Link sat alone under a two mile tall waterfall, just like his brother used to do for hours at a time. He could barely stand forty-five minutes himself. He used this as a way to clear his mind. He thought about what had happened six months ago.

The Twili had resurfaced, led by what they had believed to be his lover Midna. But it was actually a plot by the Goron elders, turned Twili. His brother, Dimitri had slaughtered all of them, and brought the plot to light. Ralis, the Zora prince who turned into a Twili, was the real conspirator behind it all. Dimitri used the completed triforce to defeat the possessed Ralis. That was where his memory faded out. He didn't know what happened after that.

He never found out what happened to his brother. The only four who remember him were him, Midna, Princess Zelda, and Ralis, who was somehow spared to become Zelda's lover. No one knew how the struggle had ended, but were glad it did. The rest of Hyrule was oblivious to anything that had happened.

"Link?" He heard his lover's voice. He returned to the world of reality. He looked out into the water and saw Midna swimming in the calm, crystal waters. "Would you like to take a break from your waterfall training?"

"That doesn't sound too bad." He stood up shakily under the water pressure. He jumped into the water from the rock he had been sitting on. He came up to the surface behind Midna, holding her close in the water. "I could go for a break."

"It is a beautiful day." Midna leaned into Link and his caressing arms. "Perhaps we should send a message to Zelda and Ralis?"

"Why not?" Link whistled and a hawk came to him in the water. He took paper and pen from the hawk's talons. He wrote while floating with Midna against him. "To Zelda."

The hawk took off, knowing exactly where to go. It had made the journey many times.

"I don't think we will ever lose touch with them." Midna closed her eyes, laying her head back on his shoulder.

"We were all brought together by Dimitri, forever linked by him." Link directed them aimlessly through the Zora Reservoir. "He was my brother, your savior, Ralis' student, and Zelda's lover. I don't see how we'll ever forget him."

"You'd be better off forgetting him." A deep voice rang from the mountain over 10,000 feet above them. They looked up in surprise. They couldn't see anyone. "He was not worth remembering."

"Who the hell are you?!" Link yelled up to the source of the voice. There was a long silence.

"I am a witness of the tragedies of the past." The voice grew louder. "I am the hand that guides this land of Hyrule. I decide which direction you move, Hero of Time… Twilit Princess…"

"How do you know us?!" Midna called. Again, a silence settled.

"I know everything of the past and future. It is the present that confuses me. I have seen what will become of you two. I do not wish for anything to disturb the balance of the triforce." The voice answered. "I am the emissary of the triforce. I keep the world turning. I make sure that darkness does not overtake the light."

"I'm going up there and seeing who he is." Link started bringing them to the shore.

"I want to know too." Midna followed Link out of the water.

They used their physically adept bodies to climb the steep grade in just minutes. They pulled each other over the summit and saw a tall, muscular man wearing a long black cloak covering his body. He had a long broadsword on his back.

"Why do you question me? Am I not believable?" The man asked, hiding behind the cloak pulled over his head. "Why must mortals see to believe?"

"Because they are easily deceived." Link stepped closer to the enigma. The figure did not react.

"But they are just as easily deceived by sight." The figure laughed and remained still.

"Show me your face." Link demanded.

"Why?" He asked.

"You look like someone I used to know." Link grabbed the figure. He ripped the cloak off, but before they could see who it was, the man threw the cloak over Link and Midna. He grabbed both of them, still covered by the cloak, and threw them over the side of the waterfall.

"I am known to everyone, as the bringer of justice. May your death pay tribute to that man who saved your pathetic lives. I wished to be his disciple, but he was taken from this world too early, because he sacrificed himself to save your lives." The figure looked down at the falling couple. "May the reaper have the mercy he refused Dimitri."

Link held Midna in his arms. He braced his muscles and waited for the impact. The cloak flew away and he saw that they were thousands of feet from the surface of the water.

He looked back from where they fell. The man was looking down on them as they fell. He had long silver hair and looked like his brother.

"Midna, I may not survive this." He said in Midna's ear. "I want you to go get Zelda and Ralis. Tell them what happened here and remember that I love you so much."

They hit the water in a flash.

Ralis heard the hawk land on the perch by the window. The window overlooked the entire castle, Castle Town, and the south lands of Hyrule. He propped himself up in the bed he shared with princess Zelda. She was still asleep, so he got up quietly and took the message from the hawk.

"From Link." Ralis reminded himself silently. He read the message, wanting him and Zelda to come to the Zora reservoir. He looked over to his sleeping lover. When she woke, he would ask her if that sounded good to her. He'd wanted to get away from the castle for a while.

Ralis sat in a chair looking out the window. He thought about what the kingdom had gone through, how it had been saved by Link and Dimitri. The brothers that were destined to save them… or destroy them…

"Ralis…?" Zelda stirred, calling out his name. He got up and went to her side. Her eyes were still as beautiful as ever as she looked up at him. She was still tired but didn't show it. "Message from Link?"

"Yes. He wishes for us to meet up with him and Midna at the Zora reservoir." Ralis said as she sat up. "I figured that you would like to take a break from your princess duties."

"That sounds great. Inform the necessary advisors and guards." Zelda rubbed her eyes. "I don't think we'll need any escorts."

"Yes, your majesty." Ralis kissed her forehead and walked from the room.

What Ralis just did reminded her of something from the past. It was the way Dimitri left her in the mornings, years ago. She pushed the thoughts away and got out of the bed. She changed from her nightgown into one of her royal dresses, bearing the symbol of the triforce.

"We have our horses ready. We may leave at any time." Ralis returned. She moved to him and put her arms around him. "Is something wrong, your majesty?"

"No. I just wanted to feel you against me." She looked up and kissed him. "I want to let go of the kingdom today."

"We can do just that." Ralis held her hand as they left the royal chambers. They walked down the stairs and into the courtyard where two gallant white horses waited for them. They saddled them and mounted up. Ralis sheathed a simple sword on his right side.

"Let's go." Zelda egged her horse into a quick gallop with Ralis following. They rode through castle town, hearing many cries from the townspeople. They really did love their princess. They pulled out of the gate and into the north fields.

They took their time in the outside world. They looked to the east and saw the reconstruction on the Bridge of Eldin. Dimitri had destroyed it, killing hundreds of Twili. Their horses stepped on rough ground, telling them they were approaching the mountainous area that led to Zora's reservoir.

When they entered the road at the bottom of the canyon, they immediately felt like they were being watched. Zelda felt eyes on them.

"We should be very careful through here." Ralis warned the princess. He looked in every direction, scouting the path.

"Yes. You should." A woman's voice rang. They stopped immediately. "You should not have come here. Your friends are already dead."

"What are you talking about?!" Zelda asked.

"Link and Midna." The voice answered. "They have been executed for their inability to save the Savior."

"What the hell do you mean?!" Ralis thundered.

"You will also be executed. You could not save him either." The voice came from a different direction. "Especially you, Ralis."

"No harm shall come to the princess." Ralis swore.

"There is nothing you can do." A silver haired man in a black cloak appeared and grabbed the reins of both horses. "Your blood will spill."

He jerked on the reins so hard, it broke both horses' necks. Their bodies crumpled to the ground, sending Ralis and Zelda down as well.

"Nothing will save you from your judgment." He stood over them. Ralis lashed out with his sword, but was shattered by a broadsword the man pulled form his back.

"Dimitri?!" They both cried, the resemblance uncanny.

"He was our Savior. He liberated us from the darkness. You let him die." The man said as a woman appeared. She had long turquoise hair and large glowing wings. Wings?!

"Your punishment is the same as the other two. Death." The man raised his sword. He smiled demonically.

The sword came down. Zelda and Ralis tensed, but felt nothing. They looked up.

"If my brother was your Savior, then that would make me sacred as well." Link held the large blade between his palms. He was badly bruised and bleeding. Midna came to Zelda and Ralis.

"Let's go." Midna stood them up and took them away from the two zealots and Link.

"Why do you look like them?" Link broke the large broadsword with his upper body strength. He threw the broken blade to the ground.

"We are their emissaries." The woman stated.

"They don't need emissaries. Dimitri is dead. I admit I wasn't able to save him. The Great Fairy is in the Gerudo Desert. I know that you are not them. Stop trying to be." Link unsheathed his sword. "I am going to kill you for this. You are ruining my brother's name."

"We are merely spreading the word of his deeds. And punishing those who don't believe… or those who helped cause his death." The man smiled once again. "You were foolish."

"I know this." Link swung at the imposter. He missed barely, but followed up with a string of attacks. The imposter evaded the blows, but did not try to counter.

"Cease your attacks!! The Savior's presence!!" The woman imposter cried. Before Link could say anything, a flash of light blinded him.

"What the hell is this?" The voice was unmistakable. "Why the hell are you doing this?"

Dimitri stood between Link and the imposters. He had his twin broadswords on his back. His silver hair was longer, to the middle of his back now, and straight. He wore a longer black cloak that covered only his back. All over his skin were markings of ancient symbols. He had a triforce on his chest where his heart was.

"My lord!!" The imposters bowed immediately. "We have been graciously awaiting your return. We did not wish to anger you."

"Why do you say these things?" Dimitri asked with no emotion. "I am no savior. I am just a lost warrior of the triforce. I need no remembrance."

"But you saved us my lord!" The imposter of the Great Fairy spoke out.

"Why do you pose as my lover?" Dimitri grew angry. He unsheathed is sword slowly. He deliberately raised the sword and struck her down. The other imposter did not flinch.

"If it is your wish to strike me down my lord, I will let you." He bowed again.

"I do not wish to take lives anymore. I only kill those demeaning to my lover. If you speak anymore blasphemy, I will kill you." Dimitri warned.

"Yes, my lord." He bowed deeper and disappeared.

"Dimitri…" Link had heard the whole conversation. "Where have you been? What do you mean by her as your lover?"

"You will know in due time, brother." Dimitri did not look at him. "It is not yet time."

"Seriously, tell me." Link grabbed his shoulder when he turned away. "Where have you been?"

"I SAID NOT NOW!" Dimitri turned on him with raging eyes. He had not sheathed his sword. "I will tell you another time. I must go to Faron to kill others like them. You may come if you wish."

"What do you mean others like him?" Ralis spoke up.

"There is a new cult that is gaining strength that is worshipping me fanatically. I don't know where they came from, or how they knew about any of the past happening." Dimitri answered. "I have been hunting them for a couple of months now."

"You haven't come to us for help?" Zelda asked.

"I did not wish for you to be involved… or know that I was still alive. I had wished to be known as dead." Dimitri adjusted his cloak over his swords. "Now I must go to Kakariko in Faron to flush out their leader."

