Chapter 4:

Link and Zelda rode Epona through the streets of Hyrule Castle Town as quickly, but also as safely as possible. Still, they did not want to attract a lot of attention, so they went through the area quickly but not at a blistering pace. It was a quiet area, with only a medical clinic and numerous houses and residences so they were in no danger of accidentally trampling anyone in the street, and was not likely to draw too much attention if they played it safe.

Not wanting to waste any time in the town, they headed due east on the eastern road, coming upon the gate that led to Hyrule Field. Link then thought back to his recent battles, wanting to make sure that he would have enough arrows should he run into any trouble while going to Kakariko Village. Thinking back on the battles, he was confident that he had enough arrows should they run into Ganondorf's forces or any brigands that might be coming after them since he only used one quiver of arrows in his battle to reach Zelda. Still, he would have much rather had access to his own Hero's Bow and the rest of his arsenal, which was sitting in storage boxes back in his tree house in Ordon Village.

Approaching the gate, they saw that there were no guards, which caused Zelda to breathe a sigh of relief. She did not want any well meaning, or possibly corrupt, guards to let anyone know where they were going and that they were leaving the town. Secrecy was the key. They both figured that Ganondorf strongly suspected that they would not be hanging around the Castle Town for long, given that they had no chance of beating him equipped as they were at the moment. However, they did not want the Gerudo King to be able to guess where they were going. That was one of the reasons why Zelda wanted to go to Kakariko Village. There was nothing really of value there for Link or for their quest to defeat him. The Lost Woods and the Temple of Time were in Faron Province, which was on the border with Ordona Province. They were the obvious starting locations for Ganondorf and his minions to search for the two of them. The duo soon rushed across the bridge and entered Hyrule Field, Zelda carefully scanning the area to make sure that they were not being followed or walking headfirst into an ambush.

"It looks like we're in the clear," Zelda stated with some trepidation as she scanned her surroundings and found nothing suspicious.

As soon as she had said that, though, she saw some Kargaroks off in the distance. They were still far away so they did not seem to be taking an interest in them. Still, it caused her to grow concerned. "I may have spoken too soon, Link. I'm spying some Kargaroks behind us. Ganondorf may be tracking us."

Link nodded in confirmation and he gave a kick and spurred Epona on. Epona picked up speed and they made their way to Zora's River. After about half an hour or so of running, with breaks for walking in order to give Epona a chance to catch her breath, they were in sight of the bridge over Zora's River. Zelda looked behind her and found some Kargaroks, along with two other figures that she did not recognize, off in the distance, but being careful to keep their distance. She looked forward to Link and told him, "I'm almost certain we're being tracked by Ganondorf."

"Right," Link answered, nodding.

Inwardly, the Hylian hero grimaced. There was no way that he could avoid being tracked by a flock of Kargaroks if they wanted to track him. For a split second, he considered asking Zelda if she wanted him to head back to them so they could try to take them down. He quickly realized, though, that there were likely a large number of Kargaroks tracking them and chances were that there would be too many to take down in a running battle and if they tried to fight them, they would be overwhelmed with superior numbers. Still, he did not want Ganondorf's minions to track them to Kakariko Village so easily. If there was any chance that he could put some doubt into Ganondorf's mind as to where he was going, he would take it. Just then, a thought came to his mind.

"Zelda, what is the range of the Light Arrows?" he asked.

Zelda's eyes flashed with surprise at the question for a bit before it dawned on her what Link was thinking. "They have incredibly long range," she answered. "They're like magic missiles. Their incredible speed means that they arc far less than other arrows and, thus, have much longer range."

"Do you think you could hit any of those Kargaroks, or at least get an arrow to them in order to make them think twice about following us?"

"Yes," Zelda answered confidently.

