As the sun rose upon Lake Hylia brilliant light shone upon the cool waters. A Zora maiden stood awhile in thought. She had had a disturbing dream. She had seen eyes that she longed to see never again in her life. “Those horrible eyes,” she thought. She shuddered. “Ganondorf, why do you haunt me in my dreams? Will you never leave me!” she shrieked.
“Ruto, you really shouldn’t do that, I was scared for a moment,” a concerned voice exclaimed from behind her. A young woman appeared. Long golden hair framed a beautiful and kind face. Radiant blue eyes shone with worry. “What’s wrong?”
“Zelda, something is troubling me. A dream I had. But I believe it wasn’t a dream,”
“Do you mean the dream with the yellow eyes framed in fire?”
“How could you know,” Ruto gasped.
“I came here to ask you if you too shared our fears. All of the sages have been feeling this evil presence.”
“I can’t understand it. Ganondorf is gone. We sealed him away.”
“It’s a mystery I don’t think we can solve yet. Saria, Darunia, Impa, Nabooru, and Rauru are coming to meet with me today to discuss this at Hyrule castle. We all have to be there. Maybe we will find an answer.”
“I hope to Nayru that we do. Does Link know?”
“Yes. Saria told him,”
“He isn’t living at the castle,” she said with a smirk.
“No he is not, thank you very much. Now if we do not want to be late we should get going now.”
The two sages mounted Zelda’s horse and left towards the castle.
Meanwhile in Kokiri Forest Link was still sleeping.
“Get up,” a voice said.
“Unnn. Go away Saria,” Link grunted.
“You do want to see Zelda today don’t you,” she said in a sing-song voice.
“Oh no! I’m going to be late. Why didn’t you wake me up earlier.” He exclaimed.
Link jumped out of bed and scrambled to get his clothes on. “You don’t want to smell bad for the meeting, do you?” Saria giggled.
“Oops let me go take a shower,” Link said as his cheeks flushed.
A little while later the two traveled upon Epona, Link’s trusty horse.
Around noon all the sages and Link were gathered in the courtyard of Hyrule castle. They sat in a circle with the Triforce of Power in the center of them upon a pedestal. The odd looking group stared at it as if entranced
“I believe that we are all here for a reason,” it was Saria who broke the silence.
“Yes,” Zelda sighed, “I would like us all to share our thoughts about this nightmare.”
“I don’t understand,” said Link, “Does this mean that Ganondorf will return,”
After that there was silence.
In the center of the courtyard was a Triforce symbol in stone. Suddenly it started to glow three colors, red, green, and blue. There was a flash of light and three of the most stunning maidens appeared on their section. Glowing red stood Din the goddess of power, glowing blue was Nayru the Goddess of wisdom, and finally glowing green was Farore the Goddess of Courage.
“The goddesses,” murmured Zelda in awe.
“Why have you come?” asked Link.
“We are here to warn you,” Din said.
“Of what?” said Ruto?
“There is a great evil that will soon appear,” said Nayru.
“And that evil will surely prevail if you are not united,” said Farore.
“The Triforce of power is here. How can He come back,” Darunia stated.
“Things are not as they seem,” said all three in unison, “Beware, for it is only now a shadow, a shadow but a growing one. Should it obtain the three pieces of the Triforce it shall regain his former strength. If it prevails over you the world will be engulfed in darkness. The world calls for a Hero once again,” and with that they were gone.
“What am I supposed to do?” Link yelled after the goddesses but no reply came.
Zelda put her head in her hands. “Why is this happening? It is not supposed to be this way.”
“We must seek out this shadow and destroy it,” Impa simply stated.
“It will not be that effortless,” said Nabooru.
“I believe that the ones who have the Triforce in them are the ones who know best. For they know the extent of Ganondorf’s power.” Rauru said.
“And as for the rest of us I think that it would be wise if we all tried to hide the Triforce of Power before he gets his stinking hands on it,” Saria suggested.
“I think that would be a good idea. Link and I will try to investigate this,” said Zelda.
“That would be for the best,” said Ruto.
That evening the sages departed leaving Link and Zelda alone in the courtyard. They walked together along a group of roses in bloom.
“Link, what will we do?”
“I don’t know,” he sighed, “I guess we wait until there are signs of this Shadow. Then we go and stop it before it gets too powerful.”

Slowly a Shadow crept through the land. Leaving chaos in its wake. Ganondorf didn’t know how he escaped from the Evil Realm in which he was sealed. He had a feeling that somehow he was helped. He couldn’t figure who or what so he shrugged off the idea and didn’t think of it again. All Ganondorf knew was that this time he would not fail. He would be the King of Hyrule. He just needed to get that pesky little boy out of the way. When he obtained the Triforce of Courage and the Triforce of Wisdom he would surely rule the world. Every night he had one dream. He dreamed of Zelda. “You will not get away from me this time girl,” he thought to himself, “Not this time.”
The sages protecting the Triforce of Power saw no sign of the coming danger. It had been months since the goddesses warning and the tension of the future worried them less. This was a horrible mistake on their part. It was a bright summer morning and Saria was on duty.
The six sages put an enchantment on the area surrounding the dead Great Deku Tree. This was the area that they decided to hide the Triforce of Power in. The enchantment made it so the energy that emanated from the Triforce would be contained so no one could sense its presence.
Saria, forever young, was as happy and playful as a child. She was chasing butterflies around a field as they swooped lazily about the air. “I got you,” she said happily as she cupped her hands around a bright blue butterfly. For no reason she felt cold. She let the butterfly go and stood in the summer sunlight shivering. She heard something moving in the shadow of the trees. “Who’s there,” she said timidly as she turned around and around peering through the forest growth. Something hit her in the head and her mind was lost to blackness.
Ganondorf laughed as the Kokiri girl’s body slumped to the ground. “Stupid girl. Did you really think that the sages’ weak little spell could stop me?” He walked to the dead tree and murmured a few words. In front of him the Triforce of Power emerged from the trunk. He touched it.

