The Female Link
         

PROLOGUE
          Its been 60 years since Link, the Hero of Time, saved Hyrule. This
tale tells of a young girl.

        Alaina put her hands to her hips, holding her back forward. The baby
was due any time now, according to her doctor.
      Alaina had married The Hero of Time's Son, Greg. Greg was a truly
charming husband, and looked just like the Hero of Time had in his hey-day.
       "Do you think we'll have a girl or a boy? I think its going to be a
little boy..." Greg smiled at his wife pleasantly, and she grinned back.
"I don't know what our baby will be. I'd like a little boy, too, but I'll be
happy with whatever our child comes out to be."
"Me too," Greg agreed. They sat there for quite some time. "Hey, when do you
think the baby will be born?"
"I don't know, but I know its going to be soon." She grinned, rubbing
her large, rounded stomach. "Its a shame that your father and your father's
wife will never be able to see this..." Alaina paused. "Only you and me will
be able to. So devastating that we were both orphans." She patted her big
belly again.
"I have some bad news," Greg murmured, half talking to her and half not.
"What is it, dear?"
"There's some P.O.W's in a nearby country...Hyrule's going in to get them
back in a few days...I have to go." It was hard having a husband that was so
loyal to the king, but Greg had a sense of honor in doing it, and he
obviously loved it. "Hopefully some of those Pages and Squires will rise to
Knight-Hood someday."

          One week later, Greg was dead.
"Oh my God..." Alaina gasped, sobbing wildly. She didn't know what to do.
Without Greg, there was no way she could raise his child on her own. She
wouldn't have been able to do it, anyway, if Greg were a Knight. And then
the big day came.
            "Push.." the Nurse ordered as calmly as she could. "PUSH!!!"
"I want to name my son Link...after his grandfather..." She took deep
breaths, and finally the baby came out...and Alaina's life ended. The nurse
lifted the child and cleaned it off.
        "The mother's dead," The nurse whispered to the doctor, cradling the
baby. "She wanted to name her son Link, but there's a problem."
"What is it?"
"The child is a little girl."

                   ***
        The girl pulled herself up on the pull-up bar, her muscles aching.
She couldn't stop, though, or she would be in deep doo-doo. The Calatian
entered, and looked at all of the exercising children, and the ones that had
been building their muscles for the past few hours. There was only one girl,
and all the rest were boys.
        "LINK!" The girl jerked her head up-right, and the Calatian dashed
up to her. "I knew you Hylians were trouble makers, we should've just left
you in that Hylian Orphanage..."
        Link sat contently on her chair. She had long, golden hair pulled
back into a ponytail, and a tall, slender frame. She was only 15, and
growing too quickly for her own good. "Yes, Mr. Higgins?" She asked,
twirling her hair around her finger.
          "Well, obviously Mr. X thought you were making trouble by doing
the pull-up bar. He thinks you're not ready, but I do. You would make a good
soldier someday..." He paused. "But you're a woman, so there's no future
there."
"Who would you battle against?" Mr. Higgins looked over at her, raising an
eyebrow at her awkward question.
"Well, Hyrule, I guess...they've deprived our land from so much."
"Like what? I was born there, you know." Mr. Higgins paused.
"Go back to your training, child. You're dismissed." He turned her away, and
she left immediately.

