Chapter 11

The following week passed slowly, with more soldiers showing up each day than the day before. Before half the week had passed, over five thousand men were patrolling Zora's Domain and the river, and by the end there were over nine thousand. Zora guerilla groups who had been attacking the fleeing mercenaries were bringing back massive amounts of supplies. Marcus looked to be all but defeated. It would only be a matter of time.

"Let's assume that the troops guarding the castle right now are loyal to Brutus." Erwin said. Zelda, Rommel, and the other officers who had arrived were gathered in a command tent stationed upriver from the general gathering place of the troops. Colonel Livingston, the officer that Link had met in Hyrule Field, had shown up during Zelda's absence. Lieutenant Allen was in a corner with Gino the eagle nibbling on his ear affectionately. A few other lieutenants and captains had gathered as well, but it looked as if most of the officers had been forced to stay in Castle Town or their respective forts.

"If that's the case, which is only a worst-case scenario." Erwin continued. "There will be at least three thousand men fighting us from heavily fortified positions. Now, the princess and I know more than a few secret routes into Castle Town and the castle itself, since it was built exactly like its predecessor. All of the secret tunnels and passageways were kept intact and removed from the blueprints. The builders working on them were all sworn to secrecy and known supporters of the princess. That means that, in theory, Marcus has no idea where most of those passageways are."

"Assuming that, we're going to create a diversion on the outside while the bulk of our force enters the castle through eight separate tunnels. That way, we maximize the chances of making it in. If we only go in through two or three tunnels, then there's a chance that Marcus will be able to stop a large percentage of our forces."

"Although it's quite a risk, Princess Zelda has insisted that she be a part of the battle to take back the castle." Erwin said, looking over to where Zelda stood. "She knows how to handle a blade, and Master Link will be with her. He's been making an astoundingly fast recovery, and I believe he will be battle-ready within the next few days. He will lead one of the eight groups through the tunnel that is closest to the throne room in the hopes that Marcus will be there. The rest of you will be assigned to one of the nine fighting fronts we have going in, and given an appropriate dispersion of troops."

"General." Lieutenant Allen cut in carefully. "Gino brought me this earlier, and I just now remembered that it was in my pocket. I thought you should have a look at it."

Erwin turned and took a small, crumpled flyer from the Lieutenant's hands. It was dirty, and looked slightly waterlogged, but the writing on the front was still intact.

By the decree of His Highness King Marcus I:

On the thirtieth day of September, this one thousand and twelfth year of the Second Age, the public executions of all members of the old council will take place in Castle Town Square. All citizens of Hyrule shall attend, under punishment of death.

"That's in three days!" Zelda said, scowling. "I can't believe he's publicly executing the council members. Public executions haven't been held in over six hundred years."

Erwin sighed. "Thank you, Allen. This certainly changes things. We have to decide now whether or not we're going to help the councilors. Ideas anyone?"

"Let 'em hang." Colonel Livingston replied immediately. "Whole lot of good they did us. They might as well have rolled out the red carpet for Brutus."

"But weren't there only thirteen of them in his circle?" Allen asked.

"Doesn't matter." A captain said in the back of the tent. "They allowed it to happen, and now it backfired."

"But didn't he throw most of them in jail in the first place?" Zelda asked. The room went quiet at the sound of her voice. "Only thirteen of them aside from Marcus were actually guilty of treason. Is it right to let the others hang because of the actions of a small minority?"

Most of the officers in the tent looked down at their feet shamefully, and nobody dared speak.

"Then it's decided that we're going to save them." Erwin said after a few moments. "Unfortunately, Marcus may be using this to draw us out. He'll expect an attempt, at least."

"We all made a commitment to do what is right and just." Allen said. "It was in our commissioning oath, and it was even in the oath Princess Zelda took when she ascended to the throne. It's also in the oath that she'll take when she is crowned queen. That being said, I don't see why any of us would hesitate to save the councilors and let them be tried in the courts."

Most of the room nodded in agreement, although there were a few disapproving glares.

They're going to have to get over it. Zelda thought. I'm not going to let eighty-seven innocents die just because thirteen others betrayed them. That's senseless slaughter.

Another idea poked at the back of her mind, though.

"How many of you are unhappy with this turn of events?" She asked. There was a slight pause before she continued. "With this execution, I mean."

A couple of the officers met her eyes for a moment, but then looked back down.

"My point is that nobody is happy about this. We're having to go in and fight with a small force of men relying on a plan that was thrown together in a matter of days. I think we're all in agreement that the council is certainly a despicable group of men, and that it's waist-deep in corruption."

"But we have to think beyond our initial reaction." She continued. "I'd like you all to think of the sacrifices you made getting here. Some of you even had loved ones killed or captured because of this war. There's already been so much unnecessary bloodshed. Why should we inflict that kind of pain on the innocent councilors and their families?"

Again, the room was enveloped in a thick silence. Zelda, feeling that her point had been made, stepped back into the corner.

Erwin took a few moments before speaking.