“NOOO!!!” screamed Zelda.
“What’s wrong?” Link demanded.
“They’ve failed. Ganondorf has the Triforce of Power.” Zelda almost cried.
“Zelda, he’ll want you next. Go to Zora’s Domain with Ruto and hide. I’ll go find Ganondorf.”
Link ran to his room in the castle and shouldered his bow and sword. He found Epona and raced towards Kokiri Village on her back. Link reached the meadow and there were five moblins in a circle looking at something on the ground. Link dashed up and dispatched them in a few twirls of his blade. On the ground was Saria.
“Saria!” Link yelled. She didn’t awaken. He picked her up. As a Kokiri, Saria stayed the size of a child so the weight didn’t burden him. Even over the years she had never grown but he was almost his full size now. He carried her up to his home and laid her out on the bed.
“Saria wake up!! Come on wake up!!” He tried to wake her and a little while later her eyes fluttered open.
“He…He has it. You must stop him. Go find him. I’ll be fine. Just go and find him before he gets Zelda. Don’t worry about me”
“All right Saria,” he said and he kissed her on the forehead and left for Zora’s Domain to get Zelda. Ganondorf was bound to show up there soon.

Ganondorf stood in a clearing next to his black steed. His power returned and he felt rejuvenated. On the horizon the walls surrounding the castle loomed ahead of him. “I’m coming my sweet,” he said with a grin. He unsheathed one of his long swords. He touched the blade and a trickle of blood ran down his finger. “See how easy my blood is shed boy. I will shed yours much, much easier.” A long maniacal laugh erupted from his throat. He mounted his steed and galloped towards the dark stone walls of Hyrule.
Princess Ruto stood with Zelda by the waters of Lake Hylia.
“I don’t want to bring evil to your home Ruto.”
“I know you don’t. I can’t think of another place to hide you.”
“Ganondorf will come here for sure. I don’t know if Link can stop him.”
“He has the Triforce of Courage. He also defeated Ganon before.”
“I know but I will help him,” Zelda turned to leave and started towards her white horse.
“What will you do?”
“I’ll do whatever it takes.” And with that there was a burst of light. Standing before Ruto was Sheik. She mounted her horse and galloped away.
“Good luck, my friend.”
Sheik traveled across the land searching for a sign for Ganondorf or Link. She could find none. Finally she made camp and settled down to sleep. Meanwhile Link happened upon a dead family of Gorons.
“That bastard,” Link thought aloud, “As long as I breathe I will find you Ganondorf.” He spent that morning burying the dead family. He buried them by a tree and carved with his sword an engraving. The goddesses will take this family early into the sacred realm. Rest in Peace.

Ganondorf was enthusiastic. He was en route to find Zelda and had just had a bit of fun. Those Gorons were easy to kill and he enjoyed watching them beg. “What brainless creatures.” He gazed around and something caught his eye. He saw a glint from metal in the distance. He took out a telescope and saw what was there. “Ahh, my little friend has come to play with me. Well I’ll surprise him.” Ganondorf transformed himself into a young girl and hid his horse. He stood waiting.

Link saw someone. He slowed his horse and stopped. There stood a young girl all alone. “Hey, you shouldn’t be out here by yourself. You’ll get hurt. There’s an evil man about.”
“Oh I’ll be just fine.”
“Where do you live? I’ll take you home.” And he took a step towards her.
“I think that it is you who will need the help.”
“What…”
There was a burst smoke and Link couldn’t see anything.
“Stupid boy, you are so naïve,” said a loud deep voice.
“What, hey what’s happening? Where did that little girl go?”
“You really are pretty slow aren’t you?”
The smoke cleared and a tall man with red hair and horrible yellow eyes stood before Link. The man laughed and then drew out two long swords.
“I believe your adventure will end here.”
“Eat dirt Ganondorf.”
“Have it your way.”
Ganondorf took a leap forward and put all his weight onto his blades. Link unsheathed his sword just in time to block. Link stood his ground and forced Ganondorf to stop. He then slashed at Ganondorf but he blocked every blow. Link was knocked to the ground when blocking a particularly strong strike. Ganondorf placed one of his blades on Link’s throat.
“Checkmate,” he said with a laugh.
Link could feel how sharp the cold steel was. A drop of blood trickled down his neck.
He raised his other blade and was ready to deal the final blow. “Now you will die…,”
He was cut off. An arrow pierced his side and he was flung sideways onto the ground. Sheik raced to where Link was sprawled. “Are you alright.” She persisted.
“I’m fine.”
Ganondorf spoke up, “You’ll pay for this,” and with that he transformed and the hideous figure of the monster Ganon loomed above them.
Link stood up. “Your time is up,” and he charged the monster.
Ganon was ready to counter when a Light arrow hit him in the face. Link crammed his sword right through the ugly beast’s chest. The monster shrunk and he was Ganondorf once again.
“No, I can’t lose…” then he fell over and died. His body turned to dust and he was seen never again.
Sheik turned back into Zelda. “We won,” she shouted and ran over and hugged Link.
“It’s finally over,” he said as his sword fell to the ground.

Meanwhile in a dark place something was stirring.
“Ganondorf has failed me. I set him free and he lost easier than he did before. It makes no difference. I will achieve my goals no matter what.”

Part Two

Link and Zelda were ecstatic after having won the battle. Link decided to stay at the castle for awhile. He searched around for Zelda one day but didn’t see her. He finally came to an ornate door. He opened it. It was a beautiful room with stain glass windows. This was the room that contained the pieces of the Triforce. The goddesses believed that there was no evil about and that the Triforce was not needed.
There was Zelda standing before the golden objects. The Triforce was located next to a window. A shaft of red light fell upon the Triforce of Power, a shaft of blue light shone on the Triforce of Wisdom, and a shaft of green shone upon the Triforce of Courage. Link looked at Zelda. He thought to himself “She really is attractive.” Everyone thought this. With her slight frame, long hair like corn silk, blue eyes, and striking facial features she was considered one of the prettiest maidens in the land.
“I found you. Why are you here?”
“I don’t know I just had a strange feeling.”
“Like what.”
“I don’t know. It was just strange.”

The creature in the dark stirred. “Now is the time. They are off-guard. Go my pet, fly. Retrieve it and come give it to me.” A hideous form with wings shrieked and disappeared. “In due time I will finally have my revenge!”