She did not need Link to tell her what to do next. She unslung her bow and strung a Light Arrow to it. A hum sounded as the arrow was charging and a blinding light built up at the head of the arrow. Zelda pulled back on the bowstring and took aim just above the Kargaroks in the distance, taking gravity into account as she targeted the birds. She doubted that she would be able to reliably hit any of them, but if she could scare them enough to cause them to retreat, then her objective would be accomplished. As soon as the string was pulled back as far as it could be, she let fly with the light arrow. The light of the arrow was like a second sun that traveled across the sky and it was visible for anyone and everyone in Hyrule Field, as well as anyone on the walls of the Castle Town to see. The arrow arced towards the birds and a miracle happened, for the arrow managed to wing a Kargarok. The arrow struck the bird in the right wing and a light exploded from it engulfing the bird in a golden sea of light. The explosion of light also managed to tag the wing of a second Kargarok. The first Kargarok was instantly disintegrated by the pure light from the arrow, while the second Kargarok only had its wing burned. Still, it was enough to cause the bird to fall out of the sky and go into an uncontrollable dive, crashing into the ground at great speed, the hit either knocking it unconscious or killing it. The remaining birds stopped mid-flight to wait and see what would come next.

Zelda, seeing the birds stop after her miraculous shot, was quick to fire a second arrow at them in the hope of driving them off. This arrow shot towards them and arced through the air. This one did not score any hits, but it came close enough to one of the birds that the risk was high enough that another arrow hitting them was actually a realistic possibility. As such, they decided that it was wiser to cut short their mission and report back to Ganondorf on their findings. He would almost certainly have a better idea of where the heroes were going than they would. As such, they broke off and retreated back towards Gerudo Desert.

Meanwhile, Koume and Kotake were watching the exchange with great interest. They were surprised that Zelda had managed to score a hit on the Kargaroks and take down two of them, with her second shot coming close enough to drive them off. Still, she frowned at the cowardice of the birds. They prepared a summoning spell should something unexpected happen and they need more forces, but would not activate it until it was needed. As they went to use their magic sight to follow Link and Zelda at a distance, something else caught their eye. They noticed a group eight large, menacing horse-like beings charging towards Link and Zelda at great speeds. Riding the horses were creatures that the two had never seen before. The Sorceress Sisters saw that the enemies were closing in fast and they used their magic to identify the beasts and riders. Much to their surprise, the riders of the Demonic Horses were none other than Bokoblins. These Bokoblins, however, looked nothing like the ones that served Ganondorf. These had red skin and looked like Oni, rather than the imp-like beings that were the new rank and file forces of Ganondorf. Looking down at the scene, the sisters knew it would not be long before the enemy force intercepted Link and Zelda. While they did not doubt that Link and Zelda would be able to hold out against an attack from the eight horses that were closing in on them, they could sense that many other demonic cavalry were ready to join the fight and were set to rendezvous with their comrades pretty soon. Scanning their minds, they could tell that there was only one thing on the minds of the riders: death. Their mission was to kill Link and capture Zelda. The Sorceress Sisters could not allow that.

"We must inform Ganondorf of the situation," Koume stated calmly as she watched the scene unfold below.

"We cannot allow these creatures to kill the Hero of Twilight, or the Queen of Hyrule, not yet," Kotake agreed.

The two witches then spun around and disappeared in a flash of fire and ice as they went to inform Ganondorf of what was happening, as well as gather a group of soldiers to intercept the demons attacking Link and Zelda. As they went to do so, they had to resist the urge to vomit at the prospect of saving the lives of Link and Zelda. And they could tell that Ganondorf would not be thrilled about having to help them, either.

Back down on Hyrule Field, Link and Zelda continued to ride through the field, Link having Epona set the pace at small trot so she could rest a bit and conserve her energy. Zelda still felt uneasy, though. She constantly looked behind her to see if there was anyone or anything pursuing them. For a few minutes, they seemed to be in the clear, but after those few minutes, she noticed several of what looked to be mounted soldiers coming over the horizon, closing in on them fast. She used her magical sight and found that they were still a ways away from Kakariko Village. She then used it to look back at the units that were coming after them and could feel that there was something magical about them, and it was not good magic. These were not normal brigands. Not wanting to take any chances, she looked forward at Link and alerted him to the situation.

"Pick it up, Link. I think we're being followed. Our pursuers have a dark magical aura about them."

