HEEEEY! Guess who's not dead! XD I could give you guys a long, boring explanation, but I think I'll cut it short: let's just say I'm a little behind in schoolwork, and its summer… eh; you guys get it, right? I love to write, but this fan fiction just can't be my first priority right now. ;)

Well, anyway… I'm sorry. ON TO THE SHOUTOUTS! ^^

To (Blake- Hero of Tyme): *Midna giggle*…maaaaaaaaaybe…

To (Bad Mittens): I'm so glad to hear somebody liked that chapter as much as I did! I had a lot of fun describing Gerudo Valley. It was my favorite place to visit in Ocarina of Time… and it had (BY FAR) the best music. ;) And… I'm eagerly awaiting the next chapter of the Great Destroyer! :D

To (Elizabeth0058): Are you sure? :) I think the reveal of her identity will go one of two ways… your jaw will hit the floor in shock… (Which is kind of unlikely) or you'll say "I knew it." Either way is fine with me, as long as it's enjoyable. :)

Thanks also to Grey of grove of wood, who favorited me! ;D

Finally… a big round of applause for geekyknitter, who did the quadruple whammy: favoriteing and alerting to both me and my story! And yes… I know exactly who you are. ;)

And for your information, this is a REALLY CRUDDY chapter, and it's not nearly as long as I wanted it to be. Humor me though… I had major writers block, and was desperate enough to ask for help from a friend, so not all of this is even written by me- I'll explain at the end.
And even though it's short I hope you guys enjoy… at least a little…

-SS

xoX-Chapter 9-Xox

Sarah

"Keep your strength up, little warrior!" The cloaked woman called over her shoulder. Sarah was stumbling along at least twenty feet behind her protector, the intense heat of the desert sapping away what little energy she had left. The sun was centered directly overhead, its bright rays a physical force intent on beating her into the golden sands. The woman slowed slightly to allow her charge to catch up. "How… are… you… not… tired…?" Sarah gasped in between pants. "I've spent a long time in the desert, Sarah." Came the simple reply. The girl wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand.

After several hours, the brick fortress had disappeared over the haze-blurred horizon; yet the intense confusion and fear still left its fingerprints on her heart.

The Gerudo-like women.
Her mysterious cloaked companion.
The man called Ganondorf.

Sarah shook her head, instead choosing to focus on the powerful rays of sunlight pounding on her loosely covered shoulders. She allowed the haze to blur her vision, allowed the desert to warp her thoughts. Gradually, every step in the grainy, ever-shifting sand became a step in lush, spring-green grasses. The sound of a bubbling creek murmured soothingly at the edge of Sarah's senses, and the sun's rays softened. A music-like laugh seemingly reverberated from nowhere, bouncing off the dunes, followed by a small splash. The girl smiled sadly, understanding just then exactly what memory the wasteland was attempting to reflect on her surroundings.

.:XxoxX:.

The sun warms the back of Sarah's shoulders, but she has no fear of sunburn. Still, the water at her toes looks desperately inviting. The willowy girl in front of her, up to the calves in blue-brown water; turns, sending ripples across the surface.

"Come on, it's fine! It feels great!" Emily's smile is like sunlight, echoing throughout the ocean in her eyes. Her hair is like a fan, swinging out behind her in a light-blonde swirl Sarah gives in to temptation, and sinks her toes into the stream; and little eddies and whirlpools swirl. At first touch, the water feels ice-cold, but not two heartbeats pass before she warms up to it.

"Ooohh…" Sarah presses her toes into the delightfully squishy silt below. "That does feel good!"

Emily laughs, splashing the water with her hand. "Let's keep going!" and with a graceful leap like a deer, she lands on the opposite bank. Sarah follows as best she can, beaming toothily as the heated blades of grass bend beneath her weight. Emily runs ahead, her hair floating out behind her as she gains speed. Sarah, again, feeling thrilled at the perfect day; follows. The peace in her mind is only slightly disturbed by the manure scattered everywhere in the horse pasture, as always. But in this moment of bliss, it's okay.

.:XxoxX:.

