Chapter 4 - All Roads Lead To...
"The invasion will begin today."
"What? But..."
"There will be no argument. Have the army summoned. We will move out at midday. By sunset, we will arrive at the desert."
Inside, Zelda screamed. You can't do this, Link! But whenever she looked into those eyes, she knew that he would... with or without her. She was all too acutely aware that she would only remain queen as long as it suited his purposes. Whatever they were... She nodded. "Yes..."
-
A young boy sat on a crate in the barn. Idly, he toyed with a wooden flute. It wasn't the ocarina he knew so well, but he could still play the old songs... He quietly played the lullaby that was the first melody he learnt.
"Kae?" He ignored the urgent call for a while, until he remembered the old name. Of course. To her I'm still her little brother.
"Hmm... Malon? What is it?"
"I wondered if you wanted to talk... You haven't been yourself lately..."
No, Malon. I've been more myself today than I have been for a long time... "I don't know if I can explain it. I could tell you what's wrong, but you'd think I was mad, or I was telling some sort of a sick joke. It's totally unbelievable, but I swear by all the goddesses it's the truth!" He paused. "Do you still want to hear..."
"Of course."
"I'm not Kaelon. I'm Link."
Malon looked at him strangely. "You're right. That does sound crazy. But go on..."
He sighed and began to talk. "This all starts ten years ago, when we first met... Please, don't look like that! I can't put it any better... The day after you gave me Epona, I was riding through the woods and wound up in a parallel world - Termina. The moon was falling from the sky. I was the only person who could do anything about it..." Malon listened in amazement. Even if this was just some joke of her brother's, it was an incredible tale... And if it wasn't, what then?... As she listened, she began to believe what he said. "...Eventually, I made my way up the clock tower, and found myself transported to the moon. There, I found somebody, another child, wearing Majora's Mask. They wanted to 'play', and gave me... " He looked down at the ground, and back up at Malon. "the... Fierce Deity's mask, before I was pulled into this strange hall and was attacked by the mask itself! I had to use the Fierce Deity's powers to defeat it... After returning to Hyrule, I had to use them again to destroy a monster from the future - I did tell you about Ganon and the Sages once, before, didn't I? He'd returned... But that time... the Fierce Deity didn't want to let go so easily. The Sages saved my spirit, the part of me that's talking to you now, and brought me back as Kaelon. But... they couldn't do anything about who you've thought of as Link these past ten years..."
For a while, Malon was speechless. "If that's true, all of it..." By this point, she was totally convinced. Link had told her, and possibly her alone (though she wasn't sure on that point), about that distant future time. She had been sworn to secrecy, and had kept that promise despite everything that had happened. Who else knew, and who else would have told Kae... No! She couldn't think of him like that any more...
"It is. I know it's hard for you to believe, but..."
"No. It's not. You've reminded me of - hah - your old self a lot recently. Perhaps this just explains everything..." She put a sympathetic hand on his. Not just as a sister, but as a long-lost friend. You never left me after all, fairy boy...
-
Cam ran across the field breathlessly. He couldn't see any pursuit, but he knew he had to get as far from the castle as he could anyway. If he stayed, he was sure he would find out just how "Fierce" the Deity was...
Eventually, he reached the gates of Lon Lon Ranch. He paused. Was it fair
on them, to just drop in and say, "Look, I'm on the run, got a horse?" He
didn't think so, but he didn't see another choice...
He walked in. There were voices coming from inside a barn. Surely whoever
was in there could help him out.
Malon and Link looked round as they heard the door open. Malon jumped to her feet, but Link just stared. That couldn't be... "Kafei?" He mouthed under his breath, before he remembered. No, just his Hylian counterpart. He laughed ruefully to himself.
He heard Malon talk. "Excuse me, but who are you?"
"My name's Cam. I'm - I was - a guard at the palace. Now..." he paused. "I'm
in trouble with... the boss." He nodded, trying to suggest who he meant to
Malon.
