SageOfTheMinish and Sirael Lythling, your interest in Quietus will soon pay off. This is one of two chapters I've wanted to write since I began Quietus and it sets in motion the events of the second act. Thanks for reviewing, and I hope you continue to enjoy the story!

Now, unfortunately, I've run into a busy streak of other work. This means that Quietus will be set aside, but I assure you, I will be working on it. Just not as often as I originally planned. But regardless, I have other chapters to upload, so if I go without uploading for a long time, I'll be sure to post one.

Legend of Zelda and all official characters are licensed by Nintendo. They are not mine, I take no credit for them, and I make no profit off of them. All extra characters are mine, as well as the overall plot of the story.

It takes a while to finish a chapter, so expect sporadic updates. I'll try to post every time I finish a chapter. Finally, I hope you all will enjoy the fic.


The Legend of Zelda: Quietus

IX


Epona, the crimson-colored mare Link had purchased at Lon Lon Ranch, galloped up the paved road that led to Hyrule Castle, the home of the Royal Family. Link passed the checkpoint without any problems, and once within the palace gates, he dismounted and looked around.

I didn't expect to be back here so soon, he thought to himself as he watched Hylian Knights march across the lawn. He could just make out the distant sounds of flying arrows on the other side of the castle, his ears twitching at the familiarity. Funny… I feel more at home here than I was with Uncle…

His thoughts drifted back to Eriol. I wonder how he's doing…

One of the mighty doors to the castle swung open and a Hylian in full armor strode out. Link looked over at him and kept his expression as neutral as possible.

"What are you doing here?" the enormous bear of a man asked, looking down from his formidable height at Link, tree-trunk arms crossed over his barrel-like chest.

"What can I say? I missed your flawless charm." Link stared up into the solemn face of his mentor, keeping a straight face of his own. A full moment passed in silence before Caleb cracked a smile and laughed.

"Flawless charm my backside," Caleb chuckled. He raised a hand and slapped Link's shoulder sending the smaller Hylian visibly reeling from the gesture. "I didn't think I'd see you back here so soon. I would have figured that you'd enjoy the chance of a peaceful life on a farm."

"My plans were cut short," Link said, rubbing his aching shoulder. "Besides, from the look of all those tents and Arcadian refuges outside the village walls, I'd think that I arrived here just in time."

The smile vanished from the elder Hylian's face. "Aye. You've heard the rumors?"

Link nodded. "Trouble in the east. I've actually come to see the king, bearing a message from the Great Deku Tree in the Lost Woods."

Caleb's brow raised, the only sign of his surprise. "The Lost Woods? I have a feeling that you have quite a tale to tell, my friend."

"That I do, but it's best that I explain myself in the presence of His Majesty. Can you arrange a war council?"

"Consider it done. I'll speak with the King and call an meeting immediately." In the distance there was a roll of thunder. Caleb glanced up at the approaching dark clouds. "We better get inside… looks like bad weather…" Caleb gestured towards the open door to the castle. "I'm glad that you've come, Link, though I regret the circumstance."

Not as much as I regret it, Link thought, a pang of guilt stabbing at his chest. He would tell the king what he knew and then resume his quest for Eriol. He could only hope that his brother was okay.

--

The first thing Eriol noticed when he walked into the tent was how dark it was. When he let the entrance flap fall back into place it seemed that all the light in the room was sucked outside. Now he stood alone in the dark, waiting for his eyes to adjust.

How dramatic, Eriol thought to himself, trying to smother his anxiety. I wonder if the guy I'm supposed to see is even here…

"Step forward, boy, so I can see you properly."

Eriol would have cried out in surprise were his voice not caught in his throat. He looked around, trying to make out the source of the command, but he could see nothing in the dense blackness.

"Did you hear me? I said step forward."

The voice was angrier this time, so Eriol decided against hesitating. He moved forward, slowly. There was a gleam on the other side of the room, as if from light reflecting off a mirror. Impossible, since there was no light in there at all.

Eriol approached the gleaming back edge of the tent, unsure what to expect. Squinting his eyes, he thought he could make out a figure there… and then torches, positioned all around the tent, blazed to life. Eriol cringed at the sudden light, but didn't look away.

"So you're the one Medara is so excited about…" For the first time, Eriol was able to see who spoke. In front of the Hylian was a large mirror at the back of the tent, a pane of glass held in a frame of black onyx. Where the reflection was to be, however, was the image of a man rising from a throne-like black chair. He stood almost one and half times Eriol's height, clad in a black robe that seemed embroidered with gold and silver. The image in the mirror startled him, but Eriol steeled himself, refusing to be humbled by so obvious a trick.

"My name's Eriol," he said as defiantly as he could.

The man paused, dark eyes narrowing as he took stock of the adolescent. A frown creased his olive-colored flesh. "Indeed. The brother of Link?"

Eriol growled, visibly bristling. "I'm sick of people calling me that! Yeah, alright, I'm his brother, so what? Why does it matter?"

