It has been seven years after Link defeated Ganondorf and returned to his own time as a child. He lived a peaceful seven years after that in Kokiri Forest, building more houses as more children wore born into the forest.

The Great Deku Tree sprout had grown a lot (a new one sprouted when Link returned to his own time), therefore bringing new forest children to the Wood. It had become quite a village. Even Malon visited him there every time she had a chance to get away from the ranch.

 

The green-clad hero often rode into Hyrule to help out at Lon-Lon Ranch, and trained at Gerudo Fortress. He didn’t see Zelda very much since she was royalty, so they grew apart. Link preferred the large, emerald-green Hyrule Field than the castle anyway.

He still played with the Skull Kids of The Lost Woods too. He even taught them how to fight using their sticks like swords.

 

Every once and awhile he would head to Lake Hylia with some new herb or something and give it to the old man in the Lakeside Laboratory to help with his research. He also went to fish at the fishing pond every chance he got to bring fresh fish home to his kokirian friends.

 

He rarely went to Zora’s Domain, mostly because he tried to avoid Princess Ruto, who still thought that they were engaged because of the Zora’s Sapphire thing, but when he did, he usually practiced fighting with them; they even made him some artificial Zora fins which he loved to fight with.

 

Link hiked up to Death Mountain a few times a month to visit the Gorons. They got interested in learning to fight (because Darunia was pretty much the only one that could), so Link made some wooden swords and taught them how to sword-fight. But they were pretty useless at that so he decided they would do better just fighting with their hands. They got very good at it, but still, Darunia was the only one Link couldn’t beat.

 

Link enjoyed these peaceful times they lived in, but, being a warrior, he longed for a real fight against a worthy opponent. No one, other than Ganondorf’s elite monsters and Ganondorf himself, could ever give him that satisfaction.

He needed adventure again; he wanted to leave Hyrule in search of one. But the Hero of Time could not leave. Ganondorf still had the Triforce of Power, and if Link ever left, the force of the Triforce of Wisdom and Courage would break and the seal on Ganon would be useless.

 

But then again, Link started to grow to like the life of ranching. He could tame horses quite easily now so he was a big help to Talon. He enjoyed being around the cows and horses and also Malon.

They had grown to be very good friends in the past seven years, they were very close. Talon even hoped that they would get married so that he could retire early and give the ranch over to Link and Malon.

Of course, Ingo couldn’t care less what he did, as long as he got to work on a ranch, he was happy.

And so, Link started to spend more and more time on the ranch, training Epona every day, and getting closer to Malon.

 

But.... His passion for adventuring never died out all the way...

 

 

 

“Whoa! Slow down Epona!” Link said. The magnificent horse stopped in it’s tracks, almost throwing Link of it’s saddle.

Malon ran up to him, laughing. “That was great! You beat your own record again!”

Link smiled, hopping down from the horse. “Finally. It took awhile, but we did it, didn’t we Epona?”

 

He stroked her mane as she nayed.

Link looked quite a bit different then he used to. His hair was still the same, but he had let it grow a bit longer, so he pulled it back into a ponytail. He wasn’t wearing his usual green tunic either. He had a black t-shirt with a pair of blue over-alls on.

 

Malon smiled then headed back to the house. “Dinner will be ready soon so you better wash-up.”

Link nodded and ran over to the water pipe, where they got fresh water all the way from Zora’s Fountain. It was a pretty neat thing that the Zora’s had set-up from them.

He turned it on and water started to pour out into the large bowl-like thing below it. Putting his hands under it, he splashed his face.

 

His eyes suddenly opened as it dripped into his mouth. Something was very wrong here. It tasted like...blood.

Link looked down at the bowl and saw red. He looked at the pipe and saw red coming from it.

“What the....b...blood?!”

 

                                                 -----------------------

 

 

Epona’s hooves stomped down on the dirt road of Hyrule Field, kicking-up dust as she galloped towards Zora’s River.

Link rode with a stern look on his face, keeping his eyes strait ahead. Epona jumped over the narrow river and headed through Zora’s River to the entrance of Zora’s Domain, where he dismounted Epona.

 

Without stopping to play Zelda’s Lullaby, he jumped towards the entrance behind the waterfall. The force violently pushed him down, but he grabbed onto the side, struggling to pull himself up.

Once he was inside, the first thing he saw was a dead zora body. He cringed slightly at the sight, and then leaned down for further examination. The lifeless Zora had three small holes in his heart. Link leaned down and sniffed them. He recoiled quickly, coving his nose with his hand. The smell of the poison was hideous and very strong.

 

“Someone must have put a poison needle in him or something.” Link looked around in horror at all the other dead bodies. Some floating in the water, some still on land. But they all had one thing in common; a tiny hole in their heart.

 

“Who ever did this is going to die!!” Link screamed, his heart full of rage. He didn’t have his sword with him, but he could do very well in hand-to-hand combat after training with the Gorons so much.

 

The Hero of Time raced into the throne room, where King Zora was laying in a heap on the floor, four small holes in the back of his neck.

Holding back tears as best he could, he headed out to Zora’s Fountain.

 

A bunch of Zoras were standing near Jabu-Jabu. Most of the water was red from blood leaking into it. Link rushed up to the dieing Lord, who had a large hole in his side.

 

“What happened here Lord Jabu-Jabu?!” Link demanded.

 

“Shadows... everywhere... They came and killed the Zoras.... I was able to hide some in my stomach... They tired to poison me. But it didn’t effect... so one of them chanted something and my side suddenly burst open,” –he coughed- “...Before they left...one of the smaller ones said... ‘Whoever serves the Royal Family shall perish’ ....they all then disappeared.”

 

Link growled. Who could it be? The Gerudos? That couldn’t be...after Ganondorf left they went back to being normal thieves. But could this mean that....

 

Link put a hand on Lord Jabu-Jabu’s head. “Rest in peace, my friend, your death shall not be in vein.”

Standing up, Link turned and silently walked away.

 

                                                        -------------------------

 

The teenager stood in front of a crate in his home. It was one he had not opened in six years.

He blew away the dust and pushed it open. There it lay. His old Hylian Shield and his sword that the King had given him.

Slowly, he pulled them out and began to dress himself in the Kokiri tunic that the children had made for him a few months before.

 

He came back out thirty minutes later. His hair cut to how it was when he had defeated Ganon, and he wore his green tunic.

Link jumped down from his house and onto Epona, riding out of Kokiri Forest.

 

The Hero of Time... had returned.

 

Note: I just remembered I forgot about the disclaimer. But everyone knows that Nintendo owns Zelda, and I don’t.

 

 

Chapter Two

 

 

 

As Link rode through Hyrule field, Jabu-Jabu’s words kept going through his mind. ‘All who serve the Royal Family shall perish.’

The only time Gerudos even killed was when Ganondorf ruled over them, but after that they only stole from rich men.

 

It didn’t make sense that he could be back. Link never stepped one toe out of Hyrule, so the seal on him couldn’t have broken.

He suddenly pulled back on the reins, stopping Epona abruptly. He couldn’t go to Gerudo Fortress now!

The Gerudos may still be around Hyrule, and if he left the whole place would be unprotected. But where would they strike next?

 

Kokiri Forest? No, the Kokirians have nothing to do with the Royal Family... The Gorons! Kakariko Village!!

Link turned Epona around. “Run as fast as you can Epona!!”

Epona nayed and galloped towards Kakariko Village.

 

-------------

 

When Link arrived at the stairway that led up to Kakariko, he saw smoke floating up into the air. “Oh no...I’m too late!”

The hero jumped from Epona’s saddle and raced up the stairs to the burning village. People were running back and forth, taking water from the well and splashing it over their houses. They couldn’t do it fast enough though so the flames stayed.

 

“Please! Someone help! My baby is still in that house!” A woman cried.

Link quickly pulled out his fire tunic from his bag and slipped it on, then charged into the house.

He heard crying. Link followed the sound and grabbed onto the baby, covering it up in his arms so the fire wouldn’t burn it.

 

He made his way out of the house when a pillar fell right in front of him! He back-flipped away and pulled out his sword, cutting it in half.

Link ran out of the house and jumped out of a window, for the entrance was blocked.

“Phew...Here is your baby ma’am.”

Link handed the baby to the mother and ran over to the well. He was slightly burnt in places but it was nothing serious.

 

Putting his hands to the air, the young hero used Nayru’s power to lift all the water from the well and let it drop over the houses of Kakariko.

The whole village cheered and clapped for Link as the fire died down.

 

Wiping sweat from his brow, Link sped up to the entrance of Death Mountain. But he suddenly stopped, remembering something. He turned and saw Impa’s house... It wasn’t burnt at all!

 

“What the...”

He shook his head and headed up Death Mountain, towards Goron City.

 

-------------

 

“Who are you?!” Darunia yelled at the three shadowy figures in front of him.

The smallest of the three walked up in front.

 

“Are you not Darunia? Leader of the Gorons, and one of the most loyal followers of Hyrule?” He asked in a quiet tone.

“Who wants to know?” Darunia growled.

He could tell the shadow had started smirking. “We have come here to eliminate you.”

 

It pulled three darts from its cloak and tossed them at Darunia, who barely dodged them.

The Gorons saw what was happening and ran down to the bottom level to attack the shadows.

 

All hell broke loose as more shadows appeared and began battling with the Gorons. Darunia was fighting off three at once, a kick to one, a punch to another.

But then a smallest (Who by now seemed to be the leader) jumped up above the fighting and tossed four darts at Darunia.

 

He didn’t have time to move. Time seemed to slow as he watched the darts get closer, and closer...

 

KA-CHANG!

 

Link stood in front of Darunia with his shield up. “Heh, thought you were a goner huh, Darunia?”

The Goron Leader turned a little red out of embarrassment. “Shaddup and help us fight these things!!”

 

Link nodded and charged into battle, slashing one shadow in half that got in his way then jumping up to the platform the leader was on. It actually wasn’t all that small. He or she was only a little shorter than Link.

 

“You are the ones that killed King Zora and all those other Zoras aren’t you?!” yelled Link.

“Yes, it was us. We are here to kill the Royal Family and all that side with them, and anyone else that dares to get in our way!”

 

“But why?! What did they do to you?!”

“That is none of your concern little boy.”

 

Link spun his sword around once then charged the cloaked figure, then jumped up and swung down as hard as he could.

The figure flipped over the attack, then, removing a dart from it’s cloak, it threw it at Link. Link blocked with his shield then charged again, slashing horizontally. The figure withdrew a blade from its cloak; a short katana, and blocked the attack.

 

The shadow chuckled a little. “I can see your attacks coming a mile away.”

“Yeah? See if you can see THIS!!”

 

The green-clad hero swung his sword again, which the shadow blocked, but then he came around the other end with his shield, which it blocked to, but THEN he jumped up and spin-hook-kicked the shadow across the face, sending it crashing into a wall.

 

The shadow growled then let out a strange call and they all disappeared. Link sighed a bit and slid his sword back into it’s sheath as Darunia walked up to him.

“We lost some Gorons to these Shadows...but thanks to you not as many were lost. Please stay the night brother, and rest.”

 

Link nodded. “Thank you. I will.”

He then turned back to the wall the shadow had crashed into. Whatever they were, Link now knew one thing for sure: They were not Gerudos.

 

Note: Well, that’s interesting. It says I have three reviews but I can only see one... oh well x.x;

 

Chapter Three

 

 

 

“I do not know what is going to happen, Link,” The Great Fairy said. “But you will soon have to leave Hyrule.”

Link gasped. He had climbed all the way to the top of Death Mountain to seek the wisdom of the Great Fairy.

 

“But...me leaving Hyrule would mean that the seal on Ganondorf would be broken! And that would cause more harm than anything else!”

“I’m sorry Link. I just know that you will be leaving. For what, I do not know.”

 

And with that, she disappeared into the fountain. Link turned and walked out grimly. He was so confused and had had a long day.

 

“I just need some rest.” He admitted to himself, heading back down the mountain.

He arrived back at Goron City while the Gorons were burying the dead. All the death was too much for Link to handle. He quickly walked to his room, and, taking off his gear, he flopped on the bed.

 

His sleep was full of nightmares though. In one, he walked through Hyrule Field, playing his ocarina happily until dark clouds covered the sky. He looked up as it started to rain and a mark came down from the clouds....an eye with a blood red tear coming from it. Link watched in horror as an army of shadows ran into the castle, killing the inhabitants.

 

The hero of time sat up in bed, a cold sweat rolling down his face. “I...it....was just a...dream....”

The Triforce on the back of his hand started glowing, and lead him out of Goron city to the ledge that had a view of Kakariko village. It was far down but Link could tell that the people will busy trying to clean-up the mess that the fire had made.

 

That reminded him....Every house in Kakariko had been set aflame besides Impa’s house. That didn’t make much sense. She was a Sheikah and the Sheikah were sworn protectors of the Royal Family. Out of all of them, her house should have been the one to be set fire.

 

Maybe she was... No! Impa couldn’t betray the throne! She wouldn’t do that...would she?

Maybe he should take a trip to Hyrule castle and talk to her. Either way, he wasn’t going to leave until morning so he headed down the mountain to Kakariko.

 

Many people thanked him as he walked through the burnt-down village, others were too busy mending to the wounded to trying to salvage whatever they could from their house. Link saw a little boy in the corner of a burnt-down house, curled up and crying.

 

He walk into the house and cringed at the site of two burnt bodies laying on the floor. He went over and kneeled next to the child. “What’s wrong little guy?”

 

“My mommy...and daddy... won’t wake up....” He sniffed.

Link picked him up. “How old are you kid?”

He held up five fingers.

“Five years old.... Um.... I think we are going to have to leave your mom and dad here... Do you have anyone to take care of you?”

 

The boy shook his head.

“Well that’s a problem... What’s your name?”

“It’s Miroku...What’s yours?”

 

“Link. Well, Miroku, I’m going to have to find a place for you to stay... but... everyone is preoccupied right now... Hmm... I know! Someone at Kokiri Forest can take care of you. It’s kinda far but...we will make it there before sun rise. Do you want to go?”

 

“What about mom and dad?”

Link rubbed the back of his head, trying to find the words. “Well...they’ve gone somewhere...um....Heaven! Yeah, it’s a great place where they will be real happy.”

 

“Really? When will they be back?”

“Well...they will be gone for awhile so... my friends at Kakariko will take care of you while they are gone.”

“Oh...okay then!” smiled Miroku.

 

-------------

 

Link carried the boy in his arms as Epona slowly rode towards the forest. The fields of Hyrule were quiet...almost too quiet for Link.

He felt around the saddle of his horse for his bow and an arrow. Stringing the arrow, he aimed it at a bush and let go.

 

There was a low moaning sound and a shadowy creature with red glowing eyes jumped out from behind the bush.

“What on earth is that?!” Link exclaimed.

 

The monster threw its arm up then threw it back down, shooting some kinda black substance at Link.

The green clad hero quickly put his shield up and blocked the attack, but on impact the force knocked him off his horse.

 

Miroku sleepily sat up. “Wha... Link....?”

A bunch of Poe Ghosts appeared, as well as three ReDeads.

“Epona! Take Miroku as far away as you can! Head to Kokiri Forest!”

Epona snorted a bit then sped off.

“BUT LINK!!!”

 

Link drew his sword and shield, getting into a stance. “Bring it!”

A Poe charged at him, spinning its lantern. Link rolled out of the way, then turned and cut the ghost in half.

 

He heard moaning and turned to see the ReDead’s lifting their heads.

“Oh no you don’t!”

Link pulled his boomerang from his belt and threw it. It flew through the air, cutting off all three ReDead’s heads.

Link let fly an arrow at the shadow creature, hitting it right in the forehead. There was an ear-piercing scream and it disappeared in a poof of smoke.

 

The rest of the Poe Ghosts charged at him in a circle. Link held his sword behind him and started to charge energy in it. “Kai-Ten....GIRI!!!”

 

As soon as he called out ‘giri’ he started spinning around madly, letting loose all the energy at the Poe Ghosts, destroying them.

Link panted a little, sliding his sword back into its sheath.

 

“That was fairly impressive....” said a deep, male voice.

Link spun around. Before him stood a tall man with long grey hair. He looked like he was in his late 20s.

 

Link pulled his sword out as the man got closer. Link jumped back in shock when he saw a red eye with a red tear coming from it on the man’s shirt. The sign of the Sheikah!

 

_____________________

 

Oooo...cliff-hanger.... Hope you liked this chapter. Please give meh some reviews! ^^;

 

Chapter Four

 

 

 

Link took a step back as the Sheikah took a step forward.

“Are you scared young hero?” the Sheikah smirked.

 

“N...no...” Link stammered. “It’s just that....well....why are you wearing those clothes?!”

“I am Shuzaro, of the Sheikah Tribe. Why else would I wear Sheikah clothing?”

 

“What do you want from me?”

Shuzaro drew a katana from the back of his shirt. “I have come to test you. Prepare yourself!”

 

Link grabbed his shield and got into a stance then charged at Shuzaro, swinging his sword downwards.

Shuzaro quickly blocked, pushing his hand against the broad side of his sword to stop it from going down on his head. His sword was faster, but Link’s was stronger.

 

The Sheikah slid to the side and swung his sword at Link. Link’s sword was too heavy to react fast enough so he blocked with his shield then leaped at him, thrusting his sword at Shuzaro’s chest.

 

He stepped to the side, but not quick enough to avoid being hit. He clutched his side as blood dripped from his wound.

“Not bad rookie!” He laughed, and then lashed out with his sword, slashing at least ten times a second. But they weren’t placed very well and Link blocked easily with his shield.

 

This guy was fast, but Link could beat him. Jumping right up into the air, he tossed his sword and shield behind the Sheikah, drew his bow and arrow then released an arrow, striking him on the shoulder.

 

Shuzaro growled in pain as Link landed behind him, and, picking up his sword, spun around and slashed Shuzaro in half diagonally.

He sighed slightly and wiped blood off his sword onto the grass. He heard the snort of a horse and turned around quickly. Malon was staring in horror at what she had just seen.

 

She was on her horse with a black cloak around her. The red headed girl couldn’t believe what she saw Link do!

Almost to tears, Malon turned her horse around and rode off, before Link had a chance to stop her.

 

“WAIT! MALON!!”

She was gone. Link looked down at the two half’s of Sheikah laying on the ground in a pool of blood. He wasn’t really sorry that he had killed this man in such an awful way. Of how many Zoras and Gorons they had slain, he felt no pity towards them.

 

But... Why the heck were the Sheikah killing these people!? This man even had the type of sword that the Sheikah used.

And what was the strangest thing of all; All the Sheikah had died out somehow. So... how were they there?

 

----------------------

 

 

Malon rushed home, trying not believe she really saw what she saw. Link wasn’t the kind of person to kill someone just like that!

It didn’t make sense to her. Who was the man he killed...? And why did he kill him so unmercifully?

She just wanted to cry. Going up to her room she stuffed her face in her pillow and sobbed quietly so her father wouldn’t hear her.

 

Unknown to her, outside her window, two shadows smirked a bit as they watched.

 

“This young one has feelings for the Hero of Time.” The first said.

“Does he return her feelings?” The second asked.

“I am...not sure yet. But we must keep her in mind, for we may need to use her.”

 

----------------------

 

 

The sun was just coming up as Link entered Kokiri Forest. He was drained from the fight and the long walk.

The green-clad hero saw Epona eating grass next to his tree-house and guessed that there was where they put Miroku.

 

He reluctantly climbed the ladder and saw the young child sleeping soundly in his bed. Taking his shield and sword off, he collapsed to the ground. Link didn’t care if it was hard; at least it was a place he could sleep without being attacked by a wandering Poe Ghost or Stalchild.

 

Chapter Five

 

 

   “GET UP LINK!! SLEEPY HEAD!!”

   Link quickly sat up. “Nn...eh..? Wha..?!”

   Saria smiled, standing over him. “Hey!”

   Link slowly sat up. “Hey Saria.” He looked at his bed. “Where’s the kid?”

   “Miroku? He’s outside eating. Did you adopt a child or something?”

   “His parents died. I thought that the Kokiri Children could take care of him.”

   “Yeah, we can do that.”

   Link stood up and slipped his boots and hat on. “Good. How is the Forest Temple doing?”

   “Oh, that’s what I meant to ask you. I’m having trouble with one of the Poe Sisters again.”

   “Which?”

   “Meg!”

   ‘Oh great...’ Link thought.

 

   Picking up his gear and strapping it on, he pulled out the ocarina Saria had given him and played the Minuet of Forest. A green light engulfed him and he disappeared.

   

                                                         -----------

 

   Link appeared in side the ‘hallway’ to the Forest Temple. He knew better than to just go in so he pulled his hook-shot out and shot it at the tree. It connected and stuck, so he made it pull him up a bit then he swung across to the entrance.

   Two Wolfos emerged from the ground and looked around. Link was already inside so they didn’t see him.

   When he entered the main hall he heard crying.

   “Not again...” Link moaned.

   He jogged down the steps and before him sat a purple Poe Ghost. Her hands were buried in her face and she was crying.

   “Oh, puh-lease Meg! Don’t you know any other tricks?”

 

Meg growled and floated up. “I guess that one is getting a little old for you. But you will not leave here alive!”

    She split herself into 20 copies. “HAHA! I know can make for copies!” They all said. “How are you going to find the really one with so many of me?!”

   “This is how,” came a quiet, childish voice.

   Fourteen Skull Kids fell from out of nowhere and smashed their sticks into the Poe’s heads.

   All the copies vanished...leaving only the real one. Link grinned and took out his sword.

   “W-wait! Lets talk about this!!” Meg pleaded.

   Link let out a powerful slash, cutting the purple ghost in half.

She screamed and disappeared.

 

   Link smiled. “Next time I should bring my Light Arrows so I can finish her for good.” He stood up and turned towards the Skull Kids. “Thanks for the help. Oh, and can you do me a favor? There may be a kid coming into the forest some times. His name is Miroku. If he wanders into the forest...make sure he doesn’t get lost.”

   “Sure, no problem Link!” They laughed and ran off.

 

                                                            -------------

 

   Link’s mind raced as he walked back to the village. None of anything made sense. First the Sheikah show up after being dead for hundreds of years and start killing anyone that is loyal to the Royal Family. They attack Kakariko but Impa’s house doesn’t get burnt at all. Then he starts having these weird dreams and now Malon is mad at him!

   The young hero collapsed to the ground. “Too much...going... through....my brain...”

   He would have to go visit Malon then go to Hyrule Castle and talk to Zelda.

 

   Something suddenly crossed his mind as he stood back up. If it were the Sheikah that was killing people loyal to the royal family then could Impa be...?!

 

                                                                 -------------

 

It was at least 4:00pm by the time Link made it to Hyrule castle, the guard stopped him.

   “Oh, it’s you Link. What are you doing here?”

   “I have to see Princess Zelda right away.”

   “I’m sorry but she left. She’s going to Lake Hylia for the weekend.”

   “Darn it.... Thanks for the info.”

   Link turned Epona around and headed out to Hyrule Field again. ‘I don’t believe this...Zelda going to Lake Hylia is the perfect chance for the Sheikah to ambush her. I hope I can catch up before she gets there...’

    

                                                                -------------

 

   Zelda sighed happily as she lay on a towel by Lake Hylia in her bathing suit (Going to Lake Hylia was the closest thing to going to the beach for her). Her best friend, Kyla was laying next to her.

   “Ah...this is the life, huh Zelda?” She smiled.

   “Yeah...it’s nice to get out of the castle once and awhile,” Zelda replied. “Hey Triston, can you get me some lemonade? ........Triston?”

   Zelda opened her eyes and screamed at the Sheikah towering over her. All her guards were laying on the floor in a pool of blood.

   “You are Princess Zelda are you not?” The Sheikah asked.

   The two girls just stared at the bodies in horror.

 

((Sorry it took so long to upload this chapter. I haven’t had the net for awhile. So I need some reviews to motivate me again. Pleeeease ^^))

 

 

 

Chapter Six

 

 

Link tore across Hyrule Field, pushing Epona to her max. She hopped over the two gates that led into Lake Hylia and continued on until they reached the Lake-side Lab.

 

Link looked franticly around for any traces of Zelda. Finding none, he jumped off Epona and ran into the laboratory.

“Doctor!!” He yelled, slamming the door open.

“Whoa, Link!” the doctor blinked, “Don’t break my door!!!”

