War of the Golden Powers REDUX

by Lord Siravant

Sauron stands triumphant over the ashes of the Free Peoples. But his lust for conquest is not sated, and the Dark Lord desires more. Now he has set his sights on Hyrule's Golden Power, the Triforce. But to stand against the might of Mordor, the Hero of Hyrule may have to forge a dangerous alliance with the evil he knows; Ganondorf himself. Rewrite of one of my oldest stories.

1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: Rise of the Dark Lord

The battle for Middle-earth was over, and the Dark Lord Sauron stood triumphant over the ashes of all his enemies. The horror began at Weathertop. The Witch-king and four of his Nazgûl had tracked down Frodo Baggins, who possessed their master's ring, and his Hobbit friends to the ruins of the great watchtower of Amon Sul. Knowing that the ranger Aragorn was nearby, the Witch-king had ordered quiet, and stealthily, they set upon the unsuspecting Hobbits and picked them off one-by-one, until only Frodo remained. The Witch-king himself stabbed Frodo with his Morgul-blade before taking the Ring, after which he and his comrades fled into the shadows, riding hard for Mordor with their prize. By the time Aragorn returned and bore Frodo to Rivendell it was too late, and Elrond put the Hobbit down to spare him the pain of passing into the Shadow-world and becoming a Wraith himself.

When Sauron reclaimed the Ring, Middle-earth fell quickly. Osgiliath and Minas Tirith fell first, then, with the corrupted wizard Saruman under his control, Sauron used the White Wizard's Uruk-hai army to lay waste to Rohan, annihilating the Rohirrim utterly. Dale and Erebor's stubborn resistance collapsed after Sauron personally rode to Moria and gained the allegiance of the Balrog and the Goblins that worshipped it, sending them to aid in the conquest of the Lonely Mountain. Sauron then gathered all the remaining evil in Middle-earth to him, the spiders of Mirkwood, the Fire Drakes and Lord Drogoth of the Withered Heath, and the repulsive Barrow-wights, and with this vast army he swept over all the last remaining bastions of defense in Middle-earth, Rivendell, Lorien, Mirkwood, even the Shire, in the process gaining possession of the three Greatest Rings that had long eluded him, adding to his power.

Though the Free Peoples fought valiantly, Sauron prevailed, and all of Middle-earth came to be his. And yet…

Yet the conquest of Middle-earth did not slake the Dark Lord's lust. He wanted more. Always more. And so, through his palantir, Sauron searched for more lands to claim as his own, more artifacts of power to claim for himself. And all too soon, he found what he was looking for. A sacred power from a separate world.

A world called…Hyrule…

XXXXXX

Princess Zelda found herself in a scorched, blackened field. Smoke from countless fires and fumes from the many rivers of lava crisscrossing the landscape choked the air, turning it poisonous. A massive volcano loomed in the distance, constantly spewing smoke and fire from its peak, which clouded the sky, painting the landscape in a perpetual veil of night. Hideous monsters and strange men were gathered in this veritable Dark World, chanting in a language she did not know.

And then she saw the tower looming over her, its foundations built into a small mountain near the center of this dark land. Its tall, black spires reached for the heavens, and on the top of this tower was a great glowing orb of light that cast a searching beam over the armies surging below it like a lighthouse. And then the beam fell upon her, and Zelda gasped in paralyzing fear as she realized that the light was no ordinary lantern or beacon.

It was a great, flaming eye. And it was staring right at her. Its black pupil, slit like a cat's, narrowed as it focused entirely on her.

"I SEE YOU."

Zelda awoke to the sounds of her own screaming.

XXXXXX

Gerudo Desert…

Deep within this inhospitable wasteland, the winds of death howled, stirring the sands as they always did. Far from any civilization, a ripple seemed to form in the air before it widened to an ugly tear. This rip in dimensions quickly expanded until it formed a gaping maw between realities two hundred feet wide and a hundred feet tall. This strange portal undulated and shifted as a single being on horseback emerged, its black, red-eyed steed snorting at the unfamiliar air. The rider, clothed in rags of deepest black and tarnished silver armor, with a helmet over its hooded head that consisted of a crown of thorns, a tall spike jutting from the center of the forehead, and jagged cheek-guards forged in the likeness of a screaming monster that would have left the face exposed…had there been one, took in his surroundings in chilling silence.