"We move out as soon as possible, preferably by tonight. Most of the soldiers brought weapons and armor with them, and the Zoras have been bringing back quite a bit from the mercenary caravans that they have been raiding. I'm assigning each of you a unit with an equal distribution of the types of soldiers you need. I'll also be sending out maps of the tunnels and Hyrule Castle. Remember, we're not trying to kill anyone. If we could take the castle back without having to draw a single sword, that would be ideal."

There was a murmur of understanding around the room, and the officers filed out of the tent to prepare. When the last one had left, Erwin turned to Zelda and sighed.

"This is an absolute nightmare." He said. "I think the plan is solid, but it's not going to be easy. We have to arrive before the execution, which will already be a stretch. It's not easy to move an army across Hyrule Field without being seen. On top of that, there's no guarantee that we're going to be able to find Brutus once we get there. If he gets word of our plans, he's going to be in hiding."

"This seems gutsy." Zelda commented. "It's fairly obvious that he dismissed the mercenaries, and yet he's basically inviting us to attack him. Do you think he has something under his sleeve?"

"It's always a possibility. We have to be ready for anything. How is Link feeling?"

"Better." Zelda said, but chewed on her lip nervously. "He's not ready to fight, though. He can't even run yet. His wounds still hurt him too much."

Erwin sighed and carefully folded up the map of Hyrule Castle on the table.

"He's going to have to fight. We need him. These soldiers need him. He has as much, if not more, influence on morale than even you."

Zelda leaned against the back of the tent and nodded.

"Go get him up and moving. Have him drink whatever potions are needed, and take the most powerful painkillers he can find. He needs to swing his sword a few times, as well. Please make sure he's prepared to fight."

"I will." Zelda said. Erwin was one of very few people in Hyrule who could tell her what to do, and he rarely took advantage of that. When he did, she always listened and followed his directions as best she could. He always knew what he was talking about. If he thought that having Link at the battle was vital, then it probably was.

With that, she left the tent and walked back to the Domain to break the news.

"Just a few more swings." Link muttered, sweating hard as he swung the Master Sword.

"Link, I'll just tell Erwin that you can't-"

"No." Link said, cutting Zelda off. "I won't ever get better if I don't fight through the pain."

Zelda sighed and sat back against a large boulder. Link had jumped at the chance to get out of bed, and started hacking away at a practice dummy immediately. Although his arrow wound was halfway healed, it was still incredibly painful. He was certainly in no condition to go into battle.

"Men." Zelda muttered, shaking her head. Link took another sip of his painkilling potion and whipped his sword around his head again, embedding it deep in the torso of the overused wood dummy.

"Okay, that's enough." He muttered, yanking the sword out of the notch it had made and sheathing it. "I guess I need to save some energy for the trip."

"You shouldn't even be making a trip. This is ridiculous." Zelda huffed. "You're obviously in no condition to be doing this."

"And yet here I am." Link replied casually, brushing off Zelda's annoyance. "If General Rommel thinks that this is a good idea, it probably is. I can fight through the pain temporarily. Who knows? Biting the pain and doing something might help me heal."

"I don't think that this counts as one of those types of injuries." Zelda said. "You took an arrow to the gut. What if those sutures come out in battle? You'll get an infection, and I don't think any amount of surgery will help that."

"That's enough." Link replied calmly. "Whether or not you like it, I'm fighting in the battle. Marcus is one of the best swordsmen in Hyrule, so you're going to need help. If everything goes according to plan, we're going to be coming out of the tunnel that basically leads into the throne room. That means that we're going to be fighting Marcus ourselves."

Zelda sighed, but otherwise didn't respond.

"Zelda?" Link asked quietly, moving up behind her and resting a hand on her shoulder.

"What?" She grumbled.

"What were you trying to say the other day? When I woke up and talked to you that first time after I got injured, you ran off. I could tell something was on your mind, and it seemed important."

Goddesses. Zelda thought, blushing deeply. I couldn't have made it any more obvious.

She remained silent for a few moments, contemplating. They were alone in a small training yard, completely separated from the chaos going on below in the Domain. They were leaving tonight to go to battle in which they could easily be captured or killed. This would be their last chance alone until then.

How am I going to feel later if I don't talk to him about this?

And yet her tongue was tied. She had never had this kind of conversation before, and certainly not with someone like Link. She had no idea what to expect, or even what to say.

"It's nothing, Link." She muttered, settling the issue with a small sigh.

It wouldn't work between us anyways. She thought glumly.

Link sighed in return, but took his hand from her shoulder.

"All right." He replied. "I'm going to go get something to eat. I'll see you tonight, I guess."

"Yeah." Zelda whispered, watching his back as he walked back down the path to the Domain. Once he was out of sight, she flopped down in the grass and lay down.

Why am I so incompetent? She wondered, groaning in frustration. I'm the ruler of a country. I spent three quarters of my life dealing with corrupt politicians and aristocrats who would love nothing more than to slip a dagger in between my ribs. I never batted an eye at them. And yet, faced with the thought of telling a man I have feelings for him, I'm completely useless.