 

“Has Zelda come through here today?!”

“Why, yes, she has. She stopped here to look at some of the life forms I have in those water tanks. Why do you ask?”

 

“I don’t have time to explain. Look, Doc, do you have some kinda potion that will give me a boost of speed?”

“Don’t you have your horse?”

“I mean in battle!”

“Ah....Yes...I think that I do.” He walked into his storage room and came back a little later, holding a bottle of greeny-brown stuff. “This is the stuff.”

 

Link took it. “This stuff don’t look too good...” He pulled the cork off and sniffed it. “Argh, gross! What the heck is in this?!”

 

The doctor coughed. “Erm, you should be running along now. I have a lot of stuff to do, bye!”

He shoved Link out the door and then slammed it. Link shook his head and put the bottle away.

‘Link!’

The blond haired teenager looked around. “What the....?”

‘Link, it’s me, Ruto. I am contacting you from the Sacred Realm.’

“Princess Ruto! Do you have any idea what happened to Zelda?”

‘I’m not sure... But I found five dead Hylian Guards near the Buckwood tree. I got some water sprites to bring them back to the river that flows towards Hyrule Castle.

“So...Princess Zelda wasn’t with them?”

‘No.’

“I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing...wait a sec.... Impa should have been with her!”

 

                                                         ----------------------

 

“Link! How are- What’s wrong?!”

The green clad hero had stormed into Hyrule Castle. “Where is Impa?! Tell me now!”

“Whoa! Calm down! She went with Zelda to Lake Hylia, you know she goes everywhere with her.”

Link swore and punched the marble wall, busting his knuckles, but he didn’t seem to even feel it. He walked out of the castle and rode out of the market on Epona.

 

                                               -------------------------------

 

 

Link rode into Lon Lon Ranch and the first thing to catch his eye was blood. There was blood across the grass. “Oh no... MALON!!”

He jumped off and ran to barn door. Someone swung the door open, making it crash into Link’s skull. He flopped back, “Oww...”

 

“L-Link...it’s you...” said the surprised Malon.

“Yeah...” He mumbled, standing up as he rubbed his head. “I...needed to talk to you about what happened last night...”

Even though he was worried about Zelda, he knew he had to talk to Malon. She looked at him, getting teary eyed. “Link...why...why did you do that? Why did you kill that man like that... I-I know you were fighting him but...You’ve never killed anyone before EVER. So...why now...Why cut him in half like that?! It’s not right!”

 

Link looked down. He didn’t really know how to explain it to her. “Malon... That guy... he was evil. He wasn’t like anyone else... I’m sorry you had to see that, but I was filled with rage when it happened. They killed so many people...”

Malon put her arms around him and hugged him, crying into his chest. Link held her close to him, letting her weep.

 

“P...please... Don’t do it again Link...please don’t...”

Link didn’t know what to say. He was setting out now to do that very thing, he wanted to kill every last one. “Malon look at me. I want you and Talon to leave this place. It isn’t safe anymore, so go and stay at Zora’s Domain. I used the powers of the goddesses to seal it so only someone baring the Triforce can enter.”

 

“How can I get in then?” Malon asked, wiping away tears.

“I...am intrusting you with this...” Link held out a shard of the Triforce to her.

“You’re kidding. Link, I can’t take this!”

“It the only way to keep you safe. Please, do what I say. Leave now.”

 

Malon nodded. “I’ll go Link.”

Link smiled, then looked down and realized that he was holding her hand. He blushed dark red. “I have to go....”

He quickly walked back to his steed and Malon sadly watched as he rode away.

                                                         --------------------------

 

 

All the Gorons looked up as Darunia entered the room. “It is true. The Great Fairy has told me so.”

The Gorons moaned. “So we really will have to fight.”

“Yes, and we must train! Harder than ever now!”

 

                                                          --------------------------

 

 

A teenaged Zora walked onto what used to be King Zora’s throne. “The Great Fairy of the desert lands has come to me and told me of what we must do.”

“And what is that?” One Zora asked.

“We must raise an army.”

 

Chapter Seven

 

 

 

Link rode into Kokiri Forest, relived to find that everyone was OK. Miroku ran to meet him. “Link! Hi! Wow, you don’t look so good.”

Link hopped off of Epona. “I’m fine. Just a little tired. How are you doing Miroku?”

“Okay. The people here are really nice, and Saria lets me explore the Forest Temple now since she got all the evil spirits from it.”

 

“She did? Well that’s good. Grou! Get out here!” Link yelled as he walked up to his house.

A short fat Kokiri wobbled out of his house and looked at the Hylian. “What Link?”

“Go to the Great Deku Tree and tell him to put the barrier up around the forest and to not let anyone one in. Even me.”

“B-but why?”

 

“Some bad stuff is going on and it’s better just to be safe, okay? Now go tell him.”

Link jumped onto his horse as Grou ran off as fast as his short legs could carry him. “Bye Miroku. I probably won’t be back for awhile so be good.”

“Aww...okay...”

 

“Go Epona!”

Epona took off out of the forest, and a green barrier covered the entrance.

 

                                                            -------------------------- 

 

 

Ingo was in the back barn of LonLon Ranch, milking the cows. He had stubbornly decided to stay at the ranch saying; ‘I don’t care what Link said! I’m not leaving this place!’

Suddenly a chill went up his spine. He glanced around then went back to milking. A cold voice rang out in the darkness. “Where has Malon gone?”

 

Ingo jumped up, looking around anxiously. “Wh-wh-who’s there?”

“That is none of your concern. Tell me now where she has gone!”

Suddenly gathered up his courage and yelled. “I’m not telling you anything! Now come out! Show yourself!!”

 

He suddenly felt something grab him by the collar and lift him up. The Sheikah growled at him and held a knife to his neck. “Tell me. Where is the little girl?!”

“Okay! Okay! She left with Talon to go to Zora’s Domain!”

“Thank you.”

He dropped Ingo, knocking over the milk bucket.

Blood flowed and fused with the spilled milk.

 

                                                   -------------------------------

 

 

“I think we should go faster Father...” Malon said. They were about halfway to Zora’s Domain, riding on horseback there.

“Oh, there’s no hurry.” Talon passively responded.

“Link wouldn’t have told us to leave if we weren’t in some kind of danger. Please Father, let’s go faster.”

 

Suddenly someone appeared in front of them, grinning. “Why, hello Malon.”

Malon was afraid. She wished Link had gone with her. “Who are you?”

“You’re scared... I can tell... Don’t worry. We’re not going to kill you. Just use you as bait.”

“B-bait...for Link?! What do you want with him?”

The shadow snickered. “The Hero of Time will prove to be very troublesome unless we take care of him quickly by-”

“Bye getting him in a place where you can all attack him at once.” Malon interrupted.

“My, aren’t you smart! Well, shall we be going?”

 

Talon charged at the shadow on his horse. “You’re not taking Malon anywhere!!”

“Fool...” He muttered, tossing three darts from his hand at the horse. The beast instantly fell, and Talon tumbled to the ground, he got up and tackled the shadow to the ground. “Quick! RUN MALON!!!”

“But..!”

“NOW!!”

 

Malon reluctantly turned her horse and yelled for it to move and it took off, towards Zora’s River. She was scared to death but wasn’t going to let them use her to kill Link. Her horse leapt over the narrow river and onto the path through Zora’s River. A shadow jumped out in front of her, which scared the horse and knocked her off. She hit the ground and before she could get up, a hand grabbed her and pulled her up. “Not getting away now girl!”

“No! Someone help!! LIIINK!!!”

 

                                                     --------------------------

 

 

Link rode to into Hyrule Market and hopped off Epona when he reached the Temple of Time. “Stay here Epona.”

A fairy had come and given him back the powder, telling him to go back and draw the Master Sword, then get the sages to fuse the powder with the blade. He didn’t know what for but knew it would help.

He walked in front of the alter and held out the Triforce of Courage. The Door of Time opened and he walked up to the Master Sword. That was it...the Blade he had used so long ago to destroy Ganondorf, the King of Evil. He slowly put his hand on it and slid it from the stone.

He felt every drop of his old power flood into him again, he loved the feeling. Slowly the hero of time swung the blade through the air then slashed quickly to the right then vertically. He smiled. “I’ve missed you my old partner... It’s time for us to fight together again!”

He slid it into his other sheath and walked out of the temple.

 

Chapter Eight

 

 

 

At Zora’s Fountain, the Zora’s were already training their army. “How many Zora’s have signed up so far Commander?”

The head Zora, Lord Midoto, thought he was so cleaver because he had already thought up military names for everyone. His only son, Isuke (is-oo-kay), was getting really annoyed at him lately because he had gotten all power-happy since King Zora’s death.

“Three hundred and fifty-two, sir,” The commander replied.

“Excellent. Where is my son?” Midoto asked.

“He went out to Lake Hylia.”

 

-------------------------

 

Isuke had already gathered up the Zoras that were staying in Lake Hylia, and was briefing them on the situation. “We’ve never had to do this before. Not many of us have ever seen real combat, but if you all stick to your training seriously, we will be able to make the greatest army ever!!”

 

Everyone cheered loudly, and then dived under water, making their way through the underground water tunnel that lead right into Zora’s Domain.

 

Isuke smiled. Those men had never fought before, but they were warriors. He knew they would stand up to any army they faced.

Isuke was a pretty tall Zora for the age 16, and had a long head fin and some red in the normally blue and white skin of a Zora.

 

Suddenly he felt like something dangerous was behind him and he dived underwater, just in time before three darts went flying over him.

 

Maneuvering quickly through the water, he swam to the side then downwards, and kicking off the bottom of the lake he shot out of the water, blindly throwing his fins out at whatever was attacking him.

Two shadowy figures jumped out of the way and threw a few other darts at him, this time bigger ones. Still airborne, the young Zora clenched his fists and a wall of blue magic flamed up around him, making the darts disintegrate as soon as they hit. He landed softly on the ground, just as his fins swept back around and clung to his arms.

 

“Who are you?! Why are you attacking me?!” Isuke demanded.

The two shadows didn’t answer; they only drew their short katanas and charged at him. Isuke didn’t have a clue who they were but he knew it was either him or them. And he didn’t feel like dieing today.

 

Without hesitating, he put his hardened fin up and blocked a slash from one, then slashed with his other fin at the shadow coming from his left, but it blocked and kicked him in his stomach. Isuke was knocked away by that attack but quickly turned it into a back-flip and landed on his feet. Okay, this wasn’t going to work; he had to get them into the water where he was more agile. One of the shadowish humanoid creatures charged towards him. Isuke jumped up, grabbing it by the shoulders and throwing it into the lake, then flipped while he was still in the air and kicked the other shadow in the back, knocking him into the lake.

 

Without waiting another moment, Isuke dived into the water with his arms spread out, his fins slashing through the shadows’ chests. They gave a cry of pain but started following him almost instantly.

The Zora smiled. They didn’t stand a chance. He stopped in his tracks, letting the shadows speed past him, and released his fins at them. They swung through the water and sliced through the under arm of each shadow.

They shrieked in pain, and swam right up to them, slammed their heads together, cracking their skulls. And with a double blow to the neck, he finished them off.

 

Giving out a sigh, he finally got a good look at them. They had silverish clothes on...and had a symbol of an eye with a red tear...

 

                                                           ----------------------

 

Tossing his shield from his arm, Link sent it strait into the head of the last of the Sheikah that had attacked him, knocking him to the ground. They all stood up again, each of them with a good amount of gashes and other wounds on them. Link grinned and held the Master Sword with both his hands, getting in Kai-Ten-Giri stance.

 

Without a word, they all crossed their arms and disappeared with a bright flash.

The Hero of Time sighed and picked up his shield, muttering; “Cowards.”

He wiped the dripping blood off his sword onto the grass and slid it back into the blue and gold scabbard.

A cold wind suddenly blew through Hyrule Field.

 

Link sighed, closing his eyes as the wind swept through his hair. There was something about this wind... something pure, untainted. But something else, something sinister in the air that was even closer...

 

                                                            ---------------------

 

“Please Mother! Let me to leave! I wish to help the Hylian people. This opponent is nothing like the Gerudos, the Hero of Time needs my help.”

 

“You cannot go. If you leave, you will become a mortal until you return. Something may happen to you...I can’t let you, Zara.”

 

“I refuse to hide here in this sanctuary while the people we are supposed to help are dieing. What are we doing to help them?!” Yelled the blue haired young fairy.

 

“We serve the Hero of Time. He will come to us when he needs assistance. We can do NOTHING else.”

 

“I can. And I will,” said Zara, turning and starting to walk out.

 

“ZARA! If you leave, the elder fairies may not allow you to come back.”

“........I will not sit and watch while these people suffer.”

She turned and walked away.

                                                           --------------------

 

It was dark, and as Link rode he saw a great light coming from Lon-Lon Ranch as well as black smoke rising high into the sky. “Lon-Lon Ranch is on fire?!”

The green clad hero was about to make Epona go into full sprint when he realized that there were two Sheikah standing at the front entrance and some on the upper fence. He was sure there was more guarding other areas too.

 

“I hope Malon left in time...”

 

Either way, he wanted to find out what was going on in there.

He rode as close as he thought he could get away with and dismounted, telling Epona to stay put. He grabbed his quiver and tied it around his waist, then took his bow and readied an arrow. “Darn...only five arrows. Hopefully I won’t have to use them though.”

There had to be something big going on in there if there were Sheikah guarding the place.

 

He hated traveling heavy but he needed to be prepared. Link opened the sack on Epona’s saddle. Nothing. Link cursed himself. He hadn’t stocked up on any weapons, the only other thing he had was the Hookshot Dampe had given him before he died... it’d have to do. He stuck it into his scabbard strap then put his hand back on the string of the bow, and slowly crept through the bushes towards the ranch.

 

When he got close enough he held out his Hookshot and let the chain fly into the chimney. It connected and pulled him up to the roof with a little thud, but it was loud enough to attract the attention of the guards. Link quickly slid down the roof, onto the ground and rolled behind a crate. Right now he was thankful for all the stealth training he had done with the Gerudos.

 

He peeked around then slipped out and got closer to fire. It was like a massive bon fire and all the Sheikah were sitting around it, and three Sheikah women were doing what looked like a type of ceremonial dance. He looked closer and saw someone on a wooden platform, and on the other side of the fire, was a massive statue of a beast-like creature with his mouth open, fangs showing, and its claws up. It was the strangest looking thing, and Link couldn’t have even described it.

‘That person...it’s ...it’s.... Ingo! No...they....killed him...’

 

Link watched in horror as two men picked up the body and threw it into the fire. It burst into flames instantly and the whole fire turned bigger, but this time it was blue. The body faded into a red energy and floated up into the statue.

‘What in the name of the goddesses is going on...?’

The fire just disappeared like a candle being blown out and everyone stood.

Time for Link to leave.

 

                                                     -----------------------

 

Malon raced down the bridge that went strait into Kokiri Forest, but was knocked back by an invisible barrier.

She quickly got up and desperately pounded on the barrier, yelling, “Help me! Please let me in!!”

After much pounding, Mido showed his freckled face and slowly walked to the barrier.

 

“Malon! It’s just you...”

 

“Quick! You have to let me in! Those people! Those people are trying to kill me!!”

 

“A-alright.”

 

He ran away then came back a few seconds later. “It’s down.”

Malon walked up to Mido. “Thank you,” She grinned.

 

Chapter Nine

 

 

 

     Isuke knelt down next to the body of a dead Sheikah he had just killed. The sent of blood was still fresh in the air, and there were three other bloody bodies laying around that had been hacked up by the Zora’s blade-like fins.

     He closely examined the dead soldier’s belt and found that there were many small darts around it. Picking one up, he slowly put his finger on the tip. Nothing. It didn’t even sting.

     Just a normal dart...not the kind that my fellow zora died by...

     He spat on the body then stood and started walking away....and moments later, dropped.

 

                                                            ---------------------

 

 

     “It’s very kinda of you to help me Sir Link,” smiled the 16-year-old girl sitting behind Link on Epona. She had shoulder-length green hair, bright blue eyes, and wore a spell-caster’s blue cloak. She held a long white staff with a red butterfly at the top.

     “No problem. You’re just lucky I found you when I did.”

     Indeed it was lucky; she said she had been traveling from somewhere in the southern part of Hyrule when a group of Sheikah had attacked her. She had been able to fend a few off until Link had seen her, and raced over to help.

     Once they were defeated, Zara (that was the girl’s name) told Link she was traveling to find the Hero of Time, and that she was a Great Fairy’s daughter. He didn’t really believe her until she showed him her powers as a fairy. So, after that they both got on and headed to Lake Hylia, for that was where Link was headed before he ran into Zara.

     “I find it strange,” Link started, “that when you leave the Fairy Sanctuary you cease to be immortal, yet you retain your healing power as a fairy.”

     “It is because it isn’t something I was born with from leaving the Sanctuary. All fairies are taught it when they are old enough.”

     “Does that mean I could learn something like that?”

     “No. It still takes fairy blood, which is something I can’t surrender from leaving.”

     “What? But isn’t being immortal in your blood?”

     Zara sighed. She was getting kinda tired of all the questions. “No. Being in the Sanctuary makes me immortal.”

     “I see.”

     Link had expected her to start asking many questions about everything around him, since she had lived all her life in the Sanctuary, but it seemed everything was already familiar to her. Link had pictured the Fairy Sanctuary as a big temple where all the fairies lived happily together, sitting on colorful cushions and eating grapes. Maybe that was partly right, but he didn’t want to ask anymore questions.

      It was pretty much silent after that. They rode a long distance from the afternoon until sundown without stopping. Finally, Link broke the silence when he pointed at the sign.

     “Look, it says ‘Lake Hylia: 20 miles.’”

     “Are we going to stop?” Zara asked.

     “Nah, we can be there in an hour. Then rest at the Doc’s Lab. Besides, it’s too open out here... We’d be easy pray.”

     “Well, we could get there more quickly if we made Epona run.”

     “It might alert the enemy though.”

     Zara shook her head. “I can use my magic to conceal the sound....well, for a little while.”

     “Okay then. Go Epona!!”

     The horse’s hind legs sprung out behind her, kicking up rocks and dirt as she suddenly shot forward at amazing speed.

 

                                                             ------------------------

 

 

     “Haaaaa!!!”

     A curved sword swung up, and blood flew into the air. It swung down, and the body dropped to the ground.

     “Peh, I really expected more from the legendary Sheikah,” said the Gerudo warrior, sliding her two swords back behind her belt. “Eh? What’s that?”

     She saw something laying on the ground a few feet away and walked over. “A zora...”

     She kicked the body, wondering if he was dead. Looking closely, she saw his chest was moving. “Ah, he is alive.”

     Picking him up by his arm and slinging him over his shoulder, she walked back to her camp.

                                                          ------------------------------

 

 

     Link hopped down from his horse and helped Zara down, then walked up to the Lab’s door and knocked. The Doc opened the door. “Link! My, I didn’t expect you so soon. Did you use the formula I gave you?”

     “Not yet. I’m saving it for when I need it. Mind if I bring Epona in?”

     “The horse?! Why?!”

     “....I’ll explain over some tea. Can you put the pot on?”

     “Eh...yeah. I’m making eyeball frog too.”

 

     Link sipped his drink as the Doc thought about what he had just been told.

     “Hmmm....This is indeed a troubling situation,” He finally said.

     “I’m surprised you didn’t know of it. And we haven’t even found any clues on Princess Zelda’s whereabouts,” Zara said.

     Link didn’t bother asking her how she knew the Princess had been kidnapped. He thought fairies just knew stuff like that.

     “Hmm...Well, I think your best bet would be to go to Gerudo Valley to see what the Gerudo know,” the Doc said.

     “Why the Gerudo?” Link asked.

     “They’re the only people I can think of to ask about this. The Zoras and Gorons don’t know anything. And even you Great Fairies don’t know what’s going on. But think about it this way: Hyrule has a barrier all around it to keep outsiders...well, out. The desert is the only way to get into Hyrule, so...”

     Link suddenly sat-up. “So the Gerudo must know something about it since they would have had to pass through their territory to get here!”

     “Exactly.”

     Link nodded and sat back. He’d stay here for the night then head out first thing in the morning to Gerudo Valley. It was only a two-day ride from Lake Hylia, but if Epona rode there at full-speed he could probably get there in less than half the time. 

    

     An hour later after they had talked more often, Link and Zara figured out their sleeping areas. The Doc had offered his bed but Zara got out of that by saying she’d feel safer sleeping in the same room as Link. Link was sleeping in the actual Lab area of the house with Epona. He wasn’t going to get any sleep so he thought he may as well be in a room with a lot of books he could study.

     “You’re not getting any sleep?” Zara asked, after setting her sheets up on the floor.

     “Nah, there has to be someone awake to welcome any midnight guests that might show-up,” smiled Link.

     “I should stay up though. You’re the one that is going to have to fight.”

     “It’s alright; I can go four days without sleep.”

     “But... When was the last time you slept?”

     “.............Eh....you’re right...”

     He hadn’t slept at all since his one rest in Kokiri Village.

     “Okay....but you have to wake me up even if you here just a little noise outside, okay?”

     “I promise!”

                                                          -------------------------

 

 

     Isuke’s eyes slowly opened....his sight was blurry but he could tell he wasn’t in the fields of Hyrule anymore. He sat up instantly and blinked until his vision was back to normal.

     “Hey, slow down there blue-boy,” came a female voice.

     “Where am I?! And who are you?!” Isuke demanded. But then his hand went down to his stomach as a sharp pain shot through it.

     “I found you passed-out in the field so I brought you here. Why were you just laying there anyway?”

     “I’m not sure....I...Don’t remember what happened.....eh.... My stomach hurts....”

     “You probably need some food,” the Gerudo smiled, getting up to fix him a bowl of whatever was cooking in that pan.

     Isuke took a look around the place. They seemed to be in some sort of cave, lit only by the fire that the pan was hovering over.

     “You are a Gerudo aren’t you?”

     “Yeah. I am Rittowa, daughter of Nabooru.”

     “My name is Isuke, son of....” He stopped short and sighed.

     “Heh, not too proud of your father, eh?” Rittowa said, placing a bowl of stew in front of him.

     Isuke took the spoon and cautiously sipped the stew. To his surprise, it was delicious! He ravenously ate everything in the bowl then asked for more. The Gerudo got him more and he ate up. By the time he was full, he had eaten four bowls of it.

     “Ahhh....man, I feel so much better now...What’s in that stuff?”

     “....You don’t want to know.”

                                                  -------------------------------

 

     Link snored so loudly that Zara wouldn’t have been able to get to sleep even if she tried. She was reading a thick book on Hyrule history, and was already half-way though.

     She sighed, bored with the part she was reading, and looked out the window just in time to see something move swiftly across the lake. Zara stiffened. She dropped to the floor and crawled over to Link, tapping him on the shoulder. But Link, being the heavy sleeper that he was, didn’t move an inch.

     She moved him around a lot and when he didn’t wake up she slapped him across the face. Link’s eyes blinked open and he rubbed his cheek. “Ow...what happened?”

     “Something is out there,” Zara whispered.

     Link nodded and reached for his scabbard, drawing his sword. “I’m gonna jump on Epona. I want you to open the door for me and I’ll rush out.”

     “But is that wise?”

     “Trust me; I know what I’m doing. I want you to hide up in the attic as soon as you open the door and stay there until I take care of them all.”

     “I can help though! I didn’t come here from my Sanctuary just to watch you fight!”

     Link sighed. “....Alright.” He reached down and pulled a dagger from his boot. “Here, keep this.”

     Zara nodded and took the dagger in her left hand, her staff in her right.

     Link jumped on top of Epona, the Master Sword in his left hand, ready to destroy anything that threatened its owner.

     “Alright, let’s go!”

 

                                                                           Chapter Ten

 

 

 

 

     Zara stiffened. She dropped to the floor and crawled over to Link, tapping him on the shoulder. But Link, being the heavy sleeper that he was, didn’t move an inch.

     She moved him around a lot and when he didn’t wake up she slapped him across the face. Link’s eyes blinked open and he rubbed his cheek. “Oww...what happened?”

     “Something is out there,” Zara whispered.

     Link nodded and reached for his scabbard, drawing his sword. He slowly moved towards the window and peeked out. There were more than ten dark figures making their way towards the lab.

     “Great... There are ten of them. Probably more around the other end too.”