And then the hooded figure drew his longsword with an ominous rasp, and as his stallion reared, the Black Rider screeched an unearthly wail that carried across the harsh winds of the desert like a portent of doom.

This had been a signal, for as the Rider screamed, the portal pulsated again as legions of beasts and wicked men surged forth with military precision, marching in step as their many banners fluttered proudly in the desert breeze. Orcs, Easterlings, Haradrim, Corsairs, Goblins, Uruk-hai, Spiders, Trolls, Wargs, Wights, Fire Drakes, and even a pair of lumbering, groaning Mûmakil poured forth from the passage between worlds, together amassing a force hundreds of thousands strong.

The invasion had begun.

XXXXXX

Gerudo Fortress…

Nabooru, current leader of the Gerudo after the imprisonment of their king by the Hylians, shuddered as she lay in her simple bed of animal furs and skins. She didn't exactly know how, but something told her that something was amiss, that an unknown danger was descending upon her people. The last time she had felt something like this, she had later learned that Ganondorf, the king she had served so loyally, had been imprisoned by the Hylians during his diplomatic visit with King Harkinian. She didn't know exactly what had happened, but the Hylian Princess Zelda had been insistent that Ganondorf was a creature of evil that needed to be stopped. The Gerudo had been outraged at this, but were quelled when Harkinian threatened them with violent retribution should they rise against the throne. The memories of the Fierce War were still fresh on many of their minds. Thus, the people of Gerudo Valley were helpless to help their king who now rotted away in a Hylian jail cell, his very life a bargaining chip to keep them pacified.

Nabooru groaned to herself as she left her bed and put on her clothes, for the Gerudo slept naked, before setting out on a walk around the fortress. She had no destination in mind; she just simply felt like wandering until the ominous feeling left her. Guards inclined their heads in greeting as she passed them, but she ignored all of this as she absentmindedly headed for the large gate that separated the Haunted Wasteland from the rest of Hyrule. Yet, as she drew nearer, she noticed a strange light in the distance beyond the gate, faint but definitely noticeable. Narrowing her eyes in suspicion, Nabooru picked up her pace and climbed the ladder to the top of the gatehouse, where her view of the desert was uninterrupted.

The sharp eyes of the Gerudo were well-accustomed to seeing in darkness, this ability seconded only by that of the Shiekah themselves, and as she focused, Nabooru could see something slowly approaching the fortress from the direction of the strange light. There were numerous large shapes among them, and she could barely hear the trumpeting howls of some strange, mighty beasts, as well as the unmistakable tromping of thousands of marching soldiers.

What in Din's name…? Nabooru thought worriedly to herself.

Something deep down told her that this army had hostile intentions, and thus Nabooru whirled around and quickly climbed down the ladder before rushing back to the fortress to where she knew the alarm bell to be. Without further ado, she began ringing it fiercely, which woke up all the other Gerudo in the fortress immediately. Within moments, Aveil, Nabooru's second-in-command, rushed into the bell tower and cried, "Mistress! What's happening?!"

"Evacuate everyone at once!" Nabooru ordered urgently. "Enemy forces approach from the desert! They'll be at the gate in minutes!"

Surprised at this news, but knowing that Nabooru was not one for raising false alarms, Aveil quickly went to round up all the Gerudo, while Nabooru went to fetch all their horses. "Make haste! We cannot afford to waste time! Leave everything behind!"

And then a booming trumpet assailed her ears, and Nabooru turned just in time to see a massive, fifty-foot-tall behemoth with a long trunk flanked by four huge tusks and two smaller ones reach the gate, and with a single thrust of its great head, the beast smashed apart the gate. It was then that Nabooru saw the war tower on the beast's back, clamoring with men dressed in ornate desert clothing, their faces sunken and sallow as they readied their bows and shouted commands in a foreign tongue.

"Get to the horses, NOW!" Nabooru cried as the Haradrim archers began loosing arrows into anything they saw moving below them, while their Mûmak mount bellowed angrily as its handlers goaded it into battle.

Gerudo warriors guarded their young and elderly as they made a mad dash for the stables, and fury arose in Nabooru's heart as a handful of enemy arrows found their targets, biting into the unprotected backs of her people. A mother clutching her baby protectively against her chest fell with a cry at the arrow lodged in her back. Nabooru quickly turned and seized the crying infant from her mother's lifeless grip, holding her against her chest as she ran with the other Gerudo towards the stables. The gigantic oliphaunt let out a piercing bellow as its Haradrim handlers goaded it into pursuing the fleeing desert warriors.

