Time Trouble
Part five: Alone in the desert

By Susanne - SheikahWarrior@hotmail.com

Chapter one

Mauru, Loora and Sheraa were on their way to Hyrule Castle. It rained outside, and the clouds were darker than usual. When they reached Hyrule Castle Town, they noticed that noone was outside, except a girl standing in front of the Temple of Time. She wore purple clothes, and she was shivering. Mauru put his hand on her shoulder and she turned around with a scream.
"Take it easy!" Mauru said. "I'm not dangerous!"
The girl sobbed. "She's gone! She's gone!"
"Who's gone?" Mauru asked in a soft voice.
"The princess! A blond young man in Gerudo clothes abducted her."

Zelda sat behind the Gerudo man she knew as Link on his horse. He wasn't riding Epona, strange enough. He always complained when other people except Malon even touched his beloved horse, and now he didn't even touch her himself. Instead, he rode a black stallion.
Link turned right when he reached Lon Lon Ranch. Uh-oh. He wasn't going to Kokiri Forest, as she'd expected.
"Where are you taking me?" Zelda asked. She was scared.
"To Gerudo Fortress," Link asked in a voice she'd never heard before. "I won't let you go until you tell me the secrets of the Triforce."
"Please...I don't know anything," Zelda said. "I swear, I don't know anything about this...Triforce."
Link ignored her. "I saw you with that Gerudo girl before, outside the Temple of Time. I've never seen her, but she must be my niece. I'll take her to the fortress tomorrow. Ganondorf told me that he wanted his daughter to live with him."
"When did you talk to Ganondorf?" Zelda asked.
"This morning. He's waiting for you - his future wife - in Gerudo Fortress."

Saria returned to the Temple of Time using her powers. She had to find Link - she knew that he was alive - and forgive him. 'A piece of cake,' she thought with a smile. 'I'll just play my ocarina and he'll recognize our special song.'
She sat down on the Pedestal of Time and took out her ocarina. As she felt the familiar instrument against her lips, she automatically started to play Saria's Song.

Chapter two

Link and Zelda had reached the bridge which led to the fortress. It was dark outside, and they could barely be seen. A pretty Gerudo guard dressed in white stood in front of the bridge. "Halt! Who's there?"
"Don't worry, Taniia," Link said. "It's just me, Tanondorf. And princess Zelda."
"Oh, prince Tanondorf. Welcome back. Your brother's waiting for you."
"All right, Taniia," Link said. "I'll talk to you later."
"I'd be honored, your highness," Taniia answered and stepped out of the way.
Link urged on his black stallion, and it galopped over the bridge.
As they reached the fortress, Zelda saw the man she hated more than anything else, Ganondorf, waiting for them outside a door. This time, Link wouldn't rescue her.
"My dear brother, you've finally returned," Ganondorf smiled.
Zelda couldn't tell if he really believed that Link was his brother or if he was pretending. But he looked quite serious. And another question was: how did he break the seal? Her brain worked hard to figure out what was going on.
"And you brought princess Zelda, as I told you to?" Ganondorf asked.
Instead of answering the question, Link pushed Zelda down from the horse. She fell on her knees. When she raised her eyes, she saw Ganondorf, who bent over her.
"Well well, isn't it my dear princess?" Ganondorf laughed. "I was really disappointed when you gave me the brushoff. I hope you've changed your mind, my sweet."
"Never," Zelda snorted.
"We can't stay here all day," Ganondorf established. "Let's go inside." He pulled the princess on her feet again and pushed her into a doorway. Link followed him.

Just to make things clear to you: Ganondorf believed that Link was his brother. Don't ask me how, but when Link broke the seal and called him back to Hyrule (yes, Link was the one who did that in his dreams), something strange happened. Despite the fact that they should hate eachother, no such feelings came over them. Instead, Link found that he liked this man. And somehow, they believed they were brothers.
But deep inside him, Link felt how this man was evil. That part of him wasn't available right now, though. It was buried somewhere in his mind. And Ganondorf felt how this young man was a threat to him, somehow, but he didn't know how. Link was younger than him, and not half as strong. He decided not to care about it.

Chapter three

Rauru, Impa, Nabooru, Ruto and Darunia were gathered in the Sacred Realm. They discussed Saria's whereabouts, and stated the fact that noone had seen her since she ran out of Link's room two days ago. They were worried about her, but they didn't know what to do.
"I think she's back in the Sacred Forest Meadow," Nabooru said. "Isn't that her favorite place?"
"Yes," Darunia said, "but I don't think she's there. She would have told us if she went home."
"It's easy to find out," Impa said. "I'll go look for her. Wait a minute."
She was surrounded by a purple light and disappeared from the chamber.
"I really hope she's there," Rauru sighed.
"So do I," Ruto said. "But if she's not, then where could she be?"
"I have no idea," Darunia said.
A few minutes later, Impa returned. "No sign of Saria," she sighed.
"Where is she?" Darunia asked, and now he was really worried.

Saria warped to the Sacred Forest Meadow using her ocarina. She ran down the stairs, climbed the ladder and jumped into the hole in front of her that Link'd blown up when he was young. She came to a Fairy's Fountain. No Link. She stepped back into the light and came back up.
Where could he be? She ran through the maze and entered the Lost Woods. She searched all the rooms, but Link couldn't be found anywhere. Not ready to give up yet, she entered the first room at her left and saw the familiar Skull Kid dancing there.
"Have you seen Link?" she asked.
"The young man with the ocarina?" the Skull Kid wondered.
"Yes, that's him," Saria said. "Do you know if he's around?"
The Skull Kid laughed. "Around? He's everywhere!" He whirled around the room, laughing and playing his flute.
"Please," Saria said. "Be serious. Have you seen him?"
"I saw a young man..." the Skull Kid giggled.
"Yes?" Saria said, and she started to lose her patience.
"But he was dressed in strange clothes," the Skull Kid said, dancing around her.
"What clothes?" Saria asked.
The Skull Kid stopped. "Clothes from the desert. And he was different. He called himself Tanondorf....something."
"Oh no," Saria gasped.

Chapter four

Link and Ganondorf sat outside the room where Zelda slept. They watched the sun rise, and Link yawned. "My legs hurt."
"Why don't you take a walk, then?" Ganondorf said. "I can watch the house alone for a while. And by the way - why don't you go ask Taniia if she wants to take a walk too?"
"Really?" Link said with a smile. "If you say so..."
"Go have some fun, brother," Ganondorf laughed.

Taniia guarded the bridge, and she looked quite bored. When she saw Link arrive from the fortress, her face was lit up by a smile. "Prince Tanondorf! I'm so glad to see you! You have no idea how boring it is to be a guard."
"Would you like to take a walk with me?" Link asked. "I have a mission to complete, and..."
"I'd love it!" Taniia said. "Let's leave this place right away!"

Princess Zelda woke up finding Ganondorf standing in the doorway. She closed her eyes again and turned around in the bed.
"You can't fool me, princess," he said. "I know you're awake."
"Just leave me alone," Zelda said in a cold voice. "Get your slimy face out of here."
"No."
"What do you mean with 'no'?"
"I'm not leaving."
Zelda sighed. "Hand me my clothes then, will you?"
Ganondorf went into the room and picked up her clothes from the floor. He gave them to her. "Tell me when you're ready to go."
"Go where?"
"You'll see."
He went out of the room, laughing. Zelda sighed again, but deeper this time, and put her clothes on. "I'm not going anywhere," she said to herself. "And certainly not with you." A tear fell from her eye. "Oh, Link. Where are you when I need you the most?"