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- Seen Mar 21, 2011
Chapter One: The Child is Born
A young mother looked down at her newborn baby, her jet black hair falling over her light green eyes. She held it in her arms and stared at the tiny being. Like most mothers, she felt very connected to her new baby. Unlike most mothers, though, she felt uneasy, as if it wasn't supposed to be this way.
"How could something so beautiful come from such a monster?" she thought out loud. She stared at its dark skin and partially red hair. "How could I let it happen?" As horrible images and terrible thoughts entered her mind, a small boy approached the woman.
"Mommy, is that my baby sister?" the boy asked. He was no older than two or three years of age with light skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes. The mother snapped back to reality.
"Yes, Link, she is," the woman said, looking at her first born child.
"How come she doesn't look like me?" Link asked. His mother didn't know what to say. If she told him the truth, she might scare him. How could a toddler possibly understand that this child's father and Link's father were not the same man?
"Sometimes people are just born different, Link," she finally replied.
"Oh. What's her name, mommy?" Link asked.
"Well, I haven't named her yet. What do you think it should be?"
"Um… Lock, 'cause it starts like mine," Link said, smiling to his mother.
"Then Lock it is," she replied. She laid the baby down in a crib and went to pick up Link. Just as she crossed the doorway, a young man came to the door.
"Morania, may I come in?" the man asked, waiting for her to answer the door.
"Come in, Ezlo," Morania replied. A tall young man walked into the house. Although he was young, his hair was silver like that of an old man. His eyes were a deep brown and his skin was slightly tanned. He saw Morania walking toward her son.
"Morania, you shouldn't be up already. The nurses told me you gave birth only hours ago. You should be resting."
"I am a strong woman, Ezlo. I can stand if I want to. Besides, there's work to be done," Morania replied. She was obviously very tired, but she tried hard not to show it.
"May I see the child?" Ezlo asked. Morania looked over to the crib, indicating where the baby was sleeping. Ezlo walked over to the crib and examined the child.
"She looks like him… I'm not sure if I can deal with that., Morania said. Ezlo continued to look the baby over.
"Maybe, but she still has the ears of a Hylian. Are you sure you're alright?" he asked. Morania kept silent and sat down on her bed.
"He's still out there somewhere. I know it. I'm afraid, Ezlo. I'm afraid that this child will only bring him back and cause more suffering for us all."
"It's best not to bring up such things. I'm sure your husband wouldn't have wanted you to be this way."
"I know, but…" She stops and looks at Link, who is preoccupied with watching his little sister. "I don't want anything to happen to Link. I know that his future holds something wonderful."
"You need to think about the baby, too. Just because her father is who he is, that doesn't mean you can't change her future as well." Link then interrupted their conversation.
"Mommy, when will Lock wake up?" he asked.
"Soon, Link. She needs to sleep right now."
"Okay, mommy. Hi, Ezlo. I love my new baby sister!" Link said as he went back to the crib. Ezlo looked over at Morania.
"Stay strong, at least for Link's sake. I'm sure that the same bloodline that had protected you and Link then will do the same for her."
"I'm not so sure that even the blood of the sages could stop this now…" Morania stared blankly at the floor.
"You must have faith. The goddesses will protect them both. Trust me." They both looked over to where Link was standing over Lock's crib.
"Hi, Lock. I'm your brother!" Link said as his little sister woke up. "Wow, her eyes look like mommy's!" "I hope you're right, Ezlo, I truly hope you're right."
Chapter Two: The Truth Revealed
"Link! Link! C'mon Link, where are you!" A tall, dark skinned girl called out over the field. "You're not funny Link!"
"I beg to differ! I think I'm very funny!" A voice came from behind a tree. "You used to be good at hide and seek when we were little, Lock."
"Well this isn't hide and seek! Now give me back my necklace, you jerk!" Lock yelled.
"You're gonna have to take it from me!" Link said, running off into the village.
"Would you grow up?! Ugh! Eighteen and still acts like he's seven!" Lock followed him into the village, but lost track of him. She ran into the store clerk's son on the way. "Hey, have you seen my idiot brother anywhere?" she asked.
"How should I know where he is? I'm not the one who's related to him," the guy replied.
"Hey, it was just a question. You don't have to go Ganon on me," Lock replied.
"If anyone went Ganon on anyone, it'd be you, Gerudo girl," the guy said with a snicker.
"Shut up! I am not a Gerudo!" Lock yelled. She was always picked on for looking like a Gerudo, just because of her dark skin and red bangs.
"Whatever, Gerudo girl," the guy turned around and bumped straight into Link. He looked up to find him glaring down at him.
"Don't make fun of my sister, Mido. You don't want me to embarrass you again, do you?" Link said, very coldly. Mido backed off and silently walked away. Link walked up to his sister.
"You know, I could have taken him," she said to him.
"I know, but we all know that with your temper, he probably wouldn't have been able to walk away," Link said with a laugh.
"A guy like Mido deserves it," Lock replied. "Now can I get my necklace back please?"
"Alright, here." Link went into his pocket and pulled out a necklace with a small diamond-shaped pendant.
"Thank you. Now let's get back home. If we're too late, mom will think we're trying to skip out on our chores," Lock said, walking back towards their house
"Aren't we?" Link said. He walked alongside her.
"Last time I tried to skip out on chores, she practically blew up in my face," Lock said, staring at the ground.
"Really? She's never done that to me. Maybe because I already do most of the chores."
"Heh, yeah. Hey, let's stop by Ezlo's place before we get home. That way, if we're late, he'll cover for us."
"Alright, let's go!" Link said and ran ahead of her.
"I'm not gonna run after you," Lock said. She continued walking slowly for a moment. As soon as Link passed the next house, Lock sped after him. They both ended up at Ezlo's door at the same time.
"I didn't think… you could run so fast," Link said, trying to catch his breath. They rested for a moment and then knocked on the door, waiting for an answer.
"Who is it?" Ezlo said.
"It's us, Ezlo! Can we come in?" Lock said.
"Oh! Yes, that's fine! Come in!" Ezlo called back. They walked through the door and into Ezlo's weapon room. "Did you come here for extra training or to escape your mother?"
"Both, I guess. I need a little time to work out anyway," Lock said. She walked over to the wall and picked up a sword.
"Something troubling you?" Ezlo asked as Lock walked back over, ready to train.
"It's nothing," she replied.
"Mido was being stupid again," Link commented.
"I said it's nothing… now can we get started," Lock said, looking at the floor once again. Ezlo seemed very concerned. He took the blade out of Lock's hand and motioned her to sit down.
"Lock, I know something is bothering you, I can sense it in the way you move. Come, tell me what's wrong," he said, sitting down next to her.
"Ezlo, why does everyone hate me?" Lock asked.
"Everyone doesn't hate you. Look at your brother and I, and don't forget your mother," Ezlo said.
"I know that, I mean everyone else… besides, I'm not so sure about my mother. Sometimes, she sees me the same way they do, as the Gerudo girl…" Lock said, still staring blankly at the floor. Ezlo looked at her for a good while before saying anything.
"Lock, there's something you need to know. I told your mother that if she wasn't going to tell you by now, then I would tell you myself. But it isn't just about you; it's about the both of you. Link, you come here." Link walked over and sat down next to Lock. "The two of you know of the ancient legend and of the evil King that was locked away, right?"
"Well, yeah, but where are you going with this?" Link asked.
"Just be patient. Over sixteen years ago, that king escaped his prison and returned to our world. His first task was to get rid of all obstacles, meaning the one person who could ever get in his way."
"You're talking about the hero, but he doesn't exist anymore," Lock said.
"Yes, but there is another. Before you were born, Lock, that man came to our village. He came for your brother, Link." At hearing this, both Link and Lock fell into a stunned silence.
"Why me? Why would he come after me?" Link asked. Ezlo looked straight at him.
"Link, you share the hero's name. The one person who could ever stop him now is you." Link sat speechless at Ezlo's words. "But when he found you, he found out that he could not kill you because of your mother's bloodline. She is the direct descendant of a sage, and her power protected you. Without the power of the sages, he had no power, which is why you are here, Lock. You are his child, with both his and your mother's power," Ezlo finished. Lock couldn't believe what she had heard.
"So I'm here because…"
"Because your father, Ganon, wanted you to kill your brother," Ezlo said. Lock got up and stormed her way to the door.
"I won't believe that! I am not a monster!" she yelled. She ran out towards the edge of town. Link got up to go after her.
"Link! It was Ganon who killed your father, but don't take it out on her."
"I would never do that to my sister. All that's in the past and the only thing that matters right now is my sister." Link ran out after her and left Ezlo behind.
Link caught up to Lock out in the fields. She was sprawled out on the ground with her face buried in her arms. Link walked up to her and placed his hand on her shoulder.
"Lock, are you alright?" he asked.
"No! I'm not alright! That's why everyone hates me! That's why they won't look at me and always talk about me! That's why even mom hates me!" Lock yelled, still buried in her arms. Link felt a great sadness and wanted to help her.
"Lock, all that doesn't matter. Look, if it will make you feel better, we can get mom's story. Your father might not have been who you wanted him to be, but you don't have to be like him. We'll figure this out, both of us will," Link reassured her. Lock looked up with watery eyes and smiled weakly.
"You're right, I won't be like him. Let's go back home," she said. Link helped her back up and they headed back toward Ezlo's house. They noticed that storm clouds were beginning to come in above them. "We'd better hurry or we'll get soaked," Link said. They decided that it would be safer to stay at Ezlo's as the storm came in. They headed back to his place to stay the night.
Chapter Three: The Darkness Within
"Come to me, my child. Come and we will rule together. It is your destiny." A strange voice echoed through Lock's head as she slept.
"Who are you? What do you want?"
"You are here for one purpose alone, to destroy my enemy and take your place at my right hand."
"No! Leave me alone! NO!" She jerked up as she suddenly woke up from her horrible nightmare. Link, being the heavy sleeper that he is, didn't even stir at the sound. Ezlo, on the other hand, was there in an instant.
"What happened?" he asked, seeing that Lock was awake.
"It… it was a dream… Just a dream…" Lock said, not even realizing that Ezlo had entered the room. She looked up and was a bit startled to see him there.
"It's okay, it's just me," Ezlo said. He sat down on the floor next to her. "It's a good thing that noise didn't wake your brother."
"Nothing could wake that up," Lock joked, pointing to Link lying sprawled across the floor. "By the way, what time is it?" she asked. Ezlo looked up at the clock on the wall.
