Part III: "Children of Destiny"

Link sat in his room. The childish toys held no interest for him anymore. He could feel many things now...He could feel the impending doom on the horizon.

A sound from outside the castle walls drew Link's attention. Hoofbeats. It seemed impending doom was arriving ahead of schedule.

"About the exiles?" he said, "or that we're watching his every waking moment?"

Impa shrugged and turned back to the floating image of Link in his room.

"Both."

"My dear," Rauru continued, "we are not here to think. We are here to know. And if we do not know, we must find out.

"Come, Let us leave this place. I think it's time we payed young Link a visit."

Link was still staring out of his lone window when he sense he was no longer alone.

"You could have knocked."

Link turned from the window and wasn't at all surprised when his eyes met Rauru, Sage of Light, and Impa, Sage of the Shadow.

"I hope you didn't plan on shocking me with your arrival," Link continued. "I knew you were comign before you did. It all makes sense, really. You've been spying on me for the past few days."

Rauru and Impa turned to each other.

"I guess that answers one of our questions," Impa said.

"Questions?" Link asked curiously. "What kind of questions are there fr a nine year-old child of destiny?"

Rauru stepped forward.

"Son, what do you know about that group riding towards the castle?"

"That they're the ancient exiles," Link replied, "and that they're coming to seek revenge. Revenge for something so awful that it drove the two groups apart."

Rauru nodded, "You are ready."

"What?" Link asked, confused. "Ready for what?"

Rauru and Impa vanished before Link's eyes, leaving him alone in his room once more. And for the first time in his life, the young prodigy didn't know what would come next.

* * *

Queen Zelda stood at the sole window of her throune room. She, too, was watching the coming of the exiles. As she turned away from the window, she at last noticed Rauru standing quietly upon the marble floor on the far side of the room. The sight made her frown.

"I thought I told you to never come here again," Zelda said with a slight hint of anger.

"Do you still blame me for your husband's death?" Rauru replied. "It was destiny, child. None of us could have kept it from happening."

"Destiny does not take the lives of innocent men."

Rauru shook his head.

"It does," he said, "if the situation calls for it."

Zelda's frown turned to absolute anger, "If the situation calls for it!? What does destiny have to say about the people who loved him? His wife? His SON!?"

"Child," Rauru continued, calmly, "we cannot ask to understand the tradgedies of destiny. We can only ask to understand how to cope with them."

"That's it?" Zelda said, glaring at him. "That's your answer?"

"It's all I have to offer."

The Queen could feel the burning hate creeping up inside of her.

"Listen you little {censored}!" she yelled. "I don't want to hear your 'mysterious sage talk' any more! Just once, I'd like you to talk to me as if I had a clue as to what you're saying!"

Rauru narrowed his eyes.

"So, Zelda, you wish to know, do you?" he growled. "Here it is. When the Artronnens arrive, they will be welcomed as friends. It will not remain that way. They will grow hostile. Hyrule will fall. There will be no prevention."

"And this is destiny?" Zelda asked.

"Destiny?" Rauru replied. "Oh yes. Destiny at its best...and its worst."

Rauru disappeared once again, leaving Queen Zelda to ponder his words.

He reappeared next to Impa in the Chamber of the Sages.

"You did not tell her," Impa said.

"How could I?" Rauru said back. "She is not yet ready to learn of her impending death. Not like her husband was."

"True," Impa said, simply, "but I think there is one thing she has in common with her husband. I believe she wishes to die."

"Of that, dear Impa, you are correct. Luckily for her, she doesn't have long to wait. Look at this."

With a slight gesture of his hand, Rauru beckoned the floating image to the center of the chamber once again. This time, however, the image was that of the Artronnens being welcomed at the Hyruld Castle gate...as friends...