Another act, another curtain call; Circular
As I fight, As I bleed, As I struggle,
In the name of those for whom I remain nameless-
In the end, who, If anyone,
will be there to call my name?
Months marched on tireless legs, unrelenting. Seasons bloomed and then gave way, and still the dark vigil went on.
The dark lord, the man who was destined to take possession of the world entire, was dead. He lay prone on the ground as time progressed, a spell cast over his body to keep it from decaying. The silvery arrow still protruding from his chest.
Over him hovered the Twinrova witches, heads bowed, eyes shut, swaying silently on their enchanted brooms. It seemed as if neither of them had spoken or even looked up since Ganondorf's defeat. Wayward moblins shuffled in and out of their new base of operations, miles from Death Mountain. The pig men were confused, lost, directionless without their tyrannical leader to order them around. They were back to being little more than a collective of selfish monsters, each only interested in his own welfare, having no greater desire to strive for as a unit. More or less useless. Agahnim had curled himself up in a corner of their new base all those months ago, refusing to budge, aghast at the turn of events that had taken place. Ganondorf was dead, all of his ambitions were wiped out, and the High priest was now left without a hope to cling to; he had picked the wrong side, and was now stuck. The realization had drained the traitorous Hylian of energy, causing him to simply sit for all of those days that passed, barely eating, barely sleeping- only wondering what would become of his scheming now.
An abrupt grunt called out through the crowded and dingy room. Some turned to look, Kotake and Koume simply each opened an eye. Agahnim continued to wallow in self-pity, unaware of the large, angry moblin that was calling attention to himself. Onox stood to his full height, head and shoulders over most moblin and bulkier in girth as well. He wore a filthy bandage where his left hand once was, claimed by the mysterious hero that had caused all of this, "This is pathetic!"
Several listless moblins stirred at his grunting, hooves scuffling. The Gerudo twins said nothing, just kept their gazes trained on the large moblin as he spoke.
"I've grown tired of this!" Onox gestured through the air with his good hand, "We do nothing but stand and mourn! And for what? For a man so easily toppled by a mere child?"
Glances went around the little room. No other moblin spoke up, but whispers of consent went around.
"It is over, Twinrova Sisters! See there? There lies your Master! Defeated so effortlessly!" Onox let loose a squeal, rage and impatience shining over his face, "He is not what we thought him to be! We followed him because we believed him, believed in his power! But now he lies dead before us! All that keeps him from returning to dust is the enchantment you pair have lain on him!"
The witches still gave no reaction, only half glared at the moblin with a solitary eye.
The piggy monster gave a snort, snout twisting in disgust, "I for one have had enough of it. There is no longer any reason for us to remain here. I am going back to the Hylian Fields where I can kill for my meals and my entertainment."
Onox turned to leave, but before he could lift a hoof to move, those crackly voices called out to him, "Nothing is yet over-"
"-dear Onox. Not when-"
"-one can overcome-"
"-death itself."
The larger moblin stilled in place, several of his pig-like comrades now turning bewildered looks to the floating witches. Onox glanced back over his shoulder, eyes narrowing, "What do you mean?"
Those wrinkly faces pulled into sinister smiles, "We can, of course-"
"-revive lord Ganondorf."
Astounded muttering broke out around the room, and even Agahnim lifted his head, weary eyes trained desperately on the withered sisters.
"Ridiculous!" Onox spat back.
"No." Kotake cooed, opening both eyes on the large moblin, "We wield a dark magic."
Koume let her eyes again shut, dipping lower to the body of their master on her rickety broom, "Darker than anything you might imagine. It is well within our power to bring the Master back from his eternal rest."
"All you need do-"
"-is bring to us-"
"-the blood of-"
"-the wretch that felled him."
Ganondorf's army seemed suddenly revitalized; several of the gathered moblins grunted in amazement, clattering to pick pieces of armor and discarded weapons from where they lay in heaps on the floor. The Hylian priest shuddered- so overcome with relief that he nearly broke into sobbing.
Onox remained unchanged, "And why would I do that? Mast- no! Ganondorf was a disappointment. I only seek to follow someone with true power."
The firey haired Kotake let out a dark giggle, soaring through the air towards the stubby moblin, "Ahhh, but Master Ganondorf is true power."
Koume remained bent over the prone body in mourning, a smile touching over her features, "The truest kind of power. And if-"
"-you serve us, we will share with you-"
"-a sampling of this great power."
