This is my first fic. It's bad and it may break continuity but it's
the way I see things happening. Give me reviews if you want to. I don't
own any of the Zelda characters or anything that is in the games. If I
copied someone's idea, sorry. Just tell me and I'll delete the story. I
don't know how to do chapters so forgive me.
Prologue
Ganadorf walked along the infinite white mass of his prison, longing for a way out. "Why don't you help me?" he asked the tri-force of power that was inside of him. "Why won't you help me get out!" He fell to his knees and started pounding on the white floor. White floors, white walls, white ceilings. White, white, whites everywhere. But what was that? A small blemish on the horizon.
Ganadorf stood up and started running to it. The blemish started to turn into a building, the building into a tower. "Yes, yes," Ganadorf said excitedly as he ran up the steps and into a dark room. It appeared to be a crypt. He walked over to what appeared to be a coffin in the middle.
"To release Saruk, say Saruk awaken, I (your name) command you." Ganadorf read the script on a plaque below the tomb. "Why not?" he said to himself. "Saruk awaken, I Ganadorf command you."
The Dream
"Agrhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Link screamed as he sat up in his bed. He panted heavily for a few seconds. Zelda burst into the room, a knife in her hand.
"Are you alright?" she asked as she walked over to his side. Link sat there trying to find a word to say.
"Nightmare," he managed to get out finally.
"Nervous about our wedding?" she asked him jokingly.
"No," Link said between a pant. "That face. It was horrible." The two of them sat there for a few minutes. Finally, Link regained control of his breathing. "It was a dream. I don't remember much. All I remember is this face. This horrible red face with red eyes. It was so horrible and evil."
"Was it a premonition?" the worried Queen of Hyrule asked.
"I don't know?" he said quietly as he tried to think properly. "I need to get out of here," he said as he strapped on the master sword and mirror shield that lay by his side.
"You always only stay here for only three or four days at a time. Why can't you just learn to accept castle life? You have to if you want to be king."
"This is more then that Zelda," he said as he got his bow and other weapons. He kissed her and left. He ran down to the stable were Epona was munching on some hay. He quickly got her out of the stable and rode out the south gate of the castle. It was land Link was not familiar but it was a peaceful meadow for a while down the road. He thought the peace might help him understand the dream. He rode for about an hour before he decided to stop. He observed the landscape for a while. Then he unrolled a blanket and was soon asleep.
Link saw himself near the standing in front of the drawbridge that led into the market place. He was staring at something far off. It was clouds; dark stormy clouds coming from the Gerudu Valley. He then saw himself watching an army of skeletons march toward the market place. Next, he saw a boy wearing a black tunic like his own. The boy was holding the master sword. Then came an image of dead Hylian soldiers lying in the market place. Then he saw the face. The same face had caused him to wake up earlier. It was hideous and so evil.
Link sat up once again, breathing heavily with terror. "What was that all about?" he asked himself as he recalled the dream. And the boy. Who was that mysterious boy? Link recalled the details. He was about 17 and had dark brown hair that was cut closely to his head. His eyes also stood out. They were stormy gray like the sky after Link played the song of storms. And how was he holding the master sword?
Link rolled up the blanket that he had slept in and decided to head back to Hyrule castle. Maybe Zelda would be able to understand the dream. He rode back to the drawbridge, an hour ride. When he arrived, the drawbridge was closed. Link sighed and leaned his back against the wall next to the drawbridge. This would be a good time to catch up on sleep, even with the evil face. The dream replayed repeatedly in his head. Link didn't understand it any better, but he got used to the face so it didn't frighten him anymore.
Link woke up with light shining in his eyes. He looked over at the drawbridge expecting it to be lowered so he could get in; it wasn't.
"That's strange," he said as he walked over to the bride. He rapped on the wooden door a few times. Then a Hylian guard poked his head up over the wall, and when he realized who it was, ordered the bridge be lowered. "What's going on?" Link asked as the bridge was lowered.
"Come quick," the guard called down. Link brought Epona over the wooden bridge to were some guards were standing. The guard that was on the top of wall was with them. "Queen Zelda wants you to see this," he said as they ran toward the castle. They ran until they reached the drawbridge on the opposite end of the castle area. Zelda was waiting on a newly constructed defense tower on the side of the drawbridge. Link climbed up the ladder that led into the tower.
"What's going on?" he repeated his question. Zelda pointed toward the Gerudu Valley. Link then caught sight of the clouds that were there. "Oh no," he groaned. "Those clouds were from my dream. It had to be a premonition."
"What else was in your dream?" Zelda asked eagerly.
"These clouds were the first thing," Link started to describe the dream to Zelda. "Then came a vision of an army of skeletons marching toward here. The there was a boy holding the master sword, followed by a picture of dead Hylian soldiers on the market place ground. Then there was that face. There have bin some differences in the fist image, but it's forewarning something."
"I can't understand it," Zelda said. Then she turned to one of the guards. "Prepare the troops for battle. Link will lead them." The guard ran off to do what he was told.
A few hours had passed and Link had just finished cleaning his weapons. He climbed onto the guard tower once again. The guard saluted, but Link just told him to go back to watching. The army of skeletons that he had seen was now marching past the Lon Lon Ranch. They couldn't be made out, but Link new what they were. Eventually the army neared the drawbridge, led by a soldier holding a strange flag.
"Lower the drawbridge," Link said calmly to a guard.
"What?" the guard asked back.
"It won't help to hide ourselves behind it. We've done all we can to prepare. When it's done, come to the market place." With that, Link climbed down the ladder and walked toward the market place. All the soldiers they could get stood there, armed with spears. Soon the skeleton was filling into the narrow gap of the bridge. Link drew a fire arrow and fired it at the flag, destroying it. The Hylians gave out cheers and charged for the oncoming army.
The Battle
Link crouched poised for battle in front of the massive beast in front of him. The intermingled forces of the Hylian army and the mysterious army of skeletons fought brutally to the death as Link and the leader of the mysterious army circled staring at each other. Finally Link leaped forward bringing the blade of the Master sword down hard, but the skeleton leader blocked the blow with one of his two gargantuan knives. The thing then brought it's other blade in for a side blow. Link anticipated the move and had his shield up to block it, but the sheer force of the blow sent him flying to the ground. Link got up just in time to roll out of the way before the giant skeleton fell to the ground stabbing his knives into the ground were Link had just bin.
Meanwhile the soldiers of both sides stopped to watch the fight between their leaders. Link came in for a blow to the back of the skeletons legs. The skeleton jumped of the ground and planted one of his feet into Link's chest sending him flying two the ground. The skeleton walked over and threw Link across the ring that the awe stricken observers had formed. During the trip across Link lost grip the sword and it went cluttering across the stone square of the market place. The large skeletal beast walked over to Link's battered body and picked it up. He lifted one of his hands and two razor sharp claws came out of his index and middle fingers. He then buried these claws deep into Link's wrist were the triforce symbol was. Then the thing spoke.
"You may have the triforce of courage, but that is not enough to defeat the triforce of power." With these words, Link looked up at the vicious face of his opponent.
"Ganadorf, it can't be you."
"Well it is boy." Ganadorf lifted up his arm revealing the triforce symbol he himself had on his wrist. Then the new body of Ganadorf gave out a menacing laugh. "I told you I would have my revenge and here I am to have it." With that, he unsheathed one of his knives. He held it up high and was about to behead the hero of Hyrule when a large explosion erupted in the watching combatants, clearing away a path. Through that path walked a boy wearing a black tunic. Everybody stared in bewilderment as the boy proceeded into the ring, his eyes locked on the skeletal Ganadorf. Not taking his eyes of the monster, he reached down and picked up the Master Sword. It was the boy from Link's dreams. Everybody gasped in terror at the fact that the boy had just broken the legend that had bin taught to them all. Even Ganadorf's glowing red balls of eyes widened at the sight.
"How can this be?" he said as the boy approached him. His evil eyes returned to normal as he gave out another laugh. "All the same I defeated Link so you can't be much more challenging."
"I think I'll be more of a challenge to you. I am much more powerful then that pathetic 'hero' will ever be." He then swung at Ganadorf's legs. Ganadorf jumped into the air and swung his knives at the boy, but the boy was already gone. He turned around just in time to see the boy swing his sword at his head he ducked and launched attack after attack with his two knives, but the boy just casually blocked them with such speed it was unbelievable.
"This is impossible!" Ganadorf screamed as he attacked with both knives at once. The boy ducked beneath both blades and came up fast cutting of one of Ganadorf's arms. He then proceeded to cut off the other. The two arms of bone vaporized into green fire as they hit the ground. The skeletal Ganadorf backed away in terror.
"Yes Ganadorf you should fear me," the boy said as he advanced on the monster. When he was in range, he spun his sword once in the air above his head then decapitated Ganadorf. The head landed on the ground and the fiery evil eyes extinguished. The boy turned around in a circle holding his sword up high to signal he was the champion. He then pointed to one of the skeleton soldiers.
"Finish them!" he screamed as he brought the sword down cutting through one of the skeletons and shattered the things rib cage. The thing dropped to the ground and evaporated. After that, the Hylian soldiers attacked the monsters with their spears. Skeleton after skeleton fell victim to the weapons of the soldiers of Hyrule. The boy watched as many of the creatures were killed, and sliced through any that got near him. Soon the battle was over. Many Hylian soldiers layed dead on the stone floor. The boy walked over to Link's body and pulled out a bottle containing a deep blue liquid. The now queen, Zelda came running up behind him.
"What are you doing!" she screamed as she watched the boy pour the liquid into Link's mouth.
"Helping him," the boy replied as he continued to help the hero of Hyrule drink the liquid. "It's blue potion. Only a few know how to make it. It's the most powerful potion of all and will revive your strength and magical power."
"How do I know your telling the truth?" Zelda said as she approached him.
"Don't worry Zelda, he's only trying to help me," Link whispered as he sat up. "I don't know who or what he is, but his intentions right now appear to be good. Now go and help the wounded, I want to talk to this boy alone."
1 The Revelation
Link and the mysterious young boy walked through the halls of Hyrule castle until the reached Link's private room. Then the pair entered and Link locked the door behind him.
"Who are you and how did you pick up the master sword?!" Link screamed.
"Well to answer your first question, my name is Carb. I come from a land far from Hyrule seeking help. As for how I can pick up the Master Sword, it is really quite simple. The legend has it that a boy will be able to use the Master Sword during dark times. It never gives any description of what makes the boy special or if he is the only one. In the land I come from the full legend is known."
"What is it then?" Link asked as he started to calm.
"Long ago the triforce was broken up by an evil man named Saruk. Saruk went and took over not only Hyrule, but also many other lands around it. He reigned with terror until one day he was confronted by a man; the man that held the triforce of courage."
"This is starting to sound a lot like my story," Link interrupted.
"It is," the boy responded. "Anyway, the man defeated Saruk and Saruk was sent to the sacred realm making it evil just like Ganadorf did. Eventually the man who had the triforce of courage died of natural causes along with the person with the triforce of wisdom. After that Saruk's power died out, the triforce was reunited, and the Sacred Realm restored. Before the man died however he wanted to make sure that Saruk could never cause his torment and pain like he did before so he sealed the Sacred Realm with the Master Sword saying that if the triforce was ever broken up and evil plagued the world again that one of his bloodline who bore the symbol of the triforce would be able to use the master sword to destroy that evil."