Sarah smiled at the fond memory, heart aching for her friend. I don't know where she is. The girl frowned, eyebrows knitting themselves together. Heck, I don't even know if she's alive. "Hey…" she croaked at the cloaked woman pushing on tirelessly in front of her, eager to turn her thoughts away from the painful subject that was Emily. Sarah let out a cough, just then noticing how dry her throat was. The sun was now a flaming ball of red sinking lower in the sky; blurring the horizon and staining the still cloudless sky warm orange and bright pink.

"Have you got any…water…?"

The woman turned, reaching into the pouch at her waist and revealing a fist-sized, snow-white sphere wrapped in dark leaves. She carefully offered it to Sarah, whose trembling hands cautiously took the pale fruit. The girl stared at the strange object in her hands, having a moment to think that it felt like a water balloon, heavy and delicate. She looked up at her companion questioningly. "Go on, take a bite. It's full of water inside."

Sarah obliged, pulling the cloth that covered her mouth to below her chin and sinking her teeth into the juicy fruit, eyelids fluttering in relief as the refreshing liquid soothed her searing throat. "Mm… what… is that?" She asked, swallowing the cool water and licking her lips. The woman laughed. "A water filled fruit that grows at certain points on Death Mountain. Don't get too used to it, though- I've only got a few left."

Sarah smiled back, ignoring the reference to Death Mountain and wiping her wet fingers off on what was left of her patchy blue tank top. The water-fruit had reminded her of another achingly sweet memory, the murmuring creek still evident at the edge of her thoughts, and she allowed the treasured recollections of her and Emily to overtake her once again.

.:XxoxX:.

"I keep on wishing Link and Zelda would kiss! Do...do you?" The blush on Sarah's cheeks is as warm as the glinting sun as she glances at her friend, perched on the edge of the concrete bridge.

"Yeah, me too. I think every fan does." Emily agreed, smiling as she swings one leg above the blue-brown water of the creek below. Sarah puts one foot in front of the other, carefully maintaining her balance as she edges along the narrow lip at the edge of the bridge. Her bare foot hesitates in midair and she begins to fall. As usual, the defiant little voice in her head cries out, "If I go down, I go down my way!" But she manages to swing both her legs up into a leap and land awkwardly right next to Emily. Sarah sits down slowly next to her. Unlike he r friend, Sarah fears...well, not heights. She's not up high. She's just afraid of little things-maybe a snake...but mainly, she detests scraping or cutting the bottom of her feet; and she couldn't tell if there were any sharp stones in the burbling creek below.

"Emily..."
Sarah pulls a strand of wavy blonde hair over her face to hide it. "Can I ask you something?" However, her friend catches her tone and stiffens slightly, but shrugs it off after a moment.Poor her, I'm so nosy. Sarah gathers up her courage and whispers, "Is there...any boy you like?"

Despite her feeble efforts, Emily's eyes meet hers. Ocean blue, with ferns of green. Envy rises in Sarah, but she squashes it quickly as she can. Her friend's face is a little sad. "Yes, but… he doesn't really...well." Sarah gives her a questioning look. "He's seventeen." She finishes, lowering her gaze sadly; as if that explains everything. In a way, it kind of does...Actually; it would, except even a boy three years older than Emily shouldn't be able to resist her. Witty, an athlete, philosophical, smart, wise, and not squeamish. Sarah sighs inwardly. I feel so envious!

"Do you?" Emily asks quickly, eager to turn the conversation away from herself. Heat returns to Sarah's cheeks.

"Yes..." She chokes out fumblingly. "Um...well. He's fifteen. Tall, dark-haired, Dark-eyed."
"Tall, dark, and handsome!" Emily laughs, thankfully banishing Sarah's embarrassment, and she smiles. "Yup. His name is Caleb-he's a friend of mine. I think I mentioned him before-the one who has seven siblings…?"

"Oh, that one!"

Sarah laughs along this time. I suppose it is quite a memorable title! They chat for a little while; then Emily tosses her long blonde hair over her shoulder gracefully and turns her gaze on her friend, opening her mouth to say something…

.:XxoxX:.

"Sarah-sama? We need to make camp, little warrior."

Sarah flinched, blinking profusely as Emily's face and the summer day faded to the dusk-covered desert and her cloaked companion that had lead her unknowingly to a large cave in the desert wall.