"I'll go." Link volunteered. Ralis stepped forward.

"Same here." He nodded.

"We'll go too." Midna and Zelda declared.

"No, you two go to the castle and wait for us." Dimitri ordered. They exhaled in argument, but he silenced them with a stabbing look. "You will do as you're told."

Zelda reluctantly nodded and motioned to Midna.

"Ralis. I want you to escort them back to the castle and take care of them. Do not let anything happen to either of them while we are gone." Dimitri ordered. "Link and I will advance to Kakariko and move on the cultists."

"Ok." Ralis gathered himself. He followed the women and they were soon out of sight.

"What are you thinking right now? And what have you been thinking this past six months?" Link said to break the silence.

"That's not really important." Dimitri checked his broadswords. He was about to walk off when Link stepped in front of him.

"How do I know you're not one of those cultists yourself?" Link tensed.

"You don't, do you?" Dimitri smiled and pushed him aside.

"What have you become?" Link followed after him. "Why have you become like this?"

"I am her servant. I do what I am told to do." Dimitri answered and never looked back. "I love her and she owns my life."

"Isn't such a thing impossible?" Link watched the smooth movements of his older brother.

"Nothing is impossible. Always remember that everything is impossible in theory, until it is done." He laughed at Link's seriousness.

"Is she the one who saved your life years ago when you took me from our parents and ran?" Link asked and Dimitri stopped.

Dimitri stood in silence. He neither turned nor acknowledged the question. He put his hand to his eyes.

Link watched his brother from behind and slowly drew closer. He reached out for his brother, but Dimitri flashed from before his eyes. He felt his brother's godly arm wrapped around his neck from behind.

"Don't ever speak of that again." Dimitri constricted his sibling's neck.

"….Ok…ughhh…" Link gasped for air and Dimitri let go. Dimitri let Link fall and kept walking. It took him a minute to get his breath back.

"We're going to go through the Hyrule Plains and come around to the south of Kakariko. The pass to the north of Kakariko is heavily guarded and not worth the trouble." Dimitri outlined his plan and ignored Link's heavy breathing. "We're going to camp at the gorge until nightfall and then move in from there."

"Ok… Got it…" Link stood up and felt very dizzy. They kept walking over rough terrain in the mountains until they were able to see Hyrule Castle over the plains.

"So where have you been?" Link asked walking alongside Dimitri. He noticed Dimitri had actually gotten taller. And he had already been six foot three inches!

"I have been in the Gerudo Desert with her." Dimitri replied. "Everything had been perfect until about three months ago."

"What happened?" Link stepped over some tall patches of grass.

"A cult appeared and started killing people in my name. Saying that I was the great Savior and all this other bull shit."

"You were…" Link admitted.

"No one was supposed to know that. I wanted you to be the one who took credit, but she told me that no one would remember it and I said that was all the better." Dimitri kept his eyes forward. "They have a very powerful leader, even though I'm not sure who it is. I don't even know their gender… They're very secretive and even she can't see who they are…"

"Does the Great Fairy have a name? It sounds weird just saying she all the time…" Link asked after thinking that it would eventually get confusing.

"Not an official name. The ancient cultures used to call her Creina." Dimitri told him.

"Then let's say that, ok?" Link looked over to Dimitri.

"For your benefit, I guess so." Dimitri shrugged.

"So even Creina can't see them?" Link went back to Dimitri's earlier words. "And she's all seeing…"

"Yes. She is very omniscient…" Dimitri said without emotion.

"What have you decided to do about all this?" Link thought he knew the answer.

"I'm going to kill them. They are profane mockeries that must be disposed of." Dimitri finally smiled.

"That's pretty scary." Link shuddered involuntarily.

The brothers came to the pass leading to the northern end of the newly constructed Bridge of Eldin. They both felt danger as they walked through. Dimitri made a quick motion to Link to be ready. They edged the sides of the stone pass and looked up the slope.

"There's two coming up!!" A loud shout was heard above them. "Wash em out!!"

The ground started shaking and up ahead they saw boulders starting to roll to them. Dimitri looked over at Link and assessed the possibilities. He knew Link couldn't survive a boulder head on.

Dimitri stepped out into the middle of the passageway and sheathed his swords.

"Get behind me!" Dimitri yelled at Link, who quickly scrambled backward to him. "I'm going to stop it all!!"

"Are you crazy?" Link yelled. "Use that insane speed to dodge between them!"

"And leave you to die under an avalanche?" Dimitri wagged his finger at him. "Get ready."

The boulders caught up to them and bore down on them. Dimitri caught one as it sluggishly bounced. It was easily ten times his size. He threw it back and used its momentum to stop several rocks.

"Holy shit!" Link watched Dimitri catch one after another and throw it back; creating a wall that stopped the others from falling on them. When the dust cleared, the rocks were all pinned behind a wall of well placed rock that had been thrown back. "That… was amazing…"

"Not really, just kinda lucky…" Dimitri waved it off. He drew his swords and helped Link to his feet.

"What now?" Link drew his sword as well. Dimitri shrugged and smiled.

"This is the fun part. We kill them." Dimitri bounded over the rock barrier. "This barrier will also keep their reinforcements from coming from Lanaryu."

Dimitri and Link traversed the rocks and rubble through the pass. Halfway up the pass, arrows let loose above them. They rained down by the hundreds. They had underestimated the number of cultists here. Dimitri looked up and saw the gleam of silver hair and turquoise wings mixed together through the shadows of arrows above them.

Link raised his shield and ducked under it. Arrows pelted him as Dimitri swung his sword around his head, using the force to deflect every arrow falling on him. Dimitri took a quick mental count of the cultists in the cliffs above.

"There are at least 400 hundred of them here!" Dimitri called out to his brother who was still taking refuge under his shield. "They were anticipating something!"

"Second volley!!" A cry came over the cultists. They notched their arrows and drew back, ready to let fly. Dimitri looked over to Link and nodded. "Fire!!"

Every bow resounded with elasticity as the arrows were released. Link remained under his shield and grimaced.

"Let you know the fear of God!!" Dimitri reared back with one sword and swept every arrow out of the air with a mighty swing. With the other, he raised it above his head. "And for the right hand of God is the creator"

Dimitri's sword glowed with golden light.

"The left is the destroyer!" He brought the sword down to the ground with a crash that shook the earth beneath them. The concussion shock was so great, miles away at the Castle of Hyrule, the great foundations that stood for centuries rattled and cracked.

The ground ripped open into darkness and the cultists could not prevent themselves from falling in. Dimitri grabbed Link and a single cultist from falling to their immediate death. He threw Link to safety but dangled the cultist over the abyss.

The cultist had silver hair and was rather small. He wore the same cloak as Dimitri and wore a broadsword on his back.

"My God!" He exclaimed after seeing Dimitri up close. "You're him!! The Savior! We are the faithful!"

"I can see that." Dimitri couldn't have cared less. "Who is your leader?"

"You are, my Savior!" His eyes gleamed.

"Who is the leader of my faithful?" Dimitri tried to be more specific. "Who has taught you of my ways?"

"Your most faithful servant." He said as if Dimitri knew who it was supposed to be.

"Refresh my memory. I have many faithful servants." Dimitri was growing impatient.

"The Lady Gaia." He said.

"Where can I find her?" Dimitri was contemplating dropping him already.

"In Kakariko. With the council of the Savior." He finished.

"Now we're getting somewhere… How many are in this 'council?'" Dimitri smiled.

"There are three, with Lady Gaia as the faith leader." The cultist had not struggled one bit.

"And all of them are in Kakariko?" Dimitri clarified.

"No, my Savior. Lady Gaia is in Kakariko until tomorrow. She will be leaving for peak province at dawn. Lord Terra is in Ordon for the next two weeks. Lord Cotta is presiding over matters at Lake Hylia. And Lord Peccavi is in the Gerudo Desert, on a pilgrimage to the Cave of Ordeals… searching for you and Her Holiness." The man rattled.

"You got that Link?" Dimitri looked back and Link nodded. "Your work be done my faithful servant."

"Thank you, my Savior!" He closed his eyes.

"I no longer need you. You may meet me in the afterlife if you are worthy." Dimitri let go and smiled to himself. The man fell quietly, not thrashing or screaming, merely accepting his fate. "They truly believe I am a god."

"Aren't you?" Link asked.

"Very far from it." Dimitri sheathed his swords and continued down the path to the Bridge of Eldin.

"You may as well be one with that kind of strength." Link followed his brother while plucking arrows from his shield.

"I am closer to a demon." Dimitri said with a slight air of humor.

"Touché brother…" Link let it go.

"We have to get to Kakariko before damn and stop this 'Lady Gaia' from getting away. She's the leader, so we'll take care of her first and weaken their spirit and command." Dimitri planned out loud for Link to hear.

"Do you even need me?" Link questioned.

"I might, and I don't like to take chances." Dimitri said simply. The bridge came into view and they could see the workers repairing it.

"Hey look. It's Link!" One of the workers on one of the stone supports crowed as they came nearer. The workers flocked to the Hero of Time.

Dimitri ignored the crowd and walked out onto the freshly laid stone of the bridge. He gazed out into the abyss. He could see the new 'tributary' he had created that led into the darkness. The bridge itself showed some signs of being rattled by the quake Dimitri sent through the ground earlier.

He sighed and sat on the edge, swinging his powerful legs over the side. His mind raced with thoughts from his past. He couldn't stand them anymore. He had thought of taking his life before, but now he had her— Creina, as Link called her. She had made him immortal and owned his heart.

He never thought about his past when he was with her, because time stood still as they were together. And he knew that nothing could ever take her from him. But something he could never understand was his possession of the triforce.

He bore the triforce of power and had now become immortal. There was something wrong with that. To each generation, the triforce would be passed on and the pure of heart would use it to help Hyrule prosper. He couldn't die and pass it on. It was a curse to him now. He controlled so many peoples' fates.

"Hey, Dimitri." Link snapped Dimitri back to reality. "Are you ok?"

"I'm never ok." Dimitri admitted. "Unless I'm with her."

"I'm sorry brother." Link sat beside him. "Want to talk about it?"

"We don't have time." Dimitri stood up and moved down the bridge.

"Fine." Link followed him and they crossed the bridge. There was a great expansive plain in front of them.

"We won't make Kakariko from the south by dawn. There is no way." Dimitri shook his head. He looked up and judged the time to be about two hours before dark. "We'll come from the north."

"Got it." Link would follow his brother anywhere.

"I know what Dimitri will do." Ralis said as he sat across the table from Midna and Zelda. "He'll try to move on Kakariko and capture or kill their leader."

