Webmistress' Note: DO NOT email me regarding Alexandra Spears. I REFUSE to forward ANY correspondence to her, she is NOT interested in Zelda anymore, she will NOT respond so any letters so please do not waste your time. I am sorry if this sounds harsh but just because I host her stories does not mean I talk to her anymore. Any emails sent to me regarding her will promptly be deleted.

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Prologue

This was it, the final battle against Ganon. Seventeen-year-old Link and his wife, Princess Zelda, had what they needed to finally defeat Ganon once and for all. Ganon kept calling forth his minions from his Evil Jar, and Link and Zelda kept clearing them out.

Link had managed to deliver two zaps with his magic sword. Now all they needed was the silver arrow to finish him off for good.

Zelda took careful aim with her bow. "Hold them off, Link!" she called.

"What I'm doing, Princess!" Link shouted back as he back-flipped away from a Stalfo and slashed his way through some Goriyas. He was trying to get them away from Zelda so she could deliver the final fatal blow to Ganon with her silver arrow.

Zelda let fly and the arrow sailed straight at Ganon, who let out an ear-piercing shriek as the arrow pierced his chest. A blinding flash came from the figure of the defeated wizard, and Link and Zelda both shielded their eyes with their arms.

They lowered their arms, found themselves in a black chamber, lit only by the red glow of the Triforce of Power. Hand in hand, the young lovers approached the pedestal. "At last--the Triforce is united, after several years," breathed Zelda. "You and I will make sure it's never separated again."

Zelda, holding the Triforce of Wisdom in one hand, gently lifted the Triforce of Power with the other. "Hyrule is safe," she said.

"I'd say I deserve a kiss for that," smiled Link. He and Zelda had been married for only a few months and Link still had the habit of asking her for a kiss.

"I'll give you what you truly deserve when we get home," Zelda said, her voice suddenly seductive. "Let's go, my hero."

In the vault that used to double as Link's bedroom, Link and Zelda placed the two Triforces side by side on the pedestal. He held out his hands, and the third Triforce, Courage, appeared next to its fellows. "Looks like I won't be needed again," said Link, almost sadly.

"The Triforce won't be, now that Hyrule is finally at peace," said Zelda. She looked up at her husband. "But I'm sure you'll still be needed. You never know who might try to get to it next." She kissed his cheek. "And I'll always need my lover."

Link smiled at that. He put his arm around her shoulders. "I'm sure your father is going to throw a big party for us too, Zelda."

"If our ancestors could have seen this," said Zelda, referring to the Hero of Time Link and his wife, Princess Zelda, and their descendants--this Link and Zelda's ancestors--another Link and his wife, Princess Zelda. "It's so hard to believe Ganon has been around for so long, and dealt with three Links and three Zeldas!"

"Probably used the Triforce to gain immortality," said Link as he looked at the red, green, and blue glow emanating from the Triforce.

"Our fight has gone on for centuries, and at last it's over," said Zelda as she took Link's hand. She pulled him along. "We have several hours until the party begins, Link," she said, sounding suggestive.

"I'm with you, my princess," Link smiled as he happily followed her to their bedroom.

That evening, a huge celebration began. King Harkinian had announced from his throne that this particular day would be declared a holiday, the day that not only was the Triforce reunited, but Ganon was forever defeated. Centuries of fighting with him had come to an end.

Link, dressed in his finest tunic, something that Zelda had helped him pick out, was drinking a little bit of ale and chatting with some of the guests. He didn't need the ale to make him feel giddy, though; no, the fact that he was a Hero was enough. Almost enough. Add the fact that he was married to the girl of his dreams.

Zelda came up to him. "Link, my father wants to see you," she said.

"If you'll excuse me, I must see what my lovely wife's father wants," said Link politely.

Zelda took his hand. "You are going to love this, sweetie," she told him as she led him to one end of the banquet hall, where King Harkinian had a throne set up. "I think it's something you'd really like."

"I'm already married to you, Zelda," said Link.

Zelda laughed. "You'll see."

Link approached his father-in-law, who smiled at him. King Harkinian raised up his hands and called for attention. "I see before me a young man who aided us in restoring peace to Hyrule, and who ridded us of an evil that existed long before we were born," he said. He took out a sword. "Kneel, Link," he said.

Link's jaw nearly dropped, but he did as he was asked. Harkinian touched each of Link's shoulders with the sword. "I hereby knight thee, and you shall be known as Sir Link of Hyrule! Arise, Sir Link!"

Cheers went up, and Link slowly got to his feet. "Thank you, Sire," he said, speechless. A knight! He looked over, saw Zelda smiling at him proudly. Link was feeling giddy and it wasn't from the ale.

Zelda hugged him. "You truly are my hero," she said.

A month went by. Zelda found her husband to be a little bit more responsible around the castle. If she'd known that by marrying him, he wouldn't have tried to get out of doing chores so much, she most likely would have married him sooner.

Link was also training as a knight. She knew it was something he'd wanted. He'd definitely earned it.

Zelda was looking for Link, as she had something to tell him. She finally found him in the courtyard, taking a rest from his training. She sat down on the bench next to him, and he smiled at her. "Remember that wonderful night we had, the night of the party?" Zelda asked.

"How could I forget something that mind-blowing?" Link grinned.

Zelda smiled and her cheeks turned pink. She just looked at him. "Well, there's going to be a little reminder of that," she said.

Link put two and two together. "You mean--a baby?" he asked. "We're going to have a baby?"

Zelda nodded.

"This is great!" exclaimed Link as he hugged his wife.

Zelda was so happy that she and Link were going to have a child, she didn't tell him about the dream she'd had the previous night. A dream about the future.

Chapter 1

Less than a year later, Hyrule was having another celebration. Sir Link and Princess Zelda's firstborn child, Prince Cecil, had just been born. As the firstborn son of Princess Zelda, he was next in line to the throne of Hyrule--after his mother.

Once again the banquet hall was overflowing with people. In front of King Harkinian's throne at the one end was a bassinet, in which slept the newborn Prince of Hyrule. Link and Zelda stood on either side of their son's bassinet as a reception line made its way through.

"How are you feeling, Zelda?" asked Link after the last guest had congratulated them. Zelda had given birth only the day before. He'd been so worried, since she'd been in so much pain. He'd been at her side every single minute during her labor and birthing.

"I'm fine now," Zelda told him. She looked at her son. "He looks like you--he's going to be a handsome boy," she said.

"He has your eyes," Link said quietly. "But I wonder if they'll stay green like yours or turn to brown like mine."

"We'll find out," said Zelda.

Harkinian peered into the bassinet and gazed at his grandson. "You two go dance and have a good time, and I'll watch over my grandchild," he told them.

Link and Zelda grinned. Harkinian could stare at his grandson all day and not be bored. "You sure, Daddy?" asked Zelda.

"Yes, yes. It's a lot of work being a parent, have fun while you can."

"Yeah, Zelda," said Link as he took his wife's hand and led her out onto the dance floor. "Cecil's asleep, you can feed him when he wakes up."

Zelda wound her arms around Link's neck and looked up at her handsome, dark-haired husband. Link held her close and played with her golden hair as they danced together. "It's hard to believe I'm a father," Link murmured. "He's a cute little fellow."

"Yes, he is," said Zelda. "And he's half you, half me."

Link grinned at that. "That's what I like about it." He looked over to where Zelda's father was holding the sleeping baby. "He's gonna be like me."

"What makes you say that?" asked Zelda.

"That kid can sleep through anything."