             "The seal is breaking lose," Rauru mused, breathing deeply. "I
believe it is time to summon Link, the Hero of Time's grandson, for all of
his descendants were to be men."
"Rauru, oh, Rauru!" He turned, and Saria was standing there, looking up at
him. "Please don't mention Link. His youthfulness is so vivid in my
mind...but he has a grandson? No, I believe you're wrong...his descendants
were supposed to be men, but his grandchild is not. The grandchild is a
she." There was a long pause.
"Well, gender does not matter, I guess. We must find her and get her here to
explain as soon as possible, otherwise, Ganondorf will go after her. What
about Princess Zelda's descendant?" Saria frowned.
"Princess Zelda's descendant is the Prince of Hyrule, young Eric. His mother
died when he was only six-years-old, you know."
"Its best that the two of them meet and get to know each other. Link is a
boy's name, I wonder why Alaina named her daughter--"
"Alaina never lived to see if her child was a boy or a girl, and she had
told the nurse that her son was to be a boy..." she shrugged. "I guess its
not that bad of a name, what's a name, after all?"
"Find Link and bring her here. From there, we'll get Prince Eric." Saria
nodded, and faded into a bright, green light.
            Saria landed in the sweat shop. Children were lifting things
that could easily pop their muscles out of place forever. They were all
boys, though, and seemed really accustomed to lifting such items. "This is
the bad thing about being a Kokiri and living forever," she thought glumly.
"I have to see all of these horrible things."
         She went up to one boy, and he turned around, wiped the sweat from
his brow. "New here, eh? I feel sorry for you..."
Saria bit her lip. "Can you tell me if there's a person named Link here?"
"Yeah, there's two of 'em. Which one ya lookin' for?"
"A girl. A girl named Link. Where is she?" The boy outstretched his arm and
pointed to the other side of the yard.
"Over there."
"Thank You," Saria replied thankfully, and followed his finger until she
came to the back of a girl. She wore a tight, white tank-top, sweat beading
down her back, and tight, black pants. A ponytail hung down her back, just
after her shoulders. "Excuse me?" The girl darted around.
"Hi," she greeted.
"Hi, Link." Link raised her eye brow.
"How do you know my name?" She whispered. "Who are you?"
"I'm Saria, the Sage of the Forest, your birthplace, Hyrule. I know you're
name because you're the Hero of Time's grand daughter. Come with me, and
I'll explain things further."
"But I've got to train--"
"Excuses, excuses, come, child." Saria grabbed Link's hand, and they
vanished into thin air.
          Link found herself standing on a Triforce symbol, and there was a
footprint there. "That's your grandfather's footprint, we kept it in good
condition." Rauru grinned, catching Link off-guard.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Rauru, the Sage of Light. Let me explain, Link. Things aren't very
recognizable and are very confusing now, but they won't be as soon as I
explain. Now, let me tell you about your grandfather--"
"I already know what you want to tell me. Mr. Higgins told us."
"--Ok..." There was a long, silent pause.
"I was supposed to be a male, but was born a female. What happened to me to
make me become this?" Rauru shrugged.
"Maybe the Goddesses objected and wanted a tough, female like yourself.
You're very strong..." He paused. "Would you like to take a shower?" Her
face lit up.
"Would I?!"
              After bathing, she dressed herself in one of her grandfather's
tunics, boots, and tights. They fight perfectly. She grabbed the cap her had
once worn, and placed it upon her head. She looked at herself in the mirror.
"You look just like him," Rauru grinned. "Oh, he would've loved to see
this..." Link tucked her ponytail into her cap.
        "But there's one thing you don't know about. Ganondorf is breaking
the seal, and it will probably break shortly. You must be ready to defend
your land...but there's still someone you need to meet."
"Who?"
"Saria..." Rauru gestured toward the Castle.
"Come with me, once again, Link, and you will see." She grabbed her hand and
they were soon standing in front of Hyrule Castle's gate.
"What is this place?" She turned around. "Hey! Where am I?"
"This is Hyrule Castle. Something else here happened, too. The Prince
should've been a Princess, but instead he was born a male." Link giggled.
"So, its like we both kind of switched genders from what our destined sexes
were to be?"
"I guess so, come on, we've got to get Prince Eric out of here." They both
went to the gate, but were quickly turned away by the Guards. "An easier
way," Saria winked, and they soon found themselves in Eric's room. He was
sitting on his bed, not paying any attention to them.
"Hi, Eric!" But he didn't look up. "What's his problem?" Link asked, turning
to Saria.
"We're invisible right now. He can't hear us. I'll take it off after we
discuss the rest of our plan."
"Well, what more is there to discuss? We've planned out almost
everything!"
"I can get him to understand by making him think you're really beautiful."
"Ewe! Boys liking me?" Saria considered this. It would only be for a second
or two, just to get his attention. Saria also remembered that the others in
the sweatshop had just been like her, and she had never had the chance to
fall in love or realize the chemistry between a man and a woman.
"Just for a moment, now, here it goes:" Saria snapped her fingers, and Link
stepped forth.
"Um, hey, um, Eric." He stood, shocked at how handsome this "boy" was. It
made Eric a little jealous, since he always wanted to be the most handsome
boy in all of Hyrule.
"Hey, what's your name?"
"Link."
"That's a cool name...eh...how'd you get into the Castle?!" Eric shrieked.
Link removed her cap, and turned around. Eric gasped. "You're a girl! What
are you doing, dressed up like a man?"
"I'm the Hero of Time's granddaughter. I want to be just like him..."
"You were supposed to be in a sweatshop. In Calatia, to be trained to be a
soldier or something."
"How'd you know?"
"I have my sources," he said, shifting nervously.
"Ganondorf is breaking the seal. Since you live in this land, I suppose you
know who I'm talking about, don't you?"
"No..." Eric lied.
"You just think I can't know, that only you can stop it and know. Tell me!"
"I do," he answered quickly.
"We have to stop him...he's breaking the seal an--" There was a loud boom
interrupting them, and an evil cackle. Link gasped and ran to Eric's window,
which faced the Temple of Time. Black smoke poofed out of its chimney, and
suddenly it was all sucked back up in the Temple.
"Oh No! We have to get to the Temple of Time! Quick!" Link ran out of the
room.
"Wait!" Eric ran around the corner, his brown hair streaked with sweat, his
green eyes just grinning out at her. "I have your grandfather's old
inventory in the Castle, come on! If Ganondorf has escaped, then we have to
have weapons to fight him!"
"Okay, HURRY!" Link pushed him down the hall, and finally they came to a big
room. Eric tried to push the door open, but it was so heavy, big, and
enormous, that he couldn't do it on his own. "Move aside, and let me help!"
Link pushed him aside, and shoved the door open with ease. Eric grinned at
her.
"Thanks," he murmured and ran into the room.
        "I'll take this sword right here," he gestured to the Master Sword,
but as soon as he touched it, a bolt of electricity shot up through his
veins, and his hair stood. "AHHH!"
"Let it go!" Link knocked the sword from his hand, and picked it up. "Funny,
it isn't even harming me." Eric's eyes narrowed with jealousy.  Meanwhile,
she wondered where on Earth Saria had gone. She had disappeared as soon as
Link had started talking to Eric. They divided the items evenly, and ran to
the Temple of Time.
         "Cover me," Link whispered to him, as she marched into the Temple
of Time, holding her sword broadly. "Come out, Ganondorf...we know you're in
here!" Amazingly, the smoke that had been cast back into the Temple was now
gone. For now, that was.
         Link heard a "BANG!" Noise, and then black smoke shrouded the area.
Link coughed.
"HELP ME!" She recognized the voice as Eric's, and when the smoke cleared,
she saw Ganondorf restraining him. Ganondorf also held a sword to his
throat. Eric gasped and his throat vibrated as he screamed for help and
mercy.
"Don't hurt him!" Link cried almost as if she'd been programmed to do so.
"Why not? Ooohhh..you're the Hero of Time's granddaughter! I had my books
all mixed up, I thought you were the Princess! Well, you'll probably be a
tough opponent, good thing your blasted Grandfather isn't here," Ganondorf
bit his lip. Ganondorf threw Eric to the ground very roughly, and Eric lay
there, dazed for a moment, before jumping up and tackling Ganondorf. He was
a lot tougher than Link had expected him to be. He started recklessly
punching Ganondorf, but Ganondorf was too quick and flung the helpless boy
against the wall. Eric made a groaning noise as he slid down the wall to the
floor. He was unconscious, and Link noticed this.
"No!" She cried instinctively, and rushed over to his side. "Eric?" She
asked, touching his throat. There was still a pulse. Ganondorf strode over
and shoved her aside.
"See you some other time to kidnap you or kill you, LINK. Good-by!" He
picked Eric's limp body up in his arms, cackled an evil laugh, and
disappeared. Link bit her lip. This was a battle she knew she could NEVER
win.