"Ralis? Why didn't we see any of this activity?" Zelda asked, puzzled. "Surely we would have seen something this big brewing…"

"I hadn't noticed anything either." Midna sat back, wondering where Link was.

"They're very good at hiding things… I'm not even sure if Dimitri knows anything." Ralis thought about anything he could have overlooked.

Thoughts started churning in Zelda's thoughts. She remembered what she had felt for Dimitri, the way he had severed her loyally. She remembered the feeling of his muscular, scarred body against her slight, delicate frame. His tanned and rough skin against her smooth and pale skin. Her memories came rushing back, moving her relationship with Ralis aside. She realized that she still wanted him as her own.

Zelda said as she came to this startling revelation. She stood and walked to the window. She gazed out while Midna and Ralis discussed possible things they could do to help Dimitri and Link.

Where are you, Demi? What are you going to do? Zelda zoned out, remember what had been in the past. I thought of you were dead. Why have you been gone this whole time?

"Lady Zelda? Are you alright?" Midna asked from behind her.

"I'm fine." She said, not once moving her eyes from the horizon. "I don't know what we're going to do."

I don't know what I am going to do… Zelda thought as she finally turned around and looked at the other two in the room.

"We need to make our move first." Ralis said suddenly. He got up and put his arms around Zelda. "I want you to stay here with Midna. I'm going to go find Dimitri and Link."

"Ok…" Zelda didn't resist. Ralis held her close, and yet at the same time, became more distant to Zelda. Her mind reeled.

"I'll be gone for a while… most likely until this whole thing is cleared up." Ralis put a sword in his belt. "Midna, please take care of the princess."

"I will." Midna promised. Ralis left the room and told the guards to protect them until he returned. "Princess… what is wrong? I can see it in your eyes…"

"It's nothing." Zelda fell onto her bed. Midna pulled a chair beside the bed and looked her over.

"Are you sick?" She asked.

"You could say that…" Zelda thought about it.

"What is it princess? You can tell me anything. I would never tell anyone." Midna reasoned with her.

"I don't feel like talking about it." Zelda rolled over. "It wouldn't matter anyway."

"Princess… just tell me." Midna commanded softly.

"It's Dimitri… I still love him." Zelda confessed. "I want him with me right now… I would give anything for him to be mine again."

"I don't know what to tell you, Zelda." Midna tried to comfort her.

"It hurts…" Zelda felt a tear travel down her cheek. "I love him so much, and he's been gone so long. I've yearned for him beside me…"

"What about Ralis?" Midna saw where this could lead.

"I love him as well, but not as much as Dimitri… I'm not sure if I could ever feel the same about Ralis as I feel about Dimitri…" Zelda let more tears fall. "He taught me everything… He taught me how to live… To rule… To love…"

"We all have someone like that." Midna stroked her hair. "And we rarely ever get to keep them…"

"But you still have Link…" Zelda rolled over and looked at Midna.

"And I am extremely lucky." Midna wiped a tear away from Zelda's beautiful blue eyes. "I wish you could have kept him… but there is always a reason for everything."

"Did I do something wrong?" Zelda questioned to no one in particular.

"You did something right." Midna answered. "You gave him up…"

"I didn't want to…" Zelda sobbed. She buried her face in her pillow and eventually sobbed herself to sleep. Midna sighed and stroked her hair.

"The world isn't fair, but that's when you have to go with it and let it be." Midna spoke quietly.

Midna relaxed and dozed off in her chair. She awoke when she heard a knock on the door. She went to the door and opened it. In the doorway stood Dimitri. His two broadswords scraped the threshold as he stepped through.

"Dimitri? I thought you were going to deal with the cultists." She started. Dimitri went immediately to Zelda's side and got on his knees.

"I came to see the princess… I have missed her very much these past six months." He looked over the sleeping princess.

"Where are Link and Ralis?" Midna asked from behind him.

"They're in Kakariko, securing the area. Their leader had already left." Dimitri stayed by her side.

"So what are we going to do now?" Midna went to the window. She looked out as it was beginning to get dark. She waited to see the soldiers light the braziers and illuminate the grounds, but no flame was seen. "Where are the flames? It's getting dark…"

"They looked busy when I came up." Dimitri explained. "I believe they suspect cultists in the area. I am about to go hunt them myself, but I was hoping to see Zelda first."

"Please Dimitri; you may go to do it. I will watch the princess while she sleeps." Midna said as Dimitri stood up and turned to her.

"Thank you Midna." Dimitri smiled and stepped toward her. "Link is lucky to have you."

Before Midna could respond, Dimitri lunged into her stomach, knocking her out. Right before she lost consciousness, she realized that he didn't have the triforce mark over his heart. He was a fake.

Ralis had ridden hard for over two hours. He himself was sweating with a mixture of anticipation and worry. He didn't know how it was going to turn out. If Dimitri had risen from his sanctuary, there must be a great threat.

As the wind blew his moist Zora hide, he felt the dread rising. He hadn't been in water for nearly a month. It was very risky for a Zora to stay out of water for too long. He had neglected it for too long and had planned to take care of it when they went to Lake Hylia, and visited his mother's grave.

His chest began to ache with resonant memories of all that had happened the past two years. His mother dying, he himself being infected with Twili influence and becoming the greatest Twili warrior, and suffering defeat at the hands of his former student Dimitri. His student who had come to bear the triforce of power from Ganon. His student who had become the lover of the Great Fairy of Hyrule.

He could feel the place in his chest where Dimitri had impaled him on the holy light of the master sword and his claymores fused together. Even though the Great Fairy had forgiven him and his trespasses… He still felt the hole in his being.

He shook the thoughts away and focused back on the matter at hand. He would worry about all that nonsense later. His white horse brought him to the gate at the southern end of Kakariko Village. It was locked and seemed to be barricaded. Dimitri and Link hadn't been here yet.

"Go home Ralis." A voice declared.

"Who's there?" Ralis inquired. "And how do you know who I am?"

"Who doesn't know the Zora prince and personal body guard to the Princess Zelda?" It was a voice he knew he had heard before, but couldn't remember when or where. "Why have you come here? We have done nothing wrong."

"Then why do you insist that I go home?" Ralis inched closer to the gate. "If you have done nothing wrong, then I should be more than welcome to come and see for myself."

"I believe you are needed elsewhere." He felt that it was a woman's voice. "I believe you should return to the castle."

"And why do you say that?" Ralis looked over his shoulder to the shadow of the castle in the distance. "Do you know something that I don't? Or something that you shouldn't?"

"No, I only know that whatever happens in the next 24 hours will be decided by you." She said with cold precision.

"Why? Why should it be up to me?" Ralis thought about Dimitri, the one with the real power to stop this nonsense.

"Because Dimitri is but a weak pawn. Dimitri and Link will be powerless with our next move. You are the only one who has the ability to make decisions that may endanger lives." She laughed. "You've had experience gambling lives, and losing them. Why should this be any different? With our next move, we eclipse Dimitri and Link and keep them at bay with, let's say, more than underhanded tactics. But, dwelling on one's weakness is another's strength, correct… high tactician of Hyrule?"

"Enough. I won't stand here and listen to this stalling." Ralis drew his sword. "If you want to let me by, then do so. If not, come out here and face me. I will not hesitate to cut down anyone who stands before me."

"Very eager to prove your loyalty to Hyrule after that travesty six months ago?" The voice grew closer. It grew silent and Ralis kept an eye for anything that moved. He then felt breathing on his neck. "So are we."

The voice came from behind him and he turned to face it. Before he could see the woman, his body became paralyzed and his sight disappeared. He could hear everything but saw nothing.

"I don't want to ruin the surprise ending for you." She ran her hand down the side of Ralis' smooth face. "There is so much we need you for. You are much more instrumental to our plan than Dimitri ever would be. We want your experience with the darkness. You could lead again and win this time over Dimitri, the Holy Emissary of the Triforce."

"Let me go." Ralis grunted, his lungs beginning to tighten due to the paralysis.

"I can't do that, little prince." She taunted and ran her hand down his body, admiring the muscles of the Zora leader. "Your cooperation is mandatory. I'm sorry, but you will enjoy the darkness once it has you in its clutches once again."

"I said let go of me damn it!!" Ralis said before the paralysis squeezed the last breath from his body. He fell face first into the hard dirt.

"What do you say, Ralis? How about it? I know you don't want to die here… and I know you want to be with Zelda again." The woman was about to play her trump card. "Even though she wants Dimitri again."

"What?!" Ralis clung for life.

"When Dimitri returned, it awakened the memories Zelda had with him and the feelings she had. They've returned to her and she is lovesick for him… She has cast you aside and wishes to have Dimitri again." She picked Ralis off the ground. "You will be able to take her back once Dimitri is gone and you have shown her that memories aren't everything."

Ralis fought within himself for air and in his mind over what he truly believed. He didn't think she could be making this up. This was too elaborate. And she had power he had never seen before.

"Who are you?" Ralis gasped.

"I go by 'The Lady Gaia' if you please." She could feel her power over him growing. "What do you say, Twili general?"

"I will do what I have to do to take Zelda back." Ralis felt the darkness that was sealed away in him be unlocked. The greatest power, even stronger than Ganon, lie within his being, ready to kill. "And Dimitri will pay for what he did to me six months ago."

Dimitri and Link made it to the edge of the great plane. The sun was starting to go down and Dimitri judged it was going to be about 9 hours of darkness. They were only an hour from Kakariko now and could easily take care of the problems there.

"What is going through your mind?" Link asked, close behind his older brother.

"Aren't you as curious as ever? What do you think is going through my mind?" Dimitri looked back and smiled. He also saw that Link was extremely fatigued and need to rest. He spotted some very tall cliffs that had vines on them. He would set up camp up there and use the vines for a fire. "What say we set up a place to sleep for a couple hours?"

"If you want to…" Link breathed heavily. Link climbed the vines with a slight stagger. When Link had made it up the vines, which were easily ten stories high, Dimitri tensed his leg muscles and jumped up to the cliff.

"Show off." Link pulled some vines over the edge and coiled them up. He was about to use an arrow head and his sword as flint, but Dimitri stopped him. He waved his hand over the vines and they ignited in golden flame. "You have to be able to do everything, don't you?"

"Yes. I do." Dimitri nodded. He showed no sarcasm either. "They are part of being the Holy Emissary…"

"What is Creina doing while you are gone?" Link wondered.

"She's watching over me, protecting me and making sure I do nothing to skew the balance of Light in Hyrule." Dimitri removed his cloak and spread it on the ground. He lay down on it and look up at the stars.

"I wish I had a guardian angel…" Link shrugged.

"You do, you just haven't realized who it is yet." Dimitri closed his eyes. "It may be someone completely unexpected…"

"Like who?" Link looked over at Dimitri.