     “What are you going to do?”

     Link sat there and thought for a second. “I’m going to have to take out as many as I can before they know what’s going on...” He snapped his fingers. “I got it.”

     Reaching into one of the bags on Epona’s saddle, Link pulled out three bombs, then concentrated Din’s magic into the tip of his finger. “Okay, I want you to stay here and-”

     “No Link!” Zara said. “I didn’t come here to just watch you fight! I can fight to. The only reason you had to help me last time was because they caught me off guard. I know how to use my staff as a weapon, and I can use a little attack magic.”

     Link sighed. “Alright then. Wait for me to tell you to come out.”

     He grabbed onto the ladder at the side of the wall and climbed up to a small platform, then slowly pushed open a trapdoor in the ceiling. He sighed with relief when it didn’t creek and pulled himself up onto the flat blue roof.

     It was a dark night, the clouds were covering the moon so there so no light from anywhere. The night was cool, yet Link felt no breeze as he slowly crept behind the chimney and looked around. He couldn’t hear their movements, or see them now.

     Oh great...

     Link kept his breathing shallow, but it sounded like someone sawing a log to him in the silence. None of the usual sounds could be heard that night, no crickets chirping, no birds crowing, no wolfos’ howling...nothing. His own breathing was all he could hear.

     Sages...please help me.

     The clouds slowly moved away and the half moon gave off a little more light than it usually would have. Link looked at both sides of him and saw two Sheikah on either side that had been creeping towards him. As soon as they realized he noticed them, they both leaped towards him, their short katanas drawn. Link’s hands shot to the top of the chimney, and quick as a flash he pulled himself up, making the two Sheikah crash into each other. He did a quick back-flip and landed on top of the chimney. The young hero quickly glanced around and saw there were about five Sheikah on each side of the lab. Link grabbed two bombs from his belt and touched the tips of the fuse with his burning fingers and threw one down to the right side of the house, then jumped completely off the chimney, tossing the other bomb down at the Sheikah below him just as the first bomb exploded.

     The second one blew as soon as Link landed on the bridge (the one that goes across to the little piece of land that stood above the Water Temple).

     Gotta be more careful with this last one...that almost hit the house.

     Link pulled out the last bomb and lit it, then quickly raced through the gory leftovers of the Sheikah that had been blown-up. As soon as he was in sight of the Sheikah that were around the other side, he did a quick roll to dodge a barrage of darts that came at him, then tossed the bomb over at them. They looked like they were expecting it, but Link had waited long enough so that it exploded right before they jumped away.

     He didn’t have anymore bombs, and the only Sheikah that were left was the five on the last side of the lab, who had come out and were approaching him. Apparently he had miscounted or something because now there were seven.

     Zara, who had realized that Link had used all three bombs, ran outside and cringed at the bloody sight of the Sheikah guts, skulls, and other such body parts that had been ripped apart from the bomb explosion.

     She shook her head and ran next to Link.

     “You ready?” He asked, not moving his eyes from the shadow warriors in front of him.

     “Uh-huh,” Zara replied simply. She held her staff out and sent a flash of solar magic at the Sheikah, stunning them. Link, with the Master Sword in both hands, raced towards them, and stabbed right through the one up front, then kicked him away so that his sword came out, and punched another Sheikah in the face.

      Zara came running up behind him, jumped onto his shoulders, then leaped off, ramming her staff into the face of the Sheikah at the very back, making his nose get crushed back into his head.

     A Sheikah attacked Link with both a katana and a dagger about ten inches long. He swung his dagger at him and Link grabbed the arm, then slashed at him, which the Sheikah blocked. The green-clad hero twisted the Sheikah’s arm, and a nasty ‘snap’ was heard. The arm went limp and dropped the dagger. Link back-kicked another opponent that was coming up behind him, grabbed the dagger, and stuck it into the Sheikah behind him, then slashed across the chest of his other opponent that had held the dagger. He quickly knocked him down then jumped on top of him, crushing his ribs.

     Meanwhile, Zara had shot a fireball directly into the face of the Sheikah she was fighting, and while he was gripping his face and screaming in pain, she put him out of his misery by swinging her staff into his neck, snapping it instantly. Five down. Two to go.

     Link hopped off of the body but was met by a slash across his back. He turned around and ducked just in time to dodge another slash, then swung his leg around for a sweep. The Sheikah’s legs were kicked out from under him and he hit the ground on his back, then rolled out of the way, barely dodging Link’s downward stab. He threw a dart up at him, but the aim was off so it only made a little cut on his cheek.

     The young fairy smacked her adversary with the end of her staff across his cheek, but he quickly retaliated by kicking her in her stomach. She doubled over in pain, and the Sheikah raised his weapon to drive it into her. Amazingly, she was able to put up her staff and throw him back.

     “Fountain Burst!!” She yelled, driving her staff into the ground. The ground under the Sheikah started rumbling and a gush of water broke out, lifting him into the sky. She jumped up and brought her staff down towards him, but before it could hit, he had crossed his arms and disappeared.

     Zara dropped to the ground and turned to see Link finish off his opponent.

 

     The Sheikah ran at Link and forced his sword towards him. Fortunately, Link stepped back so the sword didn’t go very deep into his left shoulder. The pain made him drop the master sword, and he stepped back, the hand that was over the wound still holding the dagger. The Sheikah grinned from under his mask. “To think, it’ll be me that defeated the Hero of Time!”

     What happened after that seemed to go in slow-motion. He ran towards Link and stretched out his arm to stab him. Link swung his dagger outward, knocking the sword away, then jumped up, doing a back-flip-kick, which sent the Sheikah flying to the edge of the Lake. Link ran, and then did a cartwheel to cover the rest of the distance, and at the end he slammed it down into the shadow’s chest.

      Stopping for a second and panting heavily, Link kicked the body into the Lake, and it slowly sunk down....

 

                                                      -------------------------

 

     “So, about these warriors that have been killing people around Hyrule...” Rittowa started.

     “They’re the Sheikah aren’t they?” Isuke muttered.

     “That’s my guess,” she shrugged. “I was sent out from my tribe with my two sisters to find out who they are, and if they’ll be a threat to us.”

     “What happened to your sisters?”

     “They...died.”

     “While fighting the Sheikah?”

     “Yes...”

     “Ah, I see now. It’s not so much an investigation anymore is it? It’s more like a quest for revenge.”

     She didn’t say anything.

     “Well, look... I have my own score to settle with these shadow people. But right now I am looking for someone to aid me in my fight against them. Why don’t you join me and we can fight them together?”

     “Heh....Sounds good.”

     Isuke smiled a bit and nodded.

     I need to find Link...He is the one that can really help us defeat these monsters that have invaded our lands...

 

                                                  --------------------------------

 

     Link dropped back and sighed, leaning against a wall inside the lab. Zara walked up to him. “Here, I can heal your wounds.”

     Link nodded and slowly pulled the top of his tunic down and unbuttoned his under shirt. “Are you okay?”

     Zara nodded. “Just a little cut and a bruise.”

     She put her hands over the stab wound in his shoulder and it started to glow until it disappeared. The fairy took a cloth she had soaked and whipped off the blood.

     She was working on the cut on his back when the door opened and the Doc walked in sleepily.

     “Eh....What was all that racket I heard earlier?”

 

Chapter Eleven

 

 

 

     A bead of sweat rolled down Link’s face as he looked up at the raging waterfall. “....Up.....there?”

     The Doc nodded. “It’s the safest way to get into Gerudo Fortress.”

     “Safe?! You call climbing up the side of a massive waterfall safe?”

     “I mean...The best way to get in without being detected. They won’t expect it.”

     “There’s a reason for that.”

     “Fine,” The Doc shrugged. “But the entrance to Gerudo Valley is heavily guarded now. They won’t let you in.”

     Link sighed. He wasn’t really sure what to do. He had only woken up a few hours ago, about thirty minutes after 11:00pm.

     “I’m not sure if I can climb that anyway... The surface is too flat.”

     “Hmm...That is a problem.”

     Link shook his head and walked back to the lab, where Zara was still sleeping peacefully. He pulled Epona out of the house and looked out at the lake. The rays from the bright sun high in the sky made it look like there were little diamonds sparkling across the surface of the massive lake. Link smiled a little at the sight, and then started packing his stuff onto Epona’s saddle.

     Zara stumbled out of the house, yawning. “Are we leaving?” She asked, rubbing her eyes.

     “In a little while. Get your stuff together.”

     “Are we going to Gerudo Valley?”

     “I’m...not sure yet. Doc says it is being heavily guarded right now and the only other way to get in would be from the water-fall....which I can’t climb. Besides, I have this feeling I should check on Kokiri Village...”

     “A feeling? Like, something is wrong there?”

     “Not sure...”

     Link finished strapping his stuff to Epona then climbed up onto her saddle, and pulled Zara up after him as the Doc was walking towards them. “You two leaving already?”

     “Yes,” Link nodded. “Kokiri Forest isn’t that far from here so I thought I’d check on everyone there.”

     “Alright then,” the Doc said, then pulled out a jar of black powder. “Here, I made a little magic powder for you. Just dip the tip of your arrows in it, then concentrate Din’s Fire magic on the arrow-head, and there you go! Explosive Arrows!”

     “Great, thanks. That’ll be a lot better than carrying around bombs.” Link grabbed the bottle.

     “Well, go get a move on Link!”

     Link nodded, “Let’s go Epona!”

     Epona nayed then took off out of Lake Hylia.

 

                                                            --------------------------------

 

     As Isuke and Rittowa walked across the fields of Hyrule, both of them could tell that the Sheikah’s constant killing was destroying Hyrule’s own life-force. The normally green field was now turning brown, the trees and plants were dieing. It made Isuke sick.

Rittowa, however, just was glad that she could feel grass under her feet, since where she came from there was nothing but sand.

     Most of their traveling was in silence, only the occasional word here and there, until Isuke saw two figures on horse-back ride into the woods.

     “I wonder who that is...” Isuke muttered.

     “What are you talking about?” Rittowa asked.

     “Over there. Two people on a horse rode just into the forest.”

     “Do you think they’re Sheikah?”

     “Let’s find out, shall we?”

     Isuke ran down the hill towards the forest, Rittowa closing following.

 

    

     The Zora and the Gerudo made their way through the ‘thin’ forest, following the hoof tracks. Bright rays of light shone down from breaks in the trees, right onto some of the tracks, but the rest were harder to find whenever the horse had gone into more grassy areas.

     “From the maps I’ve studied,” Isuke started, “I’d say we’re in Kokiri Forest right now.”

     “Kokiri Forest? Never heard of it,” Rittowa shrugged.

     “Not many do. I only know of it because Link, the Hero of Time, told me about it. He’s drawn maps showing the location.”

     “Why? Why would he do that? Isn’t it secret for a reason?”

     “Of course, but he said if there is ever danger, Kokiri Forest would be the safest place to go. It’s weird that we entered it so easily.

     A scream suddenly rang-out from somewhere in the forest, saying something, but the two warriors couldn’t tell what.

     “Let’s go!”

     They both took off running towards it, but were stopped when four wolfos jumped out from behind some bushes. “Argh...Darn it!” Isuke growled, his fins growing and the edges sharpening. Rittowa pulled out her curved blades from behind her waist and slashed away a wolfos that jumped over to attack her. Another wolfos pounced towards Isuke, thrashing his claws like mad. Isuke put up his fin to block, then swung around with his other, slicing the wolfos’ head clean off. Rittowa jumped over another wolfos, and brought her sword down, cutting it completely in half. Isuke finished off the last one by simply side-stepping an attack and doing his ‘flip-stab’ attack to kill the wolf.

     “Pitiful creatures,” Rittowa spat.

     “Quick!” Isuke yelled, taking off towards where they heard the scream.

 

                                                                         -----------------------------

 

     “Where are we now?” Zara asked as she and Link entered the woods.

     “These are the Lothrein Woods,” Link replied. “It’s another way to get into Kokiri Forest.”

     “Oh, I see.”

     They made their way through the forest until it got a bit thicker. “We’re almost there.” Link hopped off his horse and walked up to a tree, and then raised his hand. “What...? The barrier....it’s not here...”

     He dashed away from the tree, heading towards Kokiri Village.

     “Link! Wait!” Zara called, jumping off Epona and following him.

    

     Link raced down a steep hill, but tripped on a rock and tumbled through so bushes, out into an opening. “Argh...”

     He slowly got up and froze at the sight he saw. Everywhere....lay bodies of the Kokiri. Everyone he had grown-up knowing...they were all there, laying on the floor.

     Link stumbled over to Mido’s body, and dropped to his knees, tears streaming down his face. “No....no...why....why did this happen....they were supposed to be safe...”

     Zara ran up behind him. “Oh...my...” she didn’t finish. With rage, hate, and sadness all mixed together, Link yelled out an ear-splitting scream, his magic energy blasting out of his body, knocking Zara all the way back into the bushes.

      “I....will....KILL THEM ALL!!!” Link screamed, his voice not his own anymore. The magic energy was engulfing him, roaring like a storm. With one last cry, Link took off into the Lost Woods.

     “Link! Wait! Don’t go!!” Zara yelled.

 

     Isuke and Rittowa raced down the hill and stopped right behind the fairy.

     “Who are you?” Rittowa demanded, drawing her sword.

     Zara turned around and looked at them both, then recoiled at the sight of the sword. “I-I’m Zara....who are you?”

     “I ask the questions here, missy.”

     “Rittowa...” Isuke said. “Everyone is dead.”

     Rittowa looked around and her eyes widened at the sight of all the dead Kokiri.

     The red Zora kneeled down and looked closely at the wound. “This was done by the Sheikah. It’s the same tiny hole over the heart...”

     “Link....went into the Lost Woods...”

     “What?! Link was here?” Isuke exclaimed.

     “Yes....He ran into the Lost Woods after he saw all the bodies. W-we have to go after him!”

     Isuke nodded and Zara ran to the entrance of the Lost Woods, the Zora and Gerudo following closely behind.

 

                                                    ---------------------------

 

     Link stomped through the entrance of the Forest Temple, his eyes blazing red, his fist clenched so tight that his finger-nails were digging into his skin.

     “Where are you?!” Link snarled. “I know you’re here Sheikah!”

     A green light appeared before the enraged hero, slowly turning into the form of a young girl with green hair.

     “What in Hyrule is the matter with you Link?!”

     “Out of my way!” Link yelled, back-handing the Kokiri across the face. The force knocked her into the wall and she dropped to the ground.... unconscious.

     Three stalfos sprung from the ground as Link approached the center of the great hall. Without batting an eye-lid he unsheathed the Master Sword cut through them all, then crushed the elevator in the center of the room and jumped down the hole. He landed on the carpeted area and found a female Sheikah staring him right in the face. She looked 18 and was wearing the same kind of outfit Impa wore, except with a little cloth around the breast-plate she used as a top.

     “So, you finally show-up, Hero of Time,” She smirked. “How did you like the little display we set up for you?”

     Link growled. “I’m going to rip out your heart you piece of-”

     “Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m not going to fight you...just yet. Have fun with my pet.” She turned around, crossed her arms and disappeared.

     “You dare turn your back to me?!”

     He heard a door open and spun around, looking at the beast before him. At first he thought it was a wolfos, but this thing was standing on its hind legs, drooling and snarling.

     “I will....destroy anything that gets in my way!!”

     Link’s rage started building, and his hair slowly started to fade....white. Markings appeared on his face and he grew a little, looking more mature, but, as his eyes opened....he had no pupils. The Master Sword in his hand started shaking then the blade split into two, grew longer and carefully twisted themselves around each other until they came to a point.

     Oni-Link now faced the werewolf, and silently jumped towards him, swinging his sword down. The wolfos blocked using its massive claws then lashed out with his other hand, cutting Oni-Link across the shoulder. The white-haired Link cringed, and the wolfos instantly thrashed out again, cutting him across the chest and leg. Oni-Link managed to block the last few hits and slashed out with his own sword, cutting down the side of the beast’s face. He jumped over it and sent his sword horizontally towards the wolfos’ back, slicing him in two.

Without a word, he turned away from the carcass and made his way out of the Temple.

 

                                                    --------------------------------

 

     Zara sighed. “Okay...We’re lost.”

     Rittowa sighed. “Just great...now what are we going to do?”

     Isuke sighed. “Wander around into we die of starvation? Or perhaps turn into a stalfos?”

     They all just wandered through the dark forest, just hoping for some sign that Link walked that way.

     “Well, well....” came a voice from the darkness.

     Isuke instantly turned to the direction of the voice, his fist up, ready to fight. “Who goes there?!”

     “Just a wanderer, looking for my kin,” the voice replied, coming from behind him.

     The zora spun around. “Show yourself! Do you wish to prove yourself a coward by concealing yourself in the shadows?!”

     The voice came again, this time from above. “A coward, hmm..? Wouldn’t just showing myself to armed strangers without knowing at least their name be stupidity?”

     Isuke paused for a moment, and then spoke. “I am Isuke, a Zora warrior. This is Rittowa, Daughter of Nabooru....And Zara, of the Great Fairies.”

     A figure walked out of the shadows. It was dressed like a Sheikah warrior, the wraps around its head and part of its shirt coming up to cover its mouth and nose.

    

     “I am Sheik, of the Sheikah tribe.”

 

Chapter Twelve

 

 

     “Another Sheikah...” Isuke muttered. “You guys just don’t give up.”

     “I am not here to fight you. I want to help you,” Sheik said.

     “Oh yeah,” Rittowa laughed. “We’re really gonna believe that.”

     “I guess there is no reason for you to believe me, but, I can tell you what happened to the Kokiri.”

    Isuke snorted. “It’s not that hard to figure out what happened. Were you one of the Sheikah that killed them?!”

    “On the contrary, I tried to stop them. But by doing so, they will kill me if they ever find me.”

    Isuke still didn’t believe him. “Why should I believe you aren’t loyal to the Sheikah?”

    Sheik swiftly pulled out a dart and threw it towards Isuke before he knew what was going on, and it hit the tree next to him. “Because I could have just killed you.”

    Isuke stared at the dart then looked back at Sheik. “Talk.”

    “The Deku Tree had a barrier up around the forest so that no one could get in, so a Sheikah woman called Settamia turned herself into a Hylian that had been in the forest before. I do not know who, but I do know that they have captured her. Settamia used the form of this girl to get the Kokiri to open the barrier and they all attacked.”

    Before anyone could answer, they realized that a tall figure was slowly making its way over to them.

    “L-Link?” Zara said. Something about the figure was scaring her.

    “Quick, we must flee,” Sheik warned in a calm manner.

    The figure came out of the shadows, a blank look on his face.

    “It looks so much like Link...but...he has white hair...” Zara said.

    “He is not himself. Now FOLLOW ME!”

    Isuke hesitated, but then he saw that in the way the Link-look-alike held his sword, he was going strike. The zora nodded to the two girls and jumped up into the tree with Sheik.

 

    Oni Link either hadn’t really seen them, or just decided they weren’t worth the trouble. After all, it was the Sheikah he was after anyway. Sheik had moved into the trees too quickly, therefore he hadn’t seen him. Oni Link just stomped by, not even looking up to see where the four had gone.

 

    Isuke sighed. “What in Hyrule was that about?! It looked like Link but....there was an evil energy about him.”

    “I’m not sure,” The Sheikah responded. “But I do think that is The Hero of Time.”

    “Why is that?”

    “That sword....” Sheik stopped and shook his head. “....I’ll tell you later. Right now we have to stop him before he does anything he will regret.”

 

                                                             -------------------------------

 

     Fortunately, Zara was with the group, and was able to go up to a forest fairy without it flying away that they had come upon. She walked back to the group and informed them at the fairy would show them the way out of the Lost Woods. They headed out, Rittowa in the front, Zara was next to her, Sheik was behind both of them, and Isuke was at the back, because he still didn’t trust him.

     It was sunset by the time they were back in Kokiri Forest, and Zara almost started crying again when she saw all the dead bodies. Isuke sighed sadly, and then looked at the others. “We should give these people a proper burial before we go.”

     “You’re right, we can’t just leave them here,” Zara replied grimly.

     Sheik just looked around, and then turned and walked off, through the shallow water. “I’m going to see the Deku Tree.” Was all he said.

     “That what?” Rittowa asked, coming out of a house with two shovels.

     “The Deku Tree, he’s guardian of the forest.” Zara answered, taking one of the shovels.

     “Tch...Some guardian if he couldn’t protect all these poor kids.”

     No one said anything as they dug the small graves.

 

                                                                      -------------------------

 

     Zelda had given up struggling with the chains a long time ago and was just sitting on the floor of the dark, and cattle scented room. A young red-haired girl had been thrown in a few hours ago, in an unconscious state. She still hadn’t woken up though.

     The door suddenly burst open and in walked a female Sheikah, clothed in a garb much like the Sheikah warriors (read: like Sheik), except there was nothing covering her mouth and nose.

     “Hello Princess,” greeted the Sheikah.

     Zelda just looked away with an up-turned nose.

     She just chuckled then grabbed a bucket of water that was sitting on the side of the room and dumped it onto the sleeping red-head. She quickly awoke and sat-up, then stood-still in terror when she saw the Sheikah. “Wh...where am I...?”

     “You should know,” The Sheikah smirked and walked out, locking the door behind her.

     Zelda watched as the girl looked around then said. “This...is the barn... I’m back at Lon Lon Ranch....?” She then looked at the Princess. “....Princess Zelda?”

     “Yes, I am. Who are you?”

     “I....I’m Malon.”

     “Well, Malon, since this is your barn is there anyway we can get out?”

     “No... as you can see, there isn’t even a window. Well, there is that little opening there for sun to come through but its way too small.”

     Zelda sighed. What could she do? Just wait and hope that someone would come, she guessed.

                                                                     --------------------------

 

     Sheik walked up to the Deku Tree, and dropped to his knees. “Great Deku Tree....I...I’m sorry, that I couldn’t stop my kin from destroying the Kokiri.”

     “Do not be troubled, for it was not your fault. Thou hast done ye best.” Sheik could tell that there was sadness in his voice. “But, would thou tell me how the Sheikah hast come back into this world?”

     Sheik nodded and began telling him.

 

                                                                     -------------------------

 

     Zara dropped the last bit of dirt over the grave then dropped her shovel. “Phew... That’s all of them, right?”

     Rittowa nodded, and then looked over at the opening in the trees when she heard something moving. “That Sheikah guy is back.”

     Sheik merely walked past them. “Come, we already allowed Oni Link to get too far ahead of us.”

     “Oni Link? What are you talking about?” Rittowa asked, starting to follow him.

     “That’s what the Deku Tree told me. He has been possessed by anger, thus changing him into the evil form he is now. He’ll destroy anything in his path.”

     “How are we supposed to stop him?” Isuke asked.

     Sheik explained what they were supposed to do on the way out of the forest.

 

                                                                    --------------------------

 

     Meanwhile, Oni Link had come across a nearby town and was using his sword to destroy buildings, all the time his face having that emotionless look on it. Isuke and the others arrived just before demolished another building, and watched the last of the villagers run away, screaming their heads off.

     “Come on!” Sheik said. “We have to hold him down long enough to do this!”

     Oni Link turned around at the sound of his voice, and his pupil-less eyes glowed red when he saw Sheik. Isuke got into a fighting stance, Rittowa drew her swords and Sheik pulled out his short katana. Sheik tossed a wooden object over to Zara and told her to use it when he said so.

     Oni Link rushed at Sheik and swung his sword down hard at him. Rittowa jumped in front of him and knocked the blade away with her own, then swung her other sword around at his arm. Oni Link blocked with his gauntlet then back-handed Rittowa away, and slashed at Sheik again. Sheik did a black-flip, dodging it, and then drove his katana towards Oni Link’s chest. The possessed Link swiftly blocked with his twisted sword, then before he could strike back, realized someone had just jumped onto his back and was trying to pull him down. While he was preoccupied, Rittowa kicked up across the face, and then Sheik did a flying-kick strait into his stomach. This weakened him enough for Isuke to drag him down, then Sheik and Rittowa both pounced on him to hold him down.

     “NOW!!” Sheik yelled.

     Zara raced over to them and pressed the blank, dome-shaped piece of wood onto Oni Link’s face, and held it there.

