"Princess, I'm afraid I have some bad news." Sighed Clovis as he approached her. "Your father is dead."
"What?" gasped Zelda. "How?"
"Drake allowed an assassin to enter the castle, and the king was killed." Clovis said with another sigh. "I'm sorry."
"So I'm Queen now?" Zelda whispered, tears starting to fill her eyes.
"You would be, but Drake handed the crown over to another person." Clovis muttered.
"Then..." Zelda started, but she couldn't finish before she began to sob. "My father..."
"He was a good man. He didn't deserve to die." Clovis growled. "I'm sorry I can't bring him back to you, but if I can do anything to cheer you up just tell me."
"Thank you, but I wish to be alone." Zelda whispered.
"Very well." Clovis nodded. He stepped out of the room that Zelda was confined to, and let out a long frustrated sigh. "I'm sorry Princess. When the chance arises, I will make it up to you, even if it costs my life. The Skull King's gone too far."
"People of Hyrule lend me your ears!" Drake called to the villagers crowded by the castle gates. "Our King has been killed, and his assailant was none other than the Gerudo asked to guard his daughter, our fair princess. And due to Princess Zelda's absence, we are without a ruler. Luckily, I have found a new king. Behold, The Skull King!" Drake cried as Skull King stepped onto the platform above the gate.
The crowd gasped in surprise at the sight of the Stalfos in armor.
"People of Hyrule, I am aware many of you believe I'm a tyrant bent on conquering this land. That is a lie spread by the malicious kidnapper of the princess. Beat Grimsley had gone through Hyrule preaching lies about me and my people. Allow me to rule you, and I will show that I am a fair king." Wheezed the Skull King.
"This is nonsense." muttered a Hylian in the crowd. As he turned to leave several noticed the young man dressed in green.
"So, this is where you call home. Sure is a lot of nothing here." Richard muttered.
"The village is in the trees. It's to prevent any animals to wander into the village." Mist explained.
"Pretty smart. It makes a great defense." Leia nodded.
"You need to speak with our leader, Kane. Solace take them to your father." Mist instructed. "I'm going to go get the Stampeder we managed to catch."
"But Mist, I..." Solace started before nodded. "This way."
"Let me help." Beat suggested. "Richard, you don't need my help to describe what happened, right?"
"Fine, come along." Mist yawned.
As Mist led Beat out of the village, Solace led the rest into the trees by revealing a hidden ladder.
"So what's the chief like?" Finn asked.
"Demanding, traditional, and ashamed to have me as his son." Solace muttered as he walked across a rope bridge.
"That sounds rough." Lukas sighed.
"You don't know what it's like to have a father that hates you." Solace groaned as he stopped before a door. "In here."
"So why follow me?" Mist asked.
"I figured you'd need help. That thing looked big, and I don't think any of my friends would have been able to help." Beat laughed.
"Are you suggesting I'm unable to handle this by myself?" Mist snapped.
"What? Of course not!" Beat gasped. "I wanted a chance to hear what you think of this place. I'm curious about this world. I wanted to be able to ask questions the others that came with me wouldn't understand."
"Really? Like what?" Mist asked.
"Has anyone or anything from another world appeared here?"
"No, well maybe. There's a village that we are in a skirmish with. They recently sailing with a ship larger than any we've seen before."
"Blackened wood?" Beat asked.
"Yes, how did you know?" Mist gasped.
"Two reasons. One, its a ship commanded by a pirate from my world. Two, its headed this way!" Beat whispered as he pulled her behind a tree.
"They're headed towards our docks!" Mist cried. "We need to warn the village!"
"You go warn your people, I'll distract the ship." Beat ordered.
"Are you crazy? What makes you think you can order me around?" Mist snapped.
"Because every second you waste arguing with me puts your village one step closer to being attacked." Beat growled. "Go."
"Fine. But when I'm giving orders, you'd better obey." Mist nodded.
"Right." Beat agreed. He watched his new ally sprint towards her village as he mentally prepared himself. "I can do this... Just Onua and some Stalfos."
"I can't believe it,"
"I know, we've been lied to for so long,"
"I knew we couldn't trust the Gerudo,"
"That King of Thieves stole our princess!"
Throughout the Castle Town, residents discussed all their new king had announced. Only one Hylian wasn't talking about the new king.