"It should be dawn, yet it's still so dark out… strange." Ezlo pointed out. Lock looked at the clock as well. It hadn't stopped, so the time was right. She got up and walked over to the window, opening the curtains. It was dark, which was strange because it was still only fall.
"Hm… the clouds haven't gone away… but it's not raining anymore." As she continued to look outside, a man from the outskirts of the village was running up the road. He looked terrified and was screaming something. Lock opened the door to try and hear what he was saying.
"Ganon's men are here! Everyone, wake up! Get out of the village!" the man yelled as he ran, trying to get everyone's attention. Link jolted awake and looked worried. Ezlo stared at him for a moment.
"Something's coming…" Link said. Lock and Ezlo looked as if he were insane. "Look, I don't know how, but I can feel that something big is going to happen and we need to do something about it!" Link said, getting up and taking a sword and a shield from Ezlo's large collection of weapons.
"Why do we have to do something?" Lock asked.
"Think about it, we're like the only ones who really know how to use a weapon. I know that whatever is coming, it's not friendly," Link said. He handed a weapon to Lock and Ezlo took up his own. Outside, men were gathering pitchforks, shovels, and a few took the weapons they had from times of war while the women protected the children. Link, Lock, and Ezlo headed out with the others. Even Mido, the one person who would most likely try and find an excuse not to, was out with a makeshift weapon in his hand. Lock helped a few of the children get by as a faint sound came from the distance.
"What is that sound?" Lock asked when she rejoined the others.
"It doesn't sound human…" Link said. Ezlo had a slight look of worry in his eyes.
"It's Ganon's monsters. They've returned," he said. Lock looked out into the distance where a large black mass was forming on the horizon.
"There here for me…" she said softly. She stood straight, readied her sword, and let out a deep breath. "Well I'm sorry to disappoint them, but I'm not going anywhere."
On the other side, Ganon's General sat high on his hog. A large, black bird flew over and landed on his shoulder to give him a message. After exchanging looks the bird flew off and the General turned to face his men.
"Our Lord has given us life! He has given us power! Now we shall give him glory! We must take what is his and leave nothing in return! We fight for Lord Ganondorf!" The hoards of beasts let out a hellish roar. The General waited for them to calm down before one last announcement. "We must take our princess and kill anyone else in the village!" he said. He turned around and motioned for his troops to move. They all charged head on toward the village at full force.
Back inside the village itself, everyone could hear Ganon's army approaching fast. Ezlo, as the only combat specialist in the village, turned and faced those who were still there to fight.
"We must not let them get passed here alive! We cannot let them destroy our homes! We must protect our families!" he shouted out over the crowd. He then turned to Link and Lock. "No matter what, you two stay together," he said. They both nodded their heads.
"They're coming! Everyone get ready!" a voice said from farther up ahead. Ganon's army stormed into the village and met up quickly with the villagers. Swords clashed and shields broke as the battle grew fierce. Link was one of the first to charge ahead into the fight. Lock was a bit hesitant. She had never faced off against something like this before, but she knew that she had to fight. She charged into the battle, slashing enemies left and right.
"Link! Look out!" Lock yelled. A moblin had snuck up behind him. Lock rushed up with her sword raised and tore through it, tossing its body aside and continuing the fight.
"Didn't think you were so good at fighting!" Link said.
"That's why I always beat you!" Lock replied, tossing another moblin aside.
As they made their way through the seemingly endless waves of monsters, Lock looked over to find one of the children hadn't escaped. She was huddled up on the ground with her back against the wall. Lock made her way over to the girl just as a moblin went to strike. She blocked the attack with her sword and swept the girl up in her arms. The moblin swung once again, cutting Lock's arm. She dropped the little girl but stood firmly against the attacker. The moblin suddenly stopped when he looked at her eyes. Lock noticed this and took advantage, stabbing the moblin through the heart. Some of the blood splashed on her clothes and face as she stood up again. She turned to the little girl.
"Are you alright?" she asked the girl. The child remained silent and looked as if she'd seen a ghost. Lock lifted the girl up again, but the girl struggled against her. "I'm trying to save you!" Lock yelled. The girl freed herself and ran off. Lock didn't know what was wrong. She was only trying to help. At that point, the General of the moblin army stepped down off of his hog and approached Lock.
"You see how they fear you," he said. Everything around them seemed to disappear and the man's voice grew clearer. "You do not belong here. You have a far greater purpose… as the ruler of this pathetic world." He gave a devious grin as he said this. Lock grew angry at the man.
"No! I won't be one of you!" she yelled. The man only smiled wider.
"You have the same anger. You were destined to rule!" he said. Lock attempted to stare him down.
"I said I'm not gonna join you!" she said, louder than before.
"Why not? They all hate you, even your own mother. She hates you just as much as she hates your father! They all should die!" the man replied.
"Shut up! It's not true!" Lock screamed as loud as she could.
"I beg to differ," the man said coldly. Lock grew enraged. Something snapped inside her mind.
"I said SHUT UP!" Lock shouted with her fists clenched tight. A huge energy pushed the man back away from her. She looked up, glaring at him with golden eyes. The man simply grinned.
"Heh, I did what I came to do. Time to retreat," the man said. As soon as he turned away, a sharp, intense pain filled his entire body. He looked down, wide eyed, to find Lock's blade thrusting outward through his body. He turned his head slightly, blood beginning to drip from his mouth as he attempted to breath. The last thing he saw were Lock's terrifying gold eyes piercing into his very soul as he heard a low voice behind him.
"None of you are leaving here alive." Lock removed her sword from the General's bloody corpse and rampaged through the battle, slaying any beast in her way. Her blood covered blade did not once rest as she continued to fight in a blind rampage. As the sounds grew near, Link turned suddenly when he heard an inhuman cry coming from behind. He saw his sister tearing her way through the crowd. One moblin, the General's second in command, saw that his army was being annihilated. He blew a loud horn and called out over the battlefield.
"Fall back! Everyone fall back!" he yelled. Lock turned to him and sliced his head off.
"You aren't going anywhere!" she yelled, chasing after the retreating troops. She gathered all the dark energy she could and fired upon them, destroying almost every one of them. One unarmed bokoblin fell injured on the ground. Lock approached it and glared coldly at the vile thing.
"I'll make sure you and your king end up in hell!" she said, raising her sword high above her head. Before she began her strike, the small girl she had saved earlier stepped in front of her.
"Don't kill it! No more!" she called out. Lock simply glared at her.
"Anyone who gets in my way will die," she said. She swung her sword down towards the girl. With a loud clang, the blade stopped only inches away from the girl. Lock turned to see Link standing there, struggling against Lock's strength.
"What are you doing!" he yelled. He looked into her gold eyes and saw something he hadn't seen there before. Link managed to push her back as the bokoblin crawled away. Lock spun around and attacked Link. They moved back toward the inner village, blades clashing and Link's shield beginning to crack. Lock's face, already covered in blood, showed nothing but anger and hatred, as if it was Link who had sent the army himself.
"You! Why did you get in my way!" Lock screamed. "I could have killed that traitor!" Link's shield was about to give way.
"She isn't a traitor! She's just a little girl! Lock, stop it now!" Link yelled. Suddenly, a bright light shined in Lock's face. It was coming from Link. Lock tried to block it out, but the power was too much. As it faded away, Lock slowly opened her eyes. They had become normal once again. She stared at her brother, knowing full well what had just happened. Her eyes seemed filled with fear and sorrow. She suddenly felt exhausted and began to fall. Link ran up and caught her before she reached the ground. He looked at her lying there, covered in blood. Ezlo turned and saw Link holding Lock on the ground, surrounded by the bodies of fallen beasts and Hylians. He walked over to the two of them. Link looked up at him with deep sorrow in his eyes, searching for an answer from his wise mentor. Ezlo closed his eyes and turned to the villagers.
"The battle is over. Let us bury our dead and rid ourselves of the other corpses before those creatures decide to return," he said solemnly. The villagers stood like statues, staring at the Lock. Link looked up at them.
"Hey! Do what he said, now!" Link yelled. The villagers dispersed and some went home with murmurs about the Gerudo girl. Link tried to ignore them as he lifted Lock up and headed back toward the inner village. As he walked, Ezlo came up beside him.
"Take her to my place," he said.
"I'd rather take her home, Ezlo," Link said. Ezlo stopped him in his tracks. Link looked at Ezlo and saw that he was looking straight ahead. Link looked up to see his mother in the distance. She was holding her hands over her mouth. She turned around and ran back into her house.
"I don't think that would be a good idea at this time," Ezlo said in a worried tone. Link stared at his home for a moment. The sight of his mother running away from them filled his heart with sorrow. He nodded as if to take Ezlo's advice and headed toward Ezlo's house. Ezlo looked back over the horizon. The clouds began to break as some sunlight shined through. "So her darkness is now awakened. Goddesses protect us," he said. He slowly walked away, leaving the battlefield behind him.
Chapter Four: Leaving Home
"We have to prepare for future attacks! We can't just sit here and wait for them to kill us!" A heated debate was occurring in the village council hall. "We have to be ready!"
"But the only reason they came was because of Morania's daughter! If she leaves, then we won't have to worry about them!"
"She shouldn't be here anyway! She's far too dangerous to have in the village!" The argument about what to do about Ganon's armies, and about Lock, went on until Ezlo couldn't stand it anymore.
"Quiet! All of you! How could you be so cruel! I understand that many of you lost loved ones and I understand you are afraid, but we have to be rational! Think for a moment. Ganon may have come for Lock, but even if she were to leave, he'd still come after us for fighting him in the first place. Don't put all the blame on her! She is a young soul who hasn't done a single thing wrong all her life!" Ezlo yelled.
"She tried to kill my daughter!" a woman yelled back. "I saw her! It was like she was possessed!"
"But the fact is that she didn't! She is just as confused and scared as any of you are! I haven't said much before, but all of you are to blame for how that girl turned out! If you had just accepted her the way her brother and I do, then maybe she wouldn't think she's a monster!" Ezlo said as the crowd fell silent.
"It doesn't matter. The fact is that it happened, and whether it was of her own free will or not, she is still dangerous! It is best for the village if she leaves, even if it's only for a little while," a man said. Ezlo stared at the floor.
"I don't know what to do…" he said quietly. The others started the argument up again as Ezlo walked out the front door.
Back in Ezlo's house, Link was sitting by the bed where Lock was laying. She had already been cleaned off and bandaged while Link was in the other room tending to his own wounds. Ezlo walked in and sat in a chair by the window. He stared outside until Link walked into the room.
"Oh, Ezlo, you're back. What's happening at the council hall?" Link asked.
