Sorry this is a tad late! I've been busy finishing my novel and now I'm trying to send it out to agents! 8D I'd appreciate your prayers in this! Becoming a published author is my dream and goal and it would just be wonderful to accomplish that. This novel is my baby, lol. It means a lot to me!

Anyway, enough about me! Thanks to Split Infinitive (that's one of the best compliments I've ever received!), Snowyflakes, bethroxy, Coffeelovin, and Ilionej for your reviews!


Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda

CH. 3

Link's proclamation rang out in the dark room, the torches flickering and causing the shadows to ripple. Sephora gave him a sweet smile. "Good boy." She turned, looking over at the three men. "Acroff, would you be so kind as to help Link out?"

The white haired man stepped forward, his dark cloak flapping out behind him. "I'd love to!"

Sephora turned her black eyes back to study Link as she added, "Ganondorf, Rolox, and I will meet you soon." She smiled again, reaching down to run a finger through the Hylian's thick blonde hair. "Be brave, Hero."

He nodded, watching as she turned and headed out with the large man called Ganondorf and the beast-shifted named Rolox. Acroff bounded up to the boy, a wide grin stretched across his face.

"Shall we go?" he asked enthusiastically.

"Yeah," Link let out a heavy sigh, wishing that everything could just be over with. "I don't know the way back." He frowned. "Where are we, anyway?"

"Just outside Hyrule."
Link's dark blue eyes popped wide. "We're outside of Hyrule? It will take us forever to get back!"

Acroff shook one finger. "Not at all, my friend. Because we are warping."

They Hylian tilted his head to the side, recalling the black portal the Rolox took him through. "Warping? You can warp like Rolox did?"

Drawing himself up proudly, the white-haired man stated, "Actually, I created the portal for Rolox. We knew roughly where the Temple of Time was, but didn't have the exact location. I sent him to all sorts of places before we finally found it. He was getting really upset." He laughed, then brought forth the shiny black staff Link had seen earlier. Dark blue patterns spiraled along it, rising up from the surface and meeting as an orb on the top.

"What is that?" Link asked, studying it.

Acroff knelt down, holding the staff out gently. "It's called the Demon Staff, it houses the trapped spirit of a demon warrior."

"Wow," the boy breathed, eyes lighting up. "Is it dangerous?"

The man laughed. "Depends. Not to the wielder, no. It gives me abilities, such as warping. Whoever holds the staff is its . . . owner, so to speak, and no one else can wield it until that person dies. I don't know who had it before me. I found it on the bank of a river while I was traveling with a circus group. I use to be a performer."

Link grinned up at him, starting to like Acroff more and more. The man's ever-present smile and twinkling blue eyes – as if he was always thinking of a joke- were infectious.

Acroff laid the Demon Staff on the ground. "Try to pick it up."

Bending at the waist, Link wrapped his hands around the staff's smooth, cold surface and pulled. He found, with alarm, that it was far too heavy for him to lift. He stood up, letting go. "Wow, it's heavy."

Sweeping it back up, Acroff winked. "For anyone else except the wielder." He stood back up, letting out his breath. "Alrighty then. We better get going. You ready?"

Link chewed on his lip, feeling nervousness tug at his stomach. "What do I do?"

"Pull the sword, it will take you straight into the Realm of Eternal Darkness. Find the Master, then use the sword to get back out."

The Hylian nodded. It sounded simple enough. "Okay, I'm ready."

Acroff spun the staff into a circle and it carved a portal into the air. "To the Temple of Time we go!" With that he stepped fluidly through. Link hesitated before gathering his courage and jumping after the ex-circus performer.

The change was instantaneous. One moment they were in the dark fortress in the woods, the next they were in the large Temple of Time underneath Hyrule Castle. It was better lit, and Link had to blink a few times for his eyes to adjust. Cooler air, also, hit his face. His gaze traced the stone walls and the door on the far side that had the Triforce engraved on it.

"Link!"

He turned to see Talisman standing at the entrance, his mouth open in shock.

"Well, look who we have here," Acroff laughed. "I've never met you before, but I know who you are."

Talisman straightened, taking in the white-haired man. "And you must be one of the four generals." He turned to the Hylian. "Link, stay away from him, he's going to kill you."

