Disclaimer: I don’t want to get in whatever trouble people can get into when using other people’s characters so - .The Legend of Zelda, Link, Zelda, Ganon, Hyrule and other related characters and settings belong to to that wonderous console company, Nintendo. No infringement intended.

The Dark Empowerment

Juliet A. Singleton (Scullys@bigfoot.com) and Kirsty Singleton (indigo_spacen@mail.com)

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Chapter 10

 

   "Father! What do you think you're doing? Link is Hyrule's most loyal servant and you can only reward him with banishment! What's got into you!?" Zelda stood in the middle of the room with her hands on her hips. Her father looked at her with a smirk on his face.

"Are you still here? I would've thought you'd be long gone by now. You are no longer welcome here Zelda. You have insulted me and the kingdom and I do not feel you would be suited to ruling Hyrule at all. Leave now before I have you thrown out!" Kain stepped forward in front of the King.

"Your majesty, with all due respect don't you feel you are being a little hard on your daughter?" asked Kain.

"She is no daughter of mine and I find it hard to believe she ever was. More likely she was the product of one of her mothers little flings," replied the King sourly.

"What! How dare you speak of my mother like that! She would've never cheated on you father, she wouldn't have dared to." The latter comment made by Zelda was tinged with malice and several of the observers where shocked at the tone of Zelda's voice.

"Leave Zelda or I will have you ejected from the premises with no chance of collecting together a few possessions." Zelda stepped away from her father as a small child would if they believed they were in some kind of danger. This time her voice was pleading.

"Please father, give me tonight. I can't leave now, I'll have nowhere to stay, it's getting dark," said Zelda looking to her father to soften this sudden icy exterior.

"You apologise to me, Kain and anyone else that I feel you have offended and I'll let you stay as future heir to the throne. You will still have to marry Kain of course and I won't disown you. If you don't then you will leave right here, right now," said Zelda's father still frowning at her.



   Zelda realised she'd probably had this coming for years but she didn't know whether she should apologise. Especially After what he had said about her and her mother. She guessed it would be a bit rich asking for him to apologise about her mother but then she remembered Link. If she didn't apologise to her father, she would lose her position and she would be of no use to Link then. "I'm sorry." That was it. Simple enough. She looked up at her father and then to Kain. She could have sworn that she'd noticed a smirk in his eyes, not his mouth, just his eyes. "I'm sorry for everything. Kain, I'm sorry. We shall wed as soon as it is right," she said. Before anyone could say anything Zelda turned and walked calmly out of the throne room. As soon as she was outside though, she couldn't get away fast enough. She began to run towards the armoury as she knew she could get to the dungeons quickest through that way.



   After entering the dungeons Zelda searched for a guard. She didn't search for too long though. "Excuse me but do you know where they are keeping Link?" she asked the guard.

"Yes Your Majesty, right this way," said the guard enthusiastically. Zelda thought that he sounded like some kind of shopkeeper trying to sell prohibited goods. "He's allowed one visitor a day, everyday for 15 minutes," said the guard cheerfully.

"Well, since I am the future ruler, I command that you give me at least half an hour. He needs to be questioned over his crimes," said Zelda. She hoped that the guard didn't get out much and that he'd never even heard of Link or the fact that she'd nearly lost her place here in the castle.

"Oh certainly, Your Majesty," replied the guard unlocking the cell door and pushing her inside. She heard a 'clang' and a 'click' as the door was shut and locked behind her. Link was sitting on a wooden bed frame with his head in his hands. A candle which had been lighted was beside him on a small stone ledge as was a pitcher of water and a hunk of bread. He looked up, on seeing Zelda entered.

"Link, I know you must hate me... this is all my fault, and I'm so sorry. I'm doing everything possible to get you released," she poured out.

"Yeah, sure Princess," Link said miserably.

"Link, please don't be angry with me..." Zelda began.

"I'm not. But I can't understand why no-one has protested against this! Surely everyone doesn't think that I'm guilty?" he sighed. Zelda frowned.

"I don't know. But I'm sure Kain has something to do with this. He's brainwashed my Father," she said angrily.

"What? Why would he do that?" Link asked.

"Link, you may think that Kain was wonderful for banishing Ganon, but I don't understand how he managed it. Remember what it did to us, when we banished Enzar? And we are Hylians," Zelda said.

"Yeah, I suppose so. I never really thought about it, I was so in awe," Link answered. Zelda sat down next to Link.

"I've had to agree to marry him," she said sadly.

"Oh Princess...." Link said sympathetically.