"So your telling me you have a symbol of the triforce, because if you are that's impossible, because I know who has, or at least had all three."
"Didn't you ever wonder if there was another power to the triforce?"
"What do you mean?" Link asked a look of confusion and doubt on his face."
"I mean this," the boy said as he lifted his arm to show his wrist. Upon his wrist was the triforce symbol. None of the three triangles were golden, but the middle triangle was black.
"What is that?" Link said quietly as he stared at the black inverted triangle.
"That is hate. The force that causes everything. The hate of being powerless causes power. The hate of being a coward causes courage. The hate of not being wise causes wisdom. The hate of hate causes love. Hate causes everything."
"But why is it black instead of gold."
"Because hate is a void. From hate all good things come.and bad things. The quad-force of hate tears up everything inside the person it chooses if that person is weak. It leaves no emotion, only an empty void, ultimately corrupting them. I try to combat that void by fighting evil."
"Like Ganadorf and his army of skeletons. What were they anyway?"
"Those skeletons were servants of Saruk. Ganadorf was too."
"Saruk is out again and Ganadorf was his servant. How is that possible? Ganadorf was the most evil man."
"No he wasn't," Carb snapped back. "Saruk was revived by Ganadorf when he was in the Evil Realm. Over time, Saruk figured out a way to escape the evil realm. He is now conquering the world again. Ganadorf was sent to Hyrule to invade it. Other such captains like him have scattered throughout the planet conquering peoples."
"Wait," Link said. "Didn't you say that the man that had the quad- force of courage say that only someone in his blood line could use the master sword? Does that mean you're related to me."
"Yes," Carb said as if he were remembering a painful memory. "You're my uncle. You had an older sister, my mother. I was about three when it all started. My mother was gravely wounded when the castle was attacked. She told my brother to take me away from Hyrule because she feared what would happen. Then she died. My brother did what he was told and started on the long journey to the land of Gisnak. Along the way, we came upon a band of robbers. They beat up my brother and took everything we had. My brother went the rest of the trip without any food and with very little water just so I would live. When we got there, he died. That's when the quad-force was broken up and I was chosen for hate. It didn't show until I was ten when the rest of the people were revealed. The people of Gisnak knew what it was and taught me how to deal with it. I spent my life fighting robbers and such people until Saruk came back."
"So why exactly did you come here."
"Because I need you. The man that defeated Saruk all those years again had a weapon. A weapon that he himself created. It was the arrow of darkness. This arrow sent an evil picture into the mind so horrible even the most corrupt were hurt by it. He used this weapon only for righteous purposes, and when he defeated Saruk, he sealed it in a temple that only the person with the quad-force of courage could enter. This weapon will be needed if we want to defeat Saruk again."
"So you need me to go into the temple and get the arrow for you."
"Yes, that and something I will tell you when the time is right. It will be a long and dangerous quest. Do you accept it?" Link sat there a moment pondering what to do.
"Will this Saruk come for Hyrule if he is not stopped?" Link asked after a while.
"Most defiantly. If he is not stopped he will take over this entire world."
"Then I accept. How long will it take to get to Gisnak?"
"Seven days horseback," Carb said. "We leave at dusk."
"Can I have my sword back?" Link asked as Carb was about to leave.
"You can have it back when the time comes. For now, give me the sheath. Get something from your armory till that time comes. "
The Journey
Carb sat on his horse right outside the drawbridge of Hyrule castle waiting for Link. Soon the stage will be set, he thought to himself. I may die, but it will not be in vain. Then the drawbridge lowered and out came two horses. On one sat Link on the other sat Zelda.
"She shouldn't come," Link said as the pair approached him. "It will be dangerous."
"I've handled danger before," she said angrily. "I've ran seven years from Ganadorf, and I risked my life during the final stages of that battle when I had to open the gates."
"She'll be alright," Link said in her defense.
"Fine," Carb said with a sigh. "Let's head out." With that he gave his horse a kick to the side and he went riding off into the distance. Zelda followed him, and finally Link riding Epona.
"So were are we going?" Zelda asked after a while.
"The land of Gisnak," Carb responded. "We go into the Haunted Wasteland and I'll show the way to the proper place. From there, we'll primarily cross open stretches of fields and prairies. There is the Doom Forest, but I've bin through that so many times it should be easy. When we reach the edge of Gisnak, we'll meet up with some people I know. From there we go to the temple."
The three rode till dawn before they reached the Gerudu Valley. They entered the fortress area and dismounted. Carb surveyed the area, looking at the Gerudu patrol routes.
"What do we do now?" Zelda asked. "Link may have a card, but the rest of us don't. How are we going to get through the gate?"
"They'll let us through," Carb said as he got back on his horse. "Trust me." He then rode up the hill toward the gate leading into the Haunted Wasteland. Several Gerudu guards charged their blades lowered. Carb leaped of his horse and grabbed one of the guards pulling her close. He then unsheathed the Master sword and held it up to her neck.
"You'll let us through or she dies," Carb said as the guards stopped their attack and circled around the three. "Make your decision fast. I'm growing impatient."
"How can we trust you?" one of the guards said at last.
"You can't," Carb replied, but wouldn't you rather at least give your friend a chance to live?"
"Do it," the captive Gerudu said as she tugged at Carb's arm.
"Open the gate," the Gerudu that spoke before said. The gate groaned as it went up making a way for the three to get though. Carb slowly walked toward the gate, keeping the sword to the girl's throat and rotating to watch the other guards. Carb's horse followed him to the other side of the gate. Zelda followed, and finally Link came riding out.
"It's Link!" one of the other guards shouted. Screams of rage from the other Gerudus followed as they recognized the accomplice of their assailant.
"Link," a third Gerudu that appeared to be their leader spoke. "You are forever banned from the Gerudu fortress. If your are ever caught around here again, we shall feed on your flesh while staring into your head which will sit on a platter." Link rode out under the gate, his head lowered. Jeers and shouts from the Gerudus filled the air as the gate slammed shut behind him.
The three rode through the wasteland in silence. The sand whipped across their faces as the winds ferociously blew. The three rode around for what seemed like hours, never even crossing the river of sand.
Is this my end? Zelda thought as she and her horse struggled through the barren desert. Is this how I'm going to die? By following around a maniac through a wasteland were not even the most trained to survive can survive in more then a day? Then they all saw it. A small patch of desert grass growing about ten feet in front of them. It wasn't much but it was a sign of life; a sign that they were getting close to one of the ends of the wasteland. Soon plant followed plant and the winds started to die down, and the night sky was starting to become visible. The three horses trudged along through the sand, exhausted after their hard trip through the desert. They trudged up a giant dune that seemed to go on forever. Finally, they reached the top and all three of them jumped off their horses and ran into the peaceful, grass-covered prairie. The horses followed them down and immediately started to roll around in the cool river water.
"It's so beautiful," Zelda said as she splashed around in the water. Link followed her lead and jumped into the water. Carb was the only one of them to stay standing. He just stood there, his face showing no expression as if he was in a trance. "What's wrong?" Zelda asked she noticed his odd expression. Carb pulled out the master sword and once again returned to his stance.
"There's evil around us," he said as he marched toward a clump of trees. "A band of robbers." Immediately after that, an arrow shot out of the bushes heading directly for Carb. The boy sidestepped letting the arrow wiz by him. He then ran and jumped into the bushes. Their was a clash of steal and followed by a scream. Two people dressed in black ran out of the bushes, Carb coming immediately after. One of them turned around and was about to shoot another arrow when an arrow from Link's bow shot him through the back of the throat. The man gave out a small gurgling noise before he dropped to the ground.
"Well how does it feel to fear," Carb said as he advanced on the remaining bandit.
"Stay back!" the man yelled as he retreated. Carb just ran forward and when the man swung his knife, he kicked it out of his hand and came in behind him, once again holding the master sword to his throat.
"Don't do it," Link shouted as he ran over to the two.
"He is a robber," Carb replied his voice full of hate. "All robbers deserve to die." With that, he pulled the blade across his throat and threw him into the water.
"What do you hope to accomplish with this quest?" Link shouted. "I mean really, all we've done is got me banned from Gerudu valley and killed a band of robbers that didn't have to die."
"I'm trying to rid the world of scum like them and Saruk," he replied as he wiped the blood of the master sword using the dead mans cloak.
"Well not the way to do it," Link snapped back.
"Different people do things differently," Carb said as he walked away. "I'm going to get some food. Have a fire started by the time I get back." Link gave a look of disgust at the boy before he went and picked up the bodies and buried them.
Link layed down around the fire and brushed away a hair from the sleeping Zelda. He looked across the way to the black garbed boy who also layed down. He had calmed down some about the incident that had happened earlier that night. Finally he broke the silence.
"How did you kill Ganadorf?" Link asked.
"What do you mean?" Carb responded, giving Link a funny look.
"The legend says that the hero of time will kill the evil one. Does that mean I'm not the hero of time?"
"No, you're the hero of time. Ganadorf just wasn't the evil one."
"Well why couldn't I kill Ganadorf, only banish him."
"Because he was the bearer of the quad-force of power. Only the bearer of hate can kill the bearer of power and only the bearer of power can kill the bearer of hate. Now I have some questions for you. When I heard about you the first time, it was said you had a faithful companion. A fairy. Where is it now?"
"Navi," Link said as if he were remembering fond memories. "She was my companion for the quest to save Hyrule. When I was done, she had to leave. I never saw her again after that. She's probably off being some true Kokiri kid's fairy."
"You mean this entire thing is not to save Hyrule." Zelda asked as she rubbed her eyes and sat up.
"No," Carb responded as he remembered the grim reality. "This is about saving the world."
The Forest
The three rode down a never-ending dirt path for three more days. There were no incidents like the night they came out of the haunted wasteland. They just traveled along the long stretch of prairie as fast as their horses would take them. About noon of the fourth day, the companions reached the Doom Forest.
"What is that patch of trees ahead?" Link asked as he fed Epona some of the sweet prairie grass.
"That, my friend," Carb said as he stepped up next Link, "is the Doom Forest.
"Sounds like a nice place," Link responded casualty.
"Don't worry it is," Carb replied. "It's got lava rivers, killer trees, and don't forget the massive infestation of wolfos" He then turned to Zelda. "You up to it still?"
"Of course I'm up to it," she responded. "I've dealt with wolfos before."
"I bet not in the numbers I'm talking about," he said with a chuckle.
The group reached the edge of the forest by nightfall. The trees knots, twisted leafless branches, and black bark gave them an evil appearance. The ground was parched brown dirt with a fine covering of dust and a few dead shoots of trees that tried to make it but couldn't.
"Shouldn't we rest here?" Zelda asked, as they got deeper into the dark forest. "I can hardly even see where I'm going."
"Nope," Carb said as he led the group deeper and deeper into the forest. "Can't stop while going through the Doom forest."
"Why not," Link questioned as he looked at one of the gnarled trees.
"The killer trees. If something stays in one place to long they grow around it, sucking out its life." A loud, piercing howl filled the air. Carb pulled out a small bow and quiver from a hidden compartment in his jacket. "Get out your bow," Carb ordered as he strung an arrow, but Link already had. "Shoot with your ears and at their eyes." Carb said as he pulled the string back and fired. A howl of the dying Wolfos replaced the other howls as the wolfos fell to the ground and evaporated.