Link and Zelda's lives were pretty uneventful, and just over two years later, Zelda gave birth to their second child, a daughter, Princess Kristin. Zelda still had the chilling dreams once in a while, but she somehow knew that they didn't have all that much to do with her two children.

Cecil was four and Kristin two when Zelda discovered she was pregnant for the third time. That was when the vague, frightening dreams really began.

Link was terribly worried about Zelda. Her first two pregnancies had been so simple compared to this one. With Cecil, and then with Kristin, Zelda had had just a little bit of morning sickness during the first few months, and then she'd felt fine.

The royal physician had said that Zelda's pregnancy was in trouble and had ordered her to stay in bed. She'd been bleeding some, indicating a threatened miscarriage. She was barely able to keep anything down, as the morning sickness occurred not just in the morning, but almost every time she ate something. Link was worried out of his mind, wondering if it was something he'd done, though he'd been assured that it wasn't his fault, that things like this happened.

Link did everything he could to keep Zelda comfortable. He brought her meals to her and cared for their two small children, keeping them quiet so she could rest.

Link had a spare moment, as Cecil and Kristin were in the nursery napping. He went into his and Zelda's bedroom and sat down on the bed, facing Zelda. "How are you feeling, sweetheart?" he asked.

"All right, considering," she replied. "At least the bleeding has stopped. Link, this may sound cruel, but I just keep getting the feeling that I'd be better off if I did lose the baby. Those dreams I keep having...oh Link, I don't know...I want this baby but I keep sensing something...."

Link gently pulled her into a sitting position and hugged her. "It'll be okay, Zelda," he said. "I keep blaming myself...."

"Link, it's not your fault," Zelda said with surprising firmness. "Neither of us had any idea that this pregnancy would have all these problems with it. Especially since Cecil and Kristin were virtually no trouble at all." She lay back, and Link covered her with the blankets.

"Want something to drink?" Link asked after a pause.

"Yes, please," Zelda replied.

Link kissed his wife, then went to the royal kitchens to get Zelda a glass of her favorite drink. Zelda smiled when he brought it to her.

Zelda sipped it slowly, making sure it would stay down before she took another sip. "How are the children?" she asked. She'd been bedridden for close to three months; she was at the end of her first trimester.

"Well, Cecil hopes you'll be well enough for his fifth birthday next month," said Link. "And Kristin's always wanting to know when you're getting out of bed."

"Well, if there are no more problems, I should be all right," said Zelda. "I've been able to eat and drink more and like I said the bleeding has stopped." Slowly she finished off the drink. "I wish I could get up and play with our children."

"You'll be able to, though not as soon as you'd like," said Link.

"Have some training this afternoon?" Zelda asked.

"Yeah...though I'll skip out of it if you want me here with you," said Link.

"No, just go on with your training. Besides, I like what it does for your body," she added.

"I'd say you're feeling better," smiled Link. "Yeah, you're right. I need to work off this nervous energy." He gently kissed Zelda's forehead and touched his nose to hers. "You get some rest. I'll go train and take care of the kids."

Zelda's pregnancy progressed, though not without problems. She had to rest quite a bit during her pregnancy and she was constantly worried that there was something really wrong with the baby.

One night, about four weeks before she was due, Zelda woke up screaming. Link was instantly wide awake. "Zelda--what's wrong?" he cried, figuring that she'd been having a nightmare. Then again, she'd never screamed quite like this....

"Link, the baby's coming now!" she shrieked.

"Let's get you to the infirmary--"

"There's NO TIME!" she cried.

Link didn't even bother to protest the fact that it wasn't time for the child to be born yet. With all that had happened, a premature birth wasn't going to be all that surprising. Besides, he thought, trying to calm himself down, it would get things over with that much sooner.

The door opened, and a frightened five-year-old boy came in. "Mommy?" asked Cecil.

"Cecil--go get the physician--and HURRY!" Link ordered his son.

Cecil didn't need to be told twice. He rushed from the room.

Link got up from the bed and tried to calm Zelda down. She was still screaming and writhing in pain. Fortunately Link had been through this twice before and he knew what to do. There was no way Zelda was going to be able to get up and go downstairs, and thing seemed to be progressing quite rapidly, so it looked like Link was going to have to deliver his third child himself.

Link hurried into their bathroom and ran some hot water into the tub. Zelda's screams frightened him as he assembled the items he'd need for the birth. He managed to keep a level head--it would do him no good to panic.

"It's coming, Link, the baby's coming!" Zelda cried.

Link hurriedly got the things together and put them on the nightstand. He couldn't help but think that this birth was really rushing along, and he recalled that Kristin's birth had gone much more quickly than Cecil's.

"Link...this hurts so much--!" Zelda gasped as she gave another push.

"I have the baby, Zelda--it's another girl!" Link called. He quickly tied and cut the cord. At that moment, the physician came rushing in.

"Take care of the child...I'll take care of the princess," the physician told Link.

Link carried his newborn daughter into the bathroom and gently washed her. The child gave a weak cry. "It's okay, sweetie, Daddy's here," Link said as he wrapped her in a blanket. She was so small...smaller than her brother and sister had been. But then again, Link reminded himself, she'd been born too soon.

"How is my wife?" Link asked as he carried the baby back into the bedroom.

"She's lost some blood...but she's going to be fine," he said.

"Link, is the baby all right?" Zelda asked, sounding tired.

"I think so...she's breathing," said Link.

"We should get the mother and baby down to the infirmary," the physician said.

That morning, Link was tired from the previous night's events. The newborn baby, Princess Kyla, was fine, but a little weak. Zelda was all right but she'd never be able to have another child. That didn't really bother Link--they had three children now.

Zelda was sitting up in bed in the infirmary, resting, her newborn daughter in her arms. "She's so adorable, Link," Zelda said as she kissed her newborn baby. She recalled what she'd said months earlier, about a feeling that she would have been better off if she'd miscarried. She regretted those words. Little Kyla was a sweet, adorable little baby girl.

"Yeah, she is," Link agreed. "Want me to bring her brother and sister in to see her?"

"I think it's okay," Zelda nodded.

Link kissed Zelda's lips, then went to get her father and other two children.

Zelda looked up and smiled as her father came into the room, holding five-year-old Cecil and three-year-old Kristin by the hands. "So this is the child who couldn't wait, eh?" King Harkinian smiled.

Link lifted his son and older daughter onto the bed. "Another sister!" grinned Cecil.

"That's right," Link said as he tousled his son's light-brown hair.

Kristin crawled over to her mother and snuggled up to her. "Kyla," she said, pointing at the baby.

Zelda laughed at her golden-haired daughter. "Yes, this is your baby sister Kyla," she said.

Inwardly, though, Zelda didn't feel like laughing. Her newborn daughter was a cute little baby, but there was something about Kyla. Zelda didn't want to think about that, though. She didn't want to think such things about an innocent newborn girl.

Chapter 2

Princess Kyla, youngest child of Sir Link and Princess Zelda, was a pretty little girl--pretty but weak and sickly. When she was two she had nearly died of pneumonia and had worried her parents and her older brother and sister.

While she was a bright child, she could sometimes be difficult. "Mommy, why am I sick all the time?" Kyla demanded one day as her mother gave her a bath.

Zelda looked at her little daughter, who had the same golden hair and green eyes she did--but her father's nose. "You were born that way, Kyla," Zelda explained.

"Mommy, I wanna learn how to swordfight like Cecil and shoot arrows like Kristin," said Kyla. "Why won't you let me?"

"Because it'll tire you out," Zelda told her.

