-The great Forest Temple was one of the mystical shrines that the Hero of Time had once surveyed in another time and place.

Years later, and in a future that was supposed to be bright, he returned to this hallowed ground in search of the dark forces disturbing the innocent Kokiri, forces that should have been vanquished a long time ago. The building they inhabited had once been a quiet place where one could be in tune with nature.

Unfortunately, those days were long gone.

Inside this dark dungeon of despair, the brave adventurers must find this evil, and end its reign over the gentle forest dwellers the hero calls his family.

Unbeknownst to the valiant ones, the evil deep within the bowels of the temple has been watching them, carefully planning what to do when the Hero of Time enters the shadows and faces true terror…



Chapter Seven: Illusions In The Darkness



The Sacred Forest Meadow


Without knowing it, Jaden had been teleported to a strange place. Since it was filled with shrubs, grass, and many other types of plant life, the boy assumed he had not left the forest yet.

He was quite right.

They had all been carried away to the Forest Temple. Jaden wondered how this had happened and stood there quite puzzled. He correctly assumed that Link had something to do with it.

When this mission was completed, he would need to ask the hero how they had moved so far in so short a time.

That didn't quite matter now.

High above them on a ledge stood the Forest Temple.

It appeared to be a very ancient structure, covered with moss and ferns. The once brilliant white marble was dulled gray by the ravages of time and the unrelenting power of the forest.

The timelessness that was the Forest Temple had stood empty since the Darkness came. Horrible things had driven out the spirits that once lived inside, turning a quiet place of worship into a nightmarish labyrinth.

Behind every door there was a mystery, and Link felt watchful eyes as he moved forward. But as much as he wanted to find a better way, the hero knew that Saria needed his help, and he pressed on towards the gloom.

"Now before we go inside, I have to warn you of a few things," Link said turning to the others, "This temple is filled with twists and turns around every corner. We have to take it easy and plan out everything."

Jaden was getting annoyed with Link’s warnings and caution.

He was ready for action, adventure, and above all the battles. As he listened to Link talk about the traps awaiting them inside, the Sheikah thought of how he would be remembered.

Link was the Hero of Time, sworn protector of Hyrule.

Zelda was the Crown Princess and a royal diplomat.

Dreck, Gonga, and Zetalyn were all part of the well-known Renegades, and although that name was not held in the highest of honor, they were still legendary.

Jaden was the only one who had not completed anything worth recognition.

He was not going to sit back and be left out of the historical manuscripts anymore. The Sheikah clutched his hand into a fist. He wanted to matter, to be someone that everyone would remember for years to come.

As Link finished telling them of the monsters he had faced inside, Jaden put his plan quickly into action.

"We all have to take our time and follow one another closely," Link said, looking around.

Rather nonchalantly, the boy started walking towards the Forest Temple.

"Naw, that’s ok. I’ll just go in and take a look around," Jaden said, retrieving an item looking remarkably like the hookshot.

"Hey isn’t that…" Link began as Jaden grappled up onto the high ledge with the hookshot.

The item that had the name "Dreck" etched into the side.










Back in the Kokiri Village


All the children ran in circles around the small Deku. He was masterfully telling the tale of Lorkhan and Trebla’s treachery when a small Kokiri leaped over Dreck’s head, pushing him to the ground in the process.

The boy was Mido, who was envious of everyone and in every possible way. Mido had grown tired of the story when it came to the meeting with the Hero of Time, and interrupted Dreck for the sole purpose of annoyance.

Soon, all the Kokiri children were jumping and leaping over Dreck and each other. The game was not one of Dreck’s favorites. He was slammed into the ground numerous times and was extremely aggravated.

Standing to walk away, Mido dove onto his back, latching around him shrieking at the top of his little lungs with childish glee. Frantically, the Deku Scrub searched through his pockets looking for the one item he knew would help him out.

He found nothing.

"Ye Goddesses! Where is my hookshot!"










Outside the Forest Temple


"JADE!" Link yelled, searching for his own hookshot.

He was only a second away from runnning over there, climbing the ledge, then giving the young lad a severe lecture about working as a team. Before the hero could, Zelda broke into one of her trademark fits.

"Link, don’t go!" Zelda yelled, attaching herself to his arm. "Jaden is Sheikah. He can take care of himself."

The hero was stunned for a moment. He had not wanted Jaden exposed to this type of danger so soon. Even though the boy was a good warrior in a pinch, Link felt that Jaden needed to train a bit more before he was brought into any more open field battles.

Reluctantly, Link let his arm fall limp to his side as he gave up in defeat. Sighing inwardly, he hoped the young Sheikah could handle whatever was waiting for him inside.










Inside the hallowed halls…


The smell was unbearable.

Rotting plant life that hadn’t been cleaned out for years lay strewn across the stone floor. The overwhelming stench wafted into the boy's nostrils, immediately making him nauseous. Even worse, there was absolutely no light what so ever. The darkness had surrounded him the moment the second he set foot inside the temple.

Grabbing a piece of old wood and tearing off a piece of cloth from his uniform, he prepared to make a torch. With the sword Link had given him to replace his dagger, and being the resourceful Sheikah that he was, struck a piece of flint that he always carried. It made a bunch of sparks, and the end of the dry wood caught fire along with the cloth.

Sure enough, Jaden now had a functioning torch that illuminated the blackness of the temple.

He was finally adjusting to the light, when he was hit on the head by an object.

Reacting quickly, Jaden dove out of the way, realizing it was just a piece of moss that had eroded away from the ceiling. He glared at the ceiling, now fully capable of seeing in this shadowed cavern, and cussed silently.

The walls were overgrown with moss and the floor was now crawling with bugs and plant limbs. Gigantic spiders and psychotic Deku Scrubs were seen moving around in the distant shadows, and everywhere he turned there was an aura of evil.

It seemed the legends surrounding the Forest Temple were true.

Maybe the blackness would consume him and the monsters would devour his flesh.

Then again, maybe that wouldn't happen.

All the Sheikah knew was that most of the people who went in didn't come back out.

Jaden was a bit frightened. He hadn’t thought Link was going to let him go alone. The Sheikah warrior really only wanted to prove his bravery to his idol and show he had no fear.

Frightened as he was, Jaden could not help but be terribly excited about the upcoming battles he was sure to encounter.

He continued down the long corridor, lighting the lanterns that were hanging from the wall. Picking up a faint sound in the distance, Jaden withdrew his new sword from its sheath.

It wasn't just a minor trinket.

This was the Gilded Sword.

A blade encrusted in solid gold, a master smith forged it from hard steel and precious metals. It seemed to glow whenever drawn, even now in the dim light. Shining softly in the darkness, Jaden awkwardly held it in his hand, trying to balance the torch with the other. Finally matching the weights between the two items, he held both tightly, awaiting whatever had been sneaking around in the temple interior.

The Sheikah was not very skilled in the ways of the sword, having only received this one after Zelda mangled his dagger. Jaden had been trained primarily in martial arts and unarmed combat techniques.

Naturally, he was a little unsure about how he would fare in a real battle.

The boy stopped and quickly prayed to the Goddesses for courage and swiftness of the blade before continuing on.

He lit the final lantern hanging in the corridor when his torch was suddenly knocked from his hand by an object of great speed. Since the constant dripping sound of water from the vines and moss had kept him from hearing the sounds around him with ease, the boy was quite angry.

It was now that he realized what had hit his torch. As the blood flowed from his hand, Jaden followed the direction the torch was sent flying and inspected the item.

It was, as he feared, an arrow.

It was not any arrow though, but the same kind of arrow that had nearly brought about the end of the Hero of Time. It was of the same type that had pinned many to their dying positions, and one now tore at his flesh, penetrating deeply into the sinew of the muscle.

This was an arrow used by Gerudo assassins.

Jades broke the arrow shaft and spun around in time to barely dodge another arrow being shot from the dark regions of the dungeon. He rolled to the side as his ears picked up the sound of air being displaced by something heavy.

This time a warhammer had barely missed his head.

Very worried now, Jaden realized he was fighting off two elite Gerudo assassins. One was hard enough, but two at one time might prove to be the boy's death. Jaden still thought he could take care of himself, and his confidence rose as he readied for another assault.

And then the entire world exploded.

A hookshot wrapped around his leg, pulling his feet out from under him. The Sheikah hit the ground hard, and groaned as he realized that there were three assassins to fight off. He rolled up as another arrow skinned his shoulder.

With the absence of light, A'lto was having trouble targeting the boy accurately.

Jaden would make sure to use to this advantage before her eyes could focus.

The young warrior realized his mistake immediately.

He was thinking too much, and had focused only on A’lto, practically forgetting about the other two. Jaden cursed himself as a blade passed a mere inch away from his nose. So’Prano had discarded her hammer and was now fighting with her bloody sword.

Flipping backwards, a chain linked grappler blurred past the Sheikah. He landed on the ground only to be hit by yet another arrow. Luckily it flew by and once more only scraped him, but he was in desperate need of help.

He might have been able to handle two of the assassins, but three was far beyond his capability.

Jumping to his feet, the boy was again hit in the leg by the hookshot. As he fell, So’Prano’s blade sliced a bloody gash across his right leg. Jaden screamed out, and held the wound in agony. Through the pain, he rebounded as best he could, his foot colliding with So'Prano's jaw. She backed off, and Jaden was beginning to feel as if he could take them.

Then, as if it couldn't get any worse, a volley of arrows expertly pinned his clothes to the stone wall.

He was outraged, and ripped his uniform down the lines of his arms. Jaden struggled free from the clothing binding him to the wall and sprung back into action.

Then the boy was trapped again as his shoulders were slammed into the wall.

His skin was pierced deep by So’Prano’s shurikens. Jaden screamed out in pain as the dark red blood seeped from his wounds and down his body. Tears welled in his eyes as the hookshot’s tip stung into his side. All Jaden could do was gasp, unable to scream due to the exhausting pain. He tried to free himself, but more arrows pushed his body back against the wall.

Jaden was utterly and hopelessly trapped.

The blood was now pouring from every orifice of his tattered body. The proud Sheikah had lost to the murderous Gerudo, and was surrounded by his captors. These same women would also have the pleasure of becoming the boy's executioners.

So’Prano walked over to Jaden and held her blade to his throat.

"You disgraced me before young Sheikah," she said through her teeth, the hatred spewing from her ruby red lips. "Now you shall DIE!"

Her shimmering blade pulled back, ready to slam it into his neck. Miraculously, it was halted only three inches from his jugular vein.

"STOP!" someone screamed loudly.

Jaden looked up, expecting Link to be standing there in all his glory. His guess couldn't have been more wrong. It was yet another Gerudo, probably wanting to flay him alive and display his skin as a trophy in some war room.

She had steel gauntlets that seemed to shine in the darkness and an ebony colored cloak, which nearly all but covered her enormous figure. Her robes could fit a full sized Goron, and were set perfectly around her rather corpulent frame. She had silver streaks through her black hair, and were it not for her emblems and clothing, one might not believe her to be a Gerudo.

The gauntlets gleamed in the dim light, giving off an evil aura, seething with violence in the shadows. In her hand, Jaden recognized the unmistakable shape of a book.

Filled with evil spells and dark magic, it was bound in human skin and decorated with hundreds of tiny, shrunken bones.

Walking towards the near death warrior, the Gerudo woman wore a smug grin. Leaning in, the old woman gently kissed his cheek and laughed. Jaden flushed a heated shade of red for a second before spitting into the face of the Gerudo. She wiped away the offensive matter and smacked him with such lightning speed that he barely even felt the stinging pain afterwards.

"For that, you shall be punished," the woman said into his ear.

She placed her palm on his forehead and let the book fall. It floated in front of her and the room was suddenly filled with an ethereal purple light. Jaden was now truly afraid, something that had never happened before in his entire life. He had seen many, many things as he grew up alone, magic being one of them.

Though he knew very little about its origin, Jaden was well aware of its usage. Magic could be used either to create or to destroy, which was more the latter in the last few centuries. Very few people left in Hyrule knew how to perform any other magic than the black kind. Zelda was probably one of the only white mages left in the world, and by the look of this fierce spell-caster standing before him, she appeared to be quite skilled in the dark arts.

The book levitating in front of the Sheikah was an old documentary script, with the crescent moon symbol of the Gerudo on the cover. Two ancient Gerudo sorceresses named Koume and Kotake had written it. They had compiled all their knowledge in this book, and it was from this that Lorkhan and Ganondorf had drawn much of their powers. Both of their souls had gone into this book, and that certainly was a force to be reckoned with. The text had been passed down through the ages from one magician to another, growing in strength with each passing generation.

Only the elite could master the soul force of Koume and Kotake, and this sorceress was showing more than the needed power to wield such an instrument.

She started to mumble softly in Common before she switched over to a language the young Sheikah’s ears had never heard.

"Koume! Kotake! Spirits of the Gerudo, hear my cries! Ent tus barat’onek! Meihasik, tomeo cuepitumels!"

A light blinded Jaden, coming close to injuring his sensitive Sheikah eyes. He couldn’t think, or feel, or see, or hear, nor could he even breathe. Eyes blank and as white as his hair, the boy’s visage became a stone cold gaze into nothingness.

Jaden was under the control of Baritoone, last and most powerful of the Gerudo assassins.

She continued to recite more of the mind-controlling spell, and as she continued, it was obvious that Jaden was falling under her immense power. With each word more of the energy flowing from her hands entered the boy’s open mouth. He was being filled with the evil energy of the Gerudo, and the sickly purple magic started to coarse through his veins.

Poor Jaden was unable to resist in any way.

"Neptu sora tous nerotun’ips contrek…" was all that Baritoone managed before an enormous sound boomed throughout the corridor.

Smoke and haze filled the air as one of the walls on the far side of the chamber came tumbling down. Light immediately began to shine through from outside, illuminating the darkened room.

The woman was startled for a moment, and her concentration was halted, so was did her influence over the boy. Jade’s head fell limply to his chest, and the spell holding onto the young adventurer’s body was broken.


* * * * *


The Hero of Time angrily kicked away a pile of rubble he had almost tripped over. Aggravated, he kicked it out of the way and continued the search for his comrade.

"Jaden?!" Link howled, as his voice boomed throughout the dungeon. "Where are you?!"

"Master Jaden?!" Atanamir screamed, coming closer to the area where the Sheikah was being held captive. "Sir, where are you?!"

Hearing footfalls approaching and seeing the light of torches coming down the hallway, the Gerudo women quickly leaped into a darker part of the temple. All four of them huddled together in a tight circle, ready to strike at a moment's notice. Their leader was apprehensive however, as she recognized the voice of Link.

"Great, the Hylians are here too!" So’Prano complained, turning to the others. "It'd be bad to stay here."

"But my spell isn't complete!" the fourth Gerudo said. "We can’t retreat now!"

"Baritoone!" A’lto hissed, "We have no time! We might have had it easy on the Sheikah, but Link and that knight are a different story!"

"You're right, but before we go…" Baritoone whispered as she cast one last spell onto Jaden.

A jolt of black energy jolted through the boy, aggravating his wounds and leaving him near death.

Her task complete, Baritoone turned to follow the others, who had already gone off.

With a puff of smoke, the four Gerudo assassins disappeared into the black recesses of the Forest Temple.










Immediately afterwards


Jade’s head snapped up for a split second, then weakly fell to his chest.

The knight had removed all the arrows, but his body was now in tatters. The cuts were deep, and his clothes were stained with his crimson-red blood. The Sheikah was on the verge of collapse, and losing consciousness now might result in a loss of life as well.

Link rushed into the silent corridor, still lit with a slight brown tint from the torches, and hurried to the side of the fallen youth. Upon seeing him, Link immediately gasped at the sight of the battered warrior.

He lifted him into his arms and carried him to the outside. The hero carefully sat the boy down in the short grass of the meadow, and tried to speak to him. Jaden seemed to be only half there, as if he wasn't listening to anything Link was saying.

"Jaden, tell me what happened?" Link questioned the badly injured Sheikah.

"The..Ger..udo..were..here," he croaked, barely making any noise at all. "Tried to k…kill me. I..beat…them all."

Her Majesty was visibly disturbed by this, and made no attempt to hide it.

"What?!" Princess Zelda shouted. "That's impossible! How could you do that by yourself?! You're just exaggerating!"

Jaden could not answer.

He passed out in the arms of Link, still bleeding profusely from many different wounds. The Hylian was worried as he thought of the quickest way back to the Kokiri Village. Jaden might die if he were moved very far, so using the Ocarina of Time was the only option.

Link pulled out the Royal Family's treasure, and with the help of Kaepora Gaebora overhead, played the Song of Soaring.

The magical notes had the ability to transport them anywhere that the old owl felt.

In mere seconds they were gone from the meadow and would soon be back in Link’s home town.










Back in Kokiri Village


"What happened?!" Zetalyn screamed at the sight of the fallen warrior Jaden. "I hate it when the little twerp does stuff like this. Why can't he respect any authority?!"

Blood left a trail from where they had reappeared, and the hero was in no mood to explain.

"Quiet Zeta. He’s been through a lot today and he needs his rest," Link calmly said.

The tension was felt all around as the Sheikah was taken inside Saria's house. The little girl moved a table over to the center of the room, and Link placed the boy there. Dreck immediately went to work, ripping off Saria's nice cloth decorations off the walls for use as bandages. The Deku Scrub relieved Jaden of his uniform, and examined both the deep gashes and the superficial cuts.

While the doctor worked his magic, those who did not go to the temple wondered what had happened. Even those who had been there were still unsure of what really occurred.

They only knew that Jaden had risked his life, and came out on top.

Well almost on top.

He had lost a lot of blood and his wounds were grievous. It was anybody’s guess if he would make it out alive.

The blades had pierced his skin far deeper than ever before. The lacerations, although bandaged, were still bleeding profusely. The only odd thing was that his cuts and bruises were an odd color. A sickening purple seemed to surround every open wound in his body, and it appeared to be spreading.

It did not look good for the young lad. His breathing was irregular and even while he slept it was as if he was constantly battling inside himself. Jade's face contorted with every breath and the look of pain on his face struck terror into the heart of Princess Zelda.

She felt angry that she had put the boy down so many times, broken his pride and turned him into a child again and again. Jaden had never sworn any oaths of loyalty to Zelda personally, and she certainly didn't need a handmaiden anymore. Zelda was afraid that she had shown no affection for the boy and had lost his respect.

She was afraid he would die before that could be rectified.

If he hadn’t gotten out of the forest sooner, Zelda would have been right.

"If I'd known this would happen, I would have followed him. I would have helped," Link cursed under his breath, punching the nearest wall.

"It's not your fault Master Link. He went in alone, rushing in without any knowledge or back-up," Sir Atanamir replied, trying to comfort the perplexed hero.

"But I should have gone after him! I should have known he wouldn’t be able to handle himself!" the hero blasted back at the knight.

Before another word was said, Dreck walked quietly out of Saria's house. He was carrying the Gilded Sword, now wrapped in a silk-white sheet.

Link knew what this meant, as he somewhat knew the background of the Deku’s medicine. This was a sign that Jaden would be fine, but would need time to recover for a while.

For him, it was a huge relief.

Zelda on the other hand, knowing nothing of the Deku’s medicinal practices and traditions, started to cry into Link’s tunic. In Hyrule, for an injured warrior to be separated from his weapon meant that he or she was going to die.

The Dekus on the other hand, viewed sharp objects as a liability, especially since they were made of wood. Also, as a doctor, Dreck could not allow the weapon to be in such close proximity to the injured Sheikah.

Princess Zelda believed Jaden to be dead, and was beginning to sob heavily. Link quickly grabbed her and tried to give comfort, relaying the message that Jaden would be fine, but out of commission for a slight term.

"He's…ok?" Zelda questioned. "But…his sword? "

"It’s an old tradition in my people’s history," Dreck said to the Princess, taking the sword out and handing it to Link. "A white cloth is for life and prosperity and a black cloth is for death and failure. I'm sorry that I didn't make it more clear Your Highness."

His little face had a slight shade of red, giving him the look of a beet.

And then, to everyone’s surprise, Jaden stumbled from the room and leaned against the molding in the doorway. The blood had finally stopped pouring from his body, but his skin was a sickly pale white. Such was normal for the Sheikah, but the loss of that much blood was life threatening to anyone. He stumbled to Link with his hand outstretched, trying to take back the Gilded Sword.

The hero ran to catch the Sheikah as he fell to the floor. Link dove and caught the boy, and laid him on the ground softly, being careful to avoid any more injury to the lad. Jaden opened his eyes and looked straight at Dreck, his eyes giving off a dazed, half-dead look.

"I…left your…hookshot in the…Forest Temple," Jaden managed to say.










Outside the Forest Temple


They had all come this time.

No one was left behind for fear of another attack.

If evil dared to strike again, then they would need every person they could find.

It was evening now, and Jaden had fought for hours until Link relented and let him come along. Jaden simply didn't want to be alone anymore. He had spent his life living a solitary, miserable, existence, and now that he had friends, Jaden wanted to be near them as much as he could.

Princess Zelda had found this to be very admirable.

Dreck had thought it a lie, and advised against it. Most people would never be able to understand the complexities of the Sheikah. Their unflinching service to the Royal Family had continued for generations as a pure, unbroken line of personal bodyguards and advisors.

To a Sheikah warrior, duty came first. Physical well being was always secondary.

"Now where did you leave my hookshot?" Dreck called back Jaden, who was walking slowly behind them all.

"On the branch…leading up to the temple," the boy said slowly, trying to save his strength. "This was…my fault. I'll get it back."

Sure enough, there it was. The hookshot swayed gently in the evening breeze, the tip firmly imbedded in the branch of an old tree. Limping, Jaden walked towards the tree and began to scale the wall.

The others simply stood and watched the stubborn boy attempt to retrieve the weapon.

"You people left him alone for one minute and he nearly kills himself! Next time, I'm going with him," Zetalyn whispered to the little Deku.

Dreck merely nodded and checked to see if he had any bandages left.

"Link, are you sure it’s okay to let Jaden come with us?" Zelda questioned the green-clad warrior. "He shouldn't be exerting himself like this, you know?"

"Zelda, if that was me I would want to be with those I care about as well. Jaden has to prove himself still, and maybe this will help," Link said kindly, staring into the Princess's eyes. "Nothing would keep me away from the one I want to be with."

"The one?" Gonga asked, now in on the conversation. "Don’t you mean the ones?"

"Um, yeah! That’s what I meant…ones!" Link said quickly, turning redder than the tattoo on Gonga’s arm.

Zelda laughed to herself. She had loved knowing how Link felt about her. Though she knew everyone else had at least an inkling about their secret relationship, since no one came out and asked about it, the Princess just let Link act as if nothing was going on.

It was always humorous to see the great hero, reduced to mumbling and stuttering like a young boy in love.

The quaint little moment was broken by one of the Hylian knights.

"Master Jaden, you should not have come with us. Your wounds have not had any time to heal and you'll risk of injuring yourself even more," Sir Menegroth called to Jaden.

Menegroth was horrified at the scene that unfolded above the young warrior. Jaden was leaning against one of the few, strangely gigantic bushes in the meadow, when up from the Temple came a veritable army of Stalfos Knights.

The skeletal creatures that were Stalfos had once been people. Now they were empty vessels, soulless incarnations of those who were not lucky enough to escape the treachery of the enchanted forest. Stalfos haunted the ruins where they had lost their mortal souls to the blackness of oblivion.

