Chapter Eight
“Nine Years Ago”


“Your Majesty?” Ivan said, bowing slightly. Link turned and looked at him. They were sitting in the middle of the woods somewhere. The trees surrounded the medium sized camp. Tents were scattered around. In front of most were campfires. The soldiers surrounded the fires, keeping warm and talking amongst themselves.

Link nodded slowly, “What is it? Have you found my daughter? Or is it about the Triforce pieces?”

Ivan handed him a small piece of paper. Link received the letter and examined it as Ivan spoke, “Our intelligence has located the whereabouts of the Royal Crown.”

“...the crown?” Link questioned, Ivan nodded. Link thought for a moment, nine years ago, on the night he overthrew Hyrule.

Nine Years Ago...

Link, in black armor, threw the body of the fallen Hylian King through the stained glass window. The glass shattered as Gale’s body fell through.

Link smiled, “Now, it all ends here.”

He heard a click.

Link quickly turned and raised his sword as a bullet shattered on the hardened blade.

Link looked at the attacker in front of him. Trent.

Trent pointed his revolver at Link. He pulled back the hammer of the gun, cocking it once more.

Link smiled, recognizing his friend, “Trent...what are you doing up so late?” Trent smiled, but kept a serious face, “I couldn’t sleep, so much noise outside.”

Trent glanced at the shattered window, “The king?”

Link gestured at the window with his thumb and said, “He forgot to use the stairs.”

Trent narrowed his eyes, his right hand held the revolver. The revolver was named Wildfire. It was the first of its kind; the barrel glimmered in the faint light.

Trent’s left hand drew his Hylian sword.

Link shook his head, “Why do you remain so loyal to the king? He’s dead.”

Trent shook his head, keeping the gun trained on Link, “I’m not loyal to Gale. I’m loyal to this land...To it’s people. My loyalty lies in Hyrule. As a knight of this land, I am to protect it and its people from people like you.”

“That’s what I’m trying to do,” Link said, “I want to save this land.”

Trent narrowed his eyes and snapped back, “Save?! Look around you. Do you have any idea what’s going on? Your moblin bastards have killed thousands. You yourself, the ‘Hero of Time’ have killed millions. You’ve gone insane!”

Link laughed, “Revolution cannot be achieved without sacrifice. Those lives shall be remembered once I dominate this entire planet. Only then, shall the ‘perfect’ world be born! I’m not insane. I’ve seen insanity. I’ve been enlightened, Trent. I’ve seen the light, and it’s given me a new purpose in life. I know exactly what I’m doing. Look into my eyes, Trent. These aren’t the eyes of insanity. These are eyes of noble ambition.”

Trent scoffed, “You’re just too far gone to realize how insane all of this is. Or maybe...you’re in denial! You’re just as low as Ganondorf!”

Link retorted angrily, “Don’t compare me to that villain!! I’m all too different. I’m trying to unite the people of this world, not conquer it. Like I said before...some lives must be sacrificed for the benefit of all.”

Trent angrily responded, “But this is just too much! Your daughter...what would she think? You’re raising her in a world full of death! And Malon, she’s turning in her grave! I know she never wanted this to happen!”

Link shouted, “Don’t you dare bring my family into this, don’t you dare tell me what my wife would say!!! You don’t know Malon! She and I have dreamed of a perfect world for everyone! She wanted this!!! Before she died, I promised to get rid of all the evils in the world and bring about peace forever! All of this, all of this planning...this effort was for her and my daughter! We wanted her to have a beautiful world to live in!”

Trent shook his head sadly, “You’re so sad...you are the living definition of hypocrisy. Look around you, I guarantee that Malon never wanted this...and neither did Zelda. Or have you forgotten about her already? This great land of ours is set ablaze by this ‘ambition’ of yours. This isn’t the world any one of you wanted! You claim you’re a hero, yet you brag about transcending Ganondorf!”

Link, having heard enough, shouted, “Silence! I don’t need you to tell me anything! You have no idea what you’re talking about! Don’t bring Zelda into this!”

Trent took one step forward, “Ah, yes...Zelda. The woman you betrayed eleven years ago. You killed her, her father and even Zelda’s fiancé!”

Link exploded, he yelled, “I didn’t kill her!!!! I was framed!!! I would never hurt her! You bastard! You’ll die for tarnishing her name!!!”

He charged, drew his sword and swung blindly at Trent. Trent blocked the blade with his own sword. The both pushed the blades against each other. Trent raised his gun to fire, but Link grabs his wrist.