“That’s odd. Are you sure you’re not sick,” Link said.
“I don’t think I am…. AHHHHHHHHHH.”
Suddenly the stain glass window smashed and a horrid bird-like creature appeared. It had wings like a bat and the body of a reptile. Its head was that of a vulture. It swooped and grabbed the Triforce pieces. It shrieked and flew away into the sky until it could no longer be seen. Link and Zelda stood up and shook the shards of glass off of themselves.
“What was that Link?”
“Something evil. Look, it took the Triforce.”
“What that evil monster’s plans were, I don’t know but it can’t be good.”

“Ah, my pet you are back quickly.” Laughter rang out, “I have it. It’s mine,”
The pieces of the Triforce started to glow. “The Triforce grants the person whatever they desire. I wish for….”

Three goddesses created the world. Their names were Din, Nayru, and Farore. This is the legend that most know. One part of this legend faded away. Time has forgotten it.
There were originally four goddesses that created the world. The first three were of course Din, Farore, and Nayru. The fourth was called Tira. Tira was the Goddess of Balance. There were equal amounts of good and evil inside Tira. Her sister’s believed her to be good. Tira lived in balance until an Evil possessed her and she became more evil that good. Tira wished to rule the world. The three good goddesses watched their sister and created the Triforce in hopes of stopping her. The other goddesses never knew of the spirit and though Tira was entirely evil from the start.
One day Tira attacked the other goddesses. The three sealed Tira away in the Dark Realm and made a wish upon the newly formed Triforce. “As long as we rule you shall never pass through the gates of the Dark Realm.” The three left the world and lived in the Sacred Realm. Only emerging in times of great need or peril.

“I wish for the fall of Din, Nayru, and Farore! They shall become mortals!”

Din, Nayru, and Farore were sitting by the glass which allowed them to gaze into the world.
“I feel sleepy,” Farore said.
“So do I,” said Din.
“This isn’t right... I have a bad feeling,” Nayru said.
“But wouldn’t it be nice to take a nap.”
“Yes it would.” And the three of them fell asleep.

Three maidens that looked about in their late teens were asleep on the ground by a pond. They slowly woke up and looked around. The three appeared fairly different but had a similar look to them. One had long flowing blue hair and sparkling blue eyes. She was clothed with a simple sky blue dress with no sleeves. The sash around her waist had a Triforce symbol on it. Flat sandals with straps running up her calf adorned her feet.
Another had thick red hair with and eyes that had a fiery tint to them. Her blouse was close to her body, light red, and had thin straps on her shoulders that held it up. She also had a red version of the sash around her waist that held up a knee length red skirt. She had sandals with leather thongs to hold them to her feet.
The last had green hair held up with a tie and eyes of emerald green. Her green shirt had short sheer sleeves and also had a belt with a Triforce symbol about her waist. She had a slightly above knee length skirt and leather boots. The blue one had an archer’s bow, the red one had a crossbow, and the green one had a sword.
“What is this,” demanded Din.
“I have no idea,” answered Farore.
Nayru walked over to a rose bush and picked a bright red rose. She then came back to her sisters. Nayru placed her finger against a thorn and pricked herself. She bled and blood trickled down her hand.
“Do you know now what has happened?”
“I can’t believe this,” said Din.
“We’re mortals?” gasped Farore.
Nayru started to walk away from her sisters. She took a flute out of her gown and played. She stood there for a minute. A neighing snow white horse walked over to her from behind a hill. She mounted.
“Are you two coming?” asked Nayru.
“Coming where?” said Farore puzzled.
“To seek out the ones within the crests.”
“Well then, let’s go,” said Din.
The other two maidens mounted the horse and they traveled towards Hyrule.

Tira emerged from the shadows. She was in a bustling market. There was a large castle close by. People were dashing about and vendors were selling just about anything a person could think of. “I do not remember this place. Much has changed,” she thought to herself. Tira’s old body had been destroyed through her passage to the Dark Realm. She now had a new mortal body. She appeared to be about sixteen. She was tall and slender, with long golden hair, and brown eyes tinted with gold. She was wearing a simple brown belted tunic that came down to her knees and brown boots. No one could see what was on the gold chain around her neck. It was the Triforce of Power. The other two pieces of the Triforce had disappeared after she made her wish but the one stayed.
She felt hungry. She didn’t have any money so she stole someone’s purse, took out the money, put it in her pocket, and dropped the purse to the ground. Tira walked up to a baker’s cart and peered at the warm baked goods. She saw a sweet roll coated with honey that enticed her.
“I’ll have that one,” she said as she pointed to the roll.
“That one is very good. It costs three rupees.”
“Rupees?”
“Yes rupees. Don’t you know how to count money?”
“I...I’m sorry; my mother always does the shopping.” She took out a few of the strange items that she took from the purse. “Is this enough?”
“That’s more than enough.” He took three green ones. “Wait, let me teach you something. See this green one is one rupee. Blue ones are five, yellow ten, red twenty, purple fifty, orange a hundred, and Silver two hundred.”
“Thank you sir.” She said as she took her roll and walked away.
“Hmm, rupees,” she murmured as she counted what was in her pockets. She had three hundred and seventy six in all. “What to do next,” she thought, “I will be queen of this world soon enough. I’ll start with searching for the other two pieces of the Triforce. I don’t have to worry about my sisters. They are no threat to me.”

Link had stayed up all night and all the next day. It was now almost night again. He just couldn’t figure it out. He was sitting in the library and had been studying all the books about monsters that he could find. He couldn’t find anything about that horrid creature that stole the Triforce. The large wooden doors opened and Zelda entered the room.
“Did you find anything yet?”
“Nothing yet Zelda but I think there’s nothing about it in your library.”
“I’m having a strange feeling again. It feels... Link are you listening.” She turned to look at what Link was looking at. There above the table floated the Triforces of Wisdom and Courage. Link stood up and touched the Triforce of Courage and a golden triangle shown upon his hand. Zelda did the same with the Triforce of Wisdom. They were both speechless.