"They're still arguing senselessly. What did the nurse say?" Ezlo replied.
"She said Lock's wounds aren't serious. She looked like she didn't want to get too close, though," Ezlo sighed. "And mine are nothing more than scrapes. I told her I'd take care of my own so she could focus on helping Lock."
"Good. You are a wonderful brother, Link," Ezlo said, looking him in the eye. Link smiled a bit, but it faded as he looked over to his sister.
"I still don't know what happened back there. Do you think she was under a spell?" Link asked. Ezlo slowly shook his head.
"No, I'm afraid not. What that was had always been inside her. That kind of power has been known to be possessed by just one other person…" Ezlo said. Link remained silent, but he knew who Ezlo was referring to. Lock began to move a bit.
"Ah! She's waking up!" Link said. He walked over to the side of the bed and kneeled down beside it. Lock slowly lifted herself up and propped herself on the wall.
"Uh… what happened…?" she said, putting her hand to her head. An image of the battle flashed in her mind. She quickly opened her eyes and noticed Link beside her.
"Hey, how're you feeling?" he asked. Lock's eyes began to water. "Hey! What's wrong? Are you hurt?" Lock shook her head.
"I don't know what happened… I couldn't control myself, but I could see myself… I could feel myself doing that… I'm so sorry, Link!" she said as she began to cry. Link looked very worried.
"Lock, it's okay now. It's all over," Link said, trying to comfort her. She closed her eyes and silently wept. Link leaned over and held his little sister. "We can get through this."
"Thank you, Link," Lock said.
"For what?" Link asked, smiling a little.
"When I was fighting, I felt like I was in a dark void filled with nothing but hatred and anger. Then I heard your voice. There was a light and the first thing I saw was you," Lock said. "You've always been there for me, brother, so thank you." She pushed her face into his shirt and continued to cry.
"Hey, I'll always be here, 'cause you're my sister," Link said. Ezlo smiled and walked out onto the front yard. He saw Morania coming back from the direction of the council hall.
"Morania, I didn't know you were attending that meeting," Ezlo said.
"I was just outside… I heard what they were saying," she said.
"Oh, Morania… you must have been outraged," Ezlo said. Morania lowered her head.
"Actually, Ezlo… I agree…" she quietly said. Ezlo looked on in amazement.
"What do you mean agree? You can't possibly mean to send your own daughter out of this village! She needs to be protected!" Ezlo yelled.
"This village needs to be protected, Ezlo! Even if I don't want to, we need to keep everyone safe!" Morania yelled back. Ezlo looked straight into her eyes for a moment, and then Morania turned away.
"That's not why, is it?" Ezlo asked. "You're afraid as well."
"…I knew from the day she was born that there was something there. As a sage I knew that something evil was inside her!" Morania said, her eyes beginning to water.
"You are not a sage! Even they would have protected her! You are a coward!" Ezlo yelled. He was outraged at what Morania was saying. "You sound as if you feel cursed by her very existence!" Morania remained silent and would not look at him. Ezlo turned away.
"Ezlo, please…"
"If you wish to send her away, you tell her yourself! I will have no part of your betrayal!" Ezlo said and went back into his house. Morania stood there and looked into the window. She saw Link holding Lock to his chest as she cried.
'It's safer for Link…' she thought. She walked back to her own house.
After leaving Morania behind, Ezlo angrily walked into the next room. Link wondered what was going on, but he didn't leave Lock. Ezlo returned and sat back in his chair. Lost in thought, he was startled when Link called his name.
"Ezlo, is everything alright?" he asked. Ezlo remained silent for a moment. What would he say?
"Link…as soon as you two are feeling better, you should return home. I'm sure your mother would like to see you." That's what he said, but he looked worried and frustrated. Lock looked up at Ezlo.
"Did you see her yet? Is she okay?" Lock asked.
"She wasn't hurt at all. She stayed in the house, and the creatures never reached her," Ezlo replied.
"Well at least she's okay." Lock wiped her face dry. "Let's go now. We don't want to worry her any more." She said. She took up the things she had left from the night before and got out of bed.
"Are you sure you should be walking. You have quite a bad cut on your leg there," Ezlo asked.
"I'm fine, Ezlo. I just want to get home now." Lock walked by the door and picked up her boots. "C'mon Link. Thank you, Ezlo, for all your help." She slightly smiled and headed out the door. Link followed her out and up towards their house. He stopped for a second and saw Ezlo watching them, and then he left. Lock was way ahead of him when she stepped inside the house.
"Mom, I'm back! Are you home?" Lock called. She walked into the main room and looked around. Morania looked out from the other room. "Hi… sorry we didn't come back last night."
"Where's Link?" Morania asked.
"He's right behind me. Mom… we didn't worry you too much, did we?" Lock asked.
"No, I know you two are good fighters," Morania replied. She shifted her gaze to the floor. Link walked in and saw his mother standing in front of Lock. He became a little angry.
"Hello mother. I'm glad to see you're alright," he said. He couldn't get the image of his mother's face after the battle, of her running away.
"Link, I'm glad to see you're alright as well," Morania replied. She wouldn't make eye contact with either one of them. Link was growing impatient.
"Look, mom. I know you have something to say to us, so just say it," he said. Morania way taken back a bit, but went along anyway.
"Yes, well… the other villagers were talking about what happened earlier… and they think… that Lock should leave…" Morania said with some difficulty. Lock was shocked by her words. Link, however, had a feeling that something was coming.
"And do you think so?" he asked. Morania stared at Link, sensing the fierceness in his voice.
"I think it would be best if…"
"That figures! You know, I never realized before today how you always treated Lock!" Link yelled. Morania raised her hand to her mouth. "How could I be so blind! All those people always treated her badly, and you never did anything about it!" Link stopped when he heard Lock from behind.
"No… I understand why they're saying that… but I never thought that mom…" she said. Her head hung low and she tried to hide how hurt she was. "You think I'm a monster too, don't you?" Morania stayed silent. "Please answer me…" Lock said.
"Mother, please," Link said. Morania still wouldn't speak.
"Please!" Lock yelled, looking up at her mother. Morania got scared when Lock yelled and she threw a nearby vase.
"Lock!" Link yelled. He moved in front of it and it hit him in the face. Morania gasped and backed up a little. Lock reached out for Link and saw that his face was bleeding.
"Link! I-I didn't mean to!" Morania said.
"Link, are you alright!" Lock asked. Link glared at his mother with intense hatred.
"How could you sink so low? My own mother!" he yelled.
"Link, please understand…"
"No, you understand! Lock is my sister! If all of you are gonna condemn her and send her away, then I'm going, too!" Link said before grabbing Lock and storming out.
"Link…" Morania fell on her knees and began to weep. When Link felt they were far enough away, he turned to Lock.
"Lock, I'm so sorry… you don't have to go, I won't let them make you if you don't want to," he said. Lock stared back at the house with a heavy heart.
"She… se never loved me…" Lock said. Link pulled her away to the outskirts of town.
"Lock, it's alright. You still have me and Ezlo. It doesn't matter what the rest of them say, not Mido, not the little girl, not even Morania." Lock looked up when Link referred to their mother by her first name. "Look, it's your choice. You can stay here if you want to, or you can leave and never have to see these people again. Either way, I'll stay with you."
"Link, I can't make you leave…" Lock started.
"You're not. I'll go with you because I want to go with you. Like Ezlo said, no matter what, we need to stay together," Link said. There was the sound of footsteps behind them. Link turned around to see Ezlo approaching them.
"I take it your conversation didn't go well," he said.
"That's putting it nicely," Link replied. Ezlo noticed a cut on Link's face. "It was Morania," Link said when he realized what Ezlo was looking at.
"She cut you?" Ezlo said surprised.
"Actually she threw a vase at Lock. I just got in the way," Link said. Lock approached Ezlo with her head down.
"Ezlo… would you give me a weapon?" she asked. She raised her head up and looked sternly into his eyes.
"A weapon? Why do you want it?" Ezlo asked. He waited for the answer.
"Well, if I'm going to leave then I need to be able to defend myself," Lock replied. There was something that she wasn't saying, but Ezlo didn't ask what it was.
"Very well, I will give you one," Ezlo agreed.
"And one for me too, Ezlo. I'm leaving with her," Link said. Ezlo smiled a bit, knowing that if anything were to happen, Link would protect Lock.
"Alright, I'll return quickly," Ezlo said. He left for the village. Link and Lock needed to get supplies, so they headed to the market. Link stayed close to Lock and made sure no one gave her any trouble. They were lucky, though, because most people were out working in the fields of in their homes anyway. Lock got a few stares at the shop, but no one dared to speak a word, mostly because of the stares Link was giving back. After they finished in the market, they met back up with Ezlo in an area apart from the inner village.
"Ezlo, we're ready to leave now," Link said.
"Well, then I suppose there's no changing your minds. I knew you would be leaving some day, so I had weapons forged just for the two of you," Ezlo said. He had two swords and two shields with him. "For you, Link," he said handing him the blade. Link unsheathed it and marveled at the craftsmanship. It was a finely crafted steel blade with a dark green hilt.
"It's amazing!" Link said. "And it's my favorite color!"
"It's called Farore's blade. As long as you have courage in your heart, it will never falter and it will never break." Ezlo then picked up the second blade. "And this one is for you, Lock." He handed it to her, and she unsheathed hers. It was like Link's only the hilt was dark red with a different design to it.
"It's beautiful," Lock said.
"Yours is called Din's blade. With a fierce fire in your heart, this sword will bring out your true strength in battle." Ezlo looked at them both. "Be very careful. It's dangerous in the world outside of this village, so you must look out for each other."
"Thank you, Ezlo. I will miss you," Lock said. Link didn't say anything at all. He was a bit heavy hearted at the thought of leaving Ezlo behind, but he knew that Ezlo would never abandon the village, no matter how cruel they were. Lock started to walk away, and Link followed, not wanting to look back. Lock looked at Link. "Are you sure you don't want to say goodbye?" she asked.
"Yeah, I'm not good with stuff like that. Well, where are we off to first?" Link said. "I'm not sure, but I'm sure I'll find what I'm looking for," Lock replied. Link didn't know what she was talking about, but he didn't care. His sister was finally getting back to normal, and nothing bad would happen to her ever again. They walked off to the north, not knowing if they'd ever see the village again.
Chapter Five: First Stop, Kakariko
"I think there should be a town near here. That's what Ezlo said anyway," Link said as they walked down a small dirt road.
"That's what you said two days ago," Lock replied. She kept up with Link but was a bit tired.
