitting in the palm of her hand.

Chapter two

Zelda ran out of her chair. "What?! Is it true?"
Nabooru nodded. "I saw it. There's blood all over the place."
The young Gerudo girl sat on a chair next to the Sage, and she felt uncomfortable. She'd never seen a princess before, and Zelda's presence made her nervous. And the princess's room was full of beautiful things. She sat on her chair and tried not to move, but her eyes wandered through the room and imbibed every single detail.
"What's your name?" Zelda asked.
"My name is Shiora, your Highness," the girl answered.
Zelda sat down again. "Well, Shiora, what brought you to the Desert Colossus?"
Shiora looked down. "I...I tried to escape, your Highness. And I thought maybe my sister was there. She's been gone for so long now. I thought she was with Nabooru in the temple."
"And who's your sister?" Zelda asked.
"Her name is Sheraa."

The Sage of Winds carried Navi out of the great tower. Her face was sad. "You know, my friend, I once was a little girl, and I lived in Kakariko Village. When my mother first saw my golden eyes, she knew that I'd grow up and become someone special." Ohlana sighed. "I never thought that it meant becoming a Sage of Evil." She smiled, but the smile was sad. "Late one evening, six years ago, a young woman visited the village. She'd traveled a long way, and she asked for something to drink. My mother invited her to stay in our house over the night. I was about ten years old, and as I saw that young woman, I trembled. Not that she looked scary - she was very beautiful - but I felt that something was wrong with her.
I had a special gift, which my mother didn't know anything about. I could look into peoples minds. And I looked into the young woman's mind. She carried a deep hate towards Hyrule. She hated the Hylians. She hated the Gorons. She hated the Zoras, the Sheikahs and the Gerudos. But most of all, she hated the children of the forest - the Kokiris."
Ohlana closed her eyes. "And I remember thinking, 'why?' Why does she hate them so much? I dug deeper into her mind, and I found an answer to my question. There was a boy. I could see him very clearly through the woman's eyes. He was dressed in Kokirish clothing, but he was different from the other children. He was - someone special."
The Sage opened her eyes, and continued the story. Her voice was painful. "Then I realized that the woman knew I was searching through her mind. Her eyes shone, and she had an evil grin on her lips. She never spoke to me, but I heard her voice inside my head. I can still remember her words. 'You pitiful girl. Don't you understand that I can destroy you? But still...you might be of some use to us. Yes, maybe I should take you with me. But your mother won't allow you to leave, will she?' Then she looked at me. I was scared to death, and my eyes were wet with tears. Her grin became wider. 'Too bad, I have to get rid of your mother somehow. And what's better than dancing flames?'
Now I knew what she was up to, but I couldn't stop her myself. As my mother sent me to bed, I tried to warn her, but she didn't listen to me. I couldn't...I..."
Ohlana's eyes were wet with tears. "That night, our house was set on fire. The young woman saved me from the flames, but my mother died. I saw her face through the window. She looked at me, and I heard her scream. But the young woman took me away, far away from the village. She brought me to this tower and taught me how to use my powers. I became the Sage of Winds. But I can never forgive the woman who killed my mother."
Navi had been silent for a long time, but now she spoke. "And who was she?"
Ohlana clenched her teeth. "Agariah."

~ Part four: Colors of the Goddesses ~

Chapter one

The sound of footsteps came closer. Link sat down on the floor next to princess Ruto and waited. After a while, the door was opened, and one of the Evil Sages entered the room. It was the young man called Garon, the Sage of Dragons. He held a whip in his hand. He pointed it towards Link. "You. Get up."
When Link got on his feet, he saw another Sage enter the room. It was Agariah. Garon took Link's arms in an iron grip and pushed him towards the door. Link saw how Agariah bent over Ruto and created some kind of light.
"What are you doing to her?" Link yelled. "Ruto! Ruto!"
"Link!" Ruto sobbed.
Then Garon slammed the door shut, and all that Link heard was a terrified scream.

