(Seperating Line)
Link cracked his knuckles, regarding the familiar symbol of the Triforce on his hand. He looked around the desert as he walked, knowing precisely which direction he needed to go. Feeling the sand under his booted feet was a welcome sensation, having always loved the barren wasteland he was travelling through. Something about it always made him feel at peace, and so he continued on without a care in the world.
As he reached the edge of the desert, Epona was there waiting for him. Immediately she seemed to perk up, noticing the radical change in clothing and the more focused eyes of her master. Somehow it seemed that Epona had a similar phenomenon going on, as she instantly recognized what had happened and reared back with a pleased neigh. Link reached her and put a hand to her neck soothingly. "Good to see you again, Epona." With a smile and a nod, he mounted his horse and turned away from the desert.
He set off on the path to Kakariko Village, eager to inform Renaldo that there was nothing to worry about. His memories of everything were clear as day, and he felt as if he had the knowledge of almost a dozen lifetimes. In truth, he did, as well as the combined experience and power of the past saviors of Hyrule. He was every hero to ever live, all combined into one perfect form of good. He was the ultimate force, and the only thing capable of ending the evil that blanketed the land once and for all.
However, even as he rode with confidence in he and his horse's capabilities, something didn't sit right with him. He could see no true signs of tampering with the kingdom. Nothing had changed, and things seemed as if they were at peace. The spirit was quite clear when it said that Link would be the one to face the final evil, but he could sense none of the evil anywhere. He found it odd that the castle was still intact completely, and no blatant darkness covered the land.
'This feels wrong...' Link thought gravely, looking around in all directions even as Epona dashed swiftly across the field toward the village. While he was never that good at sensing things, he could tell there was a distinct absence of evil. In the past, he had always felt something wrong in the air when the Evil King was present in the world, but this time there was nothing. Everything was peaceful, but he knew that it was a false sense of security. The Light Spirit and the Great Fairy were wiser than he, and he could not doubt their words.
Ganondorf was here, and that couldn't be allowed any longer.
(To Ganondorf)
As he watched the youth on his horse sprinting through the field, Ganondorf allowed himself a smirk. "The hero rises once more to battle the evil of the realm. This is to be the final battle, and he is destined to lose. Such a fool to seem so confident." He once again admired both of the fragments of the Triforce present on his hand. He knew precisely what to do and how to do it with the Wisdom portion, and the Power insured that he would be victorious.
Nothing scared Ganondorf, not even the incredible power that Link now posessed. He was untouchable in his castle, already the rightful ruler of the land. Once the youth was taken care of for good, the King could mold the world how he saw fit, finally posessing the complete Triforce. He would not have his people doing as they pleased, free to relax when so much work could be done to glorify their King. He would let them believe he was benevolent until Link was out of the way.
When the young boy finally realized where to find the evil he sought so hard, he would find a lot of resistence if he tried to assault him. Ganondorf's people admired him, and would likely die to protect him. He felt more than a bit secure knowing that to reach his target, the Hero would need to get through hundreds of innocent souls. No hero would be willing to slaughter the very people he is out to save, and while he conflicts with himself, Gannondorf could easily give the order to have him brought up. Yes, it was a perfect plan. Turn the Hero's people against him, and slay him as a treasonous mongrel.
Everything was going according to plan, precisely as he knew it would. This victory would be a sweet one indeed. Patiently, Ganondorf continued to watch Link's actions with interest, anticipating the satisfying crack when he broke the boy's neck with his bare hands.
(Back to Link)
As he arrived in Kakariko once more, he found the shrine almost completely reconstructed. "Your people work fast, good Renaldo." Link bowed his head to the dark skinned man, who turned to regard the youth with astonishment. "It is good to see you again, Shaman. I've brought with me everything I need, but I need your help."
Renaldo nodded and approached Link, staring at his outfit in wonderment. More importantly, he noted the hilt of the sword he wore on his back. "You've got...the Master Sword?" He let his mouth hang open somewhat, knowing the power of the blade more than most. The way the sun was shining, it gave Link a very majestic appearance, enough to dispel any doubt Renaldo had ever held about his chances at victory. Clearing his thoughts and making himself seem a bit more casual, he replied. "What is it that I might help you with, young Link?"