The twin Gerudo made a cursory gesture with their hands. Onox watched, shocked, as a dark mist swirled about his left wrist. Where there had been nothing but a stump for so long now, suddenly grew into a sturdy metal cylinder from which sprouted a long chain and ended in a spiked flail. The moblin's olive black eyes fluttered several times as he lifted his arm, looking over the newly formed weapon grafted to the wrist. He turned more fully to the Twinrova witches, blinking hard.
They had each trained a wicked smile on him, "What do you say-"
"-Commander?"
He spared the new appendage another look, repeating what he understood to be an offer, "Commander?" The Gerudo twins sneered, watching as the moblin came to a decision. His thick head nodded, eyes locked on the pair of them, "If you share with me the power of Master Ganondorf, I will bring that little whelp back here personally and bleed him." He allowed the flail to thump onto the ground to emphasize his point.
A cackling filled the small, dank room, and was soon drowned out by the loud crackle of magic and the shrill screaming of pain. A flash of orange yellow consumed those standing in the room, disappearing as suddenly as it had appeared from the fingertips of those withered hands. A billowing of smoke rose from the newly transformed moblin commander as those around him grunted in muted awe.
Kotake and Koume cackled to each other, "It is set in motion."
"Yes, sister. And so let it begin."
"The hour of our great and glorious King's-"
"-hideous rebirth."
Their maddened laughter soon filled the tiny room, bubbling out and echoing over the fields of Hyrule. As if an omen from the Goddesses, the darkened sky split with forked lightening, pouring rain down onto the tranquility that had come to blanket the land. A tranquility that was soon to be shattered.
Legend of Zelda II: Dark Resurrection
Chapter 1: Revisit the Dream Only To Find a Nightmare
Link stared again at the ceiling of his room on another long, sleepless night. He was getting very sick of watching the same cracks stretch out over him, almost wishing some new ones would form just to have something different to look at.
Something had been picking at him internally for months and months now, nearly a year of time. The more he agonized for an answer, the less sense it seemed to make. So he had been spending more and more nights awake, wondering why. Why? Why did Ganondorf have the symbol of the Triforce on the back of his hand?
It was…a sacred symbol, wasn't it? It represented the Goddesses, the holiest beings ever known to the world. Why, then, had it been etched onto the hand of one of the vilest, most evil men to ever walk the earth? During their final battle, Link had seen it clearly, glowing a soft gold just as the physical Triforce of Wisdom had. But why would a holy symbol ever present itself on the hand that would have destroyed the world? Was it a sick joke of the universe? Or…were the Goddesses not what everyone interpreted them as?
The young Hylian turned onto his side, now angry at the thin markings on his ceiling for some reason. Navi slept soundly nearby, giving off a muted blue glow. He half scowled, jealous of the fairy, wishing his mind were so free. He gave a soft moan, forcing his eyes to shut. That was it- he'd decided. He would go immediately to someone who could possibly explain why a monstrosity like Ganondorf would have a sacred symbol on his hand, if only to allow himself to sleep at night.
The only possible candidate Link could even think of was Impa, the personal handmaid of the Princess. Which meant that he would soon be making the long trip from his home in the Ordon Providence all the way to the castle in the middle of Hyrule.
It would be worth it if he could spend just a few nights a week actually sleeping and not staring blankly up at those stupid damn cracks.
…...
It was the dead of the night several days later when Link finally arrived at the impressive Hyrule castle. The full moon hung over head, casting a pale light over the slumbering city as crickets chirped their chorus. No lanterns lit the dark streets, and not a single soul could be found walking the streets at this time of night. The castle itself was locked for the night, guarded by a pair of strict looking men with broad axes and glinting armor.
Which was why Link had pressed himself to the castle's exterior, sneaking quietly over cobblestones, eyes carefully watching all around him. Permission or not, he was going into that castle. It was a good thing he had left Navi behind for the moment, snoring away atop Epona's back- Not only would she have scolded him for breaking into the royal castle, but her constant blue glow would have surely given him away. Link's gaze swept over the enormous building, looking for any place where he might be able to sneak himself into. A light caught his eye, warm and flickering. There was a single window high above him that lit with an orange glow, left open ever so slightly. That would be his way in, then. The young Hylian glanced around, looking for a feasible way up. There was a sturdy tree not too far from the castle walls, leaves swishing serenely in the moonlight. A mischievous smile crossed Link's face. He swiftly and silently crossed to where the tree stood, sending a glance to be sure that the front guards had not yet noticed him. As quietly as he could manage to, Link scrambled up the tree to where the branches sat across from the open window. His boots scraped over the tree bark many times on the way up, almost too loudly, and he was sure he was going to get caught and be thrown in jail. But the front guards gave no indication of concern, so he perched himself on a thick branch and began to edge his way towards the castle wall. A short hop was all it took for him to reach the windowsill, pulling himself up and inside of the castle successfully.
