Hello! I'm back wif Chapter Ten :) WARNING: It's even longer than the last one. It might be the longest chapter I've ever written! Anywho, I hope it's not confuzzling! Enjoy!


Chapter Ten: Invasion

Zelda held back tears as she sat at her windowsill, staring down into Castle Town. There, gathering in the plaza around the ancient and intricate fountain, was a rather large and angry mob. It seemed as though the entire population of the city had come together in front of the castle, screaming and holding up enraged banners.

"Stop the kidnappings!" they chanted. "Stop the secrets!"

Their shouts were endless, clogging up the frenzied thoughts in Zelda's mind. Everything became blurred together, and all she could think of was the desire to regain her people's trust. After the profiles of the kidnapped victims were put into the paper that morning, this mob had only been getting larger and larger. At that point, Zelda didn't know what to do. These were her people, and she was their princess; as such, it was her duty to appease them and bring about better changes for Hyrule's greater good...but she didn't know how.

Dusk was beginning to fall, casting an eerie shadow along the men and women in the plaza. The princess's ears were ringing with their words, and she was unable to rid herself of the heavy burden that was settling on her delicate shoulders. She wanted to find a way to appease them without using force or alienating any more citizens. Unable to watch any longer, Zelda stood up and drew the curtains on her window. Perhaps a good night's rest would help her. Surely her instincts would kick in and tell her what to do; after all, leading a kingdom was in her blood. It was only natural for her to know how to deal with these kinds of uprisings.

As Zelda sat on her bed, staring at the hero's tunic hanging idly in her closet, a soft knock came at her door.

"Come in," she sighed, blinking back the tears. Teacher, with his old back hunched and his steps small, waddled into the room.

"I came in to say good night, dear," he said in a comforting voice. "The mobs are beginning to die down, if it's any consolation."

"They'll be back tomorrow," Zelda stated bluntly. She continued staring ahead, unable to tear her eyes away from the tunic. "They'll be back."

"I know that you'll find the best way to deal with them." Teacher sat down beside her, giving her a comforting smile. "Even as a child, you always did get yourself out of trouble," he chuckled. Zelda bowed her head, trying to keep her thoughts clear.

"But I'm not a child anymore, Teacher," she murmured. "This isn't a game."

"I never said it was," he shook his head. Then he wrapped his frail arm around her shoulders, pulling her into a caring embrace. "But I know that no matter what happens, you'll get through this. And you won't have to do it alone."

Zelda smiled, leaning into his hug.

"Thank you, Teacher. I really do appreciate it, though it may seem that sometimes I don't," she chuckled uneasily. He laughed along with her.

"Not at all, my child," he reassured. Then, he stood up and moved toward the door. "Get a good rest, Zelda. Tomorrow may turn out to be a big day."

"Good night, Teacher," she said as he walked from the room. As the door closed behind him, Zelda curled up beneath the covers of her bed, but left the closet open. Outside, the screaming had finally died down enough for her to calm down, and she continued gazing longingly at the tunic. It was the last thing she saw before drifting off into an uneasy and uncomfortable slumber.

A few hours later, a soldier rushed into her room. Startled and in a daze, she jolted awake and sat up in bed.

"Princess!" he screamed. "The castle...it's being invaded!"


Getting past the Guard was even easier than Damita was expecting, especially with the security plan in her possession. She had sent out groups to take out various areas of the Guard to clear the way for her and the rest of her troops, and at that very moment, they were preparing to finally commence the invasion. It was evident that the people of the castle and the city still had not realized the breach that had occurred in their security. The night was still young, and the path was already clear. With a determined flash in her eyes, Damita dismounted her horse in the field and moved toward the drawbridge leading into the town; the other riders followed suit, and soon, all of the soldiers were prepared and in perfect line. Nabooru stood at the front beside Damita, looking over the ranks incredulously.

"The other troops should be awaiting our arrival from within the boundaries of the castle," Damita began in a loud whisper. "Once we enter, there are no second thoughts. All officials are to be taken prisoner; kill anybody else who dares to stand in your way."

"Yes, ma'am," they nodded simultaneously.

"As for the princess..." Damita paused for a moment, and then smirked discreetly. "Leave her to me."

"Yes, ma'am."

