Chapter Eleven

The Mirror Chamber

Link was just now leaving Hyrule Castle, he had spent the majority of the afternoon making idle chit-chat with the princess, they had to wait for Shad until Zelda could deliver the news to him. When Shad had appeared around late afternoon, his face was blotchy and red, it looked as if he had just run a marathon. The part of the Master Sword they had discovered was the handle, which was now safely stowed into Link's satchel. The research the two Hylians had been doing had uncovered part of the mystery of where the rest of the shards remained, it was still a bit fuzzy though. They had left the details for Link. Each sword shard was designed for each part of the Triforce. One in the Gerudo Dessert was to test for Courage, another for wisdom was located deep in the Sacred Grove, and the last piece of the sword was unknown, but it was to be tested for power.

"Always three of everything, Epona." Link said as he grabbed her from the stables, he stroked her neck lightly as she nuzzled him with her fuzzy snout. "It's just me and you again old friend."

"I'm coming too." a small voice from behind Link said, he turned around abruptly and gave a scowl. It was a figure dressed in men's clothing but it was Jade no doubt. "Look I'm sorry about earlier for ignoring you but you've got to understand." she slowly took a step closer to Link and Epona.

"Understand what? That you were just using me? I'm not here for your entertainment. I'm not just some cheap thrill." he snapped at her as he reverted back to petting his horse, he stared intently at her rusty brown coat, his back turned to Jade.

"Link I couldn't keep seeing you. The night we returned the Master Sword, Zelda caught me sneaking back into the castle. She forbid me from ever sneaking out again, I could've been fired Link. I have nowhere else to go. Please understand..." her voice trailed off, Link could feel her stares through his back, but he still refused to turn around.

"What about when I was at the Castle? You weren't to keen to speak to me then. Were you eavesdropping again today? Looking for another adventure no doubt." he snarled his voice becoming louder.

"Link, I'm sorry, you don't understand." she said again, her voice cracked at the last word.

"I understand perfectly." he grabbed Epona by her reins and led her out of the stable, he kept his gaze on the black muddy floor as he walked out, refusing to look at her. Link mounted Epona and gave her a soft swift kick behind her ribs to send her into a slow trot. Her hooves clip clopped down the multi-colored cobblestone, stomping in puddles along the way. The weather looked exactly as Link felt...dismal. It had been raining the majority of the day, now only a few drops of rain could be heard pitter pattering off of rooftops and falling from tree leaves, the sky was grey and cloudy, blocking any sun ray from shining through. Link stopped at the large gate as he waited impatiently for the dozy guards to open. But even after Epona had stopped moving he still heard the clip-clopping of hooves.

"Go home." he said bitterly, he didn't even have to turn around to see who was following him.

"I'm not giving up that easily." Jade said, her black stallion appearing next to Link's mare. In spite of himself, Link smirked. He should've known better, from his experience he knew Jade to be as stubborn as a mule, but her previous actions didn't match up, maybe he didn't know the real reason why she had been avoiding him.

"Fine, just don't get in my way." he ordered grumpily, but truth be told he was actually excited to have a bit of company again. A person could only talk to his horse for so long.

"I won't I promise. But...how do we get to the Gerudo Dessert?" Jade asked her voice was chipper, she began to sound more like her old optimistic self.

Link was about to say warp there, but that would be sound ridiculous to her ears. That was one of the minor things Link missed about Midna, the luxury of warping from portal to portal had saved so much time. Link looked back at his female friend, she had removed the ebony hood that covered her face, her black hair hugged the outside of her face nicely, a tiny ray of sunshine had appeared from behind a cloud and was giving her figure a shiny glow. She was even more beautiful than Link could've remembered. "We ah..." he stammered, "Cannon...we go by cannon."

"Nice, you're quite the smooth talker. Very Attractive." Dark Link was back already. Link shushed the voice inside of his head, his eyes fixated upon the large lake below him. Lake Hylia would've been a nice place to live, it was always peaceful, and the population was almost non-existent. Four Hylians total in such a large area. Then there was Zora's Domain, any man's paradise, crystal clear water, warm temperatures, it was like a vacation all the time.

"That cannon?" Jade said, snapping Link out of his thoughts. Her voice showed a little bit of apprehension. She was pointing to the ancient canon that Link had found underneath Renado's house in Kakariko.

"No, that one leads to the City in the Sky. You see that old man over there. His name is Fyer. That one will shoot us all the way to the Gerudo Dessert." Link smiled at her shocked expression, he was extraordinarily happy. He was glad she came. "Well c'mon, we're going to have to leave the horses here." Link beamed as he dived into the fresh water below.

A few hours later the two stood on top of Arbitur's Ground, staring at the once Mirror of Twilight. Link didn't know what he was supposed to be doing up here, but it must be important.

"We've been waiting for you." a ghostly voice said. Link looked up and saw the six sages starting at him from above. Jade gasped as she peered at the six ghosts.

"What are they?" she quietly and in awe, Link was about to answer but the head sage had heard her.

"The six sages my dear. We protect the mirror of twilight." another introduced herself, her voice echoing along the chamber.

"What's the mirror of twilight?" Jade whispered to Link.

"I'll explain later." he said to her. "What is it that you seek of me?" Link asked the sages, not really speaking to anyone of them in particular.