"My Father has given me no choice. It's the only way I can get you out of here," Zelda replied.

"Zel, don't do that to yourself. Not for me anyway," Link said, looking down. Zelda smiled slightly.

"Link, years ago we made a promise to each other. That whatever the consequences, we would be there for each other. Most of the time, it's been you there for me, but now the roles are reversed so...." She let her words trail off, letting Link figure out what she meant.

"I guess if you're getting married Kain, that means that you can't kiss me ever again," Link said, looking even more dejected. Zelda smiled.

"You never give up. Besides," she added, "it doesn't make any difference to me, whether I marry him or not. I still...." she paused, a faint pink blush tingeing her cheeks.

"Still what?" Link asked, sounding curious.

"I, uh...." Zelda began. Instead, she proceeded to kiss him lightly on the lips. Link smiled.

"You're cheering me up already," he said. Zelda looked away shyly.

"We shouldn't," she said sadly.

"I know," Link replied.

"I'm sorry, but if a guard were to see us, he'd surely report it to my Father. I can't afford to get in anymore trouble," Zelda said.

"Princess, I really appreciate what you're doing for me," Link said.

"Think nothing of it," she said lightly. "I'll sort this mess out somehow. Perhaps I can banish Kain for something," she said, suddenly smiling. "In my dreams," she added dejectedly. Link gave her a brief hug.

"Let's hope we figure something out and get Hyrule back to normal." Zelda nodded.

"I'll send Sprite down with some better food than this," she said, looking at the hard bread and stagnant water.

"Thanks. You're one in a million," Link replied, grinning slightly.

"I'll get a rally together. Surely not everyone will believe the lies about you. I bet Impa, Sprite and Aaron will stand with me," Zelda said.

"I hope," Link said.

"Don't be silly. What are friends for, after all?" Zelda replied. Link smiled.

"You're right, Zel."



   After Sprite had sneaked some decent food down to Link's cell and offered her condolences, she went to find Zelda. "Zelda, I have to tell you about something," she said to the Princess. Zelda looked up from the book she was reading.

"What is it, Sprite?" Sprite dropped her tiny bag onto a nearby table, and removed the miniature diary and the brown griffin feather. "What are those?" Zelda asked, curious. Sprite held up the feather. "This, is a griffin feather." She picked up the miniature diary.

"This, is a diary."

"Where did you get those?" Zelda questioned.

"Well, I broke into Kain's house the other night," she began. Zelda stared at the faerie, wide-eyed.

"Really?"

"Yes. It took me about thirty tries to unlock the enchanted locks. Once I got in, I discovered a few things," the faerie said.

"Like what?" Zelda asked, looking excited.

"Well, this can't prove a thing, but on Kain's desk, there was a book about mind control. It says that you can use Moruge Bane Essence to control people," Sprite said. Zelda looked surprised.

"Then Selina was right. There is something weird about that stuff. If Kain is distributing it to people..." she said excitedly.

"Wait. A book can't prove a thing, and you know it. He may be just as worried about the effects of this stuff as we are, and he was doing some research," Sprite explained. Zelda looked disappointed.

"I suppose you're right. But surely he would have informed the people of Hyrule about the dangers," she said.

"That's what I thought. But it's possible it may be an idea of Ganon's, not Kain's," Sprite replied.

"Well, sure. But that's not Ganon's style," Zelda answered. Sprite shrugged.

"Who knows, with Ganon? However, I admit, that house is full of extremely powerful magic. Zelda, there are spells in there that we'd never dream of," Sprite said.

"And how is Kain so good at magic?" Zelda asked.

"Precisely my point, Princess. Kain is supposed to be human, but there's something about him that isn't quite right..." Sprite began.



   "What about those things you brought?" Zelda asked.

"Well, there was a whole load of these griffin feathers in a bin. I want to know what Kain was doing with them, because they sure can't be used for any spell I know," Sprite answered, looking confused. Zelda twisted a strand of silky blonde hair around her finger, looking thoughtful.

"You're sure that they're griffin feathers?" she asked. Sprite nodded.

"But this is what I really want you to see," she said, performing a spell to make the book become its original size again. Zelda picked it up and opened it in interest.

"Is this Kain's diary?" she asked.

"Uhuh. It's in Hylian though," Sprite said.

"Hmm... Looks more like some sort of notebook," Zelda answered, quickly translating the first page. "But, it could have some interesting information in," she added. Sprite smiled.

"I want to research this mind control a little more. It could be the key to explaining to why everyone is acting so weird," the faerie said.