Though she was smiling and seemed confident on the outside, Damita's doubts were protesting loudly on the inside. She could never let her troops see the fright that lingered in her mind, and her comportment was to be as hard as a rock; these men and women were relying on her to lead them into a successful mission. One mistake, and the brand new general could lose everything. Even more frightening would be the Master's reaction should she fail. She shuddered, simply at the thought of what he could—and would—do to her.

"Do whatever it takes," she finally added shakily. She was reassuring herself more than anybody at that point. "We must not fail."

With that, she turned around and drew her two swords. Beside her, Nabooru expertly twirled her long and sharp wooden spear. Damita basked in the sounds of her troops drawing their own weapons. There was a long and chilling silence that followed, as if the entire world was waiting for her commands. She simply stood for a few moments, letting the cool breeze of the night chill her bones, and letting the reality of the situation truly sink in. This was to what it all came down...this was Damita's final test.

"Attack!" she bellowed. With battle cries and heavy footsteps, the Rebels hurried over the bridge and into the town, where they would then be able to easily gain access into the castle. After all...the soldiers sent out earlier had already taken out those guards in front of the castle.

As Damita ran onto the cobblestone path of the royal city, she found herself completely and utterly aware of everything around her. It was as if merely the title of 'general' enhanced her awareness of her surroundings. She could see the citizens, shocked and frightened, shrinking away. Her pointed ears twitched with the sounds of their screaming. But she just kept running, ignoring the Hylians that cowered in their presence. In the plaza, there were a couple of stragglers still holding banners and screaming at the castle. She and her troops ran past them without a passing glance.

So far, it's going perfectly, Damita thought as the entrance to the castle appeared in her sight. Finally, the princess will be ours.

"No second thoughts!" Nabooru emphasized as they flowed up the stairs and into the castle walls. Just as promised, there were no guards to stand in their way.

She was completely caught off-guard by what she saw when she entered the main hall of the castle. Stopping in her tracks, Damita caught her breath and felt her heart drop into her stomach.

"No," she murmured. Nabooru growled menacingly beside her. This was exactly what Damita had feared.

There, waiting for them in the middle of the grand corridor, was a group of Loyalists. At their head stood the one person that Damita feared over everybody in all of Hyrule, including Master: Link.


Link and Sheik quietly but efficiently ushered the troops over the wall surrounding the castle. Only minutes ago, they had witnessed Rebel forces take out the security around the walls, but Link had ordered his men to stay completely still. He was not about to let Damita know that they were there. He could read her, and he could already tell what she planned on doing; her and her main forces were still stationed in the field. Link knew her well enough; she was planning to clear the way completely before going in. It was a clever plan, he admitted, but he pitied the fact that she hadn't been anticipating his arrival. Still, deep inside, he was reluctant to continue the mission. Even as general of the Rebel forces invading the castle, Link didn't know what he would do should he come up against her. He wouldn't be able to hurt her...

"Link, stay focused," Sheik whispered urgently. "This could get ugly."

"I know," Link nodded as he climbed the rope that had just been sent over the wall. "I know."

"You can't hesitate." Sheik followed him, supported by the Loyalists holding the rope at the top of the wall. "She's dangerous. If you get the chance to—"

"Don't say it," Link cut him off. "I...I know what to do."

They left it at that, and nimbly joined the men on the other side of the wall. Reassuringly, Sheik patted his best friend's shoulder, and though his mouth was covered, Link could see the comforting smile in his glistening red eyes. They found themselves in the surrounding courtyards of the castle; they were deserted. Not a single member of the Royal Guard was in sight, and the Rebels who had been here were already gone.

"All right, men," Link began. "Prepare for an intense battle. There are Rebels probably already in the castle, and there are more coming. Be on your toes; simply do what you've been trained to do, and let the goddesses take care of the rest." He paused for a moment and closed his eyes, silently praying to the three golden goddesses. He prayed for the safety of his men, the safety of the princess...and the safety of Damita. The other men joined him for those few sacred moments of prayer.

With Sheik at his side, Link drew his sword and began moving toward one of entrances into the castle. The other troops drew their weapons as well, but Sheik just cracked his knuckles.

"Wait here for a moment," Link ordered as they slowly walked into the dark, candlelit halls of the castle. For a minute, there was silence. Then, the sound of light footsteps reached Link's ears. He motioned for Sheik and the other men to stand still, and he inched forward. He stayed close to the wall, sidling against it as he moved toward the corner. As he turned his face just slightly, he was able to see about five Rebels patrolling further down the hall. Still as quiet as a mouse, Link scurried back to his men.