She didn't get it. "Who's..."
"He means..." Link paused, trying to think. It must be!..."Fierce..." He cringed, as a stray thought crossed his mind. What was the Fierce Deity doing at the castle, anyway? If he was in charge of the country, how come he'd never heard until the market two days ago?
It came to him suddenly.
Malon... you were only trying to protect me... from someone you saw as
a terror...
"Yeah, kid. That's who I mean. I'm on the run..."
"I'm surprised you escaped!"
"So'm I." Cam grinned - an expression Link didn't remember from Kafei's serious face. "I just got lucky, I guess - but if he finds out I'm here, I'm probably dead meat."
They sat, talked and planned. Eventually, Cam revealed a rumour he'd heard... the invasion of the desert. At that, Link leapt to his feet. "I've got to go there... I've got to stop him..."
"Kid, what makes you think you can?"
"I'm him. He's me. I'm the only person who's going to have a chance..."
-
The army prepared to move out towards the desert. At the head of the forces,
Fierce Link looked back at the soldiers. At long last, he would be going
into battle again... Every nerve in his body burned with a long-controlled
fury and hunger. But now, he would come into his own. It was true, this was
not the first time that he had let the rage out over the past six years.
He had ruined the Kokiri woods four years ago, destroying his past. The old
treehouse had come crashing to the ground, and a blaze started. Everyone
had escaped into the Lost Woods. He had felt no sympathy for his old friends
then, not even Saria...
This time was different from any before, as he would not be alone... Perhaps,
he felt, he should have done this on his own - not from guilt but pride.
Surely, he had the strength to take on the thieves' fortress alone - after
all, he had done just that back in his weaker days! Still, the dark fires
blazed inside. He would see the place destroyed, and the best way would be
at the head of the army.
He vaulted easily into the saddle, despite a lack of experience in later
days. This wasn't Epona or any of the Lon Lon horses, but a white palace-bred
charger. The stallion whinnied and rolled its eyes. Whereas in the old days,
he would have talked softly to his steed to calm her down, Fierce Link ignored
it and kicked the horse into action. He galloped forward, and the massed
forces of Hyrule rode behind him...
To a near-certain destruction...
-
Link stroked Shara's creamy mane. "Yes, Malon. I'm sure I want to do this." He looked aside. "I'm sorry..."
"I understand. It's just that... I lost you once, ten years ago! I don't want to lose you again..." She looked at the floor. "...Take Shara. When you get to the desert, send her back with a message. That way, I'll know you're alright..."
He reached around her, and gave her a friendly hug. "Okay. But you won't be losing me. I'll come back, no worries..." He leapt onto the filly's back, and spurred her on. He shouted back as they left the gates of the ranch, leaving two friends behind, "Goodbye, Malon..." Goodbye... Sis...
-
It was almost sunset before boy and filly arrived at the canyon. He planned
to get in there first, and find his way around - get ready to meet himself.
But not really... Would I ever destroy an entire race just to fulfil a
whim? To get revenge for something that's already settled? That can't be...
No. It's just the mask's power... He tried to rationalise what was happening
to himself.
Although he didn't like to admit it, Link was scared.
His concentration wandered, as he dismounted Shara and sent her home. He
continued on foot into the fortress. The gate was unguarded... perhaps that
should have been the clue, he later wondered... Something was wrong... Did
they already know what was going to happen to them?
He walked onwards. The first he noticed of the Gerudo was a shout of "Hey,
Nerala! We've gotta troublemaker here!" and a strong grip pinning his arms
to his back. He tried to reach for his sword, but couldn't get a grasp on
the handle... The guard marched him away, and threw him into a cell. "Huh.
Kids. I'll sort you out later, buster."
He climbed to his feet and looked around. He wasn't alone... A strangely familiar face looked back at him. Familiar, because the last time he'd seen those features was in a reflection, a mirror ball in Latte's Bar...