"I really have no idea." Dimitri admitted.

"Uh-huh…" Link exhaled. They lay in silence for a couple minutes. Link turned back to Dimitri. "What really happened when you fought Ralis?"

"Nothing really. He let the darkness take over… his undoing…" Dimitri watched the whole fight replay in his mind. "It was a hard fought battle. He was probably on par with Ganon for strength and power. I thought for a while I was going to die at his hand."

"Then what happened?" Link listened intently.

"I called upon the Holy Emissary to lend me its power, in exchange of my life. I had to defeat Ralis, no matter what, no matter the cost." Dimitri continued. "After I had banished Ralis to the sacred realm, the reaper came for my life… but she stopped the reaper and said that my life was now hers. The reaper simply left and I was endowed by the Great Fairy as the Holy Emissary of the triforce. She granted me immortality at her side."

"Wow…" Link was nearly speechless.

"I guess…" Dimitri left his eyes closed.

"Makes my adventures pale in comparison…" Link shook it off.

"Not really. You have fought more than I have." Dimitri reassured him.

"But you fought the Goron Elders, Darbus, Ralis, and those other Twili… not to mention the hordes of the dead controlled by Liggs…" Link compared their service records. "That's before factoring up your time as Zelda's bodyguard and head knight of Hyrule."

"That doesn't count anymore." Dimitri waved it off and turned away from the fire.

"Why not?" Link sat up.

"It just doesn't! I left that all behind for a reason." Dimitri raised his voice slightly. "I faked my death by falling off the falls at Lake Hylia almost four years ago. I did that to be free of servitude. I loved Zelda, but I would never serve this kingdom as the head knight."

"You know, there is irony to this." Link pointed out. "You would never serve this kingdom as the head knight, and yet you are now the Holy Emissary of the triforce. You are the chief protector of this land."

"You are mistaken, brother." Dimitri rolled back to look at Link. "I am the chief protector of the Great Fairy and the triforce, not Hyrule. I've always hated this land."

"And why do you hate it?" Link didn't see his reason.

"Because of the hell I went through before I left this country…" Dimitri had never spoken of this before. "Because of our parents…"

"So you blame all of Hyrule for what happened to us?" Link scoffed.

"No, I blame all of Hyrule for what happened to me. You have no idea what has happened since I left you in Ordon with Rusl and Bo. They took you into the village and I left for Kakariko to find our parents." Dimitri began. "You were too young to remember anything and I told Rusl and Bo to never tell you about me. I still wish you had never learned of me and none of this ever would have happened."

"We both know that what happened was inevitable." Link tried to comfort Dimitri. "Ralis would have done the same thing whether you were involved or not. I don't think we could have defeated him without you…"

"That's not important." Dimitri declared.

"The hell it isn't!" Link snorted. "We'd all be up to our neck in Twilit if you hadn't saved us all."

"Whatever. I'm sure you could have done it." Dimitri had always been humble.

"Plus you wouldn't have been reunited with the Great Fairy…" Link reminded him. "Tell me that didn't work out for the better."

"Shut up. Go to sleep." Dimitri barked over the fire.

"You know I'm right." Link lay on his back again.

Link soon fell asleep and Dimitri lay awake, remembering those years ago. He tried his hardest to shake the images from his head but they lingered in his mind.

Can you hear me? Dimitri thought, hoping she would hear him from this far away.

Yes, Demi. I hear you. And I hear your soul crying in pain. Her voice was so soothing to his mind. It was like being in a spring of pure innocence. Why are you in pain?

I keep thinking of what happened with my parents. It won't leave my mind. I wish you were here with me, to hold me. And I want you in my arms, just knowing you're there. Dimitri pleaded with pain in his heart.

I will be there soon Demi. I am expecting a pilgrim here soon. Her voice felt like anesthesia to his bleeding heart.

A pilgrim? Out that far in the desert? Dimitri wondered.

Yes, he has committed himself fully, and when he arrives, he will be rewarded. She confirmed.

Only two people have ever made it to you… Myself and Link… Dimitri thought about it. And you expect him to make it?

I do. I believe he has the heart and faith. She responded.

Something clicked in his mind. Peccavi was going into the desert to find him and the Great Fairy. That was the only pilgrim possible, especially able to make it to the Cave of Ordeals. It was possible he was going to kill them, but assured himself that it wasn't possible now. What would his motive be then?

Be very careful around him. He may try something. Dimitri warned. And I love you so much…

And I love you more than all else. She resounded. I see him on the horizon. I will be weary of him, Demi. I promise. But I must go now. May you have the luck of Hyrule in your journey.

Thank you. Dimitri sat up and looked over at his brother. He was still sleeping soundly. He was about to wake him when a shudder went down his spine. A shudder that rattled him to the core. Something big had just happened, something catastrophic.

"Link, wake up!" Dimitri felt a sense of urgency. Link blinked the sleep from his eyes. "Something just happened!"

"What?" Link could see fear in his brother's eyes, the first time he'd ever seen it. "What happened?"

"I'm not sure, but it was bad." Dimitri used his mind's strength and scanned the entire country of Hyrule. Several things were wrong. He sensed the awakening of a great darkness and he could no longer sense the Great Fairy in the Gerudo desert. He also detected that Zelda, Midna, and Ralis were missing from Hyrule Castle. "There's been a huge power shift."

"What do you mean by that?" Link couldn't make sense of his brother's speech. "What do you mean by 'power shift'?"

"The Great Fairy is missing from the desert; Zelda, Midna, and Ralis are no longer at Hyrule Castle, and something terrifying in power has awakened." Dimitri knew that greater powers were at work. "This is not the work of some radical cultists. There is no way."

"They made a power play and seized every variable at once." Link put it in terms he could understand. "This IS bad…"

"Tell me about it. We have to move now!" Dimitri reequipped his swords. "We have to take Kakariko now!"

"Got it." Link could feel the tension in the air. If Dimitri was spooked, this was a real threat.

Both of them effortlessly cleared the cliff and hit the ground running. Up ahead, they saw the gate being guarded by cultists that looked exactly like Dimitri. When the two brothers grew nearer, the cultists drew their swords and readied themselves.

"Move." Dimitri ordered simply and ran past them. Link was behind him and noticed the look-alikes had listened to him. But as he was running past them, he felt blood splatter on him. He saw their decapitated bodies fall to the ground and blood go everywhere.

What power and speed Dimitri commanded!! Link had never seen such power. He had grown even stronger since defeating Ralis.

Dimitri cut the gate in half with a single motion of his sword. He burst through and immediately converged into a battle with more cultists. Link ran to join him and he noticed that there were thousands here. They all commenced to fighting the two assailants of the village.

"Just kill all of them! I don't care if you know them or not, they die!" Dimitri bellowed a death sentence as he impaled a cultist. He threw the body into several others joining the brawl.

Dimitri and Link piled the bodies and fought until they were coated in blood. More kept coming, almost no end could be seen. Dimitri was letting more and more power bleed through his limitations and was now killing ten or more with every swing while Link took two at the most.

Finally, cultists stopped surging into the fight, and the last one fell under Dimitri's sword. Over a thousand bodies lay on the ground. As they died, the cultists reverted back to what they had originally looked like. They no longer looked like Dimitri and the Great Fairy.

"Well done, Holy Emissary." A voice rang out from the building built into the wall overlooking the village, the post where they watch for threats. "You dispatched them with absolutely no value of human life."

"That's what I came here to do." Dimitri looked up to the source of the voice. It was too high, even for his eyes. "Come down here. Right now."

"I'd rather not. I have somewhere to be right now." He heard the voice carry out more sound and realized it was a woman's voice.

"Are you Lady Gaia?!" Link called out to the woman.

"Yes. I am. And don't worry, I know who both of you are. Don't waste my time telling me who you are." She had a strange presence. A shadow appeared and wrapped around her. "I hope to see you again soon, Dimitri. I hope you will meet me in Peak Province in the next couple of days. I just hope you leave your little brother home this time. He'll slow you down."

"Get down here!" Dimitri ordered again.

"Send Link to Ordon." Lady Gaia responded with an order of her own. "Send him now, and I will gladly comply with your request."

"Why?" Link asked. Dimitri raised his hand to steady Link. "What, brother?"

"Something is happening in Ordon. I can feel it. Go there and eliminate the threat." Dimitri spoke quietly over his shoulder. "I'm not sure what is going to happen here, but I want you to find the one they call Lord Terra and kill him. I'll send for you when I need you."

"Are you sure?" Link sheathed his sword.

"Yes. Everything will be fine." Dimitri smiled. "Just go."

"Ok. Be careful." Link turned and left the village from the south.

"Now come down here." Dimitri ordered once Link had left.

"I'm coming." Her voice came from behind him. He tried to turn but he became paralyzed and lost his vision. In the confusion, he fell on his back, unable to move. "Awww…. Demi fall down."

"Shut up and let me out of this." Dimitri grit his teeth. He could feel the air being pressed out of his lungs.

"I'm sorry, Savior. But you do not make the rules anymore." Her voice was strangely familiar. He felt her pick him up and hold him straight. She pressed against his back and wasn't quite tall enough to reach his ear. "You should remember who I am… I feel slightly hurt that you don't remember me."

"Give me a hint." The effect on his lungs was starting to lessen.

"I gave you my life…" She whispered and then kissed his back.

"When?" Dimitri felt a sense of dread rising.

"Come now, Demi. I gave you my life to bring you to the Twili realm…" She whispered again. "I can't believe you forgot about me."

"Ashei?!" He gained his sight back and was released from the paralysis. He turned around and found the woman who had given her life for him to travel to the Twili realm and battle Ralis. "What are you doing here?"

"I was given a second chance to live pure." She wrapped her arms around him. She wore a long black cloak like his, but adjusted to her height. She had her signature sword at her waist and wore her old chain mail under it all. "You gave me that chance… you and the Great Fairy. When I was sacrificed for that mirror to transport you, I was sent to a different realm. One of no scale of light or dark."

"What are you talking about?" Dimitri stood aghast.

"We were revived. Rusl, Auru, Shad, and myself. We were given another chance." Ashei pressed into Dimitri's chest. "We knew it was your doing. We knew you had become a God at the side of the Great Fairy… So we came to worship you."

"Which was very foolish." Dimitri put his hands on Ashei's shoulders. "Then that means Lord Terra is Rusl, Lord Cotta is Auru, and Lord Peccavi is Shad. I should have noticed something…"

"It's ok, Demi. We didn't want you to know just yet…" Ashei separated reluctantly from Dimitri. "We were waiting until the word was spread of your heroism…"

"It would have been much better if you had said nothing and went back to the life you once had." Dimitri explained.