"Will not! Mama, I wanna try!"

Conversations like that took place all the time. Usually Kyla would cry and wind up wearing herself out.

Kyla's condition improved somewhat as she grew older, but even so she tended to tire quickly and get sick easily.

One day, when Kyla was seven, she was in bed as usual. Her brother Cecil was twelve and her sister Kristin was ten. Kyla was recovering from a bad cold.

Kyla looked up as Cecil and Kristin came into the room. Cecil was a handsome boy with his light-brown hair and green eyes, and soon he would be a young man. He shared their father's love of adventure.

Kristin was a rather quiet girl with their mother's blonde hair and their father's brown eyes. She was the most studious of the three children and tried to be what her mother considered to be a proper princess--though she wasn't above scrapping with her brother.

"Hey, Kyla, we just came to see how you're doing," said Cecil as he bounced himself onto his kid sister's bed.

"Same as usual," Kyla replied dully. She started to cry.

"Oh, what's the matter?" Kristin asked as she hugged her sister.

"How come you guys get to go out and play and I have to stay in here?" sobbed Kyla. "Why do I have to be sick all the time? Just go away, Kristin!"

"Why don't we take her outside with us?" suggested Kristin. "Cecil, go ask Daddy or Mommy."

"Ask me what?" Link asked as he stepped into the room.

"Dad, Kyla's really lonely and we'd like to take her outside with us, just to sit," said Cecil.

"All right. But she needs to be dressed first," said Link as he got a long-sleeved dress out of his daughter's closet. "Get some blankets."

Link dressed Kyla in the warm dress and wrapped her in the blankets. He then lifted his child into his arms. "Come on," he said to his other two children.

Kyla wrapped her thin little arms around her father's neck and smiled as he carried her outside. Link smiled at her and kissed her nose, and she giggled.

On the way outside, Zelda came up to her husband and children. "Kyla wanted to go outside," Link explained, "while Cecil and Kristin practice their swordfighting."

Zelda gently took her youngest child into her arms. "Go work with them, and I'll bring Kyla out," she said.

Kyla sat on her mother's lap, wrapped in the blankets. It wasn't fair, she was thinking. Cecil and Kristin didn't need warm clothes and blankets to enjoy themselves outside. They didn't need to be constantly watched in case of an asthma attack. In fact, for that reason, Kyla's room adjoined her parents' room. She'd had severe asthma attacks that had nearly killed her.

Miserably, Kyla put her thumb in her mouth and leaned her head up against her mother's chest. "Kyla, you're too old for that," Zelda said softly as she tugged on Kyla's hand.

Kyla glared at her mother, but took her thumb out anyway. She watched as her father coached her brother and sister. One day, she thought, she would find a way to be as healthy as her siblings. To add insult to injury, she was the youngest--the baby--and she'd never rule Hyrule. She wouldn't mind being Queen of Hyrule one day.

Zelda cradled her little girl in her arms. "Link," she called.

Link went over to his wife and child. "What is it, honey?"

"I'm going to take Kyla back to bed. She doesn't look very well."

"No Mommy, wanna stay here!" Kyla protested as she started coughing.

"No, you're going back to bed," said Zelda.

Link gave his daughter a kiss. "We just don't want you to get sick, sweetie," he told her.

So once again, Kyla was put to bed. Kyla sat up as her mother hugged her. "I want outside!" Kyla cried.

"Honey, it's too cold out for you," said Zelda. "And you're tired. You need to sleep."

So it went for several years more. Six years went by, and Kyla had just turned thirteen. While her body was maturing physically, it was still extremely susceptible to illness.

Not only that, but she'd just been diagnosed with a terminal illness. It was extremely unlikely that she'd live to see her fourteenth birthday.

Kyla was curled up on her bed, crying brokenheartedly. She'd just received the news only an hour ago. "It's not fair!" she sobbed, tears spilling from her deep green eyes. "Why me? What did I ever do?"

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw her father. "Can't you knock, Dad?" she snapped.

"I did," said Link. "You most likely didn't hear me. Want to talk?"

"What's there to talk about? I'm dying, Daddy!" she sobbed.

Link sat down next to his daughter and held her in his arms. He looked up as Zelda came into the room. Zelda sat down and she and Link hugged their youngest child. "It's okay, Kyla," Zelda whispered. "Your father and I are here for you."

"Who's going to tell Cecil and Kristin?" Link asked quietly.

"You're better at that," said Zelda. "I'll stay here with Kyla."

"You wanted to see us, Daddy?" asked sixteen-year-old Kristin. She and her brother Cecil, who was now eighteen, sat down in the den along with their aging grandfather.

King Harkinian looked up at his son-in-law. "Is this about Kyla?" he asked. He was pushing eighty and he'd always considered it a shame that he might outlive his youngest granddaughter.

"Yes, Sire," said Link. "She's sick. The physician says she has a terminal illness...she most likely won't see her fourteenth birthday." He didn't even look at his father-in-law or his two older children as he said this; he just leaned on the mantle and stared at the fire. "Cecil, Kristin--your sister is taking this very badly...you need to be there for her."

Kristin started to cry.

"Isn't there anything that can be done for her at all?" Cecil asked.

Link shook his head and a tear slid down his cheek. "I--I'm going to go outside and do some exercises," he said. "Then I'll be with your sister."

"He looks mad," Kristin whispered.

Their grandfather sat there, shaking his head. "Your sister always had problems," he said. "Your mother had a difficult pregnancy with her, and she was born prematurely."

"I'm going to go to Kyla's room," said Kristin.

"I'll go find Dad," said Cecil.

Kristin knocked on the door to her younger sister's room. "Kyla?" she called.

"Go away!" Kyla called from inside.

Kristin let out an exasperated sigh, blowing upward, making her bangs fly upward. She felt sorry for her sister but there were times, like right now, where she could just slap her. Kyla had always been bitter because she was unable to do things other girls her age did.

Ignoring her sister, Kristin pushed the door open. "Are you deaf, Kristin? I said, go away!" snapped Kyla. "Maybe when I'm finally dead you'll all leave me alone!"

The girls' mother was sitting on Kyla's bed, cradling Kyla in her arms. "Kyla, Kristin loves you," said Zelda.

"I--I just want to be left alone right now, please," said Kyla.

Zelda tucked her youngest child into bed. "I'll be in our room," Zelda told her as she kissed her forehead. "Right through the door. Kristin...she wants to be alone right now."

"All right, Mother," said Kristin.

Cecil walked down the corridor, running his hands through his light brown hair. He remembered the night his youngest sister had been born. He remembered his mother's screams of pain, his father sending him to get the physician. He also remembered the blood. He'd only been a little boy of five, and even after thirteen years he couldn't forget that night.

He made his way into the courtyard, saw his father savagely swinging his sword. Even at thirty-six Link still looked rather young, and he was in top shape, as usual. Lately, though, he'd been looking more his age. "Dad?"

Panting, Link put his sword back into its sheath. "Cecil," he said.

"It's really true, Kyla's going to die?"

Link nodded silently. "We were hoping that though she's always going to be sickly, she'd at least have a fairly long life. That poor girl. She's always been so angry because of her situation. She's not mad at you, or your sister, or me or your mother, she's angry because she can't do the things you and Kristin can do."

Kyla sat up in bed and drew her knees up to her chest. "There has to be some way I can be helped. Maybe Mom and Dad just want to get rid of me," she said to herself. "Always feeling sorry for me, not letting me try to do anything! I'll show them."