     The wood began glowing and Oni Link started screaming in pain. He thrashed around, but Isuke, Rittowa, and Sheik were able to hold him down somehow. After Zara had held it there for a few seconds, Sheik nodded to her and she pulled it off. Oni Link growled threw them off of him, but then just fell back to the ground, panting heavily. Zara looked at the wood she had been holding. It had become a mask. The face of Oni Link was on it now, and Zara could feel great evil emitting from it. She heard a groan and looked up to see that Link was getting up, now looking normal again.

     “Link! Thank the Goddesses you’re alright!” She exclaimed, rushing over to him.

     Link stared at her. “Z....Zara? What happened...? I....”

     “Shhh...Don’t try to talk. Quick, let’s get him into one of these houses.”

     Link just fell limp, and they carried him into one of the abandoned houses.

 

Chapter Thirteen

 

 

“How’s he doing?” Isuke asked as Zara came back from the room Link was in.

    “Fine, He’s just sleeping,” Zara answered, seating herself near the table with Rittowa and the zora.

    They were staying at an Inn free of charge for saving the village. Many of the villagers wished to kill Link for what he had done, and it took a while to explain the situation to them.

    The three sat there in silence for a while, until Isuke decided to break the silence with a question he had been meaning to ask.

    “Rittowa,” He started, “you said that you had been traveling with two of your sisters, sent out here to Hyrule to see what exactly was going on out here, with the Sheikah and all. What happened out there? How is it that you survived but your two sisters didn’t?”

    Rittowa sighed slightly. What was the point in avoiding the question? “As you said, I was traveling with my sisters. My elder sister, Vittowa, and my younger, Nittowa....”

 

 

...and Rittowa, were walking away from the dusty road that led away from Gerudo Valley.

      It had been a long journey out of the desert, but they were rewarded with a nice cool breeze and the feel of wet grass under their bare feet. It was near Lake Hylia that the three Gerudo sisters decided to stop and take a brake. They sat and unpacked the food, and drank from one of the many clear streams that ran in and out of the great lake.

      They had only been there for thirty minutes before three people walked up them, cloaked and hooded, and had wraps covering the bottom half of their face.

      “Well, well,” one of them grinned from behind his mask. “Three wandering Gerudos, in broad daylight. And in Hyrule of all places.”

      “Who are you?” Vittowa asked, already clutching the hilt of her curved blades in her hands.

      “Why must you know? You’re going to be dead soon enough, therefore the knowledge won’t be of much use.”

      Nittowa, swinging out her sword, jumped up, but didn’t have a chance to even get close to the three cloaked beings. The one to left stuck his hand from his dark brown cloak, throwing a single dart at the young Gerudo’s neck. In two seconds she was laying face-down in the grass, never to get up.

     “NO!!! Nittowa!!” Both girls yelled, tears coming to their eyes. They knew better than to run to her side though. She was dead, and they were going to avenge her no matter what.

      The two speechless beings on either side of the one that spoke threw darts at the two remaining Gerudos, who both, having more experience than their sister, knocked them away with ease and then ran up to their attackers, hatred in their eyes. The three dark beings produced short katanas from their cloaks and the two at the sides jumped in front of who seemed to be the leader, and parried the blades of the two sisters. Vittowa slashed at the neck of the person she was fighting, but he just raised his sword then kicked her in the stomach, and slashed her across the stomach. Putting her arm over the wound, she jumped forward and started slashing at him again. The guy she was fighting, however, blocked each of her swift attacks, then as soon as he found an opening he slashed her up her torso, the slash leading all the way up to her neck. She gasped for air, before dropping to the ground, a pool of blood forming around her.

      Rittowa, having to see the death of another sister in less than five minutes, dropped her sword and fell to her knees, staring at the body of her elder sister. She slowly looked up at her sister’s killer, and then the one who hadn’t raised a finger said, “Tell the rest of your tribe, this is what will happen if you try to resist us.”

      And they turned and walked away.

 

                                                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

     “They just left you?” Isuke said.

     “Yeah...” sighed Rittowa. “I buried my sisters and went after them, but I couldn’t catch up with them.”

     “I’m so sorry Rittowa,” Zara said.

     “Wasn’t your fault...But now I will track down and kill every one of those Sheikah. I will avenge my two fallen sisters.”

     A groaning noise came from the next room.

     “Well, looks like Link is up.”

 

Chapter Fourteen

 

 

 

Link sat up. It was dark outside but he could hear people talking in the next room. He slowly got out of bed and stood up, but a dizzy spell hit him and he dropped back.

     “Eh...what on earth...?”

     He heard the door open and looked up, and saw Zara and a Zora and a Gerudo walk in.

     “How you feeling, Link?” Zara asked. “You okay?”

     “He better be,” the Zora said “After sleeping for two whole days.”

     “....Isuke? Is that you?”

     “Sure is. Long time since we’ve seen each other. Yeah....What happened...?” He looked up at the Gerudo. “And why is there a Gerudo in here?”

     “Eh-heh, this is Rittowa. Don’t worry, she’s on our side. As for what happened...”

     Isuke explained to him about how he had turned into Oni Link, what happened, and how they had changed him back.

     “A mask?”

     “Yes, a mask,” came a voice. A Sheikah was standing in the doorway, holding the mask that resembled Oni Link.

     “Sheik?!” Link exclaimed. “No...Princess Zelda?”

     “I am not your princess. Zelda merely used my spirit to conceal herself.”

     “So you’re the real Sheik... I....I don’t understand. Why are you here?”

     “I am the last Sheikah that is still loyal to the Royal Family. Well, Impa and I.”

     “That doesn’t explain anything to me.”

     “Do not interrupt me,” Sheik said, narrowing his eyes. “Long ago, back when the races of Hyrule were at war, a few of our kind got tired of serving the King....they began to think that Hylians were inferior, and couldn’t exist without their protection. Those Sheikah, lead by the highest ranked among us, started to plot against the Royal Family. It was I that informed the King of their betrayal. He banished all of the Sheikah.... Sealed us in the gap between dimensions. It is a place that knows no time, nothing but a black abyss. And I was sent to guard the seal. Now, they have come back to take revenge on the King for sealing them in that cursed realm.”

      “Something tells me they won’t stop there though,” Rittowa muttered.

      “Yes... The Sheikah that went against the King in the first place... he is going to destroy the Hyrule we know, and create his own kingdom in the ruins of it.”

      “Not if I have anything to say about it,” Isuke growled, cracking his knuckles.

      “There’s one other thing you have to explain,” Link said.

      “What’s that?” Sheik asked.

      “How the Sheikah broke from the seal in the first place.”

      “I was getting there...” However, before he started his next story, the Sheikah’s crimson eyes shot over to the window. “Get down...NOW!”

      “Wha...?!” Link felt himself being pulled to the floor along with everyone else. Following was a great explosion that made the inn rock, and shattered the window into pieces of glass scattered across the wooden floor.

      “What the heck was that?!” Isuke yelled. He was the first to hop back to his feet and rush to the window.

      “They’re here...” Sheik sighed.

      “The Sheikah...” Link muttered, drawing the Master Sword.

      Sheik nodded and suddenly a short katana appeared in his hand. “Come. We must defeat them before they destroy the village. But be wary, these Sheikah are stronger than past Sheikah you have fought.”

      The group raced out of the inn and into the street where they saw a pile of rubble that was once a house. Three Sheikah stood in front of it, holding the usual short katana, and clad in the usual Sheikah attire, except one of them had nothing covering his mouth. The leader of the three, Link presumed.

       “Welcome, Hero of Time,” He grinned.

 

                                                         ------------------------------

 

      “Sire, villagers of Kakariko claim that it was the Sheikah that attacked them.”

      “I still do not believe it,” the King replied. “My father sealed them away. There is no way they could escape. Do not bother me with such things, Ephiel.”

      Ephiel was the Royal advisor, about forty-five but and was already bold, which he hid under his hood. The King was in one of his ‘moods’, and he refused to do anything about the people that were killing all around Hyrule. It was times like this when his job seemed really pointless. What good is an advisor when the King wouldn’t even listen to his advice? Much less take it.

      “But, your Highness, all of Hyrule is under attack by these beings that claim to be Sheikah. Something must be done ab-”

      “Silence!! Would you have me give up the search for Zelda? I haven’t the time, nor the manpower to stop these annoying fleas and search for my daughter.”

      “No disrespect, Sire, but burning down an entire village is hardly the work of fleas. Would you sacrifice every child in Hyrule for but one?”

      The King stood up from his throne and walked past his councilor. “Guard, where is my son and the Queen?”

      “In the courtyard, Highness.”

      He turned and looked back at Ephiel. “Do not give up searching for the Princess, under any circumstance. Do understand?”

      “But what if the Sheikah h-”

      “Do you understand?!”

      “....Yes, your Highness.”

 

                                                                --------------------------------

 

Link and the group stood in a line, facing the three Sheikah, all with their weapons out and ready.

     “What business do you have here, Sheikah?” Link said.

     “You know why, Mr. Hero,” the unmasked Sheikah said. “Allow me to introduce me and my colleagues. I am Spiaze, my friend to the left is Orma, and to my right is Yuma.” He smiled. “I’ve been waiting quite awhile for my chance to fight you, Hero of Time.”

      “Well now you have your chance,” Link answered. He then glanced at everyone and muttered, “Run as soon as I say.”

      “You know, of course, that you will not leave here alive.”

      Yeah, if you’re stronger than Ganon... Link mused. “Sorry, but we’ll be leaving now anyway. RUN!!”

      Link turned and ran off, followed by everyone, even Isuke (even though he was somewhat reluctant to do so). The Sheikah instantly followed them, going all the way out of the gates of the village, and into Hyrule field. As soon as they were some distance from the village, Link stopped and turned back to face his foes. Everyone did the same, and Isuke leaned towards Link and whispered, “What was the point of that?”

     “I didn’t want to fight in the village. Innocent people would get hurt if we did.”

     “Did you honestly think running would help you in any way, Mr. Hero?” Yuma laughed.

     “Well, not I,” Link replied, spinning the master sword around once then tossing it from hand to hand. “Prepare yourself, Sheikah! I will avenge the Kokiri!” He ran forward, holding his sword high to bring it down.

     Spiaze grinned and ran at him.

     Steel clashed with steel as the two warriors came within reach of each other. The metallic ‘clang’ of the blades hitting each other continued on for ten minutes, both warriors seemly equal. Link finally knocked Spiaze’s arm back and, before Spiaze could jump too far away, slashed him across the chest, leaving a trail of crimson through the air. Spiaze growled in pain, but the cut wasn’t too deep, so he could still fight.

     “You drew first blood, Hero... Very good. You’re stronger than I expected, especially for someone that’s been out of commission for seven years.”

     Link got back in a stance, waiting for the Sheikah’s next move. “You talk too much, Spiaze.”

     The Sheikah laughed. “Indeed. Let us resume our battle.”

     Isuke looked up, and realized that he had been so into Link’s fight that he had forgotten that there were two other Sheikah there, just waiting to be sliced up by his blade-like fins.

     “Heh, this’ll be fun...”

 

                                                                          Chapter Fifteen

 

 

 

 

 

      Zara and Rittowa faced Orma. Rittowa was in a stance with her duel blades and Zara was shaking a little, but holding onto her staff. Orma grinned and jumped forward in an attempt to impale the Gerudo. Rittowa criss-crossed her swords, blocking the stab right in the middle of them, then slashed the katana away and brought her sword around from the other side. Orma ducked, then rushed past her and rammed into Zara, knocking her completely off her feet and onto the ground. He then black-flipped to jump on top of her but she quickly raised her staff so that he landed on it, then she forced him off with a blast of water magic from the staff. The high-pressure water shooting from the whole staff sent him flying off of it and onto ground a good fifteen feet away.

      He slowly got up and raced over to them again while swinging his sword up and bringing it down at Rittowa’s head. She stepped to the side, then spun and hook-kicked him across the face. He quickly recovered and growled at her, then went for another stab, but this time Zara came up from the side and knocked him in the back of the head with her staff.

      “Looks like I underestimated you two some what...” He said, getting up. “No more playing around!”

     

      Isuke dodged a horizontal swipe by flipping high over Yuma. He put a twist in his flip so that he faced the Sheikah’s back when he landed, and then shot forward, his arm outstretched with his fin pointing forward. However, Yuma leaned to the side, the arm just flying past him. As Isuke followed it, the Sheikah kicked right up into his chin, sending him into the air a few feet.

      Sheik ran over and caught him before he hit the ground then set him on his feet without a word and raced forward, taking his katana and stabbing at the other Sheikah’s neck. Yuma grabbed Sheik’s arm before the stab connected then turned and threw him over his back, kicking Isuke behind him in the head in the process.

      Sheik groaned a bit from the pain from landing on his back, but managed to recover and hopped up. He spun around and jumped up, kicking Yuma in the face twice then Isuke crashed his blue foot into the back of the enemy Sheikah.

 

      Link drew back the Master Sword and bent into a crouch, channeling magic as fast as he could into the sword. “Kai-Ten-Giri!!”

      The power of the attack was enough to shatter Spiaze’s sword, however, before Link came to his senses from the attack, Spiaze kicked at his hand, knocking the Master Sword away. He nodded to Orma who broke away from his fight and, knowing that he couldn’t hold the Master Sword, kicked it farther away.

      Link reached down in his boot. Great, I must have forgotten my dagger back at the Inn.

      Spiaze rushed at him, throwing a punch at his face. Link grabbed the fist and kneed the Sheikah in the gut, then grabbed his arm with his other hand and attempted to throw him. However it didn’t work, as Spiaze managed to land on his feet, ducked to avoid a punch, and then knocked Link off his feet with a sweep. Not letting up for a second, Spiaze pulled up and threw a punch at the Hero’s head, which probably would have shattered it if he hadn’t slid his head to the side. Link moved quickly, clasping his hands around Spiaze’s neck and pulling him down, trying to knee him in the gut. However the Sheikah raised his own knee, and they both collided with each other.

      Link kicked Spiaze off of him then rolled backwards and onto his feet. The two warriors continued fighting for another hour or more, both showing remarkable stamina, not letting up at all during that period of time. They traded attacks, each one looking like it could send a normal man flying into next week. However each of them stood their ground, neither of them hardly moving from their spot. There was no grab moves, sweeps, or anything like that involved, like an unspoken agreement that they would just punch and kick.

      Link, despite his strong arms, relied more on his foot-work than anything else because he was so used to battling with a sword and shield in hand, therefore his feet were like a secondary weapon. Spiaze seemed to use his legs more as well, not for Link’s reasons, but because he didn’t have strong arms, like most Sheikah.

      In one last attempt to knock each other down, they both spun around, lifting their knees up halfway and then kicked their legs around. The calves of the two warriors collided, sending the two men off balance and falling to the ground. Link growled at the new pain going through his leg, but managed to get back up without putting weight on his throbbing leg. With Spiaze on the ground, he allowed himself to glance at what was happening, but almost fell back when he saw Yuma and Orma lay in a pool of their own blood, both with their eyes open but were never to see anything of this world again.

The four warriors that had slain them were all either on one knee or both, panting and covering wounds with their hands.

     Spiaze stumbled back, looking at his two fallen comrades.

      “You’ll pay for this...I swear you will pay, Hero of Time.” Without another word, he crossed his arms and disappeared.

      Link finally allowed himself to drop to one knee, which made a grunt of pain emanate from his mouth. Every joint in his body ached from that battle. He hadn’t had a hand-to-hand fight like that since the last time a sparring session with Darunia got out of hand.

      “Is everyone okay?” Rittowa asked when she finally caught her breath.

      Everyone was fine. Out of breath, cut up, and sore, but fine.

     

                                                                    -------------------------------

 

     Back at the inn, everyone had had their wounds treated and were now sitting around the table, drinking, eating, and talking about what was going on. Their wounds were bad, but none as bad as Link’s. The Hero’s face had two black eyes, and various other wounds, he had been limping the whole time, and most of his body was black and blue. He ached all over still, but was able to hide it.

     “So...you guys buried the bodies?” Link asked with a grim look on his face.

     “Yes... They’re all buried in that fenced-off area.”

     “I can’t believe they’re all gone... Everyone I grew-up with....the twins...the know it all brothers, heh... Mido... That little kid I saved back at Kakariko, Miroku.... I practically sent him to his death by bringing him there. ARGH!! It’s so stupid!! I should have been there for them!!!”

     Zara put a hand on his arm. “Link, calm down...It wasn’t your fault, so stop blaming yourself.”

     Link half sighed, half growled and dropped his head to the table.

     “Link... Did you say a little Hylian child?” Isuke asked.

     The hero’s head nodded a little.

     “We didn’t see any Hylian kid among the dead.”

     Link’s head shot up. “You didn’t see Miroku?!”

 

                                                                         -----------------------------

 

 

      A small child was walking through the almost pitch-black Lost Woods, his face red from crying. Miroku didn’t remember how he got there, only that he had taken a nap some time that day.

      As he walked, his foot got caught under a root and he tripped and fell, making him burst out crying again. Apparently his crying attracted some of the life in those evil woods, however, it was of the non evil kind.

       Three Skull Kids hopped from the tree tops and landed in front of the frightened child, and started poking him with their sticks.

      “What is this noisy thing?” one of them asked.

      “Heck, I don’t know. Looks like a Kokiri, or maybe one of them Hylians... except smaller.”

      Miroku was terrified by the black-faced monsters in front of him, and had turned to run off, but just tripped over the same root.

      “Clumsy, isn’t it?”

      “Yeah, very. He must be lost in here. Maybe he’s that ‘kid’ thing that Link told us to look after if he got lost in here.”

      “Could be.”

      One of them went up to Miroku and poked him with a stick again. “Hello, little kid person. Do you know Link?”

      “A-are you going t-to eat me?” Miroku stuttered.

      “If you are tasty then we will.”

      This made him cry even more.

      “Heh-heh-heh, just joking, little person. We won’t eat you. We eat forest bugs and stuff like that. What’s your name?”

      “M-M-Miroku...”

      “Ah! So you are that ‘kid’ that Link told us about. C’mon, Kid, we’re gonna take you out of here.”

      “Really?”

      “Yep.”

      The other Skull Kid spoke up. “But, err...where are we suppose to bring him?”

      “Back to Kokiri Village I would think.”

      “But no one is there. I heard from the forest sprites that everyone is gone.”

      “Oh well, let’s keep him here then! We can play with him, and teach him all about the forest!”

       “Yeah, that’s a great idea!”

 

                                                                     -----------------------------

 

      Link rode swiftly on a horse next to the river the flowed from Zora’s Domain with Zara behind him, clinging tightly to him so she wouldn’t fall. Rittowa and Sheik were riding right behind them. Back when Link had seen the dead Kokiri, he had left Epona there, so they had to borrow a couple of horses. After all, it was the least the town folk could do for the warriors who had stopped Link from destroying their village. They just didn’t mention anything about Link needing one too when asking.

     Isuke had been keeping up by swimming through the river, but then had split with the group to check how things were going in Zora’s Domain. Link made sure that the Zora would see if Malon had made it safely to the domain.

     The sun had come up by the time they got into Kokiri Forest, but Link was fine due to his extended sleep. Epona was doing fine; she was grazing near Link’s old house. Link patted her on the head then walked over to the fenced area, and looked at the sticks that marked each shallow grave. Without a word, he turned and walked off, into the Lost Woods.

      “Link! Why are you going in there?” Rittowa called.

      “Miroku is in here. I know he is.”

      “How?”

      “I just....know.”

      Sheik followed him in shortly after, and Zara and Rittowa looked at each other. They shrugged, and ran in after the Sheikah and Hylian.

      Link glanced around the thick forest, not bothering keeping an eye on the Sheikah behind him; Rittowa and Zara could handle that. He still didn’t completely trust Sheik, even though he had destroyed one of his own race and

      “Link,” Rittowa said. “this forest is so huge... It’ll be like looking for a needle in a haystack. I’ve been through it before, and we got lost.”

      Link didn’t answer. He had his eyes closed, his left hand was raised halfway, and it was moving it back and forth like there was an eye in his palm and it was looking around the forest. It was then when Zara realized that the back of that hand was glowing slightly. Of course! He was using the power of the Triforce of Courage to locate the boy! It would be easy to find him, even with all the other energies floating around in this dark forest. He should be the only Hylian here, and the only other life forms were Skull Kids, forest sprites, and Deku Scrubs. They had an all together different aura so Miroku would be a rather large needle in this haystack they were searching through.

       Link’s eyes suddenly opened and he ran forward. Unsheathing his sword he started chopping down large trees that were in the way. The Master Sword cut through them like they were paper.

      Zara blinked and looked at Sheik. “Is...that... really necessary?”

      Sheik shrugged. “It’s faster than weaving our way in and out of that path we obviously have to take through that rather thick part of the forest.”

      “Man, he got over those wounds quickly,” Rittowa noted.

      “I think it’s the combined power of the Triforce of Courage and Zara’s healing powers that made it possible,” Sheik replied, then started running after Link, followed by the girls.

 

                                                                  ------------------------------

 

 

      “Lord Isuke!” exclaimed a Zora soldier, quickly standing in attention. “We all thought you were killed!”

      Isuke looked at the guard. Guard...heh. Here, in Zora’s Domain. Talk about weird. “Where is my father?” He asked.

      “Up in Zora Fountain, the training grounds.”

      Isuke nodded and walked up the incline that led to the throne room. As he looked around he realized just how much his home had changed since he had been gone those few days. Everywhere were spears, swords and shields, just laying against walls or on the ground. Most of the Zora folk were walking around in brown leather armor, and many were sparring in the underground lake that sat in the middle of the domain.

     What the...!? They’re sparring underwater! What, do they think they’ll be fighting other Zora or something? Geez... What idiot has been in charge of training?

      He changed his walk into a sprint and got to the throne room and into Zora Fountain in a matter of seconds. Midoto stood where Lord Jabu-Jabu’s shrine was, the ancient lord having been cremated. Most of the Zora army were in the deep area of the lake, sparring in and out of the water.

      “Father!!” Isuke yelled, with an annoyed tone.

      Midoto turned to his son. “Ah, Isuke. I was wondering where you had gone.”

      “What in Hyrule is this about?!”

      “What are you talking about?”

      “This!! They’re all sparring under water!”

      “What is your point? We are Zora, creatures of the water...”

      “Yes! But our opponents won’t be. And even if we get them into the water, we don’t need any training to defeat them in it! Training on solid ground is what we must do. The Zora spend so much time in the water that our enemies will have an advantage over us. Do you understand what I’m saying?!”

      “........................Well, it wasn’t my idea to have them train in the water.”

      Isuke turned around and started beating his head against a pillar.

 

                                                          ------------------------------------

 

      The Master Sword had stopped chopping trees and was now slicing through a pack of wolfos. The three others stood back and watched in amazement as he made quick work of the five beasts that had attacked them. By the time he was done two of the wolfos had been beheaded and the other three impaled in one way or another. He wiped blood from the sword and walked on.

      “Come, we’re getting closer,” he said.

      Before he could take another step, there was a loud rumbling, shaking everyone off their feet.

      “An earthquake?” Rittowa blinked.

      “It c-” But Sheik didn’t finish, for looming over them was a fat, sixty-foot worm-like creature. Drool ran down from its massive jaws as it shot down to clamp those jaws over Zara. Rittowa quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her away just before the teeth chomped down and got a mouth full of grass and earth.

      “Just great...” Link grumbled. “Hey! Everyone, go strait through that opening over there. You should find Miroku down there somewhere.”

      “But...don’t you need help?” Zara asked.

      “I’m” –Link jumped backwards and cut down a tree- “going to draw it away from you. Now go!” The tree fell onto the head of the worm and knocked to the ground.

      “But...”

      “You have to find Miroku before he turns into a stalfos!”

      Zara nodded and the two girls ran through the opening, but Sheik stayed.

      “You’ll need some help, Link.”

      The worm lifted its head up, throwing the tree from its head.

      “Let’s go!!”

      Link jumped up to a branch and swung off diving deeper into the dark forest, with Sheik following right behind him.

     

                                                       ------------------

 

 

      It had been ten minutes since Rittowa and Zara had left Link and Sheik and they were both worried about getting lost. Even Zara, as a fairy, didn’t know where to go. She could only keep Rittowa from turning into a stalfos. That’s why she was worried about Link and Sheik. Without her there, who knew when they would turn into a stalfos? Perhaps the Triforce of Courage Link held would keep him from changing.

      Zara’s mental pounding was shattered when the ground under her gave way and she felt herself drop, but then a hand gripped her arm.