Link nodded and spurred Epona forward. Despite his wish to conserve Epona's energy, the last thing he wanted was to get bogged down in a protracted battle against Ganondorf's followers, or any other enemies that may have been after them, for while brigands were not all that common in Hyrule Field since the defeat of Zant and Ganondorf, he did not want to take any chances. He unslung his bow and held it in his left hand while he used his right to guide Epona.

They continued to ride for the next half hour, Zelda constantly looking over her shoulder to see if any of their pursuers were gaining ground. So far, it was too hard to see whether or not their pursuers had made any progress, which told her that any progress that had been made was insignificant. For a brief moment, she considered firing a Light Arrow their way in order to try to drive them off. She shook off the idea when she realized that they had not made any real progress and, despite having a dark magical aura, might not have actually been evil. The Twilight Queen Midna had dark magic, and came from a realm of dark magic, yet she was not evil at all.

She looked forward to extend her sight to see just how far it was from Kakariko when she suddenly felt the appearance of several more riders. These were coming in from both the right and the left, and were closing fast. These were much closer as well, easily within shooting distance. She looked to both her right and her left and found that there were over a dozen cavalry coming their way. She quickly tapped Link on the shoulder to alert him that they were likely in danger, but it was not necessary, for Link could hear the footfalls of their steeds and their howls of bloodlust.

Link looked around and was easily able to make out the new riders. They rode on what could only loosely be described as horses. Their steeds had the same basic shape of a horse, with one head, four legs, and a body that could support one or more rider. These horses, however, had easily visible teeth that looked more like fangs. Their hooves were also curved and looked to have a single claw as well, perfect for tearing open anyone or anything they trampled. Their eyes glowed a deep red and their neighs were like the howls of their riders, violent and sadistic.

Zelda could sense the evil of the riders and even their steeds. The two quickly looked forward and saw that another group of eight cavalry had cut off their path to Kakariko Village, with more coming in to support them. This caused Link to direct Epona to the right so they could try to get around them. However, as he did so, he noticed several of the riders, red skinned creatures that were a little larger than Link that had menacing, yet also cartoonish, features and expressions on their faces. Their evil put to lie their looks, but what shocked Zelda the most was that when she went to try to identify them using the magic of the Triforce of Wisdom, the word that echoed throughout her mind was 'Bokoblin'. Her eyes flashed at the word. This was not possible. Bokoblins were imp-like creatures with either purple or blue skin. At least, the ones that served Ganondorf were. They were not the Oni-like creatures that they saw here. In addition, she noticed that despite their cartoonish appearance, they appeared to be more bloodthirsty and serious than the imp-like creatures that served Ganondorf. Quickly gleaning their mission, she found that they were there to capture her and kill Link. She then informed Link of the situation, telling him, "We have to move faster. Those Bokoblins are out to kill you and capture me. I don't know why they want me, but it can't be for anything good."

Link nodded, drew his sword and he spurred Epona towards the thinnest part of the Bokoblin lines while Zelda readied a Light Arrow. He was surprised that Zelda referred to their attackers as Bokoblins, but did not ask any questions at the moment. There would be plenty of time for that once they made it safely through the field and into Kakariko. With a kick and a sudden burst of acceleration, Epona charged towards the weak point in the ranks of the Bokoblins. Zelda fired her Light Arrow at the lead Bokoblin rider. The Light Arrow struck true and the Bokoblin and its mount were consumed by the bright yellow light that erupted from the arrow upon its strike. The Light Arrow gave pause to the rest of the Bokoblins, seeing what just one arrow did to their leader. Still, they quickly reasserted themselves and charged forward, aiming to take off Link's head.

