Chapter 1

      "Your highness, your advisor wishes to see you." The King's messenger, Edbert, bowed as he spoke.

   "Send Sir Dragmire in." The King yawned. Edbert opened the door, and in stepped a black robed figure, who pulled back his velvet hood, revealing a head full of bushy orange hair. He bowed with a sweeping motion, then stepped forward.

   "Sir Dragmire, what is so important that you must see me at this hour?" The King inquired.

   "I must...well....ask you of something." Ganondorf twiddled his fingers.

   "Well, what is it?" The King was anxious to end the meeting and go to bed.

   "I must ask you to loan me the Ocarina of Time. I have use of it."

   "What? Most certainly not! It hasn't been entrusted to anyone outside the royal family for generations!" The King was shocked at his aubsurd request.

   "Your highness, I must demand it immediately." Ganondorf's voice had an edge to it.

   "Sir Dragmire, I must warn you that if you ask again, I will have you sent back to the desert."

   "Give it to me..." Ganondorf's eyes glowed dangerously with anger.

   "GUARDS!" King Harkinian cried, but Ganondorf reacted and hit the guards that came running with powerful magic that killed them. Several Gerudo soliders stepped into the chamber then.

   "Ladies, search every room, evert cranny in this castle for the ocarina, and kill anyone who stands in the way. I don't care if you must destroy the whole castle, JUST FIND IT!!!!" Ganondorf adressed them, and the scantily clad warriors slunk away. He then turned to the King.

   "Turn over the Ocarina or surrender the throne." Ganondorf formed a ball of magic in his hand. It glowed and pulsated above it. "Maybe this will help influence your decision?"

   "I would rather die before doing either!" The King cried, fear shaking his normally calm voice.

   "So be it then." Ganondorf prepared to hurl the ball of crackling energy at King Harkinian, but Impa leapt out from behind a tapestry, and shot a magic from her palm, deflecting the energy and sending it back to it's sender. Ganondorf groaned as the electricity crackled through him, and he slumped to the ground, unconcious. Impa turned to the King.

   "Your highness, you must flee. Anywhere far away, even to Moldera if the need calls! I'll take care of Zelda. Go!" The King nodded and ran. Impa sprinted up several flights of stairs, avoiding Gerudo warriors along the way. She then dashed down a corridor into the Princess's chambers, where Zelda lay asleep. Impa ran to her side just as the Princess awoke, a smile on her face.

   "Impa! Link's done it! He's gotten the stones! I sense it!"

   "Zelda, that's good, but now's not the time. Get the Ocarina." Impa's tone of voice told Zelda not to question. Zelda ran into the adjoining room, where a jeweled box glittered in the candlelight. Zelda took it from the shelf, and pulled the glowing instrument from the folds of satin. She raced back to her bed chamber, where Impa was finishing packing clothes for them.

   "Why are we leaving, Impa?"

   "The castle is under attack by the Gerudo. Your father has gone to safety several minutes ago. There, done packing. Come on!"

   Impa took Zelda's hand, pulling her toward the door.

   "But I'm in my nightdress, Impa!" Zelda cried.

   "What's more important, your vanity or your life?" Impa slung Zelda over her shoulder, and carried her down the hall. Cries of pain floated from nearby rooms, and Zelda began to tremble with fear. Impa raced down flights of stairs to the stables. Here Zelda's private steed, Aimee, pawed the ground, snorting. Zelda pulled herself onto Aimee's back, Impa mounting behind her. Impa smacked the horse on the flank, and Aimee took off, out the stable exit, down the great hall, and across the drawbridge. The guards ran to get out of the way, seeing that the situation was serious.

   "Impa! Let me stop at the Temple!" Zelda pleaded.

   "Quickly." Impa pulled into the trees in front of the Temple of Time. Zelda hopped off, and ran inside. She prayed to Din for her safety, then, clutching the Ocarina to her chest, left a telepathic message in it for Link. Impa then came in.

   "Zelda, come...NOW!" They ran from the Temple, and galloped through the market. The drawbridge was up, seeing it was night. Impa called;

   "Down the bridge! The Princess's life is in grave danger!" The bridge creaked down, and Zelda looked back at her town for maybe the last time, to see Ganondorf racing close behind, grinning evilly. Aimee shot across the bridge, and Zelda saw the little forest boy, Link run to get out of the way. She saw he would only get the ocarina if she threw it to him. She raised her arm high, and threw it with all of her strength. It sailed through the air, slipped past Link's outstretched hands, and *PLUNK!* it landed in the moat. She wished she had more athletic ability, but, then she saw Ganondorf stop and question Link. She and Impa then disapeared into the forest.

   "Impa, where will we go!?! We can't go back!" Tears ran down the 10 year old's face.

   "There is an island off the East coast of this land. They say my people have died out, I'm the last one, but Sheikah are abundant there. You will be raised as my daughter in the ways of the Sheikah." Zelda was satisfied with this answer, and the swaying of the horse lulled her to sleep.

  

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