Link stood there, shocked. A moment ago she had been battling a
battle that ended in a kidnapping. Where could she find Eric? Would she
ever find him?
      Link was on her first expedition, and hopefully the last. She hadn't
asked to get caught up in this fight; she would have prefered going back to
the sweatshop and building her muscles until they busted. She didn't like
this type of life, but maybe she'd grow to like it in time.
      She walked glumly out of the Temple. Now what was she going to tell
the King? She grinned mischieviously. What the King didn't know couldn't
hurt him, and if he didn't know that Eric was gone, that couldn't possibly
injure him.
      It started raining, and her soaked hair whipped against her face. She
was too deep in thought to recognize her pain, and continued her way to the
Forest bright ahead.  Maybe this will be a good place to regroup my
thoughts, and then I'll go after him.
            Faces drooped, eyes popped out, screams pierced the air; it was
the Kokiri response to the Hylian in their land. They stood there, gaping at
her as if they had never seen a Hylian before...and they hadn't, except for
Link, the Hero of Time. "Who are you?" Asked a particularly short one, with
brownish-reddish hair.
"Link," she murmured, rushing past them. Here, there was no rain; it was a
perfect day in the forest.
"LINK?!" There was a loud gasp rushing throughout the crowd, and they all
started discussing amongst themselves. The one with the brownish hair
stepped forth in front of all of the rest. "I'm Mido, and I'm the Leader of
the Forest. What girl has the name Link?" The rest of the kids didn't agree
with this and were angry at him, but they tried not to show this, since they
didn't want to be ganged up on by Mido.
"Well, this girl does. My mother thought I was a boy and died in labor," she
said bitterly, her voice crackling through her sentences, since it brought
tears to her eyes to think of her mother. Mido seemed to understand just a
little bit.
"I think you should see the Great Deku Tree! We Kokiri don't take a liking
to outsiders..." he paused. "We didn't even like that one kid named Link
that once lived here! Well, go on, now! Oh, alright! I'll lead you to him!"
Mido grabbed her hand and whisked her off to the tree.
     The Baby Deku Sprout had grown so much in the past 60 years. He towered
higher than the Great Deku Tree once had; Link could see. She looked up at
its enormous face and began her intro. "Behold! For I am Link, the Hero of
Time's grandchild!" The tree's eyes widened, as did Mido's, who stood close
enough to hear.
"You're Link's grandkid?!"
"Yes, Mido, dear, I am."
"That's impossible!" The Deku Tree protested. "Link's descendants were to be
all male!"
"Well, something must've happened to change that."  The Deku Tree sighed.
"Alright, I'll take your word for it. Why are you here, may I ask?"
"I came here because my best friend...well, I don't really know him, but
he's Prince Eric of Hyrule, and Ganondorf kind of...kidnapped him. I came
here to rest myself up and clear my head..."
"You're a descendant of Link's, I know it. You act just like him, and you
take on the serious tone when it's necessary and the humorous one during
play." The tree curled its mouth up, making a smile. "For this, you deserve
a fairy."
"A what?! Oh, Royal Deku Tree, I don't deserve a fairy, I'm not even a
Kokiri!"
"But, you are one in my heart. When I first laid eyes on Link, I knew that
he wasn't one of them, but at heart he himself was a child, just as you are.
NAVI!" A bright blue fairy came flying into the Meadow. "Meet Link," he
smiled. By now, Link had tucked her ponytail under her cap.
"OH MY GOSH!" Navi glanced over at the tree, and then back at Link. "No, it
can't be..."
"It isn't," Link butted in. "I'm his grand daughter." She pulled her cap off
and curled her nose. "I think I'm going to keep this thing off for now on."
"Good idea, well, nice to meet you, Link."
"Nice to meet you, too, Navi."