"That was a different town. I'm looking for a specific town. Ezlo said someone could help us there."
"Did Ezlo happen to tell you the name of this 'someone'?" Lock asked. Link stopped for a moment.
"Uh… no… but he said we'd know when we meet whoever it is," he said.
"Well I hope so. I haven't been traveling for five days for nothing," Lock complained, but Link could only smile. Lock was more like her old self than ever since the incident at the village. He was glad to see her back to normal. He noticed something up ahead.
"Hey, a sign." As he walked up to it, he read it out loud. "Kakariko, 50 meters. Look, we're almost there!" he said with a smile.
"Kakariko? Isn't it almost like a city?" Lock asked.
"Yeah, they get a lot of merchants and travelers, so it's a pretty popular place."
"And we're supposed to find one person in a city full of merchants and hermits."
"Yup."
"That's just great." Lock dragged on behind Link as they came closer to Kakariko. As soon as the first sights of the town came into view, Lock's mood changed entirely. Link was amazed at the sheer beauty of the food markets. "Wow! Look at all the markets!"
"Yeah! Now we can eat!" he said. Lock smiled and followed him as he browsed around for a good price on good food.
"Maybe we could eat, if everything wasn't so expensive…" Lock said. Being the business capital of Hyrule, everything was pretty pricy. "I mean look at that, fifteen rupees for sweetbread? I could make a sweetbread for free!"
"Well we're going to have to get some food and supplies if we're going to continue through here," Link said as he continued looking around.
"We're going to have to get a place to stay, too. Especially if we're gonna find that person you were talking about," Lock replied. "We should probably do that first. At least then the money we spend on a room will get us a meal, too."
"Yeah, let's look over there," Link said, noticing a sign reading "Kakariko Inn". They walked inside and approached the front desk. No one was there at the time, but the place was a bit busy. Link rang the bell at the desk.
"Hold on a minute!" a voice called from the room behind the desk. After a few moments had passed, a tall Sheikah woman with silver hair walked up to them. She looked a bit muscular for a woman, but she has a warm smile. "Hello, welcome to Kakariko Inn. I am Impa. How may I help you?" she said. Lock was surprised to see a Sheikah there, since there weren't that many in Hyrule.
"Hi, we were wondering how much it would cost for one room," Link said. Impa looked the two of them over.
"Will you and your girlfriend be staying in the same room?" she asked. Both Link and Lock were taken back.
"Girlfriend!? I'm his sister," Lock said, still a bit shocked. Impa laughed a little.
"My apologies. You two must be Link and Lock of Toaru village. I received a letter about you two a few days ago," Impa said.
"So you're the one who's gonna help us?" Link asked.
"That depends on what you need help with. I told Ezlo I would do what I can," Impa replied.
"Well, we could use some food," Link said. His stomach rumbled as he finished the sentence. Impa couldn't help but laugh.
"I think I can help you with that," Impa said. She pointed to a room further down the main hall. "Go to the kitchen and tell Anju that I sent you for some food. We can talk after you've eaten."
"Thank you," Link said. He and Lock walked to the kitchen and met up with the redheaded Anju. After Link and Lock had disappeared into the kitchen, Impa went over to another person in the shadows.
"It is as Ezlo said. Ganon's daughter and the hero are here. I will do as he requested, but I must see if they are capable first. I will send them out on a few errands later and I need you to keep an eye on them. Report to me in one hour and I'll tell you what you need to do," she said to the figure. The person nodded and disappeared into the darkness.
Link and Lock were still talking in the kitchen with Anju.
"See, you're not supposed to put in two tablespoons of salt. Just a pinch will do and maybe add a little garlic. Garlic tastes good on practically anything but desserts," Lock said to Anju.
"Wow, I didn't realize I was making so many mistakes…well, I'll try harder next time! Thank you for the boneless cucco recipe," Anju said with a smile.
"No problem. I cook for Link here all the time," Lock said, pointing to her brother.
"That must be nice. Well, I need to go. This was actually my last day working here, and it's time for me to go home now," Anju said.
"Really? That's too bad. I hope we'll meet again someday," Lock replied.
"Yes, I hope so, too. Well, goodbye then."
"Bye, Anju. It was nice meeting you." Lock waved as Anju walked away and headed out the door. Lock looked at Link. He looked like he was feeling sick. "You can spit it out now," she said.
"Gah! Ugh! That was terrible! Is she trying to kill someone with this food?!" Link cried out as he dropped a chunk of un-chewed food in his hand and threw it in the trash.
"Well, she just needs practice," Lock said.
"Practice?! She needs a miracle to ever learn how to cook!" Link said.
"Here, have some water. It'll wash the taste down," Lock said as she handed Link a glass of water. "And I'll take care of our food. Just wait a few minutes, see if you can help Impa."
"Alright, I'll be out there if you need me," Link said and left the kitchen.
"Like you know how to cook," Lock said. She began to prepare the food as soon as the second cook gave her permission. Link met up with Impa again.
"Back so soon?" Impa said as soon as he approached. "Did you get something to eat?"
"Well… no. Anju's food almost killed me. Lock's in the kitchen now trying to salvage a decent meal. I was just wondering if you needed help with anything," Link said. Impa couldn't help but laugh at Link's comment about Anju's food.
"Well, I would say cooking, but it seems your sister has that covered. Well, actually I do need some supplies from the shops in town. It's been busy and I can't find the time to get to the market. Anju would usually help me, but she had to quit. She has family business to attend to," Impa explained.
"I'll do it. Just tell me what you need."
"Thank you so much. I have a list of things here and a list of stores where you can find them. All of the stores are within a few blocks of here… except this one, the potion shop. The owner doesn't interact with people too much and she stays at the edge of town. Her name's Maple and she lives just off to the east," Impa said while handing him the lists. Link scanned over it before putting it in his pocket.
"I got it covered!" he said as he walked out the door. Impa waited for a few moments. Link came back in. "Maybe I should eat first…"
"That would be wise," Impa said, forcing herself not to laugh again. They chatted for a bit until Lock came out a few minutes later with two platefuls of fried cucco, home made mashed potatoes, and fresh steamed vegetables.
"Dinner is served!" Lock announced as she headed down the hallway. The smell of the freshest foods cooked to perfection wafted through the entire inn. Lock sat down with Link and handed him a plate.
"That smells good! How did you make all this so fast?" Link asked.
"I just guess I'm gifted that way," Lock said with a smile.
"Yeah, you sure are "gifted"," Link said, rolling his eyes. Lock elbowed him in the side. "What?"
"Well, I'll let you two finish your meal. I have to get back to work. Link, don't forget the list, alright?" Impa said as she walked away.
"Don't worry, I won't," Link replied.
"What list?" Lock asked.
"Oh, I said I'd help Impa out with some errands. Hey, you wanna come with me?" Link asked a bit over excitedly. Lock laughed a little.
"Sure, just let me clean up these plates and we'll leave. We have to be quick, though, there's only a few hors of daylight left," Lock replied. She gathered the plates and washed them off before meeting up with Link at the front door.
"Alright, so I got the list, the store directions, and the money. Let's go!" Link and Lock headed back out into Kakariko. The town was a bit less busy that it was earlier in the day, but there were still many people out and about. They had no problem getting most of the supplies and were down to the last thing on the list.
"Okay, what's left?" Lock asked. Link dug into his pocket and pulled out the paper for the tenth time.
"Let's see…the last thing to do is to get a few potions from the woman on the eastern edge of town. Impa said her name was Maple, or something," he replied.
"Then we'd better get going if we wanna get back by sun down," Lock said. They headed out to the far eastern side of town, where there were few houses and even fewer stores. Eventually, there was nothing but the road and trees.
"How far does this woman live?" Link said, becoming a bit impatient.
"I think I see an old house up ahead," Lock said. There was a small, red-roofed house coming up over a hill. Link and Lock quickened their pace. When they reached the little house, Link knocked on the door, but no one answered.
"Hmm, maybe she's not home," he said.
"Either that or hard of hearing," Lock replied. Link knocked again and there was still no answer. "We could go back and tell Impa she wasn't here."
"Yeah we could, but I told her I'd get it done. Maybe she's around back," Link said. They walked around to the other side of the house where they found a little vegetable garden. "Huh, not here either."
"Hey look, a bird," Lock said, pointing out a rather large red bird perched on a fencepost. It had something tied to its leg. "Is that a note?"
"Let's see," Link said. He approached the bird, but it began to squawk and flap its wings wildly. The bird was injured and one wing couldn't fully extend.
"It's hurt. Let me see if I can calm it. I spent a lot of time around the birds in the forest back home," Lock said. She slowly stepped closer to the bird, speaking softly to it. "It's alright, I'm not going to hurt you." She inched closer and closer until she was able to reach it. She had to use both hands to grab onto its back and turned it upside down. "Link, grab the paper," Lock said.
"Okay, but don't let it scratch me." Link slowly reached out and took the paper from the bird. He opened it up and began to read as Lock gently took a look at the broken wing.
"What's it say?" Lock asked.
"It says: If you are reading this note, please come help me. I'm trapped in the forest and I'm on wolfos territory. Please come find me."
"Does it say who sent it?"
"No, but I think it might be Maple. We have to go help her." Link walked to an empty crate by the house and put all the supplies they had already collected inside.
"Shouldn't we go back for help?" Lock said as she gently placed the now bandaged bird back on the post.
"If we don't go now, no one will reach her before nightfall! The wolfos will have the advantage!" Link said.
"You're right. Let's go." Lock followed Link into the dark forest. There was still enough light to see even through the trees. The bird had jumped down from its perch and hopped along the ground after them. "How are we going to find her?" Lock asked. The bird began to squawk behind them. Not having known it was there, both Lock and Link spun around with swords drawn. The bird turned its head toward the east and continued to squawk.
"I think it's showing us the way," Link said. They sheathed their swords and followed the bird. Although it moved at a slow pace, it was the only thing that could lead them to Maple.
The two of them had been walking for what seemed to be hours and the sun was getting too low to see.
"It's so dark. I can barely see a thing," Lock said. She was walking close to Link and the bird so she wouldn't lose them.
"I know. At this rate, we'll never find her," Link said. Just as he did, the red bird began to squawk loudly. It jumped up and down as if it was trying to fly. It was moving toward something up ahead.
"Maybe it found her!" Lock said. She ran after the bird and Link quickly followed behind. The forest was thinning out a bit and they could see what looked like a clearing up ahead. "Look! She has to be there!" Link exclaimed. They came out from the trees and stopped dead in their tracks. In front of them was a sight like they had never seen before.