Kyla got up out of bed and put a robe and slippers on. She opened the door to her room, peeked down the corridor. Her mother was in her bedroom. Her father, brother, and sister were nowhere to be seen. She had an idea that hopefully would work.

Cautiously she tiptoed out of her room. Her room and her parents' room were on the ground floor, since climbing stairs every day would wear Kyla out too much.

She passed the terrace, saw her father and brother out in the courtyard, talking. Quickly she slipped by without them noticing her.

Kyla went down a corridor, sneaking around the perimeter of the courtyard. There she went outside and cut across the courtyard, entering the base of the tower where the Triforce was kept--the room that used to be her father's before he married her mother.

She was almost discouraged at the sight of all those steps. She decided to take them a little bit at a time. It would be worth it. More than worth it. She reached into the pocket of her robe, fondling the keys she'd managed to sneak out of her mother's belt pack. She hated to do that to her mother--but since when had her mother understood what she needed?

Slowly, slowly, Kyla began climbing the stairs, pausing to rest every so often. After an hour she reached the top. She sat there, panting before the door, and pushed a lock of her golden hair out of her eyes. Her heart was racing and her chest hurt.

Determined not to let her weakness stop her, she grabbed the door handle and pulled herself up. With a shaky hand she tried different keys in the door until she finally found the right one.

The young girl opened the door and was met with a red, green, and blue glow. "The Triforce," she breathed. "I need the Triforce of Power. It'll help me."

Kyla wrenched the red Triforce free. Suddenly there was a blinding flash of light and Kyla was thrown back, still holding the Triforce of Power. When she took her arm down from her eyes, the other two Triforces were gone.

"Doesn't matter," she said, cradling her prize in her arms. She felt better already--not tired at all. "I won't be a weak little girl anymore."

In her bedroom, Zelda suddenly sat up. "The Triforce!" she shouted.

Chapter 3

Kristin was aimlessly wandering around the castle when there was a blinding flash of light in front of her. She cried out and crossed her arms over her face.

Slowly Kristin lowered her arms. Floating in front of her was the blue Triforce of Wisdom. "What is going on here?" she asked.

"Princess Kristin of Hyrule. You are now the keeper of the Triforce of Wisdom. The Triforce has once again been separated."

"Who's separated the Triforce?" Kristin asked, dreading the answer.

"Princess Kyla. She seeks to prolong her life with the Triforce of Power. Without wisdom, your sister will be corrupted. Your brother now holds the Triforce of Courage."

Kristin put a hand to her mouth. Tears came to her brown eyes. "Mother! Daddy!" she shrieked.

Zelda ran to the tower room. She didn't have her keys with her, but she didn't need them, as the door was wide open. She gasped when she saw her youngest child sitting there, cradling the Triforce of Power in her arms. "Kyla!" she shrieked. "What on Hyrule have you done!?"

Kyla looked up at her mother defiantly. "What I should have done before, Mother. All these years I've been the poor little princess. Now I'm strong. I'll see my fourteenth birthday--and all my birthdays beyond that."

Link and Cecil rushed into the room; they'd seen Zelda in her mad dash for the Triforce tower. "What's going on?" asked Link.

"Kyla's grabbed the Triforce of Power," said Zelda.

"Where's Kristin?" asked Link.

"Here," said a voice behind them. Kristin was standing there, holding the Triforce of Wisdom by its chain, much like a balloon.

"I want that Triforce, Kristin! Then I'll be really powerful!" said Kyla.

"No, Kyla," said Link. "Come on, give up the Triforce. Before it's too late."

"I don't need you anymore!" screamed Kyla. "One day I'll be queen of Hyrule! And you can't stop me!" She clutched the Triforce closer and concentrated--and then she was gone.

"The Triforce of Wisdom appointed me its keeper," said Kristin quietly. "Cecil has the Triforce of Courage now."

Zelda started to cry. Link held her to him and tried to comfort her. "Link, she's only a little girl," Zelda sobbed. "I knew this was coming. I should have kept a better eye on her!"

"Zelda, there's nothing we could have done," said Link.

"We have to stop her--even though she is our daughter," Zelda said. "Why my child? Link, why did it have to be our daughter?"

Kyla had teleported herself to the Island Palace, which would now be her base of operations. "This feels so good, not feeling sick all the time!" she said out loud to no one. "Everyone always babied me and treated me like I was some kind of freak. No more!"

The red Triforce of Power bobbed just over her head, on a chain. Kyla touched it, drawing off some of its power, and she gave the old palace a much-needed makeover. "I will be Queen of Hyrule," she said. "Cecil and Kristin can't be allowed to take over the throne after Mother. I'll show them that I'm worth something!"

Kyla used the Triforce to create Ironknuckles to guard the palace. Then she went into the throne room and created a pedestal next to the throne for the Triforce to sit on. She was going to have to learn some more magic than the little bit she already knew if she was to take over Hyrule. She didn't want her mother ascending the throne either.

The young girl wandered until she found an old library. Above the fireplace was a picture of the first Link and Zelda to fight Ganon--her ancestors. It was a wedding portrait. On another wall was another picture of a later Link and Zelda, the ones who'd fought the wizard Agahnim. They were posed with their firstborn child, a son who had continued the royal line. Every few centuries a Link and Zelda, by now distantly related, met up, and the pattern had continued with Kyla's parents.

Kyla felt slightly guilty as she gazed at the portraits of her ancestors. They seemed to be staring at her disapprovingly. She frowned. "Not my fault your however-many-great-grandchildren didn't treat me right," she snapped as she pawed through the old books. "They wouldn't let me do anything. They love my brother and sister more than they do me. I can't go anywhere without someone keeping an eye on me. That's not right!"

She found a book of magic and sat down in a chair to read it. She had a whole palace to herself now. Suddenly the thought hit her that Ganon, former holder of the Triforce of Power, had finally been defeated by the holders of the other two Triforces. It hit her that her own brother and sister might try to fight her.

"Let them try," she said. "I'll just have to get the Triforce of Wisdom from my sister. Then no one can stop me!"

"Link, where did we go wrong with her?" Zelda sobbed. "I'd had dreams about her...but I thought I could teach her right from wrong...guide her...."

Link and Zelda were sitting in the library with their two older children. He recalled Zelda's prophetic words from a long time ago, when she'd been pregnant with Kyla. He remembered her saying something about a feeling that everyone would have been better off if she'd lost the baby. "I think we did all we could," said Link. "Kyla's always been bitter. We tried out best, honey."

"Are we going to have to fight our own sister, Dad?" asked Cecil.

Link looked up at his son. "It looks that way."

Zelda started crying harder. "I don't want anything to happen to my little girl," she wept. "Please, don't hurt your sister. Maybe you can convince her to use the Triforce for good rather than evil."

"Mom...I don't think that's possible," said Kristin quietly. "If we take the Triforce of Power from her she'll die. If we let her keep it she'll be after my Triforce." Kristin lowered her eyes. "Mother, Kyla is evil. She's our sister...but she's evil."

"No she's not, Kristin!" Zelda protested.

"Zelda...honey...we have to face facts. Your dreams even foretold this," said Link. "I love our daughter too...but we can't let her destroy everything either."

"I don't have to listen to this!" Zelda cried as she got up. "I don't want to hear anything about my baby dying! She's suffered enough. I feel we're betraying her somehow! We just need to convince her to turn good, that's all!" She rushed from the room, no doubt to her and Link's room to cry.

"I know how she feels," Link said to his son and daughter. "I don't want to believe a child of mine is evil. If there's any way to save her, believe me, I'd do that."