"With pleasure," Link said as he to score a hit on one of the evil wolf like creatures that he had killed so many times before. One popped out of the ground near Zelda and moved in for the kill. It was about to swipe it's massive claws when she pulled out a knife and slashed the beast across the chest, killing it instantly. The group traveled through the woods this way killing the wolfos that dared give away their position and stabbing the ones that got to close. Eventually they started to see the light of fires ahead.
"What is that?" Link asked as he killed another wolfos.
"Wolfos camp," Carb replied. Before long they reached, an opening, Link, and Zelda were shocked at what they saw. Hundreds of wolfos rested around fires.
"Wow," Zelda said in a trance like voice as she stared mindlessly at the masses of wolfos that were before her. "How are ever going to get by them?"
"Leave that to me," Carb said coolly as he dismounted his horse. He stood there in a moment of self-meditation then he raised his hand into the air. A fireball appeared in his hand and grew larger and larger. "Din's hell!" Carb screamed as he threw the fireball at the wolfos camp. The ball exploded engulfing almost all of the wolfos in scorching flames. Howls of pain and agony came from the wolfos as they ran around, fire burning their hairy bodies. The ones that did survive fled into the forest in terror.
"Wow," Zelda repeated as she stared at the carnage before her. Carb got back on his steed and rode of through the fire as if nothing had happened. The other two followed.
He's such a casual killer. Link thought to him as he looked at the burning carcass's of the wolfos. Not even, I, the hero of time, could kill that many wolfos without flinching. How can he cause that much carnage without even thinking twice about it? It must be the quad-force of hate.
The three rode on through the forest for several more hours, the wolfos not daring to near them. It was an uneventful few hours. They hopped over some of the red-hot lava rivers that Carb had mentioned but that was the only danger they came across. Finally, they reached the edge of the forest.
"It's so nice to see the sky again," Link said as he gazed up at the star filled night sky.
"Enjoy it while you can," Carb said as he jumped off his horse and rolled out a blanket that he would sleep on. "Daylight will be here in a few hours. I want to leave at dawn so we can meet my friends by the next dawn."
"I thought you said it was a seven day trip?" Link said as he to rolled out his blanket. Zelda was already asleep on the grass.
"I took a short-cut through the woods. She must have bin tired," Carb said as he glanced over at Zelda.
"Yeah," Link replied as he picked her up and layed her down on his blanket. "She's strong, but with the way you've bin pushing us, she's really wearing out. She hasn't done something like this for three years." There was a short pause then Link spoke again. "What was that you did back there with the wolfos?"
"It's called Din's Hell. It's a more advanced version of your Din's Fire. It shoots a ball of fire out and the ball explodes on impact. It's what I used to clear a path at the market place battle."
"What happened to the quad-force of power? Did it go back to the temple of time, waiting for the other three carriers to die and the quad- force reunite?"
"No. Ganadorf didn't die of natural causes so the tri-force didn't return to the Temple of Time. Instead it went to the most worthy living host; Saruk."
"Oh," Link said as he yawned and layed down next to Zelda. Soon he was asleep.
The Temple
Carb, Link, and Zelda rode their galloping horses toward three figures that stood on the horizon with their horses.
"Who are those people?" Link called out to Carb as they neared the trio on a hilltop ahead.
"One's a guy named Tresnick, he raised me when I was an orphan. One's a boy about ten years of age, Kresnik, his son, and the last is what I guess you would call my girlfriend, a girl named Kinsy."
"Can we trust these people?" Zelda asked.
"Those people would gladly give up their lives to save the lives of others," Carb snapped back in their defense. The rest of their ride to the waiting people was quiet. When they reached the hilltop, Carb hopped off of his horse and ran over to the girl standing there. She was a beautiful girl, about 16 years old. She had pitch-black hair that was tied up in a bun and eyes that nearly matched. They kissed and embraced each other tightly for a few moments
"I missed you," Carb said as he brushed one of the stray hairs out of her eyes.
"I missed you too," Kinsy replied. "I got you something." She then pulled out a dazzling shield made entirely of diamond.
"It looks just like Koranis's," he said as he looked in awe at the spectacular shield.
"It is," she said with a thin smile. "I killed him myself. It has no edges that it can be hit at any edge to shatter it so it's practically indestructible." She then turned her attention to Link who was brushing off some leaves from Epona's back. "Is he the one?" she asked as she helped Carb strap on his new shield.
"Yeah. We need to get him to the temple as soon as possible." Carb then walked over to his other two friends. Tresnick stood there his face an emotionless rock. His son did the same. Carb walked up and stood so close to Tresnick that they could have head butted each other. Then all three of their faces turned into gleeful smiles.
"How have you bin?" Tresnick asked as he embraced the young warrior. "You defeated Ganadorf right?"
"Yep he said as he gave Kresnik a rub to the head. "I heard you didn't to bad yourself."
"If you're referring to Koranis, it was all Kinsy. We scarred that man running and she just gave him an arrow to the back."
"Shouldn't we get going," Zelda called out impatiently.
"Who's that?" Kresnik asked as he starred at the beautiful queen in her young 20's.
"That's Queen Zelda of Hyrule," Carb responded. "We should get going." He then walked off toward his horse. After a minute of preparation, the now group of six rode of toward the temple.
The group rode on for about an hour before they came to any sign of life. When they did, it was a small village with a few scattered buildings. The six rode down into the village were there were some people working out in fields. No one really paid any attention to the six people coming their way. A few of the children waved to them as they entered the town, but other then that, they were totally ignored. Carb dismounted and walked toward one of the buildings. The other five members of the party followed.
"Are we going to a store for supplies?" Link questioned as he walked next to Carb.
"No," Carb said as he opened the door to the building. "The temple is here." The room the six companions entered was small, with a few chairs and a table.
"Hi Carb," a small girl said as she saw the other six enter. "Are you here to get the arrow?"
"Yeah. Can we go to the temple?"
"Sure," the girl said as she went back to work in her bedroom.
"Every one except Link stay here," Carb said as he opened another door that led to a basement. The two quad-force bearers walked down the staircase. The basement was dark and had wooden boxes scattered around. Carb walked over to one of the boxes and pushed it to the side revealing a hole large enough to drop into. Carb did so, and Link, with a bit of hesitation followed. He landed on hard, damp soil. Carb was already standing up with a torch. Silently, the two walked through a small corridor, lined with stones. After a brief walk, they entered a large room with a single door. Above it was inscribed the courage symbol.
"Here it is, the Temple of Darkness," Carb said as he put the torch in its holder. "I don't know much about it except the fact only the holder of the quad-force of courage can enter and it holds the arrow of darkness. You'll more then likely need your bow and sword."
"Right," Link said as he pulled out the Bigoron sword that he had gotten from the giant Goron so long ago. He then walked over to the to the door and opened it. He walked into a pitch-black room, with no sign of life. That soon changed as a bat flew toward him, intent on a meal. Link swung the massive sword, killing the evil creature. Soon many more came, and Link was eventually swarmed by the winged things. He ripped of several that sank their teeth into his flesh, leaving several small wounds. After several intense minutes of fighting and several painful bites, Link managed to kill all his assailants. Responding to the death of the bats, several torches lit up revealing three doors ahead of him.
Which one should I enter? He thought to himself as he studied the doors. They were all plain wooden doors without any marks to show which one was the right one. Eventually he decided to try the middle. He opened the door and stepped in, except there was no floor. Only a quick drawing of his sword and plunging it into the wall of dirt beneath him saved him from falling into the black pit. He groaned with effort as he pulled himself up to the hilt's height. The ground holding the sword started to give way. Link made a quick grab onto the ledge with one hand just as the massive sword cut through the weak ground. Link sat there for a moment dangling with one hand on the ledge and the other holding his sword for a moment. Then, sheathing his blade, he climbed onto the edge.
"Few," he said with relief as he stared into the hole which he almost fell into. He then stared at the opposite side, troubled by the predicament of not being able to cross it. There has got to be something that will help me cross in one of the other rooms, he thought as he headed over to the door on the left. The room contained a number of switches. He hit one of them with his sword. Heavy vibrations shook him as a roaring sound filled the air. He ran back to the center room. When he opened the door to the middle room, a large block was blocking his path. "Hmm," he said as he pondered what just happened. Before he could think about it any more, the block zipped down into the darkness. "It's timed," Link groaned as he realized the extra, challenge this added.
He experimented with different combinations of switches, which there were in both rooms. He studied what how they manipulated the potential crossing. Eventually he figured out the right pattern. He walked into one room, and paused in a moment of rest before the first switch. Then he hit the switch and ran on to another in the room activating that. He then ran to the other room and hit three switches in there. He returned to the first room and hit the final switch in the pattern. He then ran through the middle door and across the bridge. He did a forward role to complete his crossing just as the bridge fell down into darkness.
He walked down a corridor to another door. He opened it and was shocked by what he saw. There, sitting in a stone chair, was an Iron Knuckle.
The Arrow
"No," Link said softly as he stared at this still figure, clad in thick steel armor. There was something different about this Iron Knuckle though; it had no ax. Link gave it a long suspicious stare. Then he drew his bow and fired a single arrow at it.
The massive figure stirred as it awakened from its slumber. Then it stood up and two massive axes appeared, one in each hand. Link stared in shock as the killing machine slowly walked towards him. The thing swung one of its axes at Link. Link, still in a minor state of shock at the odd thing that had just happened, tried to block the blow with his sword. The force of the swing sent him flying back against a wall. Link just layed there, sitting against the wall dazed as the armored beast proceeded toward him. He came out of his trance just in time to dodge the next blow by rolling forward under the things mighty swing. During the roll, he managed to get in a small stab to his enemies armor.
"Agrhh," the thing said as it felt the blow. It turned around swinging, but Link was already gone. Link got in several more blows like that and eventually the things armor fell to the ground. The creature, now relieved of the weight of his armor came charging toward Link. It swung it's to blades at once, intent on cutting the Hero of Time in three horizontally. Unfortunately for it, Link made a gigantic jump over the things head, plunging his sword into the thing's helmet in the process. The thing let out a final groan of pain and fell to one knee. It then incinerated with a green flame. A large chest appeared in the center of the room.
Link walked around it a couple of times to observe the beautiful gilded wood that made it up. He then walked to the front of it and opened up the chest. He reached into it, pulled out the contents, and held them above his head. He was holding the Arrow of Darkness. It was a single arrow with a ball around the tip like all the other magical arrows he had gotten before. The ball was pitch black.
Welcome carrier of the Triforce of Courage, a voice though in Link's head. Who are you? Link thought back. An image of a large man holding the master sword filled his mind. I am Brace, the creator of the arrow you hold above you. The Arrow of Darkness, a magical arrow so evil, it hurts evil more then the arrow of light. When the time comes, you must use the arrow to stun the evil that plagues the world. When you do, deliver the finishing blow, Hero of Time. It is your destiny.
"Saruk," Link said aloud as he realized whom the Hero of Time's real destiny was. Then Link was transported back into the parlor of the house.
"Did you get it?" Carb asked anxiously when he saw Link appear.