Nabooru turned to see the massive animal gaining on them, and then noticed the bald man standing on the beast's forehead. He was covered in war paint and gaudy jewelry, with a bamboo war frame adorned with numerous trophies attached to his back, and he appeared to be the one steering the beast, if the reins he held that led to the Mûmak's ears were any indication. Seeing a nearby spear, Nabooru took it in one hand and stood before the approaching Mûmak, clutching the still-crying baby in her other arm. She and the Haradrim shaman locked eyes for a brief, terrifying moment before she drew her arm back and threw the spear like a javelin.

Her aim was true, and the spear burrowed itself in the center of the Haradrim shaman's chest, the force of the blow knocking him off his mount. As the reins were attached to his body to prevent him from falling off or losing them, his corpse pulled against the Mûmak's ear, and with a yowl of pain, the Mûmak swerved aside, its body smashing into the Gerudo Fortress and reducing much of it to rubble as the Haradrim on its back shouted in their strange tongue. However, this meant that it was no longer interested in pursuing them, and so Nabooru returned to engineering her people's escape.

Soon all of them were mounted on their horses, and with Nabooru in the lead, they rode off into the night, making for the green fields of Hyrule.

Meanwhile, the Mûmak had knelt down in order to stop the pain pulling at its ear, allowing the Haradrim soldiers to dismount and look over the beast and their dead shaman. As this happened, the Witch-king of Angmar rode into the Gerudo Valley, having sighted the natives making their escape. A grizzled old Orc rode up to the Nazgûl Lord's side on a Warg, and the Witch-king hissed in a terrible, spine-chilling voice, "Sharkû, send out your Warg Riders and hunt them down. Slaughter any who resist."

Sharkû grinned. "I'd hate to be those buggers right about now!"

XXXXXX

Spirit Temple…

"Oh dear, it seems a most unexpected event has occurred, sister!"

"Indeed…it seems someone has a mind to usurp our great King of Darkness, sister. Unacceptable. Unacceptable indeed! Ho ho ho ho…"

"Hee hee hee hee…perhaps we should do something about it, dear sister."

"Indeed, sister…we will wait for the perfect moment, heh heh heh…"

"…and free the great Ganondorf from his insulting imprisonment at the hands of King Demise's enemies, ho ho ho!"

"The King of Evil will rise again!"

"And put an end to this arrogant invader! Ha ha ha ha ha!"

XXXXXX

The Gerudo refugees rode hard for a good half hour as they reached the grassy plains of Hyrule Field. Here the wind was not so harsh, and the cool night air was gentle against their hardened skin. Finally they all slowed to a stop, turning to look back at the homes they had left.

"Driven from our homes yet again!" Aveil cried, a despairing edge in her voice. "Have the Goddesses abandoned us completely?!"

Nabooru silently found herself wondering that, what with all the evil times that had befallen her people while the Hylians continued to prosper and flourish. The War of Unification, or the Fierce War as the Gerudo called it, had seen her people driven from their ancestral homelands near Lake Hylia to the very edge of the desert, all because the Gerudo people did not want to answer to the Hylian throne. Their resistance had accomplished nothing but the loss of their fertile homeland, forcing them to essentially whore themselves out to their own enemies and resort to thievery just to make ends meet. And then, when their king, Ganondorf, seeking information about the so-called "Triforce", went to Hyrule Castle to suck up his pride and submit himself before Harkinian in order to secure precious supplies for his people, he was instead imprisoned on accusations that he was a threat to the safety of the kingdom, that he wanted the Triforce to unleash an age of darkness upon the world. The Hylian Princess had called him a monster. And then, when the Gerudo objected to this mistreatment, Harkinian responded by threatening them with brutal conquest should they dare rise against the Hylians. And now, for the second time, they had been driven from their homes, and this time by enemy forces they didn't even recognize.

"We have lost Din's favor!" one elderly Gerudo wept. "What have we done to deserve these evil times?!"

Steeling her eyes, Nabooru shouted, "That's enough of that talk! None of us know what is happening, but I swear to you I will not let it be our undoing!"