"We know, Daddy," said Kristin. "It's because we love her that we can't let her spread her evil." Tears came to her eyes. "I love my little sister."

Link sighed and got up. "I'm going to see about your mother. She's been through a lot herself. Her pregnancy with Kyla was difficult. I didn't tell you this yet, but she can't have any more children as a result. You two she had no problem with. But with Kyla--she almost lost the baby several times, and one time she'd said that she had a feeling that it would be best if she did lose her. Now she's feeling guilty after all this time."

"It's not her fault," said Cecil. "So what do we do about Kyla?"

Link was in the doorway. He looked back at his children. "Get that Triforce from her. No matter how painful it is."

Before he turned to leave, Cecil and Kristin were sure they could see tears streaming down their father's cheeks.

Chapter 4

Kyla hefted a big book of magic from the ancient library. She was glad that she'd taken the Triforce of Power. Without it she wouldn't have been able to lift the book, much less carry it over to an armchair.

The thirteen-year-old princess sat in the chair, the book resting on her lap. She was going to have to teach herself some magic. She had the idea that the Triforce of Power could make any spell she cast that much more powerful. She most likely wouldn't need this book after she gained the Triforce of Wisdom--but she needed this book so she could obtain that Triforce.

Kyla read for a long time, then pushed the book off her lap. It fell to the floor with a dull thud, and Kyla stood up. She then walked down the corridors to what was now her throne room. Arching her hands over the Triforce of Power, she was able to see what was going on in the North Castle, which lay to the west--her former home. No doubt she wouldn't be welcome there anymore.

An image appeared above the Triforce. Kyla stared intently. She was looking into her parents' room. Her father was holding her mother close, obviously trying to console her. "You shouldn't have treated me like I was different, dear Mommy and Daddy," she murmured. "I know Mom hates me because her pregnancy was really hard. I know she resented me being sick all the time. You hate me too, Dad, I know you do. Well--I hate you too." She waved her hand and the image vanished. "I hate them all. They can all go straight to hell and I wouldn't miss them."

Link and Zelda had had people searching for young Kyla everywhere in Hyrule and in Link's homeland of Calatia. "Link, Zelda, what is going on with Kyla?" asked King Harkinian as they sat in the den, Link trying to comfort Zelda.

"Kyla stole the Triforce of Power. She's a real threat now. The other two Triforces went to Kristin and Cecil," said Link.

"Oh, dear," said the rather absent-minded Harkinian.

"It--it means we'll have trouble again...she's going to be just like Ganon...the power will corrupt her," sobbed Zelda. "She'll be after the Triforce of Wisdom. Kristin is its keeper now."

"Isn't there any way you can make her give it up?" asked Harkinian.

Link shook his head. "Once it's taken away from her she'll die. So we basically have two choices--either let her spread her evil, or let her die."

"Oh, dear me," Harkinian murmured. "Not good...not good at all...the poor child...."

"What's worse is that Cecil and Kristin have to fight their own sister," Zelda sobbed. "They're out looking for her now."

Cecil and Kristin were on horseback, taking the road east. Since Kyla had teleported away, there was absolutely no telling where she could be. "Maybe we should try the old palaces," Kristin suggested to her brother.

The young prince and princess turned south and headed through the graveyard. On the way they passed the graves of their ancestors. Among them were two Links and two Zeldas. One pair had been the Hero of Time and the Princess of Destiny. Another pair had fought off an evil wizard called Agahnim. Kristin idly wondered what they would have thought if they'd known that a descendant of theirs would turn to the side of evil.

They dismounted their horses near the King's Tomb; the king buried here was their most distant ancestor. "There's a hidden hole near here," said Cecil.

"A hole? You want us to drop down underground where there are dead bodies?" asked Kristin.

"You won't see any bodies. Didn't you ever listen to the stories Dad told us about his adventures?" Cecil asked, amused. Just like a girl, he was thinking. "Here, take my hand."

Kristin did so, and suddenly they fell down for what seemed to be an eternity. Kristin's purple dress flew up as they fell.

Finally they landed in a pitch black passageway. Kristin reached into her weapons pack and pulled out a magic candle. "Now how do we get up that ledge?" she asked.

"Climb up on my shoulders," said Cecil. "We gotta work together."

Cecil squatted down so Kristin could sit on his shoulders. Slowly he straightened himself up. Using the wall of the ledge for support, Kristin stood on her brother's shoulders and ambled up. "How're you gonna get up?" Kristin asked.

Cecil undid his wide leather belt, which he wore over his loose-fitting, long-sleeved white tunic. "Grab on the end, Kristin. I'll climb up."

Kristin held onto the belt tightly while Cecil used it to practically walk up the face of the ledge. The two teenagers then made their way down the corridor and soon emerged on the island where the Island Palace was located.

"That palace looks like it's had some improvements made," said Cecil. "And look at all those Ironknuckles standing guard!"

"I'd say she's here," said Kristin. "I can sense it."

"Kristin, do you really think our sister is evil?" Cecil asked as he continued to gaze at the palace Kyla was holed up in.

"She's evil. There's no doubt in my mind. She's what's known as a psychopath."

"A what?"

Kristin looked at her older brother. "A psychopath has no conscience. Kyla knows what's right and wrong--but she doesn't care. And have you seen all the times she's justified her actions in one way or another? That's another sign."

"You've gotten awfully smart since acquiring the Triforce of Wisdom," Cecil remarked.

"I've gained more knowledge. Even as a child, though, I was forever reading something," said Kristin.

"Yeah, you were always the bookworn," said Cecil. "So--do we knock, run, or what?"

"We should go back and let our parents know where Kyla is," said Kristin. "Do you think you could take on all those Ironknuckles? And who knows what else is inside that palace with her?"

"Dad's taught me quite a lot," said Cecil.

Kristin shook her head. "It's best that we go home for now. We need to think of a plan to get that Triforce from her. She's manageable like Ganon was so long as that's the only Triforce she has. For now we need to keep the Triforce of Wisdom from her."

Link was standing near the stables when his older two children came riding in. "Did you find her?" he asked.

"Dad, we know she's in the Island Palace near Mido Town," said Kristin. "We saw what must have been an army of Ironknuckles standing guard. Cecil and I couldn't just go up and knock. But I know she's there."

"I sure don't expect you to take on a bunch of those guys," said Link. "Yeah, you were right to come back here."

"Dad--are we going to have to kill Kyla?" asked Cecil.

"If we succeed, she'll be dead," said Link quietly. "If she can give up the Triforce of Power willingly, she will die but she won't lose her soul. Any other way...." His voice trailed off. He looked up at the sky and blinked back tears. "Any way you look at it, my youngest child is lost."

Kyla sat on her elaborate throne in the bright throne room, her knees drawn up to her chest, her chin resting between her knees. Perhaps she wouldn't have to kill her mother, or her brother and sister. No, she had a better way.

She'd also created an army of Darknuts. "Darknut leader--come here," she ordered, letting her thin legs dangle over the edge of the throne's comfortable seat.

"Yes, my princess," said the red, yellow, and green clad warrior.

"I'd like for my grandfather, King Harkinian of Hyrule, to stop here for a nice little visit," she said. "Please make the arrangements for his arrival." She pulled a note out of her cape and handed it to the Darknut.

"Yes, Princess Kyla," said the Darknut, taking the note.