"No, he's not," Link stated firmly. "They don't want to kill me."

"They hurt you," Talisman said, speaking of the blood-soaked bandaged wrapped around Link's middle.

The boy sighed. "It was a misunderstanding. And . . . he has a bad temper. They just want my help." His blue eyes darkened and a shadow fell over his face. "And I know what you did, Talisman."

The gold-cloaked man seemed taken aback. "Link, you can't believe a word that they say."

"Oh really?" the Hylian shot back. "What about you and the Master's wife? You betrayed him and locked him up for eternity. And then you did the same to your own son!"

Talisman's posture became rigid, the torchlight flickering on the gold of his cloak. He said softly, "Link, you don't understand everything that is going on here."

Suddenly a clock chime was heard, muffled because of their location, but audible all the same. The three looked up as one, listening to it.

Acroff faced the boy. "Link, it's almost midnight. Quickly, pull the sword!"

"Don't Link!" Talisman shouted. "Please just let me explain!"

"You don't get a chance to explain!" Link screamed, frustrated tears stinging his eyes. "You yanked me from my room, dragged me here, put a sword in my hands and left me without any explanation!"

Another chime sounded and Acroff pressed, "Link, hurry, I'll handle him."

Talisman's voice took on a pleading edge. "Link, don't!"

The Hylian took a step back as he said, "It's too late, Talisman." Then he turned on his heel and raced for the far door. He heard thuds and a metallic hiss, but didn't look back to see what the two were doing. The chimes of the clock echoed in the temple, soft yet persistent.

Link slid to a stop in front of the wide stone door, looking it over. There was no handle. He placed both his hands on the cool stone surface, pushing. There was a glow on the back of his left hand and he jumped, pulling away. With a grind and a cloud of dust the door slid up, revealing a small room beyond.

Link raced into it, his boots thudding against the stone. On a stone platform set a small pedestal that held a sword. Its surface was polished and smooth, reflecting Link's awed face back to him.

The Master Sword, Link thought.

He bounded up to it, looking it over. He could still hear the sounds of Acroff and Talisman fighting, but he didn't look back. The bell was still chiming, and he knew he was running out of time.

Doubt prodded at the edge of his mind, causing his hands to remain at his side. Was he doing the right thing? A quick replay of everything since Talisman and Zelda had pulled him from his room until he agreed to help Sephora ran through his mind. Zelda, the princess of his country, was on Talisman's side. But . . .

The generals had explained what was going on to him.

They said that Talisman was a traitor.

They hadn't tried to hurt him, like Talisman had said they would.

Acroff was, actually, quite friendly.

And there was something about Sephora that was so . . . calming.

As the last chime sounded, ringing in his pointed ears, he set his jaw. Reaching one hand up, Link took hold of the Master Sword's hilt, his other hand coming up to join it.

"Well," he breathed, "let's see if I really am this Hero."

Then he pulled. The sword slid out as the world around him grew into a bright light, the sound of the battle, the smell of the stone, and the room around him vanishing. Link closed his eyes and felt the temperature drop considerably. Startled, he opened his eyes again to find himself somewhere completely different. Though he'd never seen it before, he knew exactly where he was.

He was in the Realm of Eternal Darkness.

LoZ

The door to Zelda's room burst open, startling the princess and causing her to whirl around from where she'd been looking at her bookshelf. Her curtains were drawn, her room only lit by a few candles. After telling the army to be prepared and checking on the king, Talisman had told her to hide in her room and that he would be back.

But it wasn't Talisman who had entered. Impa stood, taking in the dark room before locating the princess. "Zelda! We're under attack!"

"What?" the girl exclaimed, whirling around to fully face her sheikah guardian.

"I don't know what's going on, but all the soldiers are being called out." She crossed into the room quickly, her dark blue and gray leather creaking wither movements. "Pack your things. We may have to get to safety."

Zelda darted to her dresser, pulling a drawer open with enough ferocity to rattle the furniture. She grabbed a few clothing items, tossing them over her head and onto her large bed. She also grabbed a pair of boots, leaving the dresser drawer open. In her peripheral vision she saw that Impa had already found a bag and was stuffing the items into it, her muscles accentuated in the candle light.