      “Hang on, I got ya,” Rittowa grunted, starting to pull her up.

      She heard something come up behind her and turned her head. A Skull Kid stood there, staring at her.

       “Bye-bye!” He pushed her over the edge, and she and Zara fell down the dark hole, screaming, but it was drowned out by the Skull Kid’s outrageous laughter.

 

Chapter Sixteen

 

 

 

 

 

 

Link crashed through some brush and rolled along the ground. Sheik was up in the trees, hopping swiftly from branch to branch. Link pushed himself up and started running again, just as the giant worm crushed the trees behind him, still following. It was then that Link realized he and Sheik were in a large clearing now, so he turned and faced the worm.

      “What you planning on doing?” Sheik asked.

      Link drew the Master Sword. “We’re in an open area now. I can battle this overgrown worm without worrying about accidentally smashing into a tree or something.”

      “Yes, I know that. But how are you planning on taking it on?”

      “You’ll see,” Link said, patting a brown bag hanging from his belt. “Now, distract it for me.”

      Sheik nodded and ran over to it, and started slashing at its rough hide and dodging its great jaws.

      Link drew his Hookshot and fired at a tree close to the worm and the grapple hooked and buried itself deep into the trunk. Link turned the handle of the Hookshot until he heard a small click, thus making the chain reel in at a rapid pace, dragging the Hero through the air and to the tree. As soon as he reached it, Link let go of the handle and kicked off the tree, sending himself flying up and over the massive body of the worm.

     “Up here!” Link yelled, landing on the dirt and slime that covered the worm’s body.

     He drew the Master Sword and stabbed it down into the worm, grabbing it tight so as not to slip away from the worm. As it screeched in pain, Link managed to pull himself up and leap from the broad side of the sword up to the mouth of the worm. He landed on its teeth and quickly pulled the bag off his belt and tossed it down into the black pit that was the worm’s throat. Holding up two fingers, Link jumped high in the air... then fired down a streak of blue fire at the bag.

      Sheik looked up and suddenly realized what was in that bag. He crossed his arms and disappeared in a small flash.

       The fire shot strait into the bag and whatever was in there made a large and loud explosion, ripping the worm apart and scattering bits of it everywhere. Link had managed to clear the area by using his Hookshot again, and was making his way back to look for Sheik.

       The Sheikah was looking around at the gore spread out everywhere, and was trying not to breathe through his nose either.

       “You should have told me what you were going to do,” Sheik said, not letting his annoyance show in his tone.

       “Well, you knew that that was the bag I purchased some bombs in back in that village, so I figured you’d know what it was and do that teleport thing you Sheikah can do,” Link shrugged. “Anyway, c’mon. We have to find Miroku and the girls.”

                                                      ------------------------------

 

 

      Rittowa slowly opened her eyes. She wasn’t dead? Or was this ...total darkness... the after-life? She pushed herself off the ground and looked up for the hole that she fell through. She didn’t see anything. The Gerudo called out into the darkness for Zara, but got no reply. How could they have been separated? In fact, how on earth did she survive that fall? And where was she now?

       Rittowa’s head was full with all these questions, but she knew she’d have to get out of the forest fast. Without Zara’s protection Rittowa was now in danger of turning into a Stalfos. She drew both of her swords and putting one out in front of her to make sure she didn’t hit anything, she started forward. She didn’t like it though. There was something about the darkness here...more than that there was no light...

 

       Rittowa felt like she had been walking around for hours by the time she finally heard something. It was a quiet whimpering...at least, that’s what it sounded like until she got closer. She still couldn’t see anything, but that thing that was crying loudly could have been Miroku.

       “Hello...?”

       She heard a gasp and suddenly two glowing red eyes appeared. Rittowa quickly jumped back and put her swords in a defensive position. No Hylian child she new had eyes like that!

       “Wh-who are you?!” came the voice of a small boy.

       Rittowa blinked. Could it be some kind of forest demon’s trick? How could the child have gotten deeper into these woods than anyone else had dared to go? The eye’s got a little farther away.

       “I...am Rittowa... Who are you...?”

       “I’m M...M...” he stuttered. “I can’t remember....Have I been in this forest all the time....? I can only remember being here....all alone....in the dark.”

       “Miroku...is that your name...?”

       “Mir...oku...My name...? Miroku...I’ve heard that name before.”

       Rittowa didn’t know what to think. The others had told her that children that got lost in those woods turned to Skull Kids. Did they forget everything about their past life too? This had to be the child. Was it too late? If he still remembered something perhaps it wasn’t.

       “Come on, take my hand! We have to get out of here, fast!”

       “Are you going to take me out of the darkness?”

       “Yes! Now, I know you can’t see, but follow my voice and take my hand.”

       “I...can see you.”

       “Wh...what?”

       “Everything is dark...everywhere...but...I can see you.”

       Rittowa knew it was no time for questions, so as soon as he grabbed her hand, she flung him up onto her back and just ran. She had no idea where she was going, but she had to at least try to get this kid out of the forest before he completely changed. That is...if he hadn’t already.

 

 

       After running for a good fifteen minutes, Rittowa finally stopped running, but kept going, doing a fast walk. She was tired out, but could keep going another good half hour or so if she slowed now. But then...something happened that prompted her to finish her break early and get going. That something had been a loud hiss and an evil laughter, and footsteps coming up behind her. She took off like a streak of lightning, slashing her sword this way and that, dodging trees whenever the blade found one.

Rittowa had heard stories of great evil living in the deep, dark places of the world. Beings that were born into this evil darkness and lived in it.

         She could hear the child on her back screaming, and could feel his head turning this way and that, then burying it in her back. That poor thing! If he really could see through this thick darkness, who knows what horrors his eyes beheld.

Rittowa took him from her back and carried him with one arm, the other still watching for trees.

       She started to feel things grabbing at her legs, not just from behind, but from the sides and even in front of her. She panting hard, her heart racing. She was no stranger to fear, but this was different. The only thing keeping her from breaking down and being consumed by the darkness and fear was her determination to save this child...and her determination to live until she avenged her sisters.

       “You’re going to be okay Miroku...I’m going to get us out of here!” Rittowa yelled.

       The laughter was getting closer... and then Rittowa felt something sharp stick into her leg, pulling her down. She grunted in pain as she fell, but rolled over before she hit the ground, so as not to crush the boy under her. Getting up, she half-limped half-ran forward.

       The laughing was close now...right up to her, it stopped...and everything was silent...even Rittowa’s foot steps didn’t make a sound in the grass. She felt something grab the back of her shirt. This was it...she had tried her best...but it hadn’t been enough.

Then something happened she never expected....

      Light engulfed the whole area...a pure, bright light. The creatures of darkness screamed and wailed, and Rittowa felt the hand that had grabbed her pull her forward and she went crashing through grass, weeds, and bushes.

 

      It was daylight!

 

                                                                       Chapter Seventeen

 

 

 

       Link and Sheik were walking deeper into the Lost Woods, and it was getting to the point where they could hardly see their hands in front of their faces.

       “I don’t like it, Sheik...” Link warned. “This place feels evil...”

       “I feel it too,” replied Sheik. “but if Rittowa is here we have to go on.”

       “Yeah. I just hope that the Triforce is leading me the right way.”

       After following the glowing triangle on the back of his hand, Link finally realized: Rittowa was in trouble. He took off deeper into the forest, Sheik following closely, although he didn’t know what the heck was going on.

       They ran through the woods, fighting through forest greens until they came to an area that looked completely blocked off by trees, vines and large bushes. 

       “You grab Rittowa!” Link commanded and dove forward, his blade flying through the obstacles in his path.

       The two warriors ran through the pitch-black area, and Link started to hear screaming and felt the evil presence all around him. Sheik darted forward and Link lifted his hand in the air and called upon the light of the goddesses. The Triforce on the back of his hand glowed for second then suddenly the whole area was in engulfed in light. The evil beings screamed in pain from the light, some able to run, others dieing there.

      Sheik had grabbed hold of a fallen Rittowa and jumped forward, slashing a path through the wall of green and out into the sunlight.

 

 

 

       The sun shone down through the breaks in the tree branches above, creating pools of gold on the grass. Rittowa opened her eyes, squinting at the sunlight that peered down through the trees at her.

       “Rittowa,” came a familiar voice. “I’m glad you’re alright.”

       Rittowa sat up and saw Link and Sheikah walking to her.

       “Looks like we got there just in time...” Sheik said.

       Rittowa was about to ask what happened when she remembered the boy in her arms that she had rescued from that forest. She looked at him. He seemed quite normal except....he had glowing red eyes and his hair was orange and yellow, and the texture was kinda leafy.

       “Miroku?” Link blinked. “Miroku!”

             

 

                                                   ------------------------------------

 

 

       It was nighttime in Kokiri Forest, and everyone was gathered at Link’s house, including Zara. She told them that the hole the skull kid had pushed her and Rittowa into split into two ways and she had ended up in another area of the forest.

       Sheik hadn’t expected that the path he took out of the Lost Woods would lead right out into Kokiri Forest either. It didn’t make sense that they went so deep into the Lost Woods, yet, Kokiri Forest was just out there. The only thing he could think was that going through certain places of the Lost Woods would make you go to a completely different area if you didn’t know where you were going.

       “So, what’s with the kid?” Rittowa asked.

       “He began his transformation into a skull kid,” replied Sheik in that quiet tone he always used. “That’s why his hair is like that, and his eyes...”

       “We got him out just in time,” Link said. “Hopefully he’ll start to remember things.”

       “When we were in that black area of the woods...he said he could see,” said Rittowa.

       Zara spoke up before Link or Sheik could open their mouths, eager to make her own knowledge known. “Skull kids have eyes that let them see in the dark, since they live in a dark forest. It’s really strange...It is an ancient curse placed upon those woods that does it. Adults will have their flesh ripped from them...and wander in a living death. And children shall be cursed to dwell in darkness forever...never growing old or dieing.”

       “Who was it that put the curse upon that forest?” Rittowa asked.

       “That was before the time that fairies came to this land...so none of us know.”

       “Well, whatever...” Link stood up. “I’m going to go talk to the Deku Tree.”

 

                                                      ------------------------------

 

      

       Isuke had gotten the Zora warriors to start doing proper training for the battles they would be fighting and was now preparing to get back to Link and the others. He left instructions with one zora he trusted most and headed out, diving through the waterfall and swimming down Zora River. He came out of the river with the sun shining down on Hyrule Field and took a look around. There was smoke rising from what was once Lon Lon Ranch, and even from that far away, Isuke could tell they had built tall walls around it. So, they were planning on using it as a fortress....

       Grrr....What’s wrong with the Hyrule Army? Why don’t they attack them? If my warriors were ready, I would lead them against those Sheikah this second.

       Speaking of Hyrule, Isuke hadn’t heard much news about what was going on behind those white walls of the castle lately. All he pretty much knew was that he was sending out scouts to look for the Princess.

       The King is so blind...did it ever cross his mind that it’s the Sheikah that kidnapped her?

       Isuke was suddenly struck with an idea. If the King wouldn’t attack the Sheikah...he knew a way to make him. He jumped back into the river then, kicking off a rock, sped through the waters towards Kokiri Forest.

 

                                              ------------------------------

 

       Link walked to the clearing where the Deku Tree was, and smiled slightly as he put a hand in the old tree. “Great Deku Tree...my friend. Are you well?”

       “Link...I feel my power failing,” the Deku Tree said sadly. “The Sheikah’s killing is attacking the very life of Hyrule itself.”

       “No! Deku Tree! Don’t tell me-”

       “Link...you must stop the Sheikah.”

       “But how? I could barely beat Spiaze, and most of the Sheikah are as strong as him, even better. How can I defend Hyrule against such a threat?”

       “Link...it is one that leads them. If you destroy that one, the rest will flee. The Sheikah cannot exist without a leader. They are a race of ‘shadows’.”

       “What? That means that...”

       “Yes. It is not a Sheikah that leads them.”

       “Who leads them then?”

       “I do not know. What I do know, however, is that the Sheikah have Zelda.”

       “What?!” Link swore at his own stupidity. “I should have known. She’s alive, right?”

       “Yes. Y-”

       Link didn’t let him finish, he turned and started to run off.

       “Link. Do not turn from me as I still speak.”

       “What is it?!” Link said angrily, but then blinked, surprised at his own rudeness to the Great Deku Tree.

        The Deku Tree didn’t seem to bother going into that. “Link, the Sheikah have found out how to track to the power of the Master Sword. If you get close to their fortress, they will know.”

        “I planned on letting them know anyway,” Link spat.

        “Foolish boy!” The Deku Tree yelled angrily.

        Link was taken back by this sudden outburst, as the Great Tree hardly did such things.

        “You said yourself, you are not able to defend yourself against that many Sheikah.”

        Link understood, and bowed. “Forgive me Great Deku Tree, I should not have been disrespectful. I understand.”

        The Deku Tree’s branches rustled, shaking slightly, and an object fell from them, sticking into the ground. Link walked over to it. The Kokiri Sword. It was like just looking at his old blade opened the doors of his mind and let memories flood in. In spite of everything going on, he couldn’t help but smile at the sword as he grasped it. It looked so small to him now, and he had remembered it being much larger.

        Link slid it into his belt, a looked up at the Deku Tree.

        “Thank you, O Great Deku Tree.”

        He un-strapped his sheath from his back and placed the Master Sword in front of the the Deku Tree, where it faded away.

        “I will guard it well, child. Now, go.”

        Link nodded and ran from the clearing.

 

                                                  ----------------------------------

 

 

 

       Through the bleak darkness that engulfed the forest, Isuke saw a lone flickering light in the distance, and trained his eyes on it, using it to lead him through the thick forest. He eventually made it out, and walked over to the tree house, then climbed up the ladder and stepped through the door, pushing the sheets away. As soon as he stepped in, he found a curved blade at held to his neck.

       “Oh, it’s just you,” Rittowa muttered, pulling her sword away.

       “Nice to see you too,” Isuke said, rolling his eyes. He noticed the sleeping bundle on the bed and asked, “What’s with the kid?”

       “That’s Miroku,” Zara replied, her eyes heavy.

       Sheik was just sitting in the corner, not muttering a word.

       Isuke blinked and touched the child’s hair. “It’s all...leafy.”

       “He began his transformation into a Skull Kid when we found him.”

       “Heh, it looks pretty funny.”

       Isuke heard the shiiing! of a sword being drawn from its sheath, and turned to see Rittowa holding a sword to Link’s neck, who had just stepped through the door, and he had a short sword held to hers. They both dropped their weapons and Link looked at the zora.

      “Isuke... took you long enough,” Link said, walking past him.

      “Well, everyone is just full of nice greetings this evening.”

      Link opened up a chest in the back of the room, and began looking through it.

      “How is Malon?”

      “She ... wasn’t there, Link.”

      Link stood up and looked at Isuke. “She wasn’t at Zora’s Domain?!”

      Isuke shook his head. “I’m sorry.”

      The warrior clenched his fist tightly and turned back to the chest, grabbing things from it again.

      “What’s going on, Link?” Zara asked.

      “The Sheikah have Zelda, I’m going to Lon Lon Ranch to save her. I just know that they have Malon too.”

      “What?” Isuke blinked. “Princess Zelda really is there?”

      “Yeah, why?”

      “Well, I had an idea to get Hyrule to attack the Sheikah’s fortress. That idiot of a king is ignoring everything that is going on to find his daughter. I just thought all we’d have to do is tell him that she’s there.”

      “Hmmm...” Sheik looked thoughtful. “Indeed, we could use it to get the Princess out of there. We could use the King’s army to divert the Sheikah’s attention and get in there, find Princess Zelda, and get out.”

      “All that would come of that is a massacre of the Hylian army,” Link stated grimly. “They cannot defeat such a powerful enemy until their forces have been weakened. And we would still need the help of the Gorons and the Zoras.”

      “What are you going to do then?” Isuke asked.

      “Sneak in. Infiltrate the fortress and find Zelda, then get her out. Of course, not before weakening their defenses.”

      By now he had found everything he sought. Link had a belt with throwing knives attached it, a small brown pouch with the explosive substance the lakeside Doctor had given him, and a pack of deku nuts. He looked around his room, then ripped down his black curtains and held them out to Zara.

      “Can your magic turn these into clothes for me?”

      Zara gave him a weird look. “What?”

      “I need dark clothes; it’ll help me go unnoticed.”

      “Oh...of course. I’ll see what I can do.”

      She looked at him, seeming to study him, then took the curtains and put her rod over them. In a small flash, they had been ripped and stuck back together in certain places, forming a not-so-perfect ninja outfit.

      “Try it on. I think it will fit.”

      Link nodded, and, taking the garment, went outside. After a few minutes, everyone heard the sound of horseshoes beating against the ground. Isuke poked his head from the tree house and saw Link riding away on Epona.

 

Chapter Eighteen

 

 

 

       Link, clothed in his new ninja-outfit, crawled through the shadows of trees and bushes, staying as low to ground as he could and making as little noise as possible. He had left Epona at a stream half a mile back, and had walked the rest of the way to make sure they wouldn’t hear him approach. He had also brought a long a certain item that would help incase things got out of hand...

      He now knelt in the shadow of what was once Lon Lon Ranch. Getting over the wall would be easy enough; Malon had grown leafy vines over part of the ranch walls to try to make the outer perimeter look prettier. Link might have smiled to himself about it if his mind hadn’t been so dead-serious at the time.

      The hero looked around, surveying the area. Okay, there were three guards at the entrance, one to the left above Link’s position, and one other stationed a ways down the wall.

      Link quietly pulled an arrow from the quiver at his waist and strung it. The bowstring was released, and the arrow silently pierced through the night air, striking its target in the neck. He then used what little power he had left in Farore’s Wind to push the body off the wall with a gust off wind before it collapsed, then before it hit the ground he levitated it using the same magic. No point in causing extra noise.

      After he hid the body in a few bushes away from the ranch, he gripped a hanging vine and began to ascend. The climb wasn’t without noise, no, but minus the closest guard, he seemed to go unheard.

       Once he reached the top Link instantly dropped down the other side. Upon his landing he rolled behind a crate that sat behind the house building. He could now feel the presence of both the shard of the Triforce he gave to Malon, and Zelda’s Triforce of Wisdom. So Malon was there, and alive too.

       Now, where would they keep a princess and a stable girl? He assumed that the housing quarters would be for whomever the leader was, so... the barn maybe? The only other buildings were the storage room at the back of the ranch and the hen house (and he seriously doubted they were in there).

       Link crept out and peeked around the corner, now able to see all the construction going on for the fortress they were building in the large field area. The stone base had been constructed already it seemed, and they were using wood frame or something like that. Laying everywhere was piles and piles of stones. He pondered on where they had gotten all the rocks. Oh well, with the construction going on, he may not have to be as quiet and some of the Sheikah were being kept busy with the work, so it helped more than anything.

       The whole area was dark, lit only by the illuminating glare of the moon. Link got on top of the crate and climbed up to the top of the house. Glancing over the slanted roof, he saw a guard walking down the path to the barn, then back up to where the path split out into the large, gated-in field. He waited awhile, watching the guard go back and forth to make sure that was his routine, then began crawling down the roof, like a spider crawling down a web to its prey.

       As soon as the guard was close enough, he let himself fall to the ground, where he gripped the guard’s head quickly snapped his neck. He lifted the body in his arms and tossed it over his shoulder, then walked back behind the house and hid it in the shadows there. Hopefully no one would discover it.

 

                                                                --------------------------------------

 

 

        Sighing softly, Zara stared up at the ceiling, unable to sleep unlike her two companions. Rittowa and Sheik slept silently, without a snort or anything, whereas Isuke was snoring as loud as was humanly possible, louder than Link even. Since she was a fairy, she had never had to sleep before, but after coming from the sanctuary she had begun to feel things such as weariness.

       As much of it she felt though, it wasn’t enough to overcome the dragon-roar-like snore emanating from the zora that lay a few feet from her. Because she left the sanctuary was she now cursed to always sleep near a boy that snored so loudly she would never get any rest? Oh, woe to her...

       Getting to her feet, she walked out of the tree house and slowly climbed down the ladder. Around the forest were tiny forest sprites floating here and there. Putting aside the noise coming from Link’s house, the forest was very quiet. Zara was suddenly stricken with sadness, feeling that the forest was slowly withering away.

       “This...is terrible.”

       “It is, isn’t it?”

       Zara jumped in fright, having not heard Sheik come up behind her.

       “Sheik, what’s going on?” Zara questioned.

       “Different things,” the young Sheikah started. “Some of it is from the Sheikah’s killings. All of Hyrule is alive... and its life-force rests on the shoulders of Hylians. When they die, that life gets weaker.”

       “I know this. However, that cannot be the only reason. The forest stayed alive through the war between all the races of Hyrule. That war lasted over twenty years, and many people died, yet this forest still stands.”

       Sheik nodded. “Indeed, it wasn’t enough. The person leading the Sheikah is responsible for most of it. He is spreading his evil power throughout the land. It’s sucking the life of Hyrule away and bringing it to him, to make himself stronger.”

       “What?!” Zara exclaimed. “Why haven’t you told us about this before?”

       “No one asked. There is nothing we can do anyway. There is no way to stop it unless we kill him. Which is next to impossible.”

       “Impossible??”

       “This guy...he’s incredibly powerful. Not even the Hero of Time would be able to defeat him.”

       “What...what about Ganondorf?! I thought...!”

       “Ganondorf was powerful. But in a different way. Besides, Link is not as strong as he was when Ganondorf was defeated. And the leader, he is....”

       Sheik stopped. Zara looked at him, wondering why he didn’t finish.

      “Sheik, you never did tell us about how the Sheikah escaped from being sealed.”

      “That is a story for later. When Link returns.” Sheik turned to leave but Zara griped his arm.

      “No, please tell me now.”

      Sheik sighed. “Fine.”

 

                                                                   ---------------------------

 

 

        Perhaps it wasn’t the smartest thing in the world to crawl over the roof of the barn when there were guards stationed all over the wall around the ranch, not to mention all the Sheikah working higher-up on the fortress, but, it was way smarter than just waltzing right in through the front door. Plus, the moon was now hidden behind the black clouds overhead, making him less noticeable.

        Malon used to hang clothes up to dry on the roof, so inside the barn there was a ladder that lead up to a door that opened up to the roof. Link saw the two poles up that had been used for the clothesline. He searched the ground, feeling the roof with his hand until he found the rope that the clothes had been hung on.

       After he had rolled the rope up, Link hung it from his belt for later use, then crawled over to the trapdoor. Opening the door as quietly as he could, he peeked down and looked around. It was no good, it was too dark to see anything. He stepped onto the ladder and started downwards.

       “Who’s there?” came a voice from the darkness.

 

       Impa’s voice.

 

                                                                     -------------------------

 

 

       “I failed in my duty to protect the seal,” Sheik started. “This evil man came, and by some power sent me away. He released all the Sheikah and told them that if they follow him, they would have their revenge on the Royal Family.”

       Zara waited for him to keep going...but he said nothing else.

       “Well?”

       “Well what?”

       “What happened after that?”

       “Nothing, it’s that simple. They just agreed.”

       “It seems a little too simple. But you,” Zara said, looking up at Sheik. “You aren’t like them. You don’t want revenge. Why?”

       “I have my reasons.” With nothing else said he turned and went back to the tree house.

 

                                                                  ---------------------------

 

 

       Link couldn’t believe his ears. “Impa? Is that you?”

       “Link! I can’t believe you’re here,” said the voice again.

       “Where are you? I can’t see anything.”

       “Right here...”

       Link felt the touch of cold, sharp steel against his neck.

       “Heh, you’re so easy, Hero of Time.” The voice had changed, still female, but it wasn’t Impa’s this time.

       Link’s hand flashed up to the arm holding the blade. Cracks echoed through the barn as Link crushed the bones in the wrist of the imposter. Before she could scream, the Kokiri Sword had cut through the air, and stopped on the other side of the Sheikah’s neck. He couldn’t see it, but there was a ‘thud’ as the head and body hit the floor.

       There were no windows here, so maybe he could risk using a little light. The Triforce on the back of his hand glowed a bit, giving off a dim light. Link looked down and saw the body of the headless Sheikah, the blood spurting from neck forming a crimson puddle on the floor.

       Link turned away and looked around. The cattle were all gone, that was evident. In their place were piles and piles of stone and brick, as well as other things such as tools.