         "Hey, Link, I can't fly that fast!" It was Navi panting
behind her. Link came to a crashing halt and looked back. Navi was lagging
far behind.
"Well, I do, come on! Eric's only God knows Where! I can't let Ganondorf
torture him forever--"
"And he won't. I sense something very strong about you. A sense of power and
leadership and courage--just like your grandfather. You know, he was quite a
character." Link simply nodded, not really paying attention to the fairy.
They were in Hyrule Castle Town Market now.
      There came a loud noise from the back allies. Link's head jumped
immediately from the content people in the market to the sad,
depressed-looking people of the allies. She ran at her top speed to the back
allies. There was the wise, old man looking rather happy with himself, and
he seemed to be waiting for her.
"I heard a scream, is everything all right?"
"Ooh, my dear, everything is just dandy and peachy! I'm fine, of course, I
was just trying to get your attention, and I can see that I did. You remind
me of..."
"My grandfather, Link. Yes, I know."
"How did you know what I was going to say?" She sighed at this question.
"Have you seen a boy pass through here? Brown hair with blond streaks, green
eyes...darkish colored skin...?"
"Yes, I have. He passed through her not long ago."
"Which direction?"
"Just over there," he said, pointing to Death Mountain.

                ***
        Eric wasn't totally out of consciousness. He could hear what they
were saying around him. The voices were deep, and he couldn't feel the rest
of his body. He couldn't move. He couldn't speak. He could only hear them
talking about him. "What does master plan on doing with the child?"
"The Fire pit. Scorch 'em good...and maybe we can have something new for
dinner for once." Eric's stomach dropped a mile and he could feel chills
running up his spine. His feel was returning.    