For a few minutes, she lay there, content with moping. A small rustle in the grass interrupted her thoughts, however. Zelda raised her head, instinctively reaching for her sword.

"It's just me." Justin said, stepping back slightly. He had sounded quite a bit further away, but Zelda attributed that fact to his obvious skills in stealth and shadow. His appearance was more of a surprise, anyways. She hadn't heard from the Sheikah since her return.

"Were you here the whole time?" Zelda asked, standing up.

"What 'whole time' are you referring to?" Justin asked. "The whole time that you've been here in the Domain, or the whole time that you've been in this training yard?"

Zelda contemplated before speaking again.

"Let's say both."

"Well then, the answer would be no to both scenarios." Justin said. "I believe you saw me in the throne room when you returned, but I left that evening to scout out the details of the execution. In regards to being here in the training yard, I only just arrived. I spoke with Link as he left a minute ago."

Relief flooded through Zelda. She had thought that she and Link had been alone, and had preferred it that way. Another thought occurred to her, though.

"We didn't know about that execution until today." She said, squinting slightly at the Sheikah. "Why did you leave to investigate seven days before we knew about this and not tell us? How did you even know about it?"

"I know many things." Justin replied cryptically. "Unfortunately, I can't share a lot of those things."

"But that could have given us an extra week to prepare! All we have now is a single day!"

"I have my reasons." Justin said with a shrug. "Please do not doubt my intentions or loyalty. It is of no consequence to the end state of this battle that your soldiers only had a single day to prepare."

"Yes it is!" Zelda snapped, but Justin stopped her.

"Your majesty, please. I have important information. At least hear it out before getting onto me."

Zelda seethed, and turned around to get some air. She took a few steps away and stopped. Justin's whole situation was strange. The man had appeared randomly, and seemed to disappear randomly, as well. He knew information that would have helped her, but had failed to disclose it. He was mysterious, to say the least.

Untrustworthy? She wondered to herself, but pushed the idea away. If Justin were untrustworthy, he had had multiple opportunities either to kill her or simply let her die. The first thing he did was save her life and most of her left arm. The idea of him being untrustworthy had very little solid fact underneath it.

"What do you need to tell me?" Zelda asked finally, controlling her emotions.

"Thank you." Justin said. "Your plan to attack Marcus in the throne room will not work. He's going to be attending the public execution, and unless you make extremely good time there, it's going to be too late. Moving nine thousand fully equipped men across Hyrule Field and into the castle in three days is impossible."

"Well then what do we do?" Zelda asked.

"I would suggest you get a small contingent of skilled soldiers moving now. A large will take too long, by which time the councilors will all be dead, and more tragic consequences will follow."

"What tragic consequences? Is there anything besides the obvious?"

"Yes." Justin said. "I can't tell you anything for certain, but I sensed a great shift in dark energy right after Marcus fired the mercenaries. And then, only a few minutes later, he issued an order to have all the old councilors executed, one which the Hylian soldiers were more than happy to follow. I don't know exactly what's going on, but I have a bad feeling about it."

The thought worried Zelda enough to push aside her discontentment with Justin's lack of communication.

"Do you know anything else?" She asked quietly.

"Only that Marcus now carries a strange staff." Justin replied. "To the naked eye, it is nothing more than a walking stick. However, I know that Marcus is only in his early forties and has never needed a walking stick before. There's no reason why I should sense a shift in dark energy, and then Marcus returns to the throne room with a staff and immediately orders the public executions of one hundred councilors. It's too coincidental."

"Yes, I agree." Zelda replied. "Is there anything more?"

"If you're going to follow my advice, I would like to accompany the smaller party you send to the castle. I can move quickly, and if the attack required a surprise assassination, I would be more than willing to provide that service."

"Permission granted." Zelda said. "Go get packed up. We're leaving in an hour. I'm going to go tell Link."

The trip out of the Domain was rushed, and Erwin decided to only take five hundred men. Should they fail, the rest of the officers had been left behind to carry out the initially planned strike. As it stood, however, every Special Forces soldier, as well as most of the men who had received extra training accompanied them. Fortunately, a large group of forest rangers had shown up a few days before, and had made a fantastic addition to their ranks.

"At this pace, we're going to reach the Castle right before the executions happen. I'm glad we set out now with a small group. I had vastly underestimated the travel time involved in this trip." Erwin said to Link as they rode down the banks of the river. The two had not met until the evening before, but were quickly warming up to each other. Erwin was essentially Link plus thirty years of age.

"What's the plan now?" Link asked. "Obviously the old one went out the window."

"Yes, it did." Erwin replied. "I think that we're going to all go through the tunnel into the prison and occupy the castle before anything. If Marcus is out, the most important thing is to get ourselves into an advantageous position within the castle. Obviously, that's the most defensible spot should he have gained the loyalty of his men."

"Good idea." Link agreed. "We may only have a few men, but if we shut the castle off, it's nearly impenetrable. Numbers wouldn't matter. But what are we going to do about Marcus himself?"