They fought like crazed warriors, giving no quarter and asking for none.

Only steel could break their evil bones.

The Stalfos monsters stood up and drew their dark blades and held their ancient shields at the ready. Ebony swords dyed in the blood of heroes who were bold enough to take on the perils of the forest. Those who did not make it past this point were turned into Stalfos. Even the ones who did make it were confronted with even more traps.

It often seemed impossible to escape the forest’s tricks.

The undead warriors kept coming from their graves until almost an entire battalion filled the confined space of he Sacred Forest Meadow.

"STALFOS!" Link yelled, diving into the fray.

Drawing his Master Sword, he was ready to slice through the horde of frightening monsters.

Atanamir and Menegroth unsheathed their swords and prepared for battle. The long blades of the Hyrulian knights shined with a bright light. They stood in their respected battle positions and waited for the oncoming assaults.

As one of the Stalfos attacked, Atanamir expertly ducked under the blade and cut through the bone as if it were grass.

Menegroth broke away from their side by side combat to stop a group heading towards Link and the others.

Jaden was pulled away from the battle by Atanamir just as the Stalfos attacked.

Menegroth was fighting with all his might, trying to make up for the lack of the two warriors who were out of the battle.

Link was slashing through the Stalfos one after another alongside Zelda. They were back to back, and she was casting spell after spell.

Dreck, who had no weapons, was running between the legs of the Stalfos, making them bend over. This was where Gonga came in. He, with his mighty hammer, slammed the bending Stalfos into the ground.

Zetalyn was on top of the walls firing arrows at the Stalfos, occasionally scoring a hit or two.

Jaden was on his feet ready to fight off the waves of evil. Sir Atanamir however, would not let him go without a struggle, and smacked the young lad clear across the face with the back of his hand. The Sheikah fell to the ground and lay there as a Stalfos rose up and stabbed forward with his sword.

Atanamir fell to his knees as the blade plunged through his chest. A river of blood flowed from the wound, staining the knight's shining armor a sickening shade of red.

He had sacrificed his life for the young Sheikah. Using his last breath, Sir Atanamir slashed the Stalfos into pieces, killing it once and for all.

Then he fell to the ground dead.

"No! Damn it all, no!" Jaden screamed, grabbing the fallen knight.

"Atan!" Menegroth howled, running from the battle and to to his fallen companion.

The tears in his eyes were those of love, the genuine affection between two best friends. Both of them had spent years together alongside each other, comrades till the end. They had grown closer than brothers and either one would have laid down his life for the other.

Already one was gone, his friend soon to follow.

Menegroth never got to look upon his fellow knight. In a flash of purple haze, the man's body disappeared.

Bewildered, Menegroth stared at the empty space where his comrade had once lain, and at the boy on the ground who had a look of horror on his face. The blow that followed came so fast that the knight didn't even feel the pain.

He collapsed in a heap as his left leg was slashed clear off. The blood squirted from the severed limb. Menegroth did not scream in agony as a normal man would, nor did he grasp his leg.

Instead, he picked up his broadsword and cut down as many of the Stalfos as he possibly could. At least six of the creatures fell before they finally closed in on him.

One of the skeleton warriors caught him from behind, and stabbed him through the throat.

Menegroth had joined his friend.

They were both dead. Two of the proudest and finest Knights of Hyrule had fallen, and Jaden blamed himself.

"You bastards! Death! Death to you!" the Sheikah screamed in anger, slashing with the might of a Goron. His speed was that of a Zora in water and was filled with an unholy rage.

For most, this would be a factor that would blur the senses and cloud judgement.

For Jaden, both of those heightened.

* * * * *

Link, now realizing what had happened, watched as the bodies of Atanamir and Menegroth vanish into the ground. He had no clue why that happened, but he was certain he would find a way to give them a proper burial after the battle was over.

Dreck had been knocked into the wall adjacent to him, and was bleeding slightly from the impact. He gathered himself up and held his head in misery. Ducking under a blade that nearly decapitated him, the Deku curled into a ball.

Seeing this, Gonga picked him up and hurled him at the oncoming Stalfos.

The shrub man was dazed from the impact, but the outcome was that of good, as four Stalfos were destroyed and there were not many more.

However the ordeal was far from over.

* * * * *

"That’s all of them!" Link yelled as he destroyed the last of close to seventy monsters.

Even as he spoke he knew that there were more coming.

Two Stalfos, slightly different than any other, arose and drew their swords.

"Those are Atanamir’s and Menegroth’s blades!" Jaden screamed as he noticed them rise.

The Hero of Time came to a sad realization, and hung his head low in pity.

"Yes, that's true…" Link said silently, looking at the fallen warriors.

They were now noticeable in the dim light, hideous in all their evil trappings. Their flesh and skin gone, their eyes ablaze with eternal hatred, they had lost their souls to the darkness.

For all those who fall in the forest by the Stalfos, turn into Stalfos themselves.

"We can’t fight them!" Dreck yelled as he backed away from the living dead.

"We have to, or else we will become just like them," Link replied.

The Stalfos that was once Atanamir came closer to Jaden as the former Menegroth slinked its way towards Zelda.

Jaden moved to protect his princess.

"It was my fault you died. It’s my fault you have to live as a zombie! But as I live, it will not be my fault that you must suffer this eternal terror!" the boy screamed as he dove at the Stalfos Atanamir.

With a saddened heart and tears in his eyes, Jaden cut down the thing that was once a man and Atanamir was therefore freed of the horror that was death.

Menegroth was freed as well, as Zetalyn’s arrows pierced his skeleton body.

They emitted smoke from their bodies, and then they disappeared.

All that was left were their swords.

With great respect, Jaden and Link took the blades and brought them to a quiet corner of the Sacred Forest Meadow. They placed a rock in between the swords and inscribed both their names on it.

Along with it was a short epitaph.



-Atanamir sosta Menegroth
-Hyrule soia fleh ali maie'zu hege ije fugalto kokeh kelle galzen.
-Ijala ali keral'kai-seatyi'zu hagei enal dea ali ii'kai'ne eray'zu ke mallu ikromatgimah'zu...



-Atanamir and Menegroth.
-Hyrule will miss the knights who so bravely fell in battle.
-May the flying spirits guide them to the blessed places of our forefathers...






Dreck retrieved his hookshot and they teleported back to the village.

Their numbers were back to six.









The Lost Woods: the next day

"You can’t leave!" Saria said, kicking Link in the shins.

"I’m sorry, but we have to go," said the hero, pleading with the young girl.

The emerald haired Kokiri turned her back on Link and pouted the way she used to when he would run off to see the Deku Tree or play on the rope bridge.

That was when he was a child though. Now he was a man.

Saria wasn't really mad, but simply missed her friend dearly and was not ready to bid him farewell again. She started to cry, wondering if Link would forget her and go on without her.

"You promised me!" Saria cried, hugging Link tight.

Her grasp was not strong and the Hylian could have easily removed her arms from about his waist.

Yet he let her hold him, and would visit her again.

In the future, he would be older and she would not have aged. In a way it seemed Saria would never again see Link the way he was now.

Trying to comfort her, he leaned down and hugged her tight, the embrace of two friends wishing each other their final goodbyes.

"We don't have a lot of options Saria. If I don't leave you might never see me again," Link comforted her.

Sniffling, the Kokiri girl let him go and wiped her eyes

"You had better come back to visit! If not, I…I…I don’t know what I'll do!"

"I will return," the hero promised. "You can count on that."

For the second time in his life, Link turned away from his friend of the forest and walked out of her life.

Saria stayed on that bridge for a long time. Her heart was broken once again. She had lost her favorite friend more than once, and for that she would mourn for a long time.

By the time she left that bridge, the joy in her heart had all but been extinguished.










Outside the shortcut leading to Goron City


"Jaden, do not think you are at fault…" Link began before he was cut off.

"I don't need your sympathies Link," the boy snapped. "Just leave me alone!"

The Sheikah had been through enough and was mourning the loss of his comrades. He had considered them family, even though he had known them for only a few days. The whole of his body still ached, and his head was pounding. The darkness that had surged through him was still there, quietly eating away at his soul

He walked ahead and lay against a tree as Gonga, Dreck, and Zetalyn set up for their lunch.

"I suppose we're going to see the Gorons now," Zetalyn said to Gonga. "Is there anything of interest there?"

"No," he replied flatly.

"But I thought the city had all kinds of interesting stuff in it?"

"No there isn't."

"Don't you want to meet Darunia, the cheiftain. He's supposed to be widely acclaimed."

A nerve had been struck, and Gonga erupted violently.

"You know what, no! There's nothing for me in Goron City, so drop the subject!" he exclaimed, striking a bit of fear into the Zora.

She immediately stopped talking, and quietly poked the small fire that had been started in humiliation. Zetalyn didn't know why her comrade had gotten so angry, and tried to rationalize his behavior.

Gonga was more complex than she had ever realized.

On the other side of camp, Zelda and Link stood together at the entrance to Goron City, quietly peering into the tunnel.

The Princess wrapped her arms around Link’s waist and began to cry into his shirt once again. He held her in his arms tightly, as she had been weeping on and off for the past few hours.

Link would never let her go.

As he hugged her tight against his chest, their heartbeats were completely in sync. Ever so quietly the hero stood there, without expression or feeling, looking towards an uncertain future.

Zelda thought she knew how would react. She believed he would cry with her and be the sensitive person he had shown himself to be. However, this complete lack of emotion was distressing to her, and Zelda wanted to beg him to say something, but couldn't find the words.

"Blast his stubborn sense of honor. Why does he hide his feelings?" the Princess thought.

She leaned up and gazed into the hero’s eyes.

Only then did she realize Link was not always the adult she believed him to be. At heart, he was still a kid like her and the others, distraught over the loss of friends. She leaned up and they embraced in a passionate kiss.

As they broke the kiss a minute later, Zelda knew in her heart how he truly felt.

On the inside, Link’s shell was cracked, and now he bared his feelings openly. Every feeling he felt at that moment was brought out in plain view of Zelda.

She felt afraid for some reason.

If this brought Link such pain, did he lose some of his edge that made him the great hero?

If he wasn’t able to destroy the Stalfos Knights, would he be able to kill Lorkhan when the time came?

They walked back to the group and they shared lunch together. Afterwards, when they finished cleaning up, everybody took one last look at the forest.

They would never forget the battle that took place here, and they would never forget Atanamir and Menegroth, the two brave warriors who gave their lives for their country.



End Chapter Seven



Proceed toChapter Eight!

-Inside an active volcano live the proud, tall, indestructible Gorons.

Flesh and bone are hidden underneath thick layers of hardened mineral, creating men that are virtually impervious to the harsh realities of war.

Fortunately, the Gorons are a peace-loving people. They are very friendly and don’t like to fight at all.

However, there was a time when the Gorons were bred to fight and die, and were feared all across the land. Their Goddess given strength could have won them an empire of their own, but the pain and suffering of the Fierce War taught them all too well that violence is never the answer.

Physical prowess itself is a virtue among the Gorons, but a warrior's ethic is not. Those who choose that path are ostracized from the community forever.

Rare is an occasion when one of those outcasts returns.



Chapter Eight: Corruption Of The Heart



Tunnel leading to Goron City


The inner portion of the passage way was almost pitch black.

In the darkness, the weary travelers groped their way along the sides, slowly moving forward. The lushness of the Kokiri Forest was behind them now, and hopefully the comfortable warmth of Goron City before them.

However, this infernal tunnel separated the two.

Luckily, Princess Zelda's Omega Rod could provide light. Using her magic powers, she recited a quick enchantment spell and the ruby atop the rod began to glow brightly. With the passage illuminated, they could perceivably travel unimpeded to the Goron settlement.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

A black shadow appeared for a moment, danced around, then vanished.

"What the hell was that?!" said Zetalyn, searching the void for the mysterious shape.

Her question was answered as the Princess put more magic power into the Omega Rod. When the rod's light completely filled the tunnel, twenty spider-like creatures reared their ugly heads.

They seemed to come from all directions, emerging from behind boulders and under the stone floor. From out of crags in the walls they came, ferociously scratching each other in a bid to be the first to taste live flesh. Their chittering mouths were festooned with tiny hook like teeth, and their many eyes peered out into the expanse of the darkness. Their armored backsides had been hideously mutated into the sickening features of a human skull, the red eyes ablaze with unholy rage.

Within the short span of only a few seconds, the spiders had completely blocked the entrance to Goron City.

"Eeeeeew…what in Din's world are they?" said Zetalyn, shrinking away from the arachnids.

"Skulltulas," Jaden sighed. "What a pain! How they do piss me off."

Once Zetalyn got a good look at the huge creatures, she instantly froze in her place. The Zora woman had always had an intense fear of spiders, both large and small. Many types of aquatic arachnids lived in Zora's Domain, and they took up residence wherever they could find it. Frequently, the archer would awake to find several hundred larvae crawling around in her bedsheets. Such childhood experiences led to nightmares of giant spiders coming to eat her and other sickening hallucinations.

Her arachnophobia had continued well into her adulthood. Zetalyn could hardly look at a spider without shrieking, much less find the courage to kill one.

When one of the Skulltulas wandered close enough to brush her leg, she screamed with all the air in her lungs. Zetalyn dived behind Gonga's massive frame and hid there, shaking uncontrollably.

"Such a wimp," Jaden remarked, stabbing the ugly creature. "Yeesh, they're not even doing anything and you're scared out of your skivvies!"

"Hey! I can hear you!" the archer shot back from behind the Goron. "I'm not a wimp! Shut your gob, twerp!"

"Then why are you hiding? Afraid of spiders are we?"

"Shut up! Don't ask questions!"

Before the argument could get anymore heated, the tiny Dreck spoke up.

"Both of you, cram it!" he exclaimed. "Stop acting like children!"

The scrub grew visibly disturbed at their attitudes, and nearly threw a tantrum over their lack of cooperation. It was a wonder that any of them could work together in the first place if they disagreed so much. He was just about to kick the both of them in the shins before Link stopped him from causing a further ruckus.

"Let’s just concentrate on getting rid of the Skulltulas first, okay?" said the hero. "No more disagreements until then, all right?"

Although they appeared menacing, the rest of the spiders had not dared to attack the group, or even come close. They were all positioned about thirty feet from the group, silently waiting. By nature, Skulltulas were rather timid creatures, using their fangs for defense rather than offense. They attacked only those things that came into their circle of influence. Nevertheless, right now they were blocking the way to Goron City, and they needed to be disposed of quickly.

And so, in a flash of genius, the Hero of Time reached into his magic pouch and retrieved what looked like a small, black sphere. Upon contact with the air, a piece of paper sticking out from inside lit on fire and began to burn. The very second it did, Link threw it to Gonga.

The massive Goron snatched it out of the air, and then stared at it for a split second before realizing what it was.

"Oh Goddesses! A bomb!" he yelled.

"Just throw it!" Link screamed loudly.

Bringing his arm back, he launched the explosive device into the air. It sailed, perfectly parallel with the floor, towards the mass of Skulltulas. When it hit the lead spider, the bomb instantly detonated, taking just about everything with it.

Debris flew in all directions. Shards of rock and bits of flesh pelted the travelers, forcing them to shield themselves.

When the smoke had cleared after a minute or so, Link and his party were ready to press forward.

Zetalyn lost her lunch after passing the disgusting remains of the Skulltulas.

Jaden pointed and laughed.

Link slapped him upside the head.










Goron City


The tunnel ended abruptly. Once old, dank air morphed into warm, fragrant winds. The light dramatically increased as Link and his group were transported several miles in a matter of seconds.

Before them now was the vast interior of the Goron settlement. Colorful decorations of dancing rock men were scattered across the rather boring walls. Firepits illuminated the interior, and gave the weary travelers a warm, fuzzy feeling on the inside. High above them, a large chunk of solid earth was suspended in the air by thick, industrious looking ropes.

It was here that the Spiritual Stone of Fire, the Goron's Ruby, had once rested. The priceless jewel at one time had given off an ethereal light that filled the entire city. But because it was so valuable, many wanted to possess it, and the stone had to be locked away.

Despite the pictures of folks dancing to a hearty tune, there was no music.

Around the roaring fires, no one warmed themselves.

Everything was totally silent.

"Where is everyone?!" Zetalyn yelled. "Tell me we didn't go through that infernal, slime filled passage for no reason!"

Link gestured for her to be quiet.

"Something isn't right here," he said quietly "Be real careful."

The group took a tentative few steps forward. Still, the normally vibrant city showed no signs of life whatsoever. Everything needed for daily life lay untended on the ground. Merchant stores, guard posts, and eating establishments were all strangely deserted. Not a single soul was anywhere in sight, but they could tell that someone or something was still here.

On a slight breeze, Princess Zelda caught the faintest whisper of dreadful happenings.

"Quiet!" she exclaimed, her slender ears twitching. "Can you hear that?"

Everyone froze for a split second, and listened intently to the air currents, which carried the sound of metal beating hard against rock. Hoarse yells also became audible, sounding remotely like a person screaming. They were coming from the far side of the city, muffled by large, solid stone walls.

It yearned to be investigated, and Link took a step forward.

"I'll go check it out," he said. "Just stay here all of you. I'll call for you if I need anything."

The hero started to slowly walk towards the ruckus, but immediately Jaden stepped in front of him.

"Why don't I go?" asked the Sheikah enthusiastically. "I could scout ahead and find out what's really there. Wouldn't that be easier?"

Link just stared at him.

"Jaden, your attitude sure hasn't taken a beating, but your body has," replied the Hylian. "Thanks for the offer, but until you're at full strength, I forbid you from doing part in any combat."

"You can't be serious?!"

"I'm more than serious, I'm very serious. You're hurt bad, and you're lucky to be able to walk. Pace yourself for once."

At Link's final sentence, the boy's eyes flashed with anger. He didn't like to be patronized, or made to feel inferior in any way. Sure enough, as soon as the Hero of Time set off to investigate, the Sheikah jumped in front of him again.

"What's up with you lately?! You treat me like a child!" Jaden exclaimed, his cheeks flush with rage. "Why won't you let me go?!"

A line had been crossed just then. Link was in charge of this expedition, not Jaden, and certainly wasn't going to be dictated to. The hero quickly put the Sheikah in his place.

"You are still a child!" he snapped. "You don't know everything, and you're not the world's greatest fighter! There's a very fine line between great courage and simple foolishness. Use your brain for once and think about the consequences of your actions. If you still feel like rushing off into this, fine! The rest of us will applaud you as a dead fool!"

Stepping aside, Link gestured to the rocky path.

"You still wanna go kid?" he said sarcastically.

Jaden simply stood there, completely blown away. The rage boiled up inside him, coursing through his veins. It took every single bit of his self-control to stop him from throwing a massive tantrum. His hand instinctively went to the hilt of his sword, and Jaden started to pull it out of the sheath.

"Best you put that thing back where it belongs," the Hylian said between its teeth. "Don’t even think about it!"

The Sheikah did nothing but stare at the hero, seething quietly.

"Kid, put it away!" the hero then yelled. "This isn’t a game! It could be a trap and I will not let you get hurt again! Do you understand me?!"

Never before had Link gotten this angry with the boy, and Princess Zelda was rather shocked. Everyone had his or her previous disagreements, but this was the most explosive so far. What Jaden just did would have been tantamount to mutiny if they were part of the Hylian Army. Fortunately, that was not the case, and Link was a little more forgiving than a military tribunal.

As the boy stood there trying to absorb his idol's threatening words, Zelda sidled closer to the hero.

"Don't you think that was a little harsh?" she whispered to him. "He's just a little ambitious."

"Oh yeah, well what happened the last time he felt 'a little ambitious'?" the hero retorted.

The truth made Zelda bite her lower lip. The young Sheikah had a huge attitude problem that needed to be adjusted. Almost two years of hanging around with the Renegades had spoiled him rotten. Even when they had little to eat and were hiding from Lorkhan, the boy still got whatever it was he wanted.

Disgusted with the situation, Link prepared to scout ahead. He straightened his tunic, checked his gear, and then started off towards the strange noises.

He stopped after a few paces, turned around, and glared at Jaden, who had started to follow him anyway.

"Stay away kid! I have to do this myself!" Link yelled at him.

That was it, he'd finally crushed Jade's ambition. The Sheikah gave up hope and hung his head low. He only wanted to prove himself to his idol, but in his present condition it could be fatal to go into battle.

The Hero of Time took a few more steps, and then stopped once more. When he turned again, he had a devious smile on his face.

"Ya know, uh…uh…Princess Zelda said she likes you."

"Really?!"

"Uh, yeah…why don't you just go and…protect her like you're supposed to?"

"Maybe I'll go and do that!"










Throne Room


Very quickly, Link traversed the expanse of Goron City. The strange noises got louder and louder as he approached, giving away their exact location.

In front of him was the entrance to a large room, hewn out of the rock. A torch holder burned brightly at the opening, beckoning him inward. By now the sounds of metal beating against rock was deafening, and Link almost had to cover his ears to stop the noise.

Walking in, he saw something he most definitely hadn't expected.

About twenty-five gargantuan lizard things were pounding on the back of a massive Goron. Their swords blows hit again and again, chipping off small mineral fragments that flew in all directions.

These deformed creatures were called Lizalfos. Once, they had been small reptile-like animals, but evil energy mutated their bodies into the hideous shape they now took. Six feet tall when standing on two legs, they carried thick broadswords for offense, along with a set of razor sharp teeth. The darkness had increased their brainpower along with their physical strength.

When the Hylian stepped inside, the Lizalfos immediately stopped assaulting the Goron. They stuck their forked tongues out into the air, sensing the disturbance.

Catching his scent, the Lizalfos suddenly began to attack.

Almost instantly they had closed the distance between them.

One of them jumped ten vertical feet, flipped over once, and landed behind the hero. It brought its blade down in a wide arc that Link easily blocked with his shield. The Hero of Time expertly parried its thrusts, ducked under a sideways arc, and neatly cleaved the Lizalfos into two, bloody halves.

Another charged recklessly at him, simply swinging its blade downwards. The Master Sword was embedded in the creature's chest before it had the chance to complete the motion, and was a dead heap of flesh before it even felt the pain.

When Link brought his sword back to the guard position, the hero saw that all the other Lizalfos had surrounded him.

They formed a giant circle around him, which began to advance as one very quickly.

Of course there was no way he could fight every single one of them off. Link would surely be hacked to pieces in a relatively short period of time by twenty-or-some-odd swords.

They were closing in fast.

He would be dead soon.

Unfortunately for the Lizalfos, the Hero of Time had an ace up his sleeve.

Time itself became nonexistent as Link channeled all the surrounding energy into his arms. The air temperature around him rose exponentially as he prepared to bring the attack to bear on his enemies.

"Din's Fire!" Link shouted with all his might.

He drove his left fist hard into the solid stone floor. The magic in his body then ignited the air around him, producing a writhing ball of flame. Four time's more powerful than Zelda's version of it, this spell was designed to take out massive numbers of enemies. It pushed violently onward as a sphere, filling the entire room with holy fire that scorched and burned everything in sight.

As quickly as it appeared, it vanished, leaving only the blackened bones of the Lizalfos. They had been burned alive, and their skeletons collapsed with swords still clenched tightly in bony hands.

"Yeesh, that wasn't too hard at all," Link thought to himself as he kicked one of the corpses, watching it turn to purple smoke a second later.