    Where am I? I should be at the Castle! This is not home; this is a
prison! I've never heard these voices before, nor such recommendations of
violence. They're going to hurt me. They're going to kill me.
     That girl. What was her name? The one with the boy's name? Link. Her
name was Link. She defended me. But where is she now? Where am I? Have I
been kidnapped? The thoughts echoed in the young man's head. He stirred
slowly, and finally he found the strength to open his eyes.
       He wasn't wearing a shirt anymore; just the tannish colored pants he
had been wearing casually that day. Fear overwhelmed him. He was nearly
blinded by the brightness of the lava, and he felt faint from the extreme
heat. Moblins were seated in front of him, staring intently. His breathing
quickened, and he let out what seemed to be a cry. "Ahhh... my boy, you are
such a handsome one with that. That pesky girl will not save you; she has
been raised as a Calatian, after all. She won't come to your aid. Its such
an honor to meet you." Ganondorf grasped his chin and Eric spat at his face.
Ganondorf wiped it off. "Something your grandmother would do."
           Ganondorf noticed that Eric was beginning to slip into
unconsciousness again. "Too warm for you, is it?" Eric nodded slowly, not
really caring if Ganondorf was evil or not; he just wanted to get out of the
sweltering place.
"Link will save me..." Eric murmured as he was transported somewhere else.
   Link looked all the way up the mountain. There was a vast trail with
tons of sharp rocks leading to the summit of the mountain. She groaned. She
wasn't really use to climbing things so big and so long. She sighed.
Nonetheless, she had to climb up the mountain. It was the only way to
save Eric.
     "Oh, come on, you're so slow!" Now Link was the one lagging far behind.
She grasped the sharp, jagged rocks on the path to pull herself up. She
could feel cuts slicing her skin, but she didn't care. She was desperate to
save Eric. She was desperate to end this thing, once and for all.
      Finally, she made it. To the very top. There were two paths to choose
now. One that looked like a fiery inferno, and the other seemed to glow with
a bluish aura. "HOO-HOO!" Link, startled, stumbled and knocked the sign
behind her down. She looked up and saw a humongous owl coming toward
her--closer--closer...and closer.
    She threw her hands in front of her face for defense. It seemed a little
more than unwelcoming, so she drew her sword. "HOOT-HOOT! LIIINNNKKK!"
"How do you know my name?" She asked, sheathing her sword.
"Everyone knows your name. You're condemned to fame for your grandfather's
deed--"
"I know, I know. Hey, since you're here, can you tell me if you've seen the
Prince of Hyrule?"
"You mean Eric?"
"Yes, Eric." She replied.
"Well, I saw Ganondorf go into there, earlier...I tried to go in, but it was
so extremely hot I couldn't follow and save the boy." The owl pointed a wing
to the fiery path. "They may be gone by now; I'm not sure. Ganondorf
probably knows that you're coming." Link nodded.
"Thank you for your kindness Mr--"
"Kaepora Gaebora."
"--Mr. Kaepora Gaebora."
"Well, I best be on my way. Good luck, darling!" He outstretched his long,
pointed wings and disappeared in the clear, blue yonder. Link waved good-by,
even though he couldn't see her. She put her hand steadily on her sword and
entered.
      "Link, it's so hot in here! How can you bear it?" Link could feel the
heat surging in on her; it was too extreme. "Link, let's get out of here! We
will surely perish in this heat!" Link knew the small, pixie thing was
right. She nodded and headed out of the inferno.
      Link walked along the dirt path gloomily. She hadn't even gotten to
see if Ganondorf and Eric were in there! She clenched her fists. She was
dying of thirst and hunger. She didn't even remember the last time she had
eaten: it seemed so long ago. She had eaten just a few days ago, and hadn't
had anything to eat or drink since then. Since she left her Calatian home.
"Link! Look out!"
       A rock. A boulder. It was hurdling toward her! At quite a fast speed,
too. There was no time to move. It would crash into her. She would be
injured. She closed her eyes tightly and then when nothing injured her, she
opened them. At just the wrong time, too. She heard a loud "BANG!" noise,
and then smoke clouded the air. It burned her eyes, and she closed them
tightly managing a little cough. "Ooh! The Hero of Time became a hippie!" As
she opened her eyes, she saw a Goron. Such inferior creatures they were.
      "The Hero of Time is dead. I'm his grand daughter, nice to meet you.
What's your name?"
"Name?" Now it was confirmed that they were really inferior.
"Never mind that, where are the Goron people?"
"Over there," he pointed to a small, rock table with stones on it. "Past the
table, and you should see a sign that will lead you from there. Must keep
rollin'..." He curled up into a ball again and rolled past her. She nodded.
"Thank you!" She roared over his loud, rolling noise.
        Into Goron City she went. The music hear was outstanding; they
weren't too bright but had wonderful musical talents. She almost felt like
dancing--but now wasn't the time. There was too many things to worry about
to have fun.  I'm such a worry wart.. she thought to herself.
       She leaped down. She leaped again, and again, and again. She hit a
solid rock floor, and saw a closed door in front of her. She went up to it,
but a Goron saw her. "King Link does not wish to see any visitors."
"Please, may I go in?"
"Young lady, not even I can get in. The door is sealed off...you must play a
special tune to get the door to open." Link rolled her eyes. The Gorons were
so helpful. There were a million songs that she could play before she got
the right one! Finally, it hit her. Zelda's Lullaby!
    It was fortunate that when she split up the weapons with Eric, she had
gotten the Ocarina of Time. She fumbled through a song book her grandfather
had made that listed all of his songs. He played Zelda's Lullaby, and the
door magically opened. She grinned at her luck. She entered and saw a very
solemn King Link.
       "Who are you?" He said quite sharply and crossly.
"Link."
"The person my father named me after? Brother!"
"No, I'm not a man, I'm the Hero of Time's grandkid. How many more times do
I have to explain that?"
"Well, sister! What brings you here? Oooh...you must be starved! Olando!" A
slender, not very strong Goron entered.
"Yes, Master?"
"Fetch a bowl of water and some soup." Olando nodded obediently, and rushed
out of the room. A few moments later he returned with food.
     Link's stomach was very full and she was totally revived. She grinned
at King Link. "Thank you very much."
"You're heading into Death Mountain Crater?" It was as if he had read her
mind.
      "Yes, I am."
"Here, you can have this." He stretched out his arms and lay a red silk
tunic in her arms...