"I believe your friend Justin has already offered to take care of that small matter." Erwin said, looking around for the Sheikah. "I don't see him at the moment, though."

"He has a tendency to do that." Zelda cut in. "Don't worry about it."

Erwin paused, but nodded. "I'll take your word on that. Do we know who he is? It doesn't seem like anyone knows anything about him."

Link and Zelda shared a slightly embarrassed look behind the older man's back.

"No, not really." Link admitted. "He just sort of showed up in a prison wagon, but I have no idea how the hell he managed to get captured with his skill set. It was almost like he knew that we were going to get him out of it. Then he immediately saved Zelda's life, and has been feeding us information ever since."

"Can we trust him just because he saved your life?" Erwin asked.

There was another awkward pause.

"I don't know." Zelda said finally. "He hasn't done anything but help us so far. The problem is that we don't really know why he's helping us. He won't even tell us where he's from, what he's doing, or why he's here. The only things we know about him are the things we can see."

"All things will be answered in time."

Zelda nearly shrieked at the sound of Justin's voice right behind her. She clenched her fists and turned around to see the Sheikah riding a horse only a few feet behind them. His eyes betrayed nothing.

"Was that really necessary?" She asked.

"You have no need to worry about my intentions, Rommel." Justin said, ignoring the question. "I don't reveal details because that is the way of the Sheikah. The goal of the Sheikah, however, is very clear. Protect the royal family of Hyrule at all costs. I am the only Sheikah, and therefore I have made it my duty to follow the goal my ancestors set before me. Your people have not known a real Sheikah since the age of the Hero of Time, and even then she was forced to die to take her place as the Sage of Shadow. If the Sheikah had survived, you would not be concerned in the slightest about my intentions, because you would know that loyalty and duty are part of the core values of our training."

"I've heard of the Sheikah." Erwin replied. "What I wonder is how you were trained in the way of shadow if there aren't any of your kind left. Who trained you?"

"That's one of the many secrets of the Sheikah."

Erwin grumbled something unintelligible to himself, but shrugged off the response.

"At least tell me what you're planning on doing to Marcus." He said.

"I'm going to get that staff out of his possession." Justin said simply.

Zelda nodded and glanced at Erwin. He nodded as well.

"Well then." Justin said. "I'm going to go on ahead and scout out the execution stage that is most likely going to be erected. I'll find a good place to hide out and wait for Marcus. What are your orders for when I get my hands on him, general? Princess, that question extends to you as well."

"I'll defer to Erwin on this one." Zelda said.

Erwin nodded in appreciation. "Don't go for the kill unless absolutely necessary. Remember, we're saving these councilors to prove a point that everyone deserves a fair trial; killing Marcus would be hypocritical. Do you have any kind of toxin to put him asleep? That would be ideal, but I understand that that's not exactly a common thing to carry around."

"You underestimate me, General." Justin said. Zelda could almost imagine the small smirk underneath the Sheikah's mask. "I am not just an assassin. I'm an expert in everything involving stealth."

"I'll take that as a yes, then." Erwin said. "What are you planning to do with him once he's out, though?"

"I can disappear." Justin replied with a shrug.

"I see. Well then, if all goes as planned, we'll be holed up in the castle waiting for you. If it comes down to the wire and you're not able to take care of Marcus until the moment the execution is going to happen, get the executioner. If there's multiple executioners, use your imagination."

"Will do." Justin said. "I'll see you in a couple days. Take care."

A bright flash of light startled Zelda, and she turned around to find Justin and his horse gone.

"You know, he reminds me of all the stories of Sheik and the Hero of Time Rusl used to tell me." Link said, looking at the now-empty spot where the Sheikah had just occupied. "They say that she disappeared with a flash of light, and that it was impossible to find her unless she wanted you to. Which was funny, considering that she wasn't actually a Sheikah."

"But hey, at least I know it's not you. The Hero of Time didn't have that luxury. How surprised he was." He added to Zelda with a grin.

Zelda laughed a little at that, but couldn't shake a foreboding feeling.

Something is going to go wrong with this. She thought.

But it was useless worrying. Although her gut feeling was almost never wrong, she had no choice but to push it away. If everything went according to plan, this would work out just fine.

But in war, nothing ever went as planned.

"We're running late." Link muttered to himself, tapping his foot as he watched the soldiers pack up the camp hurriedly. They had been traveling for three days, and Castle Town was still over three hours away. Conveniently, the execution started in four.

"That leaves us one hour to get inside the castle, take it over, and get into defensive positions." He continued, clearly frustrated. "Whose genius idea was it to get up this late?"

"It's five in the morning, Link." Zelda murmured, yawning loudly. "One hour will be fine. I don't think we're going to face much resistance. Hell, I bet most of them will be ecstatic to see us."

"We can't assume." Erwin said from behind them. "You never want to assume during battle."

Much to Link's satisfaction, the hastily put together camp was completely packed up within a matter of minutes. The group traveled the next few hours in contemplative silence, unsure of how the next few hours would go. Many realized that there was a good chance they wouldn't be alive at the end of the day if things went south.