Chapter two

Navi was on her way back to Hyrule. The Sage of Winds had shown her the small passage which led to Zora's Domain. The little fairy flew through it and ended up in Zora's Fountain. The air was cold, and Navi started to shiver. It was late in the evening, and the stars shone in the sky.
Three of the stars shone brighter than the other. Navi recognized them as the stars of the goddesses. Din's star was red, Farore's was light green and Nayru's was pale blue, like the summer sky. They were located right above Hyrule Castle, and Navi used them to fly in the right direction.
Even if fairies spred light, they didn't see very well in the dark. In Kokiri Forest, it was never night, and Navi wasn't used to the complete darkness. She always flew into things, like trees, poles and walls when it was dark.
After a few minutes, Navi reached the drawbridge. It wasn't lowered, so she simply flew over it. The market was empty, dark and silent. Navi headed for the castle. In the light of the torches surrounding the castle's drawbridge, she could see that black clouds were gathering in the sky. With another shiver, she flew through an open window. Navi hated rain.
The window was situated in princess Zelda's bedroom. Several candles lit up the room, and a fireplace spread comforting heat. Princess Zelda had visitors. Nabooru, the Sage of Spirit, sat on a chair. Next to her sat another girl from Gerudo, maybe nine or ten years old. The princess walked around in the room, and her face was grave.
"Hey!" Navi cried. Her tiny voice reached their ears, and they all turned around.
The girl from Gerudo Fortress let out a muffled scream. She'd never seen a fairy before.
"Navi!" Zelda said. "Where have you been? And where's Link?"
"Zelda, you must help me!" Navi yelled. "Link...he's captured!"
Nabooru got out of her chair. "Calm down! Captured? By who?"
The fairy was too upset to calm down. "Ruto's with him, and they're in trouble!"
"Navi, please, try to stay calm!" Nabooru said. "Who captured them?"
"The Evil Sages! Oh, Nabooru, don't just stand there! Help them!"

Chapter three

He choked. The darkness surrounded him and buried him. Then a flash of lightning hit him, and he fell to the ground. He saw three shapes. One was red, one was green and one was blue. The green shape said something.
"Forest. The Emerald of the Kokiris is the way to courage." It was a female voice, and it sounded like leaves blowing in the wind.
The red one continued. "Fire. The Ruby of the Gorons is the way to power." The voice sounded like a burning fire.
Shape number three, the blue one, had a voice which sounded like pouring water. "Water. The Sapphire of the Zoras is the way to wisdom."
Then the three voices became one. "May the way of the Hero lead to the Triforce."
With a scream, Link sat up. He was in a bed, but his whole body ached. He remembered screaming and fighting. He also remembered a whip. Groaning in pain, he looked around the room. The blinding light dazzled him, and quickly, he closed his eyes again. Then he heard a voice from behind.
"Link?"
He hadn't heard that voice before. It was calm and melodious, not like Agariah's at all. Her voice was always full of hate, but this voice was sad. Link guessed it belonged to a woman. When he opened his eyes again, someone bent over him. It was Ohlana, the Sage of Winds. Her golden hair framed her beautiful face, and she had tears in her eyes.
"I can't believe he did that to you. You must be in great pain."
Weakly, Link nodded. "Can I...can...something...drink?" He couldn't talk clearly, but the Sage understood him. She concentrated for a while, and then she held a glass of water in her hand.
"Here. I'll help you." She held the glass to his lips, and Link drank it, but very slowly. Even his throat ached.
"What...what happened?" he asked.
"Garon used his terrible whip on you when you tried to help princess Ruto. And I'll never forgive him for this. He almost killed you."
"But...you are...Sage," Link whispered. "Evil Sage."
"Do I look evil to you?" Ohlana asked with a sad smile.
"No..." Link looked at her. She was different from the other Sages, but he couldn't tell in which way. "Why...are you here?"
The Sage sighed. "That's a long story. For the moment, we should be worrying about getting out of here. And I think I have a plan."

Ruto dreamed.
Pain shot through her whole body. She floated in darkness and had visions of Agariah shooting bolts at her. Dancing flames circled around her, and lava pits opened under her feet. Heat. Ruto couldn't stand the heat. Fire. Fire, burning in her head. Fire, piercing her body. More heat. A desert. Hot sand. A burning sun.
Ruto opened her eyes and screamed. Agariah watched her from a soft chair in a corner of the room. Ruto looked around and saw her eyes, gleaming with hate.
"Well, well, my dear princess. Finally, your dreams are over. But soon, you'll discover what a real nigtmare is."

