Hello everyone!

Here is the big project I was talking about, another Assassin story! This one will be different, with lots of theories and headcanons and details, as well as people, from other games. Might not feel too much like TP zelink, but it is haha. It's one big mess, but at some point everything will make sense hehehe I've got all important parts planned, but this won't be updated as quickly as the last one. Still, I hope it's enjoyable!

Inspired by Assassin's Creed Unity, Ubisoft's inability to make playable female characters, Hyrule Warriors, and headcanons for Zelda U.

Thank you for reading and please give me some feedback!

Chapter I

Steady hands reached for the weapons lined orderly on the rough tabletop, each blade was placed in its designed holster and hoods were pulled over heads, throwing the faces of the wearers in the dark as they exited the building on the outskirts of Castle Town. Leather boots stepped on irregular cobblestones that paved the streets, and the group moved under the faint light of flickering torches towards the north side of the town, towards the steps that would lead them to the grand Hyrule Castle.

Illegal activities were more frequent at night when the snobby Royal Guard retreated to their headquarters and left the people alone for once. Under the tyranny of their new ruler, the inhabitants of the biggest town in all of Hyrule longed for their long past times of peace, and wished their old king returned from his eternal slumber. But this group of four people that worked in the shadows, as burglars terrorized the town and royalty slept under fine comforters, only wished for the best of the population and took it in their hands to deliver them peace.

Climbing over the tall walls surrounding the courtyards was an easy feat with the help of ropes, and soon the team was running through freshly cut grass under the guidance of the one dressed in the lighter hood. "Think you can do it?" The one clad in beige asked the one in the front, who nodded in assurance and took a dark brown robe from the hands of another teammate.

With the darker fabric thrown over the lighter, the group parted ways and left their guide to wander inside the castle on their own, the only person that could infiltrate the palace and find the way to wherever they decided to go. So inside the person went, through the only window of the kitchen that didn't creak when opened, something that hadn't changed over the years. Behind their back stayed the cold bite of the night as the lower sash descended and closed the only open space connecting the inside to the outside, a pair of blue eyes scanned the inside of the room, catching sight of the weak fire still burning the logs under a big iron pot and the deteriorated state of a place that had once been cheerful and alive. Under the dim light provided, the kitchen was as eerie as one of the deepest and longest caves found in Kakariko Gorge, and to prevent the sudden influx of faint memories that was to come, the hooded person moved along and out the door leading to the dining room, swift and silent as their eyes took it all in.

As expected from a tyrant, the awful way of living of the population did in no way mirror the state of the palace. Despite the horrendous new decorations of horns and swords and statues that resembled gargoyles that replaced fine flower vases and classic paintings on the walls, the castle was still intact and with no visible cracks on the walls or floors. But of course it would be in a good condition, the person thought with a huff as they reached the top of the stairs, the invaders, the Gerudos, were now the upper class of Hyrule, subduing all Hylians and humans, and kicked all nobles from their houses so they could take their place on cushioned armchairs and drink from their delicate tea sets.

It was easy to blend in the shadows, and escaping the slivers of light coming from a crescent moon up in the sky was just as easy. The silence stretched on and on, lips were pressed together to hold in puffs of breath that could be too loud to catch someone's attention, but all the palace was engulfed in darkness, it was unlikely that someone was awake, it was way past anyone's bedtime. Still it didn't mean they could let their guard down, for there always were two or three knights patrolling the hallways, even though they deemed that as unnecessary.

The assassin arrived at their destination soon, thanks to the deserted hallways, and also their ability to remember all shortcuts and passageways provided by the architects that built the palace long ago. The elegant oak doors stood tall before them, surface carved with intricate designs, separating the dark hallway from the well lit ballroom, a room that had been built to serve as a theater with three levels of galleries lining the walls, but plans were changed and rows of seats were removed as the conclusion neared. Chairs and round tables were placed around, dishes and silverware were set in place, everything was prepared for a seemingly long celebration, and the thought of the king using the people's money to entertain his caravan of thieves was enervating. But as the figure went further and further into the ballroom, and studied with keen eyes the way the furniture was placed to form four large walkways that met in the middle, they soon realized something was off, and the loud boom that accompanied the dark figure that emerged from the shadows in one of the balconies was all the confirmation needed.

As guard after guard left their hiding places and made their way to the center of the room, the assassin leaped into the air and onto the nearest table, knocking over numerous delicate crystals and porcelain as they hopped from one furniture to the other and headed to the opposite set of balconies. Orders were given from above the mass of people, and the assassin directed their gaze towards the evil king, Ganondorf Dragmire, accompanied by the general of his army, its captain and an advisor in training.

Strong fingers gripped the horns and heads protruding from the columns between each gallery, climbing their way up to the last row of seats before archers could arrive and as guards tried to follow. Blue eyes slid to the left, the usurper unknowingly held the assassin's gaze before they caught sight the thick rope that held in place one fancy chandelier that was never properly installed.

"Zelda!"

The assassin looked up at the dome ceiling, spotting her friends looking down at her in worry through an opening, and thankfully no one seemed to hear the name over the shouts of the guards. With no time left to spare and with her only chance to kill the king already deep down the drain, she picked up her speed and made a leap for the rope, one hand reaching out as the other went for her rapier attached to her hips, and her sharp blade did the trick and cut through the rope with ease, propelling her upward as the chandelier went crashing down. Her friends reached for her wrist and pulled her up as crystal smashed on the floor, instantly killing or gravely injuring anyone under it, and Ganondorf was left to watch as four hooded figures escaped through the ceiling, leaving behind one dark robe. The group exited the area, boots running over tiles, breaths coming out in huffs and gasps until they finally were a safe distance from the castle and could now make their way home.