A young mother looked down at her newborn baby, her jet black hair falling over her light green eyes. She held it in her arms and stared at the tiny being. Like most mothers, she felt very connected to her new baby. Unlike most mothers, though, she felt uneasy, as if it wasn't supposed to be this way.
"How could something so beautiful come from such a monster?" she thought out loud. She stared at its dark skin and partially red hair. "How could I let it happen?" As horrible images and terrible thoughts entered her mind, a small boy approached the woman.
"Mommy, is that my baby sister?" the boy asked. He was no older than two or three years of age with light skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes. The mother snapped back to reality.
"Yes, Link, she is," the woman said, looking at her first born child.
"How come she doesn't look like me?" Link asked. His mother didn't know what to say. If she told him the truth, she might scare him. How could a toddler possibly understand that this child's father and Link's father were not the same man?
"Sometimes people are just born different, Link," she finally replied.
"Oh. What's her name, mommy?" Link asked.
"Well, I haven't named her yet. What do you think it should be?"
"Um… Lock, 'cause it starts like mine," Link said, smiling to his mother.
"Then Lock it is," she replied. She laid the baby down in a crib and went to pick up Link. Just as she crossed the doorway, a young man came to the door.
"Morania, may I come in?" the man asked, waiting for her to answer the door.
"Come in, Ezlo," Morania replied. A tall young man walked into the house. Although he was young, his hair was silver like that of an old man. His eyes were a deep brown and his skin was slightly tanned. He saw Morania walking toward her son.
"Morania, you shouldn't be up already. The nurses told me you gave birth only hours ago. You should be resting."
"I am a strong woman, Ezlo. I can stand if I want to. Besides, there's work to be done," Morania replied. She was obviously very tired, but she tried hard not to show it.
"May I see the child?" Ezlo asked. Morania looked over to the crib, indicating where the baby was sleeping. Ezlo walked over to the crib and examined the child.
"She looks like him… I'm not sure if I can deal with that., Morania said. Ezlo continued to look the baby over.
"Maybe, but she still has the ears of a Hylian. Are you sure you're alright?" he asked. Morania kept silent and sat down on her bed.
"He's still out there somewhere. I know it. I'm afraid, Ezlo. I'm afraid that this child will only bring him back and cause more suffering for us all."
"It's best not to bring up such things. I'm sure your husband wouldn't have wanted you to be this way."
"I know, but…" She stops and looks at Link, who is preoccupied with watching his little sister. "I don't want anything to happen to Link. I know that his future holds something wonderful."
"You need to think about the baby, too. Just because her father is who he is, that doesn't mean you can't change her future as well." Link then interrupted their conversation.
"Mommy, when will Lock wake up?" he asked.
"Soon, Link. She needs to sleep right now."
"Okay, mommy. Hi, Ezlo. I love my new baby sister!" Link said as he went back to the crib. Ezlo looked over at Morania.
"Stay strong, at least for Link's sake. I'm sure that the same bloodline that had protected you and Link then will do the same for her."
"I'm not so sure that even the blood of the sages could stop this now…" Morania stared blankly at the floor.
"You must have faith. The goddesses will protect them both. Trust me." They both looked over to where Link was standing over Lock's crib.
"Hi, Lock. I'm your brother!" Link said as his little sister woke up. "Wow, her eyes look like mommy's!" "I hope you're right, Ezlo, I truly hope you're right."
Chapter Two: The Truth Revealed
"Link! Link! C'mon Link, where are you!" A tall, dark skinned girl called out over the field. "You're not funny Link!"
"I beg to differ! I think I'm very funny!" A voice came from behind a tree. "You used to be good at hide and seek when we were little, Lock."
"Well this isn't hide and seek! Now give me back my necklace, you jerk!" Lock yelled.
"You're gonna have to take it from me!" Link said, running off into the village.
"Would you grow up?! Ugh! Eighteen and still acts like he's seven!" Lock followed him into the village, but lost track of him. She ran into the store clerk's son on the way. "Hey, have you seen my idiot brother anywhere?" she asked.
"How should I know where he is? I'm not the one who's related to him," the guy replied.
"Hey, it was just a question. You don't have to go Ganon on me," Lock replied.
"If anyone went Ganon on anyone, it'd be you, Gerudo girl," the guy said with a snicker.
"Shut up! I am not a Gerudo!" Lock yelled. She was always picked on for looking like a Gerudo, just because of her dark skin and red bangs.
"Whatever, Gerudo girl," the guy turned around and bumped straight into Link. He looked up to find him glaring down at him.
"Don't make fun of my sister, Mido. You don't want me to embarrass you again, do you?" Link said, very coldly. Mido backed off and silently walked away. Link walked up to his sister.
"You know, I could have taken him," she said to him.
"I know, but we all know that with your temper, he probably wouldn't have been able to walk away," Link said with a laugh.
"A guy like Mido deserves it," Lock replied. "Now can I get my necklace back please?"
"Alright, here." Link went into his pocket and pulled out a necklace with a small diamond-shaped pendant.
"Thank you. Now let's get back home. If we're too late, mom will think we're trying to skip out on our chores," Lock said, walking back towards their house
"Aren't we?" Link said. He walked alongside her.
"Last time I tried to skip out on chores, she practically blew up in my face," Lock said, staring at the ground.
"Really? She's never done that to me. Maybe because I already do most of the chores."
"Heh, yeah. Hey, let's stop by Ezlo's place before we get home. That way, if we're late, he'll cover for us."
"Alright, let's go!" Link said and ran ahead of her.
"I'm not gonna run after you," Lock said. She continued walking slowly for a moment. As soon as Link passed the next house, Lock sped after him. They both ended up at Ezlo's door at the same time.
"I didn't think… you could run so fast," Link said, trying to catch his breath. They rested for a moment and then knocked on the door, waiting for an answer.
"Who is it?" Ezlo said.
"It's us, Ezlo! Can we come in?" Lock said.
"Oh! Yes, that's fine! Come in!" Ezlo called back. They walked through the door and into Ezlo's weapon room. "Did you come here for extra training or to escape your mother?"
"Both, I guess. I need a little time to work out anyway," Lock said. She walked over to the wall and picked up a sword.
"Something troubling you?" Ezlo asked as Lock walked back over, ready to train.
"It's nothing," she replied.
"Mido was being stupid again," Link commented.
"I said it's nothing… now can we get started," Lock said, looking at the floor once again. Ezlo seemed very concerned. He took the blade out of Lock's hand and motioned her to sit down.
"Lock, I know something is bothering you, I can sense it in the way you move. Come, tell me what's wrong," he said, sitting down next to her.
"Ezlo, why does everyone hate me?" Lock asked.
"Everyone doesn't hate you. Look at your brother and I, and don't forget your mother," Ezlo said.
"I know that, I mean everyone else… besides, I'm not so sure about my mother. Sometimes, she sees me the same way they do, as the Gerudo girl…" Lock said, still staring blankly at the floor. Ezlo looked at her for a good while before saying anything.
"Lock, there's something you need to know. I told your mother that if she wasn't going to tell you by now, then I would tell you myself. But it isn't just about you; it's about the both of you. Link, you come here." Link walked over and sat down next to Lock. "The two of you know of the ancient legend and of the evil King that was locked away, right?"
"Well, yeah, but where are you going with this?" Link asked.
"Just be patient. Over sixteen years ago, that king escaped his prison and returned to our world. His first task was to get rid of all obstacles, meaning the one person who could ever get in his way."
"You're talking about the hero, but he doesn't exist anymore," Lock said.
"Yes, but there is another. Before you were born, Lock, that man came to our village. He came for your brother, Link." At hearing this, both Link and Lock fell into a stunned silence.
"Why me? Why would he come after me?" Link asked. Ezlo looked straight at him.
"Link, you share the hero's name. The one person who could ever stop him now is you." Link sat speechless at Ezlo's words. "But when he found you, he found out that he could not kill you because of your mother's bloodline. She is the direct descendant of a sage, and her power protected you. Without the power of the sages, he had no power, which is why you are here, Lock. You are his child, with both his and your mother's power," Ezlo finished. Lock couldn't believe what she had heard.
"So I'm here because…"
"Because your father, Ganon, wanted you to kill your brother," Ezlo said. Lock got up and stormed her way to the door.
"I won't believe that! I am not a monster!" she yelled. She ran out towards the edge of town. Link got up to go after her.
"Link! It was Ganon who killed your father, but don't take it out on her."
"I would never do that to my sister. All that's in the past and the only thing that matters right now is my sister." Link ran out after her and left Ezlo behind.
Link caught up to Lock out in the fields. She was sprawled out on the ground with her face buried in her arms. Link walked up to her and placed his hand on her shoulder.
"Lock, are you alright?" he asked.
"No! I'm not alright! That's why everyone hates me! That's why they won't look at me and always talk about me! That's why even mom hates me!" Lock yelled, still buried in her arms. Link felt a great sadness and wanted to help her.
"Lock, all that doesn't matter. Look, if it will make you feel better, we can get mom's story. Your father might not have been who you wanted him to be, but you don't have to be like him. We'll figure this out, both of us will," Link reassured her. Lock looked up with watery eyes and smiled weakly.
"You're right, I won't be like him. Let's go back home," she said. Link helped her back up and they headed back toward Ezlo's house. They noticed that storm clouds were beginning to come in above them. "We'd better hurry or we'll get soaked," Link said. They decided that it would be safer to stay at Ezlo's as the storm came in. They headed back to his place to stay the night.
Chapter Three: The Darkness Within
"Come to me, my child. Come and we will rule together. It is your destiny." A strange voice echoed through Lock's head as she slept.
"Who are you? What do you want?"
"You are here for one purpose alone, to destroy my enemy and take your place at my right hand."
"No! Leave me alone! NO!" She jerked up as she suddenly woke up from her horrible nightmare. Link, being the heavy sleeper that he is, didn't even stir at the sound. Ezlo, on the other hand, was there in an instant.
"What happened?" he asked, seeing that Lock was awake.
"It… it was a dream… Just a dream…" Lock said, not even realizing that Ezlo had entered the room. She looked up and was a bit startled to see him there.
"It's okay, it's just me," Ezlo said. He sat down on the floor next to her. "It's a good thing that noise didn't wake your brother."
"Nothing could wake that up," Lock joked, pointing to Link lying sprawled across the floor. "By the way, what time is it?" she asked. Ezlo looked up at the clock on the wall.