The three maidens deposited their horse at a near by ranch. They reached the gates of Hyrule castle town and were stopped by two guards. One had blonde hair and the other had brown.
“Where are you three pretty things going?” The blonde one said.
“That is none of your business,” said Din.
“Ohh, we have a feisty one here,” said the other guard.
“I would be careful if I were you,” said Farore.
“You have a big mouth missy,” said the blonde.
Nayru drew her bow and pointed it at the blonde. Din did the same with the other guard.
“I told you to be careful,” said Farore.
A sheikah woman opened the gates from the outside and gazed at the scene before her. “What’s this?” she said.
“These three were attacking us,” said the blonde man.
“Put down your weapons,” the sheikah said, “Who do you three think you are.”
“It doesn’t matter who we think we are. These two dimwits here were harassing us and we just wanted to teach them a lesson,” said Din.
“Impa, these three just barged in here and demanded to go inside the castle. We told them to go away and they attacked us,” said the brunette guard.
“Is that so? As a matter a fact I was listening to your conversation. We have gotten complaints about you two. Actually now that I think about it... you’re fired.”
Farore giggled, “Bye, bye.”
The two guards stamped away into town and were soon lost to the crowd. Impa led the girls to the castle and were now walking across the front lawn.
“You are the Sage of Shadow, Impa,” said Nayru.
“How did you know,” Said Impa with a puzzling look.
“You’d be surprised. We know quite a bit,” said Farore.
“Who are you,” Impa asked.
“Now is not the time. You wouldn’t believe us. We came here to see the Princess and the boy Link,” said Din.
“Fine. But I’ll have to warn you there was a monster here that stole something. It might come back.”
“We’re not worried,” all three chimed in at once.

Link and Zelda had just recovered from their shock when the door opened once again. Impa emerged and three girls about their age that Link and Zelda didn’t know followed her in.
“You have a few guests,” said Impa.
The golden symbols on Link and Zelda’s hands were still glowing. The one with the blue hair gazed at them.
“The Triforce...,” She said, “What happened?”
“A winged monster came and stole the three pieces of the Triforce yesterday,” Zelda began, “Just now before you came the Triforces of Wisdom and Courage appeared.”
“We’re being rude,” said the one with green hair, “We have to introduce ourselves. You already have seen us before; my name is Farore.”
“My name is Din,” said the red haired one.
“And my name is Nayru,” said the blue haired one.
“Wait those are the goddesses’ names,” said Link.
“Exactly,” said Farore.
“How could you be the goddesses?” asked Impa.
“I believe that we warned you of an evil shadow that would awaken. We thought that the shadow was Ganondorf. When he was killed we believed it was over. Then we were cast out of the Sacred Realm and we now think that the shadow was someone else,” said Nayru.
“You must be the goddesses. No one but the goddesses and the Sages would know what was said in the courtyard,” said Link simply.
“I don’t know,” said Zelda hesitantly.
“Trust me Zelda,” said Link with a smile, “It may sound weird but we’ll have to believe it.”
“Alright but then who is this Evil?” asked Zelda.
“We have no idea,” said Din.
“You know what it’s late,” said Link after a long yawn, “Zelda let them stay here for the night and we talk about this tomorrow.”
“Good idea,” said Zelda, “I’ll show you three to your rooms.”
“No Zelda,” said Impa. “You and Link have had a long day. Go to bed and I’ll help them.”
“Thank you Impa,” said Zelda.
Then they all departed for a good night’s rest. Din, Farore, and Nayru all had separate rooms for the night. Nayru was having a nightmare. She twisted around under her blanket and she was sweating. She awoke from her reverie and she knew. “Tira,” she murmured, “What have you done?”

Tira wanted an army. Not an army of monsters like the one Ganondorf had. Monsters were defeated too easily. Moblins, stalfos, and poes could only go so far. What Tira wanted were Gerudos, fierce women fighters, Zoras, who had sharp fins like blades, and Gorons who were large and strong. She knew that these creatures would not submit easily so she would have to infect them with her Dark magic. Brainwash them to become the greatest fighters in the land. No one could stop her then.
Tira first decided to travel to the Desert. That was far away. She needed a good fast horse. There was a ranch outside of town and she would steal one there. With the rest of her money Tira bought a sword. It was a light but strong one. She would get her supplies at the ranch.

Malon had just finished feeding the chickens, cows, and horses. Her father and Ingo had gone to town to buy some animal feed. She yawned in the warm summer light and sat down on a wooden bench. Malon didn’t notice the figure that snuck up behind her. Cold steel touched her neck as she gasped.
“Well now,” said a girl’s voice. “What do we have here?”
The blade was lifted from Malon’s neck. Malon stood up and faced her attacker. It was a girl slightly taller but about the same age as her. The girl pointed her blade at Malon. “Now, you’re going to come with me.”
“What makes you think I would listen to you?”
“Oh I think I have an idea.”
Tira grabbed Malon and took some rope out of her pack. She tied Malon up and put her in the barn. “I hope your daddy finds you,” Tira said with a laugh.
“You’ll pay.”
“Yeah right.”
Tira walked to the stable and picked out a horse. It was a red one stalled next to an older red horse next to it. Tira read the label on the stall. “Epono.” She said. She then went in the house and filled her pack with food. She mounted Epono and galloped towards the desert.

Talon got off his cart. He planned on putting away the feed in the barn before he went to bed. He opened the barn door and almost fell back with shock. There tied up to a post was his daughter. She was asleep. He untied her and she woke up.
“Malon, what happened?”
“This girl tied me up and I think she stole one of our horses.”
“Let’s go find out.”
They walked to the stable and entered. Only one stall was empty.
“Epono!” cried Malon, “She took my favorite horse.”