"Yes. I can't believe that my Father had Link arrested. I feel so bad over it," Zelda replied.

"He was grateful for the food and blanket I sent down," Sprite said.

"Yeah well, I have to get him out of there, somehow," Zelda answered, frowning.

"Yes. Hyrule may no longer be under threat from Ganon, but I just have this feeling that the real threat is still coming," Sprite said gravely.



   The very best Castle physician was worried. The King had taken a turn for the worst throughout the night. Only a few hours before, he'd gone to bed, complaining of a headache. Now, he was suffering from a high fever. It was like nothing he'd seen before. Some courtiers flocked around the bed nervously, awaiting orders from the physician. He turned to one of the maids. "Gladys! You must contact all the very best doctors in Hyrule at once. The King is going from bad to worse." Gladys curtsied. "Straight away," she said.



   Zelda tossed and turned, feeling worried. She couldn't believe some of the things her Father had said to her earlier that night. Leave now before I have you thrown out ... She's no daughter of mine... the product of one of her mothers little flings. Zelda had never felt so hurt in her life. She turned over in bed, trying to find a cool spot. Okay, so perhaps she had been a little wayward over the years, used to getting her own way, doing whatever she wanted. And perhaps she had made wrong decisions that had hurt her Father. But she'd never set out to do it intentionally. She was extremely lucky really. Zelda owed her pretty looks to her mother, who'd been one of the most beautiful queens of Hyrule. She was fairly clever, and her magic skills were something to be proud of. She'd always been a good student when being educated, and could read ancient Hylian with ease. Archery and riding had always come naturally, and perhaps her only bad character flaws was her stubborn disposition and temper. Sighing, Zelda began to think of her mother. She missed her so much. She'd died when Zelda was only six years old, of an unknown disease. After that, Zelda had been spoilt rotten by everyone at North Castle. By the time she'd come to inherit the Triforce at 15, she'd become fully independent. Then she'd met Link. He'd rescued her from Ganon, and restored the Triforce of Wisdom. Almost at once, they'd shared an immediate rapport - Zelda liking his sense of adventure and cheerful mood, while Link was so smitten by her, that he would do anything to please her. They'd grown up a bit since then though. Zelda also knew her Father had never much approved of her going out adventuring with Link, but his high esteem for the hero had prevented him from stopping their fun. Now, everything was going wrong. She was being blackmailed into marriage with someone she hated, and Link was stuck down in the dungeon for something he'd never done. It was almost as if everyone at North Castle, aside from herself and Link, and a few others, were going slightly mad. Zelda had called together a group of close friends, including Impa, Drake and Aaron, who were outraged by her Father's decision. Zelda considered sneaking down there, then escaping with Link and the Triforces. But they'd never get away with it. Only once she was in power, could she free her friend. And that was only if she married Kain....



   Link leaned back against the cold, stone wall. He was lying on his bunk staring at the ceiling. He didn't know what was wrong recently, but there was something wrong, very wrong. The cell was draughty, and had a stale smell in the air. He could hear the scrabbling of vermin behind the walls, and although it didn't worry him to much, he just couldn't sleep. Even though the cell was cold, Link was warm. He'd already rolled his blanket to the end of his bed and removed his tunic but he still felt too warm for his own good. He guessed that when he awoke tomorrow, he'd be trembling from the cold even though it seemed so hot now. He turned onto his side to get a scenic view of another grey wall. Marvellous. He wondered if he'd get out of here any sooner than the two months he'd been sentenced to, but then remembered what happened once he was released. Banishment. Hyrule's destined hero, placed in the position by more than what was fate, would soon be banished from Hyrule. He wondered if Zelda was thinking of him now but guessed she had too much to worry about than to be thinking of him. He turned over again, sighing. Over more recent weeks he'd began to realise feelings for Zelda that he'd never felt for her, or anyone else for that matter, before. He wanted to be with her, and he knew this was no foolish infatuation. But then perhaps it was. Zelda would have to marry Kain in order to lift his banishment, and if she didn't, he had no hope of ever returning to Hyrule. Obviously they weren't meant to be, but he couldn't help thinking how different things could have been. He didn't want Zelda because of her status, he wanted to be with her because of her company. Initially, when he'd met Zelda he'd fallen for her fiery temper, and good looks but now it was more than that. So much more.