The entrance of the tunnel leading into the prison was still slightly open, an afterthought Zelda had had when she left through it initially. Otherwise, it would have been impossible to spot the large stone door.

"One hour and forty-five minutes." Link said as they pushed their way into the darkness. "We need to hurry."

Marcus was nearly quivering in excitement, but he forced himself to calm down. All one hundred councilors stood before him on a raised wooden platform. It had been specifically constructed to hang all one hundred at once. Ten rows of ten nooses stood waiting above the mens' heads, and it looked as if many had resigned themselves to their fates. A few were shaking in fear, and one had defecated himself, but it was of no consequence. Their cries for mercy would not deter Brutus from discovering the power of the staff he held in his hand.

I will have you soon. An hour and a half, my sweet. He thought, stroking the knotted wood.

The crowds had already begun to assemble. A few young men were gaggling near the front, whispering excitedly. Most of the residents, however, looked glum and defeated. Guards had been sent all over Hyrule over the past week to make sure that every citizen attended the death of their old country. With this execution, Marcus was taking a massive step towards stamping out the remnants of Hyrule, and the people seemed to be rallying behind him for this event. It was obvious that they hated their councilors.

Soon, he would even change the name of the country and burn the history books. After Princess Zelda was captured and executed, he would erase all mementos of her and her family lineage. The Royal Family of Hyrule would only exist in illegal tales told orally to each new generation. Within a hundred years, most of the citizens would never have even heard of Princess Zelda.

A chill swept over the false king's spine and he turned around. Although he was standing on a raised platform, well above any danger posed by the citizens, he hadn't been able to shake to feeling that someone more sinister than the average disapproving mother was watching him.

It's just nerves. He thought, turning back around to watch the proceedings. Guards were carefully watching the square, anyways. Nothing would get by them and climb up the platform before being shot down. Even in that case, Marcus had his sword.

He checked the sun again, clucking his tongue impatiently.

We need to get this show on the road.

Erwin heaved, groaning from the effort of trying to open the massive prison door. A few younger soldiers moved up to help him, while others waited below with their weapons at the ready. Link and Zelda would be the first two to climb through the top of the passageway, and Erwin would bring up the rear.

"Remember, the first order of business is to take the throne room." Link called out as Erwin fought with the door. "It's the most defensible position for a small group. Next, find your platoon leaders and take over your assigned walls of the castle. From there, we can provide basic ranged support for the men guarding the front gate. Most importantly, remember that we don't want to kill anyone unless absolutely necessary. If they attack you, don't hesitate. But if they surrender or begin to fight for us, allow them to do so."

A silent nod of affirmation went through the gathered soldiers, and torchlight flooded the dark tunnel as the soldiers at the top of the rickety stairs managed to get the stone trap door open.

As silently as possible, Link and Zelda slipped past Erwin, followed by the first platoon. The prison was completely empty, save for three terrified Hylian guards.

"Surrender now and spare your lives." Link said, drawing his sword. The other soldiers had begun to pour out of the ground behind him. The prison guards didn't hesitate, drawing their swords and throwing them to the ground.

"Let's go." Link said, pulling the cork out of a half-filled bottle of potion mixed with a pain-killing herb. He drained it and dropped the empty bottle to the ground.

Quickly but quietly, the group poured into passages. A collapse in the tunnel had pushed their progress far behind schedule, and the execution was scheduled to happen in only twenty-five minutes. By that time, the castle needed to be completely under their control.

Let's just hope that this continues going smoothly. Link thought to himself as he ascended a flight of stairs.

Not a single soldier was to be found on the way up to the throne room. Every hallway was empty, and the slightly risky task of passing the guard quarters proved harmless. With seventeen minutes left until the execution, the soldiers lined up outside the rear throne room doors.

"Here we go." Link called out softly. "Don't assume that there won't be anyone in here. For all we know, they've got an ambush waiting for us. Keep your wits about you, and be prepared to fight."

"It's locked." Erwin called out, testing the handles.

"Of course it is." Link said, pushing his way up to the doors and pulling out a ring of lock picks. "Give me a minute."

After a few minutes of fiddling with the keyholes, he sighed and shook his head.

"It's too well made." He said, drawing the Master Sword. "Time to try something else."

With a grunt, he smashed the hilt of his blade into the handle, sending it clattering to the floor.

"Well that's not exactly inconspicuous." Erwin said. Zelda drew her sword.

"Everyone ready?" Link asked. A nod went around the hallway.

"Good. Let's go."

With that, he kicked in the doors and charged into the throne room.

"Ten minutes." Marcus muttered as the guard on the house across from him signaled the time. Ten minutes separated him and complete control over Hyrule.

You're running out of time, Princess. He sneered to himself. He had come to the conclusion over the past hour that the public execution would at least draw Link out of hiding, if not Zelda herself. It looked as if that idea had fallen through, much to his disappointment.

