"So the volcanic ash has finally settled."

The tall older woman perched atop one of the trees. Her dark blue cloak swirled in the light sea breeze. Jumping down the almost 10 story drop, she landed lightly on the ground below. Ash danced around her feet. Walking through the trees, she walked straight to a decrepit old building.

"It's been almost a thousand years since I was last here."

The door was blown clean off its hinges. Her rusty red hair flowed silently behind her, while her cloak remained wrapped around her. Her dark skin seemed perfectly matched with the flashing yellow eyes. Up the stairs she went, moving about like she knew the place well. Rounding a corner, she was quickly frozen where she stood. She was face to face with a formless being, one just shorter than herself. It remained still, locked forever in a frightened pose. She bravely reached out a hand and tapped it. It shattered, and she looked down at the cast made of the person's face; all the bones, skin, and everything else had turned to dust.

"So this…is how they suffered. This is how my mistakes have cost them. Then I shall have to correct it and hope for the best."

She walked away from that cast, from the face held forever in fear.

Zelda sat on her throne, truly bored out of her mind.

Ever since the excitement of Zant's failed invasion, she really wanted something to do, beyond hearing the daily reports of border patrols, which always came back as normal. There was the coronation of Ralis the next week, then her own coronation the week after.

There was no mistaking that Zelda was not glad that her kingdom was thriving, but she wished it wasn't so boring. The first rotation of guards came in. The first patrols. Then came the second, the third, and so on. One of the fatter guards came marching up.

"Borders were fine, but we saw someone crossing through the Faron Provence towards the east Your Highness."

Zelda sat up. "Report the details."

"She was a slightly older woman. A cloak prevented us from getting proper details, but she mumbled something about the forbidden lands."

Zelda waved to a nearby servant. "Send a message to all the guard-posts along the Faron and Hylia Eastern borders, as well as to those patrolling the dessert. Bring anyone seen entering from the Forbidden Lands to me alive. Now."

So things were picking up now.

Link on the other hand, was enjoying his vacation. Rich from his conquest, he had bought a slightly smaller horse for Colin to learn to ride. Ever since those moblins stole her, she's been touchy about who grabs the reigns. The small bay pranced with Colin proudly on its back, accepting the rider almost immediately.

Link guided the bay, which Colin had named Dagger, through the motions of herding the goats. Soon, Link and Colin were able to guide the goats into the barn in under a minute. Link was just about to congratulate the young rider for getting it so fast when a crash rang out from the cliff high above them.

Bursting through the trees and landing on the ground at their feet was a tall, middle-aged woman. Her seductive top and puffy pants left much of her torso uncovered; an easy target for the archers. Link saw one arrow embedded in her back, but she didn't bleed.

That's when he saw her markings.

"Twili."

She looked up at him with those angry yellow eyes, then to the Hyrule guards that had stopped at the edge of the cliff.

"Grab her Link!" They yelled out.

So much for the vacation.