Exordium

Hollowed hearts

Can still be broken

In a world

Where evil takes token

Fate's twist

Evil prized, Good punished

Beware ye Good

Who join the blemished

Chapter 1: The Fall

Year: 429 World: Hyrule

-Zeruda-

Shafts of sunlight glowed on the forest floor, shining through the thick leaves above. Looking upward, one could see the brilliance of the vividly illuminated canopy. Forest life abounded everywhere – the occasional rabbit jumping across the overgrown path, a songbird whistling its song as it flew passed, and blessed fairy light flowing with the air. It truly was a sight to behold.

As the horse we rode trotted along the path before us, I couldn't help but observe our surroundings, my legs both on one side of the horse due to my maroon gown. I was simply fascinated; my duties at the castle usually kept me from seeing outside the city walls, but, for this one time, Queen Zelda, my mother, permitted me to travel as Hyrule's diplomat to the surrounding countries. The changing times called for it; an unidentified force was beginning to subdue and take over nearby kingdoms, and the only choice, my mother and I had agreed, was to ally the remaining countries against this mutual foe.

Still, despite this trial that was befalling this world, I couldn't have been happier. My ruby red hair flowed in the wind left in our wake, and my narrow green eyes drank in my surroundings, wondering if I'd ever see them again once we returned from our journey.

The horse encountered another tree limb that encroached over the trail, and jumped over it. With my mind caught up in other things, I was unprepared, and hastily tightened my gloved hands and arms around Yerik, who was directing the horse.

He was the knight specifically assigned to me as my bodyguard four years ago, when I was twelve. Being twenty and of the Gerudo tribe, he was very large and robust, with dark skin and black hair. Normally, women would find themselves fancying him, as he was a very attractive man, but I favored him as my personal friend. It had been this way between us ever since he was assigned to me; when I came to know him better, he seemed more like the five-year-old friend I'd always wanted as a child, and found myself still wanting to this day. Of course, being four years older than me, he had matured further than me, and therefore he also acted as my confidant. Over these four years, we had become an inexplicable duo; wherever I was, he was. It was as simple as that.

"Caught off guard, milady?" he asked, his tenor voice teasing.

I quietly laughed once, and replied, "Yes." I continued, "I was observing the surrounding forest. Kokiri Forest is truly amazing, is it not?"

I rested my head on his armored shoulder as he answered, "Yes! I used to come here after military training just to watch the fairy lights as they floated by. I've missed this. . ."

I sighed, relishing the feel of the metal against my cheek. "Wish it could have been -"

My head shot up, back erect. An evil presence was descending upon us – I could sense it with my strong mentality. My eyes were no longer focused on what was in front of me, for I was completely concentrating on the swiftly approaching enemy. I needed to identify the threat.

"Milady?" Yerik's voice, distant in my concentration, told me the previous mood was completely forgotten, and he was now the battle-hardened warrior his position required him to be. I could feel him tense within my embrace, though that wasn't the focus of my senses. I was searching our surroundings with my mental presence, scrying the trees that passed by for any sign of harmful intention.

"What is the matter?"

Searching for a moment more, I finally had to let what information was available suffice as a harbinger of danger. "Enemies. . . Enemies are approaching." Coming back to focus, I continued, "Unidentified beings."

Yerik flicked the reigns of our steed, urging the horse to a gallop along the path.

"How many?"

"I couldn't tell very well. . ." Returning to my scrying, I eventually murmured, "Six. They are gaining on us."

A cloud of black smoke billowed into existence ahead on the path nearly as soon as I'd finish saying this. Frightened, the horse came to an immediate halt, rearing on its back two legs as it whinnied. I held tighter to Yerik's form, scared myself.

Immediately, we were surrounded by a ring of six variously sized groupings of smoke tendrils. The horse, steadied by Yerik, was now calm, allowing me to see my surroundings, beside what was beyond Yerik's backside.

The clouds of smoke twirled gently to blend with the air, revealing that a being had materialized within each cloud. Each being had a humanoid form hidden beneath a hooded cloak, hoods pulled over their heads to completely conceal themselves. Observing beyond them, I saw they had decided to ambush us within a grove of trees the path passed through, possibly so they had enough space to besiege us effectively. Probing the grove with my mental force, I recognized these beings as the enemy I barely detected a minute before.