He probably shouldn't have celebrated so soon.

Their leader, and the strongest of the bunch, was still alive. It had the common sense to hide behind the Goron, which shielded him adequately from the heat.

With a bloodthirsty rage inside, it raised its head to glare at Link.

"My warriors!" the lizard hissed in a raspy voice. "You made them no more!"

The hero was completely dumbfounded.

"You can talk?!" he exclaimed.

Again the creature glared at him.

"Dinalfos well can talk! Dinalfos can kill too!" it replied.

The thing standing before the Hylian now was not as simple minded as its underlings. Its head was much larger and more squared, with twice as many needle-like teeth in the jaws. The legs were thicker and more powerful, its sword longer and sharper, and the body was covered in almost impenetrable scales. Dinalfos was its name, and there were few dark things in the world like it. It was faster, smarter, deadlier, and more resilient than a Lizalfos could ever hope to be.

Whether or not it was a match for Link had yet to be decided though.

"Eat your flesh I shall when done with you I am!" said the Dinalfos.

Link didn't stop to mince words. He jumped as high as he could into the air and tried to bring the Master Sword crashing down on the Dinalfos' head. In a surprising feat of agility, the reptile stopped the attack with its own blade, and made a sharp counterattack that left a broad gash along Link's side.

It hurt badly, but the hero showed no outward signs of pain. He steadied his nerves and pressed the attack, doing his best to stay on the offensive.

The Blade of Evil's Bane scored many hits, but they were not very effective against the thick scales of the Dinalfos.

Advancing quickly on Link, the creature quickly gained the upper hand. Its blows were strong and on target, making huge scratches on the brilliant decorative finish of Link's Hylian Shield. He was being pushed back by the impacts, sending him careening into the wall.

Link replied with a devastating blow that shattered the steel plating that the Dinalfos wore on its right shoulder. The creature cursed vehemently at the Hylian, and launched itself up into the air and flipped over, landing behind him. Its blade crashed down hard against Link's back, and he was quickly knocked to the ground.

"I can taste the blood already," the creature taunted. "And when I'm done with you, I'll eat that Goron too!"

Countering the bad rhyme with a lightning fast overhead swipe, Link started to gain the upper hand. It wasn't much, as the Dinalfos' scales enveloped its body like a suit of armor. However, that was its weakness, for even the most expertly crafted plate armor has areas that it simply cannot protect.

While skillfully blocking the Dinalfos' attacks with his shield, the hero of thought how to defeat this creature. He had fought many like it before, and they'd been just as difficult to kill. This one seemed just a little bit more intelligent and skilled, but it certainly wasn't invincible.

Then Link remembered how he'd broken the shoulder plate.

It dawned on him how he could eliminate this creature once and for all.

On purpose, Link tripped himself and fell to the stony floor.

In a flash, the Dinalfos was standing over the hero, grinning sadistically in triumph.

The reptile brought its gleaming blade high into the air, ready to strike off Link's head.

"Hylian thought he could kill Dinalfos! Now you be killed!" it shrieked.

That was when it happened.

With its right hand raised, the lizard's armpit was completely exposed. Simply extending his arm out, Link pushed the Master Sword into the muscular flesh, driving it in as deep as possible. Anger and frustration filled the hero, increasing his strength so he could shatter the lizard's ribcage. The sacred blade pierced the creature's evil heart before it even felt the first twinge of searing pain. Its beady eyes flashed with horror as Link twisted the sword inside, cutting tendons and slicing arteries in two. Thick red blood dripped from the open wound as the creature began to go limp.

Blackness churning from the pits of its soul, it tried to taunt Link one final time.

"Mark…Dinalfos' words," it began, blood gurgling in its mouth. "Never…will…Hylian kill… my Lord G…"

Without finishing its sentence, the horrible reptile breathed its last. It slid off the gore encrusted Master Sword as a heap of dead, bloody flesh.

As the accursed creature vanished into smoke, Link turned his attentions toward the wounded Goron.


* * * * *


"It's okay now," said the hero. "They're gone."

He tapped the Goron on the back to get his attention. Immediately, the massive rock man stood up on powerful, but relatively short legs. His long hair was spiked up and sticking out in at least twelve different directions. From his chin grew an enormous bushy beard that had at least thirty years worth of mineral deposits built up in it. This Goron was at least a foot and a half taller than Gonga, and three feet taller than the Hero of Time.

This powerful man was Darunia, leader of the Gorons.

And with his gigantic hands, he was rubbing his eyes.

"I can't see!" he yelled. "Oh lovely Goddess Farore, I'm blind!"

Appalled, Link rushed over to help him. The Hylian owed Darunia a lot, as he'd given Link the Goron's Ruby, otherwise known as the Spiritual Stone of Fire.

Eight years before, Ganondorf had passed through the Death Mountain area demanding that he be given the stone. Of course, the proud Darunia refused the requests and ignored his threatening remarks. Eventually, Ganondorf sealed up the Dodongo's Cavern, the main source of food for the rock-eating people.

Slowly but surely, all the Gorons began to starve. Darunia had to seal himself up along with the Spiritual Stone of Fire in order to stop his brethren from eating it. Just when all hope seemed lost, Link arrived in the nick of time. He played the song of the Royal Family, and when Darunia heard it, he knew Link was an important person. With a power-enhancing bracelet given to him by the Goron leader, he broke open the seal using an explosive Bomb Flower.

Swiftly and mercilessly, Link killed all the Dodongos infesting the cavern, replenishing the food supply and earning Darunia's admiration.

On that day, the two of them became Sworn Brothers.

That meant they would do just about anything for each other.

"Darunia, tell me what they did to you?" Link asked him.

"What now? How do you know the name of the great Darunia?" replied the Goron.

"Never mind that, just tell me what happened to this place."

"Ah, very well then. I still think I recognize your voice."

Feeling around for a second, Darunia folded his legs and sat down on the ground. He continued to rub his eyes, but still could not see anything at all.

"The Lizalfos came unexpectedly," said the Goron. "Everyone else sealed themselves away, but I alone stayed to fend off the hoards. I did well at first, but their leader was a coward. He threw burning torch cinders at me, and some of 'em got in my eyes. I haven't been able to see since, and…I've failed to protect my people…"

"Nonsense, you held up extremely well!" Link answered.

The Goron quickly brought him down a peg.

"Those swords were making good headway though. My back hurts like the dickens ya know? I'd be dead if it wasn't for you."

Indeed, large chunks of rock were missing from Darunia's back. It hurt for him to move, so he continued to sit there, pondering what to do.

Darunia struggled to find Link for a few seconds, but quickly found the young hero. He grabbed hold of his shoulders, and turned him around to face the practically destroyed inner chamber. Din's Fire had burnt every single piece of expensive tapestry in the room, along with all the tables and most of the clay pottery.

"I need my eyedrops," said the Goron leader. "For Nayru's sake, find 'em for me!"

Link immediately went out searching amongst the destroyed room. There was little chance he would find the eyedrops amidst all the carnage, but he at least had to try.

Thankfully, the hero wouldn't have to do it alone.

Into the room stepped the Renegades, along with Princess Zelda, Jaden, and an assortment of other Gorons.

Everyone was appalled at the destruction.

"What happened in here?!" Gonga exclaimed.

"Lizalfos," the hero quickly replied. "They attacked Darunia. Threw hot ash in his eyes. He needs help!"

Gonga knew exactly what to do. He promptly walked over to the blinded Goron leader and knelt down beside him. Placing a hand on his shoulder, Gonga questioned him in a calm, soothing voice.

"Where are your eyedrops Brother?" he said in a tone of voice uncharacteristic for such a stocky Goron.

Darunia stopped rubbing his eyes for a moment, and reached out for the person in front of him. He felt the arm on his shoulder, recognized the familiar texture of Gonga's skin, and knew the raised symbol of the Gorons tattooed on his arm.

"Is...is that you…" he started to say before being cut off by Gonga.

"Where are your eyedrops?"

"Last time I saw them, they were in a pot over there."

The Goron leader pointed to the south wall, where the cinders of a once colorful tapestry were still smoldering. Wasting no time, Link dashed off to get the precious eyedrops. He would have burned his hands severely had his gauntlets not protected them somewhat from the heat. Pushing his left hand deep inside the burning embers, he fished around for anything like a glass vial. His fingertips were getting singed as he went deeper, but eventually he felt the smooth side of a glass bottle.

Link pulled it out just in time. He'd be short a gauntlet if he hadn't, and the hero was very attached to his current pair.

Running back over to Darunia, Link handed the Goron leader the vial.

"Is that what you were talking about?" asked the hero.

Darunia felt the peculiar shape of the vial and knew that this was the item he so sorely needed.

"Yes, they are," replied the Goron. "Now let's hope they weren't damaged."

Unscrewing the cap and lifting his eyelids, Darunia poured the contents of the bottle into his eyes. For the next few seconds, everyone held in his or her breath as the liquid struggled to take effect. At first it seemed like the eyedrops had done nothing at all, but the Goron suddenly blinked a few times, then got to his feet.

He could see perfectly now.

"Excellent!" Darunia exclaimed. "Sweet merciful Goddesses, my eyesight has returned!"

The Goron leader looked around the room at the six strangers who were crowded around him.

"So, who do I have to thank for saving my life?" asked Darunia. "Come forward now. There's nothing to fear."

Everyone seemed to just stand there, gaping at him as if they didn't understand. After a few awkward moments of silence, the leader of the Gorons finally recognized Link. The hero stood out like a sore thumb with his bright green tunic, and Darunia quickly grabbed him and paraded him in front of the group of brave Gorons who had come out of their hiding places to see what the commotion was.

Soon, the entire room was filled with rock people, and their leader immediately made a spectacle of the Legendary Hero..

"Look everyone! It is Link, Hero of the Gorons!" Darunia said. "Thank the Goddesses, he has returned to us!"

The crowd of Gorons pushed the rest of the hero's party out of the way and gathered around in a tight circle. Every single one of the Gorons then tried to grope the young hero who had saved them from starvation eight years before.

"Hurray for Link!" yelled someone.

"Truly a Goron! The greatest of them all!" screamed another.

"A banquet! No, a feast! We must all have a great feast for Link the Dodongo-Buster!" exclaimed yet another Goron.

Just then, one of the rock people grabbed the Hero and slung him over his shoulders. With raucous cheers erupting from the crowd, Link was carried bodily out the door toward the banquet halls.

They were all gone within the course of a few seconds, leaving only Link's party and Darunia behind.


* * * * *


After the rest of the tribe had left, the others were dumbfounded to see a little Goron boy clinging to Darunia's right leg. He looked up at Darunia with wide eyes and literally tried to climb up his back. The massive Goron leader picked the boy up in his arms and sat the child on his shoulders.

"Hello son!" boomed Darunia.

"Hello father!" replied the boy.

Of all the others there, Gonga was the only one not flabbergasted. Indeed, the boy was the son of the chief, destined to inherit the position when his father died. He was only eight years old, but already showed the potential to be a great leader.

He also happened to be named after the Hero of Time.

"Who are these people father?" replied little Link.

Darunia gave them a strange look that meant they needed to introduce theirselves. Of course, Zelda stepped forward and curtsied before the Goron leader.

"Salutations Lord Darunia, I am Princess Zelda of Hyrule," Her Highness said in a most diplomatic tone. "Can you help u…"

Taking a good look at the young woman in front of him, recognition immediately sparked in the Goron's eyes. He'd been present at her birth, and knew her father very well. Darunia had watched her blossom from a tomboyish little girl into an incredibly attractive young woman.

"Oh, I know you!" the chief interrupted. "I remember when you stood no taller than my knee. It's been so long! My, how you've grown Your Highness!"

"Yes milord, but we are here on urgent busin…" Zelda started again before being silenced.

"Oh bother bother! Come now, we must honor your presence by throwing an even bigger banquet!"

"But Darunia…"

"Yes, it will be quite a feast! Go now, leave your weapons here, and soon we'll talk of many things. Yes, soon, so toodle pip and move along now."

With his massive hands, Darunia ushered Zelda, Jaden, Dreck, Zetalyn, and little Link out of the room.


* * * * *


Gonga wanted to leave too, but the older, wiser Darunia kept him behind. The younger man stared forlornly at the hard ground, trying to keep away from the whole situation. Darunia refused to let him be silent, and spun his fellow Goron around to meet him.

"You were told never to come back here," said the chief. "You defy me."

"And what crime is that?" replied Gonga. "You no longer have influence over me."

Darunia's eyes flashed with anger, and he quickly retaliated.

"This is my kingdom, and you will show me some respect!" snapped the Goron leader. "Nary a day has gone by where I haven't thought of you, and this is how I am repaid?!"

Firing a look of rage at Darunia, Gonga turned away from him.

"How dare you show your back to me!" Darunia said through his teeth.

"And how dare you not acknowledge your only Blood Brother!" Gonga retorted.

Indeed it was true. Gonga and Darunia were brothers not just by aspect of Goron society, but also by lineage. Because he was older and next in line to assume the throne, their father always favored Darunia. Repeatedly, Gonga was pushed to the sidelines, forgotten about and rarely accommodated. All the banquets and all the feasts and all the balls were held for Prince Darunia, never for his younger brother.

Unfortunately, the problem went deeper than that.

If Gonga had one thing going for him at the time, it was that he was a rather handsome man as far as Gorons go. He had his particular sights set on a lovely young woman, who seemed to return his affections wholeheartedly. She was one of the most beautiful Gorons who had ever lived, and drew attention from all the men.

The two of them fell deeply in love, and spent most, if not all, of their time together. In fact, they had planned to marry sometime soon.

Then the bombshell hit.

Darunia had been given the choice by their father of who he would marry. Allowed to pick among any of the ladies, he unwittingly chose Gonga's intended. Instead of approaching Darunia, Gonga chose to complain directly to their father. Of course, he told him that the decision was final, and that there was absolutely nothing he could do.

It was a brash decision that would lead to years and years of bitter feuding.

Enraged, Gonga thought of ways to get back at Darunia. He and his lover perused all of the laws of the Gorons and found that the only way to get rid of a betrothal was to challenge Darunia to a duel.

This had not happened for several centuries, as the Gorons had long since given up on the use of weapons. According to Goron philosophy, physical strength in itself is virtuous, but using that strength to inflict harm on another is not.

Nevertheless, the duel would continue. For if Darunia would not accept, then he would be branded a coward, something no true Goron would ever allow.

And so, brother fought brother.

The conflict lasted for seven whole days and seven whole nights. They wrestled each other every second, their bodies aching and half broken. They dealt blow after blow to one another, but neither refused to fall down. It was a very brutal affair, yet it was allowed to continue, for honor had to be satisfied.

In the end though, Darunia proved to be too much for Gonga. On the seventh night, he bodily lifted his brother and slammed him down on the stone floor, knocking him unconscious.

Therefore, Prince Darunia would keep his betrothed, while Prince Gonga became an outcast within Goron City.

No one would talk to him, acknowledge him, or be courteous in even the slightest way.

When their father finally died, Darunia became the leader. He ended up marrying the Goron woman, and at that point, his brother chose to leave.

He had a hammer forged and began his new life as a mercenary.

All this had happened fifteen years before, and the rift between them was still very wide.

"Do you expect me to forgive and forget?" Gonga asked. "You could have had any other woman, and you stole her from me! What was I to do?"

"Easy! You could have told me about it!" the Goron leader responded. "I'd have found another. I did not know she was yours."

Still, Gonga wasn't convinced.

"I'm expected to believe this?!" Gonga exclaimed. "I spent years mulling over my decisions, and how I lost her to you. You were always better than me, stronger than me, held in higher regard. I had one chance at happiness, and she was stolen from me!"

Sighing heavily, Darunia hung his head low. Even with all the animosity between them, they were still brothers. The years of anguish, hardship, and worry needed to come to an end.

"Gonga…I'm not a perfect man," Darunia admitted. "And you are still my Blood Brother. I would not have it any other way. I was wrong to claim her as my own without speaking to you about it. That was my biggest mistake. She…always spoke very highly of you…"

Ever so slightly, Gonga brightened a little. At least his one time love had been taken care of, something he knew in his heart that he wouldn't have been able to do.

"What happened to her?" he asked off-hand. "You are still married I hope."

Darunia winced slightly after that last sentence.

"No…she died eight years ago, after giving birth to Link," he solemnly replied. "He's never known his uncle. Maybe now would be the time to start?"

His words fell on deaf ears, so to speak.

"I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, for the sake of little Link," Gonga cryptically replied. "But this isn't ever going to be over. What good would come of forgiving each other if we can't even forgive our own selves…"

Shaking his head in disgust, the Goron mercenary turned and walked out the door, leaving a saddened and heartbroken Darunia behind.

Rejected by his only brother, the proud chief of the Gorons shed a single tear for days gone by, friendships made and broken, and true love never fulfilled.

Darunia would never be the same again.










The Gerudo Fortress


With the blazing midday sun behind him, a blonde haired Hylian slipped into the cavernous Gerudo Training Ground. His bright yellow hair contrasted sharply with the black cloak he wore loosely on his shoulders, along with the dulled plate armor that once bore the seal of the Royal Family.

A rather tall man, his eyes were sullen and dark from years of both seeing and committing a myriad of horrible atrocities.

This was Basse, General Trebla's most fanatical devotee.

He was not to be reckoned with.

A young Gerudo servant came and took his cloak for him. Basse's presence put a deep seeded fear in her, and she quickly scurried off.

Trebla's lieutenant continued on into the recesses of the compound, searching for Lorkhan. He saw him conversing with the Gerudo assassin Baritoone, and approached to listen to her humiliation. Unfortunately, he would not be satisfied in that department.

"You've done well," the Gerudo King told the sorceress. "Things are falling into place."

"Of course, my lord," she replied. "We shall have all of them soon."

Absorbed in himself and a sense of power, he grinned sadistically. After dismissing the old Gerudo, he turned his attentions to Basse.

"What do you want?" he snapped, his demeanor quickly changing.

"My Liege, the Lizalfos have failed to assassinate the Goron leader," said Basse. "The 'hero' and his cohorts arrived in time to stop them."

Lorkhan's eyes flashed over with anger, but did not scream loudly as he would normally with one of his Gerudo servants.

"Then we shall do better next time," he said flatly. "Is everything in place? Are we ready for them?"

"Yes Highness, I've already made sure that they will no longer be trouble," replied the Hylian. "They've been placed in our prisons, and are under heavy guard. They are at your mercy."

The Gerudo King of Thieves laughed like the maniac that he was. For him, everything was looking up, and his evil plans showed no signs of interruption, despite all efforts to the contrary by the Hero of Time.

"Very well then, continue with your work Basse," said Lorkhan. "You are to be commended, unlike that incompetent fool Trebla. I don't know what I saw in him…"

"Uh…thank you my lord, I am humbled," answered the Hylian.

With that, the King dismissed the lieutenant, who returned to the vast, featureless expanse that was the desert.










That night: One of the many banquet halls in Goron City


"We have many banquet halls here in Goron City," Darunia boomed over the raucous crowd.

"I'm sure you do," Jaden sarcastically replied, downing another glass of Goronale. "All you people seem to do is eat and sleep…"

The party had started only an hour before, but already about a quarter of the whole city had attended. A humongous table had been set up, with enough seats for up to a hundred people. Twenty or so large boulders had been arranged on the east wall of the room as a buffet for the Gorons to eat. A steady stream of rock people passed by, breaking off pieces and taking them back to the table. Immediately after sitting down, they began to chew the rocks noisily.

Most of Link's party, including the hero himself, would be unable to eat the stones. Therefore, Darunia ordered that some other food be brought out for the weary travelers.

It just happened to be fried Dodongo.

While the Renegades and the Princess found it to be disgusting, Link thought it to be the greatest thing ever created. As the others pushed their steaming plates away as respectfully as possible, the hero shoveled the food into his mouth at a mad pace. To the others it smelled and looked weird, but to Link it was perfectly seasoned, like fresh beef jerky.

His plate was empty less than a minute later, and immediately began on seconds.

"Ugh, how can you stomach that?" Jaden asked him.

"Magic," Link replied caustically, his mouth half full. "Really, I need nourishment, and so do you. Eat up."

The Sheikah took one last glance at the food, then glared harshly at the Hylian.

"Allow me to be excused," he snarled. "I'd rather be dead than be forced eat this crap."

"No one's forcing you to do anyth…" Link started to say before the boy curtly stood up and walked away.

Jaden walked to the other side of the hall and would stay there for the rest of the night, alone with his thoughts.


* * * * *


After about five minutes, Zelda decided that it would be prudent to actually eat her dinner. Not to do so would be considered very rude by the Gorons. With the rudimentary knife and fork provided her, the Princess ate what she could of the Dodongo.

It left a horrible aftertaste, but she would live.

Pushing away the plate, Zelda turned her attention to Darunia.

"Tell me Lord Darunia," she began in a most courtly manner. "What do you know of King Lorkhan?"

Almost immediately, the Goron leader's jolly demeanor took a turn for the worse.

"He's the Gerudo leader," he answered. "A very violent man…not to be trusted at all."

"I have to agree," said Zelda. "But I'm afraid it's much more complicated than him simply being a bad man. I do believe he's truly evil on the inside, perhaps the equal of Ganondorf. Whenever he came to our castle, I could sense the raw ambition inside him, and it sent chills up my spine…"

"Quite interesting, but what exactly can he do to the magnificent Hylian Empire?"

At that point, the Princess winced. She didn't really want to tell Darunia one of the many secrets the Royal Family had kept from its subjects.

"Our…our forces are spread thin," Zelda finally said. "The fabled strength of Hyrule is merely a gleaming facade that hides the real dirt and corruption. There are enough soldiers to defend the city and Kakariko Village, but not the other provinces. If war breaks out they would slip right through our fingers. We might be able to hold Calatia, but not Termina or any of the others. I fear everything is falling apart…"

"That's terrible," Darunia replied, rather stunned. "I had no idea things had degenerated so much!"

"Yes, the Fierce War took a dreadful toll on the population. Already there have been monster uprisings that were only barely put down. Hylians everywhere live in ignorance of the threat, and if Lorkhan were to attack now there would be nothing to stop him, except the few of us who sit here with you. This latest attack on your people dramatically illustrates this..."

Although this was very true, it did not mean the end of all hope. The Gorons, while small in number, were incredibly powerful. With their help, if Lorkhan were to get any ideas they would surely come to the aid of the Hylians. They had done so gallantly during the long years of the Fierce War, and would do it again because of their intense fellowship with the Kingdom of Hyrule.

Darunia's stern, thoughtful visage lightened a bit then turned into a wide grin. He placed one of his massive hands on the Princess's shoulder for reassurance.

"You are truly your father's daughter!" the Goron chief laughed. "I sense his wisdom and courage in you, and since he is my Sworn Brother as well, that makes you my niece! Any assistance you need I will give you. Let Uncle Darunia do all the worrying for a while. Just go and have some fun!"

"Pardon me?" Zelda replied, a little bewildered.

"Why, it's time to dance, my dear. Dinner has ended, and now it's time for the music to start!"

The big Goron clapped his hands a few times, and suddenly everyone in the banquet hall became very quiet.

"In honor of the return of the Great Dodongo-Buster and of the Princess Zelda, the dancing shall now begin!" Darunia yelled in a loud, clear voice. "Bring out the minstrels!"