Link had unsheathed his own blade, though, and waited for the Bokoblin cavalry to get close to him before making any moves. As they approached, he gripped his sword tightly, ready to swing at the first chance he got. One of the Bokoblin riders got within striking distance and readied his sword in an attempt to take off Link's head. Link was quicker on the attack, though, and beheaded the Bokoblin before he could take off the Hylian hero's head. A second swing took down a second Bokoblin, knocking the now dead creature off his steed. Link then heard a whistle sound past his ear and he reflexively ducked just before an arrow sailed through the space where his head used to be. Zelda retaliated for Link by shooting the Bokoblin archer with a Light Arrow, killing him, his mount, and a Bokoblin cavalry unit that was too close to him and bathed in the explosion of light, the burned Bokoblin and its demonic steed falling over.

Link looked ahead and saw that he was getting close to the last ranks of the Bokoblin attackers. These were all armed with bows and arrows. Knowing that he would have a better chance of thinning this rank with his own bow and arrow, he sheathed his sword and drew out his bow, readying an arrow. He took aim at the closest of the Bokoblin archers and let fly with his arrow. His aim was true and the arrow struck the archer between the eyes. The archer's head snapped back and he fell off the horse, and into the path of another demonic horse, who tripped over the rolling body and fell to the ground, throwing its rider in the process.

Link aimed a second arrow at the demonic steed of a Bokoblin rider and let fly with his arrow. This arrow struck the demonic horse between the eyes and took it down with a single hit, which surprised him given the supernatural appearance of these steeds. The rider was instantly thrown and landed forward, only to be trampled by Epona as Link charged towards the other Bokoblins and their mounts, seeing a hole opening in their lines.

Two more Bokoblin archers and steeds were destroyed by a Light Arrow fired from Zelda, the Hyrulean Queen almost grimly looking at her handiwork as they light consumed both rider and steed. Another shot from Link, and another Light Arrow shot from Zelda, opened a large hole in the lines of the Bokoblin attackers. Seeing this line, Link spurred Epona even more and the horse charged through. The Bokoblins attempted to close the hole, but were unsuccessful as Link drew his sword and performed a spin attack, knocking off the three remaining Bokoblins from the rank in front of them from their horses, either killing or severely injuring them. Link gave Epona another kick, spurring the horse to go even faster.

Epona rocketed off into the distance as several arrows whistled by Link's ears. Looking back, Link and Zelda spotted several Bokoblin archers riding their steeds at full stride, hoping to score a hit on either of the two Hylian riders before they were too far out of range. Zelda looked back at them and readied another Light Arrow. She aimed her arrow high, wanting to make sure that she would either score a direct hit on their pursuers or at least give them pause before continuing the pursuit.

As she drew back on the string, the arrow began to glow with a golden light that had the brightness of the sun. Despite its brightness, though, it did not hurt her eyes in the slightest. The same could not be said for the Bokoblins, though, who had to shield their eyes to prevent themselves from being blinded, those who had been fortunate enough to have not yet stared directly at the Light Arrow. Those who were, stopped their pursuit and reigned in their horses, who were beginning to go wild, either being blind or attempting to avoid blindness by looking away from the light. Those that were not fortunate enough to avoid looking directly into the Light Arrow were instantly blinded and were at the mercy of their mounts, who quickly either stopped, blinded by the light, and tossing their riders, or were carried away from the battle. Only a couple of Bokoblin cavalry continued the pursuit. Their pursuit was brought to a quick halt when Zelda let fly with her Light Arrow. The arrow arced through the air and landed among the Bokoblin cavalry, the explosion of light managing to wash over both riders and their steeds, killing them. The burned Bokoblins fell off their steeds and to the ground as Zelda and Link rode out of range of the remaining Bokoblin riders. Zelda then turned back and focused on Link as he directed Epona towards Kakariko Village, the Hyrulean Queen still keeping her magical senses open in order to make sure that there were no other pursuers.

Standing on a hill overlooking the field not too far away, Ghirahim watched as the first wave of Bokoblins were defeated. He looked on in disgust as Link and Zelda killed many of the Bokoblins, along with some of their mounts, and had either scared the others off or blinded them. "Pathetic," he commented derisively. While the Bokoblins were not the strongest of his servants, they were quite numerous and their numbers could turn the tide of a battle. Here, though, he had lost more than a dozen of his greatest warriors.