"Where will we go?" Aveil demanded. "We are not welcome on Hylian soil unless we come with open breasts and promises of sexual pleasure!"

However, before Nabooru could think of an answer, she noticed something coming out of the Gerudo Valley, and could distinctly hear the wicked howls of wolves on the hunt. With a split-second to think, Nabooru made her decision; "To the Lost Woods! Ride for the Lost Woods!"

Their horses whinnying, the Gerudo refugees galloped towards the relative safety of the forbidden forest, as it was closer to the desert than the other lands populated by Hyrule's other tribes. Far behind them, but slowly gaining, was a pack of fearsome Warg Riders, the tireless hunters intent upon pursuing the intoxicating scent of horsemeat. The Gerudo rode hard and fast across the plains of Hyrule, with the Wargs in hot pursuit, until the entrance to the Lost Woods met their sight.

XXXXXX

Unbeknownst to all, the presence of both parties was felt by someone deep in the forest. His branches shuddering with confusion and concern, the Great Deku Tree, guardian of the Kokiri Forest, perceived the approaching groups from afar.

"Gerudo? What purpose have they to come here? Ah…the second group…I sense a terrible darkness in them. And the Gerudo, I sense fear in them. The second force pursues them…this bodes ill. Has darkness pervaded our fair land yet again…?"

XXXXXX

All too soon, the Gerudo refugees reached the outskirts of the vast forest, their horses pausing and whickering nervously at the imposing forest within. All of them knew the stories of those whom had entered the Lost Woods and become trapped, their flesh and souls withering away until they were little more than Stalfos, cursed to wander between the enchanted trees for eternity. But with their backs against the wall, the desert warriors knew they had little choice. Thus they rode on, past the dark trees, into the heart of the Lost Woods. Nabooru was the last to enter, but instead of following her comrades, she handed the baby she had been holding to Aveil and urged her commander ahead with the others. Aveil reluctantly obeyed as Nabooru turned her horse about and unsheathed her trusty scimitar, awaiting the Warg Riders that even now were drawing dangerously close, the large, horse-sized wolves snarling and howling as they closed in.

Soon enough, they came close enough that Nabooru could make out the features of her pursuers. Ugly, black-skinned creatures with sharp, broken teeth and yellow eyes that burned like poison rode atop large wolves with thick, coarse brown fur. The wolves themselves were not like any wolves Nabooru had seen before. Their faces almost had a bear-like quality to them, and they had long, powerful humped necks like hyenas. Their small, black eyes were set into either side of their outthrust heads to allow the greatest possible range of vision, and their front legs were brimming with powerful muscles that could easily withstand a collision with a full-grown horse or man. There were at least fifty of these Warg Riders, and Nabooru knew she couldn't possibly take them all. But she was determined to give her people as much of a headstart as possible, and if she died, then so be it. Aveil was a skilled commander; she would make a suitable replacement as their de facto leader.

The Warg Riders slowed down as they sized up the single Gerudo staring them down fearlessly, her scimitar glinting threateningly in the moonlight. The Orcs hissed and jeered at this, for they knew she was no match for all of them. The lead Warg bared its yellowed teeth as it took a single step into the boundaries of the forest…

And then suddenly shrank back, its ears folding against the back of its head as it recoiled in sudden fear. Nabooru blinked in surprise as this unexplainable aura of terror washed over the Wargs and their Orc riders, and soon she realized she could feel a strange, ominous pressure all around her. Somehow, though, she could feel that this presence was not directed at her, but at her cowering adversaries, who, overcome with fear, turned tail and fled back the way they came.

Before Nabooru even had time to ponder this sudden turn of events, she suddenly felt the strange presence center on her, and while she did not feel an overwhelming sense of terror as her enemies had, she could still feel the power behind this force that was currently peaceful, but would not hesitate to crush her should she induce its wrath.

Nabooru of the Gerudo peoples, why dost thou come here to this forbidden forest?

Nabooru recalled that the Lost Woods had a guardian deity of some sort, and surmised that this must be it. Clearing her throat, Nabooru answered out loud, "We have been driven from our homes by an unknown enemy. Had we stayed to fight, we would have been destroyed, as the enemy forces far outnumbered and outclassed our own."

Then…it is as I feared. Hyrule has a new enemy, another Dark Lord who seeks to take the power of the gods for himself.