Pausing to consider anything else she might need, Zelda's gaze caught the photo on her dresser of her, her father, and her mother all sitting together, smiling. That had been taken when she was very young, before her mother died of illness. Acting upon a whim, the princess grabbed that, too, and rushed over to Impa, stuffing it in the bag.

Both their heads jerked up at the sound of shouting coming from the lower levels of the castle. They met eyes, amber and sky blue.

"C'mon," Impa said, "we have to go."

LoZ

The first thing Link felt was cold. There was no wind, but the air itself was simply freezing. That was starkly contrasted by the occasional heat that brushed against his skin from the fires that were scattered about. They were large, as big as bonfires, and had no particular order to them. He thought he saw people writhing in one, so he quickly averted his eyes.

The ground under his boots consisted of hard, dry rocks. A look above him showed that the sky was a thick, heavy, black. Looking at the ground and then sky, the difference was easily distinguished. However, if he peered out to the horizon, both faded into black, making the line between them impossible to locate. It was because of this that he couldn't get a sense for how big the place was. The area around him was lit by the fires, and he could see ones far in the distance, shining like red stars. The smell of smoke came to his nose, but the fires didn't give off any visible smoke.

And there were people. Link watched with amazement at the sheer number of people that inhabited the frightening realm. He felt like he was in Hyrule market, everyone coming and going, some alone and some in groups. All seemed either dejected or afraid. Much to his horror, he could make out two people in the distance that appeared to be on fire, walking around as if they didn't notice.

Link hugged the Master Sword close to him, its weight heavy in his arms. He looked around with wide eyes, taking in the Realm of Eternal Darkness.

"Kid?"

Link whirled around at the sound of a gruff voice, taking in the rugged looking warrior in front of him. He wore brown leather and had shaggy brown hair, his face sporting a shadow of a beard. He regarded Link with a cocked grin, his hand on the sword at his hip.

"Kid," he repeated, "what are you in here for?"

Link glanced around before looking back to the man. "I'm looking for the Master."

The man appraised him and the sword. "Why? Not many people get to talk to that guy."

"I'm –I'm here to free him."

The man threw his head back and laughed. Not at all mockingly, though Link couldn't quite detect what emotion was in his laugh. "Free him? Good, it's time we were rid of him. Thinks he owns the place and got everyone spooked." He drew himself up. "He doesn't scare me, I promise you that."

"Where can I find him?" the Hylian asked.

The man pointed. "That castle there."

Link turned, squinting in the distance to barely discern the shape of a castle against the blackness.

"Good luck, kid," the warrior said before turning on his heel and walking off.

Link watched him go before looking back at the castle. Taking a breath, he began walking. He felt apprehension twist his gut. He wasn't sure what to expect. Sephora had claimed that he had been a peaceful ruler, and that he was betrayed and sent here. Talisman certainly didn't contradict that statement, though Link wasn't sure what the gold-cloaked man meant by "you don't understand everything that is going on here".

But then, that rugged warrior had said the Master had everyone spooked. A quick glanced around certainly proved that. All the residents of the Realm seemed scared. Why would that be? What kind of hold did this "Master" have over them?

Link supposed that if everyone here had been sent as a punishment, and the Master was a anti-war, then perhaps he was trying to enforce peace. If these people were criminals, they did have a right to be afraid of someone who promoted justice.

Link's thoughts paused as he considered the title "Master". Well, he certainly wasn't going to call him that. He wasn't his master. As soon as Link got this whole Hero nightmare over with, he was going back to his "normal" life.

So what was he to call the man? He had to have a name. Sephora, his own daughter, couldn't call him Master all the time.

The boy spotted a group of three men, ragged clothes hanging off their thin frames. They were seated on the rocky ground, huddled and staring blankly into space.

"Hi," Link said, walking up to them.

They stirred, peering up at him with a mixture of fear and curiosity.

"I'm going to free the Master," he stated. "But, um, I was wondering . . . What's his name? I can't call him Master."

The three men exchanged glances, and the Hylian couldn't quite read the emotion that blazed in their eyes. The one closest to Link scooted around and leaned forward, placing his index finger in the gravelly ground. Moving the digit, he began to write.