They both struggled like that for a few tense moments. Each was trying to gain the upper hand. Finally, Trent glanced at his gun and twirled it, tossing it lightly and catching it upside-down. He held the trigger with his thumb and the barrel was pointed straight at Link’s head.

Trent pulled the trigger, blasting Link’s head. The bullet flew and careened into Link’s skull. Link fell to the floor as Trent backed up. Link didn’t move. Blood seeped from the bullet hole in the side of his head.

He looked at Link’s body and turned away, “...May you rest in peace, Link...I’m sorry I had to do that.”

Trent sheathed his sword and holstered his gun.

Something caught his eye. He walked over to the throne. Sitting in the king’s chair was the crown. Trent picked it up and examined it. He spoke to himself, “I should take this and keep it safe until everything calms down, the last thing Hyrule needs is to search for a missing crown.”

As he turned he froze.

Standing in front of him, was Link. He didn’t have a scratch on him. Link raised his fist and opened it, dropping a silver bullet. It bounced on the floor and rolled to a stop.

Trent whispered, “...How...”

Link swung his fist, striking Trent in the side of the face, Trent stumbled back, cupping his head with his right hand. He still held the crown with his left.

Link cracked his knuckles and stretched, “Nice weapon...you’ve got to tell me how you’ve managed to build such a marvel.”

Trent spoke, he still wore a shocked look on his face, “H-how? You’re supposed to be dead!”

Link smiled, “Life is a game...the game ends with death, those are the rules. But, like all games, there is always a way to cheat the rules. I’ve managed to cheat life.”

Trent managed to say, “You...monster.”

He backed up against another stained glass window. Link walked forward, he spoke easily, sensing that victory was near, “Now, before I kill you, I would like my crown back. A ruler just isn’t right without one.”

Trent glanced at the crown, and then back at the window behind him. He drew his revolver again and pointed it at Link. He cocked the gun and said, “Well...’Your Highness’, this crowns reserved for someone else.”

Link laughed, “You still manage to jest at your own untimely death.”

Trent smirked, “I don’t plan to die. Not yet.” He turned, changing his aim at the window and fired. The glass shattered and Trent jumped.

Trent landed on the slanted roof and slid. He knelt and holstered his gun.

Link ran towards the window and looked down as Trent drew his sword and slid off the side of the roof, falling fours stories down.

Trent timed it right and impaled his sword into the side of the castle. He used the sword and the force of his fall to swing into the window below him.

The glass shattered as he plowed through. He rolled and ran for the door ahead of him, sheathing his sword and gripping the crown tightly. Trent throws open the door and runs through. Ahead of him, Karen and Derek were aboard a lone wagon. Karen held an infant in her arms.

The wagon was moving, this was his only chance to escape. Karen looked up, noticing Trent, she shouted, “Father!”

Derek looked up and leaned out of the moving wagon. He extended one hand while holding on with the other.

Trent pushed himself harder, slowly closing the distance between him and the wagon. Safety...

Suddenly, the side of the road explodes behind Trent. Link and a dark horse plowed through the rubble, galloping madly towards Trent.

Link laughs, drawing his sword, preparing to cut Trent down, “You aren’t going anywhere!!”

Trent glances over his shoulder and curses, “Damn!” there was no way he’d be able to outrun the horse.

Karen stands up slowly, holding her baby tightly.

Trent was an arm’s length away from Derek’s hand as Link closed in. Link smiled, “It’s over!” he swung his sword for Trent’s neck.

An arrow flies, impaling into Link’s hand. Pain shoots through Link’s arm, causing him to drop his sword. The horse slows down.

Trent leaps forward, extending his hand. Derek grabs on and pulls Trent in. Trent slides down and sits inside the wagon, exhausted. He glanced at Link.

Link cups his hand as blood squirts out. He curses as he yanked to arrow out, he looks up to see Karen lowering her bow, she glared.

Link glances back at his hand and wipes the blood off, revealing a healthy hand. It had already healed, not even leaving a scratch.

Link uses the newly healed hand to point at Trent. The hand was still stained with blood. Link yells over to him, “It’s not over!! I’ll find you...All of you!!! You can’t hide from me!”

The wagon speeds off. Link’s horse rears up on it’s two hind legs as the castle behind him catches fire, sending flames high into the air. The passengers of the wagon watched helplessly as their home goes up in flames. Link turns his horse around and rides towards the flames, disappearing in the distance.

“Sir?” Ivan asked, breaking Link out of his flashback. Link glances back at the paper and shoves it at Ivan, “Get the men ready. We’re heading out first thing tomorrow morning.”

Ivan nods and bows, “Yes, Your Highness.”

Link walks off and goes into his tent, leaving Ivan with his orders.