Nayru got up and woke up both of her sisters. She then walked them out into the courtyard and waited as they rubbed sleep from their eyes. “Din, Farore, I think I know what the evil is.”
“Who is it then,” said Din.
“Tira.”
“Tira is locked away in the Dark Realm,” said Farore.
“Remember the wish we made ‘As long as we rule you shall never pass through the gates of the Dark Realm,’ remember”
“Since we’re mortals and we no longer rule the world she escaped,” said Din.
“Yes.”
“Well she would be a mortal too because her body was destroyed,” said Farore.
“I guess that’s true,” said Nayru.
“We have to stop her, said Din, “And she must also have the Triforce of Power.”
“Then only the Princess of Destiny and the Hero of Time can stop her,” said Farore.
Morning came and both Link and Zelda wandered out into the courtyard looking for the sisters. The three were sitting by the fountain and were deep in conversation. Nayru looked up at them. “We figured out who the Evil is.”
“What?” said Link in shock.
The three told Link and Zelda all that they had learned.
“So we have to stop her,” said Link.
“Yes,” said Farore.
“How do we find her?” asked Zelda.
“Call all of the Sages to meet at the summit of Death Mountain,” said Din.
Zelda sent messages for all of the Sages to meet. Link, Zelda, Farore, Din, Nayru, and Impa reached the summit to see the rest of the Sages already there.
“Why did we come here?” Saria asked.
“You’ll see,” said Din. “We have to wait until it gets dark.”

An hour or so later Nayru called everyone to attention.
“Now is the time. Ruto, Rauru, Darunia, Impa, Saria, and Nabooru form a circle with Zelda and Link in the center.”
Everyone moved to do what they said. Then Nayru, Din, and Farore formed a triangle around the circle. The three began to sing a song in a language that none of the others knew. Light erupted from the center of the circle from where Link and Zelda stood. The beam raised high into the air and blasted down towards the horizon.
“What is in that direction,” Din asked.
“That’s where my home the desert is,” said Nabooru.
“Then that is where Tira and the Triforce of Power is,” said Farore.
“I’ll leave tonight,” said Link.
“I’m coming with you Link,” said Zelda.
“I’m not going to let you get hurt,”
“I don’t care. I am coming.”
“Stop it,” said Nabooru. “You’ll both go and I’ll be your guide.”
The three travelers gathered their supplies prepared to depart. Link and Zelda took two of the castle’s horses and Nabooru using her own. They traveled lightly and set off towards the desert.

Tira reached the edge of the desert. It was morning and it was very cold. The rays of the sun had not yet warmed the sands. She looked around. There was nothing around. Only sand, coarse vegetation and a few large rocks were to be seen. “Those Gerudos are going to be harder to find than I thought.” She rode for a while until it was almost noon. The heat would soon be too much for Epono. Tira stopped and pulled her horse under the shade of large slanted boulder. Tira sat down and took out a flask of water. She set her pack down next to her and dozed off.
When Tira awoke it was in the afternoon. She turned to fetch her water. Her pack was gone. She looked around and Epono was gone also. “I shouldn’t have fallen asleep,” she cursed herself inwardly. “Every one knows Gerudos are thieves,” she thought. Tira walked out of the shade. She heard a noise. She felt something prick her arm and she fell to the ground unconscious.
Kalona watched as the girl fell to the ground.
“I caught the intruder,” she yelled.
Another Gerudo appeared. He was a young man. The man’s name was Setu Dragmire. He was tall and handsome, even though his father has been the evil man Ganondorf. His mother was the queen of the Gerudos, Makala. Setu was nothing like his father and by no means was evil. The Gerudos had had a rough time during Ganondorf’s rule. Now that he was gone they were prosperous and peaceful. They were no longer thieves. The intruder had a sword and was considered a threat.
“Who is she,” Setu asked.
“She is a Hylian, Prince Setu.”
“Kalona, how many times have I told you not to call me prince.”
“I can’t remember, Prince,” she said with a laugh.
“Anyway we can’t leave her here. Let’s take her to the village.” He whistled and Epono emerged carrying Tira’s pack. Setu picked the girl up and put her on the horse. Setu and Kalona walked to the village leading Epono. It was a pleasant place with quaint houses. Since Gerudos were almost all female there were many women and girls about. There were colorful mats spread around and women were doing their daily chores. The area was hot and dusty and almost everyone was wearing sandals and the minimum amount of clothing possible. Most were wearing stomach bearing tops and short pants and skirts. Gerudos were all physically fit so there were no portly people about. Setu spotted his mother and waved to her. When they got there Setu walked to his mother who was playing a game with sticks with a few of the village’s children.
“Mother, this girl was wandering through the desert with a sword.”
“Hmm, she is a Hylian. Wake her up and see what she has to say.”
Setu took a vial out of his pocket that contained blue potion. He poured it down Tira’s throat.

Tira opened her eyes. She was in a village lying on a mat. Next to her were a dark Gerudo woman and a young Gerudo man. The woman had black eyes and red hair and was wearing a shawl and a flowing skirt. The man was slightly older than Tira and had green eyes tinted with yellow, short black hair, and was wearing light brown tunic. Tira shook herself awake and became aware of her situation.
“What did you do to me,” Tira demanded.
“People who walk through our desert with a sword are usually looking for trouble,” said the woman.
“Who are you?” she said as she sat up.
“My name Makala and this is my son Setu.”
“You have no right to keep me here,” Tira spat.
“No one is keeping you here,” Makala replied lightly.
“I’m sorry. My name is Tira.”
“Very nice to meet you Tira,” said Setu.
“I’m such an idiot,” Tira thought to herself. “These morons have no idea. I know what I’ll do. I stay here for a while and befriend them. Then I’ll use their own water supply to infect them with darkness. I’ll soon have a little army to use when I capture the rest of those who I need.”
“Where are you from?” Makala asked.
“I’m from Hyrule. I ran away from home. My parents died and my horrid aunt takes care of me. They forced me to do all the housework and made me steal from the towns vendors. One day I stole her husband’s sword and I left on my horse Epono.”
“That’s a depressing story. You can stay here for as long as you like Tira,” Setu said.
“Thank you very much. I don’t like feeling useless. Can I help with anything?”
“That’s a kind offer. Kalona, my son’s friend, can help you,” Makala said.
“Thank you ma’am,” Tira said.
Tira stood up and walked over to where Kalona was standing. Tira followed her out of sight.
“What do you think about her Setu?”
“I’m not sure what to think of yet. Seems nice though.”