At that point, a small band of six Gorons took to a stage near the buffet table that had been erected hours earlier. Made of wood, it was marvel of engineering that it did not break under the weight. Nevertheless, each Goron picked up his or her instrument. While the rest drew out either tambourines or violins, one of them produced a small, ceramic flute.

Indeed, it was an ocarina, similar to the one Saria had given Link many years before.

From it came the very song she had taught the hero, the melody that allowed them to communicate with each other, even when separated by vast distances. It told of the forest, and of lighter days. Embedded in the notes were happy times when Hyrule was at peace and the ever vigilant eyes of the Deku Tree kept watch over the little Kokiri children.

It was a song made for youths, and perhaps that was why Darunia liked it so much, being so much of a child at heart.

"What is wrong, My Lady?" the Goron chief asked of the Princess.

Zelda had a look of extreme consternation on her face, and didn't seem to want to go forward with this.

"I really have never danced like this," she said, embarrassed. "I've taken all kinds of lessons, but they were for ballroom dancing, not…this…"

All over the place, a hundred or so Gorons were jumping up and down, spinning like tops, and flailing their arms maniacally. Great circles of them joined hands and danced in rhythm to the overpoweringly seductive music. The once prestigious, formalized banquet had turned into a raucous party.

Everyone, including the Princess, was obliged to celebrate.

"It looks fun," she said, "but this more of a full-body dry heave than anything else."

"Hmm, I have to disagree. If Link can dance, then so can you. Come now, I'll teach you!" Darunia replied, sounding excited.

The Hero of Time was certainly enjoying himself, dancing like a madman in the midst of a group of cheering Gorons. After laughing heartily at this, Darunia bodily picked up Princess Zelda and carried her out onto the dance floor. She tried to protest, but it was truly the equivalent of arguing with a boulder, which is ultimately futile.

He put the now disgruntled Zelda on her feet.

That was when things started to go downhill for the young maiden.

Darunia was at least three feet taller than her, and five times as wide. Zelda was very skilled in the art of dance, as she had studied many different forms. On special occasions, such as the Carnival of Time, the beautiful princess would go to the celebrations and dance heartily with her people. Folks from miles around came to see her graceful, yet seductive movements. It was, of course, very tasteful, but it still drove most of the male attendants wild.

Zelda's reputation as a dancer had spread so far that she could hardly ever weasel out of it anymore, especially when among friends and family.

Now, for Darunia, for Hyrule, and for the sake of diplomatic relations, the Princess would make a fool of herself.

With a heavy sigh, she began to whip her arms around in completely random directions.

"Oh yeah, now you're doin' it!" Darunia exclaimed. "Feel the music! Dance like crazy! Whoo! Yeah! Now you're a Goron!"

Strangely enough, the thing Zelda thought she would hate she now found herself loving. The lively music invigorated her, sending the Hylian into a frenzy of wild gyrations. Zelda didn't care that the Renegades were staring at her as if she had lost her mind, nor did she care that Link wasn't around to share this wonderful experience

All the danger and suspense of the last few days melted away as Zelda danced with the Goron leader.

For a brief few minutes, there was nothing but happiness.










Forty-five minutes later


The evening was far from over, and Princess Zelda was far from being tired. Still, there was someone who'd been left out of the festivities, and who needed to be cheered up.

Finding him was rather difficult, but she eventually located the boy on the upper level of the city, quietly watching everyone else have a good time.

"Jaden?" Zelda inquired. "What are you doing up here all alone?"

The Sheikah rolled his eyes at her in contempt.

"What do you think? I'm being alone," he replied sarcastically. "Do you need something?"

"Not really, I just wanted to know if you'd like to come and dance with me?" Zelda answered.

Again, the boy looked very dismayed, and fluffed off her suggestion. He quickly turned his back on her.

"Sheikah don't dance," Jaden said flatly.

"Oh, pish posh," said the Princess. "Come on now, we'll have a great time!"

Zelda grabbed his wrist and started to pull him away towards the dance floor. However, the boy violently wrenched free of her grasp, nearly causing her to stumble and fall.

This was certainly a new development. Jaden had been perfectly fine before. He'd been a well-behaved young man, and a good servant, although a bit cocky at times. Recently though, he had become increasingly antisocial, and lashed out violently at anyone who tried to talk to him. It definitely needed to be addressed, and now was as good a time as any.

"Jaden, tell me what's wrong, please," Zelda asked him, dropping her sense of formality. "Where is all this coming from?"

Anger quickly flashed through him before he answered.

"Everything is wrong!" Jaden exclaimed. "I don't have any other reasons to stay here anymore. I found Master Link for the Renegades, but he made me stick around!"

"What are you talking about?! He didn't make you do anything!" the Princess shot back.

The boy sat down on the edge of the wall, staring down at the people below. The rage inside of him had been slowly been building inside of him, but the Sheikah had been able to keep it in check. Now it had gotten to him, and Jaden was taking it all out on the Princess Zelda

"Is this about Menegroth or Atanamir?" Zelda quietly asked him.

"Bah! This has more to do with you than with them," Jaden replied harshly. "I don't know you at all, and yet I'm expected to lay down my life for you? I don't think so!"

That didn't quite make sense, especially coming from someone like Jaden.

"It's the duty of a Sheikah to protect the Royal Family," said the Princess matter-of-factly. "It's…it's been a tradition for centuries."

Her last statement really set him off. Jaden stood up again, and he clenched his fists as if preparing for a fight. Zelda took a step back in shock as the boy advanced on her, practically getting right on top of her. His breath reeked of alcohol, due to all the Goronale he'd consumed earlier, and his eyes were glassy and devoid of emotion. The Sheikah was definitely intoxicated, and the nice, humble warrior had become a raging drunk.

To Zelda, the boy suddenly seemed a lot taller.

"Well maybe traditions should [i]change[/i] once in a while!" the youth exclaimed. "Where was the Royal Family during the Battle of the Fields?! Where was the Royal Family when Kakariko was under siege?! Thousands of Sheikah have died for your family! How many were hacked to bits by Ganondorf's army because your father decided not to sacrifice any Hylian soldiers?! Their deaths were horrible, and their blood is on your hands! I've grown up hearing these stories from my Sheikah elders, and always to the point where it makes me sick!"

He paused a second before adding, "I hate the Royal Family! And I definitely don't want to serve you anymore!"

For Zelda, this was like being repeatedly slapped in the face. True, the Fierce War was a horrible conflict, and many thousands of Sheikah did lose their lives, but those unfortunate casualties paled in comparison to the staggering amount of dead Hylians.

It hurt the Princess deeply for such a loyal friend to turn on her so suddenly, and a few tears began to well up in her eyes.

"Oh, stop crying!" Jaden said harshly. "You Hylians think you're so damn righteous, but not a single one of you stood by my mother and father when they were killed! What does that say about your quality?!"

Immediately, Zelda took a hold of her emotions and set them on track. She squared her jaw and shot a cold glance at him, one that meant Jaden had lost her trust completely.

"I never thought you would betray me like this," she said plainly. "My father's decisions were made long ago, and there's nothing I can do to change them. I'm sorry your parents died, but it wasn't my fault…"

"Not as far as I'm concerned Princess," Jaden interrupted, his voice filled with contempt. "Your family has brought nothing but ruin to the Sheikah. I curse your family's name, I curse it!"

At that point, Zelda refused to take any more, and slapped him hard across the cheek. She stormed away, her face red hot, her blood burning in anger.

"Good-bye, Jaden. I just wanted one dance with you," the Princess said as she was walking away. "It looks like our destinies aren't as linked together as I thought they were…"

The boy was left alone with his thoughts, just as he had wished. He'd alienated a friend, just as he wanted. Sick of everything and everybody, Jaden fumed quietly in the flickering lights of Goron City, dark thoughts brewing in his mind.

"Don't ever presume to think you know what my destiny is Princess," he thought to himself. "Bah! She doesn't even know what real betrayal is…"










Back at the banquet hall


Link's body was starting to really hurt.

Random Gorons had been giving him bear hugs all night. Sometimes two or three would do it at the same time, crushing him in the middle of a rock sandwich.

He was quite relieved when he saw Zelda re-enter the room. Finally, he could hold onto someone soft instead of a giant boulder. The Princess practically ran over to him at full speed.

She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a tight squeeze, from which he groaned because of his sore bones.

"Someone's happy to see me," Link said happily. "Having fun?"

"Not anymore…" she replied without emotion.

The Princess was frowning, feeling tired and irritated, she did nothing more than continue to hug Link.

"What's wrong Zelda?" he asked. "You can tell me."

"Do you really want to know?" she replied.

"Yes, of course."

"Jaden is drunk! He had too much Goronale, and it made him so violent. He started screaming at me!"

For a moment, Link didn't believe her. The hero found it impossible that someone like Jaden, a trustworthy, devoted servant of Hyrule, would ever do such a thing to his sovereign.

"Are you positive? He's never done anything like this before," Link answered.

"Of course I'm positive!" Zelda exclaimed, her voice sounding distraught. "He blames me and my family for the death of his parents. I can't see the source of this, and why it would ever come out now…"

Furrowing his brow, Link could do little to rationalize the Sheikah's behavior. Alcohol was certainly a major factor, but that was no excuse for the way he had acted around his princess.

Link made a resolution that he would talk with the boy, and would do so immediately. He began to walk away from Zelda towards where Jaden was perched, but the Princess had a firm grip on his arm.

"No Link, just stay here…with me," she said quietly. "For one day I don't want anymore fighting. I'm tired of it, just as we all are. Just…don't push it on him, it'll blow over, I know it."

Whimpering, the hero let himself be pulled back to the dinner table by his girlfriend.


* * * * *


Everyone else was still on the dance floor, so they were the only two sitting down. It felt good to rest after being on their feet dancing for so long. The rock stools that vaguely resembled chairs were hard and uncomfortable, but they would have to live with it.

The Princess turned to Link and let out an exasperated sigh.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," she said, looking forlorn.

"That's nothing new," Link replied. "I get those all the time. They keep you on your toes."

Zelda perked up a little after he said that. It was true, and it would probably turn out to be nothing anyway. All that was left was for them to return to Hyrule Castle and report to King Harkanian about what had been going on. It wouldn't take much longer, and they would all leave for Hyrule City in the morning.

For now, Link and Zelda could simply relax, but the Princess was still shaken by Jade's drunken spoutings.

"I'm still worried about the boy," said the maiden. "I've been having premonitions lately. Very dark premonitions…"

Link was suddenly very intrigued, and perked up his ears to listen more intently.

"You're having visions again? What kind?" he asked her, looking concerned.

"They have nothing to do with what's happening now, strangely," Zelda replied. "I get them in my sleep ever so often. They're visions of what might have been after you were sent back in time. I…I see myself without you. I see Hyrule without you, and it's a tortuous place. The darkness runs rampant, but you aren't there to stop it Link, and no one but you can wield the power of evil's bane…"

While the Princess slumbered, a steady stream of images of the future that had been narrowly averted often pummeled her. In her dreams, Hyrule is rebuilt to its former splendor. The Hero of Time is idolized, and many statues are built in honor of him, including a twenty-foot tall one in the main hall of the new Hyrule Castle. Zelda saw herself marry a noble and having children who would keep the legend of the Hero alive.

She saw hundreds of years into this strange future is well. The people say that after defeating the great Evil King, the Hero of Time departed on a "journey". Zelda knew the horrifying truth that Link had been sent back to his own childhood, where he could never return to the world he had saved during the quest to awaken the Six Sages.

"The darkness breaks out, and again terrorizes the innocent townsfolk," Zelda solemnly admitted. "The kingdom my descendants strived so hard to rebuild is nearly wiped out. The Hero of Time doesn't return to save them, and when the people realize he's never going to, they let the Goddesses decide their fate…"

Now Link was riveted. This was a secret that he'd never expected to come out. But he knew Zelda trusted him enough to reveal those secrets, no matter what they might be.

"So what happened? What did the Goddesses do?" Link inquired.

"They buried Hyrule under the ocean, the entire kingdom!" the Princess exclaimed. "It rained for what seemed like forever, and when it was over the land was a thousand feet below the sea. Only a chosen few were allowed to survive…"

"That's…I mean…how terrible! I find it hard to believe that there's another Princess Zelda sitting in some other world that we can't see," replied the hero.

Zelda sighed once more. She took a hold of Link's hand and caressed it softly, just as she'd done when they parted ways in the sky, and so many times after that.

"My short-sighted decision led to that," Zelda told him. "Maybe I shouldn't have sent you back. Maybe you should have stayed with me in that desolate future. You were the only ray of hope for those people, and yet I was a fool, so I sent you back here…"

"Well, maybe Zelda, maybe…" Link replied. "I don't care about that at all. All that matters is that you and I are here today. I wouldn't trade these past eight years for the world, I swear it. We've truly grown up together, and it's been the greatest experience of my life."

The Princess smiled at him, and leaned in to give him a kiss. They locked lips for a good few minutes, true love being shown for the entire world to see. Indeed, everyone did see them making out, for Link and Zelda were sitting right in the middle of a crowded room.

A few gaping stares were ignored by the young lovers. If all went well in the next few days, they would finally be able to take a real break from adventuring.

Zelda broke the kiss and gazed into Link's dark blue eyes.

"You're right you know," she said quietly. "Time only flows forward, no matter how hard we try to go back to change the past. I'm learning from my many mistakes, slowly but surely…"

"Finally, after all these years! Thank you, Nayru!" the hero said sarcastically.

Princess Zelda kicked him playfully in the shin for that.

"Ha ha, you're so funny Link. I just hope that nothing like what I told you ever happens to us," Zelda sighed.

"Not as long as I'm around," Link replied in a soothing tone. "I love you, and I'll always be around to protect you."

With a sly smile, she yanked him up off the stool and proceeded to drag him out onto the dance floor. Her heart was soaring, and there was nothing on earth that would stop the two of them from being together.

Link didn't even bother to protest.

The band went silent for a moment, as their song was finished. After a few moments, the Goron with the ocarina and the other two who had violins stepped forward. They began to play a melody unlike any other heard during the night. The first notes of the ocarina were light and breezy, speaking boldly of the winds that swept across the majestic Hyrule Field. The violins that followed after told grand tales of the red earth's abundance and the magnificence and beauty of Hyrule.

With an extraordinary vigor, the Gorons began to dance. This one had a fast tempo, and was meant for partners. Everyone paired up, and feet began to move in tandem with the irresistible sound of the music.

It was an ancient song, laden with imagery and steeped in legend.

"I remember hearing this before," Zelda said whilst expertly following the rhythm. "Does it have a name?"

"You don't know?!" Link replied, incredulously. "This is the Lyric of Wind and Earth. Everybody knows this song! You've definitely been living in that stuffy old castle for too long."

Zelda gave him a little shove for being sarcastic, which almost made him fall over.

Link stopped in his tracks, crossed his arms, and mockingly replied, "Forgive me O' Worshipfulness! I do decree I shall never again speak ill of Your Majesty..."

Her Highness did absolutely nothing but make a funny face at him and continued to dance, even into the wee hours of the night.


* * * * *


The rest of the evening would be absolutely magical. Journeys would finally end, and so would the pain and death that Lorkhan had tried to bring upon the land.

For now, that didn't matter, as it was something that wasn't going to happen until the next day. For the two dancers, the precious time in between would be a blissful eternity, filled only with thoughts of each other. Beautiful music drove them onwards, turning princess and hero into the most romantic and majestic couple on the floor.

It was almost as if the band was playing their sweet melodies only for them.

The Princess of Destiny and the Hero of Time vowed that day to never again be separated from one another.

Link and Zelda would be together forever, and verily, Hyrule would see better days from now on.









Early the next day: Death Mountain trail


Finally, after a long night of drinking and dancing, along with some gambling, Link and his party set out for Kakariko. From there, they would be able to reach the City of Hyrule, where they would then report their findings to the King.

Darunia had given them his blessings, a promise of assistance if needed, and a few pounds of jerky made from Dodongo.

Before them now was the long trail that led down from Death Mountain. It was relatively straight, but also narrow at times. They were still very high up, and the edge of the cliff disappeared into a seemingly bottomless ravine.

The morning sun brightly cast its rays into the weary eyes of the travelers, who had all stayed up much later than they ever had before.

As the hero and his group started down an incline, the weather began to turn foul unexpectedly.

Dreck flinched as the deafening boom of thunder echoed across the canyon walls. The sky itself began to turn overcast, the rain clouds forming ever so quickly. Soon all the heavens were filled with dreary black clouds seething with an angry summer storm.

Then, as is normal around that time of year, it began to pour. Rain came down in a massive sheet, instantly turning the gravel that covered the trail into a think, soupy mud. And in a flash, everyone was soaking wet from head to toe.

It was miserable.

"Son of a…" Dreck started to say. "Nayru is laughing at us! I know it, she has to be!"

"Oh, quit complaining! It's only water," Zetalyn said in reply. "Really, you'll live to see tomorrow, okay?!"

"Easy for you to say, fish woman! You live in the bloody water! Dekus are made out of wood!"

"So what? State the obvious, why don't ya?"

"Argh! Wood splits when it gets wet, and do you think I carry around a bottle of varnish with me? No, 'cause varnish is expensive! Mercenaries don't make enough money to buy all kinds of products like that! Think before you speak, fish woman!"

The little Deku Scrub had to glare at her from underneath Gonga's massive frame. The Goron made a good rain shield, and he'd definitely stay dry where he was.

However, the argument between Zora and Deku was impeding their progress, and the wind was starting to push the rain straight into their faces.

At the end of the procession, Jaden was already freezing, drenched, worn-out, and extremely irritated. He couldn't stand when Zetalyn and Dreck argued, and this time they were holding up the line. Twisted thoughts entered his mind of what he might do to them if they didn't immediately start moving again. The Sheikah fought a desperate battle inside him for the self-control to not insinuate further discord among the group.

He quickly lost that battle.

"For Din's sake, will you all shut up and move your pathetic asses?!" Jaden yelled at the top of his lungs.

Everyone was shocked once more. He hadn't learned a single bit of prudence from his encounters the day before.

Perhaps he just didn't want to learn. There were times when he would fulfill his duty to the fullest extent possible, wishing only to serve. But those days were over now. Jaden had come to believe that he didn't owe anybody anything, and led most of his life that way. Ever since his experience in the Forest Temple, the boy's mind had turned darker and darker by the minute.

Sickening images of his friends dead on the cold ground had haunted his thoughts and influenced his actions. He could feel something welling up inside of him, waiting to burst forth and cause pain and suffering to those who had cared for him the most. He'd grown to hate the Royal Family, and the Princess, and the Renegades, all within a period of forty-eight hours.

He was even beginning to despise Link, his greatest idol, the man he had strived to be like the most.

In fact, Jaden did hate Link. The Sheikah loathed the Hero of Time and what he represented with a passion.

Jaden had grown to hate the Kingdom of Hyrule. Almost anything could set him off now, unleashing the monster inside.

Sure enough, Princess Zelda had to intervene.

"Be quiet Jaden!" she snapped, her glare icy cold. "What do you expect?! All of us are cold, so unless you have something that will help, don't talk!"

The Sheikah boy gaped at her with eyes as big as dinner plates. His rage overwhelmed him, filling him with unknown strength. Evil voices told Jaden to do something horrible for which he would never be forgiven.

It was about to drive him to do something he would regret for all time.

"Oh yeah Princess, I've got something for you and your infinite wisdom," Jaden said coldly. "How 'bout this?!"

Within the course of a few seconds, the Sheikah had managed to reach into his pocket, pull out a Deku Nut, and whip it at the ground. A sharp bang was heard, followed by an explosion of blinding white light blinding white light. It was bright enough for long enough to obscure Jade's next actions.

Everyone was momentarily stunned, and that's when the boy did the deed.

He dashed as fast as possible towards Gonga, and slammed into him at full speed. The ungainly Goron, who had been standing nearest the cliff, fell off the mountain, along with Dreck, into the murky abyss.

Their desperate screams were heard all throughout the canyon as they plummeted into the ravine.

Then, as quick as a cheetah, Jaden tackled the archer Zetalyn, slamming her head into the rock face behind her. The young woman crumpled into a heap on the cold, muddy ground, a trickle of blue blood flowing down the side of her face.

She wasn't moving.

Finally, the object of his desire, Zelda, Princess of Hyrule.

While she stumbled around rubbing her eyes in agony, the Princess felt a pair of strong hands reach around and grab her by the waist. For a split second, she though they belonged to Link, but soon found out otherwise.

Jaden wrenched Zelda out of her place and dragged her to the edge of the cliff. It was his ultimate intention to throw the Crown Princess into the ravine. He would delight in hearing her beg for mercy before brutally ending her young life.

He cackled from the pit of his stomach, an evil laugh that filled Zelda with terror. For Jaden, her death would inevitably be very amusing.

This was the price of ignorance, the death of the most sacred treasure of the Royal Family, Zelda.

Seconds before the boy was about to kill her, he picked up the unmistakable sound of a sword being drawn from its sheath.

Whipping around, Jaden saw the Hero of Time before him, holding the Blade of Evil's Bane.

"You…" the Sheikah said in contempt. "I should have figured you would fuck everything up!"

"And I should have figured this is what you were up to, now let her go!" Link yelled.

Jaden simply laughed at the Hylian.

"What will you do now Mister Hero?" said the boy. "If you kill me now, you might save her…but there's no way you'll ever defeat Master Lorkhan!"

Link was horrified as he watched Jaden hit the Princess over the head with the hilt of the Gilded Sword, knocking her unconscious. Nothing in existence could have made hero more murderous than that, and he would have to kill the boy to stop his Zelda from dying. She was limp as a noodle when the boy flung her over his shoulder, displaying a strength that should have been beyond one still so young.

"Coward! Traitor!" Link screamed with all his might. "Let her go and fight me like a man!"

"Ha! Never! I've got no reason to listen to you anymore!" said the boy.

"Then why? At least tell me why you have betrayed us!"

"What, do you actually think I had a choice in the matter?! Simpleton! You think I wanted that old Gerudo wench to cast her spell on me?! You're stupider than I thought!"

The hero finally understood how it was that Jade's easy going personality could do a one-eighty so quickly. Baritoone wasn't trying to kill the boy, only turn him over to the side of evil with her black magic. Only Dreck's quick medical attention had slowed down the Gerudo's woman's gradual take over of his soul.

All the alcohol Jaden had consumed the night before had completely tipped the balance in favor of the darkness.

Jaden was now a faithful servant of Lorkhan.

Lightning accentuated the dark sky, seething with violence and practically doubling the tension between the two.

For a brief second, light flickered of the steel blade of the Master Sword, commanding Link to strike down the wretched soul in front of him and save the Princess. Din's strength coursed through his veins, Nayru's wisdom cleared his mind, and Farore's courage gave him the vision to see the true path.

Link would save Zelda at all costs.

"You forgot, I'm just a boy, remember?!" the Sheikah said caustically. "See what this 'child' does now! Instead of killing her, I'll do the next best thing! Zelda belongs to King Lorkhan now, and I intend to bring her to him as a prize. How do you like that, eh?! Die painfully Link, please die painfully…"

And that was the final straw. He would never allow Zelda to fall into the hands of that crazed madman.

The hero spat at the Sheikah before replying, "You first!"

In a feat of amazing dexterity, the Hylian leaped at the boy, Master Sword raised high above to strike down the traitorous royal servant.