    Eric found himself lying in a shallow pool of water. No longer
did he feel like he was going to die from the intense heat, he felt total
coolness. The water refreshed him, and he even drank some. "Don't get too
comfortable." It was beginning to look as if things were going well, until
Ganondorf's booming, deep voice was heard.
"Why won't you just leave me alone? Why'd you kidnap me, anyway? Not like
anything good will come out of it."
"Well, maybe not for you." Ganondorf sneered. "But good things are bound to
happen to me. I've got an idea that involves you."
"And that would be...?"
"I'm going to <i>kill</i> you, claim the Triforce of Wisdom, and gain
control of Hyrule. Link doesn't even know that she has the Triforce of
Courage, well, most likely, unless she knows that her grandfather had it.
Once I have both Triforces, I'll be unstoppable. Link won't be able to stop
me with her single Triforce; it's not nearly enough. With that, I can easily
claim the third Triforce, and take over not only Hyrule, but any other
country I desire to conquer."
"I'll just have to stop you from getting our Triforces then," Eric smirked.
"You'll never get the Triforce of Wisdom."
"Want to bet?"
"Bring it on," Eric murmured, sounding a bit like a smart-alek. He didn't
care, though. He didn't want anyone hurting Link...
"Fine, I will..." Ganondorf paused. "Not just yet, though. I plan on wearing
the girl out a bit. She's probably heading to Death Mountain..."
"No I'm not," Ganondorf turned, and there standing in the entrance was Link.
"Where on Earth did you come from?! You had the Goron Tunic and you were
heading to Death Mountain..."
"I knew that it was a trap. How stupid do you think I am? Once I had the
Goron Tunic, I realized that it was a trap and that you would probably go to
the next Temple. Here. The Water Temple. It's good that I found you. Are you
okay, Eric?"
"Just peachy," he grinned.
"That's good," she turned her attention back to Ganondorf. "Free him."
"Never."
"Now."
"Never..."
"I'm not going to fight with you; not through words, that is." She placed
her hand on the hilt of her sword and drew it. "Eric, RUN."
"But Link..."
"Listen to me."
"I don't listen to anybody. I'm a snobby Prince, if you didn't notice."
"That's nice, Eric. Well, if you won't go anywhere, make some use of
yourself and help me fend him off." While she had her back turned, Ganondorf
knocked her sword away from her. He picked it up happily, and a course of
shock ran through Link.
"Hey! It didn't shock him like it shocked me!" Eric cried, clearly offended.
"How can that be?!" Link's mouth gapped open in wonder. Had the Master Sword
been be-witched?
"Well, this is truly amazing," Ganondorf breathed, turning the sword over
and over in his large, gnarly hands. He wasn't paying attention to the two
children and they weren't paying attention to him. Finally, his gaze left
the sword, and a smile formed on his lips as he looked up at the children.
"I think I know the perfect spell: you're free to go." Eric and Link looked
at each other, and when Ganondorf sent a bolt of lightning at them, they
ran.
"Master, what spell do you possibly know with that sword?"
"I know a spell that can be used with anyone's posession. I have Link's
sword...without it, she's powerless and doomed to an icy fate." He grinned
mischieviously as he thumbed through a spell book, and came to a title
saying, "Posession sickness."

       "Well, I was shocked when I found that my son was gone. Thank you for
saving him, Link."
"Well, it wasn't all me--" she objected, standing next to Eric. She couldn't
help noticing how handsome he was...and how kind, nice, caring, brave, and
courageous he was...
     She quickly snapped out of her love trance as quickly as she had
snapped into it.
"Nonetheless, thank you. I don't know how I can repay you..."
"Let her marry Eric..." It was Navi's faint whisper, and Link turned very
red across the cheeks.
"Shut up, Navi!"
"What was that?" Asked the King.
"Nothing, your majesty." She grinned apologetically up at him. He didn't
seem to care about what she had said, anyway. "Ummm, it was nice meeting
you." She said, managing a clumsy curtsy, and then she walked out of the
Castle.
    She knew that she had looked like an idiot and made a bad impression,
but she didn't mind. She could have asked Eric if he wanted to go somewhere!
She hated to admit it, but she was falling in love with Eric.
     That was a lot for someone whom had never knew what love felt like
before. She just figured that it was like teamwork. Whatever that felt like.
No one had ever supported her in her work. She had been all alone to
make her decisions and figure out what was right and what was wrong.
     "Hey, Link, wait up!" It was Eric's breathless voice from far behind.
Link stopped a moment and looked back. He arrived a few seconds later,
although he was totally out of breath. "I wanted to thank you for saving
me."
"You did some of your own work, too. I never imagined you to be such a good
fighter. Not even I'm that good."
"Oh, come on! You're like, the greatest fighter LIVING in the entire world!
I mean, how many other Princes can admit that they're weaker than girls?"
Link blushed.
"Thanks for the compliment, hey are you--"
"Are you doing anything tonight? I'd like to go to Lake Hylia with you," she
saw a faint blush creeping across his cheeks. She didn't acknowledge it,
though.
"Sure, I'd love to go with you!"
"Good." His blush grew wider. "I'll meet you at about 7 tonight, ok?"
"Okay," she agreed.
     She trudged through the icy forest. The weather sure was getting very
cold lately. She never remembered the forest being so cold. She tried to
ignore the coldness and daydream about her ideal date with Eric...ooh, it
was going to be such fun!
    Suddenly, she was feeling faint. The world was becoming fuzzy and her
vision streaked with red lines. Finally, she heard and saw nothing more.
     She woke with chills running up her spine, and a total weakness
climbing through her body. She stood and was surprised she could; but her
forehead was extremely cold and her cheeks were very hot. How could that be?
She moaned and climbed up to her tree house and flopped onto her bed to
rest.