Link, Zelda, and Nabooru had been riding for about an hour and were in Hyrule field. They reached the top of a hill and decided to stop and rest for the night. From the top of the hill you could see for miles in every direction. The three travelers sat together and had a light snack. Zelda and Link went to sleep and Nabooru would keep the first watch of the night.
Nabooru let out a long yawn. She rubbed her eyes and decided that she should take a walk to stay awake. She started to walk down the hill when some faint light met her eyes. She stared out into the distance and she could see smoke billowing into the sky obscuring the stars. She ran up the hill and went in her pack. She took out a telescope and looked through it. Now she was sure of it. A town was on fire. Nabooru woke Link and Zelda up and they traveled as fast as they could to the town.

The Band of Zora thieves were astounded by their luck. There were seven Zoras in all. They were a rowdy bunch. One day as they were watching a small town’s daily activities. They watched as a rich man’s servants carried a large safe into his house. The Zoras snuck into that house today and stole the money and jewels in that safe. Someone spotted them and raised the alarm. The villager’s then chased after them with flaming torches and set fire to their own town by accident. They were riding away from the town when they spotted three horses approaching them. They quickly hid behind a small hill and watched the three. There were two Hylians and a Gerudo. They sped past the hill without looking back.
“Let’s see what they do,” said the leader. The Zora leader was referred to as Sir
“Do you think that’s a good idea? I mean if they’re there to help they’re probably gonna come after us,” said another Zora.
“Three against seven, they’ve got no chance,” said Sir, “If you guys are worried go take the horses and go hide in that small wood over there. Me and anyone else who wants to stay and watch will come get you after”
Two twin Zoras who were the muscle of the band spoke up. “I’ll stay with ya Sir,” said the first.
“Me too,” said the second.
The other four grabbed their horses’ reins and slumped away towards the wood.
“Sir is losing his grip,” said one.
“Did you see that boy’s sword,” said another.
“Could kill you with one stab,” said a third.
“We can still watch the town. I brought my telescope,”
The four walked the horses over to some grass and they sat down on the moist earth.

As they approached, the town’s peril became clear to them. Almost every house was on fire and people were gathered in the streets trying to douse the flames. They reached the first group of people. There were two men and three women. They were all covered in ashes. One of the women was crying.
“What’s wrong?” Link asked the woman.
“My son is tr... tr... trapped in the h... h... house,” the woman said between sobs.
“We all tried to get in there but none of us could manage it,” said one of the men.
“I’ll go,” said Link.
“Wait...” said the man but Link was in the house before he could finish.
Link could barely see. Smoke was blocking his vision. He used his shield to block the flames that licked him. As he went up the stairs he could hear slight whimpering. He opened a door and a young boy was sitting on the floor crying.
“It’s alright,” said Link.
He picked up the boy and ran down the stairs and out of the door. Crouching as he ran because of the thick black smoke. He reached the front door and rushed out. He collapsed on the ground coughing and gasping.
“My baby,” screamed the woman as her little boy stumbled towards her. She locked him in a tight bear hug, “Thank you so much,” she said to Link.
Link stood up, “Zelda, Nabooru let’s all split up and try to help as many people as possible.”
“Alright,” said the two in unison. The three rushed off in different directions.
The fire was finally put out as dawn started to come. Link stopped rushing around and asked a man how this all started.
“These Zoras came robbed the mayor’s house. We tried to stop them from getting away so we chased them with torches. One of us got one cornered and the damn Zora slew the man with his fin. He took the man’s torch and threw it into a haystack. Everything started to catch the fire and they all ran off.”
“How many were there,”
“Seven.”
“What direction did they go?”
“They same way you came.”
Link ran to his horse and mounted.
“Where are you going,” said the man.
“To deal out some justice to those Zoras.”
And with that he was off.

Zelda and Nabooru found each other after the fire. They searched around for Link but couldn’t find him. They went to where they left their horses. Link’s was gone. A man approached them.
“Are you two looking for the boy in the green tunic?”
“Yes,” said Zelda.
“He left after the thieves.”
“Oh no,” murmured Nabooru.
Zelda and Nabooru asked the man where Link went and sped off on their horses.
“That boy loves trouble,” said Nabooru.
“I know,” Zelda answered.


Sir watched as the boy in green approached. Sir was confident that the boy couldn’t see them. Sir was a tall, strong, and by Zora standards, attractive. He was cast out by the King Zora quite some time ago. He had been after the Princess Ruto. She was one of the most beautiful Zora maidens but she hated him with a passion. Sir got a lot of girls but he didn’t care. One time the King caught Sir harassing Ruto and he banished him. He stole the family jewel, a blue sapphire, and left. He now wore that sapphire around his neck now.

Link looked around for the Zoras. Link didn’t stop to think about how far they might have gotten away. But he was on a mission. He stopped his horse and gazed around. There was a hill to his left and a wood slightly farther away. Link faced the hill. Something had caught his eye, a shimmer of blue in the dawn light. He decided to investigate. If there was someone there he did not want to attract its attention. He would ride out a little farther past the hill and head towards the woods. He would then hide in the forest growth and take a look around with his telescope. He started past the hill and rode towards the wood.

“What an idiot,” whispered Sir. “He couldn’t find us and now he’s off to the woods. Those four should have listened and stayed with me. Now they’re gonna get caught.”
“Should we help them,” said one of the twins.
“Are you crazy,” answered Sir hastily, “Look at that sword. He’d kill us.”
“Whatever you say,” said the other twin.

The four Zoras hiding in the woods were panicking. The boy with the sword was heading in their direction and if they tried to escape he would see them anyway. They tried to climb trees but couldn’t climb very far. The Zora’s rubbery skin was not made for climbing trees. The boy approached.

Link couldn’t believe his eyes. Four idiot Zoras were in trees. He tried his best not to look at them. He would deal with them later. He saw what he was interested in. There were three Zoras hiding behind that hill, two burly ones and a thin tall one. The thin one had a blue jewel around his neck. Link decided that he would ride back towards the hill and pretend he didn’t see them. Then he would turn and give them a good thrashing.