Nabooru could feel the worry seeping into the guardian's presence, and answered with a confused, "A-another Dark Lord? Who was the first?"

Alas, this situation shall prove difficult to explain, for a number of reasons. However, know this; thou art welcome in thine forest for now, for I know very well of thy soured relations with the Hylian people. My children are at this moment guiding your people to a safe haven. I will lead thee to them. There, we may discuss this matter in further detail, and also provide thee with information regarding what thou believeth is the wrongful imprisonment of your king.

Nabooru furrowed her brow at this, but understanding that an explanation was promised to her, Nabooru allowed the forest guardian to mentally guide her to the village of the Kokiri, where the rest of the refugees were dismounting their horses to tend to their children and elders. Some saw the nearby springs that ran through the village and rushed over to collect the precious supplies of water. All around them, young children dressed in green clothing looked at them from the safety of their homes, all of which were built into large tree stumps. Each of them had a fairy flitting over their shoulders.

Nabooru paid them no heed, for her attention was drawn to the utterly massive tree, of which only the canopy she could see, as its trunk was hidden from view by a mossy wall of stone.

Yes, child of the desert. Approach me, and all shalt be made clear to thee.

Turning towards Aveil, Nabooru ordered, "Look after the others. It seems the guardian spirit of this forest wants to have a chat with me."

"Mistress, are you sure…?" Aveil began.

"That guardian spirit drove off those wolf-riders and has promised us all safe refuge," Nabooru argued. "I choose to trust him. For now. Look after them."

Aveil nodded in resignation as Nabooru headed for the grove which contained the forest guardian. She wound her way past a few Deku Babas which were currently asleep, as they, being plants, were not as active during the daytime, before emerging in a large grove in which stood a truly massive tree with a human face like that of an old man, with a large nose, thick eyebrows, and a mustache.

"Greetings, Nabooru of the Gerudo," the tree spoke in a voice that creaked like ancient, groaning wood. "I am the Great Deku Tree, guardian of the Lost Woods and all who inhabit it."

Nabooru bowed humbly, knowing that such ancient beings deserved great respect. As she stood, she sheathed her scimitar and said, "Thank you for providing a refuge for my people. I feared that, with the loss of our desert home, there was nowhere left in all of Hyrule we could find safety. I thank you."

"I harbor no ill will towards your people, despite the actions of your king," the Deku Tree answered.

"Everyone speaks of what King Ganondorf has done, and yet we, his own people, know not what these crimes really are!" Nabooru demanded. "Tell me, Great Spirit; what did our king do to earn such special enmity amongst the Hylians?"

"Patience," the Deku Tree replied. "It is a long tale, and one that you might find difficult to believe, due to the fantastical nature of the circumstances. Thus, I shalt not tell it alone. Ah! Link, there thou art, my boy!"

Nabooru turned to see a Kokiri boy with blond hair and blue eyes sleepily making his way into the grove. He seemed, strangely enough, to be a little older-looking than the other Kokiri, roughly around fourteen or fifteen years of age. And then his weariness left him as the boy regarded Nabooru like he recognized her.

"Nabooru?" he marveled.

Nabooru's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Have we met, boy?"

The boy scratched the back of his head nervously, flashing a weak smile. "Um…yes…no…maybe? It's a little hard to explain."

"Indeed," the Deku Tree said, catching their attention. "The story I am about to tell involves the very manipulation of time to prevent an avatar of evil from plunging this land into a new age of darkness. A story of which Link here was in the very center."

Nabooru looked at the kid, who just grimly nodded. It was then that Nabooru noticed he had a sword and shield strapped to his back, and that his blue eyes, while full of kindness, were bereft of the usual carefree innocence inherent in the eyes of a child. Nabooru could recognize the eyes of a hardened warrior when she saw one.

"It began when your king approached me, demanding that I hand over the sacred stone of the forest, as it was one of three keys necessary to open the Door of Time that led to the Sacred Realm, where the Golden Power of the Goddesses was kept. I refused, sensing that an evil shadow clouded his heart, and when I did, he lost his temper and unleashed a Gohma Queen upon me. Link here defeated it, but by the time he had done so, it was too late to save me. I died, and he was banished from the forest by the other Kokiri, who blamed him for my death in their confusion and anguish. Thus he began his journey to seek out Princess Zelda of Hyrule and protect the Triforce from the clutches of Ganondorf.