    "Link?" There was a faint knock outside the door, and she yawned and
stretched. She went over to the door.
"Yeah?" She asked, forgetting all about their date.
"You look awful...what happened?"
"I do?" She asked, totally unconscious of her appearance. She rushed over to
a mirror and saw her reflection. "You're right, I do. What could that be?"
"I don't know...you feeling okay?"
"I feel...dizzy. Weak. Powerless. Defenseless. Cold. Chilly. Did I mention
Weak?" Eric sighed.
"Let's cancel the date--I mean, our ummm...meeting, and take a raincheck.
Would you like me to stay here the night? You're not in any shape to do
anything yourself."
"I'm just fine. I can manage alone."

        "The spell is cast! I've casted a spell on her sword, and because
it's in an evil posession, it'll make her sick. This sickness will lead to
death, though." Ganondorf grinnned menacingly. "Then I won't have to deal
with her. The sicker she becomes, the more of her magic energy and power I
absord. This is a great day in evil history!"
    Link had given in to Eric a few hours earlier. They both agreed to
let him stay, so he could take care of her. He had sent a message to his
father telling him that he was staying with Link for the night.
"Are you feeling okay?" Eric asked, his face washed with concern.
"Not really...I feel worse."
"I still don't understand how Ganondorf could hold your sword. He's not pure
of heart, he's evil. I don't get it."
"Neither do I. Maybe he used a spell that overwhelmed the sword...maybe
that's how he got it." She nodded slowly and went out.
"Link!" Eric jumped up and dashed over to her. He could feel her icy breath
upon him. He sighed with relief. She wasn't getting any better, though. Her
face was boiling. "Maybe I should get a doctor to look her over?"
"That's not such a bad idea," Navi agreed, sipping some hot cocoa. "I'm sure
they might be able to help her somehow."
"So am I. You wait here, I'm going to send a telegram to the Castle. Don't
move a muscle." Eric jumped out of the tree house and found himself holding
a telegram.
         Dear father,
               Send a doctor to Kokiri Forest. Right Away. There's no time
to be spared, or else an important life will be lost.
     "Go! Hurry! Get the message to the castle! There's no time to spare!"
The messenger understand the boom of his voice, and raced off through the
forest to the castle. Eric rushed back to the tree house, shocked that Link
was awake already.
"I'm feeling worse..." she murmured.
"Don't worry, Link, a doctor's coming. He'll take good care of you, I
promise. We'll find out what's wrong and--"
"I'm dying."
"Dying?"
"Yes..."
"How do you know that? You'll be fine, the doctor will cure you!"
"I can feel it. This isn't a virus, disease, or anything else. This is
something being done to me physically...like someone with power."
"Ganondorf," Eric murmured in a flash.
"Yes, I'm afraid that he might be behind this."
"Don't worry, Link. I'll take care of everything."
"You won't be able to take care of this; nor will anyone else."
"Excuse me? Where's the soul that needs help?" A doctor clambered into her
tree house, looking at both children. He obviously had enough common sense
to figure out that Link needed help. "Now, say ah!" He said, sticking a
large, pop-sicle shaped stick down her throat.
"AHHHHH!" She screeched.
"Thanks, ok," he took it out, and then went to examining her further. He
turned to Eric, glumly. "I'm sorry, kid. I can't figure out what's wrong
with her, but there is something that I detect unusual. Maybe a brand new
virus." He leaned closer to Eric. "Make burial arrangements as soon as
possible," he whispered. Eric's eyes widened.
"You can't help her? Not at all?" He whispered back.
"No..." Eric's heart sank a mile into his chest.
"You can't let her die...you can't."
"But I can't allow her to live, either. I can't help her, I'm sorry, young
man." The doctor climbed slowly out of the tree house.
"Am I going to be okay?" Asked Link, hopeful. Eric sighed and sat down. He
leaned over and looked at her.
"You're going to be fine..." he said softly, clenching his fists. "Just
fine..."

