The sun did not shine on this day, nor did the birds sing a song of joy, for their skies were filled with a mournful rain. Zorn had returned the night before to his cafe in Castle Town, in no mood for the welcome embrace of a certain sage; he only wished to be alone. The cafe would not be open for business until tomorrow, so no one could possibly bother him for any reason other than one of great importance. It was unlikely that anyone would bother him anyways, today was the day that the fate of the "Hybrid Protection Bill" would be decided; very few would dare to miss a law as dire as this.

That was another reason he had decided to come to Castle Town, not just to get away, but to witness the future of his race be decided. Though that was hours from now, until then, he was left alone to sulk over his failure. Faron's words hadn't done much to soothe him of Lucy's death; it almost made it worse, made him feel as though he should just cover up the loss of life, forget that he had made the mistake of taking his time.

It had all felt so surreal up until now, her death had been a blow, but his psyche hadn't felt the impact until this point. Why this one particular death had such effect, he was unsure; it simply hurt, almost as much as the loss of his parents; which seemed to make little sense as he had barely known the girl.

Maybe it was the fact that there was nothing he could do that made it hurt so much, his parents' death hadn't been much different, except that this time there was no running away from the end. Maybe it was the twisted reality that she had endured what she had for so long, maybe it was that they had been looking for a new life, maybe it was the condition he found them in. There were a million and one possibilities that he could use to answer his question, but none really seemed to fill the empty space that had been blown open.

Zorn wondered if The Hero from the stories ever felt this way, back when it was his turn to right the world; though it was highly unlikely seeing as if he did make a mistake, he could just as easily rewind time and fix whatever it was he did wrong. It was times like these where he wished he could talk to The Hero of Old, and ask him what he would do to console a guilty conscience. That was the problem with being a liberator, there were very few people he could talk to who would understand him and have an answer to whatever problem he's faced with.

There were the sages of course, but they had never experienced the same hardships as him first-hand, so their knowledge could only go so far. There wasn't much reason to speak with them at this point anyways, seeing as Faron had already said what really needed to be said.

The rain outside continued to pour, it's light patter being the only noise, the only bit of comfort he had in knowing that the world was still moving, and that not all of his efforts had been wasted. Even if many had perished thus far, there was still a civilization of those like him alive and well, regardless of their health, there would still be masses in the end. Wasn't that what really mattered after all? The survival of his race?

He stood from his chair in the back room of the shop and walked out to the bar, in need of some sort of drink to help soothe his frantic nerves. As he pulled out a glass from below the counter, he watched several children play out in the court-yard; their laughter coming in bursts with each puddle they splashed in, causing water to spray out and further drench any passerby unlucky enough to be caught within its range.

Zorn wondered as he continued to watch them play if it would be acceptable for him to join in their merriment. Sure the parents of these children would grow a bit weary seeing a grown man act as though there was no age difference at all, but it might very well be worth it in the end. By the time his drink was completed, he had decided against it and simply sat down at the bar.

If he could rewind time, like The Hero, he would go back to a rainy day in his youth, and play with his friends until they were chilled to the bone, assuring sickness the next day. Oh how he longed for the simplistic nature of childhood once more, and the sweet innocence that came with it. He longed for the days that came without worry and bloodshed; the days that seemed to never end, but at the same time, passed before they could be grasped for what they really were.

The days of youth were Freedom.

And the sad truth of that was simply that Zorn had given up half of them to seek the knowledge for revenge. That was something Ruto had asked him not to do, yet he had ignored her pleas and held on to his hatred, and for what? Nothing. That was one of his biggest mistakes yet, not changing his thought pattern to a more peaceful one and instead letting his hate flow. Even now he still hated Kabalstin, and every Hybrid Hunter alive; it was why he was so violent towards them, and offered very little mercy.

Though many had proved they deserved nothing more than to be slaughtered, there was still hundreds that had never done anything more than defend themselves or follow orders. They were still men; men that could very well have had families of their own, families that would never see them again. That was another big mistake: careless waste of life. Some of those men may not have even supported what was being done to his race, yet had gone along with it to feed their wives and children.

There was nothing that could be done to reverse all that had transpired, he could only go forward and pray he did not fail to accomplish his mission, and waste everything he had done.

With his mind beginning to fall back into balance, he sat in silence, and watched the children play.