   Link got up from his bed and walked over to the cell door. The guard behind it was dozing. He had to tell her now. It didn't matter that he was currently in prison, if he didn't see her now he may never get up the nerve, or the chance to tell her again. He took his dagger his uncle had given to him when he was sixteen from out of his boot. He began to fiddle with the lock and luckily the lock fell open. Holding his breath he silently swung the door open, closed it quietly and crept past the guard. He walked calmly down the next corridor and took the exit that led into the armoury. Smiling to himself, he walked through the armoury and out through one of the doors that took him into the courtyard. There would be guards posted outside Zelda's room so it would probably be quicker, and safer to climb to her balcony. He had done it several times before so it was hardly a risk. He dashed across the yard, using the shadows to conceal himself until he reached Zelda's tower. Clinging onto the trellis, he began to stealthily scale the tower up to her balcony. Once he reached the top he swung over onto the other side of her balcony and crawled over to the door. He opened it, trying not to awaken Zelda or alert any guards that stood outside her room down the passage. He silently crept towards her bed and sat on the end. He lightly tapped Zelda on the shoulder and placed his finger to her lips as she awoke. Startled, Zelda sat up and lit the candle by her bedside. "Link, what are you doing here?" she asked in puzzlement, as she let her eyes adjust to the light.

"Well what do you think Zel? I've come here to tell you something," he replied in a whisper.

"Well go on then," said Zelda leaning towards Link in an effort to hear him better.

"Zelda, I, I love you," he said slowly. Zelda smiled.

"C'mon, Link seriously," she said. Without warning Link leaned towards Zelda and met her with a kiss. Zelda thought for a moment. She should have, she could have pushed her hands against his chest and broken away from him. She could have called the guards and told them he'd escaped. That's what her father would've wanted her to do, but she didn't want to. She clutched the back of his head and pulled him onto the bed and just as the kiss deepened there came a knock at the door and someone burst in. They pulled away from each other and Zelda turned to see who it was. Link had ran out to the balcony and left a dazed Zelda and a shocked messenger. After a few seconds though, Zelda regained her stature and sat back up.

"Yes?" she asked in an annoyed tone.

"Umm, your father wishes you to see him immediately Your Highness," replied the messenger.

"Well he can wish all he wants, I don't exactly feel like seeing him at this moment in time," replied Zelda, somewhat haughtily.

"It's rather urgent Your Highness, the castle doctor fears that your father has the same disease that caused the death of your mother." Zelda sat up in response. She got up and walked over to the messenger.

"Take me to him," she said, biting her lip. Even though five minutes ago she'd hated her father she was now on the verge of tears. If she lost her father now... It would destroy her. As they walked along the corridor, Zelda asked the messenger, "You won't tell anyone of what you just witnessed will you?"

"No Your Majesty," he replied, opening the door to her father's room. He was surrounded by several people, she only recognised Impa and Kain amongst them.



   Kain looked up when Zelda walked in. He had an apologetic look on his face. Impa shuffled over towards Zelda and put her arm around her. She led Zelda to a seat and helped her sit down. "Zelda we're all very sorry, your father will only have days to live and that's only if he survives the night. We think it's what your mother had, there is nothing that can be done but to wait," explained Impa. Zelda put her head in her hands and began to sob. Why did this all have to happen now? It was so unfair, nothing had gone right for her recently. This just put the icing on the cake. She heard a voice and looked up as several people backed away from the bed.

"Zelda?" It was her father. She walked over to the bed.

"Yes Father?" she asked, picking up his limp hand. He looked terrible, just as her mother had in those last few days before her death.

"Don't marry...." And his sentence was cut off. Her father's breathing began to come less frequently, until it had almost stopped.



   As she was led away from her father's bed she began to wonder what the rest of the sentence was. 'Don't marry Link' was the most likely one. If only he had finished his sentence. She began to weep again. Not for the unfinished sentence but because she had never let him know how sorry she was, never told him how much she loved, appreciated and cared for him. He had never had the chance to apologise to her either. But what really bothered her was that he had gone. He had always been her support through the years and to have him torn away from her now was unbearable. She wouldn't sleep that night, the fleeting moment of happiness she had shared with Link just minutes before was now forgotten. Zelda then realised that the fate of the Kingdom now rested in her hands. Perhaps it had been about to anyway, but she was being forced to grow up all of a sudden, forced to take on responsibility. The Princess sighed, her remorse growing by the minute. "I suppose Zelda, this means you and me are in charge," Kain suddenly said. Zelda turned towards him, looking annoyed.

"Do you have to worry about that now? Besides, you're making a slight mistake Kain. We are not in charge. I am." She turned to one of the guards. "I demand that you release Link from prison and pardon him. Now!" The guard bowed.