"However, this quest was in vain, for Ganondorf tricked him and the Princess into opening the Sacred Realm for him, allowing him to touch the Sacred Power of Gold. But when he did, it recognized that his heart was not in balance, and in order to protect itself from misuse, it split apart, one piece going to Link, another to Zelda, while Ganondorf retained a single piece for himself. To gain his wish, Ganondorf needed to regather the scattered Triforce parts, and during the seven following years he searched, all of Hyrule was thrust into terrible darkness. Monsters corrupted by evil powers in ages past stalked the land under his will, waylaying the few travelers brave enough to still make journeys across Hyrule Field. Zora's Domain was frozen over, with the Zoras themselves trapped beneath the ice, causing Lake Hylia to lose fresh water. The Gorons were imprisoned with the intention of being fed to a dragon for standing against him. This very forest was overrun with monsters in such numbers that my children could not even leave their homes. Hyrule Castle Town was left as a haven for the walking dead. The sacred temples of the Sages were corrupted and defiled in Ganon's name. Even your people found that their situation did not improve with Ganondorf taking power, for he had lost interest in you the moment his hand touched the Triforce, and his lust for power conquered his mind completely and utterly, and you ultimately led a rebellion against him, helping Link in the Spirit Temple and being cursed by Ganondorf's adoptive mothers, the Twinrova Sisters, for your trouble.

"Despite all this, Link overcame every obstacle Ganondorf threw at him, freed the Sages from their imprisonment, of which thou art one, gained the Master Sword of legend, and defeated him at the seat of his own throne. His battle won, Link was sent back to our time, before any of these tragic events could occur, and warned Princess Zelda of what would happen. Thus, Ganondorf was imprisoned so that he could not threaten Hyrule as he would have had events been allowed to transpire as they had before."

Nabooru took this all in with an expression of utter disbelief. "I-I don't understand!" she stammered. "An age of darkness?! Why would King Ganondorf do such a thing?! He always talked about restoring the honor and wellbeing of our people, of bringing us into an age of prosperity!"

"Indeed," the Deku Tree replied sagely. "But noble though his intentions might have initially been, there is no denying the fact that he was destined for his dark path since the moment he was born."

"What are you talking about?" Nabooru demanded.

"Your king's existence is an unnatural one," the Deku Tree explained solemnly. "He was not born entirely as his own person. Deep within his soul burns the malice of a being who has otherwise been long dead since time immemorial. Ganondorf's soul, from the moment of his birth, was corrupted by the lingering malice of Demise, the great Demon King who spearheaded the Dark God Majora's campaign against the people of Hyrule during the Demon Wars of eons past. Demise had been slain by one of Link's ancestors, but not before he swore vengeance by promising a curse upon his bloodline and that of the Princess that would breathe life into a manifestation of his undying hatred towards both of their legacies that would plague their descendants forever. Your king, Ganondorf, became the vessel for that hatred, and the Twinrova nurtured that darkness within him in secret so that, when the time came, Ganondorf would take up his destined mantle as Demise's legacy, the new Demon King. Even his noblest intentions would ultimately manifest in Hyrule's ruin, for Demise rules his mind and will, even if he does not know it himself. That, Nabooru of the Gerudo, is why your king is now a prisoner of the Hylians. Because what they spoke of him is true, and that should he touch that sacred relic again, the foreign evil in his heart will give rise to a new Demon King, one who will trouble Hyrule for eternity, long after your people have faded into obscurity."

Nabooru was silent for several minutes before she fervently began shaking her head. "This is insanity. Time travel? Ganondorf, an evil villain? Me, a Sage?"

"The story may seem impossible to believe now," the Deku Tree said, "but in time, you will come to accept the truth. But right now, we have other matters to attend to."

"Why are you guys here anyway?" Link asked, and Nabooru noted with surprise that there was no trace of suspicion or hostility in his voice, just genuine curiosity.

Nabooru sighed. "We were driven out of our fortress by an unknown enemy. I don't know who they are; some are men, and others are beasts the likes of which I've never seen before, and they all came from the desert."

Link looked horrified. "Are you saying Hyrule's been invaded?"

"I don't know, but possibly."