The time had come, not long from now the decision would be made. Many had gathered in the Castle Court-yard to hear the news, and more were inside. It seemed that not only Castle Town's inhabitants had shown up, but Goron, Zora, and even a few Hybrids had come. It was because of the few Hybrid present that he had decided to cloak himself in a dark robe. It still rained heavily, so he did not look out of place in the slightest, as many others had chosen nearly the same style clothing as him.

Zorn had been among the first to arrive and had been granted access to the ballroom before it had become too crowded and blocked off by a small group of guards. There was an assortment of drinks and other refreshments spread out on tables that lined the outside of the room, all accompanied by a server, to assure that things stayed organized. While the many smells did attract his attention, he was far more interested in what was to transpire in the throne room.

He waited until the guards had all turned away from him before casually making his way up the stairs; at worst he could simply say he was going to find a restroom, but as he slipped into the closest door without so much as a fuss; he believed to have made it. The hallway he now found himself in was well lit with torches that lined the walls from one end to another. A red carpet ran through the center from each door, and the walls were decorated with beautiful tapestries.

It was everything he had expected the castle to be: hidden glamour and false appearances. Beneath all the "make-up" was nothing but stone; stone that he saw no sense in covering. But of course, he had always believed nature to have more beauty than the modern decorations.

Without another thought, he let his senses extend out into the establishment until he had a path that led to the top laid out in his head. He immediately turned to his left and quickly made his way down the hallway and walked through the door.

The hallway he now found himself in was no different than the rest and was empty all the same. Though he could sense a patrol not far from the door he intended to walk through next. With nothing more than a thought, he wrapped his cloak tighter about himself as well as a barrier of magic and pressed himself against the wall. When the patrol came through the door, they paid him no mind; but then who would pay mind to a shadow?

When they had passed, Zorn let out a breath and his magic fell. If it weren't for the fact that the spell required a large amount of concentration for even a stationary object, he would have just started out this way and no one would have ever even known he was here. But as fate would have it, he simply was not that strong.

Maybe if you were stronger, you could have saved her.

Zorn shook his head and looked around in confusion. He could have sworn he heard someone say something, but with the emptiness of the room, he was at a loss. It didn't matter, and he didn't have time to spare; with that in mind, Zorn left the room behind him and continued along his set path.

Through the next door the hallway opened to a walkway overlooking the outer courtyard. The walkway led to two towers on the inner-wall that, when necessary, could bombard the draw-bridge with arrows or even the courtyard should the situation present itself. It would be best if he didn't get caught, seeing as it was an escape worth avoiding.

He continued along the pathway to a double doorway that led back within the castle's confines. The room he entered was nothing special, and he skipped through it to a staircase at the opposite side that led into another room resembling the first. However, this time it was guarded by two.

Maybe you aren't cut out for the life you lead?

Zorn knew he heard it this time, but did his best to push it back as he pulled out a small Deku-nut from within his belt and threw it back down the stairs as he pressed himself against the wall and hid himself from sight.

"Did you hear that?" One asked, though he was unsure as to which.

"I'll go check it out."

He could hear the guard's footsteps before finding a lightly armored man round the corner to where he was hidden. Just as the man passed by, Zorn kicked out his foot from under him. The man cried out as the ground began to fall away from him, though not for long as the stairs soon caught him once again and he rolled all the way to the bottom.

"Mike!" Just as planned, the second guard quickly came to the first one's aid. The intruder watched him scramble down the stairs after friend until he felt it safe to continue onwards. He quickly made his way up the staircase until he was upon yet another room.

This room was a little bit larger than the other two, though for the most part it looked no different. There were a few pots in the corners of the room, filled to the brim with an unknown liquid. He didn't pay much attention to the pots for long and simply continued up the next set of stairs.

Not before long he found himself in a new room. On the left side of the room there was a large double door that looked as though it would take several large men to move such an object, whereas on the far-side there was a small set of double doors. As he scanned the room, he almost couldn't believe his luck; there was not a soul to the area.

I doubt it's because they're afraid of a weakling like you.

It was surprising to find such a lack of security this close to the throne room; one would think it would be crawling with opposition. While he knew he could move the larger set of doors on his own, he opted for the smaller set for the sake of exploration.