"At once, Your Highness."

"Zelda, how can you do this? You know it was not in your Father's wishes," Kain said.

"Perhaps not. But I know that Link has been accused wrongly. Anyone who believes otherwise must surely be crazy," Zelda answered.

"How coincidental that he is your lover," Kain said smugly. Several people looked surprised by his comment. Zelda folded her arms.

"Link is Hyrule's greatest hero! Why would he plot against my family?! And as I recall, he wasn't the only one there when those guards attacked me in Darunia. There was me, Selina, a man named Aramis, Sprite. Yet only Link gets in trouble for it. We simply were defending ourselves!" Zelda protested. "And yes, before any of you start speculating, Kain's words are also true. Me and Link do love each other." She turned and walked out of the room, trying to remain dignified.



   As she walked towards Northeast tower where her bedroom was, she noticed the violet sky becoming tinged with pink and gold. The sun was beginning to rise. It was dawn already. There's no point in going back to bed now, she thought. Besides, she knew that she wouldn't sleep. As she stepped out into the courtyard to watch the sunrise, she was greeted by Link, who had been walking across the courtyard to his tower. "Zel!" he said, rushing over to envelop her in a hug. Zelda didn't care who saw them, and hugged him back willingly. "I'm so, so sorry about your Father. Things shouldn't have had to be this way," he said. Zelda began to cry again.

"I never even got to say I was sorry," she sobbed.

"I'm sure he knows that you are," Link replied. Impa came out into the Courtyard.

"Dear Princess. Don't cry. There may still be hope yet," she said gently.

"But..." Zelda began, looking confused. Link stepped back. Impa smiled at him.

"It's good to see you back where you belong, Link," she said. She looked upwards, where the sun was beginning to rise. "It's going to be a beautiful day. Take a walk Princess, before breakfast. Clear your head," the nursemaid advised.

"Yeah, come on Zel. I'll come with you," Link said.

"But, there are so many things I have to sort out!" Zelda replied, looking worried.

"Princess, your Father's council are there to do that. You needn't worry about a thing. Go out and get some fresh air. I shall keep everyone in check," Impa replied.

"Oh, okay. I'll just go and get dressed," Zelda said, setting off in the direction of her room.



   The twigs crackled underfoot, as Zelda and Link walked over them, disturbing the tranquil peace of the woods. Shafts of golden light from the early morning sun penetrated the green canopy, and the quiet trickling of a nearby water source could be heard. "I just feel so terrible," Zelda said, brushing a stray strand of hair away from her face. "Perhaps Father was right. Maybe I have been a bad daughter," she continued.

"No, that isn't true, and you know it," Link answered, pausing. He leaned against a nearby tree. "Your Father was just angry. I'm sure both of you said things that you didn't mean," he added. Zelda kicked a large stick, looking miserable.

"Things have gone from bad to worse. I felt like I hated him last night, but this is so unfair. I never wanted him to die."

"Princess, even Impa said there was still hope," Link tried.

"I don't understand. I thought that my Father was dead. I saw him die," she said, looking confused.

"Perhaps he just fainted. Try not to think the worst," Link answered. Zelda began to walk off again. Link followed her. They eventually reached a small stream. Zelda sat down, and started to cry again.

"Oh why do things have to go so wrong?" she wept. Link placed an arm around her.

"I know how you feel. Well kind of. I lost both my parents too," he said softly.

"I know. It's all so unjust. Neither of us deserved it," Zelda answered, leaning on Link's shoulder. They remained quiet for a while, watching the water trickle over the rocks, shining like jewels. Finally, Link said,

"I know this might be a bad time to bring this up, but... did you think anything about last night?" Zelda smiled slightly.

"To be honest Link, how could I? That messenger appeared before I had anytime to say something."

"I'm sorry Zel. I shouldn't have brought it up..." Link began.

"Don't be silly. Of course you should have," Zelda replied. She sighed, looking down into the water again. "Kain told everyone in the room about us. I clarified it. I.... love you too. Very much," she said shyly. Link smiled for a moment, but then looked despondent.

"But you still have to marry Kain," he said.

"No. I can't possibly do that." Then she smiled. "Besides, I already gave the engagement ring to Rupert the soldier." She leant towards him for a kiss, but kept it brief. "I'm sorry, I'm just so worried about my Father," she said, standing up.

"I understand. I just wanted to know if you felt the same way," Link answered.