"Yes," Link responded as he looked around the room. Nobody else was there. "Where are the others?"
"Preparing for War," Carb responded as he walked out the door.
"What do you mean?" Link asked with worry about Zelda in his voice.
"Saruk knows that the Arrow of Darkness has bin found. He is coming here with his mobile fortress and army to suppress the war that his coming now that you are here.
"Mobile fortress," Link asked even more confused.
"Yes. Saruk has a flying fortress. He'll be here in a day with his army."
"So what do we do in the mean time?"
"First," he said, "We get our morale up. I am going to make a little speech." He walked outside into the bright sun. There the people of the town had switched from working in fields to perfecting weapons, putting up protective barriers, and setting traps. "Gather round," Carb called out to the people. They stopped their work and came over to form a crowd around him. "Today we are preparing for war," Carb Started. "A war against evil itself, Saruk. Some of you might be thinking that what we are doing is pointless and that we can't beat him and his armies. If so, you're wrong! We have the Hero of Time on our side. We have the Arrow of Darkness on our side. We will win!" With that, cheers erupted from the crowds. Eventually the cheering subsided. "But to do so," Carb went on, "we must work our very hardest. We must make sure that we will be the most prepared we can. So go out there and do your work for the generations ahead of us." There was some more cheering and then the people went back to work. Kinsy approached them.
"That was a very touching speech," she said as she gave Carb a small kiss.
"Thank you. Link give her the arrow."
"No," Kinsy said her face hurt. "Why are you making me do this?"
"Because I need you to tell him when the time comes."
"Then there is no other way?"
"No."
"What's going on here?" Link questioned to try to clear up some of the confusion he had developed while hearing the conversation.
"Nothing. Just give her the arrow," Carb said. Link did what he was told. The tree went off to help prepare for the coming battle.
The Finale
Carb stood there watching the coming hoard of Saruk's skeleton warriors. There were thousands of them, marching in perfect formation. They carried giant scimitars, much like the Gerudu's.
"Hold it, hold it," Carb said as the archers he was with pulled their bows into firing position. Suddenly there was a large blast were the armies of Saruk were marching, blowing many of them to pieces. Still, the emotionless things marched relentlessly toward the position of the resistance fighters.
"Fire," Link said as he himself launched an arrow from a bow. Arrow after arrow struck its target, but the enemy armies didn't stop. "Charge," he yelled as he ran forward toward the lines of skeleton fighters. He ran through, killing many of the beasts with the master sword. Kinsy did the same with her two miniature, hand held scythes; and Link with the Bigoron sword. Zelda put a protective shield around the archers as they launched their arrows at the attackers. She saw a ball of fire rip through the lines of the skeletal warriors, sending their bones everywhere.
That would be Carb she thought as explosion after explosion killed their enemies. Yet, the hoards still came charging. Finally Carb exhausted his magical stamina, and cut through the crowds of skeletons using the master sword. He saw Kinsy and went to fight by her side.
"We don't have enough people," she said as she hacked away at their skeleton assailants. They were putting up a good fight, but many of the Gisnakian soldiers were bravely falling to their enemies' weapons.
"I know," Carb responded, pain in his voice. "If we could only get to Saruk we might have a chance, but there are just to many of them. We don't have enough people to break through their lines with." He beheaded one of the skeletons that had just slain one of the Gisnakians.
"If only we had reinforcements," Kinsy said as she herself killed another one of the heartless assailants. "But we called upon everyone in Gisnak. We just don't have enough people."
Carb watched as Tresnick fought bravely with his son. They fought with long, outward curving swords. They killed many of the invaders with these oddly shaped swords. Then a massive push from the aggressors killed them both.
"Nooooooooo!" Carb screamed as he saw his two close friends die. He went on a rampage through the hoard of enemies, tears streaming down his face at the loss of his friends.
Link battled with many of Saruk's soldiers. He beheaded one, and did a spin of magic killing many others. He fought hard and held of many of the invaders, but there was so many and he was starting to tire. He parried on stab from a skeleton and slew it. He then spun just in time to see another attack coming toward him. He dodged the blade, but the hilt came around and hit him in the face. He went sprawling on the ground. He rolled over and the beast that knocked him down was standing over him. He tried to move his hand up in attack, but the thing stomped his foot down on Link's wrist, preventing him to attack. This is it he thought as he braced himself for the blow that would kill him. He stared up at the thing. It moved its blade up and was about to come down and plunge it into his chest when a glaive beheaded the thing. He looked back even farther to see Nabooru, standing there, garbed in her white Gerudu clothes.
"What are you doing here?" he asked as she helped him up.
"Zelda held a council of sages before you embarked and told us to wait a day and follow you with our people's armies." A loud roar filled the air as two Gorons rolled by, their spikes extended. The rolled into the enemy lines and bowled over many, killing them. Link then became aware of all the armies around him. There were Zorans launching their boomerang fins, and when the skeletons got to close, many Gerudu warriors with their glaives and scimitars defended them. There was also many Gorons who rolled through the enemy lines or tossed their bombs into them. The mysterious Shekah were also present. They through deku nuts to blind the invaders. The blinded warriors then swung their blades aimlessly, killing each other.
"You should have told the Gerudus at the fortress the reason you were passing through. If they had known they would have let you and your friends through."
"Well I would have, but my friend was a little bit hasty with his little stunt. Anyway, does that mean I'm allowed back into the fortress."
"Sure," Nabooru said as she cut down another enemy. Carb and Kinsy then approached them, Carb's eyes a flaming red.
"We're going to Saruk," Carb said as he turned and headed toward the flying black fortress that was at the back of the now falling hoards of his skeleton warriors. The three people made there way through the swarming combatants, killing many of them. Finally, they made it to Saruk's fortress.
It was a tall dark structure made of black stone. It had many towers that shot up form the main structure. On the top of the tallest one was a small figure.
The fortress was currently resting on the ground. Carb cut the drawbridge that opened up into the fortress. They ran up thousands of cold, stone steps to reach the top of the evil structure. When they did, Carb kicked down the door, which led to the tower where Saruk watched the battle unfurl. It was a large circular top, much like an arena. Saruk was standing in the middle with his back turned to them. What was a small figure on the ground was now a creature about the size of Gannon. He turned around and Link saw the person he had seen in his dreams so many times before. With his evil red face and dark red eyes. He was clad in black, iron armor and was armed with a large curved sword.
"Welcome," he said in a distorted evil voice. Carb answered by drawing the master sword and his crystal sheath. "I see you want to fight, bearer of hate. Well, I will kill you then!" With that, he launched an attack. Carb sidestepped and slashed at Saruk. The blow was blocked by Saruk's blade that went and attacked again. They battled furiously across the arena like tower. Both fought well and with amazing skill and speed.
"You fight well," Saruk said as he parried a shot from Carb and swung at Carb's head.
"Shut up," Carb responded as he dodged the move. His eyes were madder then ever.
"But not well enough!" Saruk screamed as he jumped and brought down his sword hard. Carb attempted to block the blow with his crystal shield, but the force of the blow shattered the shield into a million tiny crystals. Carb flew onto the ground and layed there.
"That's impossible," Kinsy stared in horror and fear. "That shield had no edges. It couldn't shatter."
"Nothing is impossible my dear," Saruk said in his evil voice as he walked over to Carb, and picked him up by the head.
"No," Kinsy whispered as she watched Saruk run Carb through with his blade. Carb head rolled back, his face full of pain. Then he brought it back up and glared at Saruk, a thin smile creeping across his face. It was the first sign of happiness he had seen from the boy.
"What are you smiling for boy?" Saruk asked as he glared back.
"The fact that you just killed yourself."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean you just put up the last prop to set the stage. The script has bin written, the stage set. Now you just have to act it out. Your dead. You won't beat him."
"I am much more powerful then I was when I fought Brace."
"And brace wasn't the Hero of Time was he."
"Shut up!" Saruk screamed as he threw Carb like a small doll. Carb slammed into the tower wall were the door was. All his bones shattered as he fell to the ground.dead.
"No," Kinsy said again. She then took out the arrow of darkness and handed it to Link. "This is the arrow of darkness. Use it to stun Saruk," she said. The words were scripted and she knew exactly what to say. "Brace had both the quad-force of power and hate. You will soon inherit it from Carb. You will know how to use it perfectly and it will never corrupt because of it. Be even more powerful then Saruk, Hero of Time. Kill Saruk, it is your destiny." She then ran over to her dead boyfriends side and cried.
Link was pulsing with rage. So much, rage he couldn't control it. He felt a burning on his wrist were his other quad-force symbol was. He looked down and saw the black, permanent mark of hate. He held up his wrist to show it to Saruk. He then walked over and got the Master Sword.
"No," Saruk said. There was a distinct fear in his distorted voice. "No!" he yelled again as he swung his sword at the man in the green tunic that was before him. Link merely made a slight shift of his foot to dodge the blow. Saruk assaulted again and again it was dodged as if it were not even a problem. Then Saruk jumped and swung down again, intent on finishing the fight. Link merely blocked it with ease. A look of shock filled Saruk's face. "Fear me," Link said. He then kicked the gargantuan man in the stomach. He leaned forward clutching his hurt stomach as if asking to get kicked in the face. Link answered his request by giving Saruk a mighty blow to the nose, causing it to collapse into his face. Saruk went flying over the edge of the tower and onto one of the lower ones. Link walked over to the edge of the tower.
"HOW CAN THIS BE?" Saruk screamed as he felt his broken nose. "HOW ARE YOU BEATING ME?" He then broke into a fearful sob. "WHAT ARE YOU?"
"I'm the king of the castle and you're the dirty rascal," Link chanted. He then raised his hand above his head. "Din's hell!" he screamed as he threw a ball of fire at his opponent. It hit Saruk and exploded. Saruk hardly felt the blast, but he knew it was only to blind him. He was about to go into a swinging frenzy when he felt an arrow pierce his chest. Evil thoughts filled his head. They were so evil, so evil they scarred him. They wouldn't stop coming. Before he could regain his thoughts, the cold blade of the Master Sword separated him from his legs.
"How?" he asked himself once again, as he incinerated into the fire that all his minions burned up in when they were killed.
Epilogue
Link walked through the castle courtyard next to Zelda's handmaiden, Kinsy. He was waiting for the birth of his first child. It had bin two years after the battle against Saruk and Link had married Zelda and was king of Hyrule.
"Is there a forth Goddess?" he asked the Kinsy. "If there is a quad- force of hate does that mean there is another Goddess?"
"No," Kinsy replied with a sigh. "It is the force that bonds the Goddesses together so it bonds the quad-force together. It really should be called the tri-force. The teachers just allowed the kids to say quad- force to help them understand it better. Eventually it just became a Gisnakian habit."
"What happened to the tri-force of power?"
"Who knows," she said. Then another one of Zelda's handmaidens came running into the courtyard.
"It's a boy, it's a boy!" she screamed excitedly. Link ran down through the stone hallway toward a door. He entered and ran through a maze of rooms until he reached Zelda's quarters. He burst in to see Zelda lying unconscious on her bed.
"Will she be alright?" he asked.
"She'll be fine," a handmaiden said. "She's just tired." She then held out a crying baby wrapped in a white cloth. Link took his son and held it close to him. Immediately the baby stopped crying.