"We have to share with you a story concerning the evil Ganondorf. To help you get a better understanding, I see that you have my sword." a deep voice said, his masked face loomed down at the biggoron sword that was hung loosely on Link's backside underneath his Hylian shield. Link shifted from side to side uncomfortably, he didn't like talking about it. Jade raised her eyebrows and looked at Link sideways, he was beginning to wish that she wouldn't have come. He would have to explain everything to her.

One by one the sages dropped down from atop their pedestals and formed a circle around the mirror or twilight where Link and Jade sat. Their illuminating bodies began to fade, revealing their true forms.

An old man by the name of Rauru, the elder, appeared his long white bear hung nearly to his bottom of his long yellow robe. A small girl with green hair named Saria greeted them happlily, she curtsied with her forest green dress, a Zora by the name of Ruto gave Link a wink and blew him a kiss, Darunia the goron stood proudly as he examined the sword Link had more closely, Impa, a strong looking woman, she had cared for the late Princess Zelda, her body guard and descendant of the sheikahs, and then finally there was Nabooru, her dark tanned skin seemed to hint that she had come from the dessert, with her flaming red hair she reminded him a bit of Ganon.

"Be still young hero." Rauru said as he and the sages began to mumble quietly under their breath, until finally their chants sounded like a hypnotizing tune. they hands worked quickly in circles, until it formed a large orb shaped figure high above Link's head. They slowly lowered down the bright orb until Link could almost touch it. Their eyes remained fixated on the orb in the utmost concentration, their murmurs became louder, they spoke in ancient Hylian that had been long lost in the generations that followed. Then with one final thrust they threw their arms down and the orb feel upon the mirror of twilight. Blinding Link, he couldn't even see Jade who had been standing inches away from him the light was so blinding. When his vision reappeared he noticed that a chunk of the mirror had been restored.

"You probably know why we have done this." Rauru said, he looked questionable at Link.

"The last shard resides in twilight. The shard of power." Link said solemnly. More work was ensured to lie ahead. "How many pieces are there to find?" his voice was monotone.

"Midna shattered the mirror into billions of pieces. Fortunately for you we sages were able to the tiny fragments of glass and bring them into all together to form eleven larger fragments." Saria said, her little girl voice was recognizable above the rest.

"Which leaves you with ten left. The only reason why we weren't able to gather the other pieces for you is because they have been protected by a dark magic. The twilight princess knew what she was doing when she shattered the mirror. Fate does not wish for light and shadow to meet." Impa said her purple tinted muscular arms were crossed across her chest, she looked irritated.

"But you can do it, you're strong." The Zora, Ruto winked again at Link he gave out a polite laugh, he couldn't tell if she was joking are not.

"Don't be foolish, you he is not ready to get these pieces quite yet. Link, do not concern yourself with the mirror or twilight just yet. Your main priority is to get the two sword pieces." Rauru furrowed his bushy white eyebrows at Ruto, she was now pouting on the left side of Link.

"Will she be helping you?" Darunia said, his voice was full of dominance and authority.

"Yes." Jade said stepping into the conversation before Link could protest. Her voice was surprisingly calm for having so much knowledge dumped on her virgin mind.

"May I ask. Who did you have to kill to get that magnificent weapon?" Darunia said this bluntly, it was just as if he had asked what the weather was like.

"Gor Coron." Link refused to look at the sage in the eye.

"My great-grandson. I'm sorry." Darunia said, Link saw him hand his large head in the corner of his eye.

"The story we have to tell will be told by me for I know it best." Nabooru said, speaking for the first time, her mystical figure seemed to shimmy as she spoke. Link waited for the elder to disagree but he respected his peer and let her tell the story.

"Ganondorf is a descendent of the Gerudo Tribe, I am of the same as you may have already noticed. Back in my generation there was another great evil king, he too tried to collect the triforce and harvest its power for his own gain however he was a foolish man and was defeated by the Hero of Time, a man much like yourself. The Ganondorf of your generation has studied the history of olds almost religiously, he knows far more then you. We sages have kept a careful eye on him, trying to learn if his motives were the same or if he was just a curious young boy. We discovered the problem far too late." Nabooru shook her head sadly, her red flaming hair swished back and forth.

"He had one flaw though, he turned his back on the Gerudo women and they banned him from returning, a grave mistake on their part. You see a male Gerudo is only born once every hundred years. He has to carry the burden of populating a whole new generation, until his bitter demise. He will be looked down upon as nothing but a tool so I can't say I blame him for leaving such a trivial melancholy life. It killed his mother to abandon her son but she couldn't leave her town and kin. My poor Gerudo woman have been disappearing left and right from this cruel world until I fear none will be left. I have a good feeling that far west from this place you will find my tribe hiding in the abandon fortresses that have stood high in the dessert for thousands of years. In the dessert you will find Ganon's mother. Ask her about the sword, she will lie and then attempt to hide the sword, the last remaining Link she has to her long lost son. Back in my generation we had a training ground deep below the dessert sands, that is where she will hide it. Go west and find the shard of courage." and with that final word the sages disappeared.

Done...after this no more stupid talking chapter...oh how i despised them! Now it is time for things to get spicey, a little romance will be thrown in here and there, several fighting sequences, monsters the whole shabang! Oh I can't wait!

Slipknot Maggot

P.S. I didn't make princess zelda a sage b/c even though I know she is I don't want people to get too confused and plus I believe that she has been reincarnated so yeah...sorry if you disagree