"Such a temper," the man remarked, arching a crimson eyebrow. "Quite different from your brother…"

"That ain't the only thing that's different," Eriol huffed angrily.

The man seemed entertained by the Hylian's protest. "Do tell…"

--

"A pity we must reunite under such dire circumstances, Link my boy."

"Your highness," the Hylian said, kneeling and bowing his head as the king entered the room.

King Daphnes Nohanson Hyrule nodded at Link as he moved to a large chair by the fireplace in the royal study. "At ease, soldier. Caleb tells me that you bring news that must be heard immediately."

Link stood and nodded. "Correct, your majesty. I bring you a message from the Great Deku Tree of the Lost Woods, as well as a gift." He reached into the pack hanging from his belt and withdrew the shining gem the Great Deku Tree had given him.

"So, it has come to this," King Hyrule murmured as he took the pearl, staring bleakly at the symbol at its center.

"If I may ask, my lord," Caleb said, standing between Link and the King, "what does the pearl mean?"

The king did not answer. Instead, he looked back to Link. "And the message?"

"An army grows to the east. Wild men and creatures of darkness are rallying under one banner, and driving towards us. That much is evident," he added, gesturing towards a window overlooking the village beyond the castle and the hundreds of refugees outside its walls. "Already our allies in Arcadia flee across our boundaries. I was told that the army would approach our kingdom in weeks.

"The Great Deku Tree's message is this, your highness. Hyrule is in danger. Renew all alliances, and prepare for war."

King Hyrule sighed and lowered his gaze to pearl he cradled in his hands. "Farore's Pearl… one of three pearls given to the Royal Family by the great species of Hyrule as a symbol of loyalty centuries ago during a great and bloody war… When the war was over, the pearls were returned, to be given back when all of Hyrule was threatened once more. Such a gift is not lightly given. It is a pledge of allegiance by the forest folk in the coming war.

"If we are to heed the words of the Great Spirit of the Forest, which we shall, then it is time to call to arms all the people of Hyrule." The king sat straighter and took a breath. "We must renew the oaths our allies gave to us, so long ago.

"We will prepare immediately. Emissaries will be sent to the Zoras and the Gorons, requesting their aid and the symbols of allegiance to the Royal Family."

Caleb nodded and saluted. "It shall be done, my lord. I'll take care of things myself."

Link breathed a sigh of relief. Message delivered… "Your majesty, as a knight of Hyrule, I am at your disposal for the coming war. However, I have a family emergency I must attend to and ask for your pardon. My brother is missing, and I must find him."

King Hyrule frowned. "Your skills and abilities would be sorely missed, Link, but so be it. We cannot afford to have our best soldiers roaming the countryside, however, so I will allow a two week leave. Use the time as you see fit."

"I thank you, my lord."

--

"Your enmity towards your brother is well founded," the man mused as he reclined in his mirror-throne. "He has done you many ills, just as he has to my people."

Eriol nodded, deciding not to mention that he had no idea what 'enmity' meant. "Medara told me of everything he's done to the Hadar. Looks like you have a bigger problem with him than I do."

"Indeed. He is the enemy of everything we stand for, and some day soon, he will perish."

Eriol paused. "What do you mean? You're going to kill him?"

"Of course. How can I guarantee the safety of my people as long as he still lives? He is like a poison, corrupting everything he touches and turning the world against us. We are not welcomed in Hyrule, our ancestral home, because of him. Could you ever imagine," he asked, voice lowering an octave, "not being able to go home simply because one vicious monster has turned your family against you?"

He didn't say anything, but Eriol knew exactly how it felt. He remembered how Link had come home and usurped his position there, taking on all of his duties and doing them better. Eriol fumed at the thought that Link was probably entertaining Uncle this very minute, not even caring where his brother was. No one had come after him anyway. And even if he did decide to go home, he probably wouldn't even be welcomed.

"We are at war," the strange king of exiles said, "with Hyrule. We wish to go home, to reclaim what is ours, and the king is afraid to lose the power he has greedily obtained. At his disposal are the Hylian Knights, the paradigm of which being Link, who are used to kill and force back my people. We are dying, Eriol, because we cannot stand against Hyrule. And because of the wretched Royal Family, I cannot lead my people into battle.

"You can see how I am confined," he said, gesturing to the glass that separated him from Eriol. "This is no accident, nor is it by my design. Because of the Royal Family, I exist in another world, trapped here, my power horribly diminished. The seal is too strong, and I am weakened by fighting it. I need help, Eriol. My people need a champion.

"You want to step out from your brother's shadow? Prove how much you're worth? Then join us, Eriol. Stand against your brother and the oppression he represents."

Fight against his brother? Against Hyrule? Eriol hesitated. I despise Link and know he's no good… but to war with my homeland? "I… I don't think…"

"Of course," the man added, a grin spreading across his face, "I realize how fearful you may be of standing up to your brother. You could never be a match for such a gifted Hylian, after all. How could a simple farm boy oppose a knight, despite knowing how corrupt and evil that knight has become? What could you, a mere child, ever do?"