A rider soon approached his position and saluted him. This rider was also a Bokoblin, but this one was different. While still having the shape and clothing of the Red Bokoblins that had attacked Link and Zelda, this one had blue skin and was riding a black demonic horse. "Lord Ghirahim, the first wave has been defeated and has suffered numerous casualties. The remaining members of the wave have broken ranks and are fleeing in all directions."

"I can see that," Ghirahim retorted harshly.

"What are your orders my lord? Do you wish for another wave to be sent in?"

Ghirahim considered the Bokoblin's question for a moment. He was tempted to simply send in everything he had and hope that his forces managed to succeed. With him joining the fight, they should have been able to do so relatively easily. Still, there was the issue of what that weapon Zelda was using was. He had never seen a weapon like that before.

"Bokoblin, do you know what that magical arrow was that Zelda used on the first wave?" he asked.

The Bokoblin shook his head. "No, my lord. I do not. It is unlike any weapon I have seen used by the surface dwellers before."

Ghirahim grimaced. He had been hoping to learn if it was a weapon specifically crafted to destroy demons, like the Master Sword. If it was, then he would have to plan his next attack on Zelda very carefully. If he was careless, it could lead to his ruin. He had just barely survived the defeat of his master and he had not yet returned to full strength and, thus, was more vulnerable to weapons that repelled and destroyed evil than he was before. He soon answered the Blue Bokoblin's question, saying, "No. Just get the second wave ready. Make sure there are at least two of each type of Bokoblin in this wave, including Technoblins."

"What about the Cursed Bokoblins?"

"They're too slow for this mission and would not be of any use against a fast opponent," Ghirahim answered. "Zelda and Link would easily escape them. No, just make sure that you bring along the Green Bokoblins and some Blue ones as well, along with the aforementioned Technoblins. Send the others to Kakariko Village and Death Mountain. Have them set up positions there. We can avenge ourselves against the sole remaining race from the time of our War Against the Surface World, aside from the Hylians, and we can have a fortified position for dealing with Link or anyone else who might come after Zelda once I get her."

"What about you, my lord?"

"I'll be going to capture Zelda myself, and deal with that ever annoying hero, Link," Ghirahim answered in an annoyed tone. "Besides, you'll need me to summon you to the field. There's no way our steeds will keep up with that horse of Link's. Turning to the Blue Bokoblin, he finished, "You have your orders, Blue Bokoblin. Execute them!"

"Yes, my lord," the Blue Bokoblin answered. He then saluted Ghirahim and turned towards the field. With a single kick, he spurred his demonic steed towards the field, and the second group of Bokoblins. Once he joined them, they went off in pursuit of Link.

Ghirahim looked out over the field and used his magical sight to spy on Link and Zelda. They had increased their pace as they made their way towards Kakariko Village. They were already arriving at Kakariko Gorge. It would not be long before they made it to the village. Chanting a spell in an unknown language, Ghirahim then summoned a demonic steed of his own. This steed was larger and more majestic than those used by his Bokoblin minions. This one was also covered in ornate golden armor. He then summoned a rapier-like blade out of thin air and mounted the horse. Once he had mounted the horse, he gave out a, "Ha," and spurred the horse towards Hyrule Field, where it charged after Zelda and Link with unnatural speed and grace.

Link and Zelda continued to ride through Hyrule Field until they came to a large gorge. Link knew that this was Kakariko Gorge and that they were getting close to Kakariko Village. Not only that, but despite the size of the gorge, he knew that there was a bridge that crossed the gorge and allowed access to Kakariko Village, itself. As he approached the gorge, he came to within a couple dozen meters and stopped for a moment.

"What's wrong?" Zelda asked.

"Nothing," Link answered. "This is Kakariko Gorge. There's a bridge somewhere nearby that will allow us to cross over and grant us access to Kakariko Village. I'm just looking around to get my bearings so we'll take the right path."

He continued to scan his surroundings until he was sure that the bridge was to the left. When he was sure, he smiled and directed Epona to her left. With a single kick, he spurred Epona on.

