Chapter 1: Meeting the enemy

Link was having a peaceful day. He had detached his sword and shield and was resting under a shady tree. Soon, he felt something on his face and saw that Epona was nuzzling him.

"Oh, Epona." Link chuckled as he got up.

He patted his favorite horse and gave her a nice carrot. After that, Link strapped on his shield and sword, got on Epona, and was off. He went off to the ranch to get some milk from Malon. Normally, this would happen.

Link would walk into the stable and Malon would be there.

"Hey, Link. How's my favorite fairy-boy?" She would ask, using her little nickname.

"I just need some milk, cowgirl." Link would answer with a nickname of his own.

The farm girl would fill his bottle, they'd talk for a while, share a hug, and Link would be off.

However, that's not what happened. THIS is what happened. What Link saw surprised him, Lon-Lon Ranch was still there, but Talon was at the stable instead of Malon.

"Excuse me…" Link asked.

Talon turned around, surprised, and saw Link. After calming himself, he welcomed Link with open arms. The boy was like a nephew to him and he said he'd treat him as such.

"Link, my boy! What is it?" Ingo asked in a jolly voice.

"You wouldn't happen to know where Malon is, would you?" Link asked.

Ingo entered the scene and then said, "PLEASE tell me this isn't some cruel, sick joke!"

Talon screwed up his face in thought for a minute or two. Then, he remembered.

"No. Haven't seen her for three days." Talon replied.

"That's weird." Link told himself.

What happened? It wasn't like Malon to disappear like that.

He kicked the dirt and mumbled, "I guess I won't be having milk today."

"Oh, you came for milk? I can get ya that." Talon told him.

"Oh, thanks." Link thanked with a handshake.

Ingo reappeared and said, "Don't tempt him! He'll keep coming back!"

After a few minutes, Link had his milk and was on his way.

"If you ever see Malon, come tell me." Talon called.

Ingo stuck his head out the window and called, "Don't bother! It's the first time I haven't heard her little baby talk with the horses."

"Will do." Link answered as he left the ranch.

Ingo looked at Talon and asked, "You had to say that, didn't you?"

"What was going on here? Malon gone? I mean that's just crazy." Link thought, "Maybe the sages might know something. Yeah." Link was off on Epona and he was about to go on his way to the sacred forest meadow. Then, he remembered something. "Oh, wait. Saria doesn't live in the forest anymore."

It was true. Saria left the forest when Ganondorf and Majora were defeated five years ago. She wanted to see Link grow into a man and experience growing up through her own eyes. The Kokiri calmed down when she left the forest and came back a week later.

Link decided to look for Darunia instead and quickly changed course. When he got to Goron City, Darunia was happy to see Link again and gave him the spine-crushing Goron hug.

"Link! It's so good to see you, brother!" Darunia said in joy.

His eyes were shut, so he didn't see Link's eyeballs nearly bulge out of their sockets.

"It's good to see you too. Darunia, can you do me a favor and PLEASE stop trying to break me in half?" Link strained, all the while trying to keep his eyes in place.

"Oh, sorry." Darunia apologized as he dropped Link.

Link painfully put his vertebrae back into place again and then told Darunia the whole thing. Darunia was also stupefied on this.

"Any ideas?" Link asked, hoping for an answer.

"Hmm... Not really. I do know this. When someone goes missing, normally something bad is gonna happen." Darunia said in a stern tone.

He then turned to Link and asked, "Who could do this? Ganondorf?"

Link shook his head and said, "Not likely. Ganondorf's been wiped off the face of the earth and Majora is there with him. My best guess is that it's someone even more powerful."

Suddenly, without warning, a Hylian guard appeared and found Link. He was panting as he was talking and it was obvious that he had come a long way.

"Link…Thank goodness, I found you!" He said between breaths.

"What? What is it?" Link asked.

Whenever a guard came to him, normally something happened. Something BAD.

"I just came to inform you that a green-haired young woman has been kidnapped!" The soldier informed.

The realization hit Link like a ton of bricks.

"Saria! I've got to find her!" Link shouted in a very urgent tone..

He took his gilded sword out of the scabbard and turned to his 'brother'.

"I'm going to see what's going on."

Darunia's face looked like it was carved from stone: serious and hard.

"Right! I'll get the other sages and see if we can help." Darunia told him.

Link nodded and ran down Death Mountain while Darunia focused and tried to contact the other sages.

Link had just reached Kakariko Village when he saw three people on silver horses.

"So, the famous Link." The middle one said in a high, aggressive voice.

"Would've expected him to be taller." The one on the right said. He sounded a lot like a know-it-all mixed with one of those Australian muggers and was very annoying to Link.

"Where's Saria?!" Link shouted in sheer annoyance and frustration.

The three only laughed at him, which only made Link's temper rise.

"Aww, the hero wants his girlfriend back. I'm gonna go somewhere and throw up." The one on the left taunted. His voice was deep and serious, and there was something about it that sent a tingle down your spine. "If you want her, you'll meet us at Gerudo Valley. Meet us at 6 o'clock tonight and don't be late." The middle man said.

After walking a while on their horses, he turned and added, "Because if you don't…" He took a spear from a sac on the horse's side and held it in both hands. "Well...let's keep that hypothetical."

He then snapped the thick spear like a twig and Link got the idea if he didn't arrive on time. The trio dug their heels into their horses, they turned around, and they went to Gerudo Valley.

"I dunno who those guys are, but they're obviously NOT friendly." Link growled under his breath.

Wuh-oh! Saria's been kidnaped! What could happen?