"Watch it old man," Eriol snarled, one hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "I'm more than a match for Link! He may have more training than I do, but if I had the same kind of power he did, there's nothing he could do to stop me!"

"Than why not take that power and set him in his place?"

Again Eriol hesitated. "What do you mean?"

"The power to defeat your brother is within my grasp, Eriol," the man said as he rose from his throne. "The power to set things right, to prove that Link is but a mere Hylian and nothing more, the power to oppose a kingdom and restore justice to Hyrule. I can grant you that power, Eriol, if you pledge yourself to me."

"What kind of power?" Eriol asked warily.

"The power of the Goddesses," the man hissed. "The power to shape the world as you see fit. With it, King Hyrule will no longer terrorize my people. We will no longer be oppressed. And once you help us reclaim our homeland, you will be able to do whatever you want. You can be a knight of the highest order. It's yours for the taking, Eriol."

"And you can't use this… power… because you're trapped? Then how can you give it to me?"

"The power of the Goddesses' are not so easily contained, Eriol. While I am trapped here, my power is not. I can influence things in world, such as gather my army, but I cannot lead them. That is something you must do. I ask this of you knowing the conflict you will face. But it is for a just cause, Eriol. Help us."

It's a chance to prove what I'm worth, Eriol thought. A chance to show everyone that I can be a hero, and that Link is really nothing but dirt. I can help these people, help Medara, go home. And maybe… maybe she would see just what I can do, and…

But Hyrule… what would happen if we really were victorious? We'd be able to free all the people beneath the rule of the Royal Family… no one would live under their oppression anymore. The kingdom would be free… Everyone would be free.

Eriol took a shuddering breath. "Alright… I'll fight for you… give me the power."

--

Link frowned and looked out over Hyrule Castle Village through the window of the study. The sun was hidden behind the clouds, and the distant jags of lightning grew nearer every moment.

"Is something troubling you, Link?" King Hyrule asked as he stood from his chair.

"No… well… I feel as though something is wrong…" What is it? Something odd, not quite right… something bad…

"Do you know what it is?" Caleb asked. "You're never wrong about danger."

Link closed his eyes. What was going on?

--

"Raise your hand to the glass, Eriol, and prepare to receive the gift of the Goddesses."

Eriol placed his left hand on the mirror's surface, staring up into the man's glittering eyes. The torches around him dimmed, and for the first time he noticed that they gave off no smoke.

The man placed his hand against Eriol's. His brows furrowed and he began to chant in a language unlike anything Eriol had ever heard before. The flames flickered and danced, then abruptly turned a deep, dark blue.

Startled, Eriol tried to pull away but found that he couldn't. He grabbed his wrist and pulled, but could not get free. The man in the mirror grinned.

"Let my go!" Eriol cried, his hand beginning to burn. He pulled harder, but still could not get it free. The pain flowing through his hand into his arm was unbearable. He watched in horror as lines began to spread across the back of his hand, forming into triangles.

Eriol screamed.

--

"Your Highness! Princess Zelda has collapsed!"

King Hyrule almost leapt from his chair, and Link was at the door it moments. "What?" the king bellowed, alarmed.

The messenger stepped aside as King and knight fled the room. "The Princess Zelda! She was with Nursemaid Impa in her room. I was walking past when I heard a scream, and upon entering, the princess was on the floor!"

Link hardly heard the poor man. His feet pounded the stone floor as he raced down the corridor.

--

"Let it be known," said the stranger, "that I pass unto you the Triforce of Power!"

Eriol cried out in pain, the triangles on his hand burning bright in the unnatural darkness. Still he could not pull free.

"Let it be known," the man continued, "that I, Ganondorf Dragmire, bequeath unto you the power of the sacred realm!"

Falling to his knees, Eriol screamed once more, traces of energy dancing along his arm. With an explosion of light, he was thrown backward, landing on the floor in a crumpled heap.

--

Link scrambled into the princess' room, shoving guards out of the way as he dropped to his knees beside Zelda's nursemaid, who cradled the unconscious Zelda in her arms. "What happened?"

"I-I don't know," the large woman stammered. "She was alright a moment ago, and then…" with a choking gasp, she raised a hand to her mouth, staring in shock.

"What is it?" Link lowered his eyes to see what Impa was staring at. On the back of the princess' left hand was a series of glowing triangles. He reached forward in disbelief, then cried out in surprise as the same symbol began to appear on his own left hand, bathed in shining light.

--

Ganon, the King of Darkness, stood straight and tall, a wicked grin upon his face. "And it is done. Arise Eriol, my champion, the leader of my army. The Triforce of Power is yours. No one will stand in your way as you bring justice back to Hyrule."

Eriol trembled as he hauled himself to his feet, shaking as though his entire body were charged with electricity. He raised his shadowed eyes to the Dark Lord, taking several shuddering breaths. The symbol on his hand seemed to glow with inner fire in the darkness. "I am yours to command… my master…"