As they began the run, though, they heard the footfalls of another horse coming. Turning around, they saw a majestic, yet also demonic, horse rushing towards them. Riding the horse was a mysterious figure that neither Link nor Zelda recognized. He had white and gray skin that was arranged in a diamond-like pattern. He wore white gloves and was holding a rapier-like blade and his right ear was pointed, while his white hair covering his left, likely round, ear. He also wore a blue jewel-like earring on his right ear. He eventually brought his horse to a stop when he was ten meters in front of them and he grinned. "Greeting Link, and Your Grace," he said, holding out his sword and giving what looked to be a mock bow. It was clear that, despite his seeming respectful tone, that there was a note of derision and hatred. "It's been a very long time." Both Link and Zelda were surprised at the fact that the mysterious figure seemed to know them.

"Who are you?" Zelda demanded.

"I am Demon Lord Ghirahim, Your Grace," the figure answered, giving an exaggerated bow.

"How do you know us?"

"We've known each other since your first incarnation, Your Grace," Ghirahim answered. He then turned to Link. "And I most certainly remember you," he added venomously.

His statement put Link on edge and he drew his sword. Upon seeing Link's sword, though, Ghirahim gave a cocky smile. "But this time, you don't have the Master Sword to help you."

His statement caused Link's eyes to go wide with shock. How does he know about the Master Sword? Link wondered. Who is he?

Ghirahim stared at them, almost wondering why they did not recognize him. It then dawned on him that Link, and possibly Zelda, were not necessarily of the same bloodline as the Link and Zelda that he had been acquainted with millennia ago. In fact, he sensed something completely different about this Link. He sensed a power and strength in this Link that was not present in the previous one, despite the fact that they had the same courageous spirit. There were clear differences between the two. Turning to Zelda, he sensed that this Zelda was still of the same bloodline as the goddess Hylia, but there was also a mysterious power inside of her as well.

He then attempted to cast a spell on them to test this power and then saw marks begin to glow on the backs of their hands. Both Link and Zelda noticed that their Triforce marks were glowing and they looked down at them. Ghirahim noticed the marks and his eyes went wide with surprise, as well as excitement. There was no doubt about it; they had the marks of the power of the Old Gods. He could see Wisdom and Courage, but Power was missing. Someone else must have had that. He would have to track it down once he dealt with Zelda and Link. If all went well, he could use the Triforce to revive his master and not have to rely on his original plan, which he was not certain would succeed.

He focused back on Link and Zelda and grinned once more. "I have waited for this moment for so long, Your Grace," he sneered. "The Goddess and her Hero staring me in the face. This time, you'll lose."

He then held his sword high and charged towards Link. Link spurred Epona forward and held up his sword, ready to intercept Ghirahim's attack. As Ghirahim charged he brought his sword down upon Link. Link raised his own sword to intercept the Demon Lord's attack. The two swords clashed and a loud clang rang out. Link and Ghirahim stared at one another, Ghirahim's arrogance showing in his grin, as did his hatred for the hero. It was Link's turn to take a swipe at Ghirahim. Ghirahim raised his sword and intercepted Link's swipe. Link swung again, this time leading with his sword so Ghirahim would put his sword out of position so that he could get a clean hit in on the demon. Once he saw an opening, he swung his sword and scored a direct hit on the Demon Lord, but he heard his sword strike what appeared to be metal and the slash did nothing.

"You'll have to do better than that, Chosen Hero," the Demon Lord mocked. "Your sword is dull. Without any magic, you don't stand a chance against me."

While Ghirahim had been fighting Link, though, Zelda powered a Light Arrow. Ghirahim could see the glow of the arrow, but was not concerned. He could not sense any of the power of the Old Gods in the arrow, so he doubted that it would be sufficient to harm him. He then went back on the attack against Link, but he was finding his fight against the Hylian hero to be quite difficult, for this Link was even more skilled with the sword than the last one. After a few exchanges of blows, Link managed to lock his sword with Ghirahim's, forcing him to remain stationary, allowing Zelda to draw a bead on him. She then unleashed her Light Arrow and the arrow almost instantaneously scored a direct hit on Ghirahim's chest. Immediately upon striking the Demon Lord, there was an explosion of Light and Ghirahim was bathed in a golden glow. He gave a cry of shock and pain as the Light ate away at his power and his darkness. He felt all of his defenses vanish and he was suddenly vulnerable. Not only that, but the arrow, itself, also inflicted damage on him. He dropped his sword and was now defenseless before Link.