"The life I once had was an abusive father until I joined the resistance. And once Link defeated Ganon, there was no need for us. Then Link and Zelda called us together to discuss weird phenomena six months ago." Ashei began. "And when you came in, I was asleep… I didn't like you at the beginning, but then I realized how great you really were and still are. It was wrong of me to lash out like that at you."

"It's fine. That is in the past." Dimitri looked around.

"And when you saved me at the Arbiter's Grounds… I was already dead, but you still fought." Her eyes began to well with tears. "But I knew that I should have died. So the only thing I could give you then was my life…"

"And I thank you so much for it… I was able to quell the darkness." Dimitri examined their surroundings. The bodies were laying everywhere.

"And I'm glad you succeeded. I wanted to come back and see you right away, but I learned that you took the Great Fairy as your lover and became immortal." Ashei let a tear from each eye fall. "And I was jealous…"

"I don't see what you're jealous of, Ashei." Dimitri smiled, trying to cheer her up. "I'm just a battle scarred man who serves his Goddess."

"And yet you bear the triforce of power… and have become the Holy Emissary of the triforce." She looked into his eyes. "You hold Hyrule's fate in your hands."

"And what is to be jealous of there?" Dimitri let his feelings show. "Hyrule is not worth protecting anymore…"

"Why do you say that?" Ashei inquired.

"I've watched this land degrade for years. It will become nothing but sand and dust, just like the Gerudo Desert." Dimitri said with disgust. "And hopefully I will not have to protect it anymore."

"What happened to make you think such things?" Ashei looked to the ground.

"Something that happened long before any of this happened… I've just been thinking about it more here lately." Dimitri wrung his head. "And I'd rather not talk about it."

"You are what I want, Demi." Ashei drew closer to Dimitri.

"What?" Dimitri felt a blow from behind. He started to blackout and saw Ashei bent down over him.

"You could have killed him!!" She cried.

"I know he'll live from something like that." A deep voice pierced the darkness clouding his vision. "He's the Holy Emissary, remember?"

Zelda woke up in a small bed. She remembered what Dimitri had taught her. 'Examining your surroundings could make the difference of saving your life.' She looked around without moving her head. No one else was in the room. She couldn't tell where she was. There were no windows.

"Glad you're awake, Princess." Ralis came in though the only door. She sat up and Ralis pulled up a chair beside the bed.

"Where are we?" Zelda looked around again."

"We're in Kakariko." He replied. "I brought you here because the castle was raided. I… have not been able to find Midna…"

"What? How did all this happen?" Zelda couldn't see how it could have happened. Everything had been so peaceful. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Two days." Ralis looked back to the door and Dimitri walked in. "How does it look?"

"Not good." Dimitri pulled a chair beside Ralis'. "We lost them at Kakariko. They left me laying there in the street… I don't remember anything about what happened…"

"As long as you're ok…" Zelda longed to feel him against her again, but Ralis was right beside them.

"I don't even know who knocked me out…" Dimitri shrugged. "When I catch them and that Lady Gaia, I'm going to kill them."

"They're no longer here so I don't know what is going on or where they went." Ralis rubbed his forehead. "I'll be back. I'm going to head up the mountain to speak with the new Goron tribe leader. I will be back later. You can rest here, Dimitri, while I am gone."

"Thanks, Ralis." Dimitri smiled at him. Ralis stood up and left. As soon as Ralis was out the door, Zelda flung herself onto Dimitri.

"Why did you leave, Demi?" She pressed against him.

"I had to." Dimitri put his arms around her gently. "I'm sorry for the pain I caused but I had to go. I couldn't be your knight anymore. I have become the knight of the Great Fairy. I serve her and protect her."

"Please Demi, come back to me… You don't have to be my knight either." Zelda pleaded. "Just come back and love me like you used to!"

"I can't. I love the Great Fairy now. I am loyal and always at her side. I will not leave her." Dimitri squeezed Zelda slightly. "I left you behind, and you have done well. You are the Princess of Hyrule, and have Ralis, the prince of Zoras as your head knight and bodyguard. He's a brilliant tactician and great lover for you. I can read it in his eyes."

"But he's nothing compared to what you were. You were smarter, stronger, and showed me how to love someone correctly… You opened my heart. No offence to Ralis… but you're so much better than him at everything…"

"No. I am not better than Ralis. His sense of duty is greater than anything I'll ever have… and his loyalty will never stray from you." Dimitri explained and raised Zelda's eyes to look into his own. "Now listen to me, my dear Requiem."

"I'm listening, Demi." Zelda remembered when they first made love, Dimitri had called her his little Requiem, an escape from the harsh reality he was bound to.

"I'm no longer the man you desire." Dimitri searched her soul through her eyes. "But there is still love in my heart for you. And nothing will change that… except we will never be together again. I'm sorry, Requiem."

Zelda said nothing, then lifted herself up and pressed her lips against his. They shared a last long passionate kiss, and she knew; it would in fact be the last time she felt his body against hers, the last time she would taste him. It would be the last time, even for a second, he would be hers.

Ralis knew what would happen as soon as he left the tent, but that's what he was counting on. He laughed to himself as his plan had worked. The Dimitri in there with Zelda was another fake, except a perfect replication with access to his memories as well. He would draw on these memories to manipulate her.

"Is it working?" A woman's voice asked from above him.

"I believe so. She's falling for it." Ralis looked through the wall and sensed they were very close indeed.

"Then our first move has succeeded. We took Hyrule Castle, captured the Great Fairy, Dimitri, Midna, and are now manipulating Zelda rather well." Ashei jumped down to Ralis and laughed.

"And Link is headed in Rusl's direction, correct?" Ralis asked.

"I think so. He was told by Dimitri to go to Ordon and wait there until he sent for him. I'm not sure how he's going to do that now…" Ashei half smiled. "Oh well. I know Rusl will complete his mission. Everyone in Ordon believes he never died anyway. I know everything will be ok."

"Still, you know how strong Link is. Even if he's not as strong as Dimitri, he still killed Ganon." Ralis warned.

"Shut up!" Ashei lashed out. "Rusl will take care of it."

"Fine. I won't say another word on the matter." Ralis made sure not to anger her. She was the one with the entire plan. None of the others knew all of it, only their parts. Ralis was itching to pry it out of her, but he didn't think he would be able to do it yet. The darkness flowing through his veins was still gathering its strength back from being sealed for so long.

"As long as you keep your eye on Dimitri. He could fuck up this whole plan." Ashei remarked. "You're the only one close enough to being able to stop him."

"Are you sure you can't do it yourself?" Ralis tested her.

"You know I don't have near enough power to stop the 'Holy Emissary'." Ashei spat. "All I can do is blind and paralyze. That serves me just well."

"Yes ma'am." Ralis said with extra sarcasm. "I'm going to Lake Hylia. I want to see if Auru has completed his little ritual bull shit."

"If he hasn't produced anything, tell him to just quit. It's a waste of time anyway." Ashei said as Ralis mounted a horse. He galloped off to the west. "Have fun, Ralis. We're going to need you."

Ashei kept herself from laughing and walked up the path toward Death Mountain.

What a dumb ass name for a mountain. Ashei thought as she scaled the steep slopes and avoided rockslides with ease. She came to a cliff that led up to where the Gorons lived. She jumped it and landed beside several Gorons.

"Lady Gaia!" The Gorons bowed to her. "He has woken up."

"Good. Has he said anything?" Ashei asked as they led her even farther up the mountain. They went through large metal bulkheads and large caverns, leading even farther into the sweltering volcano.

"Only that he will kill all of us." The lead Goron answered. "But he has had no luck of breaking free in the slightest bit."

"He should know better than to tempt me." Ashei smiled to herself. It took all of the Gorons to twist back the last bulkhead, leading into a room with six pillars. In the middle of all the pillars, the real Dimitri hung, bound with very thick chains around each arm, ankle, his neck, and waist. "You finally wake up, Demi?"

"Don't call me that." Dimitri said coldly.

"Why not? Because that's what the Great Fairy calls you? And that's what Zelda used to call you?" Ashei stood in front of him and egged him on.

"What is in this room?" Dimitri looked around.

"Do you believe in ghosts?" Ashei smirked.

"I do." Dimitri leaned back on the chains that bound him.

"They say the ghosts of Darbus, and his four elders reside here. In all their Twili glory." Ashei walked around Dimitri and looked his chains over. "Couldn't you feel the stifling darkness in here?"

"I felt it the second I regained consciousness." Dimitri looked over at the Gorons who kept their distance from him. They knew what had happened six months ago. They had all been turned into Twili and had seen what he had done to Darbus and the elders. He could smell the fear.

"Well, to put it simply… They're pissed and want to see you die. But they can't due anything physically so they use their Twili essence and seal your powers while you are in here. That way we can hold you and not be a problem. Each chain with its corresponding pillar represents one of them." Ashei looked at the symbols on the pillars.

"That leaves one extra pillar." Dimitri kept his eyes on the Gorons, who began to grow scared of his piercing gaze.

"Eh, mostly for show." Ashei snickered. She turned back around. "But I'm sure you can guess what we've done by now."

"You made a power move." Dimitri finally moved his eyes. "You took several variables out at once."

"Do you know which variables I took?" Ashei stood behind him.

"By the way you're acting, all but one or two." Dimitri read her voice. "I think you are missing a piece, or else you wouldn't come and taunt me."

"You are very clever. Everything you're cracked up to be and more." Ashei put her hands on the shackle around his neck. "But think. What piece did we miss? Do you know?"

"As much as I can't believe it, I know you captured Her." Dimitri knew Ashei knew who he was talking about.

"We did. More easily than previously thought." She breathed on his neck.

"And I'm sure you grabbed Zelda, Midna, and Ralis from Hyrule Castle." Dimitri reviewed the feeling he got before they charged Kakariko. "You haven't captured my brother."

"Amazing Demi." Ashei was genuinely surprised how easily Dimitri assessed the situation under pressure and analyzed the tone of her voice to know exactly what was going on. "You really are a God now."

"I am no God. More along the lines of a demon with a master!!" Dimitri jerked on every chain at once. The pillars quaked but were not fazed. The entire mountain had absorbed the shock and redistributed it elsewhere. "Very good design…"

"Yes. We created it this way." Ashei smiled and came around to face Dimitri. She looked back at the Gorons. "Leave us! And if anyone comes looking for me, I am busy."

"Umm… yes ma'am." The Gorons looked wearily at Dimitri and then left rather quickly. They sealed the bulkhead behind them and left the two in almost complete darkness.

"How long have you been planning this?" Dimitri saw the glow of a Twili in Ashei's eyes.