“That boy is stupider than I thought,” said Sir, “He rode past us the first time. Then he didn’t see the four in the woods. Now he’s riding past us again.”
“Ummm... Sir,” said on of the twins.
“What.”
“Isn’t he coming towards us?
“Damn Nayru, he is!”
Sir knew it was now too late to escape. It was time to fight. Zoras didn’t need swords, they had razor sharp fins. The three got into position.
Link leaped of his horse and unsheathed his sword at the same time. One of the burly ones came at his with his fins raised. He was coming so fast that when Link dodged, his fin became embedded in a tree. The other twin rushed at him. Link dodged again but didn’t notice the other sneak up behind him. A rubbery-skinned fin came around his neck.
“You’re not being a good little boy now are you,” said the Zora.
“Go suck a fish.”
“Now, now put down your little toy sword.”
“Why should I?”
“You insolent little bastard...,” he couldn’t finish before a net was thrown over him. He let go of Link and fell backwards.
“Link,” exclaimed Zelda.
“Are you okay,” said Nabooru.
The last twin tried to sneak away but Nabooru saw him.
“What do we have here,” she said as she unsheathed a short sword.
“I give up,” said the Zora, “Don’t hurt me.”
“Coward,” said Nabooru.
Link pulled out the other Zora from the tree and tied all three of them together.
“Nabooru, watch these morons,”
“It would be my pleasure.”
Link told them about the Zoras hiding in the woods. Link and Zelda headed back to the woods. When they entered the woods Zelda couldn’t help but laughing as her gaze fell upon the Zoras hiding clumsily in the trees.
“Now you come down here now and we won’t hurt you,” said Zelda.
“Alright, just don’t kill me,” said one of the Zoras.
The four climbed down with their heads bowed. Link led them at sword point to where the other three were tied. They tied them in a line and walked them back to the town. Link told the townspeople not to hurt the Zoras and that they would be dealt with. Around noon everyone was assembled at the edge of town. Two pairs of the Zoras were tied together at the ankles. The twins and the leader were all tied together as well. They were all kneeling on the ground. Link strode towards the leader. He gripped the sapphire and took it off the leader’s neck.
“You don’t deserve this,” said Link, “Now you seven are to stand up and start walking. You are to walk a hundred leagues away from here. Now you better be at least ten leagues away by sunset. If you don’t make ten leagues or you try to come back I’ll kill you. Now start going.”
All of the villagers laughed as the Zoras started to run away. They tripped over each other and fell down. The got back up and tried again arguing all the way. The villagers watched them until they could no longer be seen.
Link, Zelda, and Nabooru got ready to depart.
“We have an urgent mission,” Link told the Mayor.
“That’s fine. Because of you three, no one was killed in the blaze. You can come back anytime and be treated with hospitality,” replied the mayor.
They mounted their horses and set off again. They were waving back to the people for a while, and then cantered away.

“I’ll get him,” said Sir.
“Yeah right,” said another Zora.
They watched as the three horses speed away from the town.
“They’re heading for the desert,” said one of the twins.
“And that’s where we’re going to get my sapphire back and kill that kid.”
The Zoras used their fins to slice the ropes. They headed back to the woods and gathered up their horses. They then set off towards the desert to get their vengeance.

Tira put up a good show. She helped with the Gerudos’ daily chores. She washed, cooked, and helped fix some of the houses. She even deserted her brown tunic and boots for Gerudo clothing and sandals. Tira realized that she wasn’t even under a close watch anymore.
Tira stayed with Kalona’s family. Kalona had taken a liking to Tira and was always with her helping out. Kalona was out helping fix one of the windows in her mother’s house today. Tira was sitting on a mat washing some vegetables in a bowl.
Tira thought to herself, “That girl is alright. I have to make sure not to kill her when I’m through.” Tira imagined what would happen when she controlled the Gerudos. She could almost taste her victory.
“Tira,” said a voice, “Tira.”
Tira snapped out of her daydream. Setu was standing in front of her. “My mother wishes to see you.”
“Alright,” said Tira.
She walked with Setu. “What’s up?” asked Tira.
“I don’t know. It has to be a good reason or my mother wouldn’t have interrupted your work.”
“She didn’t interrupt me, Prince.”
“How many times do I have to tell you two not to call me Prince.”
“I lost count Prince.”
“Where is Kalona anyway?”
“She’s fixing her mother’s window. Why do you care?” she said teasingly.
“I don’t.”
“Yes you do.”
“Drop it.”
“Oh alright, do you have a thing for Kalona”
“No,” he said quickly.
“Yes you do,”
“I told you to drop it.”
“Children stop bickering,” said Makala with a smile. They all sat down on a mat. “Tira you are really adapting to Gerudo life well.”
“Thank you. That’s nice of you to say.”
“Now a girl your age should be skilled with a sword.”
“I’m horrible though. My sword isn’t even mine. I can barely use it,” Tira wasn’t lying for a change she had almost no idea what to do with her sword.
“That’s why you’re here. Starting today I want Setu to teach you. Is that okay with you Setu?”
“It’s fine. So Tira, when do you want to start your training?”
“How about after lunch.”
“That’s great. I’ll see you after lunch.”
With that he stood up and walked off.
“I don’t mean to be a burden,” said Tira.
“You’re not at all.”
“I’ll see you later,” said Tira. She stood up and went back to her vegetables.
Slightly after noon Setu went to find Tira and saw her talking with Kalona.
“Hello,” said Setu.
Tira turned towards him. “Let’s get going,” she said.
“I want to watch this,” said Kalona.
“Tira, Kalona go by the stables and I’ll meet you there in a few minutes.”
Tira and Kalona reached the stables and about five minutes later they saw Setu approaching. He was carried something wrapped in a cloth.
“This is for you,” he said to Tira.
Tira unwrapped a scabbard and drew the sword. It was a medium sized blade with a brown handle and a ruby pommel stone.
“Thank you,” she said.
“It’s nothing. Now let me teach you the basics.”
That day’s lesson was fairly short. As the days went by Tira took a liking to the swordplay and also started to take a liking to Setu. He was strong, handsome, and kind. Tira didn’t want to act on her feelings because they would interrupt with her plan. She planned on contaminating the well five days from now. Currently a large band of Gerudos traveled away to trade and would return soon. She wanted the full strength of the Gerudo race and not just those in town.
The time came. Around midnight Tira stood beside the well. She hesitated. “I can’t do this,” she thought to herself. Suddenly she began to convulse. She collapsed on her knees and started panting. Then something changed in her. The Evil had taken total control of her. Tira grinned as she dumped potion into the well. The potion would take effect the next night at midnight. She hoped that all of the Gerudos would drink water before then. She crept back to Kalona’s house and went to sleep.