The room he now found himself in was closed in on all sides save for a few windows opposite to the where he now stood. It was decorated with simple tapestries, unlike the rest of the castle; this room seemed to be a sort of storage. With his curiosity satisfied he turned and left the room behind.

Just as the doors shut behind him, Zorn suddenly felt a blade press up against his neck. Just as the blade was beginning to slide against his skin, he slapped it away and slammed his back into his assailant. The attacker seemed to expect this and somehow managed to duck directly under his legs as he smacked into the doors he had just come out of.

Zorn quickly brought out his under-arm blades and was shocked find that he was already under a flurry of small, quick jabs that were all expertly aimed at his vitals. The attacker suddenly withdrew, much to his appreciation, but had also thrown a Deku-nut upon their departure.

The intruder quickly clasped his eyes shut against the blinding light and simply used his ears to determine another attack. Just as he had expected, his attacker rushed forward, but he lunged to this side just in time to hear two metal blades suddenly strike wood.

Zorn's eyes shot open as he hit the ground and rolled to his feet, finally getting a glimpse of his opponent. From what he could tell within the short time he was given to take in details, the attacker was female and wore a very tight, form fitting uniform and chain-mail. The chain-mail was very then and only seemed to be in place to protect against weak melee weapons. She had dark, silver hair and piercing red eyes; though her expression was a mask of stone as she turned towards him.

She had deep lines in here face from obvious advanced age, though she moved like she was in her early twenties and had the strength that would rival some of the men he had taken on over the years. Thinking back however, there was never a time he had faced an opponent like this, and he wasn't entirely sure how to take her out without causing a lot of noise.

Seems like you're getting rusty, boy. I distinctly remember your sensing abilities to be better than this; why didn't you know she was there? I know why, you've only made it this far because they want you to, you have no skill.

Before he could even bat an eye, the warrior was upon him once again, lashing out with whatever appendage had the best chance of landing a strike. Whether it be a blade or a foot, it didn't seem to matter. Even with the speed Zorn had, he was having to stay on the defensive, lest he wish to lose something.

Sparks flew every which way as they danced about the room; he feared that someone might hear their battle and bring back-up at any moment with how much noise their weapons made. Again and again they clashed, but neither could seem to find a foothold that would allow them to overpower the other and strike the final blow.

Finally, after his fear for someone finding the two of them had dissipated, he found the opening he had been waiting for. Zorn kicked the warrior's legs out from under her and slammed his elbow into her stomach as she began to fall to the ground. She cried out in pain as she hit the ground with a dull thud that rattled both their chain-mail. Before she could retaliate, he placed one blade at her throat and all went silent.

"Now, before this gets out of hand yet again, I want you to take a minute and listen to me. Can you do that or do I have to silence you?" Zorn threatened. He had never killed a woman before, and didn't plan to do so now; he just hoped she wouldn't call his bluff.

"I see no reason not to listen to you, though I should warn you not to threaten me in such ways when you yourself are in the same position as I."

The intruder felt cold steel press against about where his heart should be. In seeing this he let his blades slide back into place and he climbed to his feet. Being the kind of man he was, he reached out a hand to help her up, though she did not take it.

"I'm not here to hurt anyone, I'm not an assassin, or a mercenary, I'm just here to listen to the debate. Would you be kind enough to let me pass by you without any further interruption?"

Much to his surprise, the warrior woman smiled at him. "I believe your intentions to be true, Zorn Haplen. Do not seem so surprised young warrior; your works don't get past my people, much less a Sage."

Zorn gawked in surprise and confusion at the revelation of not only the knowledge of his name, but her status as a Sage. "I'm sorry ma'am, but I'm afraid I've never met you, and I've met quite a few sages in my time."

"Of course, where are my manners? My name is Impa, I am the Sage of Shadow, as well as the current leader of the elite guard of her royal highness: Princess Zelda."

Zorn couldn't help but feel skeptically about the woman until she had said her name, which he remembered from the stories Ruto had told of the Hero of Time many years ago. "It is a pleasure to meet you Impa, I apologize for retaliating in such a harmful manner, and I am deeply sorry if I have injured you in any way."

"I expected nothing less, do not apologize, it was my test after all. Ruto has told me a great deal about you and I'm pleased to see that her stories fall nothing short of the legend that you have become. I do not wish to hold you any longer than is necessary, but I want you to know that if there is ever anything you need, ask one of your masters where my village is. I am looking forward to the death of Kabalstin as much as you are, and I am willing to lend you the strength of my people to get it done."