"It should be dawn, yet it's still so dark out… strange." Ezlo pointed out. Lock looked at the clock as well. It hadn't stopped, so the time was right. She got up and walked over to the window, opening the curtains. It was dark, which was strange because it was still only fall.
"Hm… the clouds haven't gone away… but it's not raining anymore." As she continued to look outside, a man from the outskirts of the village was running up the road. He looked terrified and was screaming something. Lock opened the door to try and hear what he was saying.
"Ganon's men are here! Everyone, wake up! Get out of the village!" the man yelled as he ran, trying to get everyone's attention. Link jolted awake and looked worried. Ezlo stared at him for a moment.
"Something's coming…" Link said. Lock and Ezlo looked as if he were insane. "Look, I don't know how, but I can feel that something big is going to happen and we need to do something about it!" Link said, getting up and taking a sword and a shield from Ezlo's large collection of weapons.
"Why do we have to do something?" Lock asked.
"Think about it, we're like the only ones who really know how to use a weapon. I know that whatever is coming, it's not friendly," Link said. He handed a weapon to Lock and Ezlo took up his own. Outside, men were gathering pitchforks, shovels, and a few took the weapons they had from times of war while the women protected the children. Link, Lock, and Ezlo headed out with the others. Even Mido, the one person who would most likely try and find an excuse not to, was out with a makeshift weapon in his hand. Lock helped a few of the children get by as a faint sound came from the distance.
"What is that sound?" Lock asked when she rejoined the others.
"It doesn't sound human…" Link said. Ezlo had a slight look of worry in his eyes.
"It's Ganon's monsters. They've returned," he said. Lock looked out into the distance where a large black mass was forming on the horizon.
"There here for me…" she said softly. She stood straight, readied her sword, and let out a deep breath. "Well I'm sorry to disappoint them, but I'm not going anywhere."
On the other side, Ganon's General sat high on his hog. A large, black bird flew over and landed on his shoulder to give him a message. After exchanging looks the bird flew off and the General turned to face his men.
"Our Lord has given us life! He has given us power! Now we shall give him glory! We must take what is his and leave nothing in return! We fight for Lord Ganondorf!" The hoards of beasts let out a hellish roar. The General waited for them to calm down before one last announcement. "We must take our princess and kill anyone else in the village!" he said. He turned around and motioned for his troops to move. They all charged head on toward the village at full force.
Back inside the village itself, everyone could hear Ganon's army approaching fast. Ezlo, as the only combat specialist in the village, turned and faced those who were still there to fight.
"We must not let them get passed here alive! We cannot let them destroy our homes! We must protect our families!" he shouted out over the crowd. He then turned to Link and Lock. "No matter what, you two stay together," he said. They both nodded their heads.
"They're coming! Everyone get ready!" a voice said from farther up ahead. Ganon's army stormed into the village and met up quickly with the villagers. Swords clashed and shields broke as the battle grew fierce. Link was one of the first to charge ahead into the fight. Lock was a bit hesitant. She had never faced off against something like this before, but she knew that she had to fight. She charged into the battle, slashing enemies left and right.
"Link! Look out!" Lock yelled. A moblin had snuck up behind him. Lock rushed up with her sword raised and tore through it, tossing its body aside and continuing the fight.
"Didn't think you were so good at fighting!" Link said.
"That's why I always beat you!" Lock replied, tossing another moblin aside.
As they made their way through the seemingly endless waves of monsters, Lock looked over to find one of the children hadn't escaped. She was huddled up on the ground with her back against the wall. Lock made her way over to the girl just as a moblin went to strike. She blocked the attack with her sword and swept the girl up in her arms. The moblin swung once again, cutting Lock's arm. She dropped the little girl but stood firmly against the attacker. The moblin suddenly stopped when he looked at her eyes. Lock noticed this and took advantage, stabbing the moblin through the heart. Some of the blood splashed on her clothes and face as she stood up again. She turned to the little girl.
"Are you alright?" she asked the girl. The child remained silent and looked as if she'd seen a ghost. Lock lifted the girl up again, but the girl struggled against her. "I'm trying to save you!" Lock yelled. The girl freed herself and ran off. Lock didn't know what was wrong. She was only trying to help. At that point, the General of the moblin army stepped down off of his hog and approached Lock.
"You see how they fear you," he said. Everything around them seemed to disappear and the man's voice grew clearer. "You do not belong here. You have a far greater purpose… as the ruler of this pathetic world." He gave a devious grin as he said this. Lock grew angry at the man.
"No! I won't be one of you!" she yelled. The man only smiled wider.
"You have the same anger. You were destined to rule!" he said. Lock attempted to stare him down.
"I said I'm not gonna join you!" she said, louder than before.
"Why not? They all hate you, even your own mother. She hates you just as much as she hates your father! They all should die!" the man replied.
"Shut up! It's not true!" Lock screamed as loud as she could.
"I beg to differ," the man said coldly. Lock grew enraged. Something snapped inside her mind.
"I said SHUT UP!" Lock shouted with her fists clenched tight. A huge energy pushed the man back away from her. She looked up, glaring at him with golden eyes. The man simply grinned.
"Heh, I did what I came to do. Time to retreat," the man said. As soon as he turned away, a sharp, intense pain filled his entire body. He looked down, wide eyed, to find Lock's blade thrusting outward through his body. He turned his head slightly, blood beginning to drip from his mouth as he attempted to breath. The last thing he saw were Lock's terrifying gold eyes piercing into his very soul as he heard a low voice behind him.
"None of you are leaving here alive." Lock removed her sword from the General's bloody corpse and rampaged through the battle, slaying any beast in her way. Her blood covered blade did not once rest as she continued to fight in a blind rampage. As the sounds grew near, Link turned suddenly when he heard an inhuman cry coming from behind. He saw his sister tearing her way through the crowd. One moblin, the General's second in command, saw that his army was being annihilated. He blew a loud horn and called out over the battlefield.
"Fall back! Everyone fall back!" he yelled. Lock turned to him and sliced his head off.
"You aren't going anywhere!" she yelled, chasing after the retreating troops. She gathered all the dark energy she could and fired upon them, destroying almost every one of them. One unarmed bokoblin fell injured on the ground. Lock approached it and glared coldly at the vile thing.
"I'll make sure you and your king end up in hell!" she said, raising her sword high above her head. Before she began her strike, the small girl she had saved earlier stepped in front of her.
"Don't kill it! No more!" she called out. Lock simply glared at her.
"Anyone who gets in my way will die," she said. She swung her sword down towards the girl. With a loud clang, the blade stopped only inches away from the girl. Lock turned to see Link standing there, struggling against Lock's strength.
"What are you doing!" he yelled. He looked into her gold eyes and saw something he hadn't seen there before. Link managed to push her back as the bokoblin crawled away. Lock spun around and attacked Link. They moved back toward the inner village, blades clashing and Link's shield beginning to crack. Lock's face, already covered in blood, showed nothing but anger and hatred, as if it was Link who had sent the army himself.
"You! Why did you get in my way!" Lock screamed. "I could have killed that traitor!" Link's shield was about to give way.
"She isn't a traitor! She's just a little girl! Lock, stop it now!" Link yelled. Suddenly, a bright light shined in Lock's face. It was coming from Link. Lock tried to block it out, but the power was too much. As it faded away, Lock slowly opened her eyes. They had become normal once again. She stared at her brother, knowing full well what had just happened. Her eyes seemed filled with fear and sorrow. She suddenly felt exhausted and began to fall. Link ran up and caught her before she reached the ground. He looked at her lying there, covered in blood. Ezlo turned and saw Link holding Lock on the ground, surrounded by the bodies of fallen beasts and Hylians. He walked over to the two of them. Link looked up at him with deep sorrow in his eyes, searching for an answer from his wise mentor. Ezlo closed his eyes and turned to the villagers.
"The battle is over. Let us bury our dead and rid ourselves of the other corpses before those creatures decide to return," he said solemnly. The villagers stood like statues, staring at the Lock. Link looked up at them.
"Hey! Do what he said, now!" Link yelled. The villagers dispersed and some went home with murmurs about the Gerudo girl. Link tried to ignore them as he lifted Lock up and headed back toward the inner village. As he walked, Ezlo came up beside him.
"Take her to my place," he said.
"I'd rather take her home, Ezlo," Link said. Ezlo stopped him in his tracks. Link looked at Ezlo and saw that he was looking straight ahead. Link looked up to see his mother in the distance. She was holding her hands over her mouth. She turned around and ran back into her house.
"I don't think that would be a good idea at this time," Ezlo said in a worried tone. Link stared at his home for a moment. The sight of his mother running away from them filled his heart with sorrow. He nodded as if to take Ezlo's advice and headed toward Ezlo's house. Ezlo looked back over the horizon. The clouds began to break as some sunlight shined through. "So her darkness is now awakened. Goddesses protect us," he said. He slowly walked away, leaving the battlefield behind him.
Chapter Four: Leaving Home
"We have to prepare for future attacks! We can't just sit here and wait for them to kill us!" A heated debate was occurring in the village council hall. "We have to be ready!"
"But the only reason they came was because of Morania's daughter! If she leaves, then we won't have to worry about them!"
"She shouldn't be here anyway! She's far too dangerous to have in the village!" The argument about what to do about Ganon's armies, and about Lock, went on until Ezlo couldn't stand it anymore.
"Quiet! All of you! How could you be so cruel! I understand that many of you lost loved ones and I understand you are afraid, but we have to be rational! Think for a moment. Ganon may have come for Lock, but even if she were to leave, he'd still come after us for fighting him in the first place. Don't put all the blame on her! She is a young soul who hasn't done a single thing wrong all her life!" Ezlo yelled.
"She tried to kill my daughter!" a woman yelled back. "I saw her! It was like she was possessed!"
"But the fact is that she didn't! She is just as confused and scared as any of you are! I haven't said much before, but all of you are to blame for how that girl turned out! If you had just accepted her the way her brother and I do, then maybe she wouldn't think she's a monster!" Ezlo said as the crowd fell silent.
"It doesn't matter. The fact is that it happened, and whether it was of her own free will or not, she is still dangerous! It is best for the village if she leaves, even if it's only for a little while," a man said. Ezlo stared at the floor.
"I don't know what to do…" he said quietly. The others started the argument up again as Ezlo walked out the front door.
Back in Ezlo's house, Link was sitting by the bed where Lock was laying. She had already been cleaned off and bandaged while Link was in the other room tending to his own wounds. Ezlo walked in and sat in a chair by the window. He stared outside until Link walked into the room.
"Oh, Ezlo, you're back. What's happening at the council hall?" Link asked.