Kyla stood up and went over to a full-length mirror and looked at herself. She no longer looked like a sickly child. Her golden hair shimmered and fell to her shoulders. Her green eyes sparkled. She wore a long-sleeved green dress that showed off the developing curves of her young body, and she wore a purple cape. On her head was a silver crown. "Pretty soon, if all goes well, I'll be Queen of Hyrule. I'll show everyone! Hyrule will cater to me. Then I'll send armies out and conquer the other countries, and I will rule the world!" She laughed as she twirled around before the mirror. Sure it was ambitious, but once she got the Triforce of Wisdom she could pull it off.

King Harkinian sighed as he sat on his throne. This wasn't good for his health at all. He thought of his youngest grandchild and a sharp pain shot through his chest. Yes, the whole thing was heartbreaking, he reflected. He felt so sorry for his daughter and her husband. But surely young Kyla wasn't evil? She was only a little girl! Yet it seemed as if everyone had written her off.

A messenger came before the throne and bowed. "Your Majesty, a message has arrived for you. It's urgent."

Harkinian took the message and read it. It was from Kyla! It read:

Grandfather--

I am in the Island Palace east of Mido. I need to talk to my grandfather. Please come see me and this whole thing will be sorted out. But don't tell my mom and dad or Cecil or Kristin--or anyone. They won't understand. Please come immediately. There will be someone outside the castle waiting to bring you here. Love, Kyla.

Rather absentmindedly, Harkinian said to the messenger, "If anyone asks, I've gone to see my granddaughter."

"Yes Your Majesty."

Harkinian left the throne room. He walked across the drawbridge, saw a cloaked figure waiting with a black coach. "Your Majesty," the figure said respectfullly as he helped Harkinian into the coach.

The cloaked man climbed up onto the coach and the horse ran at top speed eastward.

Kyla looked up from the book she was reading as another of her Darknuts entered the room. "Your Highness, your grandfather is here."

"Show him in!" said Kyla happily.

Another Darknut escorted King Harkinian into the throne room. "I like what you did for this place, Kyla," Harkinian told his granddaughter.

"Thanks, Grandfather," Kyla smiled. "You told no one where I was?"

"I only mentioned to someone that I was going to see my granddaughter."

Kyla scowled. "I said don't tell anyone! Well, at least no one knows where I am."

"Your brother and sister know. They went looking for you and found that you were here," said Harkinian. "I didn't tell them."

"Figures they'd go snooping," said Kyla. "Well, Grandfather, I want something from you."

Harkinian almost shuddered when he looked into his granddaughter's eyes. They reminded him of a cat's eyes, a cold, hard, mean cat. "What do you want?" he asked.

"I want to be next in line for the throne of Hyrule," she said simply. "I want the throne to pass over my mother, and my brother and sister. I'm not worried about my father."

"Kyla--the throne goes next to your mother, then to your brother," said Harkinian.

"I know that!" Kyla snapped. "I want them skipped over! Now I wrote up this proclamation, stating that upon your death you are skipping over your daughter, and your two older grandchildren, and that the throne goes to me."

Harkinian shook his head, felt that same pain he'd felt earlier in his chest. "I won't do it, Kyla. Hyrule will come to ruin if I do that."

"Why? Because it'd be under the rule of a sickly, weak little girl? Think again, Grandfather! With the Triforce of Power I'm not a weak little girl anymore! Thanks to that Triforce I will live a very long time!"

Harkinian placed a hand over his heart. The pain was intensifying, a crushing pain that was shooting into his left arm. "Kyla--please help me."

"Sign the paper first, then I'll help you."

"Kyla, please help your grandfather who loves you," begged Harkinian as he slumped to the floor.

Kyla smiled and shook her head. "If you don't sign it, I'll be forced to kill my mother and my brother and sister," she said. "Surely you don't want their deaths on your head--because you refused to name me as the next heir to the throne?"

"I won't sign it."

"Then I won't help you," said Kyla. "I'll help you when you sign it."

"No...." Harkinian fell on his side and closed his eyes.

Kyla sat on her throne and watched her grandfather for a while. She meant it. She wasn't going to do anything for him until he did as she wanted.

"Don't tell me he died!" Kyla grumbled as she went over to him and tried to shake him awake. She rolled him over onto his back and listened for a heartbeat. There was none. "Well, time to resort to Plan B," Kyla shrugged.

King Harkinian was dead.

Chapter 5

Princess Zelda was looking around for her father later that day. "Where is he?" she cried as she searched the castle. "It's almost nightfall!"

"Your Highness," said a messenger as he came up to her while she was searching the throne room. "Your father left word that he was going to see his granddaughter."

Zelda didn't know whether to feel relieved. But surely Kyla wouldn't harm her grandfather. She seemed to love the old man. "I know where he is then. Thank you," she said.

"Did you find him?" Link asked as he came into the throne room.

"He's at the Island Palace with Kyla," she said. "I'm going to go there and bring the both of them home. I've had it with this nonsense!"

Link grasped Zelda's upper arms. "No, Zelda, not without me or the kids," he said. "Zelda, I don't know what you're thinking, but with the way Kyla's been acting, she is very dangerous. I know you refuse to face facts. Our daughter is not the person we thought she was."

"Kyla is an innocent little girl who's been using the Triforce of Power without the Triforce of Wisdom to guide her!" cried Zelda.

"What about your dreams, Zelda?" Link asked quietly. "What about the dreams that told you that problems would come about when Kyla was born? What we need to do is get that Triforce from her."

"And kill her?" Zelda wailed.

Link looked into his wife's deep green eyes. "Zelda, listen. You know all about the Triforces. Right now you're not thinking clearly, sweetheart. When it comes to our daughter, you just throw that knowledge right out the window--you just ignore it. You don't want to believe that our baby is evil, when it's the truth. I don't want to see our child die, either--but she's lost. Do you understand, Zelda? Our daughter is lost. We can't let Hyrule be lost too. You're its princess!"

Zelda held her face in her hands and started to cry, her shoulders shaking. Link led her into the den and had her sit down. "Link, it just seems that you've given up on her," Zelda sniffed, drying her eyes with a handkerchief Link had just given her.

"No, it seems to me that you won't give up when you know it's a lost cause," said Link gently as he pulled a chair up near hers so he could sit facing her. "Now why is that?"

"It's because I love you," said Zelda. "I don't want to think that anything that comes about as a result of our love--as in children--could be evil. I wonder if there was something wrong with you, or me, or both of us that made it so we had an evil child."

"Or maybe it was destiny," said Link. He sighed. "I don't know what it is. But what it comes down to is this: We have a daughter who is quite possibly insane, and she has the Triforce of Power, which we have to get back from her or Hyrule could be doomed."

"She's not insane. She knows right from wrong," said Zelda. "I know she does."

"Which makes it worse," said Link. "Ganon knew right from wrong too." He reached forward and took Zelda's hands in his. Oh, how he hated to see his wife cry. He reached up with his hand and gently brushed the tears from her eyes. "Now let's go get your father back." He stood up, helping Zelda to her feet as he did so, and took her in his arms and kissed her gently.

Zelda hid her face in Link's shoulder and cried brokenheartedly. Link didn't say anything, just held her close and stroked her hair. "I feel so bad for what I said about losing her when I was pregnant with her," Zelda said, her voice broken by sobs. "Then I wanted her...I didn't want to lose her...I was so scared when she was born too soon...Link, I feel so torn...."

"I know, I do too," Link replied. "I still love her no matter what she's done, but we can't let her get away with this."

"Um...excuse me, Your Highness?" came a timid voice.

Link and Zelda parted, saw a messenger. "A delivery for Princess Zelda," he said.