Link smirked a bit, knowing what the man must be thinking. The presence of the Master Sword, in addition to the clothing he wore, was certainly something he had dreamed about. The shaman seemed to know quite a bit about the legends of the past, and most certainly recognized everything he saw Link posessing. "I need to know where I might find the evil king...I have always been able to detect a hint of his presence in the past, but now there is nothing." He looked up slightly into the sky, pure eyes narrowed in thought.
"Link, have you encountered this presence before?" Renaldo wondered aloud, more of a question to himself that he didn't expect an answer to.
"I've faced Ganondorf many times, yes...But each time he has been careless, making himself known from the very beginning and displaying his power without shame." At that, Link dismounted. "But this time there is nothing. It disturbs me greatly."
Renaldo's eyes widened as Link spoke that name, almost choking on his tongue as he realized what the youth was saying. "King Ganondorf...He is the evil presence?" He had been blind if so, following the king without fail, always taking suggestions when it came to his village's prosperity. Ganondorf had been a great help to keeping peace and stability in Hyrule, but now this youth seemed to think that he was the supreme evil. "Clearly you must be mistaken, young Link...The king is a good man."
Link's eyes were somewhat narrow at that, stopping in place as he was walking toward Renaldo. "Ganondorf...is the king? The king of Hyrule?" He let the question linger in his mouth, the very feel of the words giving him a foul taste. "That isn't possible, Renaldo. The man with the dark skin and the orange hair?" He had to clarify, knowing full well that his fears were well founded. If Ganondorf was truly the king, he would have a lot of trouble confronting him.
"Yes, Link. King Ganondorf. His line has ruled Hyrule for many years, and there has been nothing but peace during those times. For you to accuse him of being the evil I've sensed...That's something I'm afraid I can't accept."
Link sighed, beginning to walk toward Renaldo once more. He drew the Master Sword and put it in front of Renaldo's face, displaying it. "Renaldo, this blade has been driven into him many times. Every time, he has been banished from this world. And every time, he returned with more power than the last. It took everything I had to defeat him, and he is truly evil incarnate. I know precisely what I'm saying, Renaldo...I am not the boy you once knew." His eyes were focused, staring into Renaldo's somewhat startled face.
"Link, I do not doubt what you tell me...Something in your words rings true. The evil I've sensed has been quite subtle. I suppose it is logical that the only way for it to remain hidden is to supress itself. But the king...I find it difficult to believe, but I suppose the sword in front of my eyes is proof enough that you know more about it than I do. You are a blessed hero, whereas I'm a mere shaman. If there is anything I can do for you, let me know." Renaldo bowed, trying to seem respectful to the youth. He was no longer in the presence of a boy, but someone he had always admired and did not want to offend.
Their interaction turned dark, the sky becoming a deep purple within seconds. They both looked up at the strange occurence, and it didn't surprise them when another creature of some sort fell from the sky. It was some sort of skeletal being, not much larger than Link, and it wore nothing but a cape and a sheathe for a broadsword on its back. Link spoke, looking to Renaldo. "I'll deal with this quickly, you may want to go into the shrine." With that, he drew his shield, his sword already drawn during the conversation. The skeletal form drew the large sword from its back and held it in both hands.
Link smirked, knowing how little of a chance that this thing had. He rushed forth and took a swing with his sword, slicing the skeletal thing in half before it could even react. Link turned and waited, knowing that such a simple creature wouldn't be sent to fight without a gimmick of some sort. Of course, he found out what it was. The bones came back together where they were split, and the glowing red eyes of the skeleton looked at him. The revealed teeth seemed to smile, having no skin to show expression.
Link was more than a bit confident in his skill, and wasn't worried about himself, but he did know that if he couldn't slay this thing quickly then it might get ideas about the villagers. This one didn't seem blinded by rage like the minotaur, and as such he couldn't risk turning to the field in case it didn't follow and stayed behind in the village. No, he had to be sure and keep it distracted. He made another lunge at the form, slicing it clean down the middle, but it reconstructed itself within a few seconds.