"Since I was given another chance." Ashei sat down in front of him.

"As a Twili? Why? Don't you realize that the Twili realm is now sealed by the Holy Light?" Dimitri didn't understand her reasons.

"Because there was no other way for us to return…" Ashei shifted her eyes from Dimitri's. "And I needed to come back."

"All four of you fought against the Twili, choosing to die rather than change sides… and now you are all Twili?" Dimitri felt disgusted.

"I'm sorry Demi… But there was no other way…" She felt Dimitri's hate growing.

"I said stop calling me that." Dimitri ordered. Ashei flinched at his command.

"I'm sorry Dimitri." She cried. She stood and turned around. "You don't even know the reasons why we turned!"

"No, I don't and I don't care at this point!! You betrayed the people you defended and you betrayed yourselves!!" Dimitri yelled, pulling at the chains.

"You have nothing else better to do right now, so you're going to listen!! It may not change your mind on how you see us, but then you'll realize why we did it!!" Ashei screamed back.

Dimitri sat quietly, somehow silenced by her outcry.

"Auru turned so he could teach his son, Shad, more about life. Shad turned so he could learn more and hopefully have a family of his own someday. Rusl turned because he has a wife who just had a second son. They couldn't make it without him."

Dimitri listened and his rage slightly lessened, seeing her sincerity. He understood why they turned, but didn't see why they were doing what they were doing now.

"And why did you turn?" Dimitri asked, and watched as Ashei turned back to him.

"Two reasons." She walked back to him. "One. I killed my father in Peak Province…"

"………" Dimitri cast a look of shame on her.

"I know I can't justify it…" She hung her head.

"It's fine. I also killed my father. I am no better than you." Dimitri averted his eyes to the rock ceiling above him. "What was your other reason?"

"I came back to see you…" She said, letting a tear fall. "I wanted to thank you for forgiving me for what all I did… and ending my life when I had been revived against my will. I wanted to thank you for looking past the front I put up."

"I'm not a fan of facades." Dimitri told her. "But I am not worth anything anymore."

"Why do you say that?" Ashei remembered him saying this earlier. "I meant what I said before you blacked out."

"You mean when someone knocked me out?" Dimitri bit her with his words.

"I'm sorry, but we had to." She begged forgiveness with her eyes aglow with Twili flame.

"No matter. I will ask you to release me one time. And then I will be forced to try and break out of here, killing everything in my way." Dimitri cautioned.

"I can't Dimitri." Ashei gave him a forlorn and sincere look. "I wish I could take you for myself and we could just leave, but they won't let me… and your heart is already taken."

"Yes, it is." Dimitri restated. "Now then. I will not hold back. If you wish for your life to be spared, I must ask you to leave now."

"But I can't." Ashei repeated.

"Then I will not regret what I am about to do." Dimitri braced his body and brought each arm the opposite direction with all his strength. The quick motion tipped the pillars on one end. Dimitri watched and waited, hoping they would fall on the chains and break them.

"Come on!" Dimitri yelled. He watched with anticipation and then with disbelief as the pillars fell inward, and caught each other diagonally. "You have got be fucking kidding me!"

All the pillars had tipped inward, but caught each other at an apex above Dimitri's head. The chains slackened and allowed him more movement, but he still found no purchase of escape in any way. He pulled again with all his strength, but it didn't even sway.

"I think you messed up there, Demi." Ashei actually smiled at Dimitri's problem. "At least you can move a little and not have to stand up constantly."

"Damn it!" Dimitri cursed his luck. He knew it would take something of a miracle to get out of this.

Link stepped onto the long wooden bridge that led into the Ordon Province. The memories he had here…

The bridge shook more than usual and he carefully crossed, stealing glances at this feet ever couple of steps. He didn't remember it being this bad.

He finally cleared it, but as soon as he stepped off the bridge, the ropes suspending it gave way and the bridge plummeted into the endless ravine.

"Fucking great…" Link sighed and kept walking. "I can't turn back now anyway."

He walked and looked to his right. He saw the spring where this had all began… Where Ilia had been kidnapped and he went to save her. After saving her, she had lost her memory, and a new quest began. During that quest, he was revealed to be the hero who would save Hyrule from the Twili and Zant. Big laugh when Ganon was revealed to be manipulating Zant.

"Oh, the good old days." Link mouthed to himself. Now he had been swept from the spotlight. All eyes were on Dimitri to save everyone.

"Feels different, doesn't it?" A voice scuttled through the trees above him. "Not being the one everyone is counting on?"

"Who's there?" Link drew his sword.

"Just an old friend you may not have ever wanted to see again." The voice moved around him quickly.

"And why would that be?" Link closed his eyes, listening for the footsteps. He heard a false step ahead of him, and then struck behind his back. He felt a hand grab the blade.

"Very good, Link." A familiar blonde haired man stood behind Link, grasping his sword that was inches from his chest. "You have indeed gotten better."

"I've tried." Link sheathed his sword. "I thought you were dead!"

"I was, but the Great Fairy spared me." Rusl smiled. "Ralis killed me at Lake Hylia, remember?"

"Yeah, the Twili drug you off while we were still in the water. We couldn't get to you fast enough." Link remembered the helplessness he had felt. "And then Dimitri buried you at the bottom of Lake Hylia."

"Yep, and it was a nice place to be buried, but the Great Fairy decided it wasn't my time." Rusl put his arm over Link's shoulders. "You haven't been home in a while. Let us go and visit our neighbors. Where have you been all this time?"

"Midna and I have relocated to the Zora reservoir for a while. We like it there, peaceful and a better place to train myself." Link walked with his former teacher.

"Midna? You have yourself a woman?" Rusl asked with glee.

"You could say that." Link let a smile show through.

"Well then you are a lucky man." Rusl pat him on the back. "Wait until you see my second son. He is a beautiful boy. We named him Link."

"Really?" Link didn't know what to say.

"Of course. We know he'll grow up to be a great man." Rusl assured him.

"It's an honor." Link thought about it.

The two men came to the outskirts of the village and were greeted by everyone in town.

"It's the hero himself!" Mayor Bo came to the front of the gathering. "How have you been boy? You have gotten bigger and stronger. I can tell just by looking at you."

"Thanks, Bo." Link shook his hand. He waved to all of his friends he used to hang out with. Uli, Rusl's wife, moved to the mayor's side. In her arms was a tight bundle with blonde hair sticking out.

"Rusl, Link." Uli walked up to them.

"There he is now." Rusl said and took his younger son in his arms. He showed Link his young, round face. "He looks just like his godfather."

"He does look like me." Link had promised to be the godfather to Rusl's children before the last Twili incident six months ago.

"I believe its getting late." Bo turned to the other people of the village. "You can all talk to Link tomorrow. For now, go home and sleep well tonight."

The people dissipated from around them. Bo smiled and bid them a good night.

"Care to join us for dinner?" Rusl motioned. Link nodded and followed Rusl and Uli to their house.

"Colin won't be joining us tonight. He joined some group in Kakariko and they're doing something tonight." Rusl informed him as they sat down at the table with the fireplace playing shadows against the far wall.

"What kind of group?" Link felt a pit in his stomach.

"They like to wear black and dye their hair silver… They look kinda like Dimitri when they do it. I think they do it just to look cool or something." Uli smiled and set the table. "Rusl told me what Dimitri looks like, and they sound so similar."

"Well that's cool… I guess." Link tried to keep a pleasant look on his face.

"Something the matter?" Rusl looked across the table at him.

"Umm… not really." Link decided to stay quiet. They began to eat and talk about what they had been doing since the last Twili incident.

"I'm going to go to bed now, dear." Uli kissed her husband and went into the next room, shutting the door.

"So what have you been doing since you were revived?" Link was strangely curious.

"I've been taking care of my family." Rusl smiled and pushed his plate away on the table. "And dealing with other problems that arise."

"Like what?" Link finished his meal.

"Just monsters coming into town and stuff like that. Not much else has been happening since you've been gone." Rusl leaned back in his chair.

"Rusl… about that group Colin joined…" Link started.

"The Dimitri Loyalists?" Rusl asked.

"Yeah… them… wait." Link tried to think.

"Don't worry. I know who they are…" Rusl looked at the ceiling. "I'm the one they call Lord Terra."

"What?" Link wasn't sure he understood.

"I am the one they call Lord Terra." Rusl reiterated. "I am one of the leaders of that group."

"Then you're the one killing so many people!" Link stood up.

"Shh." Rusl motioned for him to be quiet. "Uli is sleeping."

"Don't you know what you're doing?" Link sat back down and quieted his voice.

"Of course. But I think Ashei is the only one who knows what's really going on…" Rusl shrugged.

"What are you talking about?" Link felt an adrenaline rush.

"All four of the Resistance were revived by the Great Fairy… or so we thought. It turns out we were really brought back as Twili." Rusl leaned over the table and spoke in a hushed tone. Link could see the dark flame in his eyes when he came closer. "I'm not sure what went wrong, but we were left in some realm that seemed to have no light or darkness. All four of us were there. I had been there longer than the others, but they appeared one by one, until all four us were reunited."

"Ok." Link followed Rusl's story.

"After a while, a huge flash of light came through and blinded us. After the light was gone, Ralis was there. I thought he was still mad with the darkness, but he was back to normal." Rusl continued. "Then we heard the Great Fairy's voice. She said 'each of you have been deemed fit to live again. Each had your lives taken by consequences of darkness, not of natural law'."

Rusl got something to drink and offered Link some. He politely refused.

"Ralis was the first to return to the realm of the living. We watched him fade into the light first. We each waited our turn… but the light went out after Ralis went through." Rusl continued as if in pain. "A light appeared behind us and we were swallowed by it. What we witnessed within this light was horrific. Souls were being tortured and damned to an existence that they would never be without pain."

"Damn…" Link couldn't imagine what it would have been like.

"And then the voice said that the road is different for men and women. Ashei was split from us. The shadows came out and grabbed her, swallowing her and we didn't know what happened to her." Rusl looked into his cup. "I'm pretty sure whatever happened after that is what changed her. It had to have been. We were subjugated to physical tortures, our skin being ripped off, and lashings on bare muscle… It was Hell."

"Oh my god…" Link didn't even want to imagine the images.

"After I don't know how long, we were released into what the voice called the Twili realm. It was bathed in golden light. The triforce shone overhead, giving the place a different dimension to it. We were led up the steps into the main palace, Ashei was still missing." Rusl drummed his fingers on the table nervously. "Our memory was wiped of what happened after we entered the palace. We awoke lying on top of the huge mirror that was made in the Arbiter's Grounds. Ashei was balled up and silently crying. We judged she had been there slightly longer than we had. She wouldn't speak a word to anyone for a whole month."