Of course, Link and Zelda wouldn't know about what he was holding in his hands. Marcus had said nothing of the mystical staff to anyone, preferring to keep the secret to himself. Part of the reason was that he didn't know what was going to happen. He was simply relying on the word of the magician he had spoken with a week earlier.

"Are you ready?"

Marcus jumped as a voice whispered in his ear. He wheeled around, his sword halfway out of the sheath before he realized nothing was there.

Just my mind playing tricks on me. He thought, tentatively sheathing his blade and turning back around. Many of the people down on the street were staring at him.

"I don't know what you're looking at!" He yelled down into the crowd, causing some of the people to jump. Everyone averted their eyes from him. They soon had something else to focus on, which Marcus was grateful for.

The hooded executioner stood up from his chair, causing the tens of thousands of people packed in the square to hush. Slowly, he walked over to the councilors, who had been placed on top of barrels with nooses around their necks. For hours, the growing crowd had been jeering them, and some even reverted to throwing trash onto the platform. The people didn't support Marcus and his ambitions, but they blamed the council for his ascent to power. To them, the councilors were directly responsible for the country's troubles.

The jeering picked up again as the executioner tightened the nooses slightly, making sure that the men couldn't escape in the next few minutes. With their hands bound behind their backs, and sacks placed over their heads, such a feat would be nearly impossible. It never hurt to be sure, though.

Are you ready, Marcus?

Brutus jumped again, shivering as the voice filtered through his mind. He took a moment to inspect the staff again, wondering if it was the cause of the voices he had been hearing lately. They had started before he had met the mysterious magician, but had certainly gotten worse since then.

Marcus took a moment to calm his nerves. The guard at the other end of the square signaled that five minutes were left, and the executioner moved to take his post.

If you lied to me, I will hunt you to the ends of the earth. He thought, hoping that the magician could hear him.

There was no response.

Time to give a speech.

The throne room was completely empty.

"Are you serious?" Link growled, shaking his head.

To all appearances, the castle had been left completely unguarded. Not even a skeleton crew was manning basic duties. No servants were cleaning or running errands. There was nothing to stop the small force from taking the most defensible place in Hyrule.

"Find your platoon leaders and get to your assigned positions!" Erwin called out to the soldiers behind him. "You have less than ten minutes before the execution is supposed to happen. Make it quick."

The soldiers scrambled, assembling into their hastily assigned platoons and setting out to their guard positions. Over half the men were posted on the walls, in the event that the Hylian military wasn't as loyal as Zelda thought they would be.

"What am I supposed to do?" Zelda asked Link.

Link shrugged and sheathed his sword. "I suppose we'll wait here and accept Marcus's surrender when Justin brings him. And if Justin doesn't make it back like planned, we'll improvise. I would expect a battle if that happens."

"Great." Zelda muttered. Her track record for battles in the throne room wasn't good.

"Don't be such a sour puss." Link said, grinning. "If we have a battle, that means that all the councilors are dead, and we'll get to kill Marcus. How great would that be?"

Zelda simply rolled her eyes.

"Link!" Erwin yelled. Link and Zelda both turned to look at him from where he was standing by the main doors.

"What?" Link asked.

"Marcus is speaking. Our time must be different than his, because that usually starts five minutes before the execution. Get Zelda to safety."

"No." Zelda said immediately. "I will not stay out of this battle. I have my magic, and I can use a sword."

"Zelda…" Link started hesitantly.

"Don't even try."

Link shrugged and shook his head at Erwin, who sighed and muttered something unintelligible before leaving.

"Well then." Link said. "Let's get in a good position to fight from."

The crowd was certainly riled up at seeing their councilors about to die. The reaction to the speech was more muffled than Marcus had hoped for, but it would do for now.

The guard at the other end of the square signaled that thirty seconds were left. The councilors were more visibly terrified now, even with their hoods on, and had not been given a chance to speak their last words. A few were talking to each other, most likely attempting some sort of consolement and closure.

Twenty-five seconds left, and the executioner cracked his knuckles. He tested the lever slightly and, seeing that it would move easily, nodded to himself.

Twenty seconds left, and Marcus smiled to himself. Link and Zelda had not shown up yet, and had very little time to stop the proceedings if they were planning on doing just that.

Fifteen seconds left, and still nothing had gone wrong. The people in the crowd were wringing their hands nervously.

Ten seconds left.

Five.

And then the brightest flash Marcus had ever experienced in his life accompanied an ear-splitting crack. The platform underneath his feet shifted, and he watched in slow motion as the executioner dropped to the ground.

NO! The magician's voice screamed in his head, but it didn't register in Brutus's mind, instead taking a backseat to the rush of panic. He slipped on the now moving platform and grabbed the edge. Slowly, it cracked underneath his feet and leaned in towards the crowd.

"Gods, no!" Marcus screamed, holding on for dear life. The platform was over forty feet above the ground. It would not be an easy landing.

Another flash blinded him momentarily, and he found himself surrounded by a thick cloud of smoke. The platform had stopped moving. Marcus looked up, but couldn't see anything. He reached around, and found himself on solid ground.

How…?

His thoughts were interrupted by a prick in the back of his neck.