"They're still arguing senselessly. What did the nurse say?" Ezlo replied.
"She said Lock's wounds aren't serious. She looked like she didn't want to get too close, though," Ezlo sighed. "And mine are nothing more than scrapes. I told her I'd take care of my own so she could focus on helping Lock."
"Good. You are a wonderful brother, Link," Ezlo said, looking him in the eye. Link smiled a bit, but it faded as he looked over to his sister.
"I still don't know what happened back there. Do you think she was under a spell?" Link asked. Ezlo slowly shook his head.
"No, I'm afraid not. What that was had always been inside her. That kind of power has been known to be possessed by just one other person…" Ezlo said. Link remained silent, but he knew who Ezlo was referring to. Lock began to move a bit.
"Ah! She's waking up!" Link said. He walked over to the side of the bed and kneeled down beside it. Lock slowly lifted herself up and propped herself on the wall.
"Uh… what happened…?" she said, putting her hand to her head. An image of the battle flashed in her mind. She quickly opened her eyes and noticed Link beside her.
"Hey, how're you feeling?" he asked. Lock's eyes began to water. "Hey! What's wrong? Are you hurt?" Lock shook her head.
"I don't know what happened… I couldn't control myself, but I could see myself… I could feel myself doing that… I'm so sorry, Link!" she said as she began to cry. Link looked very worried.
"Lock, it's okay now. It's all over," Link said, trying to comfort her. She closed her eyes and silently wept. Link leaned over and held his little sister. "We can get through this."
"Thank you, Link," Lock said.
"For what?" Link asked, smiling a little.
"When I was fighting, I felt like I was in a dark void filled with nothing but hatred and anger. Then I heard your voice. There was a light and the first thing I saw was you," Lock said. "You've always been there for me, brother, so thank you." She pushed her face into his shirt and continued to cry.
"Hey, I'll always be here, 'cause you're my sister," Link said. Ezlo smiled and walked out onto the front yard. He saw Morania coming back from the direction of the council hall.
"Morania, I didn't know you were attending that meeting," Ezlo said.
"I was just outside… I heard what they were saying," she said.
"Oh, Morania… you must have been outraged," Ezlo said. Morania lowered her head.
"Actually, Ezlo… I agree…" she quietly said. Ezlo looked on in amazement.
"What do you mean agree? You can't possibly mean to send your own daughter out of this village! She needs to be protected!" Ezlo yelled.
"This village needs to be protected, Ezlo! Even if I don't want to, we need to keep everyone safe!" Morania yelled back. Ezlo looked straight into her eyes for a moment, and then Morania turned away.
"That's not why, is it?" Ezlo asked. "You're afraid as well."
"…I knew from the day she was born that there was something there. As a sage I knew that something evil was inside her!" Morania said, her eyes beginning to water.
"You are not a sage! Even they would have protected her! You are a coward!" Ezlo yelled. He was outraged at what Morania was saying. "You sound as if you feel cursed by her very existence!" Morania remained silent and would not look at him. Ezlo turned away.
"Ezlo, please…"
"If you wish to send her away, you tell her yourself! I will have no part of your betrayal!" Ezlo said and went back into his house. Morania stood there and looked into the window. She saw Link holding Lock to his chest as she cried.
'It's safer for Link…' she thought. She walked back to her own house.
After leaving Morania behind, Ezlo angrily walked into the next room. Link wondered what was going on, but he didn't leave Lock. Ezlo returned and sat back in his chair. Lost in thought, he was startled when Link called his name.
"Ezlo, is everything alright?" he asked. Ezlo remained silent for a moment. What would he say?
"Link…as soon as you two are feeling better, you should return home. I'm sure your mother would like to see you." That's what he said, but he looked worried and frustrated. Lock looked up at Ezlo.
"Did you see her yet? Is she okay?" Lock asked.
"She wasn't hurt at all. She stayed in the house, and the creatures never reached her," Ezlo replied.
"Well at least she's okay." Lock wiped her face dry. "Let's go now. We don't want to worry her any more." She said. She took up the things she had left from the night before and got out of bed.
"Are you sure you should be walking. You have quite a bad cut on your leg there," Ezlo asked.
"I'm fine, Ezlo. I just want to get home now." Lock walked by the door and picked up her boots. "C'mon Link. Thank you, Ezlo, for all your help." She slightly smiled and headed out the door. Link followed her out and up towards their house. He stopped for a second and saw Ezlo watching them, and then he left. Lock was way ahead of him when she stepped inside the house.
"Mom, I'm back! Are you home?" Lock called. She walked into the main room and looked around. Morania looked out from the other room. "Hi… sorry we didn't come back last night."
"Where's Link?" Morania asked.
"He's right behind me. Mom… we didn't worry you too much, did we?" Lock asked.
"No, I know you two are good fighters," Morania replied. She shifted her gaze to the floor. Link walked in and saw his mother standing in front of Lock. He became a little angry.
"Hello mother. I'm glad to see you're alright," he said. He couldn't get the image of his mother's face after the battle, of her running away.
"Link, I'm glad to see you're alright as well," Morania replied. She wouldn't make eye contact with either one of them. Link was growing impatient.
"Look, mom. I know you have something to say to us, so just say it," he said. Morania way taken back a bit, but went along anyway.
"Yes, well… the other villagers were talking about what happened earlier… and they think… that Lock should leave…" Morania said with some difficulty. Lock was shocked by her words. Link, however, had a feeling that something was coming.
"And do you think so?" he asked. Morania stared at Link, sensing the fierceness in his voice.
"I think it would be best if…"
"That figures! You know, I never realized before today how you always treated Lock!" Link yelled. Morania raised her hand to her mouth. "How could I be so blind! All those people always treated her badly, and you never did anything about it!" Link stopped when he heard Lock from behind.
"No… I understand why they're saying that… but I never thought that mom…" she said. Her head hung low and she tried to hide how hurt she was. "You think I'm a monster too, don't you?" Morania stayed silent. "Please answer me…" Lock said.
"Mother, please," Link said. Morania still wouldn't speak.
"Please!" Lock yelled, looking up at her mother. Morania got scared when Lock yelled and she threw a nearby vase.
"Lock!" Link yelled. He moved in front of it and it hit him in the face. Morania gasped and backed up a little. Lock reached out for Link and saw that his face was bleeding.
"Link! I-I didn't mean to!" Morania said.
"Link, are you alright!" Lock asked. Link glared at his mother with intense hatred.
"How could you sink so low? My own mother!" he yelled.
"Link, please understand…"
"No, you understand! Lock is my sister! If all of you are gonna condemn her and send her away, then I'm going, too!" Link said before grabbing Lock and storming out.
"Link…" Morania fell on her knees and began to weep. When Link felt they were far enough away, he turned to Lock.
"Lock, I'm so sorry… you don't have to go, I won't let them make you if you don't want to," he said. Lock stared back at the house with a heavy heart.
"She… se never loved me…" Lock said. Link pulled her away to the outskirts of town.
"Lock, it's alright. You still have me and Ezlo. It doesn't matter what the rest of them say, not Mido, not the little girl, not even Morania." Lock looked up when Link referred to their mother by her first name. "Look, it's your choice. You can stay here if you want to, or you can leave and never have to see these people again. Either way, I'll stay with you."
"Link, I can't make you leave…" Lock started.
"You're not. I'll go with you because I want to go with you. Like Ezlo said, no matter what, we need to stay together," Link said. There was the sound of footsteps behind them. Link turned around to see Ezlo approaching them.
"I take it your conversation didn't go well," he said.
"That's putting it nicely," Link replied. Ezlo noticed a cut on Link's face. "It was Morania," Link said when he realized what Ezlo was looking at.
"She cut you?" Ezlo said surprised.
"Actually she threw a vase at Lock. I just got in the way," Link said. Lock approached Ezlo with her head down.
"Ezlo… would you give me a weapon?" she asked. She raised her head up and looked sternly into his eyes.
"A weapon? Why do you want it?" Ezlo asked. He waited for the answer.
"Well, if I'm going to leave then I need to be able to defend myself," Lock replied. There was something that she wasn't saying, but Ezlo didn't ask what it was.
"Very well, I will give you one," Ezlo agreed.
"And one for me too, Ezlo. I'm leaving with her," Link said. Ezlo smiled a bit, knowing that if anything were to happen, Link would protect Lock.
"Alright, I'll return quickly," Ezlo said. He left for the village. Link and Lock needed to get supplies, so they headed to the market. Link stayed close to Lock and made sure no one gave her any trouble. They were lucky, though, because most people were out working in the fields of in their homes anyway. Lock got a few stares at the shop, but no one dared to speak a word, mostly because of the stares Link was giving back. After they finished in the market, they met back up with Ezlo in an area apart from the inner village.
"Ezlo, we're ready to leave now," Link said.
"Well, then I suppose there's no changing your minds. I knew you would be leaving some day, so I had weapons forged just for the two of you," Ezlo said. He had two swords and two shields with him. "For you, Link," he said handing him the blade. Link unsheathed it and marveled at the craftsmanship. It was a finely crafted steel blade with a dark green hilt.
"It's amazing!" Link said. "And it's my favorite color!"
"It's called Farore's blade. As long as you have courage in your heart, it will never falter and it will never break." Ezlo then picked up the second blade. "And this one is for you, Lock." He handed it to her, and she unsheathed hers. It was like Link's only the hilt was dark red with a different design to it.
"It's beautiful," Lock said.
"Yours is called Din's blade. With a fierce fire in your heart, this sword will bring out your true strength in battle." Ezlo looked at them both. "Be very careful. It's dangerous in the world outside of this village, so you must look out for each other."
"Thank you, Ezlo. I will miss you," Lock said. Link didn't say anything at all. He was a bit heavy hearted at the thought of leaving Ezlo behind, but he knew that Ezlo would never abandon the village, no matter how cruel they were. Lock started to walk away, and Link followed, not wanting to look back. Lock looked at Link. "Are you sure you don't want to say goodbye?" she asked.
"Yeah, I'm not good with stuff like that. Well, where are we off to first?" Link said. "I'm not sure, but I'm sure I'll find what I'm looking for," Lock replied. Link didn't know what she was talking about, but he didn't care. His sister was finally getting back to normal, and nothing bad would happen to her ever again. They walked off to the north, not knowing if they'd ever see the village again.
Chapter Five: First Stop, Kakariko
"I think there should be a town near here. That's what Ezlo said anyway," Link said as they walked down a small dirt road.
"That's what you said two days ago," Lock replied. She kept up with Link but was a bit tired.