       So, they were using the barn as the storage area now. There was no sign of any thing else there, so the only other place to look would be the residence or the storage building. And for some reason he thought that they’d be in the storage building.

       Quickly stepping over the body of the decapitated Sheikah, Link grabbed the ladder and silently climbed up. Once back on the roof, the Hero of Time slowly made his way down and then dropped to the ground. There wasn’t much cover, so he snuck over to the edge of the wall and slowly made his way to the storage building from there.

 

 

       Malon shivered, holding herself and curling up. “It’s so cold...” She held the Triforce shard in her hands, holding it tightly as a reminder of Link. He will come for me...he will...

       Suddenly there was a grunting noise up near the opening at the top of the building, and both Zelda and Malon looked up in time to see a figure hang over the edge, then drop down, landing hard on his feet.

       Speak of the devil.

       “Link!” Zelda and Malon exclaimed.

       “Shhh. Keep it down,” Link whispered, going over to Zelda and cutting her bonds. Malon rushed over to Link and hugged him tightly.

       “I knew you’d come for me,” she said, tears dripping from her eyes.

       Link was overjoyed to see her, but he knew now wasn’t the time for this.

       “Malon, we have to get out of here. Now.”

       “I know, sorry.”

       Zelda gave Link a look. “I am indeed grateful for you coming to rescue us, but... How did you get in here and what on earth are you dressed as?”

       “You can ask me questions as soon as we’re out of here.”

       “There are guards at the door... how do we get out?” Zelda asked.

       “I killed them,” Link replied, trying to show emotion from doing it. He couldn’t anymore though. He didn’t care if he killed any Sheikah now after what they had done and what they were still doing.

       “I see. Why didn’t you use the keys?”

       “They didn’t have any on them. We’re leaving the way I came in.”

       “How though?” Malon inquired. “Zelda and I can’t get up there.”

       Link reached for something stuck into the pockets on his belt and pulled out his Hookshot. “This is how.”

       He put his arm around Malon. “Hold on tight.”

       Link fired the Hookshot up at a support beam and used it to put Malon and himself up. He waited until Malon got onto the ledge before going back to get Zelda, then he dropped to the bottom, and caught the girls as they jumped down.

        “Okay, this is how we’re gonna do this,” Link said. “We’re all gonna sneak to the side of the barn, and once we’re there, if nothing has gone wrong, you two go on ahead once I take care of the guards out in front. After that, I’m gonna cause some problems around here and then hide out until I have a chance to leave.”

       “We won’t be able to get away fast enough though,” Zelda remarked.

       “They’ll be too busy in the confusion to follow you. I left Epona about a half a mile to the east, near the river. You can take her and follow the river south. I think you know how to get to Kokiri Forest from there, Malon.”

       Malon nodded silently and then they began following Link. Once they got to the barn, Link took a quick look around then motioned for them to stay low, as he walked out, he expected to see the backs of guards standing in front of the entrance...but no one was there.

       Oh no...

       Link turned and ran back to the girls. “Get out of here, now!”

       “But, wha-”

       “NOW!”

       Malon and Zelda got up and took off down the short path and out of the ranch.

       Link drew his Kokiri Sword and his Sheikan dagger, and stood there, waiting.

      “You can come out anytime. I know you’re there.”

      Shadows appeared all around him, and formed into Sheikah. The shorter one stepped forwards, perhaps five foot two.

      “I believe we’ve met before,” he said, grinning. Link had never seen him without the mask, but he knew that it was the same person that had been there at Death Mountain.

      Link said nothing, wondering if he should use the item he had brought with him. Using it could cause more harm than good though...and he wasn’t sure if he would be able to get out of it. Perhaps he should just wait and see.

       “Our lord and master is busy at the moment, and doesn’t see the need for himself to destroy you.”

       Okay, he would use the potion Doc gave him, and then if that didn’t work...he’d have to use the other thing.

       Link quickly reached into his pouch, grabbed a small bottle and gulped down the contents, then quickly got back into his stance. “If you’re gonna kill me, you’d better get to it, don’t you think?”

 

                                                                           Chapter Nineteen

 

 

-

 

 

     Once again jumping out of the reach of a Sheikah, Link twisted in mid-air, landed behind the Sheikah and did a quick stab to the neck with his dagger. The Kokiri Sword clashed with a short katana that had been swung behind him, and then Link ducked down to avoid being beheaded by another Sheikah. The hero did a sweep, knocking his opponent to the ground, then kicked the face of the Sheikah whose blade he had just stopped, and finished the second one off with a stab to the chest.

       The Sheikan warriors began swarming around him even more, but Link managed to dodge and block their moves, getting in the rare kill. He had to give it to the Doc; that potion worked great. His reflexes were a ton faster, he could jump higher, and he even felt stronger. What on earth was in that stuff?

       “Arrgh!” Link growled in pain, having taken a nasty cut across his back. He now realized that there were too many of them near him to take on at close range, and he needed to get out. Fast.

       Drawing his Hookshot, Link jumped up high and aimed it at a tree then released the chain. The end dug itself into the tree then dragged Link through the air to the lone tree. He landed on a branch and pulled out two of his throwing daggers and sent them flying into the group of Sheikah, one sticking someone in the arm, the other lucky enough to get another in the head.

      Three Sheikah came leapt into the tree along side Link. The teenager blocked two of their blades with his dagger and sword, but the other caught his back, leaving a red trail diagonally across half of it. Link grunted from the searing pain, but wouldn’t allow himself to scream.

      He managed to grab a kick that was heading strait for his head then throw the attacker by the leg into the Sheikah that had cut his back. Link dropped down from the tree and raced into the soon-to-be fortress, hoping to cut through it and get to the wall in the back. From there he would be able to get over and hide in the pass that lead to the desert.

       He glanced over his shoulder and saw that the pursuing Sheikah all had darts in their hands. Link’s eyes opened wide; he knew what those tiny things could do to people. They were all thrown at him, a shower of poison darts headed right for him.

       Goddess Farore, lend me your power!

       The Kokiri Sword began to glow green. “Kai-Ten-Giri,” Link began. “TEMPEST!!” His sword out, Link began spinning around furiously. A tornado instantly rose around him, the violent winds blowing away the darts with ease. The Sheikah were caught up in the wind rage and started to get sucked in. The tearing gale was so strong that the bodies began to rip apart, turning the tornado into a mass of spinning blood and body parts.

       As fast as it had started, Link stopped, and dropped to one knee, panting heavily. He was covered in blood, and, looking around, saw that blood had been flung everywhere, covering the buildings of Lon Lon Ranch, along with bloody arms, legs, heads...

       Link stared at the gore all around him. And...he felt no sorrow. Had he really changed that much? All this death...this, loss of life, and he didn’t care that he had done it. They deserved it after all, right? For all the pain they had caused Hylians, for everyone they killed. Link was avenging their deaths, and protecting Hyrule. Why should he feel sad?!

       Link growled to himself, tossing away these thoughts and standing up. He looked at the Kokiri Sword. It still dripped with the blood of the Sheikah he had just killed. Where had that attack came from anyway? He had never learnt to do that before...

       Walking through the unfinished tower, Link listened carefully, but heard no noise. He opened up the pouch with the strange powder in it that the doctor had given him and drew an arrow then dipped it into the pouch. The powder stuck to it securely and Link strung the arrow then aimed it at the barn, and fired. The arrow shot through the air and stuck into the side of the barn. Link did the same to the house, the storage room, and stuck a few into the wall the Sheikah were building.

       This, hopefully would finish it all. He would destroy the remnant of the Sheikah’s doings and finish this all.

       Link walked away from the ranch, and as soon as he was a safe distance, he held up his finger a little and stared at it emotionlessly, channeling the power of Din to the arrows he had left at the ranch.

 

---

 

      Malon and Zelda were racing down the side of the river on Epona when they saw it. A massive explosion. Malon pulled back on the reigns and stared at the huge flames rising from what was once her home.

       “LINK!!” She screamed in horror. “NO!”

       Zelda put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, Malon. Link is still alive. I can feel the power of the Triforce still working through him.”

       “Thank the goddesses....” she sighed. “Should we go back and check on him?”

       “No, Link can handle himself. We should keep going.”

       Malon cracked the reigns and Epona took off again.

-

       They arrived at Kokiri Forest as the sun was rising. Zelda had somehow fell asleep but Malon was still awake and had guided the horse deep into the forest, following the trail she remembered from Link taking her through many times before.

       Isuke went out to greet her and carried Zelda into the house next to Link’s.

       “So, the place blew up, huh?” Isuke said. “Well, I just hope Link wasn’t caught up in it.”

       Sheik, carrying a struggling Miroku, came out of the tree house.

       “Let me go!” the child growled, attempting to dig his teeth into the Sheikah.

       Isuke caught Miroku as Sheik tossed him down. “Oy, what’s the matter?”

      “The kid is trying to run off,” Sheik muttered.

      “Lemme go! Where’s Mido? Where’s Saria?!” Miroku demanded.

      Malon looked around. “Yeah, where are all the children of the forest?”

      Isuke looked down. He really didn’t want to tell her, but took her aside, out of Miroku’s hearing range and told her. A crying woman wasn’t Isuke’s favorite thing to be around, and he expected Malon to burst into tears. She didn’t though. Tears fell, but she only sadly nodded and walked over to their graves.

      Zara woke up and went outside as Isuke was explaining to Sheik about what Malon had told him.

      “Here,” Isuke said, handing Zara Miroku. “Go give him a bath or something.”

      Sheik stared off into the distance. “Well, I guess we should just wait here for Link then. If he is still alive, this is where he’ll come.”

      “Do you think it’s possible? Could Link have taken all the Sheikah out by destroying the ranch?”

      “I don’t know. Possibly. But, there are usually other Sheikah out on assignments.”

      “Well, maybe he at least killed most of them.”

      Sheik’s look didn’t seem to encouraging though.

 

Chapter Twenty

 

 

 

 

      Zara, grabbing Miroku by the legs, dunked him into the lake again and Miroku kept yelling for her to let him go.

      “Well, you won’t let me bathe you properly, so this is the only way I’m gonna get you clean. Hold your breath again.”

      “No!”

      “Fine.”

      She dunked him in again anyway. He came up, coughing and trying to snort water from his nose.

      “You’re gonna drown me!”

      “If you’d cooperate I wouldn’t need to do this! Now, hold your nose.”

      Miroku obeyed this time.

      Sheik had gone off to hunt for some breakfast and Isuke was trying building a fire, and failing miserably. Rittowa laughed after watching his first dozen failed attempts and then hopped from her perch on top of the shop building’s awning and went to help him.

      A few minutes later Sheik returned with a few wild cuccos he had hunted in the forest. By the time they had been plucked, cooked, and eaten, it was noon. And still no sign of Link.

      “I don’t like it...” Isuke said, using a stick to poke the fire out of boredom.

      “You know, this place isn’t the closest thing in Hyrule to that ranch,” Zelda mentioned. “And he has to walk here too. That is, assuming he’s headed this way.”

      And that, in turn, assuming he’s alive, Zara thought sadly.

      Zelda stood up. “Well, I see no reason for me to stay here. I wish to go back to the castle see my family. They’re all probably very worried about me.”

      Sheik, who was leaning against a tree with his arms folded, looked over and Zelda and asked, “What became of Impa?”

      “Impa...I don’t know...She disappeared about an hour before I was kidnapped.”

      “I see.”

      “W-why? What do you know?”

      “Just wondering.” He moved from his position and walked off into the woods.

      Isuke and Zara blinked. “Who’s Impa?”

     

                                                                                   ><

 

      Later that day, when Link still hadn’t come back, they decided to just leave and bring Zelda back to the castle, looking for Link on the way there of course. Zelda, bring royal, rode Epona, Malon walked beside the horse, guiding her. They were just following the river back once again, so Isuke swam ahead of everyone in it, Rittowa walked up in front of Malon with Miroku on her shoulders, Zara walked next to Malon, and Sheik stayed behind them all, always watchful and alert, though he looked as if he was bored and annoyed at having to travel with these Hylians. Who knows? Maybe he really did feel that way, but he would spring into action and protect those he traveled with at the first sign of danger.

       Isuke finally came out of the water when Lon Lon Ranch appeared on the horizon. It was hard to tell exactly the state it was in, and Isuke was curious to see.

       “Guys, I’m going to go check out the ranch,” Isuke stated, and started running in its direction.

       “It wouldn’t be wise to go off by yourself,” Sheik said.

       “Oh puh-lease, I can take care of myself,” Isuke snorted.

       “You’re a skilled fighter, Zora, but you lack the skill to defeat the Sheikah if they come after you.”

        “What? I beat them back at that village didn’t I? Besides, I’ve killed many before I met you or the others.” Isuke blinked. Wait, Sheik had just been standing there...

        He felt his arms held back behind him and a sharp blade touch his neck.

        “They are the Sheikah,” Sheik whispered into the Zora’s ear. “We slay without the victim ever knowing anyone was behind them. We can creep around unseen in broad daylight. It was us that kept the royal family safe from many assassination attempts and from all out war. Do not take any of them lightly.”

        He released Isuke, who backed away slightly from the Sheikah.

        Sheik looked at the girls. “I will accompany him to the ranch. I don’t expect any Sheikah to attack this close to Hyrule Castle though. If their base is indeed destroyed, then they’ll have moved farther to the south or west.”

        “Why do you think Isuke will get attacked then?” Zara asked.

        “Because it still is possibly their base. Doubtful, but still possible.”

        Sheik began running swiftly towards the ranch, and Isuke took off behind him.

 

                                                                                              ><

 

 

        Zelda, Malon, and the others had safely made it to the gates of Hyrule Castle four hours after Isuke and Sheik had left for the ranch. The guard hurriedly opened the gates and let the women and child in. They walked up to the path to the castle, and Zelda told a guard to show Malon to the royal stables so she could put Epona away. Rittowa had stayed back, saying that she didn’t think she should be seen in the castle, and Malon noticed her following some young man into a local tavern.

        Zara accompanied Zelda into the throne room, holding Miroku’s hand. The King was overjoyed to see his daughter, but did not show it. He simply smiled and said, “So you have returned safely.”

        Zelda, after hugging her tearful mother, addressed the King. “Yes, your highness. A young lad named Link rescued me from the Sheikah’s headquarters at Lon Lon Ranch, along with the stable girl there.”

        “I shall have to give this Link my thanks. Where is the boy?”

        “I...do not know, M’lord. He destroyed the ranch, and we haven’t seen him since.

        She then said firmly, “My King, I must ask why you have been dismissing the matter at hand about the Sheikah.”

        “Finding you was most important. However, you say that they have been using the ranch as their base. Now that it is destroyed, has this ‘Link’ taken care of them all?”

        “That’s not very likely, M’lord,” Zara spoke up.

        “And who are you?” The King asked.

        “She is Zara, a fairy of the Sanctuary,” Zelda introduced.

        The King raised an eyebrow. “A fairy? Outside the Sanctuary?”

        “Forgive me, your Highness, but I cannot explain now.”

        “Very well. Continue.”

        “The Sheikah are many, and I find it hard to believe that they all were packed into that ranch. They have spies everywhere. There perhaps could be some even in this very castle.” She looked around at everyone. “Your own personal guards even.”

        The King glanced at the two guards standing by his side then back at Zara.

        “Perhaps. Now, you must be tired. The maids will show you to a room and were to clean up.”

        Zelda was slightly shocked, but mostly annoyed that her father would hear this fairy’s words and not heed them. She excused herself and left the room.

 

                                                                                 ><

 

      

       Isuke collapsed from exhaustion. He had started running, yeah, but after running two miles, he couldn’t run any longer. Sheik forced him to keep walking, and when he had somewhat recovered, they started running again.

       Sheik seemed unaffected by the run, and immediately started looking around. The place had been blown up all right. The whole place was littered with pieces of wood and rock, and not much was left were the buildings used to stand. Sheik could still smell the sent of blood in the air, and noticed the dried blood on the ground and on some of the wood. Continuing, he found body parts everywhere, rotting in the sun that shone high above them. Sheik made it a point not to breathe from his nostrils as he made his way around the destroyed ranch. There wasn’t much else to see. No sign of Link either.

      When Isuke had finally caught his breathe he began to wander about the area himself and stepped into what was left of the residential building. He saw pieces of things littered about, things he knew that the rancher wouldn’t have owned. Strange-looking statues, masks, and weird swords and other types of weapons. One mask caught Isuke’s eye. Why? The wall it hung from still stood, untouched. And the mask itself was unscathed.

      What in Hyrule...?

       Isuke stepped closer, not too close though, because the closer he stepped, the more foreboding a feeling he got. The strange mask seemed to stare at him through its piercing red eyes, as if it was really someone’s face. For a second there Isuke thought he saw the spikes that lined the mask wiggle a little. There was definitely something wrong with this mask. Though still, the Zora warrior felt compelled to reach out and touch it...

 

                                                                                        ><

 

 

       Malon smiled at herself in the mirror. She was dressed in an graceful red and white gown, her hair had been brushed neatly and done in two long braids. She looked like a beautiful princess. So much that Zelda herself would have cause to be jealous.

       If only Link could see me now... Malon said to herself. She knew palace life wasn’t for her, but she did like this for a change.

       She still worried about Link, and voiced her concerns at the table where the King provided them a ‘snack’ as he put it, for surely they were famished after walking all that way. This ‘snack’ of sorts was laid out before them and all Zara could do was hope that Isuke would get here to stuff that bottomless pit he called a stomach.

       “You worry too much,” the fairy said after listening to Malon. “I’m sure Link is fine. Perhaps even now Isuke and Sheik are on their way here with him.”

       “Maybe, but still...Hmm? Hey, where is Miroku?”

       “Out playing with my little brother. He said he wasn’t hungry,” Zelda replied. “Anyway, I don’t think Link died. If he did I am certain I would feel the power of the Triforce failing.”

       “Why would the Triforce’s power fail if Link died?” Malon asked.

       Zara, always eager to share her knowledge, spoke up before the Princess could answer. “That’s the way it works after the Triforce gets separated. Back in the alternate timeline, when Ganondorf touched the Triforce, the three parts of it were given to Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf. Now the Triforce is bound to them all. They are in control of its power. If one of them dies, they can no longer control that power; therefore it would split up and become useless. And with one part of the Triforce useless, the scared power as a whole would be weakened.”

       Malon nodded, taking it all in. “Okay...I understand, but, what did you mean by alternate time?”

       Zara and Zelda exchanged looks. She had forgotten that any normal Hylian didn’t remember any of it. What was the harm in her knowing though? Zara and Zelda both told Malon of the events that happened in the seven years Ganon ruled Hyrule. Even after they had eaten, they stayed at the table and continued talking, with Malon listening intently. When they wrapped the story up by saying that Zelda had simply used the Ocarina of Time to change everything back to normal, Malon sat back in her plush chair and thought through it all.

       “Wow...just...wow. I can’t believe that this all happened and I can’t remember it. But what about Ganondorf? If we went back in time then he must be...!”

       “No,” Zelda interrupted. “He was banished to the sacred realm. That place doesn’t follow the same river of time as Hyrule does. And the Triforce, though it’s in the same world as us, doesn’t either.”

       “Amazing...”

       A certain servant stared strait ahead, looking like a very life-like statue just like the guards and other servants, pretending he had heard nothing.

 

                                                                                     ><

 

 

       The mask shot from the wall and spun around, as if trying to slap itself onto the face of the Zora. Isuke would never have been able to dodge in time if Sheik hadn’t come blazing up out of no-where and knocked the thing away with his short katana.

       Isuke’s fins instantly grew in size and the edges sharpened into blades.

       “What the heck is that thing?” Isuke said, trying not to yell.

       “A great evil,” Sheik muttered. “I should have warned you about it.”

       The mask just lay there in the path to the exit. Isuke started backing up. “C’mon, let’s go. There’s nothing here.”

       “Too late,” Sheik said, getting into a defensive stance. “It has awoken. We now must fight it.”

       Isuke cursed under his breath and got in a defensive stance himself, waiting for the mask to attack. “What is it really, Sheik?”

       “A mask with great evil inside of it. I’m not sure where it came from or anything, but I know it’s powerful, even without a host.”

       “A...host?”

       “Yes, what you were about to become.”

       Isuke kept staring at the mask. “It isn’t moving, let’s just leave.” He took one step back. That’s when it lunged. Sheik watched in horror as the mask, before he could stop it, spun violently through Isuke, its spikes cutting him up and spreading blood and insides everywhere. Enraged by the death of his companion inside, but on the outside still keeping his cool and calm appearance, Sheik tore at the mask with his blade.

 

                                                                                   ><

 

 

       Malon, now dressed in a silk nightgown, had decided to turn in for the night and was sitting on her bed, reading a book. She soon found it hard to keep her eyes open and closed the book, blew-out the light and snuggled into the fluffy pillow. She kept praying and praying for Link, and soon she was asleep.

       A servant watched from another wing of the castle as he saw the light go out in the room. He grinned slightly and faded into the shadows using them to get him into the King’s chamber. Hanging from the wall was a dagger. It had a jeweled scabbard and a hilt of gold; one of the King’s prized possessions. The servant snickered evilly and went back out, clutching the dagger in his hands.

 

                                                                                  ><

 

 

       Isuke yelled a great battle cry as he continued to throw attacks at that evil mask with his fists, feet, and fins. This mask that flew through the air was very agile though and was able to dodge every one of his attacks. Sheik’s torn-up body lay a few feet from where the Zora was fighting. Isuke and Sheik hadn’t really been friends, but they were on the same side, and Isuke had fought along side him, and now he was extremely angered at the death of his comrade.

        Annoyed that his attacks weren’t hitting, he picked up a broken plank of wood and tossed it at the mask. His eyes opened wide as the mask dodged, and the plank came back around and hit it in the back.

        “The heck?!”

    

>

 

       Sheik blinked when he saw a piece of wood being raised from the ground. “What? Telepathy?”

       But it didn’t go for Sheik, it headed right for the mask. It dodged it and Sheik grabbed the wood as it came towards him and then threw it back. The wood slammed right into the mask and sent it spinning to the ground. For a split second the world went fuzzy, and in that split second Sheik saw a Zora. Then he understood.

        “Heh,” he grinned. “Not bad. Not good enough though.”

        Sheik grabbed a plank of wood that still seemed in ‘okay’ condition. Cutting wasn’t gonna do much good against this guy, and his sword wasn’t strong enough to deal some hard blows. With a few sharp cuts of his katana he carved it a handle that would probably be killer on his hands, and cut the ‘blade’ part down and gave it an edge so it would swing faster.

        “Let’s see if I can’t break this illusion.”

 

>

 

        Isuke dove to the side, dodging white hot beams of light that the mask shot from its eyes. He rolled, jumped, tumbled, and dove again to get away from the beam. He then found himself under the mask and took the chance, powering a little zora magic into his right fin, then leaping up and slamming his fin into the bottom of the mask. It flew high up from the attack, shaking from all the electric magic flowing through it.

        The world fuzzed out, and Isuke saw someone clad in a Sheikan outfit jumping up.

 

>

 

        The mask shot up through the air from unseen force. Now or never. Sheik took a flying leap into the air to reach the mask’s altitude. With a crushing blow he swung his makeshift sword down onto the face of the mask.

 

>

 

        Isuke leapt into the air, and, powering up his fin with more magic this time, and slammed it into the back of the mask.

 

>

 

       Sheik felt another force behind the mask and smiled, brought his sword up again and slammed it so hard into the mask that it broke in two.

 

>

 

        Isuke’s other fin was practically frying with all the magic was pouring into it. With one quick sweep, it all emptied into the mask, enough to kill a Giant Dodongo. The eyes on the mask dimmed in brightness, and then it fell to the ground. Isuke dropped with it, and watched as the bloody mass that was Sheik’s dead body disappeared.

        “Nice work,” came Sheik’s voice.

        Isuke spun around. There was Sheik, looking very not-dead.

       “You’re alive!”

       “For the most part, yes. Now, let’s leave before that mask wakes up.”

       Isuke didn’t have to be told twice.

 

                                                                                    ><

 

       The servant opened the door slowly. The girl’s red hair was visible over the sheets, and the servant grinned evilly, pulling out the dagger. Raising it high, he brought it down violently on the maiden in the bed. Then again. And again. With every stab the servant looked more and more like he was enjoying it. He kept stabbing, over and over, butchering the body, the covers now coming bathed in blood.