"You know I do. Come on, breakfast will be ready soon," she said, smiling slightly before walking away.



   Sprite chewed on her thumbnail, worried. While Zelda and Link had gone off somewhere, Kain had seemingly taken control of North Castle. What was worse, most people were following his orders, even though Zelda was supposed to be in charge. It was strange, Sprite thought, how the majority of the castle jumped to Kain's attention whenever he asked for it. Whatever he requested, they did. Even if the order was unusual. He had already asked for the Triforces to be brought down to the Throne Room, were he could see them and study them. Aaron had protested, saying that they were not allowed to be removed without Zelda or Link's consent, but three burly guards had ignored him, lifted the prisms and taken them downstairs. Right now, Kain was busy walking around the artefacts, looking at them intently. Sprite was high up in the eaves, watching Kain unseen. She dreaded to think what he was planning to do. If his magic was so powerful, he would be able to control the Triforces as easily as Zelda. The faerie flew down closer, still watching the man. There was something about him, his stance, his magical prowess... that made him almost inhuman. However, the faerie still could not figure him out. And the way the people of North Castle were acting, also puzzled her. She couldn't believe that no-one had reacted to Link's imprisonment. Only a few people appeared to be sane, such as herself, Zelda, Impa and Aaron. She'd been thinking about the situation for days, yet getting nowhere. She realised she obviously needed outside help. Smiling to herself, she knew just who to turn to...



   As soon as Link and Zelda walked over the drawbridge into North Castle, they were completely surrounded by a large group of palace guards. "Excuse me, just what do you think you're doing?" Zelda demanded angrily.

"It's Kain's orders, that you be brought before him at once," one of the guards said.

"Kain's orders?!" Zelda questioned, looking surprised.

"Yes Princess," another guard said.

"Well there's no need for all this. We would have gone if he'd just asked," Link said. They were dragged into the Throne Room, where a shock awaited them. There, in the centre of the room, stood the two Triforces and Kain was sitting in one of the thrones, looking smug. A lot of the servants, guards and advisors were there too.

"What in Hyrule is going on here? I demand to know!" Zelda cried. Kain simply smiled.

"Princess, you make me so unhappy, you really do. You're supposed to be engaged to me, and yet you persist on continuing this love affair with Link, who has already been proven to be involved with treason against the crown and cold-blooded murder," Kain said. Both Zelda and Link looked at each other, then back at the crowd. They did not protest against Kain's untrue words, but instead glared coldly and the Princess and Link. "I have given you several chances, Zelda, but it appears to me that you don't care about your poor Father's wishes at all," Kain said sadly. He looked towards the crowd of people. "Now listen, residents. Is this really the kind of person who should be ruling Hyrule, I ask you? A Princess who deliberately ignores her dying Father's wish because she is too selfish?" Kain asked. Zelda placed her hands on her hips.

"This is ridiculous! How dare you say such untrue things about me? I love my Father, and I would respect his wish, if it weren't for the fact that I know you are a dangerous threat to my country!" she cried. "And if any of you believe him, then you should be the ones who are arrested for treason!" she added. The crowd seemed angry at Zelda's words.

"Kain's right! She's the disloyal one!" some shouted.

"Yeah, how can she betray her Father like this?" some others cried. Zelda bit her lip, feeling uncomfortable, while Link looked nervous.

"I'm afraid, that is only one solution. The both of you must be exiled," Kain announced.

"What? No, you can't do that! Guards, I order you to come my attention immediately!" Zelda commanded. None of the guards moved. "Who gave you permission to bring those down here?" she added, pointing towards the Triforces.

"No-one. I don't need permission," Kain answered. Zelda made a move to get the Triforce of Wisdom, but she was stopped by a guard. "That's my rightful property! It's an inheritance!" she protested.

"Not anymore. Not if you're going to be exiled!" Kain laughed.



   Link suddenly drew his sword, unable to control his anger over Kain any longer. "I should have done this weeks ago!" he said, rushing towards Kain. Guards drew their weapons at once, but Link fought them off easily. Amidst the commotion, Zelda managed to get the Triforce of Wisdom. However, Kain simply laughed.

"Your efforts, though impressive, are useless. It is time to be rid of you both, once and for all." A magic portal suddenly appeared within the middle of the room. Although Link and Zelda did their best to keep away from the dangerous gateway, Kain's magic was too strong. Zelda dropped the Triforce as a guard pushed her roughly towards the portal. As the two were drawn through, it closed up, leaving no trace that it had ever been there. Kain smiled round. "No more problems," he promised.