~ Part five: Elaria ~

Chapter one

Sheraa and Loora were on their way to princess Zelda. They laughed and joked as they ran the stairs up to her quarters. When they reached the purple door, Sheraa knocked on it.
"Come in," a voice said.
They entered the room. With a surprised cry, Sheraa suddenly stopped, and Loora bumped into her and fell.
"Hey, watch your step, maniac!" Loora yelled as she got on her feet. Then she saw what - or who - Sheraa was staring at, and gasped in surprise. "Shiora?"
Sheraa rushed towards her and the two sisters fell into eachothers arms.
"Sheraa, I finally found you!" Shiora sobbed. "You must come home! Mother... mother is..."
"What's wrong with her?" Sheraa asked. "Is she ill?"
"She's dead, Sheraa! She's dead!"

The Sages were gathered in the Temple of Time. They all missed Ruto, who always cheered them up with her laughter. And Link, the Hero of Time, wasn't there to give them any good advices on how to bring her back. Saria, who had Navi sitting on her shoulder, let out a sigh.
"We must do something, and we have to do it now. Tomorrow may be too late."
The other Sages didn't say anything. They all knew what kind of monster Agariah was, and they all knew what she was able to do.
"Navi?" Impa asked. "Can you find your way back to this land...uhh, what was the name again?"
"Elaria," Navi said. "Yes, I can."
Saria smiled. "Well, let's go then," she said with her most encouraging voice.
"But..." Rauru started.
"No, Saria's right," Impa said. "We should get going."
"But..." Rauru said again.
"Don't!" Impa said, glaring at the poor Sage. "We HAVE to go."
Raruru sighed. "But..."
"Do you have something to say, Rauru?" Impa asked.
"Well, yes, but you interrupt me the whole time!" the Sage of Light said. "What I was trying to tell you was that we can't go there."
"We can't what?" Nabooru said.
"We can't leave Hyrule unprotected - who knows, maybe the Evil Sages will return."
Darunia nodded. "Yes, Rauru, you're right. Well then, I guess we have to stay here. Someone else will have to lure the Sages of Evil to us."
"I know just the man to do that," Rauru said with a smile.

"Me?" Mauru asked. "Why me?"
Impa sighed. "Because you're the hero now when Link's gone. And because Rauru said so. Don't you listen to your elders?"
"But..." Mauru started.
Impa rolled her eyes and let out a little sigh. "Don't even say it."
Mauru raised his hands. "All right! I will go to Elaria, but do I have to go alone?" He seemed a little nervous about the trip. After all, he'd never visited another country.
"No, of course not," Impa said. "Take some friends with you. The place may be a little rough."

"Ready to go?" Impa asked. She looked at the small group standing in front her - Mauru, Loora, Sheraa, Dani, Shiora and Saria, who had Navi on her shoulder. The Sage of Forest had refused to stay in Hyrule, and Impa didn't bother to argue with her. Maybe Mauru could use her help.
"We're ready," Dani said. Her voice trembled a little, and she held Mauru's hand.
"You all know the song I taught you?" Impa asked.
They nodded.
"Good," Impa said. "Then play the 'Whisper of River' and you should end up at Zora's Fountain. It'll save you some hours."
"Well, then, let's go find them," Saria said. She took out her ocarina.
Loora already held her harp in her hands, and Sheraa raised the flute to her lips. Mauru had his dark red ocarina and Dani had borrowed one of his old ocarinas. Shiora didn't have an instrument, but she could whistle.
When Impa nodded, they started to play the song. The Sage of Shadow watched them as they disappeared in a blue light.

Chapter two

Link and Ohlana sneaked through the corridors. The Hero of Time wanted to find his sword and equipment, and Ohlana wanted to find Garon and beat him up. They came to a door near the exit to the tower, and Ohlana opened it. They went in, and Link closed the door behind them.
"This is where Agariah hid your equipment, Link," Ohlana said. "Look, there's the Master Sword."
Link watched her pick up his beloved sword from the floor as he lifted his backpack with the equipment he'd been carrying. The four bottles were there, with four fairies inside. The Longshot was there, and so was the Megaton Hammer. Quickly, he checked through the stuff and let out a sigh of relief. Nothing was missing. Even the Ocarina of Time was safe in his backpack.
Ohlana picked up the Mirror Shield from the floor. It was quite heavy, and she could barely hold it.
"Link, can you give me a hand-"
She was interrupted by a creaking sound. Someone opened the door.