       With one last hard stab, he shoved the knife into the head of his victim – the cracking of the skull was very audible.

        His job was done. Perhaps what he did was over-kill, but taking the life of the Hero of Time’s woman was a joy and he wanted to make sure she was good and dead. Hoo...He couldn’t wait until Link saw her like this. Oh how he wished he could be there at that moment!

        What was that noise? He listened closely.

        Footsteps. Headed this way.

        The servant’s appearance clothes changed, and he was now a hansom young blond-haired man, wearing a regal outfit. Why not have a little more fun before he left, eh?

         He stepped out of Malon’s room and in front of the maid walking down the hall.

        “You, there.”

        The maid stopped and looked up at him. “Yes, M’lord?”

        “I need you for something, would you accompany me to my room?”

        She nodded and followed him down the hall.

 

                                                                        ><

 

 

       It was nighttime by the time Isuke and Sheik reached Hyrule Castle Town. The drawbridge was raised, but they easily climbed over the walls and made it into the marketplace. The first thing that got their attention was all the noise coming from the tavern. Isuke’s eyes glowed. “Awesome! A fight!”

       Sheik rolled his eyes. “We’ve just been in a fight, wasn’t that enough?”

       “Yeah, but that was hard. I wanna go wipe the floor with someone’s buttocks.”

       Sheik raised an eyebrow, going over that last sentence in his mind while Isuke raced over to the tavern. A bottle met with his head as soon as he opened the door. He growled and rubbed his head then dove into the fray at the person that had thrown the bottle.

       Sheik watched silently from outside, wondering why the guards weren’t doing anything about it. Wait a minute...where were those guards? After looking around a bit, he decided that something was wrong and went into the tavern to get Isuke. However, the first person he noticed was a Gerudo, Rittowa to be exact, beating every guy that came near her into a bloody pulp with some kind of eastern fighting style Sheik hadn’t seen before.

       He grabbed Isuke by his head-fin, then grabbed Rittowa by her long ponytail and dragged them both out into the street. “Stop messing around!” Sheik said in an annoyed tone. “We need to get up to the castle.”

       Isuke stood up, yeah-yeahed, and they started up the path towards the castle.

       “So, what was Lon Lon Ranch like?” Rittowa asked.

       “I’ll explain later,” Isuke said. “How did that bar fight get started?”

       “I’ll explain later.”

       They reached the castle gates and a guard looked at them, saying, “We can’t let anyone in, sorry.”

       “Why? What’s wrong?” Isuke asked.

       “There’s been two murders.”

 

Chapter Twenty-One

 

 

 

 

     Zelda was awakened by a banging at the door. She quickly got up and put her robe on but before she got to the door a bunch of guards came bursting in.

     “What is the meaning of this?!” She demanded.

     “Forgive us, Princess,” one of the guards said. “but it’s for your protection.”

     “My protection? What is going on?!”

     “Two murders, Highness.”

     “What? Who?”

     “One was a maid...the other...it...we aren’t sure. The body was severely butchered, beyond recognition. Whoever it was had long red hair though.”

     One name came to mind: Malon.

     “Oh, please no...! Let me through!!”

     The guards stood in front of the door, not letting her through. “Sorry, your Highness. We’re under orders from the King.”

      Zelda growled slumped to the floor, nearly to tears.

 

                                                                              ----------------------

 

       Isuke grabbed another vine and pulled himself up. He was grateful for two things right now: The gloves he wore and all the fighting and swimming that worked his arms out. Right now they were the only things keeping him up, since he couldn’t really use his feet to climb up the vines that were getting him over the gate that blocked the path up to the castle.

       “Great, as if we Gerudo don’t have a bad enough rep, I am now breaking into Hyrule Castle,” Rittowa grumbled.

       “Oh, shut-up,” Isuke spat. “Malon, Miroku, and Zara are in there, and if the murderer is still there, we have to get them out.”

       Rittowa grabbed another rock from the cliff face and used it to help pull her up. “What about Zelda?”

       “She’s the Princess, idiot. She probably has about twenty guards making a double circle around her.”

       “I’m doubtful,” Sheik said, who was already at the top. “that would stop him from killing her, if it is a Sheikah in there, that is.”

       “That is” –Isuke grunted while pulling his full body-weight up- “exactly why we need to get in there.”

       When Isuke and Rittowa had made it to the top, they all began crawling across the grassy summit. Isuke eyed the strange stone up there that had the sign of the Sheikah on it, but didn’t bother asking about it. They came to where the gate made a kind of bridge from the short cliff they were on to the other side of the garden that the castle stared upon.

        Running everywhere were Hylian guards, setting up more defense. Rittowa looked down and noticed that there were five more guards stationed at both the front and back of the gate. She sighed. Man, what a good time she was having at the tavern, and they made her come here. So what if one of them died? It wasn’t her concern. She only joined this little group to avenge her sisters, and didn’t feel particularly close to any of them. After all, they were Hylians. Nothing but useless Hylians. Hylians who had turned the great Gerudo race into nothing but a tribe of thieves back in the Great War.

        She grumbled something but Isuke was too busy scoping out a way to get down to notice. There was anopening in the top of the ‘bridge’ that led down to a small room for the guards to rest in or something. Isuke peeked down. No one. He looked over the edge.

       Darn.

       There was a guard standing right in front of the door. Sheik tapped Isuke’s shoulder, motioning for him to watch. The Sheikah dove from the other end of the cliff and spun around, landing on his hands the springing off of them, finishing with a perfect land on his feet behind some trees.

       Oh, right. And he expects me to do that?

       Rittowa came up from behind and mimicked what Sheik did, landing next to him then quickly hiding behind a different tree. Isuke rolled his eyes. He’d find his own way down.

       The Zora thought for about half a minute before he finally got an idea. He made the fins on both his arms and legs grow and big as he could get them then charged some magic into all of them. He hoped this would work. He had heard of other Sheikah doing this before, long, long ago, but never tried it himself.

       Isuke stepped back, made his fins point the same way as his arms, and then rushed to the edge. He jumped off and opened his arms as if they were wings and the magic surging through his fins started glowing a little more as if they were picking something up in the air. It worked. Isuke was gliding through the air.

       “That idiot...” Sheik grumbled.

       “What? The guy is flying!” Rittowa exclaimed.

       “Okay, yeah, but do you really think he’s gonna be able to control his flight? By the looks of it he’s never done it before.”

       He was right. Isuke, without meaning to, did a barrel roll, twisted slightly before leaning to the right...then to the left...and then the right again. A beat of sweat rolled down Rittowa’s cheek as she watched Isuke start flailing crazily with his arms, as if he was trying to flap his fins now.

       A few guards finally noticed. “Look up there!”

       “What is that!?”

       Isuke banked right again, but this time kept going until he was out of Rittowa’s sight.

       “It crashed!” Yelled one of the guards. “Go see what it is!”

       “C’mon, we need to get to him before they do,” Sheik annoyingly said.

       With a burst of speed he headed up the steep incline that the castle stood on.

 

       Isuke moaned in pain from the landing. His chest was all scratched up, his arm was bleeding a little from clipping a rather sharp branch, and his head hurt from bashing it into a tree trunk upon landing. Well, it could have been worse; he could have crashed into the ground instead of the nettle bush.

       Isuke scratched his naked torso furiously as he hurried down the walkway and into a room at the end. Safe! It was storage room. And it was bloody cold in there too. Isuke had heard of places like this before. They were called ‘Cold Rooms’. Food and other things such as milk were kept in there to keep it from spoiling. It stayed cold because the castle spellcasters used an ice spell on it every day.

       The Zora sat down behind a crate. Well, now what? The guards would come in there sometime, looking for the ‘thing’ that had crash landed not far from there. He’d just have to wait until they left then find some way to get into the castle. Voices could be heard outside the door, mostly the head guy, barking orders at his underlings.

       “Now go check the cold room over there!”

       Crap.

       Isuke crawled into the corner as best he could, and tried to pull some crates in front of him, but just as a guard walked in.

       “There’s something over there!”

       “Come out now!”

       Isuke sighed. Nothing more he could do now. He disconnected one of his fins and tossed it to the side. While the guards were distracted he pounced at them from behind the box, smashing a fist across one of the guards’ face, held his arm up in time for his fin to fly around and reattach itself to him, and then spin-kicked another guard out the door and into the moat. Outside, he saw at least another six out there. He could take them down easily enough, but didn’t want to kill them.

       His eyes glanced everywhere, until they found something that looked like a halfway closed shutter that was letting water out, turning it into a tiny waterfall. Isuke leapt to the edge, turning the shutter into nothing but splinters with a swift kick, and crawled in, just barely escaping the spears that were being thrown at him.

 

                                                                          ---------------------------

 

       Zelda once again demanded to know what was going on.

       “They’ve had a few servants look at the body,” a guard responded. “One is of a maid that worked in the kitchen called Ren. The other...No one can actually identify the body.”

       “Except for red hair....” Zelda mumbled to herself.

       A little while later, Zelda heard more commotion and told a guard to find out what was going on. He came back and told her that a Zora had been caught sneaking through the courtyard.

       “Does he have a name?”

       “He says it’s Isuke.”

       “Isuke?! Take me to the cell now!”

       The guard hesitated, but then did what she said.

       They got down to the dungeon, where a Zora was chained to the wall.

       “Zelda! Thank the Gods you’re here,” Isuke exclaimed.

       Zelda sighed. “Release him. He’s a friend of mine, he didn’t kill anyone here. Why were you sneaking into the castle though?”

       Isuke rubbed his wrists after he was released and walked up to the Princess. “The guards wouldn’t let us in and we wanted to make sure everyone was okay.”

       “I see...”

      “Who was it that got killed?”

      “A...servant girl and someone who’s body can’t be identified.”

      “Why?”

      “....She was...”

      “Her body was torn up. Even her face...everywhere. Whoever did it somehow snuck into the King’s room and used his dagger to kill the woman.”

      Isuke grimaced at the news.

      “She has red hair. That’s about all we know.”

      Red hair...?

     Zelda looked down. “T...they can’t find Malon either. She’s not here, Isuke.”

     Isuke gave the guard a stern look. “I want to see the body.”

    

     They showed him to the room where the body was laid and Isuke slowly walked in, with Zelda watching from the door, not even wanting to see the body. She watched as Isuke grabbed the sheet that covered the body and lift it. He quickly recoiled, dropping the sheet and standing back up. He just stood there, staring at the sheet.

      Zelda called to him, “Isuke...”

      The Zora looked up at her with a confused look on his face, a face one might have after waking from a dream. He grimly walked out and faced her.

      “I...can’t tell. The face...it’s horribly disfigured...”

      Isuke looked at Zelda. “Come on, let’s go.”

     

      A few hours later, after Sheik and Rittowa had broken into the castle, the group was gathered in the dining hall.

      “Well now what?” Zara asked.

      “Malon’s red hair, Malon’s room, and now Malon is gone. I hate to say it, but all evidence points to it being Malon,” Sheik said.

      No one said anything for awhile. They just stood there, thinking.

      “We’re going to have to find the Sheikah. And put an end to this once and for all,” Isuke said, breaking the silence.

      “What about Link?” Rittowa said.

      “We don’t have time to sit around and wait for him. I don’t know what he’s doing, but he’s disappeared for some reason and I’m not gonna waste time looking for him.”

      “Well, O Fearless Leader,” said Rittowa mockingly. “What do you think we should do?”

      “Prepare for battle,” Isuke answered. “And then find where the rest of the Sheikah are hiding. And crush them.”

      “Indeed,” Sheik said. “And how do you plan on beating them? Even if the Gorons, Zoras, and Hylians fought together...and if by some miracle the Gerudo also decided to join, how would you defeat them? There are way more Sheikah than you know, but their power is not in their numbers. Sheikah are assassins, yes, but only the low class ones are used just for that. The ones I speak of are the type that you and Rittowa fought. And most of the ones we have been running into. Higher class Sheikah, like myself and those we fought after Link flattened that village, take up the better percentage of their numbers. I don’t need to go into how strong they were...and there are still stronger. Do you really think we’d have a chance?”

       “What do you suggest then?!” Isuke bellowed. “That we just sit around and wait for them to come down and kill us all?!!”

       “......Prepare your army, Zora,” Sheik said. “Zara, you will go into the mountains and tell the Gorons. Rittowa, I will accompany you to Gerudo valley.”

       “Since when am I going back there?” asked Rittowa.

       “We will need all the help we can get. And we have to find some way to convince them to fight a long side the Hylians.”

       “Heh, they won’t pity you if that’s what you’re after.”

       “What do you suggest then?”

       “Buy us.”

       “What?”

       “We Gerudo will work for Hyrule, if given enough money.”

       “I will ask my father about it,” Zelda said.

       “Good. Now, you can all get some sleep and we’ll get to work tomorrow.”

       Isuke shook his head. “I won’t be able to get to sleep now. I’ll head back to Zora’s Domain at once.”

       With that, he left the room.

       “I doubt I’ll be able to sleep after all that’s happened too...” Zara said. “I’ll leave for Death Mountain. I’ll need a horse though.”

       “Come with me,” Zelda said, and they both walked out.

       Rittowa yawned. “Well, I’m tired. We’ll set off in the morning, k? I’m goin’ to see if I can a place to sleep around here.”

       She left, leaving Sheik alone in the giant hall.

       Link...All I can do is pray that your return is swift...where ever you are.

 

Twenty-Two

 

 

 

 

       It had been three weeks since Link’s disappearance and Malon’s death. No word from Link, and the Sheikah hadn’t shown their faces anywhere. The Zora army, now under Isuke’s training, was progressing well. The Gorons were proving their strength to each other by crushing rocks all over Death Mountain, and they were getting eager to fight. Sheik had been able to strike a deal with the Gerudo, and they were preparing for battle too. Hyrule was preparing like all the other races. They were even building extra defense around Hyrule Castle’s walls, and the walls in front of the moat outside of Hyrule Town.

      After Sheik had seen to it that the first half of the Gerudo’s pay had been delivered safely, he disappeared, saying he was going to look for the remnant of the Sheikah. And, a little less than three weeks later, no one had heard or seen anything of him. Zara figured that was a good sign. After all, if news of him was popping up everywhere, it meant that the Sheikah would probably know as much about what he was doing as the Hylians.

     Zara hadn’t been doing much. There wasn’t much for her to do. She wasn’t even sure if, come this great battle, she would fight. Zara was only a fairy, after all. She had no experience in war and little in just fighting. She wanted to help, really, she did, but for once she found herself doubting if she was any help to anyone.

     At that moment she was sitting in one of the few tall trees that stuck out from the top of the water in Zora Fountain. The place that once was a shrine for Jabu-Jabu had been turned into an all-out training area. Not much had changed though, there were targets here and there, dummies that the Zora were allowed to pound the stuffing out of, trunks of wood that stood for blades to cut against, and armor and weapons everywhere, types ranging from spears to swords.

      Zara wondered why they had all the weapons though. Isuke never used them when he battled, and Isuke was indeed an impressive sight to behold when fighting. He had taken on five Zoras in an underwater battle and beat them so fast with such skill that it left everyone with their jaws on the floor. On land Isuke was a great fighter, better than most at least, but underwater he was deadly. Zara had never seen any person or creature move and strike like that whilst in the water. She was amazed.

     Now, if only Hyrule would flood when it came time for the battle, Zara thought, smiling a bit to herself.

     After Isuke had finished teaching a young zora how to swing a blade properly, he dove into the water and swam over to the tree Zara was in.

     “Nice to see you again, Zara,” Isuke greeted with a smile.

     “Same here, Isuke,” Zara replied. “How’s your army coming?”

     “Better than I thought it’d be doing. We have some really talented warriors among our race.”

     “Including you.”

     Isuke grabbed onto a branch of the tree and pulled himself up to sit next to Zara. “Eh, I could be better. I’m hoping to become as good a fighter on land as I am in the water.”

     “If that happened then you could take on the Sheikah by yourself!”

     “I don’t know about that...”

     “I was wondering, Isuke, why is it that there are weapons everywhere? I thought that Zora used their fins to fight.”

     “Ahh...well, that’s not so. Some do, but not many. A Zora has to be born with the ability to use their fins the way I do.”

     “I see.”

     “Yep. And I prefer to use my fins over any weapon too.”

     “Isuke...” Zara’s long blue hair blew slightly in the cold wind, prompting her to pull her cloak closer around her.

     “What’s wrong?”

     Zara looked at him. “Have I...have I really helped at all since being here?”

     “What?”

     “Well... I came here from the Sanctuary to help Hyrule with the threat of the Sheikah. But, I’m so useless. I don’t know how to fight or anything...I can’t help in this coming battle. I have magic that could be helpful, and I’ve defended myself from Sheikah, but, I couldn’t have done it without help.”

     Isuke smiled softly at her, which shocked her slightly; Isuke never did that.

     “Zara, just because you can’t fight doesn’t mean you’re useless or anything. I mean, look at your healing magic. It has been and still will be a great help to us. And... I haven’t known you long, Zara, but I do know that you are a brave person. You left the Fairy Sanctuary, knowing that you may not be allowed back. You left to come face this darkness that is covering Hyrule by yourself. Just that proves you aren’t useless. And if that isn’t bravery, I don’t know what is.”

      “Stupidity, perhaps?”

      Isuke almost fell out of the tree from surprise. There, sitting on a branch behind them was....

      “Sheik!” Zara exclaimed.

      “Yes, I am back.”

      “Have you found anything out yet?” Isuke asked after setting himself properly on the branch again.

      “I found out that the ranch wasn’t their base. It was some kinda decoy. They wanted to lure the Hero of Time there to kill him with a full-force attack.”

      “So, is he alive or not?”

      Sheik shrugged. “Zelda is still clinging to the whole ‘the Triforce power still remains’ thing, but it doesn’t mean he’s not imprisoned by the Sheikah.”

      “Don’t you think they would’ve done something by now if they had him?”

      “Perhaps. I think he’s either alive, or dead and they think he’s alive. If they knew he was dead, I don’t see why they would sit and wait while your armies are getting stronger unless they had something to fear.”

      “Why would they fear Link?” Zara asked. “He’s strong, but all they need is to get two Sheikah as strong as Spiaze and he’ll go down.”

      “No. I saw the bodies in the ranch. There were a lot of them, and Link killed them all. I could tell in some places it wasn’t the explosion that killed them all.”

      “I must not have noticed that,” Isuke said. “How could Link kill all of those Sheikah by himself though?”

      Sheik just shrugged. “Who knows? He could have used...that mask.”

      “Mask? What are you talking about?”

      “Remember? When Link turned evil...Oni Link you might say...and I sealed the power inside that mask?”

      “Oh, yeah. What would have happened if he did use it?”

      “I don’t know. I never really studied those dark arts. I only know to seal such evil because it is taught to all Sheikah.”

      “So, what now then?”

      “I go back off to look. Waiting around doesn’t solve anything. I just thought you guys would like to know what I dug up, little as it is.”

      “Well, I’m glad you did.”

      Sheik nodded then disappeared in a small flash.

 

                                                                                 ””””””””””””””””””

 

 

       Somewhere in the deeper places of Hyrule there was a room, a dark room in which evil hung over like black blanket. The room was decorated with masks and statues that just the sight of would make any normal person tremble in fear. From the door of the room a long red carpet stretched to the back of the room where a throne was. On this throne was a large, shadowy man. Not many of his features could be made out, except for glowing yellow eyes and long blue hair.

       “Well?” The man asked in a low, but forceful growling voice.

       The Sheikah bowing before him was scared just from being in his master’s presence, but, like all Sheikah, his face displayed no emotion and his voice was calm and even.

       “The Hero of Time hasn’t been seen anywhere. Our spy says that Zelda knows he is still alive, but the rest of Hyrule is in doubt, including the zora and that fairy...Zara.”

       The Master thought silently, then finally said, “Their hero wouldn’t leave for no reason. He’s waiting. Sitting and waiting for us.”

      The Master looked at the Sheikah in front of him and grinned. “We will send a message to those Hylians, telling them of their doom. Send it in a way...that they won’t quickly forget.”

       “Yes, Master.”

       The Master grinned devilishly, stroking his short blue goatee thoughtfully. “Where is Sheik at the moment?”

       “I believe he’s still in Hyrule Castle Town, Highness.”

       “Good. Have him deliver the message.”

 

                                                                     ’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’

 

 

       It was early morning, the sun just barely peeping its head out over the region. Grey mist covered the large town. An eerie silence engulfed every area...except for the sound of a pair of feet slowly making their way towards the center of the town, where the market would soon be full of people buying and selling. The footsteps stopped. A woman screamed.

      A butcher who had just woken up was preparing for customers when he heard the scream. He bolted from his shop and raced down the street to the woman, where he beheld a horrible sight.

      Laying on the cobble stone street was the King’s decapitated body. A pike stuck through his chest, and on the end of the pike was his head, skillfully cut off, the eyes wide, horror still spelled on the dead face. Next to the body, crudely written with blood were three simple words: HYRULE WILL FALL.

 

Chapter Twenty-Three

 

 

 

 

      Anyone who was walking along the eastern river would have gotten quite a shock as thousands of Zoras came swimming through so fast it made the river look like nothing more than a blue and white blur. Isuke, surprisingly, was not part of this army. He had gone ahead as soon as news of the King’s death had reached him, and was supervising the building of the defenses around Hyrule Castle Town. The Goron army had come down from Death Mountain, and their help in the construction was moving things along speedily.

      The Gerudo Tribe had been sent word, and would most likely arrive the next day. Zara was making herself useful helping with construction by using her magic.

      With the King dead, the young prince was rightfully king. However, being one so young, the Queen would take over rule of Hyrule until the Prince was old enough.

      Miroku was no longer allowed to play with the prince and was terribly bored, doing nothing but sitting around and wondering around the castle, which was nothing but a mad house, people running this way and that, generals barking orders at soldiers...

     The child decided he wanted to get out and, in all the confusion, managed sneak out of the castle and onto the castle grounds.

      A zora was walking up to Hyrule Castle just as Miroku was walking away, and stopped him. “Hey, Miroku.”

      Miroku looked up at the tall zora. “Umm...you’re Isuke, aren’t you?”

      Isuke nodded and knelt down next to the child. “What are you doing out here alone? It isn’t safe.”

      “The castle isn’t a nice place to be in... I want Link! Where is he?”

      “Ehh...he’s-”

     “He left without saying anything,” came a voice, badly startling Isuke. Sheik stood there, his arms folded, the same emotionless expression on his face. “No one knows when or if he’ll be coming back. That or he’s dead of course.”

      “Why the HECK do you always have to sneak up on me?!” Isuke growled angrily.

      Sheik looked up at the sun that was shining down on the three. “You, zora, allow yourself too many distractions. If you are aware of your surroundings and keep at least one of your senses on everything around you, you’ll live much longer. I could have easily slain that boy and then you without you even knowing it until you reached the afterlife.”

      Isuke tried to think of something to counter Sheik’s words, couldn’t think of something quick enough, so just gave up and sighed. “Well, what do you think about this?”

      “About what?” Sheik passively asked, showing no interest.

      “Everything we’re doing to prepare for an attack. Think it will be of any use?”

      “Not really.” Sheik turned and motioned to the mountains behind Hyrule Castle. “They’re more likely to attack from there. They’re able to as well. Sheikah don’t use horses much unless they need to travel a great distance. A head-on attack isn’t our style.”

      “Well, that’s just great,” Isuke said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

      “But...you never know. The person leading the Sheikah isn’t one of us. Who knows what he’s planning.”

     

‘’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’

 

 

       “As we speak, the Gerudo and Zoras are traveling to join Hyrule’s army,” said a Sheikah, bowing before the Master.

       “The Errithil failed in finding Link, did they not?” the Master said, as if dismissing what the Sheikah had just said.

       “Yes sir,” was the Sheikah’s simple reply.

       “Well then,” the Master said, going back to the original subject. “I think we should play along with this little game those Hylians are playing. Let us march out to meet them. Heh-heh...their pitiful army will fall...even if they do have help.”

       He stood up and walked over to a pillar in the room, where hung the same mask that Isuke and Sheik fought.

       “Begin preparations. Only a few more lives and the revival project will be done.”

       “Yes, Master Majora.”

       “Oh, and tell Sheik to eliminate everyone in the Castle courtyard...”