"Huh…? Oh… sorry…" the girl blushed slightly, just noticing how long she had been zoning out. The sky had become shrouded in indigo shadows, and the amber sun had disappeared completely. A gust of wind nearly blasted Sarah off her feet, and gasped at the sudden chill, rubbing the goose bumps springing up on her shoulders as she followed her guardian into the red stone cave. "…Just an hour ago, it was s-so hot…" She stuttered, shivers sending icy ripples down her spine.

"Get used to it, little warrior. Out here, it's one extreme to the other."

The coals of the burned down campfire glowed warmly, bathing the damp cave in a dim light. Sarah shifted against the cave wall, pulling the tattered sleeping cloth tighter around her sore shoulders. She blinked at the masked woman sitting across from her, watching her with intense, very-awake eyes.

"…You can sleep, you know." Sarah's companion blinked back at her. "I mustn't." was all the reply she got.

The girl gave a long, drawn-out sigh, tipping her head to gaze at the stars glinting just outside the mouth of the cave. A small smile touched her lips as she remembered all the times she had spent in her backyard watching them. The damp, dew-sparkling grasses would tickle her feet, and she would use her fingers to paint elaborate pictures in the sky. Are these even the same stars? She wondered. That seems so far away from… this… the familiar frustration sparked in the pit of her stomach. Whatever this is…

Sarah's eyes flicked to her companion, who was busy having a staring contest with the campfire. That's it. She decided mentally. Two days is long enough. The girl pulled herself to her feet, having to carefully maneuver around the thick sleeping cloth that slipped to the floor soundlessly. I need answers.

"Okay, so somehow you know all about me, hm?" The cloaked woman gave her an odd look. "Your name is Sarah Enure Thompson, you're fourteen years old, and you live with your parents and three siblings- Lauren, Emery, and your baby brother Peter- in the village you call… Nickland, correct?" Sarah's jaw fell open. "Uhhh…yeah…" She muttered, forgetting her intentions for a moment. Whoa, that's a little freaky. Just a little.

"…Anyway, if you know that much, then you must know… why I'm here."

"Yes."

…

Sarah cocked an eyebrow. "Well?"

"That's getting a little ahead of yourself, don't you think?"

The girl growled in burning frustration. She's obviously intent on keeping that from me. She took a deep breath, and then let the annoyance pass. "Okay, so let's start at the beginning. What happened on Enchanted Hill that night?"

"Simple. The dark ones planned to seize the hill, and you just happened to be there. They sensed who you were, and decided it would safest to take you back with them. You can imagine their frustration when the one they'd been trying so hard to contain slipped right through their fingers." She let out a light chuckle.

"And you know this…how…?"

"The guards at the fortress had rather weak minds," She paused to sigh. "It was easy to wrestle their intentions out of their thoughts." Sarah nodded uncertainly, taking a deep breath of cool air and trying not to panic. "The guards. The women with the sharp faces and the red hair. Were they…?"

"Gerudo." The woman nodded solemnly. The girl swallowed hard, her hands growing clammy and trembling uncontrollably. "S-so… does that mean… t-that man…was…" The woman averted her gaze regretfully, pinching the bridge of her nose and emitting a long, saddened sigh. "…Ganondorf?" She finished for the girl. "Regretfully so." Sarah felt the trembling spread to her knees, and she shakily sank back down to her former position against the cave wall, wrapping her arms tightly around herself. "S-so this is the Haunted Wasteland…" The girl's breathing quickened.

"…Sarah…"

"And I'm stuck here, with an army of Gerudo after me…"

"Sarah, listen to me."

"Here I am, forced to run, going who-knows-where with somebody I don't even know…"

"Sarah." A firm hand pressed to the girl's shoulder, and hard crimson eyes met her terrified bleary ones. "You must stay calm. Nothing is solved through panic."

Sarah gnawed her bottom lip, bowing her head and pressing her clammy fingertips to her temples. Sensations from the past two days raced through her mind—Emily falling unconscious at the sunset, the cold bite of the iron chains cutting into her wrists, running from the Gerudo, the cloaked woman saving her… The girl swallowed. "Why?" It was a barely audible croak, but her companion heard it all the same.