"Have you seen my brother? He's tall, and has a bad attitude with animals! He's been gone for a day now, and I want to know he's safe!" Malon cried.
"Miss, I'm sorry, but your disturbing the public. I must ask you file a behest and have it posted on the board." Stated a guard.
"But my brother, he's missing!" Malon pleaded.
"I'll help her, don't worry sir." Called a young man running towards the pair.
"Link? You're back?" Malon gasped.
"Good, I'll leave you two be." Nodded the guard.
"So what's wrong?" Link asked.
"My brother is missing. You remember Finn, right?" Malon sighed.
"I remember Finn. And if you hadn't told me he was missing I was gonna ask about him. I could use his help." Link replied.
"Help you with what?" Malon asked.
Link looked around, then leaned in close to her. "I don't think anyone that's been accused of treason is guilty. They've all worked to protect the king. And I know Beat Grimsley, he isn't a lier. He may be a thief but he's honest. The new king is a tyrant, and I won't follow him." Link whispered.
Malon gasped. "Link, you're not saying..."
"Resistance." Link whispered. "And I could use your help too. A secluded area to meet, that's all I'm asking for. The mill you have would be perfect."
"Link, if I didn't trust you I'd report you." Malon sighed. "Fine, long live the resistance." She whispered.
Finn nervously shuffled his feet as he awaited Kane's verdict. He, Leia, and Richard had explained what had happened, and they had Solace vouch for them. But he wasn't sure what the village leader would say.
"Alright then. I can accept that you're from another world. But why bother looking in our village for a way back? We hadn't heard of any gateways to other worlds before." Kane sighed.
"You're joking right?" Leia groaned. "There's gotta be a way back to Hyrule."
"Wait, what about the Groyan's Den? Isn't it said that the creature is unlike any animal in our jungle. It's den could be the gateway." Solace suggested.
"No. Even if it is the gateway they seek it's too dangerous. They'd have to go into the other village's territory. And if they managed to get through alive they'd have to fight the Groyan." Kane snapped.
"What's a Groyan?" Lukas asked nervously.
"A serpent that resides in the cave where all the rivers lead. It has three heads, and scales as hard as steel. Nothing can harm it." Solace whimpered.
"It's too dangerous. So I have two suggestions for what you can do next. Stay in our village and join us, or leave and head to Cardinal City. That place accepts every strange creature and person into its walls." Kane growled.
"We can't stay here!" Richard shouted. "We have to return to Hyrule! Our kingdom needs protection!"
"Do not think you can give me orders young man!" Kane barked.
"I'm not giving orders." Richard snarled. "I'm following them! I'm supposed to protect the royal family, and I can't do that here. The only decision that needs to be made is if you'll lend us a ship, or make us have to steal one."
Kane and Richard stared each other down until Kane laughed.
"You have spirit. Fine. Once Mist returns she can take you the the Groyan's Den." Kane laughed.
Finn and Lukas sighed in relief, as Richard shook hands with the village leader. Leia sighed and stepped outside.
Solace was astounded that Richard argued with his father. He was so accustomed to people obeying his father without question. As he was about to voice his opinion he heard someone shouting outside.
"Everyone get to cover! The Black Ship is coming!" Mist cried. "Get out of the trees, get away from the river bank!"
"Chloe and that damn ship!" Kane hissed as he jumped up. "Solace, take these three to the safe haven. I'm going to..."
"No." Solace answered. "I'm staying here and helping."
"Son don't argue with me!" Kane snapped.
"I'm going to help save everyone." Solace argued.
"To be honest we were planning on staying to help evacuate anyway." Leia said with a laugh.
"Fine." Kane sighed. "Now hurry!"
The band of travelers split up and ran through the treehouses warming the residents of the danger. As the villages began to climb from their trees to head into the safe haven the black vessel sailed into view.
Leia gasped when she spotted Beat, who was dangling from the masthead. He appeared to be unconscious, and tied so he couldn't move even if he were able to try.
"Grimsley!" Finn shouted. Lukas and Richard had to grab him to prevent him from trying to run towards the ship.
"Hold it Finn. That ship has powerful cannons. It's suicide to try and rush towards it." Richard hissed. "Beat can get himself out. Now c'mon!"
"Lets go Finn." Leia nodded.
The travelers began to follow the rest of the village until they heard a loud explosion. They turned to see a cannon ball hurtle past them into a group of villagers.