"Go see what it is. I'll go get my horse," said Link. He kissed Zelda and touched her cheek, then left the room.

Zelda rushed outside, where a black coach and horse awaited. "Where's the driver?" she asked.

"There was none," said a guard. "Only a note on the horse's saddle."

Zelda opened the door to the coach and saw a wrapped bundle. There was a note on it, and she read it:

Dear Mom and Dad:

Grandfather is dead, thought you might like his body back so you can bury it. I want rule of Hyrule to go directly to me, not to Mom, not to Cecil or Kristin--to ME. Or I'll have to hunt them down and kill them. Grandfather wouldn't let me have it so he had to die. Love, Kyla.

Zelda's eyes widened in shock. She opened the bundle, saw her father's dead face--and screamed.

"What is it, Highness?" the guard asked.

"This is my father! He's dead! I must find my daughter!" Zelda cried, thrusting the note at him and separating the horse from the coach. She wasn't even thinking as she mounted the jet-black horse and rode off as fast as the horse could run.

"By Farore," the guard whispered as he looked into the coach. "I must find Sir Link and tell him!"

Link was just saddling up his brown horse, Katie (named after the horse's late mother Catherine, who'd once been Link's horse), when a guard ran up to him. "Sir Link! The Princess...!"

"What is it?" Link asked.

The guard gave him a piece of paper. "She's gone to the Island Palace to get Princess Kyla! A coach arrived with your father-in-law--dead! The King is dead!"

"What!?" Link's brown eyes quickly scanned the note. "Oh no--Zelda's in danger! Find my children, tell them to meet me right here--we are all going to the palace!"

Zelda was crying as she raced eastward, towards Mido Town, her tears being dried by the wind as the horse she was riding ran at what had to have been top speed. She steered the horse to the right, through the cemetery. Link had been right. She had to face it--there was no reasoning with the child.

Once inside the passageway Zelda used a jump spell to propel herself upward. Soon she found herself on the island the Palace was located on. She could see it from a distance. Obviously her daughter had used the Triforce of Power to rebuild it.

Had barely a day gone by since this mess began? Zelda thought. What a long day.

Zelda headed for the palace and was met by an army of Ironknuckles. "Let me through!" she demanded.

"Yes, let her through," an Ironknuckle said to his fellows. "That is our mistress' mother. Princess Kyla will deal with Zelda herself."

"More like I'll deal with your mistress," said Zelda as she ran inside.

Zelda hurried through the corridors of the palace, found herself in the throne room. There she saw her young daughter.

Kyla turned. "Mother. Welcome to my new home--and the future palace of Hyrule," she smiled.

"Why did you kill your grandfather?" Zelda choked out, her voice low.

"What? I didn't kill him. I guess he had a heart attack or something," Kyla replied calmly. "I told him I'd help him if he signed a document naming me Queen of Hyrule upon his death, but he refused to sign--so what could I do?" Kyla shrugged and held out her hands in a what-did-you-want-me-to-do gesture.

"You could have helped him!" Zelda snapped. "You let him die! How could you? That was your grandfather, your own flesh and blood--and my father! How could you do such a thing?"

"If he had signed the proclamation he would have lived," Kyla repeated.

Before she realized what she was doing, Zelda raised her hand and smacked her daughter hard across the face, knocking her to the floor. Zelda recoiled as if it was she who had been hit. "Kyla...." She'd never hit any of her children in her life.

Kyla sat there, glaring up at her mother, her eyes cold green fire as she rubbed her left cheek. "You're going to regret that, Mother," she said. "Oh yes...you will regret it. I would have let you go free if you gave me the throne. You could have saved your life and Kristin's and Cecil's if you abdicated. But now I'm going to put you behind bars--forever!"

"Kyla--I didn't want to hit you--but you don't understand!"

"I understand perfectly. I was always the unwanted child, wasn't I, Mother? I overheard you and Daddy one night--you wanted to have a miscarriage so I wouldn't be born! I wouldn't be surprised if you purposely did something to make me come too early! You did this to me, Mother! YOU!"

"Kyla--I wanted you. I was so scared when you were born too early. You came so fast your father delivered you. Your brother was so scared that he'd lose his baby sister. Yes, my pregnancy was difficult. But it wasn't your fault." She approached her daughter and held out a hand to help her up; Kyla rejected the proffered hand and got up herself. "Yes, I did say that once, and I regretted it. But I had dreams about you, Kyla. I had a dream that you'd turn out like this and by Din, I was determined to raise you to be a good girl so it wouldn't come to pass!"

"And it was in vain, wasn't it, Mother?" Kyla said softly. "Now you're beating yourself up because you can't control the child you didn't want."

"Kyla, I did want you, despite the dreams I had about you," said Zelda. "And maybe I knew deep down that you can't alter destiny."

"I didn't want to see Grandfather die. I was hoping he'd sign the proclamation, really I'd hoped so," said Kyla. "At least I sent his body back for burial. I could have just burned it, you know."

"You don't act like a child of mine," Zelda said softly. "You don't act like the loving child I once knew."

Kyla threw her head back and laughed. It chilled Zelda to see a young teenaged girl acting like this. Link was right about their daughter. "Me? Loving? Come on, Mother, surely you weren't that blind! I had you fooled!" She looked at the woman who'd borne her. "For your information, Mother dear, I've always felt hate. Hate for you for not wanting me. Hate for everyone for the way I was treated."

"Kyla, please, come home with me. Give up the Triforce."

Kyla's eyes narrowed into slits. "If I give up the Triforce I'll die," she snarled. "Just as I thought. Darknuts--take her to the dungeon!"

Zelda quickly grabbed her daughter. "Retreat--if you want to see your mistress alive," she said, wrapping an arm around the child's throat. She hated to do this--but she had no choice.

Kyla quickly threw something to the ground. A flash blinded Zelda, who released her grip on Kyla. "I think I'll just chain you here, Mother," said Kyla. She laughed. "I've been studying up on magic. Proud of me?"

Several Darknuts chained Zelda to the wall not too far from the throne. "I might just let you have a bed for tonight, Mother, but I'd have to chain you," said Kyla softly. "After all, you did give birth to me, whether you wanted to or not. Oh and those chains are magic, so you can't escape."

Zelda sat against the wall, manacles on her wrists and ankles. More and more she was convinced that her husband was right about their daughter. All that viciousness had lain dormant within Kyla, and the Triforce of Power had brought it out.

"Mother, officially you're Queen of Hyrule now," said Kyla as she picked up her crown, which had fallen off when her mother had slapped her, and placed it back on her blonde head. "I'll let you live if you abdicate and let me be queen. If not, I'll kill you. I'd much rather that you, Cecil, and Kristin give up the throne willingly. I'll go down the line if I have to. Being Queen of Hyrule is my destiny and I will see it fulfilled."

Kyla settled back on her throne. "I'll wait until dawn. Darknuts--let no one in here. I'm going to bed." She got up, went over to where her mother sat. "I've decided that you'll sleep here. Good night, Mom." She kissed her mother's forehead, then sauntered off.

Kristin and Cecil met their father at the stables. "You mean--Kyla killed Grandpa?" Kristin asked.

"According to this note," said Link, letting his children see it.

"We must go there now. Your mother already headed there and I fear she's in danger," said Link. "Get your weapons and your horses and let's go."

Soon Link, Cecil, and Kristin were headed along the road on horseback. Link glanced at his two children as they rode. These two were good, dutiful children who respected their parents and had respected their grandfather. So unlike their younger sister.