"Thank you, Impa, it warms my heart to hear that I'm not the only one willing to fight to end his reign." Zorn almost seemed to breathe a sigh of relief at her offer, like the stress he had held atop his shoulders eased just enough to allow breath.

"As I've said, I wish to take no more of your time, please hurry along and do not get spotted by any of the guards that are stationed within the throne room." She pulled a key from within her the folds of her uniform and quickly unlocked the large door.

Zorn slipped inside and waved back at her as she shut the door behind him, and once again turned the key to lock the door. He found himself now be on a large patio of sorts that overlooked most of Hyrule, with stairs on either side of where he emerged leading up to what looked to be the throne room.

The wind up this high was swift, and cold as the heavy down-pour continued to drench the inhabitants of Castle Town. He flipped up his hood and made his way up one side of the stairs to a large arch-way that opened up into an even larger room. Though he did not enter, for he could see a large table with many nobles and the lot gathered and sitting around the table. He could not hear a single word from where he was though which was a problem, to say the least.

With the heavy rain to mask the sound of his blades sliding out, he walked around the outside of the stone structure until he was looking down at the castle's many gardens. With a quick thrust, his blade pierced the hard stone that was not visible to anyone entering the throne room, and he began to climb. As he moved around the side of the building, he found that there were many more archways that led inside that would give him more than enough cover thanks to marble pillars just on the other side of them.

With a plan beginning to form, he climbed to the highest point that he possibly could and launched himself onto one of the marble pillars. His blades slid almost silently into the stone and he was able to climb up to the many wooden beams over head. With a quick scan, he was able to find a perfect spot to hide within three large statues depicting the Goddesses, all focused around their creation: The Triforce. Within the three giant triangles there was an empty, upside-down triangle which he quickly climbed down into.

Zorn could now hear the voices of those at the table, and from what he could understand, no one had noticed his presence during his traversing of the beams.

"-and why should they be given any sort of protection? It would simply cost Hyrule more than the trouble is actually worth, not to mention men's lives could be lost in the process of protecting the Hybrid population. I say we should let Kabalstin and his forces eradicate what's left of them, and we put the mess behind us."

"I agree with General Green, even with the sudden decline in Kabalstin's forces, the danger in opposition is too great, and too costly."

A woman at the head of the table, dressed in an elegant gown with a crown atop her head, seemed to shift uneasily in her seat at the exchange of words. Zorn assumed she was the infamous Princess Zelda he had heard so much about since birth. "Why do you think, General Green, that Hyrule is poor? And worse yet, why do you have so little faith in your men? Do you think that they wouldn't be able to protect the Hybrid population? I don't understand why your reasoning in this situation is so doubtful towards troops that you yourself have taken into battle and come home victorious with; please explain."

"Well, your majesty, Kabalstin's troops may be few at this point in time, but even so, the remaining few have only survived slaughter thus far because they are the strongest. They dodged this "Zorn" character and have retreated to the last strong-hold available to them at this point time. The Hybrid Hunters are trained by men Kabalstin appoints as great leaders personally; men he has trained personally."

"And our elite group can't handle them should they attack?"

"From what I've seen, your highness, I doubt my own abilities against the remaining members of the Hybrid Hunters."

"I see, and what of this "Zorn"? When did he become a part of the equation, and what is his status with Hyrule?"

"I can answer that Princess," an older man spoke up. By his looks, he was some sort of scholar. "He showed up about a half year ago, around the same time that the first of Kabalstin's many outposts were brought down. According to the information gathered from Hybrids that were brought back from the outpost by him, he saved them all singe-handed. He has since brought down a total of seven-teen strong-holds and major outposts, in other words, all establishments owned by the Hybrid Hunters within Hyrule. He has not attacked our forces as of yet, and has not been a burden in any way to us."

"Do we have any records regarding his origin?"

The scholar shuffled around with some papers before him on the table before continuing. "Yes, there are reports from Kakariko that he frequently made visits to the local stores within the last six years, and there are even earlier records saying that he was born here in Castle Town. He was the son of the deceased John and Clair Haplen, owners of a local cafe before the night of their murder."

"I believe I remember a John Haplen, wasn't he the man who supplied us with regular drink during celebrations?"