"Lights out, bitch."

"There's a lot of commotion down there." Erwin said. He, Link, and Zelda were standing in the front door of the castle, watching the square intently. Smoke had erupted all over the gathered crowd, and bright flashes of light had sent the people reeling. Marcus's giant wooden platform had keeled over, and they had seen Justin leap from a nearby rooftop and pull him off right before he hit the ground.

The attack had been successful.

"Move out." Link called back to the group of soldiers waiting in the throne room. Erwin had made an impromptu decision to send some of the men down to maintain control and get the councilors off of their nooses. Link had volunteered to lead the soldiers.

"Be safe, Link." Zelda said. He nodded, pushed out of the door, and set off at a jog with the column of volunteers.

The path to the square was littered with fleeing residents, many who were still dazed and confused from the commotion in the square. The soldiers gently pushed them away, and burst into the square. Justin had pulled Marcus onto a nearby roof, and the area was in total chaos. Most of the guards were simply trying to keep the citizens in control, but a few were firing arrows at Justin.

"Take care of them." Link yelled out, pointing his sword at the attacking guards. The loyal soldiers charged into the crowd, tackling the guards to the ground and beating them unconscious.

Link ran up to the platform that the councilors were still tied up on. The executioner lay unconscious only inches from the lever that would have killed all one hundred men in one pull.

Well this is a mess. He thought. He knew that thirteen of the men were disloyal to Hyrule, and would stab him in the back given the opportunity. On the other hand, leaving all of them up there would be a recipe for disaster. It didn't take an executioner to pull that lever.

On the south end of the square, a riot had broken out among the gathered crowd. The people were hitting, kicking, scratching, or otherwise trying to kill anyone they could get their hands on. Link's soldiers stepped back from the carnage, knowing better than to try to deal with this situation. Instead, they retreated to the execution platform and formed a ring around it, just as Erwin had instructed in the event that this happened. Such actions had been very popular during public executions when they had still been held in Hyrule.

Slowly, the riot began moving towards the platform, and the men forming the protective ring waved their swords in a clear warning.

"Hold them off at all costs!" Link yelled, sweating slightly as the ring tightened. If the rioters attacked, their sheer numbers would overwhelm the soldiers. He had only brought fifty down to the square, and even though Hylian guards were joining his ranks, he would never be able to get the manpower he needed. There had to be over five hundred rioters.

A bright flash blinded the crowd momentarily, but they didn't slow their advance on the platform. Non-participants who didn't get out of the way in time were stampeded.

"More men to the front!" Link yelled, brandishing his sword towards the direction that was in danger.

"We can't!" One of the soldiers yelled behind him. Link turned around.

"You've got to be kidding me." He muttered. An even larger riot was forming at the other end of the square. This one had almost twice the numbers, and was growing quickly.

Let them die.

Link almost didn't hear the voice in his head, but it spoke again.

Leave the councilors. Let them die.

"What the hell?" He muttered, shaking his head.

They mean nothing to Hyrule. Let them die.

"Who are you?" He asked aloud, thankful that nobody could hear him over the turmoil.

Let them die.

Link shivered, feeling a sudden rush of cold pass down his spine. The voice was distant, yet distinctly familiar. It sounded like…

"Zelda?" He asked tentatively.

Yes! I order you to leave the platform. Pull the soldiers back, and let the citizens have their way. Let the councilors die.

"That's not…"

Do it!

Link hesitated. He had heard Zelda's voice in his head before, but it hadn't actually been her. She had helped him, though. The voice had directed him to where the real Zelda was hiding. That same voice had pulled him out of a nightmare.

That same voice ordered me to execute Marcus in a dream, even though he hadn't had a trial.

"No." Link said. More soldiers could be seen running from the castle to help put down the riot.

WHAT?!

"I didn't stutter." Link said aloud. Both riots were quickly converging on the platform.

That is an order!

"The Zelda I know would never give me that kind of order."

A searing pain ripped across Link's stomach, causing him to cry out in pain and drop to a knee.

YOU WILL NOT DEFY ME

"No." Link said, groaning and pushing himself back to his feet. "You will not prevent me from doing what's right, demon."

For a moment, there was total silence.

You will regret this decision, Hero of Light.

With that, the voice was gone. The riot, however, was not. More and more people had joined in, and now the large group had broken into a run, throwing guards and bystanders away as they charged for the platform.

"Kill them!"

"They don't deserve to live!"

"Pull that lever!"

Link looked down at the lever, and then back to the riot. There was no way he could hold it off with the men he had with him. They would likely all die trying to protect the men who done nothing as Marcus took the throne of Hyrule.

Marcus. He thought, looking around. Justin was still on the same rooftop that he had dragged the false king onto, and seemed occupied trying to get a staff out of his hand.

Why is he worried about that staff? Link thought, anger boiling up inside of him. Marcus is out for a while. I need his help.

"Justin!" He yelled, but his voice was drowned out by the ever-closer riot.