However, Jaden had been one step ahead of the game. A puff of purple smoke enveloped the Sheikah and the Princess, shrouding them in darkness.

The boy vanished with Zelda into thin air, complements of the evil magic now brewing within him.

Now there was nothing at all to stop the Hero of Time from falling to his bloody death…


End Chapter Eight



Proceed to Chapter Nine!

-Tainted hearts should receive no sympathy from those free of evil. A heart spoiled by the blackness is corrupted and defies the Goddesses.

Magic powers thought to be long forgotten in the ancient Gerudo scrolls have resurfaced, reeking havoc on innocent souls..

This magic has the power to control not only rational thought, but one's very essence as well. Those whose hearts are filled with blackness soon succumb to the powerful voices in their subconscious minds and lose all forms of their original selves.

However, this evil is not set in stone. There exist many paths in life and none are written down permanently. Those paths give way to a light, which has the power to restore the goodness back into the hearts of the corrupted.

Though the journey can be taken, the burden is rarely shouldered. It is up to the will of the tainted to seek out the light and vanquish the magic dwelling deep inside one’s heart…



Chapter Nine: Death Concedes To Timeless Love



In the barracks of the Gerudo Fortress


There was nothing but darkness here. It abhorred the light and gave rise to the shadows. Evil men and women lived out their dismal lives in placed such as this.

Nothing at all could be seen. Around every corner of this bleak dungeon there lay nothing but a murky shade of black. To walk this path at night was that only reserved for the senses of a great warrior, for their acute senses only were strong enough to depict the image of the dungeon in their minds.

This was no problem for her though. She nimbly bobbed and weaved through the twists and turns that would be invisible, and therefore deadly, to a normal person. Her footfalls made no sound as she slowly crept across the tile floor of the Gerudo Fortress.

Suddenly, the girl stopped outside a doorway. Crudely etched into the bark of the door were a few Gerudo characters.

They spelled out the name "A'lto".

She pressed her hand onto the door and slowly opened it. A solitary wax candle in the corner vaguely lit the room inside. The room was stacked from floor to ceiling with boxes of weapons, and the bed in the corner was hardly enough to fit a small child comfortably. Everywhere was the foul smell of dust and gunpowder, combined with the strange odor of rusted iron. Cobwebs served as the room's only real décor, making it look like a storage closet.

In fact, it was a storage closet.

A'lto cringed as she looked at her new residence. She had been living here for a week now and this was the second time she walked through these doors. Since her arrow had failed to destroy Link, she was stripped of her luxurious living arrangements and was thrust into a storage closet until her worth as a fighter was redeemed.

"Lorkhan, you may think you have the upper hand but do not for a single minute believe that I am content with the treatment my sisters and I receive," she quietly said to herself.

Just as she was settling in, a voice was heard behind a box of arrows.

"Are we whispering to ourselves?" it said.

The Gerudo was startled, and jumped almost a mile high.

"Who's there?! Show yourself or prepare to die!" A'lto threatened, brandishing the closest knife she could find.

"Do not be so hasty young Gerudo, I come bearing advice as well as information," the voice calmly said. "Please, sit down and we shall get to work,"

"Show yourself and I might let you live," A'lto sneered to the hidden informant.

The girl had a very awkward feeling about this. She could not tell what race her mystery guest was, as well as the gender. Neither was she content on the lack of information about her opponent. At least the mystery person had little background on her as well, which evened the stakes.

"A'lto, you have disgraced yourself in the eyes of Lorkhan. He is not pleased with you, as is obvious, considering your new arrangements," said the voice.

The assassin was in awe. She had kept her failure a secret between her sisters and King Lorkhan. Of course, her sisters would not voice anything of this failure, and Lorkhan would not like to relive the debacle.

"Do not be so shocked my dear. I told you from the beginning, I come bearing information. Some which have never been disclosed to the public at large…" the voice slyly began.

"What is it you want in return? Nothing is free, you know?" A'lto replied.

"I wish nothing but your co-operation, and your time."

"We shall see. But only after I hear these "valuable secrets"."

The Gerudo girl was quickly growing impatient. A'lto intended to force the knowledge out of whoever was speaking to her. She silently crept to her bed and reached for her bow. If the intruder were to bear any part of the body, A'lto would be sure to buy enough time to discover the identity of this shadowed character.

"Please, set your weapon down. I do not approve of bloodshed," said the voice.

"As you wish," the girl answered. She reluctantly set her bow on the cold floor and tried to catch a glimpse of how her plot was given away.

She came up empty.

"Now, my poor belittled Gerudo, it seems your talents are being misused in this army. I have something that might persuade you to seek new employment…"

A'lto listened intently to the words of the stranger. She was eager to find the secrets that would help her defy the sworn oath of allegiance to Lorkhan. Even beforehand, A'lto had despised Lorkhan for the way he treated his people. He was no different than Ganondorf, a twisted man who cared nothing for the living beings around him and wanted only personal glory. It would not take much for A'lto to betray her master.

She was well on her way with that already.










Ravine outside Goron City


Link seemingly froze in mid-jump, thousands of feet in the air, as the powder from the Deku Nut scorched his eyes. He twisted quickly to try and snag hold of something that would slow down, if not, stop his fall.

Unfortunately, there was nothing.

It seemed Jaden had picked this spot exactly. The boy was not nearly as naïve as he had first seemed. The young warrior had slowly bided his time until he came upon the chance to eradicate the only obstacles in his way.

The Renegades were gone, and were probably dead. Zelda had been taken captive, and now Link was about to fall to his death from the top of Death Mountain.

Link’s heart sank as he plummeted over the cliff towards the pointed rocks at the bottom of this ravine. Images flashed before his eyes as he came to embrace his defeat.

His finding of the Kokiri Sword, the first blade he had ever held in his hands. The journey through the Deku Tree with all its dangers, then having to leave his best friend Saria. Link's visions quickly jumped to Zelda. He remembered his first time meeting her in Hyrule Castle when he creeped up on her in the garden as she stealthily ease-dropped on Ganondorf’s conversation with her father. Zelda's smile was the first and only thing he saw. So young, so beautiful, and yet she was royalty and his dreams would never come true.

Link remembered the alternate future, where she was captured by Ganondorf. On that day, he vowed to find Zelda, rescue her, and proclaim his undying love.

But mortal plans and the will of the Goddesses never seem to get along well together. Link had rescued her numerous times and faced many perils, but he was still never brave enough to tell her his feelings until recently.

Link snapped back to reality as a single thought crossed his mind.

"I've got to stay alive..."

He would not let himself die without seeing Zelda at least one more time. Never would he let her live in the arms of her oppressors. Slamming his sword hard into the cliff side, Link desperately tried to penetrate the granite stone.

But his efforts were to no avail. Link's fall slowed only a bit, and he was drawn him further to the left. Reaching inside his magic pouch for the hookshot, a terrible memory snapped to his mind. It was stolen from him when Lorkhan's Death Knights had robbed him.

Then Link knew he was going to die. Tears started to flow as he whispered a prayer to the faeries, a prayer to see his beloved Zelda one more time. It was a prayer of life, a prayer of love. He jammed the Blade of Evil's Bane hard into the cliff, forcing it deep into the cliff wall. Link yelled in triumph as it stuck firmly into the volcanic rock formation. In an instant, his will was restored and he was ready and willing to search out Jaden and make him pay for what he had done.

And yet, the ordeal was far from over.

Though it seemed the Hero of Time’s luck had held up, his prayers heard, and his love for Zelda too strong for death to conquer, it would not last for very long.

Indeed the Master Sword was imbedded in the rock, but the pressure of the stop was too much for him.

His hand slipped off the hilt, sending him flying far from the sacred blade. Sharp rocks surrounded his only platform of hope. A single, lonely outward formation jutted from the rocks, protruded just barely enough for him to reach.

Link tried to guide his fall to the platform, and for a moment it seemed as if he would make it. Unfortunately, he misjudged the distance by a wide margin. His head bounced hard off a spire just above the formation. Link back-flipped in mid-air and could no longer see where he was going.

The hero hit with a dull thwap as he slammed into the hard, flat canyon floor, barely missing the pointed rocks. For him, it felt as if his entire body had been pummeled, then torn asunder. Everything inside was broken, and there was no way he could ever hope to move. Link's vision was clouded with blackness and fleeting visions of his lovely Zelda.

Now he was truly done for.










Deep in the Gerudo Fortress


Jaden walked proudly around with the Gilded Sword set firmly against his shoulder. He passed a Gerudo woman who glared at him with contempt as deep as a bottomless pit. The Sheikah and the Gerudo races never once had an instance where one trusted the other, and it surely would not happen anytime soon. The boy scoffed and walked on into the wide chamber. He opened the door where, upon stepping in, was immediately confronted by a Gerudo he new all too well.

It was the assassin, So'Prano. She was in his face immediately with a leer as deadly as his. And in a flash, she engulfed him in her arms and shouted aloud in a scream of triumph.

"You did it, kid! I would never have believed you could kidnap that smarmy princess and finish off that menace Link!" the young woman bubbled.

In a fraction of a second, the boy had become irked beyond his limits of self-control.

"Put me DOWN!" the Sheikah exclaimed.

So’Prano was thrown hard into a wall as Jade’s magic started to flare from his hand. It was insulting and humiliating to be knocked around like a rag doll. The Gerudo held her aching back and propped herself up against the sandstone wall, glaring hard at the evil little Sheikah.

In the background, Lorkhan was clapping loudly. He sat grandly on his throne, surrounded by his many servants.

The man in front of him bore little or no resemblance to the great Ganondorf. King Lorkhan was quite a bit taller than his predecessor has been, but was much lankier. He did not seem to have as much muscle as Ganondorf did, and certainly was much thinner. His skin was tanned the sun-baked color of the Gerudo people, but his hair was jet black, a trait uncommon amongst his race. Neither was his nose as large and pointed as Ganondorf's had been, but his eyes were just as sunken and brooding as the former despot's had been.

Indeed, he was a human, his ears being fat and rounded, not slender and pointed like the Hylians. But he was a powerful human, one who could lift a hundred men or so with ease. This trait ran in the blood of all Gerudo males, which is why they were feared so much. To add to that, the dark magic that was ingrained into them at an early age made them incredible sorcerers, ones that no one dared to stand up against.

When Hyrule tried to rein Ganondorf in, he brought war to the citizens of the Hylian Empire.

Lorkhan would do the same.

He was a man trying to prove himself. Lorkhan was trying to make himself better than the one who had come before him.

Jaden could see it in the way he looked. The boy could see the same raw ambition that Ganondorf possessed, the evil kind that wrecks lives and destroys countries.

Of course, the Sheikah reveled in it. He hated the Hylians anyway, and Lorkhan was surely the way to get his revenge for the death of his parents.

The Gerudo King stood up and walked over to his minions.

"Now my boy, what shall we do with the Princess?" he asked of Jaden.

"I think I should have the privilege of killing her. After all I did capture her…" the Sheikah started before being interrupted.

"We can't do that! If we kill her now, then we can't claim the Trif…" So'Prano started to say before being knocked to the cold stone floor by her king.

"Did I give you permission to speak, wretch?!" Lorkhan said between his teeth.

Jaden smiled and laughed at the abuse his evil master had given to the Gerudo assassin. This was his destiny, to be at Lorkhan's side as the King of Thieves took the sacred Triforce from the hands of those who held it. Something was on his mind though as he watched the Gerudo woman run out of her king's sight. The Sheikah knew where the Triforces of Wisdom and Courage were, but he had no clue as to the location of the third piece.

With out all three pieces, there was nothing to profit from this venture.

His ponderings were ended when Lorkhan began speaking again.

"I've grown tired of the Hylians thumbing their noses at us," said the Gerudo King. "We have nothing of value here, that's why we steal. If we didn't we would starve to death, a meaningless end for a once proud people..."

"Is there no worth at all to this land, my lord?" the boy asked.

"What value is there in a desert?!" Lorkhan answered. "The wind has eroded every last inch of precious soil from the earth. We are forced to buy our food from Hyrule as if we were dogs begging for scraps. There are no rupees here, and so we must make pottery from the sand to barter with them."

"Now I see clearly, my lord. The Hylians are a wicked people," Jaden replied.

"That they are, and if Harkinian will not give us what we want, then we shall take it from him…"

Lorkhan led the boy over to the nearest window, and showed him the ethereal beauty of the moon rising over the desert. The Colossus in the background was silhouetted against the pale disk, partially obscured by the sandstorms whipping across it on the other side of the Haunted Wasteland.

"Dear boy, if we were to end the life of young Zelda now, the whole plan would collapse. We need her still, and I want you to guard her for the time being. When you are properly trained, the entire Hylian Empire will beg for your forgiveness! Very soon, we shall storm Hyrule Castle, and you will be at my side!"

"My king, I am honored to serve you," Jaden humbly said.

The laughs given off by the two were loud enough to echo throughout the entire palace and even reach down to the murky dungeons below.










Inside the Gerudo Fortress's dungeon


She could hear the footsteps quite clearly.

That alone was enough to tell her they were not the silent steps of a Gerudo. She tried to get a view of this unknown trespasser who was coming into the dungeon.

Of course, she had no power over anyone who happened down the dark corridor. The woman was bound in a cell of her own and strapped hard against a wall by strong steel chains. In the dim light she could see the glint of the metal shackles holding her in place. No longer would she struggle against them, as mortal hands could not hope break them.

Frantically, she looked around her cell for something that was reachable, but there was nothing.

The only items in this dank place were a steel tin on which her food was brought into her, and a few scattered bones.

She shuddered to herself, wondering if she too would end up sharing the fate of the poor fool whose life was wasted in this dungeon. Her eyes made their way up to the cracked ceiling of the jail and let out a long sigh. It was too high to reach even with her arms free, and again she was thrown into despair.

Her gaze fell back down and she noticed movement near the cell across from her in the flickering torchlight. The door opened, and a tall, blonde haired man threw an unconscious Hylian girl into the cell.

It was the traitor, Basse. He locked the door, then immediately turned and walked away, leaving several Gerudo to guard the cell.

Another person soon entered, a young man with white hair and red eyes, a Sheikah warrior. He struck up a dialogue with the Gerudo guards, and made several vulgar insults about the unconscious lady, which made them laugh. The Sheikah walked over to the bars and took hold of them. Dark purple energy emitted from his hands and swept over the iron bars. They flashed brightly three times, then returned to their original, drab gray.

Looking confident, he told the two Gerudos that they could leave for the night, then he was gone, disappearing back into the corridor.

A few minutes later, the young woman groggily sat up.

The gentle lady could not have been a warrior, as she looked too frail, and rather scrawny compared to a full-bodied Gerudo woman. She had the looks suited more for a beauty queen than a real soldier of Hyrule. Probably this Hylian would not have enough muscle on her to fight off a Deku. Her garments were too high class for that of a peasant. Besides, what would the "mighty" Lorkhan need with one of such low social position?

Suddenly, she realized who the captive girl was.

It was Zelda, Crown Princess of Hyrule.

Nabooru then smiled to herself. If she could get a moment alone with the Princess, it could be possible to coerce Zelda into helping her fellow captive Gerudo escape. Princess Zelda had a way with words, and would be a valuable addition to her little gang.

All Nabooru had to do was get out of her chains.


* * * * *


Weapons were strewn about everywhere. Long swords, broad swords, axes, bows and arrows, boxes of bombs, and many other weapons used against the forces of light. Most of them were covered in dust, not having been used in years, but many of the modern weapons were shining in the dim light. Sitting in the midst of all these mass produced instruments of evil was Trebla’, the General of Lorkhan’s forces.

Or rather, the former general.

Since his forced retreat in the Zora’s Domain, Trebla’ had taken to training and forcing himself past all of his physical and mental limitations. The door to enter the war room had been bolted shut from the outside and Lorkhan had commanded Trebla’ to remain in captivity until he was able to break down the door on his own power.

The dungeons and jails were so full of prisoners, that this was the only place Lorkhan could stick him.

Trebla' didn't mind, it just gave him the chance to hone all of his skills. For days, the general forced himself to endure the most horrifying tests of strength and endurance. All the while he vowed to get his revenge on Link, and win his position back from whoever had taken his place beside Lorkhan.

The Gerudo King was his ticket to the power that he craved so badly. He needed that strength behind him, otherwise his dreams of glory would go unfulfilled.

Trebla’ raised his hand to his face and touched his scar given to him by his ultimate enemy. He would make sure to pay the hero back for this. No one got away with disgracing Trebla’ in front of his army. Slowly, Trebla' would bide his time until the day would come when he would meet with the forces of good again. When he and Link battled again, it would be Trebla’ who emerged victorious.

The only difference is that Link would not walk away with just a scar. The Hero of Time would be lucky to walk away at all.










Back on the ledge above the ravine


The blood was everywhere.

It was all over the rock formations jutting out from the face of the cliff. The smell was unmistakable amidst the aromas of the bomb flower powder and brimstone that normally surrounded the gigantic volcano. The blood was not dry, seeming to be very recent since the red life force was drained out of whatever body had shed it.

Toriyu had heard the screams himself. Grappling down the side of the rock face, he sniffed the crimson colored stones. His keen sense of smell picked up on certain factors about the stains. It seemed that they were ridden with the stench of Deku powder, sweat, and tears, even though the thunderstorm had washed much of it away.

His sensitive Tokay nose picked up on this immediately.

A special race of intelligent reptiles, they lived only on a small island off the coast of Labrynna. Tokays had always possessed a highly advanced sense of smell, and Toriyu was especially skilled in the art of aroma detection. He had been in the area for little more than two minutes searching for the rare bomb flowers to trade back home before his nose sprang to attention at the sticky sweet odor of blood. His senses told him it was Hylian blood right away, and from the amount lost, it had to have been a long fall. The direction the blood from the point of first impact to the end of the trail shifted far off from a straight down course, this told him that the wounded must have fallen at a great speed and on a very odd angle.

It was only at the point the blood trail ended that Toriyu noticed something that was out of sorts.

There appeared to be a sword imbedded deep into the hard rock surface of the mountain. It glistened in the daylight sun like a glorious beacon. Athough the faint residue of a monster's entrails was heavy on the blade, which meant it had been through some tough battles, it was not scarred in any way.

Toriyu grappled towards the sword, being careful not to snag his line on the sharp spikes jutting from the walls.

"Ahh, this should definitely fetch a high price," he thought to himself greedily.

He hooked firmly onto the wall and ripped the blade out of the stone. As soon as he freed the weapon, Toriyu thought his arms would be torn from their sockets. The sword was impossibly heavy, weighing a million pounds at least, the tip pointing straight at the ground. The strain on his muscles was absolutely incredible, and he felt the valuable sword slipping from his grasp. Finally, he could take no more, and the sword fell from his hands and down to the canyon floor far below.

The priceless sword clanged loudly, and he feared it might well have shattered.

It was at that moment when Toriyu realized where all the blood had come from.

A young Hylian lay at the bottom of the ravine, his broken form stiff and unmoving. There was a small puddle of thick crimson blood oozing from a wound in his right side. His green tunic had rips and tears all along the back, most likely from the treacherous fall. Upon closer inspection, Toriyu found that the injured man was still breathing. As the Tokay edged his way onto the solid surface, he rolled the youth over and shielded him from the light rain that was still falling.

Immediately, Toriyu started to treat him with some herbs he had received in a trade near Kokiri Forest. He ground them into a fine powder, then mixed them with Lava Juice, a Goron specialty, to create a powerful healing potion.

Tokays had no currency known to date. They conducted their bargains through trades and services. Since Toriyu was one of the only Tokay to ever cross the water to the mainland, he was well known. He always carried many types of herbs, weapons, and currency in case he had come across a rare oddity that he absolutely needed to have. What brought him to the mountain was the knowledge of Bomb Flowers. They were rare on his native Crescent Island, and if Toriyu were to bring some back, he could make a killing in deals.

The wounded lad stirred slightly as he suddenly regained consciousness.

In a flash, he grabbed Toriyu by the throat with one hand while picking up the razor sharp sword with the other. Only a few inches separated the Hylian and the lizard man, their faces nearly touching. The Hylian's eyes were filled with deep pain and suffering. Not the pain of the scars that now adorned his body, but another type of hurting.

What that pain was, Toriyu did not know, but he had an idea after the raging man spoke.

"Where is Zelda?!"










Evening: In a tent outside Kakariko Village


Wrapped in bandages, Link quietly gazed down at the Master Sword in his hands. It was one of the many things he'd taken for granted in his life. In many ways, the sacred blade was the only thing he could trust. Link's head was swirling with emotions as he tried to contemplate what had gone wrong and how he could fix his life.

His was a life that had certainly never been easy.

Link had never met his real family. Next to nothing was known about his mother, and even less about his father. It was said that his father had died as a Knight of Hyrule in the Fierce War, but even that was just a rumor. His mother had fled from the fires of the war during its last days, and was wounded severely by the enemy while escaping.

She had stumbled into the Lost Woods, and from there found her way into Kokiri Forest. It was there, at the base of the Great Deku Tree where she finally died, holding the infant Link in her arms.

As a boy, he was taunted for being different, because he was the only Kokiri without a fairy.

Then he learned he was actually a Hylian, something he had never expected. It forced him to adopt a newer, harder way of life, different than that of the fancy-free Kokiri. Years of slaying demons and monsters had taken their toll, and there were times that Link felt nearly broken in half by them. It was during those times that the symbol of the Triforce on the back of his left hand shined the brightest.

He had saved Zelda before, in all the ways that a person can be saved, and would do it again this time.

Link snapped out of his deep reflection when the lizard man asked him a question.

"So you're saying you fell off the cliff?" Toriyu inquired.

"Well…yes, but at the same time, no. I was tricked into falling off the cliff," Link sullenly replied.

"How can anyone be so stupid as to fall of a cl…"

Toriyu stopped quickly as he saw his companion’s eyes. They shone with not tears this time, but a feeling of pure hatred.

Link was engrossed in recollection of what had happened to him early that day. Toriyu knew very little of the encounter which nearly led to this lad's ultimate demise. Once his wounds were patched up and once he had regained a sense of where he was, the young man wanted nothing more but to strike out again.

"I have to get started. If you value your life, then it's best you leave. It’s not safe to be around me," said the Hero of Time sharply.

What had he meant by that, and who was this Zelda that he was so obsessed with that he was willing to kill? It couldn’t be the Princess Zelda. The Hylian in front of Toriyu was a peasant and she was royalty. No romantic interests could ever possibly blossom from that.

Of course, Toriyu didn't know the truth. He probably never would if Link got his way.

"You know," the lizard man started, "it isn’t safe for you to travel alone. Maybe I should follow you until your wounds heal completely."

The broken hero looked up at him and shook his head silently.

"No. You must not get involved with me. It will just end up in more pain," Link said without emotion.

This was the last thing he said before he rolled over and drifted into a deep sleep. His dreams soon interested Toriyu as he solemnly watched over Link as he slept throughout the night.










Outside Kakariko Village: the next day


"I told you, I don’t want you following me!" Link yelled to the Tokay.

"I’m not following you though," Toriyu began. "I just happen to be going to the same place."

"Really? Then where are you heading?"