"According to our records, yes ma'am. But I'm afraid that I have yet to mention what bothers me about these records your highness. According to Zorn's records, he died at the hands of Kabalstin himself the same night as his parents."

Zelda seemed to go silent for a long time, her thoughts seeming to echo about the room, though her lips did not move as silence continued to ring. "Captain Aryan, what is your take on the matter."

"I believe that the Hybrids should be given the same protection as any other inhabitant of Hyrule, but I don't think they should be given any special sort of protection as the bill suggests. I'm not worried, as the general is, of Kabalstin's remaining forces; I don't believe them to be a threat so long as we have as many numbers as we do. On top of that, he has to worry about Zorn's attacks as well, so I believe he would be too occupied to give Hyrule any attention for a long time yet."

"That sounds very hot-headed, Captain." The General very nearly sneered.

"Calm yourselves," Zelda commanded. "What about you, Marcus?"

The scholar looked up from his papers. "I believe in the bill, your majesty. I believe that no matter the cost, these men, woman, and children have been robbed of their lives simply because they are not like everyone else. I think they should be protected until the threat no longer exists. After all, Hyrule stands on non-racial grounds, what with the Zora, and the Goron living alongside us in harmony; and now Kabalstin has threatened this new race and is slowly bending our laws on equality until he has broken even the law of murder."

"Captain, General, Marcus has a very valid point, do you still stand with your original argument?"

The General was first to speak, very nearly raising his voice to better over-power the captain. "Yes, your highness, I believe that nothing should be done to stop the destruction of the Hybrids. They may be part of our society, but they aren't welcome to begin with, just listen to the talk of the market."

"Captain?"

"With the point that has been presented by Marcus, I would have to agree that Kabalstin is breaking the laws set by Hyrule, and I think that if it continues he should be taken into custody; however I still do not believe that the Hybrid population should be granted any sort of special protection."

"Very well," The Princess focused on the rest of the members at the table. "Three propositions have been placed before you, Hyrulian Counsel. Based on the arguments that you have heard, I ask that each of you place a vote on one of the three solutions and write them on the pieces of paper placed before you and then sign your name. Once your vote has been cast, please make sure no one else has seen your vote and I will have one of the guards collect your vote."

Zorn had to admit that he was impressed with how The Princess was handling the situation. Allowing more than just her own vote and those of great power was certainly a courageous thing to do. It was a fair system that gave everyone a chance to let their voice be heard. Evidence of this was that within the members of the Hyrulian Counsel, he could see the Chief of Kakariko, the King of the Zora, and the Goron Patriarch. Alongside them were their wives, whom were also given a piece of paper themselves.

It was obvious by this show of equality that the laws not only covered racism, but sexism as well. Seeing as Zelda herself was female, it would make perfect sense that she would allow women to have the same rights, as she had the most rights herself. What bothered him about the members of the table though, was the fact that there were no Hybrids present to vote for their own future.

The papers were eventually all signed and made their way down to Zelda as each person finished and passed onto a collector. The room was silent as she carefully read each and every individuals vote, sometimes re-reading them to make sure she absorbed the information.

The Princess finally set down the papers and folded her hands back onto her lap, a solemn look upon her face. "As per usual, everyone here has a vote that equals 1, though mine shall equal 2 because I have not yet been brought into wedlock, where-as the representatives present have. Is everyone in agreement with this old standard?"

She let the room remain silent for a few moments, giving everyone a chance to object should they wish to; though none did. "Alright then, the original proposal has 1, the General's proposal has 3 votes, and the Captain's proposal has 2. I have decided that my vote shall be cast upon the Captain's proposal. While I do believe the Hybrids deserve to be protected, they are no different than any of our other inhabitants. They shall be granted the rights of a Hyrulian citizen, and shall fall under the Hyrulian law. If they are further abused, Hyrule shall treat the situation no differently than any other kidnapping, murder, rape, torture, or any other form illegal activity."

By the time she was done speaking, a scroll and wax seal had been passed down to her, as well as a quill. The scroll was signed and stamped before being passed to Marcus who proceeded to place it within one of his many cases.

"If there are no further questions, this meeting is adjourned."

Thank you everyone for being so patient, I've already got the next one in the works, but I still can't promise any specific release date.

The Sage of Water,
~ConGie