Link leaned down, squinting his eyes as he made out an 'M'. When the next letter began as a circle, the boy thought the man was writing the word 'Master', but the letter stayed an 'o'. The next curve created an 'r' and then there was a circle followed by a stem etched into the dirt that made a 'd'. Link watched as four more letters were added. The man then moved back, watching the Hylian expectantly.

Link titled his head to the side, his dark blue eyes narrowing as he sounded out the name in his head. He looked to the man questioningly. "Mordecai?"

The three men started, eyes popping wide. Link frowned as those in close proximity stared at him with the same terrified and disbelieving expression.

"What?" Link asked, straightening. "Am I not supposed to say it?"

A few people scurried out of the way and four large men came up, their muscles bulging and eyes glaring down at him. The whites of their teeth stood out against the background of the black sky.

"You," one said gruffly. "How dare you call the Master by his name!"

Link's jaw dropped, unable to believe this was happening to him. "I didn't know!"

"Who are you?"

He panicked, saying quickly, "I'm Link! I have the Master Sword and I've come to free him. I'm the Hero!"

The men exchange startled glances. "You? But you're just a child."

Link just looked at them steadily, holding the heavy sword close to him. The heat from a close fire brushed against his skin.

One man nodded. "Okay, come with us."

"There's no need for that," answered a smooth voice.

The men turned and at once dropped to their knees, bowing their heads. The residents of the Realm in close proximity also bowed. Link looked over at them before setting eyes on the man to whom they were bowing. Link realized at once who he was looking it. It was the Master. Mordecai.

He wasn't immediately intimidating. He wasn't particularly tall or muscular. He had well-groomed black hair and eyes, reminding Link of his daughter, Sephora. He wore clothing of dark shades but nothing that seemed as rugged as Rolox's, as gaudy as Acroff's, and neither did he have armor over it like Ganondorf's. He stood straight and carried an aura of sophistication. A calm smile stared down at him. Link supposed he was handsome, if not for the jagged 'M' scarred into the side of his face, just like Sephora told him that Talisman had done.

"Mordecai?" Link asked, drawing a few gasps, but he refused to bend to this "Master" business.

That caused Mordecai's smile to widen. "Quite brash for someone so young. Link, is it?"

"Yes."

Mordecai took a step closer. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Hero. My generals sent you?"

"Um," the boy frowned, "you mean Sephora and the three guys? Yeah, they did."

"You're a good person," he said. "Thank you for this. I feared I would never be able to be free."

Link sighed, shifting his hands to grip the hilt of the Master Sword. "It doesn't look like fun in here. Let's go." He paused. "How do we escape?"

"You and I," Mordecai replied, glancing at their audience as he emphasized the words, "shall be leaving by way of a portal. Think of wanting to leave, and then slice the Master Sword through the air."

"Okay," the Hylian nodded, hefting the sword into position. With a grunt he swung up, and to his amazement a black portal was ripped into the air before him. He stared at it with wide eyes.

There was the crunching of boots on rock and Mordecai walked up to him. "Very good. Would you like to go first?"

Link nodded and, taking a breath, he hopped through.

They exited into the Temple of Time, and Link did a quick sweep of the area, seeing that Talisman was no longer there. Acroff was leaning against the wall and smiling. And so was Ganondorf, pacing impatiently, each step of his heavy metal boots echoing in the space.

"Master," both said upon seeing Mordecai.

Mordecai inclined his head. "My generals. It's wonderful to at last meet you. Sephora has told me all about you."

Link frowned, but decided not to question how.

Mordecai looked down at him. "If you would give us a moment, Link, we need to discuss something privately."

The Hylian nodded, taking a few steps back as he watched the three men group together. He sighed, rubbing his boot into the dusty stone, the crackling of the torches humming in his pointed ears. What was he going to do now?

"How is the situation?" Mordecai asked in a soft voice, keeping their conversation secret.

"Good," Ganondorf responded. "I just came back from assisting Sephora and Rolox in attacking the Hylian army. It was near gone when I came here –under Sephora's orders – to check on Link and Acroff."

"Was there any trouble?" the Master asked the white-haired general.