Link's gauntlets were constructed differently than they had been in the past. They still gave him great strength, but the thumbs and forefingers had a metal tip on each hand, the gloves covering all of his skin. He realized what the design was meant for, and got an idea as to how to deal with the new foe. He stood ready, this time waiting for the skeleton to mount its own attack.
To Link's surprise, the bony fingers began to glow. "It's a magic user!" Link found himself blurting to himself as he leapt to the side in order to dodge a bolt of dark lightning. It was fast, but with his focused reflexes, it was almost as if he were dodging a snail. Whatever Ganondorf meant for it to do, it didn't seem capable of doing it. 'Underestimating me is a bad idea,' He thought almost arrogantly, dodging bolt after bolt of the skeletal figure's lightning. He was standing near the exit of the village, so that all the bolts strayed harmlessly into the rocky wall behind him. He decided to make a quick move.
He pulled a bomb from his magic bag, the size of it clearly more than the bag itself could physically carry. The wicks were coated with gunpowder at the tip for easy lighting. 'Perfect!' Link thought, appreciating the Great Fairy's modifications to his equipment in his absence. He rushed forward, holding the wick between his thumb and forefinger, his other hand holding his sword. As he reached the skeleton, he sliced it in two, and snapped the fingers of his right hand to spark the wick into ignition, forcing the bomb into the skeleton's rib cage before finally moving past it, turning to skid on his feet to a stop.
The foul thing turned to look at him after it put itself together, not seeming to notice the bomb in its chest. It tilted its head and chuckled, the sound an echo of darkness since the beast lacked any real voice. At that moment, there was an ear splitting boom and bone fragments spread around a fifteen foot area. Link sheathed his sword and walked to the fragments, tapping into Din's Fire, something he retained without holding any sort of item. It allowed him more focused control of fire, as opposed to an explosion. His added experience with everything seemed to put things into far greater focus.
His hand was like a flame thrower, scorching the bones and causing them to melt easily while doing no harm to the ground around it. 'I can even control what does and doesn't get effected...That could come in handy.' He thought to himself, feeling another surge of confidence as he continued to melt the bones. "Ganondorf can do all he likes, but I'll be prepared this time." After the bones were completely vaporized, he shrugged and turned back to the shrine, which Renaldo stood outside of with crossed arms.
"Link, you're quite powerful indeed...But do not let your guard down. Ganondorf is not one to trifle with. He has had traitors in his midst before, and none of them survived more than a moment after he discovered them. You will need to tread carefully if you wish to put his reign to an end." Renaldo looked to the spring, and then to Link. There was most certainly a difference between the boy he sent into the spring and the Hero he saw now. This powerful being who now lived in the boy's body was somewhat arrogant, and that troubled the shaman greatly. 'There is more than one way to lose a fight, and overconfidence can be the downfall of someone like him. Be careful, Link, I don't want to see you fail.' With one last shake of his head, he retired into his shrine.
Link nodded to the shaman. "Yes, Renaldo...I should be more careful. Things are not always as they seem, and I need to take it slowly. Rushing blindly in to attack him would be a bad idea. I need to think things through, but the longer I wait the more time he has to prepare. Hmm..." Link put his hand to his chin in thought. There had to be a way to reach the king without upsetting the people. Perhaps he could get the king to come to him...
(To Grindol)
The old man put his skin and bone hands on his head and let out a low groan of frustration. "Gah! This kid is something I've never dealt with before! He treats my creations like they're toys! I won't allow that; No, I won't! I'll deal with him myself! It's better than sitting here and waiting to die...The King can find a new chief wizard, I am going to teach this child a lesson even if it costs me my life!" The old man took one last look around the chamber, and with his magical senses, took a check for his master. He was addressing the people as he often left to do. "Good...He will not notice I have left." With that, the elder man tapped into his magic reserve and vanished from the room to find somewhere to recuperate before his attack on the would-be hero.
(Ending Line)
Alrighty, review if you've got a problem with anything. Or if you don't have a problem with anything, that's always good.