"Who are you?" Yerik demanded, pulling his greatsword out of its sheathe with one hand, while still grasping the reigns in his other.

Silence. They simply stood in a complete circle around us, only their cloaks moving in the slight wind. Their attire barely allowed any light, if at all, to reveal the person within, so all inferences had to be taken from their unmoving form; all that could be told was their gender. It seemed a sinister aura emanated from each respective humanoid. They couldn't have possibly been human, for they stood as complete statues.

"Yerik," I warned him under my breath, "I don't think they'll heed our questions."

All of the beings in the ring turned their heads as another cloud formed directly in front of us. I didn't detect this specific foe until they appeared – a probable sign they were leading the group. Unlike the other humanoids, this one bore a dark velvet cloak, which gave the same concealing effect the others' attire gave them. Their shoulders were extremely broad, and their chest large, which gave away their gender. The male ringleader turned away from us, and walked slowly to join the ring, rotating to face us once more.

"Show yourselves!" Yerik yelled, raising his greatsword above his head and arching his back as to ready himself for combat. I was still embracing his torso, which I was sure would hinder him if violence broke out. Seven against one – two, if you counted my magical prowess. I couldn't tell how strong they were with my mentality, or how experienced; it seemed their malicious aura shrouded themselves in an impregnable mental shield, simultaneously shrouding them in mystery to my mind's eye. There could be no telling the outcome of this skirmish, though being outnumbered put us in grave danger as it was.

Their gazes still riveted to their leader, I realized they were probably awaiting a signal of sorts. The assassination order. I pulled a gloved hand away from Yerik, and began visualizing a spell of thunder as I splayed my fingers.

Just as sparks began dancing at my fingertips, the ringleader nodded. The battle was to begin. The circle of humanoids advanced slowly, their full intention to besiege us as they pulled various weapons from the confines of their cloaks.

I found myself once again fascinated as I observed their arms, now revealed in the light of day. Their skin was pure white, and the ones I could discern as males due to their musculature had thickly muscled forearms. Just their arms hinted at a completely and unbearably beautiful body, excruciatingly so. I was suddenly glad they hadn't showed themselves when Yerik demanded it.

The distance between them and us was closing quickly. "Vithunderia!" I yelled, casting the spell I had readied.

Lightning bolts came from my upraised hand, and flew at all the surrounding foes in straight lines from my fingers. As soon as the spell encountered their invisible auras, however, the bolts extended tendrils and fingers across the impenetrable, invisible shield that surrounded them, and then quickly died away.

I had already supposed they weren't human. Was it possible that their race was immune to magic? Were they simply more superior? None of these questions would help our situation, especially if answered with a yes. Yerik swung his blade at a nearing foe, who simply raised their sword, slicing Yerik's greatsword in half.

We were helpless. My breathing came faster, my heartbeat attempting to run as I myself wanted to. Would no one hear of us ever again? Was Hyrule about to fall to this enemy – most possibly the same enemy every other fallen kingdom had faced, and succumbed to already? Was there no hope of stopping them from ruling the world in infamy for centuries to come?

A male being was next to advance, bearing an ax. Intent on his target – me, I realized – it didn't take long for him to be in range, and slash through the air as to give the death blow.

Before I could react out of the blooming fear in my bosom, Yerik jumped in front of me, taking the blow on his outstretched arm, and making the axeman's weapon rebound away from me.

"Yerik!" A blood-curdling scream emitted from me, hurting my throat as tears streamed from my eyes. I covered my mouth with both hands, unable to move. "Yer-"

I was propelled forward as an arrow impaled itself in my back.

Gasping as I fell beside Yerik's shuddering form and onto the cold forest floor, pain spread across my back, first an unbearable bloom as I found myself unable to move due to the pain. Everything was happening so fast! I couldn't look upward because it was too painful to do so, but no one else struck at us. What was the meaning of this? If they wanted us dead, shouldn't they finish us off? Or did they want us to die slowly? Maybe they only wanted one of us to die, and were debating amongst themselves now to decide which should die, or who should administer the finishing blow, at least.