Seeing his chance, Link repeatedly slashed at the so-called Demon Lord's body. Despite the fact that Ghirahim did not lose a single drop of blood, Link could tell from Ghirahim's grunts and cries that his slashes were inflicting actual damage to the demon. Given the fact that the being was a demon of some sort, and with how deep his cuts were, it was doubtful that Ghirahim had any blood. Still, the depth of the cuts, as well as Ghirahim's grunts and cries, told Link everything he needed to know. His sword was now effective against the Demon Lord.

Ghirahim, for his part, was in utter shock when Link's sword strikes managed to inflict damage to him. He had been surprised enough when the Light Arrow managed to inflict damage to him. Nothing but the power of the Old Gods should have been able to harm him. But to be harmed by a non-magical sword? He was in utter disbelief that such a mundane sword like the one Link was using could do anything to him, much less actually inflict real harm. He then thought back to Zelda's Light Arrow and seethed. The arrow's magic must have neutralized his defenses and left him vulnerable to attack. He would have to retreat until the glow died down and he regained his normal defenses. Then he could reengage Link and Zelda and continue with his mission.

He did so and drew away from Link and Zelda for a second. As he did so, he raised his left hand into the sky and spoke a single word in an unknown language. As he did so, twenty Bokoblins riding demonic horses appeared, surrounding Ghirahim. "Take them!" Ghirahim commanded. "Capture Zelda. I want her alive and as uninjured as possible. Kill Link!"

The others nodded and charged towards Link and Zelda. As they charged, Link sheathed his sword and spurred Epona forward, hoping to reach the bridge that would lead to Kakariko Village before they would be overwhelmed. He took aim at the lead Bokoblin's demonic steed and fired his arrow. The arrow struck the demonic steed in the head and felled it with one shot. The falling steed threw its rider as it stumbled forward and rolled on the ground. It rolled to its side and barreled into two other steeds, knocking them to the ground, either crushing or throwing their riders. A couple more demonic steeds tripped over the other fallen, throwing their riders. The others had to maneuver around the scene, giving Link and Zelda a valuable head start on them.

Ghirahim grimaced as he pursued Link and Zelda. He chanted another spell and gave the rest of the horses unnatural speed and power. Link, seeing the steeds coming in faster, strung another arrow to his bow and fired it at another rider. He felled the Bokoblin, this one wearing strange glasses and having strange white clothes on, wielding what looked to be a baton with lightning crackling around it. He soon found another Bulblin, this one a green one, and fired another arrow, striking the monster between the eyes. The Bulblin fell from his horse and onto the ground.

All the while, Zelda was readying another Light Arrow. As it was charging, Link took down another Bokoblin, this one having blue skin. Ghirahim, however, would not make targeting him easy. He went evasive and swerved to the side, pulling away so that even if he was hit, that it would take Link time to reach him. "Form a ring!" he commanded the remaining Bokoblins. "You must protect me from Zelda's Light Arrow. Her capture is paramount and I'm the only one who knows the ritual for reviving Demise!"