"What should we name him?" Zelda asked as she woke up. Link looked into his eyes. They were eyes he had seen before. They must have bin inherited from the tri-force of hate.
"I think we should name him Carb."
Prologue
Ganadorf walked along the infinite white mass of his prison, longing for a way out. "Why don't you help me?" he asked the tri-force of power that was inside of him. "Why won't you help me get out!" He fell to his knees and started pounding on the white floor. White floors, white walls, white ceilings. White, white, whites everywhere. But what was that? A small blemish on the horizon.
Ganadorf stood up and started running to it. The blemish started to turn into a building, the building into a tower. "Yes, yes," Ganadorf said excitedly as he ran up the steps and into a dark room. It appeared to be a crypt. He walked over to what appeared to be a coffin in the middle.
"To release Saruk, say Saruk awaken, I (your name) command you." Ganadorf read the script on a plaque below the tomb. "Why not?" he said to himself. "Saruk awaken, I Ganadorf command you."
The Dream
"Agrhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Link screamed as he sat up in his bed. He panted heavily for a few seconds. Zelda burst into the room, a knife in her hand.
"Are you alright?" she asked as she walked over to his side. Link sat there trying to find a word to say.
"Nightmare," he managed to get out finally.
"Nervous about our wedding?" she asked him jokingly.
"No," Link said between a pant. "That face. It was horrible." The two of them sat there for a few minutes. Finally, Link regained control of his breathing. "It was a dream. I don't remember much. All I remember is this face. This horrible red face with red eyes. It was so horrible and evil."
"Was it a premonition?" the worried Queen of Hyrule asked.
"I don't know?" he said quietly as he tried to think properly. "I need to get out of here," he said as he strapped on the master sword and mirror shield that lay by his side.
"You always only stay here for only three or four days at a time. Why can't you just learn to accept castle life? You have to if you want to be king."
"This is more then that Zelda," he said as he got his bow and other weapons. He kissed her and left. He ran down to the stable were Epona was munching on some hay. He quickly got her out of the stable and rode out the south gate of the castle. It was land Link was not familiar but it was a peaceful meadow for a while down the road. He thought the peace might help him understand the dream. He rode for about an hour before he decided to stop. He observed the landscape for a while. Then he unrolled a blanket and was soon asleep.
Link saw himself near the standing in front of the drawbridge that led into the market place. He was staring at something far off. It was clouds; dark stormy clouds coming from the Gerudu Valley. He then saw himself watching an army of skeletons march toward the market place. Next, he saw a boy wearing a black tunic like his own. The boy was holding the master sword. Then came an image of dead Hylian soldiers lying in the market place. Then he saw the face. The same face had caused him to wake up earlier. It was hideous and so evil.
Link sat up once again, breathing heavily with terror. "What was that all about?" he asked himself as he recalled the dream. And the boy. Who was that mysterious boy? Link recalled the details. He was about 17 and had dark brown hair that was cut closely to his head. His eyes also stood out. They were stormy gray like the sky after Link played the song of storms. And how was he holding the master sword?
Link rolled up the blanket that he had slept in and decided to head back to Hyrule castle. Maybe Zelda would be able to understand the dream. He rode back to the drawbridge, an hour ride. When he arrived, the drawbridge was closed. Link sighed and leaned his back against the wall next to the drawbridge. This would be a good time to catch up on sleep, even with the evil face. The dream replayed repeatedly in his head. Link didn't understand it any better, but he got used to the face so it didn't frighten him anymore.
Link woke up with light shining in his eyes. He looked over at the drawbridge expecting it to be lowered so he could get in; it wasn't.
"That's strange," he said as he walked over to the bride. He rapped on the wooden door a few times. Then a Hylian guard poked his head up over the wall, and when he realized who it was, ordered the bridge be lowered. "What's going on?" Link asked as the bridge was lowered.
"Come quick," the guard called down. Link brought Epona over the wooden bridge to were some guards were standing. The guard that was on the top of wall was with them. "Queen Zelda wants you to see this," he said as they ran toward the castle. They ran until they reached the drawbridge on the opposite end of the castle area. Zelda was waiting on a newly constructed defense tower on the side of the drawbridge. Link climbed up the ladder that led into the tower.
"What's going on?" he repeated his question. Zelda pointed toward the Gerudu Valley. Link then caught sight of the clouds that were there. "Oh no," he groaned. "Those clouds were from my dream. It had to be a premonition."
"What else was in your dream?" Zelda asked eagerly.
"These clouds were the first thing," Link started to describe the dream to Zelda. "Then came a vision of an army of skeletons marching toward here. The there was a boy holding the master sword, followed by a picture of dead Hylian soldiers on the market place ground. Then there was that face. There have bin some differences in the fist image, but it's forewarning something."
"I can't understand it," Zelda said. Then she turned to one of the guards. "Prepare the troops for battle. Link will lead them." The guard ran off to do what he was told.
A few hours had passed and Link had just finished cleaning his weapons. He climbed onto the guard tower once again. The guard saluted, but Link just told him to go back to watching. The army of skeletons that he had seen was now marching past the Lon Lon Ranch. They couldn't be made out, but Link new what they were. Eventually the army neared the drawbridge, led by a soldier holding a strange flag.
"Lower the drawbridge," Link said calmly to a guard.
"What?" the guard asked back.
"It won't help to hide ourselves behind it. We've done all we can to prepare. When it's done, come to the market place." With that, Link climbed down the ladder and walked toward the market place. All the soldiers they could get stood there, armed with spears. Soon the skeleton was filling into the narrow gap of the bridge. Link drew a fire arrow and fired it at the flag, destroying it. The Hylians gave out cheers and charged for the oncoming army.
The Battle
Link crouched poised for battle in front of the massive beast in front of him. The intermingled forces of the Hylian army and the mysterious army of skeletons fought brutally to the death as Link and the leader of the mysterious army circled staring at each other. Finally Link leaped forward bringing the blade of the Master sword down hard, but the skeleton leader blocked the blow with one of his two gargantuan knives. The thing then brought it's other blade in for a side blow. Link anticipated the move and had his shield up to block it, but the sheer force of the blow sent him flying to the ground. Link got up just in time to roll out of the way before the giant skeleton fell to the ground stabbing his knives into the ground were Link had just bin.
Meanwhile the soldiers of both sides stopped to watch the fight between their leaders. Link came in for a blow to the back of the skeletons legs. The skeleton jumped of the ground and planted one of his feet into Link's chest sending him flying two the ground. The skeleton walked over and threw Link across the ring that the awe stricken observers had formed. During the trip across Link lost grip the sword and it went cluttering across the stone square of the market place. The large skeletal beast walked over to Link's battered body and picked it up. He lifted one of his hands and two razor sharp claws came out of his index and middle fingers. He then buried these claws deep into Link's wrist were the triforce symbol was. Then the thing spoke.
"You may have the triforce of courage, but that is not enough to defeat the triforce of power." With these words, Link looked up at the vicious face of his opponent.
"Ganadorf, it can't be you."
"Well it is boy." Ganadorf lifted up his arm revealing the triforce symbol he himself had on his wrist. Then the new body of Ganadorf gave out a menacing laugh. "I told you I would have my revenge and here I am to have it." With that, he unsheathed one of his knives. He held it up high and was about to behead the hero of Hyrule when a large explosion erupted in the watching combatants, clearing away a path. Through that path walked a boy wearing a black tunic. Everybody stared in bewilderment as the boy proceeded into the ring, his eyes locked on the skeletal Ganadorf. Not taking his eyes of the monster, he reached down and picked up the Master Sword. It was the boy from Link's dreams. Everybody gasped in terror at the fact that the boy had just broken the legend that had bin taught to them all. Even Ganadorf's glowing red balls of eyes widened at the sight.
"How can this be?" he said as the boy approached him. His evil eyes returned to normal as he gave out another laugh. "All the same I defeated Link so you can't be much more challenging."
"I think I'll be more of a challenge to you. I am much more powerful then that pathetic 'hero' will ever be." He then swung at Ganadorf's legs. Ganadorf jumped into the air and swung his knives at the boy, but the boy was already gone. He turned around just in time to see the boy swing his sword at his head he ducked and launched attack after attack with his two knives, but the boy just casually blocked them with such speed it was unbelievable.
"This is impossible!" Ganadorf screamed as he attacked with both knives at once. The boy ducked beneath both blades and came up fast cutting of one of Ganadorf's arms. He then proceeded to cut off the other. The two arms of bone vaporized into green fire as they hit the ground. The skeletal Ganadorf backed away in terror.
"Yes Ganadorf you should fear me," the boy said as he advanced on the monster. When he was in range, he spun his sword once in the air above his head then decapitated Ganadorf. The head landed on the ground and the fiery evil eyes extinguished. The boy turned around in a circle holding his sword up high to signal he was the champion. He then pointed to one of the skeleton soldiers.
"Finish them!" he screamed as he brought the sword down cutting through one of the skeletons and shattered the things rib cage. The thing dropped to the ground and evaporated. After that, the Hylian soldiers attacked the monsters with their spears. Skeleton after skeleton fell victim to the weapons of the soldiers of Hyrule. The boy watched as many of the creatures were killed, and sliced through any that got near him. Soon the battle was over. Many Hylian soldiers layed dead on the stone floor. The boy walked over to Link's body and pulled out a bottle containing a deep blue liquid. The now queen, Zelda came running up behind him.
"What are you doing!" she screamed as she watched the boy pour the liquid into Link's mouth.
"Helping him," the boy replied as he continued to help the hero of Hyrule drink the liquid. "It's blue potion. Only a few know how to make it. It's the most powerful potion of all and will revive your strength and magical power."
"How do I know your telling the truth?" Zelda said as she approached him.
"Don't worry Zelda, he's only trying to help me," Link whispered as he sat up. "I don't know who or what he is, but his intentions right now appear to be good. Now go and help the wounded, I want to talk to this boy alone."
1 The Revelation
Link and the mysterious young boy walked through the halls of Hyrule castle until the reached Link's private room. Then the pair entered and Link locked the door behind him.
"Who are you and how did you pick up the master sword?!" Link screamed.
"Well to answer your first question, my name is Carb. I come from a land far from Hyrule seeking help. As for how I can pick up the Master Sword, it is really quite simple. The legend has it that a boy will be able to use the Master Sword during dark times. It never gives any description of what makes the boy special or if he is the only one. In the land I come from the full legend is known."
"What is it then?" Link asked as he started to calm.
"Long ago the triforce was broken up by an evil man named Saruk. Saruk went and took over not only Hyrule, but also many other lands around it. He reigned with terror until one day he was confronted by a man; the man that held the triforce of courage."
"This is starting to sound a lot like my story," Link interrupted.
"It is," the boy responded. "Anyway, the man defeated Saruk and Saruk was sent to the sacred realm making it evil just like Ganadorf did. Eventually the man who had the triforce of courage died of natural causes along with the person with the triforce of wisdom. After that Saruk's power died out, the triforce was reunited, and the Sacred Realm restored. Before the man died however he wanted to make sure that Saruk could never cause his torment and pain like he did before so he sealed the Sacred Realm with the Master Sword saying that if the triforce was ever broken up and evil plagued the world again that one of his bloodline who bore the symbol of the triforce would be able to use the master sword to destroy that evil."