       "I think I've figured out what's hurting Link," said Navi, looking
back at Link's sleeping form. "Ganondorf has some sort of spell or
something. Remember he said something about a spell before we left?" Eric
nodded thoughtfully.
"I think you're right. I should head out to find him in a few minutes..."
"Not alone. Go with Link." Eric looked over at Link.
"No, I can't go with her. She's in no shape at all to travel. She'll
probably pass out from having to use the rest of her strength by walking."
"Maybe not. She's conserving energy through her sleep. Wake her up, Eric."
Eric moved cautiously over to the bed.
"Link?" He asked, shaking her. She groaned, moaned, and murmured, her eyes
red.
"Yeah...?" She asked.
"Come on, Link. Get out of bed. We're going somewhere." He lifted her off
the bed and lay her gently over his shoulder.
"Where are we going?"
"To Ganondorf's domain."
"Where's that at?" She asked sleepily, clearly not able to understand what
was going on and not able to focus correctly.
"Wherever Ganondorf is."
"Link, you have to go with him because I cannot take care of you by
myself..." Navi sighed. "I wish that I could do more."
"It's okay, Navi. Things will work out okay." Eric climbed out of the tree
house, Link still over his shoulder. He lay her softly onto Epona, and
grabbed the reigns. He led the horse away.

       "What right do you have here?" Asked Ganondorf, sneering at the
unconscious form on the horse and the boy holding his reigns.
"You did this to Link. And now I ask that you help her."
"Help the one that I damaged? That doesn't make any sense. And I didn't hurt
her."
"How stupid do you think I am? Please, help her. If there's anything in that
chest of yours, there's got to be a heart and just a little compassion."
"There's no heart or compassion in me."
"There should be." Eric gently pulled the unconscious girl off the horse.
"Help her. Please."
"Not without a fight," Ganondorf said proudly.
"I'm not going to fight with you."
"Then just leave. Without a fight you'll get no where."
"I'm not leaving until I get what I want. I want you to help her!!" Eric's
voice echoed throughout the Temple, and shook it violently.
"Shhh keep your voice down!"
"NO! NOT UNTIL YOU HELP HER!!!" Eric's voice pounded even more against the
Temple Walls. Ganondorf didn't give in, though. Eric decided to give up and
he left.
"There must be some other way," Link said sleepily, lying on the horse.
"There's another way." He knew that she was totally lost, but the less she
knew the better of she'd be.
"If I'm going to be okay, why are we travelling so much? I mean, what did
you want from Ganondorf?" The two questions that he dreaded the most. It was
getting too close to the truth.
"We're travelling because we umm..feel like it! I was trying to befriend
Ganondorf." Link nodded slowly, her mind starting to function a little, and
she realized that his excuses were pointless and stupid, but she decided
that if he lied to her he probably had a good reason.
"I'm dying."
"No, you're not," Eric replied crossly.
"I am. I'm not afraid to admit the truth."
"You're going to be fine, I promise." She knew that Eric was as good as his
word."When you feel better, would you like to go on some dates?"
"Why do you ask that?" She said through a yawn.
        A blush creeped across his cheeks, turning them a bright red."I
can't keep it from you any longer." He said, his smile quite small. "I love
you." He hoped that she wouldn't remember it very well, and hoped that she
mistook it for a dream. He didn't wish for her illness to deprive her of her
mind, he wasn't sure if he wanted her to be able to clearly think about it.
       Either she had no idea what he was talking about, or she didn't care.
She sank back into unconsciousness, and he sighed. He was all alone again.
Which reminded him, why hadn't Navi come along?
      Kaepora Gaebora appeared. It landed on Eric's shoulder, and Eric felt
remarkably weak underneath the bird's weight. "Who are you?" Eric enquired.
"Kaepora Gaebora." He looked over at the girl. "Not feeling
well...Ganondorf's up to no good...HOOT-HOOT!"
"No, he isn't. I'm going to burn him, though." Eric felt anger seething all
around his body, in his veins, in his brain. "When I'm done with him, no one
will ever be hurt by him ever again."
"I know why you were born a man and she a girl."
"Why?"
"Ganondorf used one of his spells while your mother's were pregnant with
you." Kaepora hooted again. "Head back to the Water Temple. Ganondorf's sure
to be weaker."
"We can't; he didn't give in last time. What'll drive him to help us next
time?"
"You have to go on a quest, Eric."
"Quests...that's her job," he gestured at Link. "She's the warrior, not me."
"You'll go unaided, then. Maybe I can get her into the Sacred Realm and
freeze her. That way, the curse cannot spread and get worse."
"Yeah, but...will she be okay?"
"She should be fine." Eric shivered as he said 'should.' "You can't just
keep travelling with her in these conditions. She'll end up dying." Eric
nodded.
"Take her to the Sacred Realm, but KEEP a GOOD eye on her. If anything
happens to her I'll--"
"Don't worry about it, kiddo. She'll be fine. Ganondorf's reality is made up
of nightmares. You'll have to travel through a maze filled with monsters and
other very scary things. Once this place is defeated, so is Ganondorf."
"I'll do it. Anything to save Link."
"Then you best get started."
"I will." Eric watched as Kaepora Gaebora flew off, carrying Link with him.

      THE END...
     (to be continued in another series "The land of Nightmares")