Link sat in hard silence. He motioned with his hand for Rusl to keep going. Rusl shuddered slightly and nodded.

"On closer inspection of ourselves, we looked into the mirror below us, checking to see if what we had suffered still showed, but it did not. I noticed our eyes first. I told everyone to look into the mirror and examine their eyes. All of our eyes burned with Twili flame. We had been tricked!!" Rusl was about to slam his fist down, but he stopped himself. "We were brought back as the enemy we died fighting! Ashei wouldn't even look in the mirror. She was too scared. Shad carried her on his back until we reached the great stone wall overlooking Lake Hylia. We all jumped to the clear waters below, vowing to meet at the west bank."

"When I got there, Auru was already there. He was looking for Shad and Ashei, but they hadn't made it yet. We both heard a voice pierce our consciousness. It told us to draw out Dimitri. He had caused all of our troubles in the first place. At first, we knew there was no way we could blame Dimitri for what happened… but then we realized… If Dimitri hadn't been involved, we could have still been alive, even if it were under Twili rule, alive nonetheless." Rusl stood and walked to the door. Link followed him outside into the night air. "We began to curse Dimitri and everything he had done. But then Ashei and Shad came ashore, and they hadn't heard the voice. We thought we were going mad, but the thoughts all stuck."

"So what made you decide to do what you've done?" Link finally found words.

"We went back to our normal lives, except Ashei, who was too traumatized and was taken care of by Telma. Telma told us she kept having terrible nightmares, probably remembering what happened to her…" Rusl ran his hand through his short blonde hair. He was sweating slightly in the cool air. "After about a month after we returned, Ashei finally spoke. She called for Dimitri at the top of her lungs, probably cursing him. She told Telma to send for Auru, Shad, and myself. We went to Castle Town and saw her. She lay barely able to move in a bed in the back of Telma's tavern."

"I haven't been anywhere near Castle Town since six months ago." Link pondered everything that he had heard.

"She told us what we were going to do. She said we would discover what we could do with our Twili powers, and use them to draw out Dimitri in any way possible. But a catch would be to not tell each other our powers… I never understood that. I think maybe it was precaution to make sure if something happened to us, we couldn't tell someone about it." Rusl strolled in front of Link to the brook that ran through the village. "I don't know where it went wrong. One of us has the ability to change something's image completely, which we used to make everyone look like Dimitri and the Great Fairy. And another of us has the ability to paralyze and blind someone, leaving them powerless. And the last one is someone can send people through another dimension, but I'm not sure which dimension."

"And what is yours?" Link asked, wondering if Rusl would actually answer him.

"I make illusions… illusions so good that even I'm convinced by them. And they can cover a broad area; say the size of a village." Rusl kneeled down and splashed water in his face. "Care to join me?"

"Don't mind if I do." Link kneeled beside him and splashed water in his own face, wiping off the sweat. But the water felt weird, like it was grating his skin. It felt like… sand!

Link opened his eyes and saw that he had been splashing sand on his face. He looked around and saw that there were no houses. All that was lying around were burnt logs and rubble. At his feet, where the brook had been, was a skeleton.

"You see what a curse I have, Link?" Rusl watched Link's reactions. "This was all destroyed after we realized what powers we had. The power took over our minds; we killed everyone here and burnt the houses to the ground. I used my abilities to recreate this place. I missed my wife so much, and for a while I blamed Dimitri for that too, but then realized that it was all my fault. There was no one to blame but ourselves. I molded the village back to what it was before everything had gone wrong. And lived here while carrying on with the others in Kakariko."

"For how long?" Link couldn't believe what his former mentor had done. Rusl said nothing. Link grabbed him by the collar. "FOR HOW LONG?!"

"Four months." Rusl said. Link couldn't hold back and decked him straight in the mouth with his right fist. Rusl lay on the ground, bleeding from the nose and mouth. He sat back up and didn't bother wiping away the blood. "You're right to hit me… Because I'm here to kill you, and take you out of the picture for Ashei's plan."

"What is the matter with you and Ashei, and Auru and Shad?!" Link grabbed him again. "What the hell could have been so bad to make you turn on your own people?! Your wife died here!! Because of you and Ashei and who the fuck else it was!!"

"You are right, Link." Rusl said, not able to look into his former friend's eyes. "I should no longer be alive… but that voice keeps telling me what to do… bribing me with getting my wife back if I do as Ashei says. I know it is lying… I took her life with my own hands… she would not want to come back to me."

"You bastard!! WHY?! WHY?! WHY?!" Link held him by the throat and slammed him on the ground several times in a row. "I don't care what fucking voice tells you to do something. You should always listen to your heart first!"

"I know Link…" Rusl started to cry. "I know what I've done. I know that death is the only penalty for me, but that voice won't let me die…"

"What are you talking about?!" Link stopped for a second.

"This." Rusl lunged forward and knocked Link several yards back. Link stood and shot a death glare at the one he thought was Rusl. There was no way that could be Rusl anymore. "This man was too weak for his job. Perhaps he would have been better off dead anyway."

"Who the hell are you?!" Link yelled and drew his sword, bleeding.

"I would say your worst nightmare, but I'm not a nightmare. I'm real!" Rusl, or who used to be Rusl, shot straight forward, tackling Link through a burnt wall that was still standing. "Awww… is the Hero of Hyrule, the slayer of Ganon just going to die this easy?"

"Tell me something…" Link kicked his way free of rubble. "Is what all Rusl said true? About the torture and everything?"

"Yes. He was in fact telling the truth." Rusl hissed. "What of it?"

"Then you are going to suffer that a thousand fold!!" Link picked his sword off the ground and charged his enemy.

Zelda stood in the spring at the southern end of Kakariko Village. She looked back up the street and saw Dimitri sitting on the railing of a now deserted store. She knew he was out of her reach now… but she still loved his presence there, watching over her. She would do anything for him.

"Princess." She heard Ralis' voice behind her. "Are you ok out here?"

"Yes, Ralis." She turned and embraced him. But with her eyes over his shoulder, she looked at Dimitri. "I am fine now. I was just tired earlier."

"That's good to hear, Princess." Ralis said as she let go of him. "We'll be here for a little while longer. We are waiting for the one they call Lord Cotta to return. He'll come here thinking Lady Gaia is still here and we will snare him."

"Ok, Ralis. I trust your judgment." Zelda walked onto dry ground and sat down. "What is going to happen after all this is over?"

"I really don't know." Ralis sat beside her and looked over to Dimitri. "I think he will return to the Great Fairy once this is over."

"I believe he will too." She agreed, sad in her heart. "What will happen to Hyrule? Something like this is too big to go unnoticed."

"Remember six months ago? Anything can go unnoticed if we get lucky." Ralis pointed out. "I don't know what will happen though…"

"Let's go." Dimitri stood up and walked toward them. "We need to head back to the castle, something is going on. Ralis, stay here and watch for Cotta."

"Got it." Ralis did not object.

Dimitri helped Zelda saddle a horse and saddled a horse for himself. They rode off toward Hyrule Castle. Ralis smiled demonically as they left. It was all working just as Ashei had said. She was very brilliant.

Ralis let the darkness bleed from his skin, enveloping him in the Twili shroud he had worn six months ago when he was a Twili General.

"It feels so good." The demon inside him had reawakened. Ralis laughed from the depths of the darkness. "For I walk the earth once again."

"You should contain yourself a little better, Ralis." A scratchy voice rasped from the road out of town. "If you just go around displaying your powers, it may upset someone."

"What do you know, Auru?" He faced the oldest of the Resistance. "Soon I will be back in power. And nothing you can do will stop that from happening."

"It won't be me trying to stop you." Auru chuckled and walked right past him. "Is Ashei up the mountain?"

"Yes. She's trying to tame that beast Dimitri." Ralis said his name with the most hate Auru had ever heard someone say a person's name. "Trying to get him to see why this had to happen. It's a waste of fucking time!"

"I agree. Dimitri will never agree with what we have done, but that is his nature." Auru started up the mountain path. Ralis followed behind at a leisurely pace. "He's going to be furious once he finds out the next step of the plan."

"Of course he will." Ralis had a look of delight on his shrouded face.

Dimitri lay on the stone floor of the torrid cavern. He had long removed his cloak and threw it to where his swords wait for him. But he couldn't free himself. He sat thinking of some way to free himself, ignoring Ashei looking at him.

"Why are you still trying, Dimitri?" Ashei asked as Dimitri jerked on the chains while he was lying down. She could see he was getting angry and fed up with the situation.

"Because you have my lover in your possession and I don't know where she is." Dimitri grunted. "I would like to know where she is."

"She is currently in the Arbiter's Grounds." Ashei informed him.

"Why?" Dimitri sat up. He didn't like where this was going.

"Because it's how the plan goes. We capture the Great Fairy and transport her to the Twili Realm via the new mirror there. We keep you locked up here and out of the way. We keep Link and Midna imprisoned by Rusl in Ordon. Then have a perfect copy of you manipulating Zelda and taking her back to Hyrule."

"You're going to use her as a puppet." Dimitri added it all up. Link is out of the way. Midna, the true Twili leader, is out of the way. I'm left here, powerless… but what of Ralis?"

"I want you to be the one to find out. I'm not sure where he is…" Ashei shrugged. "Anything else you would like to add to that?"

"Who is really in control of all of this?" Dimitri got up on one knee. "I know you didn't concoct this whole scheme. I know I'm not the key role in this farce, so who is?"

"The voice that commands us…" Ashei stared off into space, as if remembering something painful. "The voice…"

"What voice are you talking about?" Dimitri pried the issue.

"The voice of the one who led us through Hell." Ashei kept spacing out. Her memories kept her from saying more.

"What exactly happened?" Dimitri didn't understand a word she was saying.

"The voice that led us to where we would be revived after the Twili incident. It told us what we would have to do… We were given punishment, but I'm not sure why." Ashei shivered as she told her recollection of events. "And I didn't receive the same punishment as the men… I could have taken that… but I wasn't prepared for what happened to the women…"

"What kind of torture?" Dimitri could tell how excruciating it had been by her tone of voice and body movements.

"Mental… and other methods…" Ashei stood up and moved to Dimitri. She pushed him back onto the stone floor and lay on his chest. She held him so tight, he was beginning to bruise. Dimitri felt tears on his chest and he put his arms around her, stroking the back of her head.

"It's ok." Dimitri soothed her; she was seizing horribly. He held her tighter and kept soothing her. "I understand what happened, and this would be the correct response. Just let it be in the past… Just let it be in the past."

"But they threatened to do it again, over and over again…" She kept a hold of him.