"So your telling me you have a symbol of the triforce, because if you are that's impossible, because I know who has, or at least had all three."
"Didn't you ever wonder if there was another power to the triforce?"
"What do you mean?" Link asked a look of confusion and doubt on his face."
"I mean this," the boy said as he lifted his arm to show his wrist. Upon his wrist was the triforce symbol. None of the three triangles were golden, but the middle triangle was black.
"What is that?" Link said quietly as he stared at the black inverted triangle.
"That is hate. The force that causes everything. The hate of being powerless causes power. The hate of being a coward causes courage. The hate of not being wise causes wisdom. The hate of hate causes love. Hate causes everything."
"But why is it black instead of gold."
"Because hate is a void. From hate all good things come.and bad things. The quad-force of hate tears up everything inside the person it chooses if that person is weak. It leaves no emotion, only an empty void, ultimately corrupting them. I try to combat that void by fighting evil."
"Like Ganadorf and his army of skeletons. What were they anyway?"
"Those skeletons were servants of Saruk. Ganadorf was too."
"Saruk is out again and Ganadorf was his servant. How is that possible? Ganadorf was the most evil man."
"No he wasn't," Carb snapped back. "Saruk was revived by Ganadorf when he was in the Evil Realm. Over time, Saruk figured out a way to escape the evil realm. He is now conquering the world again. Ganadorf was sent to Hyrule to invade it. Other such captains like him have scattered throughout the planet conquering peoples."
"Wait," Link said. "Didn't you say that the man that had the quad- force of courage say that only someone in his blood line could use the master sword? Does that mean you're related to me."
"Yes," Carb said as if he were remembering a painful memory. "You're my uncle. You had an older sister, my mother. I was about three when it all started. My mother was gravely wounded when the castle was attacked. She told my brother to take me away from Hyrule because she feared what would happen. Then she died. My brother did what he was told and started on the long journey to the land of Gisnak. Along the way, we came upon a band of robbers. They beat up my brother and took everything we had. My brother went the rest of the trip without any food and with very little water just so I would live. When we got there, he died. That's when the quad-force was broken up and I was chosen for hate. It didn't show until I was ten when the rest of the people were revealed. The people of Gisnak knew what it was and taught me how to deal with it. I spent my life fighting robbers and such people until Saruk came back."
"So why exactly did you come here."
"Because I need you. The man that defeated Saruk all those years again had a weapon. A weapon that he himself created. It was the arrow of darkness. This arrow sent an evil picture into the mind so horrible even the most corrupt were hurt by it. He used this weapon only for righteous purposes, and when he defeated Saruk, he sealed it in a temple that only the person with the quad-force of courage could enter. This weapon will be needed if we want to defeat Saruk again."
"So you need me to go into the temple and get the arrow for you."
"Yes, that and something I will tell you when the time is right. It will be a long and dangerous quest. Do you accept it?" Link sat there a moment pondering what to do.
"Will this Saruk come for Hyrule if he is not stopped?" Link asked after a while.
"Most defiantly. If he is not stopped he will take over this entire world."
"Then I accept. How long will it take to get to Gisnak?"
"Seven days horseback," Carb said. "We leave at dusk."
"Can I have my sword back?" Link asked as Carb was about to leave.
"You can have it back when the time comes. For now, give me the sheath. Get something from your armory till that time comes. "
The Journey
Carb sat on his horse right outside the drawbridge of Hyrule castle waiting for Link. Soon the stage will be set, he thought to himself. I may die, but it will not be in vain. Then the drawbridge lowered and out came two horses. On one sat Link on the other sat Zelda.
"She shouldn't come," Link said as the pair approached him. "It will be dangerous."
"I've handled danger before," she said angrily. "I've ran seven years from Ganadorf, and I risked my life during the final stages of that battle when I had to open the gates."
"She'll be alright," Link said in her defense.
"Fine," Carb said with a sigh. "Let's head out." With that he gave his horse a kick to the side and he went riding off into the distance. Zelda followed him, and finally Link riding Epona.
"So were are we going?" Zelda asked after a while.
"The land of Gisnak," Carb responded. "We go into the Haunted Wasteland and I'll show the way to the proper place. From there, we'll primarily cross open stretches of fields and prairies. There is the Doom Forest, but I've bin through that so many times it should be easy. When we reach the edge of Gisnak, we'll meet up with some people I know. From there we go to the temple."
The three rode till dawn before they reached the Gerudu Valley. They entered the fortress area and dismounted. Carb surveyed the area, looking at the Gerudu patrol routes.
"What do we do now?" Zelda asked. "Link may have a card, but the rest of us don't. How are we going to get through the gate?"
"They'll let us through," Carb said as he got back on his horse. "Trust me." He then rode up the hill toward the gate leading into the Haunted Wasteland. Several Gerudu guards charged their blades lowered. Carb leaped of his horse and grabbed one of the guards pulling her close. He then unsheathed the Master sword and held it up to her neck.
"You'll let us through or she dies," Carb said as the guards stopped their attack and circled around the three. "Make your decision fast. I'm growing impatient."
"How can we trust you?" one of the guards said at last.
"You can't," Carb replied, but wouldn't you rather at least give your friend a chance to live?"
"Do it," the captive Gerudu said as she tugged at Carb's arm.
"Open the gate," the Gerudu that spoke before said. The gate groaned as it went up making a way for the three to get though. Carb slowly walked toward the gate, keeping the sword to the girl's throat and rotating to watch the other guards. Carb's horse followed him to the other side of the gate. Zelda followed, and finally Link came riding out.
"It's Link!" one of the other guards shouted. Screams of rage from the other Gerudus followed as they recognized the accomplice of their assailant.
"Link," a third Gerudu that appeared to be their leader spoke. "You are forever banned from the Gerudu fortress. If your are ever caught around here again, we shall feed on your flesh while staring into your head which will sit on a platter." Link rode out under the gate, his head lowered. Jeers and shouts from the Gerudus filled the air as the gate slammed shut behind him.
The three rode through the wasteland in silence. The sand whipped across their faces as the winds ferociously blew. The three rode around for what seemed like hours, never even crossing the river of sand.
Is this my end? Zelda thought as she and her horse struggled through the barren desert. Is this how I'm going to die? By following around a maniac through a wasteland were not even the most trained to survive can survive in more then a day? Then they all saw it. A small patch of desert grass growing about ten feet in front of them. It wasn't much but it was a sign of life; a sign that they were getting close to one of the ends of the wasteland. Soon plant followed plant and the winds started to die down, and the night sky was starting to become visible. The three horses trudged along through the sand, exhausted after their hard trip through the desert. They trudged up a giant dune that seemed to go on forever. Finally, they reached the top and all three of them jumped off their horses and ran into the peaceful, grass-covered prairie. The horses followed them down and immediately started to roll around in the cool river water.
"It's so beautiful," Zelda said as she splashed around in the water. Link followed her lead and jumped into the water. Carb was the only one of them to stay standing. He just stood there, his face showing no expression as if he was in a trance. "What's wrong?" Zelda asked she noticed his odd expression. Carb pulled out the master sword and once again returned to his stance.
"There's evil around us," he said as he marched toward a clump of trees. "A band of robbers." Immediately after that, an arrow shot out of the bushes heading directly for Carb. The boy sidestepped letting the arrow wiz by him. He then ran and jumped into the bushes. Their was a clash of steal and followed by a scream. Two people dressed in black ran out of the bushes, Carb coming immediately after. One of them turned around and was about to shoot another arrow when an arrow from Link's bow shot him through the back of the throat. The man gave out a small gurgling noise before he dropped to the ground.
"Well how does it feel to fear," Carb said as he advanced on the remaining bandit.
"Stay back!" the man yelled as he retreated. Carb just ran forward and when the man swung his knife, he kicked it out of his hand and came in behind him, once again holding the master sword to his throat.
"Don't do it," Link shouted as he ran over to the two.
"He is a robber," Carb replied his voice full of hate. "All robbers deserve to die." With that, he pulled the blade across his throat and threw him into the water.
"What do you hope to accomplish with this quest?" Link shouted. "I mean really, all we've done is got me banned from Gerudu valley and killed a band of robbers that didn't have to die."
"I'm trying to rid the world of scum like them and Saruk," he replied as he wiped the blood of the master sword using the dead mans cloak.
"Well not the way to do it," Link snapped back.
"Different people do things differently," Carb said as he walked away. "I'm going to get some food. Have a fire started by the time I get back." Link gave a look of disgust at the boy before he went and picked up the bodies and buried them.
Link layed down around the fire and brushed away a hair from the sleeping Zelda. He looked across the way to the black garbed boy who also layed down. He had calmed down some about the incident that had happened earlier that night. Finally he broke the silence.
"How did you kill Ganadorf?" Link asked.
"What do you mean?" Carb responded, giving Link a funny look.
"The legend says that the hero of time will kill the evil one. Does that mean I'm not the hero of time?"
"No, you're the hero of time. Ganadorf just wasn't the evil one."
"Well why couldn't I kill Ganadorf, only banish him."
"Because he was the bearer of the quad-force of power. Only the bearer of hate can kill the bearer of power and only the bearer of power can kill the bearer of hate. Now I have some questions for you. When I heard about you the first time, it was said you had a faithful companion. A fairy. Where is it now?"
"Navi," Link said as if he were remembering fond memories. "She was my companion for the quest to save Hyrule. When I was done, she had to leave. I never saw her again after that. She's probably off being some true Kokiri kid's fairy."
"You mean this entire thing is not to save Hyrule." Zelda asked as she rubbed her eyes and sat up.
"No," Carb responded as he remembered the grim reality. "This is about saving the world."
The Forest
The three rode down a never-ending dirt path for three more days. There were no incidents like the night they came out of the haunted wasteland. They just traveled along the long stretch of prairie as fast as their horses would take them. About noon of the fourth day, the companions reached the Doom Forest.
"What is that patch of trees ahead?" Link asked as he fed Epona some of the sweet prairie grass.
"That, my friend," Carb said as he stepped up next Link, "is the Doom Forest.
"Sounds like a nice place," Link responded casualty.
"Don't worry it is," Carb replied. "It's got lava rivers, killer trees, and don't forget the massive infestation of wolfos" He then turned to Zelda. "You up to it still?"
"Of course I'm up to it," she responded. "I've dealt with wolfos before."
"I bet not in the numbers I'm talking about," he said with a chuckle.
The group reached the edge of the forest by nightfall. The trees knots, twisted leafless branches, and black bark gave them an evil appearance. The ground was parched brown dirt with a fine covering of dust and a few dead shoots of trees that tried to make it but couldn't.
"Shouldn't we rest here?" Zelda asked, as they got deeper into the dark forest. "I can hardly even see where I'm going."
"Nope," Carb said as he led the group deeper and deeper into the forest. "Can't stop while going through the Doom forest."
"Why not," Link questioned as he looked at one of the gnarled trees.
"The killer trees. If something stays in one place to long they grow around it, sucking out its life." A loud, piercing howl filled the air. Carb pulled out a small bow and quiver from a hidden compartment in his jacket. "Get out your bow," Carb ordered as he strung an arrow, but Link already had. "Shoot with your ears and at their eyes." Carb said as he pulled the string back and fired. A howl of the dying Wolfos replaced the other howls as the wolfos fell to the ground and evaporated.