That morning when Tira awoke she ate breakfast with the rest of the family and watched as they drank. She went through the rest of the day acting as normal as possible. She waited and waited. Soon the hour of her victory was near. She waited out in the town square.

Setu didn’t’ know what had happened. He didn’t feel good that day and couldn’t hold any food or drink down. He woke up and wandered to the front room and he saw his mother standing there. She turned to look at him. Setu gasped. Her pupils were huge and black. Those weren’t the calm brown eyes he had come to know so well. Makala had fangs as well.
“My son...,” she hissed.
He noticed her arm move. She unsheathed a long curved blade. She charged. Setu flung himself sideways and dodged.
“Mother, stop it!”
“Make me.”
Setu opened the door and rushed out. Setu had nothing to defend himself with; his only choice was to run. He reached the square and a horrible sight met his eyes. Most of the people were herding a small group of Gerudos into a corner. The large group was made up of changed people like his mother. All were armed. The lesser group was trying to defend themselves. A battle cry rang in the air.
Another group of people, still smaller than the large group, collided into the crowd with swords and shields. A woman called Setu’s name and tossed him one of her twin blades.

Sir reached the edge of the desert and they snuck into the town just as battle began. The Zoras fled and tried to hide but most were killed. Sir was scared and tried to run away.

Link, Zelda, and Nabooru raced toward the Gerudo’s settlement. Nabooru had heard the Gerudo war cry. As they drew closer they could here the fighting. Nabooru was the first to leap off of her horse and Link and Zelda soon followed. When the reached the square they were amazed to see the Gerudos fighting amongst themselves. A man caught sight of them and rushed over.
“Nabooru, most of us have been altered. They seem to be under an evil spell. Even my own mother was affected. I don’t know who started this.”
“We’ll find out later, for now we have to stop as many of them as we can without killing them.”
All four rushed in and started fighting. Link had just knocked out a woman when a girl dropped down from above and stood in front of him.
“Butting in, are we,” she said with a sneer.
“Who are you?”
“Just the instigator of this little mess.”
“What the hell do you think you are doing?”
“You are annoying, now...,” Tira summoned a pair of Stalfos, “you two finish him off.”
“You have the Triforce of Power,” murmured Link, “You must be Tira.”
“Why yes I am...” she then ran off into the crowd.
Link was stuck with the Stalfos. He was fending off one of them when the other crashed into him. Link struck the ground. Just as the rusted blade was about to come down upon him another sword blocked it. The man that had talked to Nabooru saved him. Link scrambled to his feet.
“Thanks,”
“It’s nothing.”
Both continued with the Stalfos and soon both were dispatched.
“That girl with the blonde hair, she started this.”
“Tira, why would she do that?”
“She has the Triforce of Power.”
“What! We must stop her or she will wreak havoc like my father once did.”
“You’re Ganondorf’s...” he was cut off when a Gerudo jumped in front of him and started to attack. When she charged he dodged and banged her on the head with his sword handle. She slumped to the ground.
Link then went to find that girl. After a while he found her. He found a good spot and loaded his bow with a magical light arrow.

Tira was having the time of her life. She stabbed a Gerudo in the stomach. Then she saw Setu. She ran up to him and slashed him in the side as he was fighting one of her minions. She turned around to see that boy in the green tunic again. It was too late.

Link aimed at Tira and let loose the light arrow. He then fell to his knees. The exhaustion of not sleeping for over a day and fighting the battle had caught up to him.

It struck Tira. She fell to her knees and held her head. She started to scream when light erupted from her. One the ground there were two girls kneeling, both were Tira. They looked different though. One appeared to be the Tira that everyone knew. The other was darker. She had black hair and her eyes were black instead of brown. The sword in her hand was the same as Tira’s except that the pommel stone was made of black stone. Tira looked around bewildered and collapsed. The Dark version gave out a laugh and disappeared in a flash of smoke. Everyone else in the area stood still. The Gerudos that had been entranced had stopped fighting. Their eyes were no longer dilated and black. All of them looked at the destruction in silence. All the monsters vanished.
Setu stumbled over towards where Tira had collapsed. The gash in his side was bleeding profusely. He sat down next to her and took her pulse. Satisfied she was still alive he sighed with relief. Kalona and Nabooru rushed over to him and started to tend to his wound.
Zelda let her sword fall. The Gerudo she had been fighting had been restored back to normal. She didn’t see Link anywhere. She saw him lying down in the sand. She couldn’t tell if he was asleep or dead.
“Link!”
“Leave me alone, I want to sleep,” he mumbled.
He stood up and looked at her distraught face. She was about twenty feet away from him.
“Link, are you okay.”
“I’m fine, really.”

Sir was alone. The other Zoras were dead. All were slain by those damn Gerudos. He had escaped by hiding under a dead body until the fighting stopped. He then hid behind a large rock with his prize. While he was crawling towards the rock he spotted a crossbow. He pulled an arrow out of the ground. He loaded his bow. Now was his chance to give that boy some payback. He snuck around in the twilight until he spotted him talking to some blonde girl. Sir took aim and fired.

“I’m so glad you’re not hurt.”
“Zelda, I was more worried about you.”
She ran and wrapped her arms around him.
“Link, I....”
“Zelda what’s wrong...? ZELDA!”
Link was spattered in blood. Zelda’s head was slumped over his shoulder and blood was dripping out of her mouth. A thick arrow was buried in her back. She was dead. Tears streamed down his face .Then he saw it. In the distance was a Zora with a crossbow. He laid Zelda gently down onto the ground and unsheathed his sword.

“That damn girl,” Sir grunted. Then he saw the boy coming at him. He turned to run but couldn’t move.

Link stopped a foot in front of the Zora.
“You coward!” he yelled in Sir’s face.
“But... I...,” was all he could say before Link’s sword impaled him. Sir slumped over Link’s blade.
Link was panting and covered in blood. He pulled out his sword and pushed the dead Zora away from him. The blade was stained red and dripping. He walked back to where Zelda lay and knelt beside her.
“Zelda...,” he whispered, “I love you too...”