Mauru and the other members of his rescue team appeared right in front of the place 
where Jabu-Jabu used to sleep. The air was cold, and they all shivered.
"Can you show us where the entrance is?" Saria asked Navi.
The fairy circled around her. "Yes, follow me." She started to fly across the fountain.
Loora looked bloodthirsty at the water. "Oh great, just what I needed. An ice-cold bath."
"Come on, Loora, it's not that bad," Mauru said. He took a step forward and his foot touched the water. His face turned white, and immediately he lifted the foot again. An evil grin lit up his face. "Well, Loora, why don't you go first?"
The Gerudo girl looked at him, and her eyes were dark. "I won't forget this, Mauru."
Then she took a deep breath and jumped into the water. She swam across the fountain with incredible speed. Mauru's mouth fell open. He didn't even know that she could swim. When Loora reached the other side of the fountain and got out of the water, Mauru saw that he was the only one left on dry land. All the girls had jumped into the water, and Saria was already on the other side.
"Hey, girls, wait for me!" With a groan, he dove into the water and let out a scream as he surfaced. "Oh man, this is too cold for me!"
"Don't be such a funk!" Loora cried.
Mauru swam across the fountain. He wasn't a very good swimmer, and by the time he reached the other side, all the girls laughed at him.
"Last and least - Mauru!" Dani announced as he got out of the water.
The look Mauru gave her was enough to tame a dragon, but Dani just grinned. "I didn't know that you were such a great swimmer, Mauru."
"Shut your mouth, Dani, or I'll shut it for you."
"With what?" Dani asked.
"With this," Mauru said and gave her a very cold and wet kiss.
Dani let out a scream and took a step back. "Just how much water did you swallow?"
"Enough to drown King Dodongo," Mauru smiled. "Well, there's an opening behind that boulder. Looks like Navi wants us to go in there. Let's go." He started walking towards the fairy.
Dani rolled her eyes. "Hylians!" With a sigh, she followed him. The other girls walked behind her, and they giggled loudly.

Chapter three

The secret passage ended in a cold landscape. Mauru stepped out from the darkness, followed by the others. He had his sword ready, and the girls behind him held their weapons tightly. Saria kept a pouch full of Deku Nuts in her belt. In her hands she held the Kokiri Sword, which she'd borrowed from Link a while ago. Loora, Sheraa and Dani had Gerudo sabres, but Shiora, who was too small to handle one of those, carried Link's Fairy Slingshot and a small bag with Deku Seeds. She was also entrusted with the Boomerang.
A few yards away, an enormous black tower was built. Mauru turned to the others.
"Well, we should get going."
Sheraa looked at her sister with a sad smile.
"You can't go with us, Shiora. It's too dangerous for you in there. Just stay here and wait for us. Use your weapons if something happens."
Shiora nodded and tried to smile, but her lips trembled. "Promise me that you will return."
"I promise," Sheraa said and sat down to hug her little sister. "I promise."
The young Gerudo bit her lip and sat down in the shadows of some big boulders. "I'll see you later, then."
Sheraa got on her feet and turned to the others. "What are we waiting for? Let's go. The sooner we'll be back, the better."
"All right," Mauru said. "We'll go right now."

~ Part six: The black tower ~

Chapter one

Automatically, Ohlana and Link took a step back. The door opened, and a tall shape with a whip entered the room. The shape had fiery hair, just like a dragon's breath, so they recognized the person immediately.
"You," Ohlana said with a cold voice. "You!"
The tall person, who was Garon, the Sage of Dragons, smiled with his perfectly shaped white teeth. His eyes were green, just like Saria's, but Link felt only disgust as he looked at the handsome young man.
"Link," Garon said. "Ohlana."
"You," Ohlana said, and her eyes gleamed revengeful.
Too late, Link noticed that she still held the Master Sword in her hand. When he finally realized that, the Sage of Winds already swung the sword in Garon's direction. The young man didn't move an inch. When Ohlana swung the sword for the second time, he stopped it with his bare hand. With a gasp, Ohlana dropped the sword.
"Come on!" Link cried and grabbed the sword from the floor before Garon could get it.
Ohlana picked up Link's backpack and threw it in his direction. He caught it with his free hand and tossed it over his shoulder. Then he grabbed Ohlana's arm and they ran out of the room.
They heard the Dragon Sage's footsteps behind. Link's backpack was heavy, but he still ran faster than Garon. Ohlana was just behind him, and they ran as fast as they could towards the door which led out of the tower.
Suddenly the door opened, and the two fugitives stopped with a scream.
"Skulltulas!" a voice yelled. "Is that you, Link?"
Link looked up and found himself staring right into Mauru's eyes. The Kakarikan boy had his sword ready, and Link smiled with relief.
"Mauru! I thought you'd never come! I might need your sword. There's an evil Sage behind us!"
"Where?" Mauru asked.
"Right behind us," Link said. "A man with green eyes and fiery hair."
Mauru shook his head. "I can't see him."
Link turned around. Garon was nowhere in sight. "What?!" he exclaimed. "Ohlana, where did he go?" He looked to his right only to find that Ohlana wasn't there.