"With pleasure," Link said as he to score a hit on one of the evil wolf like creatures that he had killed so many times before. One popped out of the ground near Zelda and moved in for the kill. It was about to swipe it's massive claws when she pulled out a knife and slashed the beast across the chest, killing it instantly. The group traveled through the woods this way killing the wolfos that dared give away their position and stabbing the ones that got to close. Eventually they started to see the light of fires ahead.
"What is that?" Link asked as he killed another wolfos.
"Wolfos camp," Carb replied. Before long they reached, an opening, Link, and Zelda were shocked at what they saw. Hundreds of wolfos rested around fires.
"Wow," Zelda said in a trance like voice as she stared mindlessly at the masses of wolfos that were before her. "How are ever going to get by them?"
"Leave that to me," Carb said coolly as he dismounted his horse. He stood there in a moment of self-meditation then he raised his hand into the air. A fireball appeared in his hand and grew larger and larger. "Din's hell!" Carb screamed as he threw the fireball at the wolfos camp. The ball exploded engulfing almost all of the wolfos in scorching flames. Howls of pain and agony came from the wolfos as they ran around, fire burning their hairy bodies. The ones that did survive fled into the forest in terror.
"Wow," Zelda repeated as she stared at the carnage before her. Carb got back on his steed and rode of through the fire as if nothing had happened. The other two followed.
He's such a casual killer. Link thought to him as he looked at the burning carcass's of the wolfos. Not even, I, the hero of time, could kill that many wolfos without flinching. How can he cause that much carnage without even thinking twice about it? It must be the quad-force of hate.
The three rode on through the forest for several more hours, the wolfos not daring to near them. It was an uneventful few hours. They hopped over some of the red-hot lava rivers that Carb had mentioned but that was the only danger they came across. Finally, they reached the edge of the forest.
"It's so nice to see the sky again," Link said as he gazed up at the star filled night sky.
"Enjoy it while you can," Carb said as he jumped off his horse and rolled out a blanket that he would sleep on. "Daylight will be here in a few hours. I want to leave at dawn so we can meet my friends by the next dawn."
"I thought you said it was a seven day trip?" Link said as he to rolled out his blanket. Zelda was already asleep on the grass.
"I took a short-cut through the woods. She must have bin tired," Carb said as he glanced over at Zelda.
"Yeah," Link replied as he picked her up and layed her down on his blanket. "She's strong, but with the way you've bin pushing us, she's really wearing out. She hasn't done something like this for three years." There was a short pause then Link spoke again. "What was that you did back there with the wolfos?"
"It's called Din's Hell. It's a more advanced version of your Din's Fire. It shoots a ball of fire out and the ball explodes on impact. It's what I used to clear a path at the market place battle."
"What happened to the quad-force of power? Did it go back to the temple of time, waiting for the other three carriers to die and the quad- force reunite?"
"No. Ganadorf didn't die of natural causes so the tri-force didn't return to the Temple of Time. Instead it went to the most worthy living host; Saruk."
"Oh," Link said as he yawned and layed down next to Zelda. Soon he was asleep.
The Temple
Carb, Link, and Zelda rode their galloping horses toward three figures that stood on the horizon with their horses.
"Who are those people?" Link called out to Carb as they neared the trio on a hilltop ahead.
"One's a guy named Tresnick, he raised me when I was an orphan. One's a boy about ten years of age, Kresnik, his son, and the last is what I guess you would call my girlfriend, a girl named Kinsy."
"Can we trust these people?" Zelda asked.
"Those people would gladly give up their lives to save the lives of others," Carb snapped back in their defense. The rest of their ride to the waiting people was quiet. When they reached the hilltop, Carb hopped off of his horse and ran over to the girl standing there. She was a beautiful girl, about 16 years old. She had pitch-black hair that was tied up in a bun and eyes that nearly matched. They kissed and embraced each other tightly for a few moments
"I missed you," Carb said as he brushed one of the stray hairs out of her eyes.
"I missed you too," Kinsy replied. "I got you something." She then pulled out a dazzling shield made entirely of diamond.
"It looks just like Koranis's," he said as he looked in awe at the spectacular shield.
"It is," she said with a thin smile. "I killed him myself. It has no edges that it can be hit at any edge to shatter it so it's practically indestructible." She then turned her attention to Link who was brushing off some leaves from Epona's back. "Is he the one?" she asked as she helped Carb strap on his new shield.
"Yeah. We need to get him to the temple as soon as possible." Carb then walked over to his other two friends. Tresnick stood there his face an emotionless rock. His son did the same. Carb walked up and stood so close to Tresnick that they could have head butted each other. Then all three of their faces turned into gleeful smiles.
"How have you bin?" Tresnick asked as he embraced the young warrior. "You defeated Ganadorf right?"
"Yep he said as he gave Kresnik a rub to the head. "I heard you didn't to bad yourself."
"If you're referring to Koranis, it was all Kinsy. We scarred that man running and she just gave him an arrow to the back."
"Shouldn't we get going," Zelda called out impatiently.
"Who's that?" Kresnik asked as he starred at the beautiful queen in her young 20's.
"That's Queen Zelda of Hyrule," Carb responded. "We should get going." He then walked off toward his horse. After a minute of preparation, the now group of six rode of toward the temple.
The group rode on for about an hour before they came to any sign of life. When they did, it was a small village with a few scattered buildings. The six rode down into the village were there were some people working out in fields. No one really paid any attention to the six people coming their way. A few of the children waved to them as they entered the town, but other then that, they were totally ignored. Carb dismounted and walked toward one of the buildings. The other five members of the party followed.
"Are we going to a store for supplies?" Link questioned as he walked next to Carb.
"No," Carb said as he opened the door to the building. "The temple is here." The room the six companions entered was small, with a few chairs and a table.
"Hi Carb," a small girl said as she saw the other six enter. "Are you here to get the arrow?"
"Yeah. Can we go to the temple?"
"Sure," the girl said as she went back to work in her bedroom.
"Every one except Link stay here," Carb said as he opened another door that led to a basement. The two quad-force bearers walked down the staircase. The basement was dark and had wooden boxes scattered around. Carb walked over to one of the boxes and pushed it to the side revealing a hole large enough to drop into. Carb did so, and Link, with a bit of hesitation followed. He landed on hard, damp soil. Carb was already standing up with a torch. Silently, the two walked through a small corridor, lined with stones. After a brief walk, they entered a large room with a single door. Above it was inscribed the courage symbol.
"Here it is, the Temple of Darkness," Carb said as he put the torch in its holder. "I don't know much about it except the fact only the holder of the quad-force of courage can enter and it holds the arrow of darkness. You'll more then likely need your bow and sword."
"Right," Link said as he pulled out the Bigoron sword that he had gotten from the giant Goron so long ago. He then walked over to the to the door and opened it. He walked into a pitch-black room, with no sign of life. That soon changed as a bat flew toward him, intent on a meal. Link swung the massive sword, killing the evil creature. Soon many more came, and Link was eventually swarmed by the winged things. He ripped of several that sank their teeth into his flesh, leaving several small wounds. After several intense minutes of fighting and several painful bites, Link managed to kill all his assailants. Responding to the death of the bats, several torches lit up revealing three doors ahead of him.
Which one should I enter? He thought to himself as he studied the doors. They were all plain wooden doors without any marks to show which one was the right one. Eventually he decided to try the middle. He opened the door and stepped in, except there was no floor. Only a quick drawing of his sword and plunging it into the wall of dirt beneath him saved him from falling into the black pit. He groaned with effort as he pulled himself up to the hilt's height. The ground holding the sword started to give way. Link made a quick grab onto the ledge with one hand just as the massive sword cut through the weak ground. Link sat there for a moment dangling with one hand on the ledge and the other holding his sword for a moment. Then, sheathing his blade, he climbed onto the edge.
"Few," he said with relief as he stared into the hole which he almost fell into. He then stared at the opposite side, troubled by the predicament of not being able to cross it. There has got to be something that will help me cross in one of the other rooms, he thought as he headed over to the door on the left. The room contained a number of switches. He hit one of them with his sword. Heavy vibrations shook him as a roaring sound filled the air. He ran back to the center room. When he opened the door to the middle room, a large block was blocking his path. "Hmm," he said as he pondered what just happened. Before he could think about it any more, the block zipped down into the darkness. "It's timed," Link groaned as he realized the extra, challenge this added.
He experimented with different combinations of switches, which there were in both rooms. He studied what how they manipulated the potential crossing. Eventually he figured out the right pattern. He walked into one room, and paused in a moment of rest before the first switch. Then he hit the switch and ran on to another in the room activating that. He then ran to the other room and hit three switches in there. He returned to the first room and hit the final switch in the pattern. He then ran through the middle door and across the bridge. He did a forward role to complete his crossing just as the bridge fell down into darkness.
He walked down a corridor to another door. He opened it and was shocked by what he saw. There, sitting in a stone chair, was an Iron Knuckle.
The Arrow
"No," Link said softly as he stared at this still figure, clad in thick steel armor. There was something different about this Iron Knuckle though; it had no ax. Link gave it a long suspicious stare. Then he drew his bow and fired a single arrow at it.
The massive figure stirred as it awakened from its slumber. Then it stood up and two massive axes appeared, one in each hand. Link stared in shock as the killing machine slowly walked towards him. The thing swung one of its axes at Link. Link, still in a minor state of shock at the odd thing that had just happened, tried to block the blow with his sword. The force of the swing sent him flying back against a wall. Link just layed there, sitting against the wall dazed as the armored beast proceeded toward him. He came out of his trance just in time to dodge the next blow by rolling forward under the things mighty swing. During the roll, he managed to get in a small stab to his enemies armor.
"Agrhh," the thing said as it felt the blow. It turned around swinging, but Link was already gone. Link got in several more blows like that and eventually the things armor fell to the ground. The creature, now relieved of the weight of his armor came charging toward Link. It swung it's to blades at once, intent on cutting the Hero of Time in three horizontally. Unfortunately for it, Link made a gigantic jump over the things head, plunging his sword into the thing's helmet in the process. The thing let out a final groan of pain and fell to one knee. It then incinerated with a green flame. A large chest appeared in the center of the room.
Link walked around it a couple of times to observe the beautiful gilded wood that made it up. He then walked to the front of it and opened up the chest. He reached into it, pulled out the contents, and held them above his head. He was holding the Arrow of Darkness. It was a single arrow with a ball around the tip like all the other magical arrows he had gotten before. The ball was pitch black.
Welcome carrier of the Triforce of Courage, a voice though in Link's head. Who are you? Link thought back. An image of a large man holding the master sword filled his mind. I am Brace, the creator of the arrow you hold above you. The Arrow of Darkness, a magical arrow so evil, it hurts evil more then the arrow of light. When the time comes, you must use the arrow to stun the evil that plagues the world. When you do, deliver the finishing blow, Hero of Time. It is your destiny.
"Saruk," Link said aloud as he realized whom the Hero of Time's real destiny was. Then Link was transported back into the parlor of the house.
"Did you get it?" Carb asked anxiously when he saw Link appear.
"Yes," Link responded as he looked around the room. Nobody else was there. "Where are the others?"
"Preparing for War," Carb responded as he walked out the door.
"What do you mean?" Link asked with worry about Zelda in his voice.