"'Why' what?"

"Why did you save me?"

The woman's eyes clouded over, and she shook her head slowly, a sad smile showing in the tightness of her cheeks. "You're special, Sarah." Was all the reply she was given. "No, I mean, what do you get out of it?" The girl raised her head, gazing at her companion intently.

"Who are you?"

The woman's smile changed to a sincere grin, and she gave a light laugh, surprising her charge. "Now we are getting somewhere! I was wondering when that one would surface." She reached behind her head, undoing the knot that held the black cloth concealing her face. "I suppose, after two days; that it's only fair to tell you—well, show you, more or less." And with a flap of fabric, the black cloak fluttered to the cave floor. Sarah stood slowly, eyes wary.

The woman's smile had vanished, replaced by the stone-hard demeanor she usually bore. At first Sarah stared blankly at the figure before her. …Do I know her?

…Wait. There was something familiar about the woman's worn shoulder plated.

…And… Hadn't she seen that symbol on her chest armor before?

But she only truly understood upon studying the figure's face.

Full, ruby lips matching her deep, blood-red eyes, sun-tanned skin- only marked by the white tattoos below her eyes- and the shoulder-length, white-blonde hair pulled haphazardly into a ponytail.

Sarah's jaw dropped.

Either that was the best cosplay she had ever seen, or she was standing before Impa, the Sage of Shadows.

For what seemed like an eternity, the crackling campfire was the only sound that broke the silence. Shock registered in Sarah's blue eyes, which shifted to confusion, then narrowed to dangerously challenging glare. "Okay, let me get this straight. You expect me to believe that you're… Impa?" The Shiekah blinked in surprise at the hostility in the teen's low mutter. "The Impa? As in 'Ocarina of Time'?" Now the woman looked even more confused. The girl's fingers curled.

"You told me that I was captured by Gerudo." Impa regarded the spoken words carefully, silently. "That I was confronted by Ganondorf." Sarah ground her teeth together, fighting to keep her voice steady. "And now, after two days of traveling with you, you expect me to accept… That YOU'RE IMPA."

The Shiekah nodded cautiously, her gaze never leaving that of her challenger's. Sarah's rage boiled over.

"WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH THIS WORLD?" She threw her hands up in frustration, stomping to the other end of the cave. "Shiekah, Ganondorf, Hyrule, freaking Gerudo…!" Sarah turned to glare at the so-called-Shiekah, seriously considering smacking her, hard. "NONE OF THIS IS SUPPOSED TO EXIST!"

"Since when? Whoever told you that this world doesn't exist?" Impa inquired suddenly, startlingly calm. "Gee, I don't know. It's kind of a given." Sarah growled, voice dripping with sarcasm as she fixed her companion with a smoldering glare. The Shiekah closed her eyes momentarily. "Just because you can't see something, doesn't mean it doesn't exist."

"Hasn't anyone ever told you that seeing isn't believing?" The girl spat.

Sarah, listen to me. When I was first notified of your supposed arrival, I simply dismissed the idea." The Shiekah sighed softly. "I thought that the concept of a human hero was… impossible." She returned the teen's glare steadily. "Yet here you are. What makes that any different?"

Flames flared to life in Sarah's eyes once again. "You're a FICTIONAL CHARECHTER! Don't believe me? Try looking in a mirror! Just your ears scream 'I'm not human'!" Se stomped the ground hard to emphasize her point, thrusting a rage-shaken finger at her protector's face. When Impa didn't give even the slightest hint of reaction, the teen let out a shriek of anger, kicking out at the leftover embers of the campfire and sending up a shower of bright sparks.

"THAT'S IT! I'M DONE HERE!" Sarah's hands balled into fists at her sides. "I've been stuck for TWO WHOLE DAYS in this stupid desert! I've had just about enough." She spat venomously, jerking her gaze away from Impa's.

"Take me home."
It was not a question.

"Take me home, now." Impa hesitated. "We both know I cannot Sa-"

"PLEASE! CAN'T YOU SEE I'M BEGGING YOU?" Sarah was growing desperate, the evidence plainly written on her flushed face, and the unspilled tears prickling at the edges of her vision.