Chapter two

Garon held Ohlana's arm in a tight grip. She tried to break free, but he was too strong for her. Her only consolation was that Link would probably look for her. Or maybe not. After all, she was one of the Sages of Evil, and also one of Link's kidnappers. But he did have the courage to go after her. The question was: would he? Ohlana wasn't sure. Maybe he'd leave as soon as he'd rescued princess Ruto. A tear fell from the blonde girl's eye. Her only hope was that Link would feel sorry for her.
She woke up from her thoughts as Garon's grip around her arm softened. They were in her own quarters, and Ohlana hadn't noticed that she now sat on her bed. The Dragon Sage's eyes gleamed.
"You wanted to leave us?" he asked, and his voice was reproaching. "We're not good enough for you? Do you think the Hero of Time's better? Well, I can say these words to you: I don't think that Link will live long enough to see the sun rise in Hyrule tomorrow. Agariah and Evand have special plans for him."

Mauru and Link sneaked through a door in the great tower. Dani, Loora and Sheraa waited at the entrance. The tower seemed empty - they hadn't seen a single person in there except Ohlana and Garon.
"Where did you last see princess Ruto?" Mauru whispered.
"In the room where they held us as prisoners. I think the door was red...but I'm not sure. At least it had bars."
Mauru made a wry face. "But you don't know if Ruto's still there? Is it possible that Agariah and the other Sages moved her to another cell?"
"I don't know," Link said, "but I don't think so. It would take too long, and Agariah's not really the patient type."
"All right," Mauru said, "then we'll look for that red door."
Link sighed. "You know, that red door? It could be blue..."

Chapter three

Agariah watched Ruto fall to the floor. The Zora princess was too weak to stand up, and the Evil Sage knew that she was about to give up.
"Now tell me, dear princess, where's the Triforce hidden?" Agariah hissed.
Ruto shook her head and tried to rise up, but she had no strength left. "I...I won't tell you," she whispered weakly, but she didn't sound very convincing.
The Sage of Death sighed. "Oh well. Then we're back at the beginning."
She raised her hands and shot another fire bolt at Ruto, who screamed in pain.
"Please don't force me to use the fire again," Agariah said with a soft voice. "You know how much it'll hurt you - don't you, my dear?"
She fired another bolt at the helpless princess, who felt her mind give up.

"Now what?" Mauru moaned.
They had searched the tower from the basement to the top floor, and they hadn't seen a single red door. But they HAD wasted about one and a half hour.
"All right," the Hero of Time said, "so I was wrong about the door. But there are hundreds of doors here, and princess Ruto must be somewh..."
A hideous scream interrupted him. It came from the door to their left - a black one.
"Ruto!" Mauru yelled.
The two boys threw themselves at the door, which unfortunately already was opened a little. They fell inside and landed on the floor. Link got on his feet quickly and stood face-to-face with the horrible but very beautiful Sage of Death.
"You!" Agariah hissed. "How did you escape your cell?" Then she looked at the other young man who just rose from the floor. "And you! The Heir of Light!"
Link didn't really listen to her. He looked at the seriously wounded, unconscious princess who lied in front of Agariah.
"How could you?" he murmured between clenched teeth. "Can't you see she's dying?"
By now, Agariah had gathered her thoughts. She looked at Link with pure hate. "This time, fairy boy, you are DEAD!" She released a bolt with her hand, but Link ducked, and it hit the wall behind.
"Link, watch out!" Mauru yelled.
Evand, the Sage of Magic, suddenly appeared behind Agariah, and he carried a sword. His eyes shone with a mystical green light, and his teeth showed in an evil grin.
"Let's go!" Link yelled and threw her over his shoulder. "Move it, Mauru!"
He ran out of the room followed by Mauru, who was a little shaky. He'd never seen an Evil Sage before, and they looked a little angry right now. He didn't want to stay in that room longer than necessary.
Surprisingly enough, the Sages didn't pursue them. Link, carrying princess Ruto, slowed down when he reached the stairs which led down to the fourth floor. Carefully, trying not to fall, he took three steps at a time. Mauru, who had nothing to carry except his sword, had already finished the stairs and was now on his way back up to help Link carry the princess.
They continued running, and after a few minutes, they were back on the ground floor. Dani, Sheraa and Loora waited for them at the entrance. When the girls saw Mauru, Link and Ruto, they cheered.
"You made it!" Dani cried. "Now let's get out of here. Hurry!"
They left the tower and ran towards the passage which led back to Hyrule. When they were safe behind the big boulders, Mauru and Link put princess Ruto on the ground. The Hero of Time reached out for his backpack, and Mauru handed it to him. After a quick search, Link found what he wanted. A bottle with a fairy.
He opened the bottle and held it above the princess. The fairy flew out and circled around the wounded princess, who sat up with a scream.
"I won't tell you!"
"It's all right!" Link cried. "You're safe."
Ruto looked at him and let out a sigh of relief. Quickly, she got on her feet. "We must leave - now!"
They all started to walk towards the entrance, but after only a few steps, Sheraa stopped.
"Wait a minute! Where's my sister?"
Then they heard an evil laugh from behind, followed by a frightened scream. They all knew the laugh - it couldn't be anyone else than Agariah herself. When they turned around, their fears came true.