Whatever the case, I couldn't think beyond the pain as it transformed into an infuriated fire.

I began screaming against it, but that only made it consume reality that much faster. Before I could stop my screaming, the liquid fire began gushing through my veins, trampling across my skin, screaming back in my ears, burning, burning, burning, and it wouldn't stop! I opened my eyes, and all I could acknowledge was the fact that I was in pain. I couldn't see – the sense had been taken away by fire, along with all the others.

Finally, the pain breached its peak, and started its gradual spiral downward. Every degree back felt like an enormous relief, as if I were dead. Or dieing.

First to return was my sight, though I couldn't really focus on anything at first. When I did, my hearing was starting to return, and I could see Yerik staring into my eyes as we lay on our sides facing each other on the ground, his own eyes forlorn and beyond this realm as he muttered something or other. Was he still experiencing this pain? Or was this the afterlife? I could only be slightly surprised at his change of appearance – his skin was bleached white, his irises were pure obsidian, his hair was a darker, yet glossier black, and the ultimate effect of it all was an all-consuming attractiveness. He was only a friend, however, and I was still disoriented from the fire.

I glanced at my hair, strewn around me across the ground. It no longer was ruby red, but now lay there as pure white strands of lustrous perfection. I turned my gaze downward to observe the exposed skin between my glove and sleeve. The short gap revealed pale skin exactly like the rest in this grove.

They made us into them.

Focusing further, I observed we were still here, in Kokiri Forest. The humanoids were still standing around us, though the horse was now missing. What was Yerik muttering? My name?

As all my other senses left its state of burning, I felt myself going deeper. This time, however, there wasn't fire. An icy alter ego was attacking me mentally, asking me a million questions all at once that I had to consider. It targeted every doubt, every fear, every weakness, freezing, crying, out of control -

"Zeruda!"

I concentrated back on reality – away from the questions, the doubts, the fears – on Yerik's face. "Zeruda, concentrate. We can't do this on our own."

I stared deep into his eyes. What was he saying? I was tempted to fall under the gush of ice once again, but I knew I might not come back up again. The ending of such a venture was automatically supplied by my alter ego – I would descend into utter solitude within myself, making myself shatter into non-existence. I didn't want to know what that felt like. This new existence beyond the flame couldn't be real!

"Zeruda, listen to me!"

Don't. He has nothing to offer. It was so seductive, luring me deep below. Below the ice, you'll find peace.

Yerik grabbed my arm. "Zeruda, don't give in. There's another way."

He's lying.

"Listen to me," Yerik cried.

I saw the tear trailing down his face. My eyes followed it. Was I so hollow that I couldn't comprehend his sorrow? He cared. There was someone else in this world that understood me to the degree this alter ego did. And even if he didn't, he wouldn't object to the knowledge. He would welcome it. He would welcome me.

I imagined the alter ego screaming in pain, giving in to its own flaws as it withered away to the place it would have dragged me otherwise. It was gone.

As long as I had Yerik, my dearest friend, with me, I could stand this new reality. I could keep the alter ego banished forever with Yerik at my side, my companion against this foe.

I smiled. Speech came slow, but I spoke anyway. "Yerik, hold my hand."

Yerik stared deep into my eyes. "Why?"

"Trust me."

The war in Yerik's eyes ended after I said this. In answer to my plea, he trailed his hand along the ground toward mine. I could only imagine the strain it would have to take. Finally, he intertwined our fingers.

We were bound.

Light consumed everything, and we left Kokiri Forest behind.

To Whom it May Concern,

I am leaving this note hoping it will reach the right hands, before it is too late.

There is a pan-flute in my chambers. It was last used a century or so ago, to restore the Spirit Tracks and thereby revive the protective powers of the Spirit Tower. I am uncertain as to the extent of power it could have against this enemy; however, unless some has access to the Triforce, it may be our only chance.

Whoever reads this. . . Godspeed.

-Queen Zelda of Hyrule, in a note left during the siege of the palace