Hyrule, Impa, Ganondorf, Gerudo, Shiekah… It was… It was all just… too much…

With a strangled sob that sounded more like a moan, she fell to her knees; scraping her bare, already-sunburnt legs on the red stone. The tears fell relentlessly then, silver drops burning with anger, frustration, desperation… But most of all fear. Sarah would never admit it aloud, but she was absolutely terrified- of Impa, of the desert, and of her own fate. "What's going on…?" She whimpered between sobs, even though she knew that nobody would give her the answers she needed. "Why am I here…?"

Impa gazed at her charge sadly, regret sparkling in her crimson eyes as she pushed a few strands of white-blonde hair from her face. After a few heartbeats of indecision, the Shiekah decided it was best to leave the girl alone. Sarah had her arms wrapped tightly around herself, crouching to the ground in a fetal position. She barely gave a reaction when Impa exited the cave. Unconsciously reaching for her discarded blanket to cover the raised goose bumps on her arms and legs, Sarah bit her lip, stifling more sobs.

No! She scolded herself mentally. You're stronger than this, Sarah Thompson!

She slowly swallowed the tears, cheeks burning from the salty liquid. Her breath came in ragged gasps, and she struggled to calm them; focusing on the wind whistling outside the cave entrance. Such a pure sound.

It almost sounded like the desert itself was singing her a lullaby.

A lullaby.

Sarah closed her eyes as the old melody came to her mind. How long had it been since she'd heard it? Seven years? Eight? The old lullaby her mother used to sing…

"Breathe…close your…eyes…" the teen's cracked voice croaked out, barely audible and hardly on tune; but it didn't matter. The old memory came back to her anyway.

Sarah hadn't been more than five when her mom taught her the lullaby.

"I want you to know it so you can sing it to little Emery," Mrs. Thompson whispers to her as they both stand over the lace-lined crib of Sarah's two-year-old sister, who is fast asleep; wrapped snugly in her soft pink blanket. Sarah looks up at her mother adoringly, wide blue eyes glittering. The woman beams back at her, tugging playfully at the thick blonde braid swaying slowly behind the little girl. "Then maybe you can teach it to her one day." Sarah nodded her head vigorously, eyes huge as her mother sat her on her lap in the woven rocking chair. The little girl stared in awed silence as her spun the song, hanging on the every note.

"Breathe
close your eyes

The world is quiet
tonight

None can hurt you
while you're in my arms

Lay your head on Heaven's
blanket of stars

Dry your eyes darling
the world is ours

If only for tonight…"

Sarah smiled at the song, tears and fears long forgotten. She let her tired eyes drift shut as she subconsciously mouthed the last verse, her mind slipping far away to another time, a time most precious.

"Dry your eyes… young one…" She sang softly, almost sure she could hear her mother's voice singing along with her. "The world…is…ours…"

"…If only…for…tonight…"

…You know, I really thought that the reveal of Impa's identity would be a shocker, but almost everyone guessed who she was… ya'll are just way too smart for me. XD

About Sarah's freak-out session- I've seen a lot of authors out there on Fanfiction that thrust their OC's into Hyrule and all of the sudden, everything's just peachy, y'know? Like, no problems. AT ALL. I think if I was suddenly forced into a dimension that's not supposed to exist; I think that I would freak out- at least a little. Just trying' to make this fanfiction a realistic one. ;)

And for the final shout-out of the evening: the memories/mirages (with the exception of the lullaby one- that one's mine :D) that Sarah experiences during the desert journey weren't written by me, but by my great friend RaySapphire!

So pop on over and read her so-much-better-than-mine Zelda Fanfiction that she just started: "The Legend of Zelda: Chains of the Past". Bonus: it's the sequel to mine! I'm pretty sure there aren't any spoilers over there though. :)

That lullaby is an original one. I'm a music-writing freak, so I thought it'd be cool to have an original song going for the "Time Trilogy". ;) I think it goes without saying, but those lyrics belong to me, so you have to ask and credit me if you want to use them.

…Oh, and I promise that the next chapter won't have another 5-month wait. XD

Hope all you guys are having a great summer!

-SS