~ Part seven: A Sage is born ~

Chapter one

"Shiora!" Sheraa screamed.
Agariah stood in front of them, and she held Shiora's arm in a tight grip. The girl's eyes were wet with tears, and she couldn't break free.
"Sheraa, help me," she sobbed.
Sheraa started running towards the Sage, but Loora and Mauru stopped her. The Kakarikan boy looked into her eyes. "That's exactly what Agariah wants you to do."
"But that's my sister she's holding!" Sheraa screamed.
The Sage of Death laughed again, an even more evil laugh than before. "So, this absolutely adorable girl is your little sister. How...nice." Her eyes shone.
"Agariah, no!" a voice yelled from behind the evil Sage. It was Ohlana, who came running from the tower. "Don't you dare!"
She stopped behind the evil Sage, who didn't even turn around.
"Don't you dare destroy another life, you insensitive witch!" Ohlana said with a low, terrible voice. "Don't you dare."
Agariah's eyes shot bolts. "Why did you come here, you pathetic girl? You're nothing compared to me, and you know it."
"You destroyed my life!" Ohlana cried, and her golden eyes were dark. "You destroyed my life when you made me a Sage of Evil! I won't let you do that to another innocent girl!" She looked at Shiora, who cried softly. Then she turned to Agariah again. "You killed my mother, and I'm sure you killed this girl's mother too."
Shiora let out a scream and buried her head in her hands. Sheraa's face turned white.
Ohlana wasn't finished yet. "So you did, Agariah. You did kill her mother. For what purpose? So you could turn another little girl into a monster? I never forgave you for killing my mother. She loved me. You've never loved anybody - you don't even know what love is! No, you taught me to hate, Agariah! And indeed, I did learn how to hate - but it was you I hated, all the time.You!"
"You have no idea what you're talking about," Agariah laughed. "Hate? You don't even know what hate is! And this girl is mine - MINE!"
A flash of lightning hit the ground, and they all fell. The evil Sage looked at the sky and laughed. Link got on his feet and tried to attack Agariah, but she was surrounded by an invisible shield.
"Hear me!" the Sage cried. "Hear me, ancient creators of Hyrule!"
At this point, Saria and Ruto covered their ears. They heard things that none of the others could hear - words meant only for the ears of the Sages. Agariah's eyes shone as she continued screaming.
"Hear me, and know that your days are counted! Today, a new Sage will be born - and she will become your worst enemy!" Agariah started to laugh again as she put her right hand on Shiora's head. "This - this is the Sage of HATE!"

Chapter two

Zelda sat up with a scream. It was in the middle of the night, and she'd had a terrible nightmare about Agariah, which ended with the birth of a new, evil Sage.
"Thank Din it was only a dream!" the princess sighed. "For a moment, I thought it was real." She laid down on her bed again and smiled. "I must stop scare myself like that."
She was just about to fall asleep again when someone opened the door to her bedroom.
"Who's there?" Zelda cried.
A few seconds later, the princess felt a hand on her shoulder. She sat up again, trying to see who was behind her.
"Who is it?" she asked with a nervous voice.
A light spread in the room, and Zelda saw Impa standing behind her with a candle in her hand. The Sage's face was grave, and her eyes shot bolts.
"Get your clothes on, princess Zelda," she said with her teeth clenched. "We have to stop her!"
"Who?"
"Didn't you hear Agariah's voice?" Impa asked.
Zelda's face became pale. "You...you mean it wasn't a dream?"