"Saruk knows that the Arrow of Darkness has bin found. He is coming here with his mobile fortress and army to suppress the war that his coming now that you are here.
"Mobile fortress," Link asked even more confused.
"Yes. Saruk has a flying fortress. He'll be here in a day with his army."
"So what do we do in the mean time?"
"First," he said, "We get our morale up. I am going to make a little speech." He walked outside into the bright sun. There the people of the town had switched from working in fields to perfecting weapons, putting up protective barriers, and setting traps. "Gather round," Carb called out to the people. They stopped their work and came over to form a crowd around him. "Today we are preparing for war," Carb Started. "A war against evil itself, Saruk. Some of you might be thinking that what we are doing is pointless and that we can't beat him and his armies. If so, you're wrong! We have the Hero of Time on our side. We have the Arrow of Darkness on our side. We will win!" With that, cheers erupted from the crowds. Eventually the cheering subsided. "But to do so," Carb went on, "we must work our very hardest. We must make sure that we will be the most prepared we can. So go out there and do your work for the generations ahead of us." There was some more cheering and then the people went back to work. Kinsy approached them.
"That was a very touching speech," she said as she gave Carb a small kiss.
"Thank you. Link give her the arrow."
"No," Kinsy said her face hurt. "Why are you making me do this?"
"Because I need you to tell him when the time comes."
"Then there is no other way?"
"No."
"What's going on here?" Link questioned to try to clear up some of the confusion he had developed while hearing the conversation.
"Nothing. Just give her the arrow," Carb said. Link did what he was told. The tree went off to help prepare for the coming battle.
The Finale
Carb stood there watching the coming hoard of Saruk's skeleton warriors. There were thousands of them, marching in perfect formation. They carried giant scimitars, much like the Gerudu's.
"Hold it, hold it," Carb said as the archers he was with pulled their bows into firing position. Suddenly there was a large blast were the armies of Saruk were marching, blowing many of them to pieces. Still, the emotionless things marched relentlessly toward the position of the resistance fighters.
"Fire," Link said as he himself launched an arrow from a bow. Arrow after arrow struck its target, but the enemy armies didn't stop. "Charge," he yelled as he ran forward toward the lines of skeleton fighters. He ran through, killing many of the beasts with the master sword. Kinsy did the same with her two miniature, hand held scythes; and Link with the Bigoron sword. Zelda put a protective shield around the archers as they launched their arrows at the attackers. She saw a ball of fire rip through the lines of the skeletal warriors, sending their bones everywhere.
That would be Carb she thought as explosion after explosion killed their enemies. Yet, the hoards still came charging. Finally Carb exhausted his magical stamina, and cut through the crowds of skeletons using the master sword. He saw Kinsy and went to fight by her side.
"We don't have enough people," she said as she hacked away at their skeleton assailants. They were putting up a good fight, but many of the Gisnakian soldiers were bravely falling to their enemies' weapons.
"I know," Carb responded, pain in his voice. "If we could only get to Saruk we might have a chance, but there are just to many of them. We don't have enough people to break through their lines with." He beheaded one of the skeletons that had just slain one of the Gisnakians.
"If only we had reinforcements," Kinsy said as she herself killed another one of the heartless assailants. "But we called upon everyone in Gisnak. We just don't have enough people."
Carb watched as Tresnick fought bravely with his son. They fought with long, outward curving swords. They killed many of the invaders with these oddly shaped swords. Then a massive push from the aggressors killed them both.
"Nooooooooo!" Carb screamed as he saw his two close friends die. He went on a rampage through the hoard of enemies, tears streaming down his face at the loss of his friends.
Link battled with many of Saruk's soldiers. He beheaded one, and did a spin of magic killing many others. He fought hard and held of many of the invaders, but there was so many and he was starting to tire. He parried on stab from a skeleton and slew it. He then spun just in time to see another attack coming toward him. He dodged the blade, but the hilt came around and hit him in the face. He went sprawling on the ground. He rolled over and the beast that knocked him down was standing over him. He tried to move his hand up in attack, but the thing stomped his foot down on Link's wrist, preventing him to attack. This is it he thought as he braced himself for the blow that would kill him. He stared up at the thing. It moved its blade up and was about to come down and plunge it into his chest when a glaive beheaded the thing. He looked back even farther to see Nabooru, standing there, garbed in her white Gerudu clothes.
"What are you doing here?" he asked as she helped him up.
"Zelda held a council of sages before you embarked and told us to wait a day and follow you with our people's armies." A loud roar filled the air as two Gorons rolled by, their spikes extended. The rolled into the enemy lines and bowled over many, killing them. Link then became aware of all the armies around him. There were Zorans launching their boomerang fins, and when the skeletons got to close, many Gerudu warriors with their glaives and scimitars defended them. There was also many Gorons who rolled through the enemy lines or tossed their bombs into them. The mysterious Shekah were also present. They through deku nuts to blind the invaders. The blinded warriors then swung their blades aimlessly, killing each other.
"You should have told the Gerudus at the fortress the reason you were passing through. If they had known they would have let you and your friends through."
"Well I would have, but my friend was a little bit hasty with his little stunt. Anyway, does that mean I'm allowed back into the fortress."
"Sure," Nabooru said as she cut down another enemy. Carb and Kinsy then approached them, Carb's eyes a flaming red.
"We're going to Saruk," Carb said as he turned and headed toward the flying black fortress that was at the back of the now falling hoards of his skeleton warriors. The three people made there way through the swarming combatants, killing many of them. Finally, they made it to Saruk's fortress.
It was a tall dark structure made of black stone. It had many towers that shot up form the main structure. On the top of the tallest one was a small figure.
The fortress was currently resting on the ground. Carb cut the drawbridge that opened up into the fortress. They ran up thousands of cold, stone steps to reach the top of the evil structure. When they did, Carb kicked down the door, which led to the tower where Saruk watched the battle unfurl. It was a large circular top, much like an arena. Saruk was standing in the middle with his back turned to them. What was a small figure on the ground was now a creature about the size of Gannon. He turned around and Link saw the person he had seen in his dreams so many times before. With his evil red face and dark red eyes. He was clad in black, iron armor and was armed with a large curved sword.
"Welcome," he said in a distorted evil voice. Carb answered by drawing the master sword and his crystal sheath. "I see you want to fight, bearer of hate. Well, I will kill you then!" With that, he launched an attack. Carb sidestepped and slashed at Saruk. The blow was blocked by Saruk's blade that went and attacked again. They battled furiously across the arena like tower. Both fought well and with amazing skill and speed.
"You fight well," Saruk said as he parried a shot from Carb and swung at Carb's head.
"Shut up," Carb responded as he dodged the move. His eyes were madder then ever.
"But not well enough!" Saruk screamed as he jumped and brought down his sword hard. Carb attempted to block the blow with his crystal shield, but the force of the blow shattered the shield into a million tiny crystals. Carb flew onto the ground and layed there.
"That's impossible," Kinsy stared in horror and fear. "That shield had no edges. It couldn't shatter."
"Nothing is impossible my dear," Saruk said in his evil voice as he walked over to Carb, and picked him up by the head.
"No," Kinsy whispered as she watched Saruk run Carb through with his blade. Carb head rolled back, his face full of pain. Then he brought it back up and glared at Saruk, a thin smile creeping across his face. It was the first sign of happiness he had seen from the boy.
"What are you smiling for boy?" Saruk asked as he glared back.
"The fact that you just killed yourself."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean you just put up the last prop to set the stage. The script has bin written, the stage set. Now you just have to act it out. Your dead. You won't beat him."
"I am much more powerful then I was when I fought Brace."
"And brace wasn't the Hero of Time was he."
"Shut up!" Saruk screamed as he threw Carb like a small doll. Carb slammed into the tower wall were the door was. All his bones shattered as he fell to the ground.dead.
"No," Kinsy said again. She then took out the arrow of darkness and handed it to Link. "This is the arrow of darkness. Use it to stun Saruk," she said. The words were scripted and she knew exactly what to say. "Brace had both the quad-force of power and hate. You will soon inherit it from Carb. You will know how to use it perfectly and it will never corrupt because of it. Be even more powerful then Saruk, Hero of Time. Kill Saruk, it is your destiny." She then ran over to her dead boyfriends side and cried.
Link was pulsing with rage. So much, rage he couldn't control it. He felt a burning on his wrist were his other quad-force symbol was. He looked down and saw the black, permanent mark of hate. He held up his wrist to show it to Saruk. He then walked over and got the Master Sword.
"No," Saruk said. There was a distinct fear in his distorted voice. "No!" he yelled again as he swung his sword at the man in the green tunic that was before him. Link merely made a slight shift of his foot to dodge the blow. Saruk assaulted again and again it was dodged as if it were not even a problem. Then Saruk jumped and swung down again, intent on finishing the fight. Link merely blocked it with ease. A look of shock filled Saruk's face. "Fear me," Link said. He then kicked the gargantuan man in the stomach. He leaned forward clutching his hurt stomach as if asking to get kicked in the face. Link answered his request by giving Saruk a mighty blow to the nose, causing it to collapse into his face. Saruk went flying over the edge of the tower and onto one of the lower ones. Link walked over to the edge of the tower.
"HOW CAN THIS BE?" Saruk screamed as he felt his broken nose. "HOW ARE YOU BEATING ME?" He then broke into a fearful sob. "WHAT ARE YOU?"
"I'm the king of the castle and you're the dirty rascal," Link chanted. He then raised his hand above his head. "Din's hell!" he screamed as he threw a ball of fire at his opponent. It hit Saruk and exploded. Saruk hardly felt the blast, but he knew it was only to blind him. He was about to go into a swinging frenzy when he felt an arrow pierce his chest. Evil thoughts filled his head. They were so evil, so evil they scarred him. They wouldn't stop coming. Before he could regain his thoughts, the cold blade of the Master Sword separated him from his legs.
"How?" he asked himself once again, as he incinerated into the fire that all his minions burned up in when they were killed.
Epilogue
Link walked through the castle courtyard next to Zelda's handmaiden, Kinsy. He was waiting for the birth of his first child. It had bin two years after the battle against Saruk and Link had married Zelda and was king of Hyrule.
"Is there a forth Goddess?" he asked the Kinsy. "If there is a quad- force of hate does that mean there is another Goddess?"
"No," Kinsy replied with a sigh. "It is the force that bonds the Goddesses together so it bonds the quad-force together. It really should be called the tri-force. The teachers just allowed the kids to say quad- force to help them understand it better. Eventually it just became a Gisnakian habit."
"What happened to the tri-force of power?"
"Who knows," she said. Then another one of Zelda's handmaidens came running into the courtyard.
"It's a boy, it's a boy!" she screamed excitedly. Link ran down through the stone hallway toward a door. He entered and ran through a maze of rooms until he reached Zelda's quarters. He burst in to see Zelda lying unconscious on her bed.
"Will she be alright?" he asked.
"She'll be fine," a handmaiden said. "She's just tired." She then held out a crying baby wrapped in a white cloth. Link took his son and held it close to him. Immediately the baby stopped crying.
"What should we name him?" Zelda asked as she woke up. Link looked into his eyes. They were eyes he had seen before. They must have bin inherited from the tri-force of hate.
"I think we should name him Carb."