"Uh…"

The Hero of Time sighed heavily. He could hardly remember anymore how it was that he got roped into this insane quest. Link wasn't a babysitter or a mediator, and having the Renegades and the Princess with him all the time to watch over had hindered his sense of danger. The hero had always worked much better with only himself, his sword, and his fairy partner. It was times like these that truly made him miss Navi, however much of a loudmouth she may have been.

But nowadays Zelda was his partner, and that was more than adequate. Plus it was infinitely more pleasant than listening to a glowing ball of light all day.

Link turned back towards the lizard man following behind.

"Understand something, this isn't going to be a short trip. There will be dangers the likes of which you have never seen before," said the hero sarcastically. "I advise you to just forget that you met me."

The Tokay chuckled heartily at this, as he knew that would be next to impossible.

"I think I can handle myself," said Toriyu. "Even I have read the legends about the one who wields the power of evil's bane. No sir, Master Link, I don't think anyone would ever forget about someone like you!"

Link took a minute to look over the reptilian Tokay. He wasn’t suited for battle, and if a struggle erupted he would be a burden. Toriyu would be just another distraction to look out for, deluding Link's attention from the tasks at hand. The Tokay was a merchant not a warrior, however, he did happen to carry a lot of bombs on his person. Never one to be subtle, Link could surely use them to his own advantage. If things needed to be blown up, then this Tokay would surely be the one to do it, and he did owe Toriyu a favor for saving his life after all.

In the end, the hero was forced to give in to the peddler’s insistence. As much as Link wanted for Toriyu to abandon his plan to follow along, it was not his decision. Whether or not he would be useful was something only the ordeal to come would tell.

"If there is trouble, you hide!" Link said matter-of-factly.

"No problem," Toriyu replied. "Tokays are known for their excellence in stealth. You won't even know I'm there I'll be so stealthy…"

The small, eccentric lizard man was almost too cheery for Link to handle. Here was another one of those times where the Triforce of Courage started shining really bright.

"I hope I don’t regret this..." the hero thought as he retrieved the Ocarina of Time from his magic pouch.

Gesturing for Toriyu to hold on to his leg, Link expertly played the slow, depressing melody that was the Requiem of Spirit.

In a flash of orange light that seemingly radiated from nowhere, they disappeared and were well on their way to the Spirit Temple.










Inside Goron City


Everywhere, rocks surrounding poor Zetalyn's view.

She couldn't see anything beyond the great slabs of rock that now encased her in a prison of granite and boulder. As she lifted her arm, a shard of a giant boulder suddenly fell across her, trapping the Zora underneath. It happened each time she lifted another body part, the second it moved another piece of rock would stop her movement, as if the stones were alive in some way.

Which it was, the mighty Gorons had found Zetalyn strewn across the rocks atop the mountain alone. She was bleeding profusely, and it seemed her body was in tatters. Her left shoulder was dislocated and her right arm was broken in three different places. Zetalyn had bruised her forehead and shattered three of her ribs.

It did not look good for the young Zora warrior.

Luckily none other than Darunia had been the one to find this young maiden of blue complexion. He hoisted her upon his mighty shoulder and brought her to the Goron medical facility. He quickly treated her wounds with a salve sold by a rather curious Tokay who disappeared back into the mountains soon after.

Darunia would have asked what was so important if he was not worried about Zeta’s life.

"Please, stop squirming around. Your body hasn't gotten used to the pain quite yet," Darunia calmly said, his voice sounding soft and gentle.

Zetalyn brushed his arms aside and calmly sat up, then scanned the chamber. It was a square room filled with many medical items to aid in emergencies, and of course, two or three cots for non-Goron patients to lie in. Since everything was made of different types of stone, Zetalyn assumed she was inside the Goron City once again. She tried to stand but the intense, shooting pain would not allow her to hold herself up.

The archer tumbled forward and awaited her imminent crash to the floor.

She did not slam into the cold granite surface as expected. Darunia's gigantic arm reached out and grabbed her before she fell. The Goron chieftain had been watching over her throughout the night and had just saved her from a painful slip. Zetalyn must have been extremely light headed to have missed the fact that Darunia was not even three feet from her bed.

Although Darunia did seem to blend in with the background, being the same color as the walls.

"W..w..what happened?" Zetalyn replied, sounding very confused.

"I was hoping you could tell me," the Goron said back. "From the looks of it you were in a battle. You banged your head up on the wall, then you must have lost consciousness…"

Darunia looked very forlorn, almost like he couldn't tell her what had happened to her friends.

"We couldn't find any other members of your party. There's…there's blood all down the sides of the cliff," he said, his voice trembling almost.

In an instant, her pounding headache and various other problems had dissolved into nothing. Rage coursed through her, and she shot back up to her feet.

"Jade!" Zetalyn screamed, spitting out a few drops of blood.

Her quickly injuries caught up with her, and she collapsed back onto the floor. Darunia took his place at her side once more. He propped her up and gazed at her in a fatherly manner.

"Tell me what happened," Darunia asked.

Even then, the Goron leader already had a good idea who the culprit was.

"He did this! That little weasel knocked Gonga and Dreck over the cliff, and then kidnapped the Princess!" the Zora exclaimed.

Darunia was struck with grief. He had lost not only his true brother, but Zelda was now missing and Link was nowhere to be found. Gorons had searched the whole area of Death Mountain, but discovered absolutely nothing that would point to their whereabouts.

"I think Link got away, he dove after Jaden and…" Zetalyn started as she caught the horrified look on Darunia’s face.

"What is it?" she asked, befuddled for a moment.

"Link was facing the cliff when he jumped," Darunia replied, his voice tight and rigid with fear.

"Yes, Jade and Zelda were there at the edge when Link…oh no!"

Zetalyn started to cry into her hands as she realized where the blood on the cliff must have come from. In her eyes, the greatest hero the land of Hyrule had ever seen was dead and cold. In the depths of her psyche the Zora could see his body at the bottom of the ravine, torn and snapped. The bodies of her friends, Dreck and Gonga, were not far away, lying amidst the cracked boulders where they had landed.

This was something Zetalyn would not accept. Indeed, she could not accept it, and immediately went into denial.

"It doesn’t mean it was Link’s blood! It could have been anyone's!" Zetalyn started to ramble, trying to find some explanation. "He…he can't die! Lorkhan can't win! Link is…he's invincible!"

The Goron leader quickly brought her back to reality.

"We also found deep marks from a blade," Darunia said even lower than before, "and a piece of a green tunic…"

Zeta's face went stark white upon hearing this. Link had fallen off the cliff, and she cursed herself for not being able to save him from Jaden. The archer felt foolish for not being able to spot it sooner, as there were so many signs that he was tainted by evil. She started to sob harder than before, realizing that everyone she had held dear was gone.

Darunia embraced her into his arms and comforted her silently. He spoke hard and fast.

"Link is a warrior, a hero, a champion. He would never give up without a fight," said Link's Sworn Brother. "I am sure if we search for him he will be alive. As for Zelda, we can do nothing until we find out where she has been taken. My brother and Dreck have the greatest chance of survival. If we look hard enough, we'll find them quicker than you think."

Immediately, Zetalyn stopped crying as she came to the same realizations Darunia had. Tiny Dreck was a Deku, he could have used his petals to float to safety. His counterpart was a Goron, impervious to just about everything, including falling from height. Although it was a longshot, she held the hope that they were all still alive.

She wished for her wounds to heal swiftly so her mission could be fulfilled. As soon as she located her comrades, Zetalyn would make sure the one responsible would pay for what he had done.

Jaden would face her wrath sooner or later.










The Gerudo Fortress: a sandy, unbearably hot jail cell


A thin beam of sunlight penetrated the dark, inhospitable cell through a tiny, barred window. Even at this time of day, the other end of the cell was almost entirely shrouded in a murky blackness. What seemed like the only prisoner huddled in a ball, her knees to her chest, seemingly afraid to be out of the light.

The girl looked to be meditating quietly, perhaps planning an escape, or just silently waiting for the executioner to arrive.

Still dressed as regal as ever, Zelda sat there, angry at herself for not seeing the danger that had been rushing towards them all. Her splendid armor had been taken away, leaving her to wallow in self pity with a little more than a tattered royal gown.

Here, there were no guards. The two Gerudo who were supposed to have been watching her had left the night before and had not returned since. That didn't matter anyway, because the bars were enchanted by magic spells. The burn marks on Zelda's hands were evidence enough that they were powerful enough to thwart ever her magic.

Yet, in truth, the Princess didn't feel alone at all. She could feel many sets of eyes peering at her, watching her every breath and scrutinizing her slightest movements. Zelda could see their forms, hunched over in the darkness, patiently waiting for her to do or say something.

Unexpectedly, one of them emerged from the shadows. It was a young Gerudo girl, about fifteen or sixteen years old. Great suffering was in her eyes as she took a seat on the sandy floor in front of the Princess. It looked as if the girl had been here quite a while, as her normally bright Gerudo uniform was tattered and dirty.

"Addos binta Hylio roylat?" she said harshly in her native tongue. "Sahdikt abbis tehlrosh da ne agahnim loto Lorkhan?!"

The Princess fidgeted nervously, as she had absolutely no clue what this young woman meant.

"Kentoori ratta Lo," the girl started again. "Yann nomi qo?"

"Umm…my…name…is…Zelda," the Princess replied rather condescendingly, as if she were talking to a three year old. "Can…you…help…me?"

Almost immediately the Gerudo girl had a look of disgust on her face. Standing up, she turned her back on the Princess and stormed back towards her little dark corner. Zelda was dismayed by her failure to communicate, and putting her chin on her hand she started to mope. She thought all was lost and she'd never get out of this horrible sun baked prison.

Thankfully, the woman in the cell across from her spoke up.

"Why the long face, Princess?" the prisoner said cheerily, who was chained to the wall.

Even in the dim light, Zelda could distinctly see the woman's face. Of course, she was Gerudo, with long, flaming red hair, and very deeply tanned skin. Her clothes were ripped as well, but they showed signs of having once been very regal. Whoever had imprisoned her had allowed her to keep all her jewels. The rubies and amethysts on her particularly large brooch glittered the sunlight, letting the Princess know just who this person was..

It was the beautiful and mysterious Nabooru.

"Aw, did Kentoori make fun of you? She likes to be intimidating for some reason," she said teasingly. "Maybe it's because you're Hylian, or maybe it's because your outfit screams "I'm royalty, kidnap me and hold me for ransom!", or perhaps she plain just doesn't like you."

The Princess was astonished

"You speak Common?!" Zelda replied incredulously. "You're Nabooru!"

The Gerudo thief rolled her eyes at that statement.

"I'm so glad you remembered me, Ladyship. And yes, I speak Common. Everybody does!" the Gerudo replied with an attitude. "It's just about the only thing that Humans have done for your little empire. Shouldn't you be grateful?"

Common, or Engl-ish, was the language that the Humans that inhabited Holodrum and Labrynna spoke. When those areas were absorbed into the Hylian Empire, the King decided that a national language was necessary to improve relations with other races and to standardize trade. For the other races, even modern Hylian was difficult to learn, and was close to impossible for the Zora. The language had hundreds and hundreds of characters, and one had to know all of them to be considered barely literate.

Engl-ish was simple and had only twenty-six characters which represented sounds rather than ideas. It was easily written and easily taught in schools, where children quickly adapted to its sometimes odd grammar rules. Now renamed as "Common", people were urged to learn both it, and their native language. Everyone could keep their heritage and still be able to communicate with many of the traveling merchants and tourists who came to Hyrule.

None of that mattered now.

Zelda had a lot of questions to ask.

"How did I get here? Where are we?" she inquired.

"Gerudo Fortress, where do you think?" Nabooru answered. "That Sheikah boy bashed you over the head I suppose. Then they dumped you in here with us."

The Princess touched the back of her head and felt the painful lump that had formed. No one had ever dared to strike a member of the Royal Family, and Jaden would pay for this somehow.

"So, Your Highness, looks like you're in quite a predicament," the Gerudo said, mocking her.

"Indeed I am," Zelda shot back. "What does it matter? If I can't bend the bars, then I'll just wait for Link to come and save me…"

A spark of recognition flashed through Nabooru's mind. The image of a little boy in a green tunic resurfaced in her mind. She remembered how foolishly brave the boy was to try to steal the legendary Silver Gauntlets from the Desert Colossus.

"Oh, so the little runt has graduated to rescuing princesses," the Gerudo replied. "He must have done well for himself, a handsome, dashing Knight of Hyrule I assume?"

Nabooru laughed heartily when Zelda grimaced at her. She could tell the Princess had a vested interested in him, and could almost feel the waves of jealousy radiating from Her Highness.

"Anyway…in order to get out of here, we've gotta get past the King's agahnim," Nabooru said solemnly.

"Huh…agahnim? What in Din's name does that mean?" Zelda replied.

"It roughly translates into something like "dark apprentice", or whatever the hell you want to call it in your language. He's Lorkhan's new toy, that Sheikah kid who was down here gloating about how he had captured you."

Zelda searched her feelings and came to the conclusion that this simply could not be true. Unfortunately, it was, and she had to come to terms with the darkness living inside. Even so, she would do all in her power to return the boy to his former state. Jaden had evil thrust upon him, and even though he had done atrocious things Zelda still thought he could be saved.

For his sake, Zelda had to at least try.

Before any of that could happen, the Princess needed to break free.

"We have to get out of here," she said. "Can I put my trust in you, Nabooru?"

"Certainly! I hate this place more than anything!" the Gerudo replied. "Just get me outta these shackles and I'll do all I can!"

The Princess smiled and rubbed her hands together in a devious way. Two other Gerudo girls, along with Kentoori, emerged from the darkness to see what Zelda was doing. Her eyes had lost their color again, like they had when she was performing the Merging Ceremony with Link.

It wasn't entirely clear what Zelda was doing, but it was amazing. She sat perfectly motionless on the sandy floor, deep in meditation. That's when the girls, who were highly skilled thieves, heard the soft, yet unmistakable sound of a lock being picked.

Mere seconds later, Nabooru's leg chains make a clacking noise, then opened wide.

Thanks to Zelda's telekinetic powers, the greatest living Gerudo thief was free of her bonds.

Very soon, the rest of the girls would be free as well…










At the entrance to the Haunted Wasteland


The windblown desert was a graveyard without headstones. Sand swallowed the bleached bones of lost travelers without a trace. The gritty storms that whipped across the dunes severely hindered visibility, leaving anybody unfortunate enough to lose his way little chance to see the morning sun over Hyrule again.

Link stood at the entrance to the barren, unforgiving desert. The great Spirit Temple was behind him, standing proudly against the brutal winds. Once it had been a beautiful place, sparkling and new. But that was many hundreds of years ago, and now it was only a husk of what it had once been. Most of, if not, all the colorful paint had been worn away by time and the driving sandstorms that ravaged the area.

Portions of the giant statue of a Gerudo woman were missing, the midsection badly deteriorating.

The Gerudo Fortress itself, Link's ultimate goal, was at the other end of the dunes. There was no way to enter the fort from the east, since it was almost certainly guarded. No one, not even Link, could slip past the net of senrties that were likely watching the entire stretch of the Gerudo Valley. If seen, he would be shot on sight, and that would end his quest for sure.

Then of course, the route across the desert was only slightly less suicidal, but it was the only way to avoid being detected.

Toriyu followed him for only a few minutes, then turned back around and headed for the Spirit Temple. The strange lizard man had it in his head that there would be more profit in plundering the Desert Colossus than hanging around the Gerudo Fortress.

Link thanked Toriyu for everything he had done and wished him well, then gazed out over the landscape.

"Don’t worry Zelda, I’m coming to get you…" the young man thought to himself.

The Hero of Time felt the sun's powerful rays beat down upon him and the cursed earth. On his back, the Master Sword gave a sense of reassurance, the kind that was sorely needed on a day like this. The only thing that separated him from is beautiful princess was this place of lost souls and a stone fortress full of Gerudo warriors.

His love had brought him this far, what awaited him now Link hoped he would be able to brave…


End Chapter Nine


Proceed to Chapter Ten!

-The desert west of Hyrule is one of the most harsh and unforgiving terrains in the world.

Only the promise of treasure leads the foolhardy into the seemingly endless dunes. It is there that the soft sands consume those greedy travelers who do not have someone to guide them through to the other side.

A wayward spirit knows the way to the goddess in the sand, but he will not tell of the safe route to the thieves' den.

Here, in a place of forgotten dreams, the Gerudo scratch out a miserable existence amidst the dunes. It is their eternal punishment for a deed that no one remembers, not even the most ancient of their sorcerers.

Into the whipping, gale force winds the Hero of Time steps. Courage drives him forward, nearer and nearer to his love, his fate, indeed, the very reason that he lives.

What will he find when and if he makes it to the other side?



Chapter Ten: Beyond The Horizon



The Haunted Wasteland


Link could hardly see two feet in front of his own face.

The coarse, rough, gritty sand was embedded in his garments, which would best be described as flimsy. His green tunic did little to keep out the particles of sand that were being driven at him at high speed. It was getting everywhere, from the bottom of his feet to the top of his head. Link had been wandering for a little more than an hour and was already totally covered in a thin layer of sand.

At the same time, it was also painfully hot, the air feeling almost as if it were on fire. Sweat flowed down his forehead in thick beads, which seemed to only attract more sand, adding to his distress. The hero could feel how sun burnt his neck was, the chafing wool of his hat and tunic only increasing the pain. Link was exhausted, and felt as if he would collapse and be swallowed up by the raging sandstorm.

Of course, he would never let any such thing happen.

Stumbling forward a few more steps, Link noticed the faint and blurry outline of a wooden pole. As he approached a bit closer, he could see a tattered red cloth attached to it, fluttering in the brutal, driving wind. It was one of the many placement markers that the Gerudo had set up to guide them through the Haunted Wasteland.

As far as Link was concerned, the Goddesses had placed it there for him.

But the sand was really starting to hurt now, and the hero thought it felt as if his skin would be whipped off his bones. Through sheer willpower, Link pushed himself closer and closer to the wooden marker. Finally, he grasped the pole and held on for dear life.

Wrapping both his arms around the marker, Link hunkered down as best he could, trying hard to make himself smaller.

Link had been in his share of sandstorms before, and this was turning out to be the worst by far. Pulling his green cap down over his nose and mouth, the hero braced himself against the wind. It was fruitless to try to go forward, as that would lead only to death, so he just plain stayed put.

Holding on with all his strength and willpower, Link did his best to simply wait out the raging desert typhoon.










Bowels of the Gerudo Fortress


It was quickly becoming more difficult to evade the guards.

Zelda's magic invisibility would last for only a little while longer. The Princess, Nabooru, and their small Gerudo entourage were hidden from view by a powerful spell placed over the guards. Quietly, they crept along the walls, for the brainwashing pertained only to sight, not sound.

If detected, all of them would be summarily executed.

After she had been freed of her chains, Nabooru had no problem at all escaping from her cell. Swiftly knocking out the guards in the adjoining room, she stole the key to Zelda's cell door. The traitorous Jaden had made a critical error in judgment by not enchanting the lock itself, so putting the key in and turning it was all that was necessary to assure the Princess's freedom.

That had happened close to two hours ago, and they had just now finally found their way out of the labyrinthine dungeon.

Whilst they were sneaking away, out of nowhere a squad of twelve Gerudo warriors bounded into the hallway, stopping just inches in front of the escapees. Nabooru recognized the lead, with the rank of lieutenant, as the assassin Teno'r. The intense desert sun glinted off the hitwoman's long scimitar through an open window, almost blinding Princess Zelda for a moment, which could have broken the spell.

Though she wore the white garb of a Gerudo Elite, Teno'r was also commissioned in Lorkhan's regular army. Darkly tanned from constant training outdoors, she had taken great lengths to prove herself to the King. Though quick with the sword, and even better with a hookshot, Teno'r was mouthy and arrogant, which often got her into petty squabbles with her sisters.

Despite her attitude, she had completed the difficult underground Gerudo training. She then became a deadly assassin, second only to her comrade in arms So'Prano.

Taking one or two cautious steps forward, Teno'r halted suddenly and gestured for her squad to do the same.

"Quiet!" she ordered, her soldiers instantly obeying. "They're here somewhere, hiding in this chamber. Spread out and start looking!"

"What happens when we find them?" one of them quickly asked.

"You know the protocol. Kill the traitors, but leave Princess Zelda unharmed. Now get moving!"

Immediately and without question, the soldiers began to investigate the surrounding area. The drab, light brown walls were only sparsely decorated, just like every other room in the Gerudo Fortress, an ancient ornamental rug and a few animal skulls being the only things worth looking at. Despite its lack of beauty, this room and the better parts of the Gerudo Fortress exuded a strange warmth that made the structure almost livable. It was warm during the frigid night and cool during the burning day, something that could not always be said about many Hylian buildings.

Zelda, Nabooru, and the others were hiding in a corner behind some empty crates and some old pottery, watching the Gerudo comb through the room's clutter. Her mind was being taxed at having to simultaneously brainwash twelve people, but she was holding on and doing well. She regulated her breathing as best she could, and from then on, the spell seemed to be working. The Gerudo seemed quite perplexed that the Princess and her comrades could have disappeared from their cells. A horrible punishment awaited them if they did not locate the renegade princess, the key to Lorkhan's many schemes. But due to Zelda's spell, none of the soldiers saw anything in their direction other than empty space, which was a very good thing indeed.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.

The soldiers were then ordered to check the rest of the compound and quickly dispersed. Soon, only Teno'r remained to survey the area. In a cruel twist of fate, one of the clay pots moved ever so slightly, nudged just a bit by one of the invisible Gerudo girls. Teno'r picked up the movement out of the corner of her eye and watched in amazement as it rattled back into place.

Curious, the assassin walked over to the vase and picked it up. Lightweight and cheaply glazed, a meager few rupees plinked around on the inside when she shook it. Quite aggravated by now, Teno'r pocketed the money inside and threw the vase at the wall, shattering it into a hundred or so pieces.

But before she could storm away in a rage, she noticed something extraordinary. Some of the fragments seemed to be floating in midair, suspended by some kind of mystical force. Teno'r gaped at the sight with eyes wide, and unsheathed her sword just to be safe. Cautiously, the Gerudo approached the invisible girls. Some of the pieces had landed on Nabooru, who was horrified to see Teno'r heading in her direction.

Moving crates and barrels out of the way, the assassin was positive she had found her targets. Now she would kill them and take her rightful place in Gerudo history as the one who eliminated the conniving traitors. Raising her blade high, Teno'r swung in a downward arc toward the floating pieces of baked clay, a sadistic grin flashing across the Gerudo assassin's face. Knowing this could be her end, Nabooru reacted with lightning speed, driving her balled fist into the hitwoman's gut.

She followed that up with a second punch that was twice as powerful, causing Teno'r to lose her grip on her weapon. Nabooru was, of course, the best of all Gerudo thieves, so the assassin was no match at all. Taking advantage of her invisibility, she proceeded to kick her adversary in the stomach several times before being restrained by her comrades.

At this point, Zelda decided it was no longer necessary to keep her spell in place. Even though the Gerudo assassin was doubled over in pain, she was able to look up in amazement as the four young women materialized seemingly out of thin air. A twinge of mortal fear flashed through her as Nabooru picked up the scimitar that she had dropped just moments before.

Nabooru then closed in on Teno'r, devious thoughts brewing in her mind.

"What should we do now?" she thought out loud, trying to restrain her anger.

"Maybe we should torture her the way we were tortured!" Kentoori answered, ready to kick Teno'r a little more.