"Sheik, there are five Rebels around that corner," he whispered. "I want you to go in and clear the way for us. Do you think you can do that?"

"Sure thing, boss!" Sheik nodded, and there was excited exuberance in his tone. The other men looked at each other questioningly as he nimbly tiptoed to the end of the hall. Then, after diligently inspecting the situation, he disappeared around the corner without a single sound.

"Hey, you!" They heard the surprised screaming of the Rebel patrol. "Stop right there—"

The Rebel never finished his sentence. His words were replaced with a short, deep scream, followed by the sound of scrambling footsteps and sickening thuds on the ground. Link smirked to himself, ignoring the worried looks of his men. After a few minutes, Sheik sprinted back to him.

"Taken care of. The coast is clear!" he saluted. Link nodded with an approving smile, putting his hand on Sheik's shoulder.

"Nice work. Let's move out!"

Link's stride was confident as he ran forward, leading his men into the hallway, where five unconscious Rebels were stacked against the wall. He acted like he knew where he was going, but in reality, he was blindly running through the twisted corridors of the castle, praying that he would find some Rebels sooner or later. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of twists and turns, Link and his men found themselves in the main hallway, which was brightly lit...but completely empty, as well. It seemed as if the entire castle was deserted, but Link knew better.

"Talo," he turned to one of his troops. He was a younger boy of about fourteen, and still relatively inexperienced. Excited at the sound of his name, he lifted his head and scurried to Link's side. "I need you to do something very important for me."

"Anything, sir!" Talo smiled broadly. "I'll take out any Rebels you need me to!" He lifted his sword, grinning at it.

"Actually, Talo," Link sighed. "I have another job for you. I want you to run and find an official or soldier of the Royal Guard, and I want you to warn them that the castle is being invaded. Tell them that Princess Zelda is in danger and must be protected."

Talo's face fell, and he let out an exhale of disappointment.

"Very well, sir," he slouched. "Whatever you say."

"And Talo, be careful of Rebels on the way! If you find any, run straight back here. Do not fight them alone."

"Yes, sir." With that, Talo sprinted down the hall. Link felt his heart pump in satisfaction; Talo was one of his most loyal troops. That's why he had brought him, though his fighting skills were still at an amateur level. Almost as soon as the young boy disappeared, Link heard the sound of a door closing.

He turned around and found himself facing none other than Damita and her Rebel troops.

"Oh, geez," Sheik breathed quietly. There was a haunting quiet in the air. The leader of the Loyalists and the leader of the Rebels stared at each other for a few moments. Beside her was Nabooru, a deadly and dangerously seductive Gerudo. Her yellow eyes were narrowed, but Link barely paid any attention to anybody else. His eyes were firmly on Damita, who stared at him with a blank expression. She was as beautiful as ever, with her silvery hair up in a ponytail and her slender figure donned in a sleek black suit ideal for battle. She took his breath away, and for a second, he forgot where he was and why he was there.

"Link...Link, don't get distracted!" Sheik nudged his ribs with an elbow. "Don't let her get to you."

"Sheik, I don't know if I can do this..."

"Yes you can."

"No, I can't—"

"Attack!" Damita suddenly screamed, sending forth her armed and rabid forces. Link cringed at the sound of her silky and familiar voice.

"Don't worry about Damita!" Sheik screamed hastily as the Loyalists accordingly moved forward to meet the Rebel enemy. "You handle Nabooru."

With a hesitant nod, Link lifted his sword and moved into the frenzy. He moved at the speed of light toward Nabooru, passing his men bringing down the Rebels, and he felt pride swell inside of him. They were slicing through the Rebels like cake, bringing them down one after the other; Link barely noticed that they were outnumbered about two to one. His troops were simply doing what he had told them: they were fighting the way they had been trained.

"Hello, Link," Nabooru's voice cut him out of his trance. Instead of answering, Link swung his sword at her nimbly. She caught it easily against the wooden shaft of her spear.

"Nabooru," he smiled with clenched teeth. "It's been a while. Hyah!" He jabbed at her again, but once more, she easily blocked the attack.

"Still as cunning as ever, I see," she breathed heavily, stepping forward and stabbing her spear horizontally. Link stepped to the side with swift reflexes and a graceful twist. He leaped at her again, swiping his sword with elegant technique. This time, Nabooru had difficulty keeping her ground, and he forced her to stumble backwards with his advances.