"Not at all," Acroff responded, grinning. "Talisman was here when we first arrived, and he and I got into a bit of a scuffle. But as soon as Link pulled the sword he left. Probably to protect the king and princess."

Mordecai nodded, the gears in his head turning. "Good, very good. We have to move quickly if we're going to take Hyrule. I shall join my daughter and Rolox and finish off the king and the Princess of Destiny. I want the two of you to take Link and his Master Sword back to the fortress in the woods."

Both men seemed startled, exchanging glances.

"But, Master," Ganon stammered, "I-Link-." He paused, collecting himself, then said, "Mater, with all due respect, it is not safe to keep Link alive. We should kill him now."

Mordecai looked back to Link, who was gazing about at the Temple of Time. He smiled. "No, we're going to keep him. If he's so dangerous as our enemy, think of how powerful he could be as an ally. He's hurt and he's lost; I can see that much. He'll be easily persuaded to stay with us." He turned back to the two men. "So you two will take him, and remain there until we join you."

"I do not think this is wise," Ganondorf growled.

Mordecai pierced him with a stare, his black eyes narrowing. "Do not forget who is in charge here, gerudo."

"Yes, Master," he said under his breath, bristling.

"Yes, Master," Acroff nodded, blue eyes flashing in amusement.

"Good, now go." Mordecai turned and headed toward the temple exit.

Ganondorf stared moodily over at the boy, crossing his arms. "I don't like this."

"What? Kids?" Acroff laughed. "You certainly don't look like the type." Ignoring Ganon's glare, he bounded up to the Hylian. "Link! How about you come back to the fortress with us? In case things get out of hand, we don't want you getting hurt."

Link's forehead creased in a frown. "What's going to happen?"

Acroff placed his hands on his knees so he could lean closer to the boy. "The Master wants peace, but to do that he needs to get control of the Hylian throne. And I doubt the king will give it up easily. There will be a fight." He tilted his head to the side, smiling. "But you understand why, don't you? This government is corrupt and fueled by violence, just like every other rule after Talisman betrayed the Master. The Master needs to overthrow this rule if he's to bring Hyrule back into peace."

Link nodded slowly, contemplating. "I . . . I understand. That makes sense. People aren't going to want the change, but it will be better." With the last set of words he looked into Acroff's blue eyes as if questioning the validity of that statement.

The ex-performer inclined his head. "It will be. Now let's get going."

LoZ

Zelda clung onto the saddle of the horse so tightly that her knuckles were turning white. She squinted her eyes against the wind created by their velocity. Impa was in the saddle behind her, urging the horse to go faster. A captain in Hyrule's army, a young man named Reego, was on a horse just behind them, coming to further protect the princess.

Zelda stared forward at the woods in the distance, their pathway taking them through a field lined with boulders. Impa had said it would better disguise them. Zelda didn't want to look back at Hyrule Castle, because she knew what she would see. The sky would be clogged in black smoke because of the attack.

She was worried about her father, who had stayed behind to defend the throne. She was worried about all the people of Castle Town, and wondering if they'd been attacked, too. She was worried about her country, and what was going to happen to it. She was worried about Talisman, who she hadn't seen since he left her in her room. And she was also worried about Link. He'd just been thrown into a role that he wasn't ready for nor that he believed in. It made her grateful that she'd grown up knowing her destiny.

"Where are we going, Impa?" Zelda asked, the boulders spattered around them lit with silver moonlight.

"To the mountains," the sheikah responded. "It's just through the woods."

The princess nodded, watching vacantly ahead of them and wondering what the future held.

LoZ

Link stepped out of the black portal and into the dark woods. Since there was no moon out, the woods were laced in shadows. Link was barely able to see a few feet from him, but he could see enough that he knew they weren't near the fortress.

He turned, making out the bulking shadow that was Ganondorf and Acroff's white hair.

"I thought we were going to the fortress?" Link asked. He kept his voice soft because of the silence of the thick trees around him.

Acroff smiled down at him. "We are; I just warped us a little ways off. Just in case someone can track the destination of the portal. We don't want our secret base being discovered."

The boy nodded, understanding.

"Let's go," the gerudo's deep voice rumbled. He turned and began walking, seeming to know exactly where he was going.