"Listen well, the both of thee," the Deku Tree interrupted. "When I drove off the monsters pursuing you, I was able to see into their twisted thoughts. These creatures are not of our world. They serve a very powerful Dark Lord who is known by servant and foe alike as Sauron. It seems this Dark Lord waged terrible war upon the forces of good in his own world, and ultimately emerged triumphant. But as is the nature of those who lust for power, Sauron wanted more, and thus he discovered our world and the Golden Power it contains. Now his forces have invaded our realm, with an army of wicked men and vicious beasts hundreds of thousands strong, and I can ascertain that this is but one of several similarly-sized armies at our new enemy's disposal."

Link put a hand to his forehead, a pained look on his face. "Can Hyrule never have more than a moment of peace? After everything I did to stop Ganondorf from rising, you're telling me some new Dark Lord from another world entirely is out to get the Triforce now?!"

"It is as you say," the Deku Tree replied simply. "I sense dark and confusing times ahead for all of Hyrule's people." Sparing a knowing glance at Nabooru, the guardian deity then added, "If Hyrule is to survive, some unlikely, and perhaps some unsavory alliances must be made. Hyrule divided cannot hope to stand against this new threat."

Link sighed before straightening up, a steely look in his eyes. "What do you need me to do, Great Deku Tree?"

"Thou must ride for Hyrule Castle immediately," the Deku Tree declared. "Nabooru, I implore thee to go with him. I shalt also send Saria to accompany you, for she too is destined to take up the mantle of a Sage. Once there, you must bring together Darunia of the Gorons and Princess Ruto of the Zoras, as they too carry within them the potential for Sagehood. The power of the ancient Sages must be fully reawakened, and their peoples united, if we are to have any chance at stemming this tide of evil and greed."

"And what of my people?" Nabooru demanded. "Can I entrust them into your care?"

"Do not fear for them, child of the sands. I have already set aside an area of forest for them to build in safety. As long as they do not hurt the forest unnecessarily, they are welcome for as long as they require refuge."

Nabooru bowed her head. "Thank you, Great Deku Tree. I will…be certain to…take your account of things into consideration."

XXXXXX

Gerudo Fortress…

With a significant amount of the Gerudo Fortress reduced to rubble by the rampaging Mûmak, the Witch-king could only use so much of it as a base of operations. Still, enough was intact for the Nazgûl Lord's needs, and there was another section of the Fortress that ran underground in a series of labyrinthine tunnels and puzzle rooms. A large party of Orcs and Easterlings was busily setting to work clearing the place of monsters and traps in order for them to move in and take up residence, though the majority of this vast army was forced to take up residence outside the fortress in a sea of tents, ranging from the Orc-tents crudely stitched together from whatever had been their most recent meals to the ornate, sandy-yellow palace-tents of the Haradrim and Easterlings.

Inside the Fortress, the Witch-king stood alone in one of the chambers, striding towards a table set in the middle of the room. Reaching into his robes, the Witch-king withdrew a large, glossy-black orb of stone and set it on the table. The stone was roughly the size of a man's head, and gray, cloudy wisps swirled beneath the stone's surface.

This was the palantír of Minas Tirith, seized from the White City as it fell to Sauron's hordes, and now in the Witch-king's possession to serve as a way to instantly communicate with his lord. Sitting down in the crude, wooden stool, the Witch-king sat up straight and held his gauntleted hand over the palantír. Soon enough, the cloudy wisps roiled faster and faster, until the image of a flaming eye burst through, fixating on the Nazgûl. Soon the eye dissolved into the armored face of the Witch-king's master, and the Witch-king inclined his head in subservience.

"What news do you have, my Witch-king?" Sauron demanded.

"The invasion was a success, My Lord. We came across a native encampment and drove them out without incident. We have taken their fortress as our base of operations."

"Excellent," Sauron replied. "At first light tomorrow, begin scouting out the surrounding territories and identifying key targets. Find out everything you can about the location of the Golden Power they call the Triforce. And when we have what we need, strike swift and fierce, so that none may arise to stand against us."

"As you will it, Master," the Witch-king hissed.

"If, however, you do encounter stronger resistance than expected, I will send you Durin's Bane, Drogoth, and the rest of the Nine should you need them."

"Indeed, Master."

"Now go; time is of the essence. Before year's end, I want the banner of the Eye flying in every citadel of Hyrule, and the Triforce in my possession!"