"You're being kept in line out of fear…" Dimitri said in her ear quietly. "You can't let that fear own you. The suffering you have been through will either kill you or make you stronger. You have to decide which one it will be."

"I don't know… I don't know…" Ashei cried into his body.

"Just calm down. You can get through this." Dimitri looked at the pillars leaning against each other directly overhead. He hadn't foreseen this. It was unexplainable. She had really been traumatized by this, it was no act.

Dimitri had no idea who the voice belonged to, but only one being had any entry into that realm of Hell. The Great Fairy.

He didn't understand any of this, and he wasn't going to get the chance to explain it any time soon. He knew the horrors that souls went through when they were put through that ordeal… especially the women condemned there.

Ashei finally got through her moment of weakness. She still held Dimitri as close as possible.

"Are you ok now?" Dimitri mouthed next to her ear.

"For now…" Ashei replied. Dimitri was not complaining about her current position. He still held her close, with a sense of understanding. He cared about her, whether he knew it consciously or not.

They lay together for nearly an hour, saying nothing, most likely trying to figure out what to say. Dimitri was about to say something when something hit him. A single thought that inspired instant blasphemy in his mind… and yet it was nearly perfect.

It was a setup! The one behind all this was the Great Fairy. He hated himself as soon as it crossed his mind, but it made perfect sense. There should have been no way for anyone to have captured her, Twili or not. She may not have been able to fight openly, but they never would have had the strength to take her. When her presence disappeared, she couldn't have been simply captured; he still would have felt her presence. She had to have crossed into another realm! The Great Fairy herself had punished Ashei and the others. It was a sick game of chess…

"Ashei… what was your plan? What were you supposed to do with the Great Fairy?" Dimitri asked and stroked her hair again.

"We were supposed to bring her to the Twili realm… but I'm not sure why." Ashei had her eyes closed.

"And what were you supposed to make Link and Midna do?" Dimitri kept asking.

"I think they were going to be executed in the Twili realm. I'm not sure who was going to do it though." She was perfectly motionless. Dimitri didn't have much to go on.

"And Ralis?" Dimitri knew this was the key piece of information.

"……I reawakened the Twili inside him before we captured you…… He was the one who knocked you out." Ashei said honestly. "He's supposed to usurp me for control over this plan…"

"That's what the voice told you?" Dimitri glanced to his swords a ways away.

"No, but I know it's supposed to happen by just how the voice has spoken the past couple of times." Ashei was falling asleep.

"Well, you can't let that happen. Things will spiral out of control if he takes over. I can see it already." Dimitri informed her. He was about to go on when he heard the bulkhead moving.

Through the bulkhead stepped Auru and following was a complete darkness. Dimitri could barely sense it, but he knew it was Ralis. Ashei got up and turned to them.

"Been getting a little close?" Auru smiled a little.

"I'm surprised he didn't kill you." Ralis stepped out from behind Auru. "You should be careful around him. I'm sure he's willing to do anything to escape and see his Great Fairy."

"Of course, Ralis. And I will make it to her, at any cost." Dimitri said half sarcasm, half serious.

"How are things coming along?" Ashei dusted herself off and rubbed her eyes.

"No word from Rusl about Link and Midna, but we are confident in his abilities. Shad is waiting for us on the other side. All that's left is for all of us to join him. We have Zelda in position, and Dimitri here is taken care of." Auru gave her the rundown. "Do you want to go ahead and go?"

"Should we? And leave Rusl and Link as uncontrolled variables? Say Rusl does fail…" Ashei pondered. "We all know how strong Link is. He stands a good chance against Rusl…"

"But still, Rusl will not Link live even if he himself dies." Ralis stopped Ashei's wondering. "Let's go and leave this bastard to rot."

"Why thank you for you hospitality, Oh great Twili master!" Dimitri glared at him. Ralis took his time and walked toward Dimitri. He stood face to face with him now. "What? What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to seal off this entire mountain behind us, and you are going to be fucked." Ralis punched Dimitri with every ounce of his Twili strength. Ralis heard a very satisfying snap as Dimitri landed on the stone floor. He wasn't moving anymore. "And I bid you farewell, stupid son of a bitch…"

"Then we will be leaving?" Auru looked at Ashei.

"Yes… We will leave." Ashei looked one last time at Dimitri, who was now lying in a pool of blood. "Ralis. Seal it all off behind us."

"Gladly." Ralis watched Ashei and Auru leave the chamber. Ralis turned back to Dimitri. "You hear that? It's all over now. I know that as strong as you are, there will be know way of escaping from this place by yourself. And I'm quite sure no help will be coming for you. Enjoy your little Hell!"

"Then leave already and stop gloating." Dimitri said, not moving from the floor. "You're giving me time to formulate a plan, dumb ass."

"That's because I know none of your plans will work, no matter how crazy and unpredictable they are." Ralis picked Dimitri up off the ground. "Show me what you've got."

"I don't have anything yet." Dimitri smiled and lifted a hand. There was more slack in the chain than Ralis had seen. Dimitri countered the cheap shot Ralis gave him with one that he knew was much more powerful. On impact, Dimitri felt the side of Ralis' face collapse. As soon as he pulled his arm back, he saw the Twili blood coating his arm. "And I've always been able to give a hell of a shot."

"You….bastard…" Ralis spat blood and fell to the ground. Dimitri didn't have to see past the shroud of darkness to see what damage had been done. The whole left side of his skull was shattered. Dimitri fell to the ground and felt dark energy run through his chains, preventing him from doing anything else. Ralis crawled to the door. "You will pay for that. Trust me, I will come back and make sure you die now!!"

"Run like a coward." Dimitri stood in place and watched his enemy crawl away. "I'll make sure you see me again. Count on it."

Ralis crawled through the door. After about five minutes, Ashei ducked he head into the chamber.

"I hope you decide to kill yourself before you have to starve." Ashei called out. But as she was turning to leave, she threw a key across the floor, sliding to his feet. She winked and left.

"That woman…" Dimitri sighed and thought of the danger she could get in with Ralis.

Link was bleeding out and losing all of his strength. Rusl stood over him, poised to deliver the final blow. He uselessly grabbed for his sword a few feet away. Rusl stepped on his wrist and pinned it to the ground. He crushed the bones in his arms as he leaned on his wrist with all of his weight.

"Didn't I tell you this was pointless?" Rusl hissed with a different voice than his own. The Twili flame in his eyes had grown. "I told you that you were going to die from the beginning. Why not just surrender and I will end you pathetic life, Hero of Hyrule?"

"Because I give a fuck about what happens to this land!" Link flailed with his uninjured arm, striking Rusl's leg. Rusl didn't budge an inch, but instead kicked Link back down to the ground.

"Midna would be so disappointed in you." Rusl watched Link continue to bleed ceaselessly on the ground. "You'll only last a few more minutes, and then all of your blood will be gone."

"I figured as much." Link gasped for air but managed to look up and smile. "I figured you couldn't kill me in combat. You had to use the coward's way and let me bleed to death."

"You are the coward." Rusl pointed his sword at Link's throat. "You are attempting to dwell on my pride. It will not work because as long as you're dead, I don't care how I did it."

"As I thought…" Link ignored the man standing over him and looked into the peaceful blue sky. He thought many times he would die like this, someday. Looking up at the sky… being the last thing he saw. "Well then fuck you."

"I don't think so. You're the dead one here." Rusl let off of him and began to walk away. "May you be spared when you enter that realm of Hell."

"May you be there when I get there." Link used the last ounce of his strength to grab his sword and impaled Rusl on it.

"You are good." Rusl backed away and Twili blood began to coat the ground. "But you have merely sacrificed yourself for a puppet. How foolish."

"Just die." Link twisted his sword and pulled it out. Rusl's eyes returned to normal, releasing him from his curse. They fell to their knees and smiled at each other. "You're back."

"Yes… and thank you, Link. You have granted my wish…" Rusl fell onto Link's shoulder, and died on his friend. Link grabbed his mentor's body and laid it on the ground.

"You are better off from this world." Link moved his hands to his stomach and chest, where he had been bleeding from. He wasn't going to make it. "And apparently, so am I…"

Link faded from consciousness and started to hallucinate. He saw Dimitri swoop down over him and throw his cloak down. He felt pressure on his wounds and passed out.

Zelda rode along side Dimitri on a black horse. His horse was pure white and personified his character. They were heading back to Hyrule Castle to return the chain of command. Ralis said the kingdom was falling into anarchy with their disappearance.

Dimitri had ordered Ralis to stay in Kakariko to keep an eye on things. She didn't care; she just wanted to be closer to Dimitri.

"What should we do when we get there?" Zelda looked at Dimitri's determined expression.

"It would be best to assure the people all is fine and tell them nothing has happened. Tell them that Kakariko was evacuated for monster issues." Dimitri looked straight ahead. "We'll stay in the castle until Ralis sends word of Lady Gaia's capture."

"Ok, Demi." Zelda nodded and couldn't take her eyes from him.

They rode into Castle Town, and dead bodies littered the ground. They all had silver hair and black cloaks. Zelda noticed the resemblance. The Hyrule Guard stood in barricade formation, a barrier between them and the castle.

"Halt!" The soldiers braced themselves when they saw Dimitri. "Dismount your horse and release Princess Zelda!!"

"Don't you know who I am?" Dimitri and Zelda grew closer to the line of soldiers. He unsheathed his sword, which was interpreted as a hostile action. "Stop! I am former head knight, Dimitri! Recognize my sword, the emblem of who I am."

Every soldier grinded to a dead stop. They knew who he was. Not a single soldier in the guard didn't know him. He was the legendary 'First Knight,' the knight who protected Zelda during an assassination attempt four years ago. And then he had risen in less than a month to Zelda's personal bodyguard. They all looked to one day be like him.

"Let us through to the castle." Dimitri said, and watched as every soldier stepped out of the way. "Thank you. We will be in the main tower if you need us."

"I wish to address the people later." Zelda said to the captain as she passed be.

Dimitri led the way into the heavily fortified castle walls. He saw many dead around the grounds, the signs of some battle that had been waged not too long ago. Many knights and cultists had been slain in the process.

They dismounted and went into the castle. More corpses lined the halls. They had actually gotten in…

"I didn't think it would have been this bad." Zelda looked over the body count.

"This will all be over soon enough." Dimitri climbed a flight of stairs. "I will make sure to end it."

"Of course, Demi." Zelda followed her former lover and knight up the stairs to her chambers. They entered the room and Dimitri took a seat with one leg on the window sill facing out. "What do we do now?"

"We wait." Dimitri didn't look at her. "Wait for a signal of some kind. You can speak to the public whenever you feel like it."

"Ok." Zelda thought about what she should do.