Zelda restrained the two Gerudo girls, stopping them from doing anything too rash. Violence and the loud screams that would result from torture would draw the guards back and they would be trapped once more. In addition, Zelda found the very idea appalling, as torture had been eradicated from practice in Hyrule hundreds of years before.

"Please, for the love of Nayru, have some mercy for once in your life!" the Princess barked at them. "We're going to get caught if we stay here much longer."

"Okay, fine! Then wherever shall we go Your Worshipfulness?" Nabooru sarcastically replied.

"We can't stay here, that's for sure. We can't go outside either because the guards are swarming all over the grounds, of that I'm positive."

"Fine then, we'll have to hide again somewhere. Come on, there's some store rooms down this way!"

Nabooru and her three companions took off, running at top speed down the nearest corridor, leaving Zelda behind to deal with Teno'r.


* * * * *


After watching the prisoners escape, the assassin gathered herself and shook off the pain in her gut. Her strength had returned, and with it she would subdue Zelda and return Her Highness to the sandy dungeon from whence she came. She glared at the Princess, sizing her up and trying to get her to back down or run away.

But the Hylian stood firm and refused to budge even an inch.

The two of them circled each other, waiting for someone to make the first move. For what seemed like a painful eternity they stared into each other's eyes, until suddenly Teno'r made her move.

Indeed, it was very quick, but also awkward and filled with rage. Zelda easily sidestepped it, tapping into her vast magical powers in order to gain the upper hand. Gerudo fists hit nothing but air as Teno'r futilely tried to land a blow on a target that seemed to be almost in two places at once. Zelda never struck back, merely dodging the attacks with her hands neatly folded behind her back.

After an impressive show of martial arts, the Princess thought it was time to end the charade, as Teno'r was clearly no match at all for her magic powers. The Gerudo kicked high with her right foot, and Zelda neatly bent down to sweep the left one off the ground, causing the woman to land extremely hard on her backside.

With the wind all but knocked out of her, Zelda had Teno'r right where she wanted.

"You…were…only toying with me," the assassin huffed from the gritty stone floor.

"Of course I was," Zelda replied curtly.

"You…could have killed me…at any time, am I right?"

"Most certainly, and in more than one way."

The Princess's voice was cold and devoid of emotion. Zelda didn't have a lot of time to chat, so she got straight to the point.

"Where is Jaden?!" she demanded.

"The Sheikah boy? He…is training with Master Lorkhan," the defeated hitwoman replied.

"For what? What is he training for?! Tell me, I must know!" Zelda roared in anger.

Teno'r merely chuckled at her ludicrous request.

"Stupid girl! I'm not one to take orders from you! Go find out for yourself!" she said caustically.

When the Gerudo found out seconds later that it was impossible to move, her smug tone of voice completely disappeared.

Zelda was using formidable magic to bind her in place. Teno'r lay face up on the dirty ground, arms and legs stiff at her side. No matter how hard she commanded her muscles to move, they simply would not budge. A great sense of mortal fear washed over her now, paralyzing her to an even further degree. The Gerudo assassin had always tempted death, laughing in its face whenever she could. But in her mind she had failed this time, and her sisters would not be there to snatch her back into the world of the living.

An iridescent ball of light appeared in Zelda's outstretched palm as the Hylian approached the downed Gerudo. It was now that Teno'r's face turned as white as a sheet.

"Please…please no…" the woman said, terrified. "I didn't mean it! Please…don't!"

"I'm sorry, but it's time for you to go to sleep," the Princess replied in a somber tone.

The orb of light vanished when Zelda held her hand over Tenor's body. The assassin's eyes widened at the strange feeling of warmth that flushed over her. It was cozy and inviting, dulling her senses and calming her nerves.

Soon after, there came a seemingly pleasant blackness that overwhelmed her, and then there was nothing.

Nothing except the grating sound of someone loudly snoring.

And so the Princess Zelda left her adversary there, sprawled out on the floor, sleeping like a baby.










In the middle of the desert


At least two hours had passed since the beginning of the sandstorm. Raging high-speed winds had given way to calm, albeit extremely hot, weather. Blue sky stretched from horizon to horizon, and the sun beat down on the earth unabashed with all its fury. Nothing stirred here, and everything was quiet and serene, not even the vultures daring to take to the wing in this scorching air.

The only visible thing where the Hero of Time had once stood was a great mound of sand with the crimson red flag marker at the very top. It fluttered lazily in the hot breeze with no purpose other than to show any intrepid souls present that they were indeed in the middle of nowhere.

Of course, this was just a sand mound, one of countless others. It was harmless it every way. Eventually, the grains would sift their way down and flatten out, that is, until the next storm blew them back again. But the man stuck in the dune holding onto the marker for dear life didn't have the luxury of waiting until the sand cleared of its own accord.

No matter what he tried to do, Link couldn't move. The weight of the sand was simply too much, and soon he would exhaust all of his magic power. When the sand storm had picked up in its ferocity earlier, Link decided it would be wise to cast Nayru's Love, a magic spell that envelops the one using it in a protective force field.

"I really, really need to get out of here," the hero thought to himself.

Nayru's Love was keeping the oxygen in his lungs, but the second he dispelled it, the sand would rush in and Link would choke to death. Before the spell lost its power, the hero noticed that the sand particles around him seemed to be shifting in a most peculiar way. It was almost as if there was another person deliberately moving the sand away, trying to dig him out.

Suddenly, unexpectedly, Nayru's Love failed.

At least a ton of sand pummeled Link instantaneously. This time he was completely stuck, his arms and legs unable to move whatsoever. With all his muscle power the hero tried to get rid of the sand that was draining all the life out of him, but it was to no avail. A vision flashed through Link's mind of a thousand other travelers who had met this same fate. For them, it had been a quick death, asphyxiated almost immediately by the unforgiving desert. But the hero had chosen never to give up, to struggle against nature and to defy the gods at every turn.

Link would never let himself die in this manner.

Indeed, he would not, for the Hylian felt a pair of strong arms grip his shoulders. A great and powerful force bodily ripped him from the sand dune, equipment and all. Scorching hot air, but air nonetheless, immediately filled his lungs and returned some of his strength.

Lying there on the hot ground, Link sputtered and panted and spit out particles of sand. He then quietly stared up at the cloudless blue sky until a dark shadow obscured his view.

"Fancy meeting you here," said the dark shape. "I believe this is the second time I've saved your life, isn't it Master Link?"

Sitting up, the hero turned to gaze upon the rounded face of a lizard. The reptile grinned widely after seeing the annoyed expression on Link's face, showing a few rows of sharp, needle like teeth.

"Toriyu, I swear I thought I told you not to follow me!" the Hylian exclaimed.

The lizard man put on his most innocent smile.

"But I was not following you Master, honestly," said the Tokay. "I found what I was looking for in the Spirit Temple and was heading home when I caught wind of your scent from underneath that dune."

In order to illustrate his point, Toriyu grabbed one of several burlap sacks that he had with him. Link peered inside and saw at least five thousand rupees worth of gold and jewels. The Spirit Temple was always very well known as the storage vessel for all the loot stolen by the Gerudo. Apparently, Toriyu had been brave enough to steal seven bags worth from right underneath their noses. The little reptile had now amassed a personal fortune of around thirty-five thousand rupees, more than enough to retire comfortably on, that is, provided he could safely get out of the desert.

Handing Toriyu the sack, Link turned and looked towards the Gerudo Fortress on the horizon, and the little Tokay quickly picked up on his emotions.

"You want to go over there, don't you?" he asked.

"It's not that I want to, I need to," Link replied. "She's everything to me."

Rubbing his chin, Toriyu tried to say something, but he didn't know if it would have any effect on the Hylian. With the hot sun bearing down on them, the two of them silently gazed at the high walls of the Gerudo Fortress to the east. Heated air rising up in the distance made the imposing fort look like a mirage, but they knew in their hearts it was real.

Then, Link suddenly got to his feet. He dusted himself off, fixed his equipment firmly, and began walking towards his destiny.

Of course, the lizard man had no choice but to follow him.

"Where are you going?" asked Toriyu, dragging his sacks of treasure behind him.

"I'm going through the back gate," Link replied.

"For what reason?"

"To rescue Zelda."

"Why do that?"

"Because she's a trouble magnet, okay?"

"Okay. But what exactly is a magnet?"

Irked beyond his threshold of self-control, Link turned around to glare at the lizard man. The hero never could stand being asked so many questions, preferring only to listen to others. He had always been very quiet and mysterious, something he'd grown to like and was comfortable with.

"Master, what is wrong? Have I offended you in some way?" Toriyu humbly inquired.

The hero let out a long, quiet sigh before answering.

"No…no you haven't," Link said. "I'm at fault for everything that's happened to her. My own anger and frustration blinded me to a friend's feelings, so I couldn't help him and he betrayed us. Now my other comrades are dead, knocked over a thousand foot high mountain because I failed to save them. I can't let something like that happen again…"

When Toriyu heard Link's last statement, a flash of recognition swept over him. He remembered being back in the ravine at Death Mountain and seeing a few shapes moving around, one very short and one very tall. They had been moving up and down the canyon, trying to find a way back up the sheer rock face. Once he had found Link though, Toriyu noticed that the figures were gone, and so paid it no mind.

It might have been relative to the situation, but then again, it might not. The lizard man decided not to mention it, and simply continued to follow the lone Hylian warrior.










Throne room of the Gerudo Fortress


Jaden laughed maniacally.

Although it would not have seemed possible to him, the outpouring of bolts from his fingers actually increased in intensity. The sound screamed through the chamber, the murderous brightness of the flashes overwhelming the senses. Jaden raised his spidery arms towards the vertical wooden log and fired again. Blinding white bolts of energy coruscated from his hands, shooting across the room like sorcerous lightning.

The energy struck the wood and tore through it, looking for ground. In a flash, the log exploded, sending fiery splinters in all directions. The Sheikah boy repeated this process on all the other training posts, destroying twenty in all.

Lorkhan waded through the thick smoke produced from the burning wood, quite impressed. His new apprentice had come far in the past few days, journeying ever deeper into the mysteries of the dark arts.

"Excellent boy," the Gerudo king said. "The darkness inside has made you powerful. You have learned much in the past few days."

Staring down at his hands, Jaden briefly noticed that they had changed color. His skin had once been rather fair, but now it was a sickly blue color, as if his blood was devoid of oxygen. It was of little matter to him then, so he quickly turned his attention back to his master.

"When are we to attack, my lord?" Jaden asked with a sense of urgency in his voice.

"Have patience, my young agahnim. Our plans will come to fruition soon enough," his master replied.

The Sheikah didn't quite believe that, and continued with his line of questions.

"My King, are you positive? I fear that our window of opportunity is closing," replied Jaden. "We must take the Triforce of Wisdom from the Princess now. Only then can we hope to gather the other two pieces."

Quietly, the Gerudo king gazed at his apprentice, the malice clear in his eyes. He was the only being strong enough to instill fear in the increasingly dark spirit of the Sheikah. As he stood, silent and alone, he did not dare look into his master's face, and instead cast his eyes down at his boots. Lorkhan's presence was awesome enough, but the sound of his voice sent a thrill of terror coursing through Jade's scrawny frame.

"Don't ever question me!" he roared. "This is not a game, boy! You will do as I say, not the other way around! Believe me when I tell you this, Wisdom and Courage will come to us. It is the way of things."

Suddenly, Jade's tendency to be very stubborn reared its ugly head. Lately, the young man seemed to think only his opinions mattered, and that personality trait certainly rubbed Lorkhan the wrong way. He stared his master straight in the eye, directly challenging the Gerudo King of Thieves.

"Oh, do tell!" the young warrior sarcastically replied. "How exactly will they meet? The Hero of Time is most likely dead, I saw to that myself! So how can he possibly make his way here? We have to go and find him, not the other way around!"

Lorkhan stood eerily silent for a moment, so much so that it made the Sheikah realize that he had mouthed off to the wrong person. The King coldly grimaced at the boy, thinking rather hard about how he would rain punishment down on the young warrior for mocking him.

When he finally spoke, he did not sound like a master who cared at all for his apprentice.

"Little whelp!" the sorcerer growled. "Remember who your master is!"

Raising a single hand, Lorkhan unleashed a mighty torrent of dark lightning at the boy. It was of the same type Jaden had been practicing earlier, only this was about a hundred times more powerful. The Sheikah could see the bolts coming at him, and figured that if they were generated by magic, then they could surely be repelled by magic. Initially, he was successful. The lightning rebounded from his touch, striking the walls harmlessly.

Soon though, the shocks came with such speed and power, destroying what will he had left to resist. They coursed over and into him, and Jaden could only shrink before them, convulsed with pain, his knees buckling, his powers at ebb.

Jaden crawled, like a wounded animal, to his master's side. The boy tried desperately to voice his apologies, but all that came from the boy was a pathetic squeak.

"I beg of you…" said the Sheikah. "Please…stop…"

Lorkhan refused to listen. Jaden was nearly unconscious beneath the continuous assault of the Gerudo king's lightning. Tormented beyond reason, betaken of a weakness that drained his very essence, he hoped for nothing more than to submit to the nothingness towards which he was drifting. It was a comforting blackness, so beautiful that he could almost ignore the excruciating sensation of his own skin being seared off.

The Gerudo smiled down at the enfeebled young Sheikah, watching the boy grasp weakly at his leg.

Eventually, Jade's body slowed, wilted, and finally crumpled under the hideous barrage. He stopped moving altogether, at last appearing totally lifeless.

The evil king hissed maliciously, then bent down to kneel next to Jaden.

"Speak to me like that again and I will tear you limb from limb," Lorkhan whispered harshly into his ear. "When you have the strength I'll finish your training. Until then, know this…I own you boy. You, like Hyrule, will be mine…"

He left the Sheikah on the cold floor, turned, and exited the throne room. When Jaden finally mustered the energy required to move, he brought his hands up to look at them. Not only was the flesh on his arms badly seared, but also the flesh of his entire torso burnt well past any sense of recognition.

All he could think about was how ugly he looked with violet blisters covering the entire surface of his body. He thought about how disgusting and humiliated he felt, both from being humbled and from betraying his Princess so. Images of the Renegades, people who had been his friends once, briefly flashed through his head. The boy felt weak and stupid for not having been able to control his emotions, the kind of feelings that had led him down this evil path.

Eventually the Sheikah focused on the one person he had let down the most, the person who had tried so hard to help and guide him through these difficult times.

His thoughts were of Link, and how he failed the Hero of Time above all others. Tears began to flow as he twisted in anguish, both from the pain of the third degree burns and from the consequences of his own actions.

And just before he passed out, Jaden finally understood that this was no longer a game.

This was Darkness.










Inside a small storage room


Running at top speed, Zelda bolted down the corridor. Even now, in the middle of the day, it was dimly lit. She knew for a fact that Nabooru and the others had gone through one of the many doors on either side of this hallway. Zelda could hear the footfalls of the guards growing louder against the sandstone floor.

By now, they had no doubt found the sleeping form of Teno'r. If Zelda stayed in one spot, a whole platoon of Gerudo soldiers would most certainly find her and she'd be back at square one.

The Princess decided to keep running until she reached the very end of the corridor.

Practically skidding to a halt, she noticed that there was a choice between one of three doors. There certainly wasn't a lot of time left, so Zelda tried to open the closest one, but after tugging on the handle, her frantic mind realized that it was locked. The second door was locked as well, but the one at the very end of the hallway, thankfully, was not. Zelda paid little attention to the strange Gerudo markings on it before she flung the door wide open.

Upon entering, the Princess was startled by what her eyes beheld.

There was the Gerudo hitwoman, A'lto, backed up against the wall, with Nabooru's scimitar pressed against her throat. The room was small and cramped, with random boxes filling half of the entire space. A single window filled the room with the blinding glare of the midday sun, shining down hard on the figures huddled inside.

"Ah, just in time, Your Worship," the Gerudo thief said with more than a hint of sarcasm. "Look what I've captured."

"Never mind. Be quiet!" Zelda replied tersely, already pushing a large heavy crate in front of the portal to barricade it. "They'll be coming this way, and they'll hear us if we're too loud."

Only seconds later, the entire platoon could be heard rushing past the door. More than fifty of Lorkhan's soldiers passed by, searching the corridor and breaking into some of the rooms that weren't already locked up. Several of the Gerudo girls began to kick the door to A'lto's chamber, but it was well blocked and Nabooru's comrades had the assassin's mouth covered to prevent her from screaming.

Eventually they saw that the room belonged to one of their superiors and ceased banging on the heavy wooden door. Moments later they were gone, and Nabooru turned back to Zelda in order to insult her randomly.

The Gerudo woman could easily have come up with another sharp-tongued remark but decided that the time for comebacks had passed. She focused her attention on her captive, who had wisely chosen not to struggle. Getting aggressive, Nabooru pushed the curved blade a little harder against A'lto's throat, not enough to draw blood, but certainly enough to be uncomfortable.

"Mind telling us why you, of all people, are holed up in here?" Nabooru asked.

"I could, if you'd just get that thing out of my face!" A'lto replied.

"Why should I?"

"Because if you don't, you'll be forced to kill me, and then you'll never hear what I have to say."

For a long few seconds, Nabooru seriously contemplated that, carefully weighing the consequences of both courses of action. It took so long that her compatriots really started to believe that she would end up brutally slaying poor, captive A'lto.

"Nabooru, stop!" Zelda cried out. "You'll get a lot further if you simply be patient. Violence won't solve anything this time."

Her words made the Gerudo thief stop in her tracks. Thankfully, Nabooru decided that it wouldn't be a very good thing to kill a fellow Gerudo, even one as twisted as the girl in front of her.

A'lto let out a heavy sigh of relief when Nabooru took the knife away.

"Want to share now, or shall we sit here and continue bickering with each other?" the Princess said harshly.

The assassin straightened her uniform in an attempt to regain a sense of dignity before speaking.

"I'm being punished for my failures," A'lto replied. "Lose once to your enemies and you get a second chance. Fail to learn from your mistakes and lose again and this is what happens. It's the Gerudo way."

"So I see," the Princess said. "Rather barbaric if you ask me."

"Yeah, well nobody asked you, did they Lady Zelda?" Nabooru just had to say. "Please don't criticize our social structure, because we certainly don't criticize yours."

Zelda snorted at not having a proper comeback and turned away. The Princess and the Gerudo thief were obviously very strong personalities. Years before, when Nabooru was the Gerudo leader prior to Lorkhan's ascension to the throne, there were many peace accords being held at Hyrule Castle. The young Zelda would often get into heated political debates with Nabooru and her accompanying entourage. It never got to the point where insults were exchanged, but the atmosphere was always charged with animosity.

The older Nabooru thought Zelda was just a snooty rich girl who knew nothing except how to complain to her father when the argument didn't go her way. On the flip side, the Princess saw her adversary as a vicious thief who wanted little more than to steal the crown jewels, and a tramp to boot.

Naturally, as tensions cooled and finally peace came to Hyrule, the two became fast friends. Their arguments now were merely for fun, a private little game of one-upmanship.

However, this wasn't the time for games. A good plan was needed if they were to all escape from the Gerudo Fortress alive.

"Sorry to interrupt your pouting O' Great Princess of Hyrule, but I have something that belongs to you," A'lto impatiently said.

Reaching underneath the old, sand covered mattress, the assassin began to search for something. She began to get frustrated and swore vehemently when she couldn't locate it, but eventually grabbed hold of what she was looking for. Pulling the long steel rod out from under the bed, A'lto happily presented it to Princess Zelda.

The Hylian woman fumbled it around in her hands for a moment before she truly realized what it was. For a few seconds she could hardly comprehend the information that here eyes were sending to her brain. The sight of the glittering jewel fastened atop the metal rod had her completely transfixed. Zelda had thought for sure that she'd lost this valuable artifact, forever stuck at the bottom of the ravine by Death Mountain.

"My…my Omega Rod!" she finally exclaimed. "Where did you find it?"

"It was given to me by somebody," A'lto calmly answered.

"Do you plan on telling me who it was?"

"No, because I honestly don't know. It was some lady, but she wore a thick cloak and I couldn't see her face. She told me it'd be a good idea to help the "Princess of Destiny". I figure that's you, so it'd be a good thing I suppose if I hang around you for a while…"

For a moment, A'lto appeared very sad. It was plainly evident to the others that she would never again kill another living being just from the look on her face.

"There's been enough death caused by me, but no more," she said. "As for that staff, take the bloody thing and get it out of my sight."

Zelda felt almost like hugging the Omega Rod she was so joyful. Now they had a fighting chance of actually getting away with their lives still intact. With its awesome power, the Princess could easily blow a gaping hole in the side of the wall and simply walk out. However, that would more than likely attract all the guards in the area, and Zelda didn't know if she'd be able to defeat all of them by herself. Although she didn't doubt the skills of the Gerudo with her in this tiny, sun-baked room, she wondered how it was they'd be able to fight off the whole division of Lorkhan's army that was stationed at the fortress.

So when that possibility went up in smoke, she turned to Nabooru and the others and they began to hash out a plan of escape.










Twenty minutes later


"Okay, it's agreed!" the Princess exclaimed. "I'll use my invisibility shield again and we'll slip out undetected. We'll make our way out and meet up with the Twenty Second Lancers Brigade that's camped outside Gerudo Valley."

"How fast can they get us to Hyrule City?" Nabooru inquired.

"A lot faster than if we were to walk, I'd say. We'll be there in a heartbeat," Zelda replied with confidence.

Nabooru grinned wildly at the prospect of finally getting away from this wretched place. It had been both a home and a prison to her for so many years that she didn't quite know what to feel.

Once the corridor patrols died down, they would slip out undetected. Afterwards, Nabooru would lead Zelda and the others out of the fortress and into Gerudo Valley. All of them would then make their way across the rickety bridge that spans the canyon in which a stretch of the Zora River flows. Once on the other side, they could link up with a Hylian cavalry brigade stationed just outside the valley as a peacekeeping force.

From there, they would be taken to Hyrule City, where Zelda could inform her father of Lorkhan's treachery and the city's defenses could be shored up.

The Princess stood up and brushed the thin layer of sand off her dress. She could tell that there were no more patrols in the corridors and gestured to the Gerudo with her that it was time to set their plan in motion.

"Okay, time to get out of here," she whispered.

The others nodded in agreement and moved to help her get rid of the barricade in front of the heavy wooden door. Collectively they moved the crate out of the way and Nabooru reached for the door handle.

Just as she put her hand on the knob, a round object blocked the stream of sunlight that had been coming through the window. Turning around, Nabooru could have sworn it was a solar eclipse, and she had to shield her eyes to see what it was. However, she knew for a fact that the moon didn't have a neck, or eyes, or a set of sharp teeth.

Actually, the object was the rather bulbous head of a Tokay. All the women in the room spun around to face it when it began to speak.

"Greetings," it said in a formal voice.

"Uh…hello. Nice to meet you," Nabooru responded, unsure of what else to say.

The lizard man stared at them all before centering his attention on Princess Zelda. Her Ladyship was no cleaner than any of the other sand encrusted prisoners, but she looked, smelled and acted like a Hylian to the little green Tokay.

"Ah, Lady Zelda I presume?" Toriyu asked of her.

"Yes, I am she," the Princess replied. "Can you help us get out of here?"

"Splendid! Splendid!" he enthusiastically answered. "I must go tell the master."