Link did not notice Zelda's eyes flash at the mention of Demise. She had remembered the legends regarding a demon named Demise that was defeated long ago, before the founding of Hyrule. So it appeared as if this Ghirahim was a servant of Demise. That made it even more essential that they managed to stop him now. She fired her other Light Arrow at Ghirahim and scored a direct hit. The arrow exploded in a blast of light upon hitting the demon and the explosion spread and touched two of the demonic horses, along with their Bokoblin riders. The Bokoblins were burned and they let out piercing screams of pain as the Light killed them. Link drew his sword and knocked two more Bokoblins off their steeds with sword swings, either stunning or killing them, on his way to the Demon Lord. Once he arrived, he slashed at the Demon Lord again, and again, he was inflicting more damage. However, both he and Zelda quickly saw that the damage being inflicted was decreasing, as if there was a limit that a non-magical sword like a Link's Ordon Sword could inflict, even with the power of a Light Arrow neutralizing the Demon Lord's normal defenses. Now the issue was how to kill Ghirahim. Link knew that the Light Arrows could weaken the Demon Lord, but he doubted that even after taking a hit with the Light Arrows, that his Ordon Sword would be able to kill the demon. There had to be a way to take care of Ghirahim, and a plan soon formed. He gave a kick and spurred Epona on. In the distance, he spotted the bridge over the gorge and the Hylian hero grinned. This was his chance to take down Ghirahim. He doubted that his plan would kill the demon, but it would hopefully put him out of commission for a while.

He neared spurred Epona to full speed and told Zelda, "Ready a Light Arrow. We have to draw Ghirahim to the bridge. I'm going to try to knock him into the gorge."

"Do you think that will work?"

"It won't kill him, but it'll slow him down and allow us to get to Kakariko Village. After that, we can find safe haven for you while I go get the Master Sword. I have a feeling that I'll need the blade in order to defeat this Ghirahim as well."

Zelda agreed with Link's assessment of the situation. Truthfully, she was beginning to wonder if it would be better to go straight to Faron Woods, or even to Ordon Village and to Ordon Spring and use that as sanctuary. It would be unexpected after going all the way to Kakariko. Still, there was the possibility of Ganondorf's forces taking advantage of the situation. In the end, she felt it best to go to the closest Spirit Spring, in this case, Eldin Spring.

The duo approached the bridge, with Link drawing his sword once more and focusing on steering Epona while Zelda looked back for any sign of Ghirahim. Sure enough, the Demon Lord came surging through his lines and right towards them. Zelda charged another Light Arrow and let fly with the arrow of light. Ghirahim ducked and swerved his mount out of the way of the arrow and it sailed wide of him. He grinned and cried out, "Your aim's getting worse. Are you getting tired?"

Zelda grimaced outwardly, but inwardly, she could only smile. He was underestimating them, and they would make him pay for his arrogance. As they approached the bridge, they slowed down and allowed Ghirahim to catch up with them. They soon crossed the bridge and once they were across, they waited on the other side for Ghirahim's approach. As soon as he made it to the bridge, he came to a halt and looked across the small bridge. He noticed that Zelda was charging another Light Arrow and that Link was readying himself for another attack. Ghirahim, however, had a plan of his own.

Chanting a spell, two red magical daggers appeared behind him. As soon as they appeared, he charged towards the heroes. As he did so, he fired them at Link and Zelda just as Zelda was about to fire on him. The two daggers rocketed towards Link, but the hero was able to focus in on the daggers and with two swings of his sword, he deflected both of them away, harmlessly. The same could not be said about Ghirahim and Zelda's Light Arrow. Her Light Arrow scored a direct hit on the Demon Lord and he and his steed were once again covered with a golden glow and his steed staggered forward with him sagging in the saddle. As Link approached, Zelda drew out her ceremonial sword and channeled her magical power into it. As soon as they were close enough to the demon, they both swung their swords, Link performing a spin attack, with Zelda performing a highly precise thrust. The thrust from Zelda struck first and knocked him off balance. The demon struggled to maintain his seating when Link's spin attack struck him and knocked him out of the saddle. He immediately fell from the saddle and hit the ground, rolling a few feet until there was no more wood and only the long fall into the gorge. He fell over the edge and into the darkness below, vowing, "This is not the end! I'll be back!"

Both Link and Zelda knew that he would stay true to his vow. They would not likely have a lot of time in order to get to the village before the remainder of Ghirahim's forces came to intercept them. As they went to ride towards the village, they could already hear the footfalls of the remaining Bokoblin riders coming their way. Wasting no time, they turned and ran towards the village, Zelda turning back and readying a Light Arrow. She would use them to ward off the last vestiges of pursuit while they made their way to the village, which was now coming close.