 

‘’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’

 

 

      Sheik reached into his cloak and from it he drew a long bokuto. Isuke blinked. “What is that?”

      “A wooden sword, a bokuto,” Sheik answered. “My new weapon.”

      Isuke chuckled. “That thing ain’t gonna hold up well to blades.”

     “On the contrary, I can shatter steel blades with this bokuto. I also can cleave stones in half.”

     “It’s wood! How can you do that?”

     “Partly magic, mostly skill.”

     “Heh, reeeally? Well, let’s see if it can stand up to my fins!”

     Sheik sighed a looked down the pathway that led out of the courtyard. “I’m afraid we won’t be able to do that.”

     “Huh? Why not?”

     “Because, someone’s coming.”

     Isuke, confused, looked down the path Sheik was looking. He watched as every single guard dropped to the ground, blood bursting from different areas of their bodies. The gates to the castle exploded open, sending pieces of metal everywhere.

      “Isuke, take the kid and get out of here,” Sheik said calmly.

      “What?! Yeah right, I’m gonna kill who ever it is that did that!” Isuke growled.

      Sheik turned and looked at Isuke with a cold, dagger-through-the-heart look that sent chills down Isuke’s spine. Without a word, he picked up Miroku and hurried back into the castle.

      “Show yourself, shadow.”

      Then, appearing right in front of Sheik was a Sheikah...that looked exactly the same.

      “Greetings,” said the other Sheik. “It’s been awhile, Sheik. But I hardly think you have the right to call me the shadow.”

      “You aren’t real. Nothing but dark side I cast from myself. I am the real Sheik.” He threw off his cloak. “It was you that killed Malon, wasn’t it? And the one that beheaded the King.”

      “Yes, it was. I took great joy in it too. Just as you would have, traitor.”

      “I think not...I remain faithful to the crown. Unlike the rest of the Sheikah.”

      “The King had no right to lock us away for all those years! You know that we had nothing to do with a plan against the King,” Shadow growled.

      “I hold no grudge against the Royal Family. Now, I will vanquish you once and for all.”

      Sheik instantly rushed towards his opponent, giving out a quick slash with his bokuto. Shadow raised his short katana and blocked the strike, locking blades. “Not even using the traditional weapons, eh, Sheik?”

      “As you can see.”

      Sheik kicked Shadow hard in the gut then smacked him across the face with the bottom of his bokuto.

      “You’re too weak, shadow. I already conquered you; do not try to win me back.”

      Shadow lashed out with his sword, but Sheik easily avoided it then came back at him with a cut right across his gut. Shadow stumbled back, growling pain. Sheik was ready to finish him. He sent a kick across the shadow’s face knocking him down, then lifted his sword up, the stabbed down at Shadow’s head. Sheik’s shadow rolled away and hopped back onto his feet, then sent a strong slash at Sheik’s face, which he blocked skillfully. He kicked Shadow in the ribs then gave him a gash on his arm with a swift strike of his bokuto. Shadow kept attacking, acting unscathed from the wound.

      His sword stabbed forward, attempting to impale Sheik in the gut. Sheik knocked his enemy’s blade away with a powerful strike, spun to the side, lifted his arm, and jammed his bokuto right in between Shadow’s eyes. The wooden blade crushed through his skull and pierced the brain. Shadow went limp and dropped to the ground...and that was it.

      “Pitiful...” Sheik muttered, yanking his bokuto out of the fallen Sheikah’s skull and walked back to the castle. I’ve avenged your death, King.

 

‘’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’

 

 

      It was while Isuke was talking to the newly arrived Rittowa the next day when the scout came, bringing important news.

      “Lord Isuke, the Sheikah are coming!” exclaimed the young Hylian, who was obviously scared to death.

      “What?!” Isuke jumped up. “Where are they?! How many is there?!”

      “They’ll probably be here sometime after noon. There must have been at least one thousand.”

      “A thousand? That’s all?” Isuke was surprised. A thousand was hardly any. The Hylian army was small because Hyrule was a peaceful country, but they had over two-thousand soldiers. The Gorons added over four hundred to that, the Zoras had another thousand warriors or so, and then the Gerudo army was less than three hundred.

      “That’s too many,” said a voice, making Isuke jump back out of fear.

      Sheik.

      “Will you STOP doing that?!” Isuke yelled angrily.

      Sheik continued, ignoring Isuke like he always did. “Those thousand Sheikan warriors are all very well trained. Better than most of the soldiers we have. Look around you at the army. The Gerudo have been trained well, but there isn’t many of them. Gorons and Zoras aren’t a race of warriors. All the Gorons have is their brute strength, and there are few Zoras with Isuke’s abilities. The others will fall easily... a few weeks of training isn’t even close to being enough. And these Hylians...” Sheik scoffed. “They’ve lived in peace for so long they can’t even hold a spear properly or string an arrow.”

     Isuke looked at the scout. “Go alert everyone of the situation.” Once the rider had left Isuke looked back at Sheik. “What do you want us to do, hmm? Just sit here and wait for them to come obliterate us? I refuse stand idly by and let these blood-thirsty monsters take over Hyrule. If I am to die, so be it. But I will send as many of the Sheikah as I possibly can to hell before a death blow strikes me!”

     Sheik saw now in Isuke’s eyes a new fire, and let out a quick, low chuckle at it. “Your spirit...it’s quite powerful. Indeed, I shall fight my best too. And will not stop until I am dead. But, without the Hero of Time, this battle won’t last through the night.”

      “I will not believe that,” Isuke said firmly. “Hyrule will win. With or without Link’s help.”

    

‘’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’

 

 

      Noon.

      The sky was grey, covered with clouds, giving the forbidding day an even more bleak appearance. All was quiet as the rain slowly began coming down...first in little drops, and then came pouring down, showering over the solemn army.

      The Sheikah were there, marching down towards Hyrule Castle Town slowly. The full army of the Hylians, Gorons, Zoras, and Gerudo were behind and in front of the barriers around the town, and some were on the walls of the town. All weapons were ready to kill, though many of their wielders had keeled over and thrown up on the ground.

      Isuke made sure he was up front along with the Hylian knights, and right now he was more ready than he ever was.

      That’s right, walk forward...come, challenge me. Let’s see what’ll happen to you.

      “My Lords, look over there!” called a soldier.

      Isuke turned to the direction the soldier pointed and saw a lone figure approaching from the east. As it got closer, the Zora made out that the figure was clothed in dark brown cloak, and a green hood and had blond hair.

     

 

      “Link....?”

 

‘’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’Chapter Twenty-Four’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’

 

 

 

 

A lone man stood and watched as Lon Lon Ranch went up in flames. He stood there, staring into the white-hot fires...his mind totally blank. He was off somewhere, far away. A place which no one but himself could enter. A place deep inside his mind...

    The Kokiri Sword flashed from its sheath with a quick ring sound and pointed to the figure behind its wielder.

     “Heh, you are very skilled, Hero of Time,” said the shadowy figure. “I didn’t think you’d be able to use the Master Sword to bring out your full power without proper training.”

     “Who are you?” Link demanded, the point of his sword following the figure as he slowly paced back and forth.

     He ignored the question. “Of course...it wasn’t really you. The Master Sword took hold of your body and forced the power out.” Link could tell whoever it was was smirking now. “This whole time you didn’t quite feel inside your own body, did you?”

      Link was getting impatient. “I ask again, and advise you to answer if you value your life. Who are you?”

      “Feh, gotten quite hot-headed lately, haven’t we? Very well, my name is Seturo. I am a sage.”

      “You couldn’t be. I know ever single sage, and you aren’t one of them.”

      Seturo laughed at this. “Ah...you only know of the sages that were needed to be awakened during Ganon’s rule. I am the Sage of Wind. One of the sages that forged your sword.”

      “You...you created the Master Sword?”

      “Indeed I did, young man. The Sage of Earth and I that is.”

      Link lowered his sword, but didn’t sheath it. “How many more sages are there?”

      “That’s all there is.”

      “Why have you come here?” Link asked.

      “Because of the Sheikah. Link, you are indeed Hyrule’s hero. You are one of many descendants of the Royal Family Knights chosen by the Gods to serve Hyrule as you did. It was your destiny.”

      “Was?”

      “Yes, was. You fulfilled that destiny when you destroyed Ganon and sealed him in the Sacred Realm.”

      “What are you saying? That I’m not allowed to defend Hyrule now?”

      “More like you’re powerless to defend Hyrule. Or it was supposed to be that way at least. You shouldn’t even be able to brandish the Master Sword anymore.”

      “And...what exactly does that mean then?”

      “It means that the people upstairs didn’t predict this Sheikah outbreak and since you’re the Hero of Time, they’ve given you back the power to use the Master Sword. And, as the Hero of Time, you have many powers inside of you that lay dormant. One of which was the Kai-Ten-Giri Tempest technique the Master Sword brought out during your fight. Now, it is my duty to train you. For you will not survive the on coming fight without realizing your full power.”

      With that Seturo reached out, grabbed Link’s hand and everything went black.

 

‘’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’

 

 

       “But I don’t understand,” said Link. “I wasn’t using the Master Sword. I was using the Kokiri Sword. How could it’s power-”

      “The Master Sword’s power isn’t bound to just the blade,” Seturo interrupted. “When you had to leave it behind, it transferred a tiny bit of its power into the Kokirian sword to help you.”

       Link and Seturo were sitting in a small room with grass at their feet and vines growing over the walls. A single torch on a pillar was all the light they had, but it was enough for the two to see each other.

       Seturo had teleported them to the Wind Temple, which was situated near the outskirts of Hyrule, inside a very tall mountain.

       Link looked at the sword then back at Seturo. “Only a tiny bit of its power?”

       “Yes. Any more power and the Kokiri Sword surely would have just dematerialized. The Master Sword was created to hold the awesome power of the god Teious.”

       Link had never heard of him before. “Who?”

       “Looks like we’re gonna have a little history lesson here.” Seturo cleared his throat. “You know of the three goddesses, yes? Well, all three of them were sisters, and they had one brother.”

       “Teious?”

       “Correct. Teious was an incredibly strong god, even compared to his father. He found out that evil was creeping into this world that his sisters had made and wanted to go down to protect the land. However, gods were forbidden to interfere with the affairs of humans, so he asked me and the Earth sage to forge him a sword. A sword that would be able to contain incredible power.

       “We did as he asked, and he sealed himself inside the sword. But, before that, he granted one Hylian Knight the power to wield the Master Sword. Ever since then, the Master Sword has been used to strike down evil that has tried to rise up and take over Hyrule. You, Link, are a descendant of the first knight that used the sword.”

       Link stood up. “Well, I want to get strong enough to take on the Sheikah as soon as I can. Let’s get to training.”

       “Of course, but wouldn’t you first like to have your Master Sword back?”

       “I left it with the Deku Tree...”

       “I know. I took the liberty of dropping by and retrieving it for you.”

       “Really? Great! Where is it?” Link asked.

       “Come, I’ll show you.”

       The sage guided Link out of the room and through a few corridors until they came to another room, this time a very large one. There was nothing in it except a very long rock path down the middle that was elevated off the ground...leading to a treasure chest.

       “It’s in that chest over there,” Seturo chuckled.

      “Why’d you do that?” Link asked, annoyed. “You should have just given it to me!”

      Link grumbled to himself as he started walking down the path. Then suddenly, out of nowhere shot an arrow. Link tried to side-step it, but wasn’t fast enough.

      Strangely, instead of piercing his skin it burst upon impact, sending a harsh shock through Link’s body and knocking him from the path. He dropped down a ten-foot drop and hit the grassy bottom with a hard thud.

      Link’s groan of pain was audible from where Seturo standing, who couldn’t help but grin. It was very amusing to him.

      “This room, Link, is a room I designed for you to build up your reflexes. The path to the Master Sword is full of traps that you’ll have to overcome. I advise that you do it quickly too. You’ll only be able to learn to use the Master Sword properly when you have it in your possession...and every hour it gets closer to the time the Sheikah will attack Hyrule. Will you, or will you not be able to learn all you need to learn in time for it?”

      By the time he had finished talking Link had made it back onto the path and gave it a second go. He rushed down the path and turned to where the arrow had come from before, but felt the same pain rush through his back and knock him once again from the path.

      “Oh, by the way...the traps change every time you try it again, so that you don’t get to the Master Sword by just memorizing a pattern. You’re gonna have to learn to be aware of everything around you, Link.”

      Link, rubbing his back after climbing back up, looked at the Sage of Wind with a weird expression. “How am I supposed to be aware of everything? I mean...won’t my mind bust trying to keep track of all that stuff?”

      “Heh...You’ll figure it out eventually... Now, try again.”

 

‘

 

     And so, Link went a whole week running through that path over and over again, constantly getting knocked off, but slowly progressing. He spent many hours meditating with Seturo as well, training his mind. And then finally, at the end of the week...

     Link stood at the start of the path, his body loose, relaxed. Seturo sat behind him, waiting silently. He opened his mouth but before he could say ‘go’ Link launched forward.

      The ground under him collapsed, making him jump up and grab onto the ledge. A bunch of arrows shot out from either side of him, which he was able to avoid by kicking off the ledge and flipping back onto the path. As soon as he landed, a large blade swung down from the ceiling. Link rolled forward to avoid it, and then dove even farther down the path to avoid falling spears.

      He had not time to stop, he did a hand-spring to get back on his feet and at the same time just managed to avoid falling off with the collapsing path behind him. Now back on his feet, a large bolder came tumbling from wherever the other traps were coming from, taking up the whole path. Link didn’t hesitate. He ran towards and leapt forward, pulling a move to get over it that made it look like he was playing ‘leap frog’ with the bolder.

      With the bolder safely behind him, Link charged towards the chest, which was no more than ten feet away. What happened next was done with such swiftness, with such smooth moves that all seemed to flow together even Seturo the sage was surprised.

      First two arrows shot out from either side of the walls a little bit in front of Link, then a bunch of spikes poked out of the ground right under the hero, a Stalfos began falling to the path, and finally, two blades came out of the ground a violently swung around and around.

      Link jumped up to avoid being stabbed by the spikes under him, did a mid-air spin, dodging the arrows, and while he was still in the air he unsheathed his sword and cut the stalfos in half before it had a chance to land, then, finally, ducked under the first swinging blade and jumped over the second one.

      He landed right in front of the chest containing the Master Sword. He had no sooner pulled it out when four stalfos appeared around him. Link wasted no time. The Master Sword flashed with magic energy.

      “Kai-Ten-Giri!!”

      With a blast of magic and a spin of the sword, the monsters were gone.

      Link smiled as he clutched the Master Sword, and turned back at the old sage. “Well?”

      “Very good...” Seturo smiled. “You’re ready for your real training now.”

     

‘’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’

 

 

      Two weeks later, Link was standing outside the temple, now with a cloak on and a sheathed Master Sword in his hand.

      “Seturo, I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done...” Link said.

      “Just doing my duty. Think nothing of it,” Seturo replied. “But remember, you’ve grown much stronger, but I’m still not sure if you’ll be able to defeat the one that leads the Sheikah.”

      “Well, what if I can’t?”

      “Remember the mask.”

      “The mask...? But...if I put that on...”

      “You’ll know what to do afterwards.”

      Link gave him a look, but nodded. “Yes, I understand.”

     

 

‘’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’

 

      Link stood on top of a rock, watching the Sheikah army march towards Hyrule Castle Town, and the army waiting there for them. “It’s time.” He drew the Master Sword. “It’s time for me to show them all that I’ve learned.”

 

‘’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’Chapter Twenty-Five’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’

 

 

 

 

‘

 

      Link stood between both armies, the Master Sword in his left hand, his Sheikan dagger in the other. His cloak that had gotten soaked in the rain pulled and twisted in the violent wind, but Link stayed still. So did everyone else. It was like each side was waiting for the other to attack.

      The Hero of Time raised his sword, pointing it up in the sky. “It’s time.” A bolt of lightning dropped down from the darkened sky and hit the sword. The blade of the Master Sword crackled with yellow magic, and Link turned to the army behind him.

      “For Hyrule!”

      Isuke grinned and raised his fist to the air. “For Hyrule!” The Hylian army all raised their weapons to the sky and yelled, “FOR HYRULE!!!”

      The Hylian Knights, the Zoras, the Gorons, and the Gerudo all charged forward, the sound like a thunder, growing louder and louder, all of them giving out a war cry as they grew close to their enemies. Link raised the Master Sword into the air and it fell with an incredible destructive force, sending a bolt of powerful lightning into the Sheikah’s front line. It may have only taken out a few, but Link charged right in, smashing his way through the front and using both of his blades to slice his way through to the middle.

      Isuke was having a harder time than he thought he’d have. Most of the time he was on the defensive, unable to get in to attack. He ducked and rolled forward, jumped to the side, raised a hardened fin... Then, he glanced over and saw the Zoras getting cut down, one by one. His rage from before came back as he watched another Zora drop...and another.

       Right there, he dropped the defense and instantly got a cut across his arm. Isuke charged magic into his fins and sprung into the air. Amazingly, he stayed afloat, hovering above the battle. Apparently, training to fight the Sheikah wasn’t the only thing Isuke had been doing. He swooped down, holding out both fins and cutting a line strait through the Sheikah.

       Rittowa made her way through the battle until she got to Link, standing back-to-back with him, fighting off Sheikah.

       “Nice to see you again, Link,” She said, knocking a sword away and then slashing at its owner.

       “Likewise,” Link replied, ducking a blade and cutting at the legs of his opponent. “You seen anyone that looks like a leader around here?”

       “No, I’ve been looking-” She kicked a Sheikah in the head. “-but I can’t find anyone that looks more important than anyone else.”

       Link swatted a sword away with his own, then twisted around and behind the Sheikah and stabbed him in the back with the dagger. “Just great. I need to get to the leader and stop this as soon as possible. Too many people are dieing already.”

       Sheik, for the first time, seemed to actually be having trouble with his enemies. His wooden blade attempted to slash through his enemies but was only met with another blade. Sheik ducked to avoid being impaled from behind and tried to kick the Sheikah behind him, but his leg was caught and he was thrown. Sheik realized he was headed right for the point of a Sheikan blade and quickly swung his sword, knocking the blade away and landing safely, then actually managed to stab a Sheikah through the heart.

      Sheik took a quick look around. All around him...death. The Hylian army was getting cut down at such a rate the battle probably wouldn’t even last until nightfall.

      This can’t go on... Link needs to take down their leader before all of Hyrule is dead.

      Link, fighting valiantly, suddenly felt a terribly evil presence enter the area. Every single soldier around him was suddenly pushed away, knocked to the ground. The hero blinked once and standing in front of him was a large, burly man in regal clothing. The evil aura around him was so strong it had pushed away all the soldiers, Link, however, seemed to be holding up alright.

      The grip on his sword tightened but he stood firm, staring into those deep evil eyes.

      “Link. How nice to finally meet you.” A devilish grin spread across his face. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lord Majora, the Hell Master.”

      “Pleased to meet you,” Link said. He was anything but pleased.

      “I think it would be best to just avoid the little chit-chat and get strait to it, hmm? However, in a less noisy place.”

      Link pulled away his Sheikan dagger and dropped it, glancing at Sheik.

      The next thing Link knew, he was standing in a dark place that didn’t seem to have any walls...nothing but black. He could see his opponent ahead of him clearly though.

      “This battle has a time limit,” Majora grinned. “I’m not sure if know already, but with every life we’ve taken of these Hylians...it has brought us one step closer to reviving an ancient evil...one your ancestors have been battling for centuries. Even you have had an encounter with him I believe.”

      Link felt his stomach twist an turn as the evil lord said that.

      “So you see, that battle is going on outside...your people are falling one-by-one...and before it is over, enough spirits will have been taken to revive Ganon and release him from his imprisonment. If you can kill me the Sheikah will stop fighting, therefore no one else will be killed. Shall we begin?”

      With a snap of his fingers out of no-where appeared a mask. The very same Isuke and Sheik had fought. It attached itself to Majora’s face and a long, black sword appeared in his hand.

       Link wasted no time. His blade collided with Majora’s in a display of sparks, and Link’s fist shot up and at Majora’s chin. Majora ducked and head-butted Link in face, who was able to take the hit and gain his balance fast enough to launch a counter attack.

      The Master Sword began to glow and Link started swinging it rapidly, blasts of magic flying in a barrage at the Hell Master who seemed to easily knock them all away. Link growled and charged some more magic into his sword, then unleashed a huge wave of fire with a single swipe.

      Majora held up his hand and the fire simply disappeared.

      “Heh-heh. You don’t get it do you? This mask allows me to control everything in this place of evil. You are nothing.”

      Well, that would explain the haunting evil all around this place, Link thought. But... He put his hand into his cloak. ...I have a mask just like his.

      Link pulled the mask that had been used to seal his Oni powers away and placed it on his face.

 

‘

 

      Sheik’s bokuto skimmed through the air, neatly cutting off a Sheikah’s head. Behind him, Isuke and Rittowa were working together, trying their best to kill any Sheikah that attacked. Sheik saw the dagger still on the ground

      Elsewhere, in Hyrule Castle, Zara was running through the halls, screaming Miroku’s name. She couldn’t find him anywhere, and wanted to get him out incase something happened....

 

‘

 

      Standing in front of Majora now was an evil Link. Oni Link. His sword long and twisted, his eyes deep, piercing yellow.

      All around them the black abyss was shaking madly, and parts of the black was seeming to break away. Purple, white, and black were all mixed together as the whole place started twisting and turning with a fierce wind.

      Majora actually looked a little scared. “What did you do?!”

      “Like you said,” Link said, his voice deep and haunting. “People with these evil masks can control this place. I’m making it all collapse. And you can’t escape.”

      “What? You understand, of course, that we’ll both be killed.”

      “Perhaps. It all depends. Either way, I’m taking you down now...with my own hands.”

     

 

‘

 

      Rittowa forced her sword forward, going strait through the gut of her opponent. She then ripped it out horizontally just in time to block a stab.

      “They’re getting to close to the Hyrule Castle!!” Isuke yelled. “Defend the walls!”

      More soldiers fell.

 

‘

 

     Link kicked Majora right across the face, and then swung his sword down at the sorcerer’s neck. Majora ducked and stabbed at the young warrior, who hopped on top on the black blade, leering down at him. His foot connected with Majora’s jaw and knocked the dark lord to ground, where Link aimed the point of his blade.

     Majora managed to dodged and jumped up, attempting to impale the Oni.

 

‘

 

     Rittowa raced back to the gates of the city, slashing her way through the army of Sheikah. Too late. The defenses had been taken out. The drawbridge fell, and the Sheikan army flooded through.

 

‘

 

      Link knocked another stab away and blocked a few more strikes, finally finding an opening and catching Majora in the shoulder. He took it, acting as if it didn’t hurt and sent out another onslaught of attacks.

 

‘

 

      Rittowa jumped over a slash aimed at her legs.

 

‘

 

     Link parried another blow.

 

‘

 

     A barrage of slashes came at Rittowa, who could barely keep up.

 

‘

 

     With a swift movement, Link slashed across Majora’s chest.

 

‘

 

     Rittowa missed. The Sheikah found an opening. His blade cut right through her.

 

‘

 

     Deep in dark abyss...a forbidden place, the eternal prison of the King of Evil...two eyes opened. A grin. A chuckle.

 

‘

 

     “Hyrule Town is overrun!!”

     “Quick! Protect the Castle! GO!!”

     “We cannot win! Flee!!”

 

‘

 

     The winds in Link and Majora’s arena grew stronger. It was falling apart. Link pulled away his mask and stared at Majora. “It’s over...”

     And then...in one giant explosion, they were both erased........

 

 

 

‘

‘

‘

‘

 

‘

      No, I’m not dead. When the abyss fell apart I was merely cast into a different time, back to when I was young.

      I talked to the Goddess of Time...she told me all that happened while I was gone training. About how Malon died... It may be false hope, but there is a legend that when a person dies they are reincarnated in a different dimension. The same eyes, the same hair, the same voice...

     Deep in the Lost Woods I have been told that there are portals that lead to these other worlds...And now I leave Hyrule, no longer the Hero of Time, to search for her.

 

    

     Link stared down the long, dark drop that the imp had gone down. Perhaps this was what he was searching for? Even if it wasn’t, he still had a score to settle with that mask on the imp. Taking a deep breath, the adult in a ten-year-old’s body jumped down into the hole. No fears.

    I’m coming for you, Malon...

 

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