"I suppose so," he smirked. "I'm only doing what I know how to do." His sword made contact with her spear again, but he held the connection for a minute. The muscles in his arms became flexed as he pushed against her, forcing her to bend backwards. Beads of sweat rolled down her tan face as she struggled to keep the spear steady.

Out of the corner of his eye, Link saw Damita, but Sheik was nowhere in his line of vision. The Rebel general was not taking part in the fighting, however; she was running down the hallway, away from the battle. Link became distracted, and within a few moments, Damita had disappeared. Then, it hit him like a slap across the face.

Princess Zelda...


Her heart was beating faster than it had ever beaten before, and her thoughts were in such a scramble that she couldn't think clearly. Sweat poured down her flustered face, and though the night was chilly, she felt as if she were about to melt from the heat. The cold breeze flowed in ominously from the open window as she scurried around the room, hurrying to gather her composure and attempt to stay calm. Outside, two of her strongest soldiers were standing guard, but Zelda wasn't about to be fooled. If invaders had gotten this far, two guards were going to be easily plowed through. This only made her growing fear bulge. The horror she felt sent chills down her spine, and she had never been so afraid. What the invaders wanted she did not know...but it couldn't be good.

With shaky hands, Zelda ripped the hero's tunic from the closet and stuffed it precariously into a small rucksack. Also inside this rucksack, she put her journal, the book of the Hero of Time—which she had secretly stolen from the library earlier that day—her tiara, and the golden hairpiece given to her by her great-grandmother. The horror shaking within her made it difficult to successfully gather all of the necessary items, and it was nearly impossible to steadily get into her boots and most comfortable dress. For all she knew, the invaders could be at her door any minute.

"What did I do to deserve this...?" she asked, looking up at the paintings on her ceiling. Ever since the kidnappings, everything had been a horrible mess, though Zelda had tried her best to keep everything in check. Tears came to her eyes as she thought of her failure as princess, and the terror that was to follow among her people. Not only were they angry about the secret kidnappings, but they would be horror-stricken by this invasion.

What if I die tonight? Zelda thought to herself. What if, with my death, Hyrule falls apart? Even worse, what if Hyrule becomes prosperous with my death?

Zelda thought of her ancestors, who had done so much for Hyrule. She thought of her great-grandmother, and the great Princess Zelda who had aided the Hero of Twilight. A single tear rolled down her cheek, for she knew that she would never live up to the name of her bloodline.

Legendary hero...Zelda begged. Where are you?

Scaring her from her daze, a heavy thud came on the door. Zelda whirled around, slowly backing up toward the window. Then, she heard two concise, deep screams, and she could've sworn that she heard a cruel cackle. The princess caught her breath as the locked doorknob began twitching, and an outside force attempted to open the door. After failing, there was a pause...and then the door came crashing down.

Zelda let out a shriek of fear and stumbled backwards, away from the fallen door. From the dust and debris emerged a tall, slender figure completely dressed in black. Behind it, at the doorway, lay the two guards with their throats slit. Zelda screamed again.

"Hello, Princess Zelda," the figure said, stepping into the light. Zelda found herself looking into a pair of beautiful, narrowed green eyes, accompanied by a waterfall of silver hair. The rest of the woman's face was covered with a black cloth. In her hands, she held two bloody swords, and she scratched them against each other, as if she were bored. Simply the sight of her stepping from the door she had kicked down sent a thrash of fear through Zelda's veins. When she opened her mouth, terror kept any words from coming out.

As the woman slowly drew nearer, keeping her steps long but slow, Zelda accordingly scurried backwards. She stumbled over books, clothes, and swiftly neared the open window. Her fists desperately held onto the rucksack, as if her life depended on it.

"Beautiful night...is it not?" the woman raised a thin eyebrow, twisting her swords. Zelda breathed heavily, trying to keep her heartbeat steady. This woman was not going to back down...and she had the intention to kill. Though the fear was becoming overwhelming, Zelda refused to let a single tear slip. She wasn't going to show weakness, even in her darkest hour.