Zelda, Impa, Darunia, Nabooru and Rauru had gathered in Zelda's bedroom. Impa had called for them to come - they had all heard Agariah's voice, and they knew what was going to happen. Five minutes had passed since they heard about the Sage of Hate, and they were now afraid that it was too late to do anything to stop the evil Sage.
Impa, the only one who remained calm, raised her hand. "We must leave immediately. We can't let that horrible woman turn Sheraa's sister into an evil Sage!"
"I agree with you, Impa," Rauru said. "But what if the other Sages tries to attack Hyrule while we're gone?"
"That's a risk I'm willing to take," Impa said. "She's about to turn an innocent little girl into a monster! We have to stop her!"
The other Sages nodded and raised their hands to create a warp point. When the different colors of their lights had turned into one, they stepped into the white light and disappeared.
A few seconds later, they appeared in front of Agariah. Nabooru was the first to step out of the light, and she looked bloodthirsty at the woman in the black dress. Her green eyes gleamed as she spoke to the evil Sage.
"What you want to do is forbidden, and you know it! You can't just turn other people into Sages, Agariah! It's against the rules!"
"Against what rules?" Agariah laughed. "The ones you made? Well, as far as I know, I'm not a part of them."
"But..." Rauru started.
He was interrupted by another voice, which they all recognized as Link's.
"It's no idea," he sighed. "It's too late."
The Sages now saw Sheraa's sister, Shiora, whose eyes shone with a black light. She wasn't an innocent girl anymore - she was the Sage of Hate.

Shiora looked at the people standing in front of her, and she felt only hate as she watched them. Agariah, who stood next to her, looked down at the girl's face and smiled.
"Welcome, Shiora. Welcome to the fellowship of the Sages."
She threw her head back and laughed, and the two evil Sages disappeared in a red light.

~ Part eight: Forever gone ~

Chapter one

Ohlana laid on the ground with her eyes closed. Link sat next to her and held her hand, but she knew that it was too late. She was replaced by another Sage, and all her powers were gone. She was no longer a Sage of Evil. In fact, she was noone. When Agariah made Shiora a Sage, she'd taken the powers away from the Sage of Winds and placed them inside the little girl instead. She was free.
'Finally,' Ohlana thought with a smile.
She knew that she couldn't live any longer. Agariah had taken all her powers and left her nothing - not even the powers she needed to stay alive. Her heart slowed down its rhythm, and she sank deeper and deeper into a bottomless darkness. In front of her eyes she could see her mother's face through a wall of flames, and Ohlana knew that she'd see her again soon. Before she took her last breath, she opened her eyes and looked at Link, who bent over her.
"I'm free," she whispered with a soft voice.
Then her heart stopped beating, and she died with a smile on her lips.
Link watched the motionless body in front of him, and a tear fell from his eye. "Farewell, Ohlana," he whispered. He received no answer. With a sigh, he closed her golden eyes for the last time and brushed her hair from her forehead. "I wish I could've got to know you better, but you left so quickly." His eyes became dark. "And I swear to you I will find that witch Agariah and kill her. For you."
He got on his feet and turned to the others. "Let's leave this place. They're all gone."

They were back in Hyrule again. The passage behind them melted into the stone wall and was gone. The path to Elaria was forever closed. Silently, Link looked at the starry sky. Then he looked at the body which he carried in his arms. Ohlana's body was getting cold, but the smile on her lips was warm, and that made him feel better. He would never forget the girl who helped him escape the Evil Sages.

Chapter two

It was morning. Link stood on the top of a hill in Hyrule Field and watched the shining sun rise above Death Mountain, and it reminded him of Ohlana's eyes. The wind blew in his face, and reminded him of her hands. A bird sang and reminded him of her voice.
He looked at he ground in front of him, where a flat stone indicated the place where Ohlana's body was buried. Link bent down and placed a single flower on her grave. Then he turned away and started walking towards Hyrule Castle.
He had to carry on living.

The End