And then, like a tsunami smashing into land, the rioters hit the line of guards. Neither side had mercy on the other, with most of the soldiers hacking into the protestors mercilessly. Violent riots were capital offenses in Hyrule's law books, and guards were allowed to do everything possible to protect themselves.

"Goddesses." Link muttered. The entire scene was senseless carnage, and yet there was nothing he could do about it. The rioters would kill the guards if they didn't defend themselves, and would then proceed to kill the councilors.

"Link!" He heard over the crowd. He looked up to where Justin was standing, waving at him erratically. The Sheikah pointed at the staff, which seemed to be stuck in Marcus's hand.

What's this about? He thought.

"Get those councilors out of there!"

What does he think I'm trying to do? Does he think I'm an idiot?

On the other side of the platform, the smaller riot converged on the soldiers, getting hacked down just as quickly as their comrades on the other side. For the moment, the lines of soldiers were holding, and it looked like the momentum of the fight was changing as the rioters saw those in front of them being cut down.

"Get them out of there! There's more to this-"

A massive roar from the crowd blocked out Justin's voice. Near the ramp leading up to the top of the platform, three men had broken through. They were young, probably no older then fifteen or sixteen. Their age didn't sate their disdain of the councilors, though. The guard behind them had been knocked back, and one of the boys had a sword in hand.

"Stop them!" Justin yelled. The boys were headed straight for the lever, which Link was still standing next to.

"Stop!" Link yelled, brandishing his sword at them. The boys didn't stop. Instead, the one with the sword raised it and charged straight for him.

Dear goddesses… Link thought, panicking as he realized that he was going to have to fight a young boy. He stepped in between the lever and the teenagers, halting them momentarily. For what felt like an eternity, the two sides stared each other down.

"Stand down." Link said, dreading what would happen if they didn't. "I will not hesitate to kill you. This protest has gone too far."

"Get out of the way, hero." One of the boys spat. "We see how much good you've done us. First, you leave while that brute takes over the country, and then you show up and let your guards kill us so that you can defend these scum bags."

"I said stand down." Link repeated sternly.

The boy with the sword lunged, hoping to catch him off guard. Immediately, he found himself on the ground, disarmed. His sword clattered across the platform towards the edge of the wood.

"Get him!" One of the other two yelled, and both of the remaining boys charged him at once. As if they had planned the attack, the third boy lashed out furiously from the ground.

The sudden shift underneath Link's feet forced him to step back, but he grabbed an arm of one of the charging boys in the process. Using the boy's own momentum, he turned him around and threw him into the second. The teenager who had had the sword leaped to his feet, and Link slammed the hilt of his sword into his head. The boy dropped to the ground with a slight thump.

The other two, seeing their fallen comrade, scrambled and ran, jumping off of the platform and into the crowd.

"Link, look out!"

Link turned to look at Justin only a split second before he registered the large rock hurtling towards his head. Stars exploded across his vision, and he felt his legs buckle beneath him.

Oh no… He thought, feeling himself hit the ground. At seeing him go down, the rioters began pushing harder. A few of them had picked up weapons from the guards who had fallen.

Link groaned and wiped the blood from his eyes. The rock had split his forehead open, and it was bleeding profusely. His vision was blurry, and he was still seeing stars.

A few feet away, the teenager who he had knocked out only seconds before was stirring. He sat up, nursing the wound on his head that the hilt of the Master Sword had inflicted. Link, seeing a potential problem, tried to get up, but found his legs unresponsive.

Am I paralyzed? He thought with horror, pinching his leg to make sure that he could still feel it. The sharp pain abated his worst fears, so he turned back around. The teenage boy was crawling to his feet, groaning in pain.

"NO!" Link yelled, seeing him look at the lever. The boy ignored him and got a leg underneath himself, rising shakily from the ground.

Link scrambled desperately, but his legs were still numb, and the cut on his forehead was pouring blood into his eyes. Behind him, the line of guards broke, and the rioters poured onto the platform.

"Link!" He heard Justin yell, and saw that the Sheikah had left his post by Marcus. He would be too late, though. Fighting through the large crowd of rioters would take too long.

Unable to resign himself to the inevitable, Link still tried to push himself to his feet while the boy struggled towards the lever. The Master Sword was lying next to him, so he picked it up and used it as leverage. Finally, enough feeling returned to his feet and legs to stand up.

The line of guards in front broke, and the rioters poured in from that side. Link was surrounded.

I'm going to die. He thought. The realization brought strength back to his body, and he quickly wiped away the blood on his forehead.

But not without a fight.

He charged at the teenager, lifting his sword to deliver a finishing blow. In the blink of an eye, the boy leaped out of the way, and turned around to face him.

His eyes were glowing bright red.

The sight made Link freeze, and shivers ran down his spine. This wasn't natural. The boy was possessed.

How the hell-

His thoughts were interrupted as one of the rioters slammed into his back, sending him tumbling to the ground. The Master Sword flew from his hands, clattering across the platform and falling off the edge. The possessed boy put his hand on the lever and smiled maniacally.

"This is how the world ends, hero." He said.

And then pulled.