Once inside, Link dusted his tunic free of leaves and bark, eyes gazing around the room he now found himself in. The whole room had that musty smell of knowledge about it. The walls were lined with shelves, all packed tightly with what seemed to be hundreds of thousands of books. Still more book cases sat in rows throughout the room, reaching to the ceiling, forcing Link to navigate his way around them. Some of the books were pristine, newly published. Others looked as if they had been unearthed after sitting millions of years underground. Link made his way through the stuffy little room, eyes skimming over books. He soon became aware of an unusual, almost metallic, popping sound, like a baby bird trying to chirp. It drew him to one side of the packed room where a desk sat with two large, overly cushioned chairs. The desk was cluttered with countless little knickknacks, figurines and little tin toys, one of which was bobbing in place. Link reached out for it curiously.
"Ah! Hello? Excuse me, who's there?" a voice called out.
Link flinched, whipping around fully with the little toy clutched in his left hand. Wide blue sapphires caught sight of another man, looking just as startled as Link was.
The man blinked furiously, batting brown eyes that were half hidden behind a pair of thin rimmed spectacles. His long Hylian ears dipped down, shaggy brown hair hanging all around his head. His attire was very proper and neat, a deep blue jacket that looked made of velvet and a pair of straight black pants.
What Link noticed most was the book that the man held, a medium sized tome with a red ribbon hanging from the spine…and a dagger holding a place among the pages. Link hadn't brought the Master Sword with him. He swallowed against a lump in his throat.
"Who are you? Are you supposed to be here? Ah!" the man adjusted his glasses and then suddenly came forward, lamp light shining over the glass in front of his eyes, "Oh, what's that you have there?"
Link followed the man's line of sight to his own hand, turning it over and opening it to reveal the strangely shaped toy that still piped its odd little noise. He blinked. He wasn't trying to steal anything, if that was what the man thought. Link quickly lifted his hand and offered the toy.
A smile quickly overcame the other Hylian man's face, "Well, well. I see you are interested in the Sky People as well."
"The…?" Link gave a look, "…what?"
"The Sky People." he reached and pulled the toy from Link's gloved hand, setting it down on the desk. It bobbed and chirped, looking like a very strange cross between a cucoo and a buzzard. But it's wide eyes, though painted on, looked distinctly humanoid. "The people from the clouds. Way up there." The man pointed for the ceiling and Link's eyes followed. "They lived here long before any of us did, you know. In fact, I've been working on formulating a theory about that- hold on a second."
He shuffled off behind a book shelf, leaving Link to stare down at the ugly little toy bird as it began to wind down.
"Here we are!" when the man returned, he laid a very old, very large book across the desk and flipped it open with an enormous grin, "One of the many perks of working in the Royal Study is that I have access to all of this wonderful information- Oh! I'm sorry, we haven't been introduced yet, have we? I am Shad, personal tutor to Princess Zelda. Though, it is almost laughable, if I do say so myself. That girl is so smart, and she has such a talent with magic…I may as well be a choir for the deaf."
He extended a hand which Link shook without a word, deep blue sapphires watching this man carefully.
"Now then, where were we? Ah, yes." Shad beamed, flipping quickly through pages, "Here we are, the Sky People. There are many ancient legends that tell of a race that came from the sky. Now, I'm thinking that perhaps Hylians actually descended from this race."
Link scrunched his face, looking down at the painting of the human-headed cucoo in the book. He was starting to wonder if this man was just a touch insane.
"You know the old tales. They say that Hylians' ears grew so long so that we could hear the words of the Goddesses. But I wonder instead, if perhaps our long ears point upwards back towards our original home in the clouds. Hm?" Shad noticed the young boy leaning far down to inspect the pages of the book. "It's a remarkable theory, isn't it?"
Link nodded without fully being aware of the question.
"See, that's what I thought, but. But my theories are always getting shot down." with a heavy sigh, Shad folded his arms over his chest, gaze drifting off across the study, "If only I could get some kind of proof. Then I could show everyone."