Suddenly, as if on cue, another figure appeared in the door. However, it swung down from the top of the doorway, as if balancing on the arch at the top. It hung slowly, and with narrowed eyes, Zelda could make out the figure of a lean man in disguise, hanging nimbly from the top of her door. Her eyes widened, and she opened her mouth to scream again. Before she could, however, the mysterious man put a finger to his lips, and she could see a mischievous flash in his red eyes. Zelda was frozen with shock, but using her common sense, she diverted her gaze from this figure in the door. The woman continued approaching.

Nimbly, the man dropped down from the door without a single sound. The woman did not hear him at all, even with her long and pointed ears. The man wore a tight-fitting suit, colored various shades of blue and purple. Thick strands of blond hair fell across his forehead from beneath a piece of cloth on his head, and a long braid fell against his back. The twinkle in his eyes was a miniscule comfort to Zelda at this moment, though the advancing woman mostly distracted her.

Still completely silent, the strange man took a few more graceful steps, until he was directly behind the woman. As Zelda continued moving backward, her heels hit a stack of books, and she tumbled backwards. The woman laughed melodiously, but Zelda was not amused. She continued scooting backwards, doing whatever it took to create distance between herself and this woman. Soon enough, the princess was against the wall beneath the open window, squeezing up to it as much as she could. The man followed behind her discreetly, not making a single sound.

"Good evening, Damita."

The woman smirked, and just as he lifted his hand to jab at her, she blocked.

"Sheik." She didn't turn around. "You haven't changed much. Still using the same sneak attacks, are we? A bit amateur, don't you think?"

"Still works every time," the man, Sheik, shrugged. Zelda simply sat, flabbergasted and trying to calm her heart palpitations. The woman seemed to lose all interest in the princess, and she whirled around to face her attacker. She tilted her head, twisting her sabers, and he took a light step backwards.

"Oh, I should've known you would get in my way."

"It doesn't matter," Sheik chuckled. The woman, evidently named Damita, leaped at him and jabbed her swords forward. Zelda let out an instinctive scream, but the mysterious man elegantly ducked under the swords. "You could never beat me, prepared or not. Never could, never will."

Those words apparently angered the woman, and with a snarl of rage, she jumped at him again. There was a smile in his red eyes as he once again avoided the attack, this time doing a graceful somersault above her head. Just as he landed behind her, she swung around, twirling her swords as she did. Zelda couldn't help but let out another terrified shriek. Not only was she frightened beyond belief, but also her confusion was increasing with each passing moment.

"Just admit it, darling," he taunted, hopping backward to avoid her slice. "Your combat skills will never match mine. And I don't even use weapons!"

While she lifted her swords once more, he caught her off guard. He simply lifted an arm, and before the woman could do so much as blink, his elbow came cracking down on her shoulder. With a yelp of pain, the sword dropped from her left hand, and she fell to her knees. The man, Sheik, threw his head back and laughed triumphantly—the laugh was interrupted by a xstartled shout. The woman had swung her legs around, knocking him off of his feet.

"I'm not going down so easily," she growled menacingly. Sweat poured down her face. As soon as his back made contact with the floor, Sheik used his palms to propel himself back up. Zelda's eyes widened in wonder at his agility and unnatural flexibility, and Damita scowled in fury. Much slower and not as gracefully, she also managed to stand up, though her left arm hung limply at her side, and her weaponry was reduced to only a single sword.

"You know, Damita, it's a shame," Sheik said. Zelda, still completely oblivious to any sense that they were making, pressed herself against the wall even more. Everything was happening too quickly for her brain to process. "I feel like if you weren't so distracted, you could easily beat me."

"I can beat you!" Damita, with the grace of a swan, did an intricate twist towards him, slicing her sword. Sheik jumped backwards, but he was a fraction of a second too late. The sword just barely tore through the thin fabric of his chest. A drop of blood fell onto the floor, and Zelda averted her gaze hastily. The man caught his breath shallowly in pain.

"No you can't," he murmured. Without warning, he leaped toward her, and grabbed her wrists. For some odd reason, the woman did not resist. There was an expression of absolute agony on her face.

They were chest to chest, and his teeth were clenched as he forced the sword from her other hand. "You could've killed me by now...but you're distracted by him. I can see it in your eyes. He always distracts you. "

There was a haunting silence in the air, and all three of them became completely still...and Zelda could've sworn she saw a single tear roll down this woman's face.

"If it's any consolation," Sheik sighed. "He's distracted by you, too."

With that, he swiftly jabbed at her neck and she crumpled to the ground, unconscious.


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