"That was a different town. I'm looking for a specific town. Ezlo said someone could help us there."
"Did Ezlo happen to tell you the name of this 'someone'?" Lock asked. Link stopped for a moment.
"Uh… no… but he said we'd know when we meet whoever it is," he said.
"Well I hope so. I haven't been traveling for five days for nothing," Lock complained, but Link could only smile. Lock was more like her old self than ever since the incident at the village. He was glad to see her back to normal. He noticed something up ahead.
"Hey, a sign." As he walked up to it, he read it out loud. "Kakariko, 50 meters. Look, we're almost there!" he said with a smile.
"Kakariko? Isn't it almost like a city?" Lock asked.
"Yeah, they get a lot of merchants and travelers, so it's a pretty popular place."
"And we're supposed to find one person in a city full of merchants and hermits."
"Yup."
"That's just great." Lock dragged on behind Link as they came closer to Kakariko. As soon as the first sights of the town came into view, Lock's mood changed entirely. Link was amazed at the sheer beauty of the food markets. "Wow! Look at all the markets!"
"Yeah! Now we can eat!" he said. Lock smiled and followed him as he browsed around for a good price on good food.
"Maybe we could eat, if everything wasn't so expensive…" Lock said. Being the business capital of Hyrule, everything was pretty pricy. "I mean look at that, fifteen rupees for sweetbread? I could make a sweetbread for free!"
"Well we're going to have to get some food and supplies if we're going to continue through here," Link said as he continued looking around.
"We're going to have to get a place to stay, too. Especially if we're gonna find that person you were talking about," Lock replied. "We should probably do that first. At least then the money we spend on a room will get us a meal, too."
"Yeah, let's look over there," Link said, noticing a sign reading "Kakariko Inn". They walked inside and approached the front desk. No one was there at the time, but the place was a bit busy. Link rang the bell at the desk.
"Hold on a minute!" a voice called from the room behind the desk. After a few moments had passed, a tall Sheikah woman with silver hair walked up to them. She looked a bit muscular for a woman, but she has a warm smile. "Hello, welcome to Kakariko Inn. I am Impa. How may I help you?" she said. Lock was surprised to see a Sheikah there, since there weren't that many in Hyrule.
"Hi, we were wondering how much it would cost for one room," Link said. Impa looked the two of them over.
"Will you and your girlfriend be staying in the same room?" she asked. Both Link and Lock were taken back.
"Girlfriend!? I'm his sister," Lock said, still a bit shocked. Impa laughed a little.
"My apologies. You two must be Link and Lock of Toaru village. I received a letter about you two a few days ago," Impa said.
"So you're the one who's gonna help us?" Link asked.
"That depends on what you need help with. I told Ezlo I would do what I can," Impa replied.
"Well, we could use some food," Link said. His stomach rumbled as he finished the sentence. Impa couldn't help but laugh.
"I think I can help you with that," Impa said. She pointed to a room further down the main hall. "Go to the kitchen and tell Anju that I sent you for some food. We can talk after you've eaten."
"Thank you," Link said. He and Lock walked to the kitchen and met up with the redheaded Anju. After Link and Lock had disappeared into the kitchen, Impa went over to another person in the shadows.
"It is as Ezlo said. Ganon's daughter and the hero are here. I will do as he requested, but I must see if they are capable first. I will send them out on a few errands later and I need you to keep an eye on them. Report to me in one hour and I'll tell you what you need to do," she said to the figure. The person nodded and disappeared into the darkness.
Link and Lock were still talking in the kitchen with Anju.
"See, you're not supposed to put in two tablespoons of salt. Just a pinch will do and maybe add a little garlic. Garlic tastes good on practically anything but desserts," Lock said to Anju.
"Wow, I didn't realize I was making so many mistakes…well, I'll try harder next time! Thank you for the boneless cucco recipe," Anju said with a smile.
"No problem. I cook for Link here all the time," Lock said, pointing to her brother.
"That must be nice. Well, I need to go. This was actually my last day working here, and it's time for me to go home now," Anju said.
"Really? That's too bad. I hope we'll meet again someday," Lock replied.
"Yes, I hope so, too. Well, goodbye then."
"Bye, Anju. It was nice meeting you." Lock waved as Anju walked away and headed out the door. Lock looked at Link. He looked like he was feeling sick. "You can spit it out now," she said.
"Gah! Ugh! That was terrible! Is she trying to kill someone with this food?!" Link cried out as he dropped a chunk of un-chewed food in his hand and threw it in the trash.
"Well, she just needs practice," Lock said.
"Practice?! She needs a miracle to ever learn how to cook!" Link said.
"Here, have some water. It'll wash the taste down," Lock said as she handed Link a glass of water. "And I'll take care of our food. Just wait a few minutes, see if you can help Impa."
"Alright, I'll be out there if you need me," Link said and left the kitchen.
"Like you know how to cook," Lock said. She began to prepare the food as soon as the second cook gave her permission. Link met up with Impa again.
"Back so soon?" Impa said as soon as he approached. "Did you get something to eat?"
"Well… no. Anju's food almost killed me. Lock's in the kitchen now trying to salvage a decent meal. I was just wondering if you needed help with anything," Link said. Impa couldn't help but laugh at Link's comment about Anju's food.
"Well, I would say cooking, but it seems your sister has that covered. Well, actually I do need some supplies from the shops in town. It's been busy and I can't find the time to get to the market. Anju would usually help me, but she had to quit. She has family business to attend to," Impa explained.
"I'll do it. Just tell me what you need."
"Thank you so much. I have a list of things here and a list of stores where you can find them. All of the stores are within a few blocks of here… except this one, the potion shop. The owner doesn't interact with people too much and she stays at the edge of town. Her name's Maple and she lives just off to the east," Impa said while handing him the lists. Link scanned over it before putting it in his pocket.
"I got it covered!" he said as he walked out the door. Impa waited for a few moments. Link came back in. "Maybe I should eat first…"
"That would be wise," Impa said, forcing herself not to laugh again. They chatted for a bit until Lock came out a few minutes later with two platefuls of fried cucco, home made mashed potatoes, and fresh steamed vegetables.
"Dinner is served!" Lock announced as she headed down the hallway. The smell of the freshest foods cooked to perfection wafted through the entire inn. Lock sat down with Link and handed him a plate.
"That smells good! How did you make all this so fast?" Link asked.
"I just guess I'm gifted that way," Lock said with a smile.
"Yeah, you sure are "gifted"," Link said, rolling his eyes. Lock elbowed him in the side. "What?"
"Well, I'll let you two finish your meal. I have to get back to work. Link, don't forget the list, alright?" Impa said as she walked away.
"Don't worry, I won't," Link replied.
"What list?" Lock asked.
"Oh, I said I'd help Impa out with some errands. Hey, you wanna come with me?" Link asked a bit over excitedly. Lock laughed a little.
"Sure, just let me clean up these plates and we'll leave. We have to be quick, though, there's only a few hors of daylight left," Lock replied. She gathered the plates and washed them off before meeting up with Link at the front door.
"Alright, so I got the list, the store directions, and the money. Let's go!" Link and Lock headed back out into Kakariko. The town was a bit less busy that it was earlier in the day, but there were still many people out and about. They had no problem getting most of the supplies and were down to the last thing on the list.
"Okay, what's left?" Lock asked. Link dug into his pocket and pulled out the paper for the tenth time.
"Let's see…the last thing to do is to get a few potions from the woman on the eastern edge of town. Impa said her name was Maple, or something," he replied.
"Then we'd better get going if we wanna get back by sun down," Lock said. They headed out to the far eastern side of town, where there were few houses and even fewer stores. Eventually, there was nothing but the road and trees.
"How far does this woman live?" Link said, becoming a bit impatient.
"I think I see an old house up ahead," Lock said. There was a small, red-roofed house coming up over a hill. Link and Lock quickened their pace. When they reached the little house, Link knocked on the door, but no one answered.
"Hmm, maybe she's not home," he said.
"Either that or hard of hearing," Lock replied. Link knocked again and there was still no answer. "We could go back and tell Impa she wasn't here."
"Yeah we could, but I told her I'd get it done. Maybe she's around back," Link said. They walked around to the other side of the house where they found a little vegetable garden. "Huh, not here either."
"Hey look, a bird," Lock said, pointing out a rather large red bird perched on a fencepost. It had something tied to its leg. "Is that a note?"
"Let's see," Link said. He approached the bird, but it began to squawk and flap its wings wildly. The bird was injured and one wing couldn't fully extend.
"It's hurt. Let me see if I can calm it. I spent a lot of time around the birds in the forest back home," Lock said. She slowly stepped closer to the bird, speaking softly to it. "It's alright, I'm not going to hurt you." She inched closer and closer until she was able to reach it. She had to use both hands to grab onto its back and turned it upside down. "Link, grab the paper," Lock said.
"Okay, but don't let it scratch me." Link slowly reached out and took the paper from the bird. He opened it up and began to read as Lock gently took a look at the broken wing.
"What's it say?" Lock asked.
"It says: If you are reading this note, please come help me. I'm trapped in the forest and I'm on wolfos territory. Please come find me."
"Does it say who sent it?"
"No, but I think it might be Maple. We have to go help her." Link walked to an empty crate by the house and put all the supplies they had already collected inside.
"Shouldn't we go back for help?" Lock said as she gently placed the now bandaged bird back on the post.
"If we don't go now, no one will reach her before nightfall! The wolfos will have the advantage!" Link said.
"You're right. Let's go." Lock followed Link into the dark forest. There was still enough light to see even through the trees. The bird had jumped down from its perch and hopped along the ground after them. "How are we going to find her?" Lock asked. The bird began to squawk behind them. Not having known it was there, both Lock and Link spun around with swords drawn. The bird turned its head toward the east and continued to squawk.
"I think it's showing us the way," Link said. They sheathed their swords and followed the bird. Although it moved at a slow pace, it was the only thing that could lead them to Maple.
The two of them had been walking for what seemed to be hours and the sun was getting too low to see.
"It's so dark. I can barely see a thing," Lock said. She was walking close to Link and the bird so she wouldn't lose them.
"I know. At this rate, we'll never find her," Link said. Just as he did, the red bird began to squawk loudly. It jumped up and down as if it was trying to fly. It was moving toward something up ahead.
"Maybe it found her!" Lock said. She ran after the bird and Link quickly followed behind. The forest was thinning out a bit and they could see what looked like a clearing up ahead. "Look! She has to be there!" Link exclaimed. They came out from the trees and stopped dead in their tracks. In front of them was a sight like they had never seen before.