Kristin clutched a chain, at the top of which was the Triforce of Wisdom. They had to get the Triforce back from Kyla. Kristin had to be the one to take the Triforce of Power; if anyone else tried it they would be tempted as Kyla had.

"I have this feeling we should hurry," said Kristin. "I sense Mom is in trouble--bad trouble. Kyla had no problem with killing Grandpa."

Hurry they did, and took the underground passage to the island. They made their way towards the palace--and found themselves facing an army of Darknuts and Ironknuckles.

Chapter 6

"So what do we do now, Daddy?" Kristin asked as an army of Ironknuckles and Darknuts approached them.

"I say we fight them," Cecil told his younger sister.

"He's right," said Link. "Your mother is in danger--I know she is. We need to get into that palace." He and Cecil unsheathed their swords, and Kristin took out her bow.

Link hadn't let his skills get rusty over the nearly twenty years since Ganon had been defeated. He was one of Hyrule's greatest knights, and he didn't achieve that just sitting around reading his old comic books. "Kristin, you get the Darknuts. Cecil and I will nail the Ironknuckles."

"I have an idea," said Kristin. She touched the Triforce of Wisdom and drew some magic from it. She then shot a ball of magic at the evil army, taking out several of them at once.

"That'll help a lot," said Cecil as he and their father starting zapping the monsters.

"There's so many of them!" Link cried as he slashed at an Ironknuckle right before he zapped it. "It seems every time we get rid of five, ten more appear! I don't see how we can get through them!"

"Dad! Cecil! Over here!" called Kristin. "I have an idea. If we can't get through them, maybe we can go over them!"

Link and Cecil went over to Kristin. They held on to the Triforce. Kristin concentrated, and the Triforce lifted them over the Darknut/Ironknuckle army. They drifted above the palace, finally letting the Triforce lower them into a courtyard. "Let's find your mother," Link told Kristin and Cecil.

Zelda could not sleep. She wept quietly, thinking about her youngest child, the child who had imprisoned her here. She hadn't wanted to believe that her baby was evil--but Kyla was evil. No question.

"Zelda!"

Zelda looked up when she heard the familiar voice. "Link!" she exclaimed happily, glad that her husband was here.

"Now isn't this sweet," said a soft voice.

Kyla stood in the doorway that led to a corridor. "First my army can't keep you out, and now they have to wake me up to let me know that they didn't do their job," she grumbled. "Dad, if I were you, I would just leave. If Mom doesn't sign over rule of Hyrule to me, she dies at dawn."

Link studied his daughter. He almost shuddered. She had eyes exactly like her mother's, except that while Zelda's were warm and loving, Kyla's were cold and uncaring, unfeeling. "Why did you kill your grandfather, Kyla?" Link demanded as Kristin sneaked over and freed her mother.

"I didn't kill him. He was having a heart attack and I told him I'd help him if he signed that paper over there," Kyla replied indignantly, pointing with her chin to a small table near the throne. A piece of parchment and a bottle of ink and a quill pen were on it. "He didn't sign it, so I didn't help him. It's not my fault he died."

"You killed him by not helping him, Kyla!" Cecil shouted at his sister. "I won't stand here another minute and listen to your pathetic excuses! You're not my sister!"

Kyla slowly approached her older brother. "It figures you'd say that, Cecil. You love Kristin more than you ever did me! I'll cut you a deal, Cecil. Marry me, we rule Hyrule together, and I'll let everyone live. Sound fair?" She wrapped her arms around her brother's neck.

Cecil pushed her back. "That is sick," he spat. "I love you and Kristin as sisters, nothing more!"

Zelda went over to Link, who hugged her. They stared at their youngest child, wide-eyed, as she tried to proposition her own brother.

Kyla laughed. "I know what you and Kristin do when you're alone together," she said.

"You filthy little liar!" Kristin shrieked.

"Kyla, that is enough!" said Zelda. "If anyone is depraved and perverted, it's you!"

Kyla turned her attention to her older sister. "Kristin, please hand over the Triforce of Wisdom."

"No way!" Kristin snapped. "How about you hand over the Triforce of Power?"

"Get bent!" Kyla retorted. She raised her hands in the air and a red glow surrounded each of them. "Kill them!" she cried to an army that had suddenly appeared behind her parents.

"Cecil, Kristin, get that Triforce!" Link shouted as he and Zelda took out their weapons to hold off the army that was spilling in from a corridor.

Cecil immediately grabbed his youngest sister and began wrestling with her. A thought came to him as he fought with her. Without the Triforce of Courage within him, he most likely wouldn't be able to do this--he wouldn't have had the courage to fight his own sister to save Hyrule.

"Let go of me!" Kyla cried.

Tears were about to fall from Cecil's eyes as he unsheathed his sword and placed the blade of it to Kyla's throat. "Call them off, Kyla. I mean it." He pressed the blade up against her neck so she could feel how sharp it was.

"How can you do this to me? I'm your sister," Kyla whimpered, tears coming to her eyes.

Cecil wasn't about to fall for Kyla's act. "How can you do this to our family--to Hyrule?" he asked. "I will kill you if I have to. I don't want to, but an entire kingdom--an entire world--is more important than one evil little girl. I still love you, Kyla, but we can't let you do this. Now call the army off!"

"I have it!" Kristin cried. She now held two Triforces by their chains.

A Darknut had Zelda on the ground, choking her. Link was trying to fight off the rest of the army and save his wife too. Suddenly, they disappeared. Link fell on top of Zelda, who smiled and hugged him.

"I still have some magic left!" Kyla cried as Cecil released her.

"It's not enough to stand up to the full power of the Triforce!" Link told her.

Kyla tried to stand up, fell. "Please...please give it back to me," she cried. "Mommy...Daddy...please...."

"Link, she's dying," Zelda whispered, tears coming to her eyes.

Link knelt beside his youngest child and cradled her in his arms. "Daddy...I was tired of everyone treating me different," she said. "How can you do this to me?"

Zelda knelt beside her husband and daughter and took Kyla's hand. She looked up at her other two children, asking them with her eyes to come join them. They did so.

Cecil and Kristin each gave their sister a kiss on her forehead. "Kyla, we still love you," Link said as Kyla closed her eyes for the last time. Her body went limp.

Zelda started to cry on Link's shoulder. Link carefully laid his daughter's body out on the floor and hugged his wife.

It was dawn when the family, now numbering four rather than five, left the old palace. It had returned to its normal state.

Link held Zelda close as they walked out. Cecil followed them, carrying Kyla's body. Kristin walked alongside him, carrying the Triforces of Power and Wisdom on their chains. "I knew she would die," Zelda sobbed. "I did my best...."

"It's all anyone can do, is their best," said Link. Tears were streaming down his cheeks as well.

EPILOGUE

Three days later a double funeral was held for the former King of Hyrule and his granddaughter Princess Kyla. The kingdom mourned Kyla as well as Harkinian. Only Kyla's family knew of her evil; the rest of the kingdom thought that she had been corrupted by having the Triforce of Power without the Triforce of Wisdom to guide her. No one was going to tell the population any differently; Link and Zelda wanted Kyla to be remembered as their beloved daughter, not as an evil girl who ruthlessly tried to conquer the world.

The night following the funerals Kristin woke up screaming. Her father came rushing in. "Kristin, what's wrong?" he asked as he sat on the edge of her bed.

Kristin sat up, saw her mother and brother in the doorway. "I had a dream...about Ganon and Kyla," she said. "They can't come after us again, can they?"

~end~ Or is it...?

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