Acroff followed and Link followed him, holding the Master Sword close against him. It was heavy, and his arms were beginning to become sore, but having a weapon near made him feel more comfortable. He was feeling himself begin to trust Acroff, but Ganon was another matter entirely.

His boots made soft thuds on the ground as they walked, the pupils of his blue eyes so large they nearly blocked out the color. The air was cool and crisp, tinged with the taste of bark. Link looked around, keeping Acroff's white head in his sight. He saw a particularly large tree that had roots as thick as his arms reaching out from the ground and sprawling across it like a thick spider web.

Link stopped, studying it with an intrigued grin.

The wind was knocked out of him as he was tackled. He hit the dirt roughly, rolling over a few times with his attacker. He ended up on his back, and a small hand clamped down over his mouth.

Link stared up to see Princess Zelda on top of him, looking at him in confusion. Her blue eyes drifted to the Master Sword, widening slightly before returning to him. She took her hand off, climbing off so that he could sit.

"Zelda . . ." he started, but he had no idea what to say.

She frowned, staring at him. "Link . . . Hyrule Castle is under attack. Impa and I fled. The generals . . ." She kept giving him an intense stare, as if realizing something that she wanted to find disproven.

Link sat up straighter, running his fingers through his hair. "Zelda, you don't understand. The generals aren't bad. They just want peace."

Her eyes popped wide, her jaw falling open. "No. No, Link you . . . I thought you were in the Temple of Time."

"I was. One of them came in and brought me to the others. They told me what's going on. So I . . ." He felt guilt prod at him, though he didn't know why. He had done the right thing. Maybe it was the look Zelda was giving him. "I helped them."

Her hands flew to her mouth. "No!" she shouted.

Link heard footsteps approaching and Acroff call out his name. He glanced in the direction, but couldn't make them out yet. He had no sooner looked back then a punch connected to his face. He fell back, crying out.

There was a scuffle, sending pieces of dirt flying, as Zelda got to her feet, scooping up the Master Sword. Link sat up, lunging for it, but it was just out of his reach.

"Zelda!" he shouted, shoving off the ground and running after her. "Zelda, give it back! It's mine!"

She glanced back at him, tears rimming her eyes. Suddenly a large, white-haired woman wearing leather clothes stepped from the shadows, taking in the scene with wide amber eyes.

"Impa, get us out of here! The generals are here!" Zelda screamed.

Link pumped his legs faster, trying to get to his sword. The princess threw herself into the sheikah's arms, and Impa struck two fingers against the ground. Suddenly, they both vanished.

Link skidded to a stop, heart pounding and shock numbing his brain. What in the world . . .?

"Link!" Acroff gasped, coming to a stop beside him, Ganondorf close behind. "We lost you for a minute, what happened?"

"Where's the Master Sword?" Ganon demanded.

Link stared for a moment longer at the spot where Zelda and Impa had been before turning to the two generals. "Princess Zelda stole it-"

"Where is she?" Ganondorf snarled, looking around as if hoping to spot her.

"She went with a woman named Impa, a sheikah. They teleported away."

A string of curses came from the large gerudos mouth. Acroff just shook his head, smiling. He patted Link's shoulder. "It's alright."

"No, it's not!" Ganondorf shouted. "They have the Master Sword!"

"But we have Link," Acroff pressed. "No one else can use that sword other than him. It's useless to them. Besides, it already served its purpose."

The Gerudo fumed, hands balled into fists, but he didn't say anything more, seeming to just complain about the situation inside his own head.

Acroff laughed, blue eyes sparkling. "Calm down there, Ganondorf. We don't want you to pop a blood vessel."

Link grinned at that, though Ganon didn't seem to find it amusing.

"C'mon," the Gerudo muttered, turning, "let's go to the fortress."

Link turned back, looking at the spot where Zelda and the Master Sword had vanished. He felt angry that she'd taken it from him, that she hadn't listened to him. Who was she to think she had all the answers? But, at the same time, he felt a stab of guilt. He'd hurt her. He'd hurt Hyrule.

But it was for the better.

Because once Mordecai got in power there would be no more war.

And no more war meant peace.


Please review!