Link offered the odd man a smile. He then lifted a hand and turned a page in the large book himself. The words were a little too close together and a little too cursive for Link to read clearly, so mostly he was fascinated by the illustrations that accompanied these bizarre theories. Another page turned, and Link was now staring down at a most peculiar drawing; it looked like many metal carts hitched behind a large cart with a chimney that bellowed smoke, all aligned along a set path or track. The young Hylian lifted an eyebrow.
Shad jabbed at the page with a finger. "Ah, now this. This is really something spectacular. It's called a locomotive, see here?", he pointed to the illustration's title, "There are some who say that if it can be built, it will be capable of carrying a great many people across whole lands in no time at all. Isn't that grand?"
Link looked it over again, head tilting to one side. There was no place on the front to fasten a horse to. "How's it…go?"
"Who knows. It's just a pipe dream right now." Shad was grinning widely once more, "Perhaps it runs on simple magic."
"…magic?" Link lifted his face from the book, staring blankly at the other man. All at once, he became aware of the sound of footsteps approaching swiftly and authoritatively. Both Link and Shad turned towards the Study's entrance as the stern nursemaid Impa appeared from the darkened hallway, white hair tied back, bright red eyes closed as she crossed into the cluttered room.
"Shad." Impa spoke in a low and exasperated tone, "Up late again, I see."
"Oh! Mistress Impa, I'm very sorry." he gave an embarrassed smile, "I suppose I lost track of time again."
"No doubt. Too busy chasing after your Sky People to read a clock." the Sheikah gave a short sigh and allowed her eyes to open. Spotting Link there, she let out a little hum of surprise, "Oh. What in the name of the Goddesses are you doing here at this time of night?"
Link flashed a shy grin. He had almost forgotten about his blatant breaking-and-entering into Hyrule Castle.
Shad adjusted his glasses quickly, "That's right. Mistress Impa, this boy came in, uhm…somehow. I was just-"
"You were just talking his ears off, of course." the nursemaid cut in, giving the over zealous tutor a measured look. He let out something of a laugh, cheeks becoming flush. Impa reached over and grabbed Link's wrist in a firm grip, "I won't ask you how you got in, but never the less. Come with me." She pulled the young man behind her, exiting the cozy little study, "Shad, get yourself to bed."
"Ah…yes, of course Mistress Impa, right away!" he called after them.
The Sheikah escorted Link forcefully down the long, chilly hallway where bright beams of moonlight streamed in from huge windows. Though it was dark, the young Hylian kept squinting to see the tapestries and other adornments that decorated the walls. "That Shad." Impa spoke after the light from the distant study had disappeared, "He is rather brilliant, but completely eccentric. All in all a good man, do not allow his quirks to frighten you."
Link smiled with a soft nod.
"Now then." she came to a stop, releasing the boy's wrist and turning to stare him down, "Give me an excellent reason why I should not summon the guards and have you arrested for trespassing."
He gave a tiny cringe, ears lowering. He knew that he would be in a lot of trouble for this. "I just…" Link half shrugged, eyes falling to the pale light that pooled around the tile at his feet, "…I needed to ask you something."
Impa lifted an eyebrow, "That is unusual. What is it."
Link was silent for several minutes, brow furrowing as he searched for words to explain it. The nursemaid showed a great deal of patience by waiting quietly as he fumbled against his own mouth to speak, "I need to know…about the mark. On Ganondorf's hand."
"What?" Impa blinked, "Is that all?" Link nodded at her, and she gave a short huff, "We should have stayed with Shad, then. Wait here a moment, and I mean wait here. If I find that you have moved, I truly will call for the guards." The nursemaid went hastily back down the hallway towards the study, disappearing in the partial darkness of the long hall.
Link sighed to himself. He found a stone bench against the wall, just between two imposing windows, and sank onto it with a grimace. He slouched, hands resting across his stomach, head leaned on the tiled wall. It was late, the travel here had made him tired, and he was getting hungry- making him overall grouchy. She didn't have to go all the way back to the study. He only wanted to know why the mark of the Triforce was on Ganondorf's hand, that was all. What could she possibly be going to get to help her explain? Half-lidded sapphires scowled down the hallway, watching to see when she would return.
Soft footsteps approached him, so hushed that one would think they belonged to a cat sneaking about in the night. He was mostly unaware of them, just glaring down the moonlit hall as he waited not so patiently. Someone came to a stop directly in front of him, though Link did not bother turning his head to see. A voice spoke up, quietly, amusement clear in her tone, "Well now. This is extraordinary. How unusual to meet you here, and at so late an hour."