One of them, however, jogged to catch up with the one dressed in lavender. "Zelda, hey!" The young woman turned at the touch of a hand on her shoulder to face the one in beige. "You'll have other opportunities."

"It was an ambush." She replied simply, biting back the anger and swallowing down the feeling of failure that crept up her throat. "He knew we were coming."

"Ganondorf captured an assassin last week, interrogations were made." The tallest figure of the group stepped in closer, robe as dark as the night.

"What about loyalty to the creed?"

The last member decided to join then. "He is a novice. Ganondorf might have spared his lie in exchange for information." When the one in beige gasped, they added. "You know it's either servitude or death when it comes to him, Ilia."

"I- I know, but-"

A pat on her shoulder calmed her down instantly, and the short girl shrunk back towards the rough stone wall. "Let's hope for the best, but let's not keep our hopes up." Said the tall figure before focusing their attention solely on the blue eyed one. "And you, keep your nerves in check. There will be plenty of opportunities."

Zelda tightened the grip of her fingers on her elbows, but eventually dropped her hands to her sides and exhaled silently. Ilia and the other member put some distance between the duo, but not before the remaining assassin bowed in respect for them; Zelda waited until they were on the other side of the alley to grumble and touch her fingers to her temples, causing her companion to stifle their laughter.

"Perhaps you should head for Twilight Realm with me for the remainder of the week to cool off."

The other shook her head and straightened her back. "I'm fine here in Hyrule."

"It's been a while since you've visited."

She breathed out, eyebrows rising up and lips pulling into a smile, "There's a husband waiting for you at home. You don't have time for me."

Her friend hummed thoughtfully, arms crossed and slender finger tapping down on the darker skin of their arm. "I don't feel comfortable with you hiding in Ordon."

"I'm not hiding there," the words barely made it out of her mouth, because they were partially a lie, "I live there, Midna."

Midna, as usual, pushed further. "A princess deserves a better place to sleep than a tree house."

Zelda laughed, half heartedly and briefly, shoulders not even shaking. "What is a princess without her kingdom and her people?"

The tall assassin lifted a hand, index finger pointed out and slipped into the shadows cast by the lavender robe, fingertip touching the cool and polished surface of a gem. "As long as you have your mother's crown, there's still hope." The hand fell to cup one slender shoulder, fingers giving it a gentle squeeze. "Don't give up just yet."

She nodded, because there was nothing to say that wasn't already said, because they knew she would never back down until she got her throne back, because the people that were suffering were her people – her reasons were never to avenge her parents' death, but they found it hard to believe.

With a smile that made her lips tingle, Zelda touched the hand on her shoulder, and both princesses regarded each other fondly for a full minute before they joined the other two assassins, and the group finally left the area.

The general straightened from his bowing position, fist firmly resting over his heart, and stepped into the balcony from which he had witnessed one flimsy assassin outdoing most of his guard. "Your Majesty," he directed his words to the king, who hadn't moved an inch since the escapade, "what are your orders?"

Ganondorf didn't bother turning around. "There will be other chances to get them killed. In the mean time, train the army." He paced to the left, palm sliding over the railing. "I don't want to miss another chance." The Hylian behind him bowed once more, and the king added gruffly. "I leave it in your hands to capture them however you please. But the one that attacked tonight, they're mine." The Gerudo turned then, yellow eyes vicious and evil under the now dim candle light. "I want to finish them myself."

"As you wish." The general clasped his hands together and smiled in mirth, turning to face the two other people present. "Shad, try to find out their identities. It won't be too hard or you."

The brunet bowed his head, pushing his glasses back up with a finger as they started to slip down his nose. "Yes, sir."

"Ashei," the girl squared her shoulders and saluted, and he nodded in appreciation, "we're studying new ways to attack and we're starting tonight."

Both the captain and the advisor in training bowed as Ganondorf passed them in his way for the door, the general following after a few breaths, and once they were out of sight both friends straightened and dropped their shoulders, but were fast to follow the duo. Their king went away to return to his chambers, Shad was the next to go, heading straight to the castle's library. "Follow me," said the general, already guiding the way to his office.

Ashei rolled her neck tiredly and with a sigh went after him. "Yes, General Link."

"Daddy, what is this?"

Princess Zelda, known as the curious one and rumored to being blessed by Nayru with her large appetite for knowledge, tapped her small index finger to the page her father had just opened, pointing at a gravure of a place located east of Hyrule Castle.

The king smiled at her enthusiasm and provided her the information she so much needed. "This, my darling, is Gerudo Valley. To get there you need to cross all this area," he gestured to a portion between Lake Hylia and said place, "known as Gerudo Desert, a place surrounded by tall rocks."

"Tall rocks?" She blinked her pretty large blue eyes, twinkling in excitement; her father nodded. "How tall?"

"Very tall."

"Taller than Hyrule Castle?"

He chuckled and shifted on his seat. "Yes, taller than Hyrule Castle."

"Taller than Death Mountain?"

A hand ruffled her darkening blonde hair, turning brown as days passed, but he didn't confirm, nor did he correct her guesses. "There lives a race known as Gerudos, once known as thieves, but sometime in the past treaties were made and now we live in harmony." He turned the page, pictures of dark skinned women dressed in bright colors were imprinted on the pages, depicting many different activities, from the more mundane to the ones that one would deem as impossible to achieve. "They are really friendly people. They have great taste in music, and all women are great fighters, Queen Nabooru included."

Zelda observed the pictures as one would watch the water when fishing, and cooed in delight when she leaned forward to better see them. "Will I meet them someday?"

The king never had a chance to reply, for in that moment a knight entered his private study room, and the older man put the book down on the table top; his daughter hopped off his lap right away, knowing it was important and that her conversation with her father had to be put on hold.

"The castle is under attack!"