Oddly enough, it seemed the little Tokay hadn't heard the Princess's plea for assistance. He disappeared from sight, leaving the girls to hopelessly ponder what his intents might have been. But then, only a few seconds later, another head appeared in the window.

This person was certainly much different than the enigmatic Tokay. Obviously a man, his head wasn't nearly as circular as Toriyu's and he certainly wasn't any kind of a reptile. He wore big foppish green hat that was seemingly held in place only by the fact that he had a lot of stringy blonde hair. The man was sweating profusely with the hot sun at his back, beads of it dripping from his elegantly pointed ears. Stabilizing himself with one arm, he wiped his brow with the other, showing off the leather gauntlets that protected his hands.

And then he moved enough to block the light, allowing Zelda to get a good look at his face.

Familiar cobalt eyes stared back at her with the same loving affection she'd seen in them many times before.

The window he was looking through was at least ten feet off of the ground, typical of Gerudo architecture. As soon as he tried to climb through, the man slipped and plummeted to the floor. He landed extremely hard on his backside, revealing his forest green tunic, leaving no doubt amongst those in the chamber as to whom this person was.

It was Link, come to rescue them all.


* * * * *


The Princess stepped forward to help the Hero of Time back to his feet.

"You, good sir, are late," Zelda said jokingly. "I would have expected more from the Legendary Hero."

Link shot her a wicked glare as he rubbed his back in pain.

"Well, excuse me Princess," he replied half serious and half comically, "Life is pain! Get to know this!"

Zelda did little more than chuckle to herself.

"Heh, maybe some other day. More importantly, how did you find us?" asked the Princess.

Feeling odd in the presence of the other Gerudo girls, he didn't want to say out loud his true reasons for coming here. Part of it was the fact that his Triforce of Courage and her Triforce of Wisdom would resonate when they were close. However, the truth of the matter is that he loved Zelda so much that he would trek across a hundred deserts just to be with her. In his heart, that's what he wanted to say, but he feared that if he did then the two of them would kiss passionately in front of the Gerudo.

That would, of course, lead to the other girls laughing and calling them "stupid Hylians", perhaps the most common Gerudo insult in the world.

Instead, Link simply embraced Zelda, as she did the same. There would be plenty of time for romantic thoughts and actions later, but for now, they needed to escape this dreaded fortress.

"Magic," said the hero, breaking their tender hug. "I used magic, like always. It's the answer to everything."

Zelda smiled as Link turned his attention towards Nabooru, who was standing there with her hand firmly pressed against her hips.

"Well, la dee da, if it isn't Link, a man, come to save us poor little women," the thief sarcastically began. "Save me! Save me, oh Hyrule Knight! I implore you, tell us your brilliant plan to get us out of this festering hellhole."

All of a sudden, the great hero found himself speechless, almost as if he'd been caught with his pants down. He nervously smiled, feeling the gazes of all the women in the room fixed on him. Nabooru hadn't moved an inch, A'lto was impatiently tapping her foot on the stone floor while Kentoori angrily crossed her arms. Even Zelda and the other two Gerudo had begun to doubt whether or not Link had any kind of strategy for them to follow.

Indeed, he most certainly did not.

"Oh…heh…yes, of course, the plan!" Link finally said, scratching the back of his neck.

He searched around for a second, frantically looking for anything that would save him from embarrassment. Zelda was already beginning to snicker at him and it seemed that the other Gerudo girls would follow suit. However, a clever thought popped into his head and he instantly regained his composure.

"The window, of course," he stated, broadly smiling. "It's how I got in here. No reason to believe we can't leave the same way."

Link haphazardly jerked his thumb backwards to illustrate his point, which only served to anger Nabooru even further.

"Honestly, that's the most brilliant thing I've ever heard in my entire life," she replied with enough sarcasm to choke a horse. "Please show us how it is you plan to get all of us, yourself included, ten feet vertically up in the air?"

Once again, the great Hero of Time was stumped. His courage often blinded him to the wonders of logic and common sense, but thankfully Link was resourceful enough to think on his feet. The Hylian straightened his tunic for good measure, and then walked over to the sandstone wall.

He put his back up against the wall and braced himself as best he could.

Nabooru immediately drew a conclusion and took up a position at the other end of the room. While it was a very tiny storage chamber, enough space existed for her to get a good, running start. Link was something of a celebrity, and he'd grown used to women throwing themselves at him for no reason, but he had never seen one move so fast.

The Gerudo woman appeared to be nothing more than a blur as she bolted toward the hero. Nabooru ran as fast as she could possibly go and covered the distance in only two seconds. She stopped briefly, then jumped up on Link's shoulders, digging her heels into the spaces between his neck and clavicles to show her displeasure at having to be rescued by a man, even one as handsome as Link. With all the force in her legs she pushed upwards and vaulted effortlessly up to the window.

She slipped through and disappeared from sight.

The other four Gerudo girls repeated this process. Each one of them pushed their feet as hard as they could down on his shoulders to spite him, A'lto going so far that she almost kicked him in the head. Once through the opening, they hugged the outer surface, which was much rougher than the walls inside the building, and climbed down to the terrace below. At the end of it all he was aching and was sure to have bruises, but he had felt pain many hundreds of times worse than this and wouldn't complain.

Still, he was happy that it was all over, until he remembered something important.

Princess Zelda still hadn't gone through the opening as of yet.

Even after all they had been through, she still wore the high white boots that Malon had given her days and days before. These were the complete opposite of the padded shoes that the Gerudo wore, and had at least three-inch high, solid heels. Were Zelda to jump on his shoulders with such heavy and unwieldy footwear Link would come out at the end with several broken bones.

That was something the hero definitely wanted to avoid.

"Can't you fly?" he asked, trying to rub away the dull pain. "You know, use your magic powers in some fantastic way where none of us have to get hurt?"

"Sorry, my love. It doesn't work like that," the Princess replied with a smirk. "We have to do this just like all the others did, unless you have a better idea."

Luckily, the hero actually did have a better idea. He clasped his hands together as tight as he could and held them at waist level. Then Link gestured for Zelda to put her feet in between his hands so he could lift her up to the window.

This is what he'd wanted to do in the first place.

First she put her right foot in to steady herself, then, with the grace of a ballet dancer, brought the left up in a steady, fluid motion. Her Ladyship didn't weight much at all, and she felt very light in his hands, making Link have seconds thoughts about whether or not she could actually fly somehow.

The hero lifted his arms over his heads as Zelda stood on his palms, keeping perfect balance at all times. Soon, the Princess was high enough to reach the open window, and she grabbed onto the sill and climbed out.

Now Link was all alone in the middle of the Gerudo Fortress without an escape route for himself.

All of a sudden though, the answer came to him in what seemed like a divine revelation. He nearly smacked himself on the forehead because it was so obvious, and vowed that he would never again overlook such simple solutions to everyday problems. All around him were dozens of wooden crates. They were filled mostly with unused weapons, swords, shields, bows and arrows, lances, pikes and spears. It was now quite evident what kind of storage room they had been in.

It was one of the fortresses' many armories, but that fact didn't really matter at the time. What was important was how Link planned use the heavy boxes to escape and join with the others.

He quickly tested how solid they were, and as soon as it was evident that they'd hold his weight, the hero began the move them into place.

Within a minute or so, Link had rearranged the boxes into an engineering masterpiece by his standards. The small mountain of crates took up most of the space in the chamber, but it was almost nine feet high, and quite sturdy. His eagerness to leave had assured that he would work quickly and efficiently, and his mighty feat was truly a sight to see. Even with all the noise he'd made during the process, none of the Gerudo patrols in the fort had gotten wise to his plans.
The Hero of Time scaled his makeshift platforms like a set of steps, then quietly exited through the open window.

As Link and the girls started off towards Gerudo Valley and their salvation, little did they know that the difficult part had only just begun.










Gerudo Valley: One and a half hours later


Seven weary travelers trudged through the red, iron rich soil of Gerudo Valley. There had been an eighth, a Tokay merchant, but he had made a small fortune that he was unwilling to jeopardize any further. He said his good-byes to everyone, especially Link, grabbed his treasure sacks, and headed south towards the cliffs.

The lizard man scampered up the rock face with no trouble at all. When he reached the top, he turned around, waved once, then disappeared into the unknown.

Link was a little sad now that his quirky friend was gone, but the matter at hand was much more important.

"So, where is the bridge?" he asked. "I haven't been here in ages."

"It should be just up ahead," A'lto replied, her voice surprisingly free of contempt, "assuming no one's guarding it or has already burned it down or something else to that effect."

Nearly an hour and a half had passed since they left the storage room on the fortress. They had to climb down, since even that chamber was on the third story. On top of that, all of them had to move slow enough so that Zelda could keep the concentration necessary to render them invisible. Thankfully, the shield of invisibility held, and not a single Gerudo patrol noticed them in the slightest.

The valley they were in now was certainly a strange one, at best. Eons ago, the Zora River began its endless flow, and after a long time, carved out a deep channel in the mountain. Gerudo Valley itself was at least three hundred feet above sea level, and there were two adjoining cliffs that had to be connected with a wooden bridge in order for one to cross the river.

In fact, it was the only sensible way in or out of Gerudo territory. Approach from the north, south, or west was not a viable solution, since it required trekking across miles and miles of desert. However, Link had done just that, proving it wasn't impossible, just extremely dangerous and bordered on suicidal.

For a short time each year near the end of winter, it rained in Gerudo Valley. This meant one of two things, either the downpour washed away even more topsoil, or provided the few hardy plants that grew there with life giving water. When the latter happened, the Gerudo were able to grow their own crops for at least a full year. However, the former possibility happened the most often, and they were forced to trade heavily with the Hylians for food.

Physiologically, Hylians and Sheikah were superior to human races like the Gerudo. As far as intelligence goes, all three are about the same, but Hylians and Sheikah have a much high percentage of muscle mass, which makes them excellent soldiers. They could both hear sounds a hundred times better than Humans could ever hope to, thanks to their long, slender ears.

In the distant past, it had been Humans who controlled the world. Their empires and kingdoms were vast, but loosely organized. They were hateful and distrustful of one another, and it led to their downfall. When they weren't fighting amongst themselves, Humans fought with the Hylians or the Sheikah, two peoples they could never hope to best in combat.

Countless wars ensued, but the Kingdom of Hyrule stood firm against all attackers. Only those who were Hylian could learn the necessary supernatural skills needed to keep themselves safe, while Humans had no magic infused into their blood. Some say it was fate, or evolution, or the Goddesses themselves that gave the Hylians their powers, but nevertheless it made everyone else resent them.

Only the fires of the Fierce War convinced Hyrule that it finally needed to stand up for itself. When the Gerudo, the only human tribe that could learn any magic at all, gathered all those who hated the Hylians into an alliance, the King knew he had to stop the menace once and for all. The conflict that ensued took many lives, and demoralized the Human population in Labrynna and Holodrum so much that they willingly submitted to rule under the Royal Family and were incorporated into Hylian society.

And thus the Hylian Empire was born, even though the King still had yet to declare himself an emperor.

Even afterwards, however, the Gerudo still refused to accept defeat. Something had happened to them from living in Hyrule's deserts, a change in their biology that allowed them not only to survive in such a harsh climate, but also to learn magic like the other races could. They quickly used it to become thieves who pillaged and plundered anything that wasn't tied down.

It was their own way of getting revenge against those who had denied them the right to expand to new areas.

An uneasy peace between the Hylians and the Gerudo existed, but there was still a lot of hate and prejudice on both sides.

The only things that they mutually believed in were the three Goddesses and the legend of the Hero of Time. Someone who was selfless and brave, who didn't look at skin or shape and saw what a person really was and what they were worth to the world, that's the type of person the Hero of Time was supposed to be. That someone was Link, and even a lost soul like A'lto could admire that.

She did in fact, and secretly wished that her own people could see that too and finally stop their warrior ways and give the planet a ray of hope that would someday turn into the light of peace.

But in the end, it was not to be.

As they all approached the wooden bridge, Princess Zelda picked something up, a creaking noise, floating softly on the wind.

"Shh! Do you hear that?" she whispered, her ears twitching ever so slightly. "There's something moving over there, I think."

"You think?!" Nabooru said back. "Well, what is it? I don't have your special magical senses o' mighty princess."

Zelda herself couldn't quite tell what the source of the noise was. It did sound quite a bit like the bridge itself was swaying in the gale, but the Princess found that she didn't quite believe that. From where they were standing, only the two wooden posts on their side of the cliff were visible, the actual bridge being at a lower altitude.

Link drew his sword all of a sudden, sensing the very same thing Zelda had sensed. He held his left arm out to block the ladies from advancing any farther.

"Don't anybody move," he said harshly. "Stay here, I'll go and figure out what it is."

The hero moved forward warily, ready at a moment's notice to defend those he had tried so hard to rescue. If anything was going to happen, this time around it would happen to him first. However, A'lto didn't believe there was anything to worry about at all really. She wrestled with several prospects in her mind before deciding on a course of action that would affect all of them in a very deep way.

"Honestly, you people are just too superstitious," she said loudly, already walking towards the bridge. "Next thing you know you'll be telling me this stupid thing is unsafe or some other load of manure…"

Link's efforts to stop A'lto were futile, as she barged past him with a hitherto unknown fury. He called out and ran after her, but the Gerudo ignored his pleas to stay with him. She didn't care what was waiting for them ahead because she would face it without fear of pain or death.

A'lto's decision was sure to have tragic repercussions. Never would she be allowed to take the first steps down the path to peace. She would never know love, never have children, never grow old or know the true happiness she had vainly searched for in serving her King.

Instead she would die right where she stood.

There was only a faint sound as the bowstring snapped back, launching the black arrow into the afternoon sky. The Gerudo woman didn't feel even the slightest twinge of pain as the projectile struck her squarely in the chest, piercing her heart. Only seconds before she died A'lto could be heard laughing to herself as she stared vapidly at the arrow shaft jutting from the space between her breasts.

A strange calm washed over A'lto as she felt her life drain away into nothingness. It was funny to her that there would be only peace upon her death, despite how many times she had intentionally hurt someone.

Deep down, A'lto wanted to know what it was like to be the hero instead of the villain, but it was not to be.

She chuckled lightly a few more times, then her knees buckled and she fell to the ground in a heap.

Link cried out in a rage and rushed over to cradle her limp form in his arms.

He had failed to protect another once more, and through his veiled tears caught a glimpse of A'lto's murderer.

Covered in what was once the splendid, glory drenched plate armor of a high-ranking Hylian general, the man stood there, holding a bow. The gusty winds of Gerudo Valley whipped his dark brown hair in all direction, serving merely to enhance his vile image. A scarlet eagle was painted upon his breastplate along with the symbol of the Gerudo, suggesting some sort of unholy alliance between the two.

This man was the dark scourge of the Fierce War, feared by Zora and Gerudo alike.

This man was Trebla', come to claim his vengeance against those who had caused him to be little more than a piece of dirt in his master's eyes. In addition to the longbow, strapped to his back was a large battle-axe of the Goron variety.

"You know, that was meant for you, Link," he smugly began. "I thought you'd recklessly charge across and I'd be able to launch that arrow through your head."

"Sorry, no such luck today," replied the hero. "What you did was wrong! And you'll pay for it!"

Trebla' seemed to be flabbergasted after hearing what Link had to say.

"Do you mean to tell me that you actually cared for that wretch?!" he said in disbelief. "She tried to kill you at every opportunity that presented itself. How could you possibly give a care whether she lives or dies?!"

Link tenderly placed A'lto's body on the ground. Even though they'd been mortal enemies only a short while ago, he had already forgiven her and was willing to help her become a better person. The Hylian honestly believed in giving her a second chance, but Trebla' had brutally ended her life, and the Hero of Time wasn't about to stand for that.

"No one has the right to take the life of another, get the picture?!" Link exploded. "Not you, not I, not ANYONE!"

"And no one here subscribes to your rules!" the general countered. "I'm going to obliterate you all, and there's nothing to be done about it…"

His challenge forced Link to unsheathe the Master Sword. Gripping his shield, the hero did nothing other than hold his blade at the ready. To attack now would be foolish, not brave. The bridge was much too fragile, as a single hit from either the Master Sword or Trebla's powerful battle-axe would likely destroy it. Instead, Link waited for Trebla' to cross over to his side, where they could engage each other without putting anyone or anything else in danger.

Almost as if on cue, the general charged at Link across the rickety bridge. Once he made it to the other side, Trebla' delivered a devastating sideways blow that the Hero of Time only barely countered. The axe had impacted upon his Hylian Shield, which dented it and knocked Link onto his back.

Trebla' stood over him, ready to deal a finishing blow, but the hero was too quick. Link delivered a powerful kick to the general's stomach. It was hard enough to knock him backwards for a second, and in that brief span of time Link got back to his feet.

Now, raising his sword into a better position to attack, Link stepped back with his left foot and then shot forward in a blaze of speed like none other towards the general.

The Hero of Time unleashed a flurry of blows that the older, more experienced Hylian had no trouble blocking. Trebla' was much stronger than his adversary and could swing his axe as if it were light as a feather.

Again and again, Trebla' brought the razor sharp edges down on Link, who kept up with the strength and courage he'd always known.

Yet there was something different about this battle. Amidst the thunderous noise of metal clashing against metal, the hero realized something.

Link could feel something brimming inside of him, a power that had always been there, but that he'd never tapped into fully. As he expertly countered each attack, the hero found himself growing ever calmer, so much so that he could feel the mark of the Triforce of Courage glowing warmly on his left hand.

Awash in this dreamy feeling, the hero was sent back into reality as three horizontal blows from the general knocked him to the ground again. Link flipped back into a standing position a moment later and rushed at Trebla'. Ignoring the pain in his side, he lunged forward, spearing his opponent in the stomach. This pushed the general back and allowed Link to get the upper hand.

Link took off in a flash that seemed to leave time standing still and the hero as the only moving object. It took Trebla’ a moment to realize he no longer held the upper hand and that Link was steadily becoming his equal. Trebla’ dug his feet into the ground as he braced for vertical slash that was sure to come.

However, the Hero of Time knew of the general’s ability to predict movements during battle and used it to second-guess his opponent. He was relying solely on intuition as he bounded up into the air, taking Trebla’ completely by surprise.

Smashing the hilt of the Master Sword into Trebla's face, the Hero of Time then pulled off an amazing feat. Link wrapped his arm around the general's neck, then used his momentum to swing around and up onto his shoulders. In the short space of three seconds, Link was in a precarious situation, on top on Trebla' while he was still standing.

Trebla’ panicked and twisted, quickly throwing his neck into a spin in an attempt to throw his opponent off. Link predicted this though, and perfectly spun into a backflip and landed directly onto the evil Hylian’s shoulders once again.

The younger Hylian then proceeded to strike the elder repeatedly with the Blade of Evil's Bane. Link used all the strength he had left in him to pummel the madman into submission. Each and every hit that landed bloodied and weakened the general, and by now, only ten seconds later, he was starting to lurch forward as if he was going to topple over.

Noticing this, Link hopped off his back and kicked Trebla' in the side before using the Master Sword to slice up the leather straps that held the general's armor in place. Another cut ripped the straps off completely, and his splendid armor fell to the dusty ground. Link disarmed his opponent easily afterwards, and threw the battle-axe over the cliff in a single motion.

The conflict was over, and Trebla’ had lost solely on his arrogance and confidence in his own worth.

General Trebla' had been full of himself before, and had gravely misjudged Link's abilities. He was paying the price for that as Link continued to slash at him, not running the blade through, but making precision cuts in the places he knew it would hurt the most.

He took the Master Sword and sliced Trebla’s arms with two perfect slashes that would sever tendons inside of his wrists.

Trebla’ would never hold a blade ever again.

Once finished, the Hero of Time delivered one last kick that sent the evil man flying. Landing hard at the edge of the cliff, Trebla' lay on the ground in a daze, confused and humiliated.

He tried to hide his shame, to run away, but Trebla' found he could not move his arms or legs. Turning his head, he learned that his enemies had surrounded him, and that Zelda had bound him into place with her magic.

And at his throat was the deadly point of the Master Sword, ready to end his days once and for all.

It was now that the finest general Hyrule had ever known showed his true colors, and they were many shades of yellow.

"Don't…don't be hasty now," he said, his voice quivering. "I'm an important man, and I'm not…unreasonable. We could…we could strike a deal. Yes, a deal. How does that sound?"

Link's eyes were as cold as the steel of the blade poised to slit Trebla's throat, and he did not respond. Zelda's were filled with a seething hatred for the man before her, and she used her powers to constrict the general's windpipe.

"Why did you kill her?" the younger Hylian asked.

"Huh? Wha…?" Trebla' replied, bewildered by his simple question.

The hero put the tip of the blade to rest upon his defeated adversary's throat to make his point, as he knew Trebla had heard him.

"Again, why did you shoot? She did not need to die," Link said. "There was no reason for it."

"Of…course there…was," the general coughed. "She failed…and was worthless…to our cause…"

Princess Zelda was enraged by this, and further tightened the invisible noose. On the inside she was crying for A'lto, but on the outside all that showed up was revulsion. She knew in her mind that this man should no longer be allowed to live, but she couldn't bring herself to finally choke him to death.

"So then…I guess...you are worthless too," the Princess said, her voice unsteady.

After that, there was silence for a moment. Trebla' stared at Link in terror, waiting for the final blow to be struck, to be sent to the netherworld.

"Please…have mercy," he said hoarsely. "Death Knights…darknuts…doppelgangers…or whatever it is. I'll renounce…them all. Don't…kill me…"

"Why should I? You didn't show A'lto any," Link responded, his voice having no emotion whatsoever.

"Because…" whispered the general, "I'm…not brave enough to die…"

An eternity seemed to go by as the two men stared at each other. Link reflected long and hard about what it is he should do. Thousands of monsters had fallen at his hands, but they were mindless beasts that were programmed to kill. His mind was telling him that Trebla was a horrible man and needed to be wiped off the face of the earth. On the other hand, he'd never killed another living, breathing, intelligent person before.

Is this what the Hero of Time was supposed to be, a person who wiped away all evildoers regardless of whether they had some glimmer of hope left in them?

Or was the Legendary Hero one who gave life instead of taking it way?

It was a hard choice, but in the end, Link chose to give.

He grabbed Zelda's hand to break the spell, and Trebla', who by now was blue in the face, was freed.

"Go," he said sharply. "Go now and pray that I find your master before he finds you!"

Shaking in his boots, the former Hylian general got to his feet. He kept his eyes on his enemies as he slithered away. When he got to a good distance, Trebla' broke into a run.

Less than a minute later he was out of sight and out of mind.


* * * * *


Without a sound, Link bent down to scoop A'lto's fallen form. She was free from her mortal bonds now, and all that could be done was to mourn for her. He would bury her personally, as he had with Menegroth and Atanamir, and with full honors if he could.

Most of all, Link would remember her, even if he only knew her for a short time.

Solemnly, the Hero of Time began to cross the bridge.

His party followed behind him, but they gave him a good deal of space. The look in his eyes was that of deep sorrow. Tears flowed from his eyes, yet he was crying not out of sadness, but out of anger. In the corner of his lip was a drop of blood from his mouth that he himself bit into.

No one would ever know how close his invincible soul came to breaking on that day.


End Chapter Ten


Proceed to Chapter Eleven!