"Mm." was all the response he gave initially, not taking his gaze away from the depths of the hall.
The woman standing in front of him could not help but smile- it was easily the most apathetic greeting she had ever received.
It took a second too long for Link to recognize the voice, deep blue eyes widening as he did. The young Hylian slowly sat up, turning his head to the woman who stood staring at him, a wide grin on her face, "…Princess Zelda."
The Princess stood half leaning over, light blue eyes illuminated by moonlight. She had clearly been woken from sleep- her golden blonde hair was loose, even her short, feathery bangs, and she was dressed in a plain nightgown, lengthy and flowing, made of a shimmering white silk. When Link realized it, he went so red that heat practically emanated off of him. The Princess seemed unconcerned, hands clasped lightly behind her back as she spoke, head tilted ever so slightly one way, "Good evening. Though, a few hours more and I will be saying good morning. What is it that brings you here, Sir Link?"
He almost choked on air- she had remembered his name. "I…" Link stammered for a while, fighting against a nervous pressure on his throat. Before he could speak anything further, something heavy thumped against his head, nearly causing him to bite his tongue. The young Hylian moved a hand to rub at the top of his head, looking up to see what had just hit him. A large book fell straight into his lap, kicking some of the wind out of him.
Impa stood over him, stock straight, chest held commandingly out, "Here you are. All that you need to know about the mark that had adorned Ganondorf's hand, also known as the Triforce."
Link looked down at the book, seeing no title but a large Triforce drawn over the cover. He flipped it open and was instantly disappointed; it was a book about the Triforce alright, but it wasn't anything he didn't already know. It mentioned the Goddesses, what each triangle represented, and so forth. The kind of things that mothers taught very young children about the sacred symbol. A frown dotted his face.
"You wish to know more about the Triforce?" Zelda perked up at the mention of it, fingers running errantly over her own mark. Considering that she had been blessed with the Triforce of Wisdom, the princess assumed that she could be a reliable source on the subject.
Impa had already narrowed her eyes on the young girl, a warning tone in her voice, "Princess. What are you doing up so late at night?"
Zelda straightened, still holding her arms behind her, "I heard unfamiliar noises within the castle, so I awoke to see what was causing them." She spoke matter-of-factly, matching Impa's posture somewhat.
Link glanced at the pair of them quickly, then went back to hunting through the book for anything that could possibly answer his concerns.
"I see." the nursemaid breathed a sigh, "In the future, it would be best for you to run in the opposite direction of unfamiliar sounds in the castle in the dead of night, your Highness." Zelda gave a nod, though her eyes sparked with playful challenge. Impa's tone flattened further, "Go to bed, Princess."
"Yes, Impa." she didn't seem excited to go, stifling an exhale as she turned to head back to her room. Zelda paused after a step or two, giving a light bow, "Take care, Sir Link. It was good to meet with you again, if only for a moment."
His eyes lifted from the pages of the book to watch as she went, offering a nod.
Once the princess had vanished from sight back down that long hallway, the Sheikah spoke up again, "Now, is that all that you came to ask?"
Link wore a defeated expression. Impa didn't seem to know the answer to his question, and this thick book wasn't going to help any. He had come all this way for nothing. "…yeah."
"Good." Impa curtly bobbed her head, "You may hold onto that book for a while if you like. Take your time reading it over, but know that you will be expected to return it eventually."
The perpetually green-clad Hylian grumbled to himself, nodding an understanding.
"Alright then. Allow me to escort you from the castle, least you be mistaken for a burglar by one of the guards." the Sheikah strode on ahead without waiting for him.
Link pulled himself from the stone bench, staring down at the heavy book in his hand. A sigh pressed passed his lips again. It really was a stupid thing to worry about, considering that Ganondorf was dead now. But that thought didn't make it any easier to stop obsessing over. That an evil man had a holy symbol on his hand was ridiculous, it almost made more sense to just say that it made no sense. If it was just a horrible chance occurrence, then at least one could still have faith in the Goddesses. But if it was entirely intentional, then one had to wonder about whom they were placing their faith in.
With a head shake, Link halted his mind. There would be plenty of time to pour over it on the ride home, and the next time he went to sleep, and the next time he awoke. And so on. He went to follow Impa down the hallway, dragging his feet along the tile, book weighing down his arm as he carried it. There had to be a reason…there had to be. He wouldn't so easily be satisfied with Impa's response. Maybe…the Princess could help him after all.