Hello, all, and welcome back to Remnants! The leader in the TTC vs Remnants voting contests by one! (so far)

... I can't really think of much else to say up here. Read on!

Navigating the Gerudo Fortress wasn't hard. It was the Gerudo themselves who posed a problem.

Aveil, who Zario had informed Link was the leader of the Gerudo, had grown paranoid during Gangstadorf's rise to power and had posted guards around every corner, patrolling every hallway.

"What do we do now?" Link asked Zario as they peeked around a corner and saw two Gerudo guards standing ready.

"Does your Hookshot disable them?" Zario asked, and Link glanced down at the sharp barbs of the Hookshot.

"If you mean disable them permanently, yeah. I don't want to kill them, I just want to get by."

The Zuna pointed to the Goddess Sword in its sheath. "How about your sword, sir? Hit them with the flat of your blade!" He mimed a strike and Link raised an eyebrow.

"For a historian you're pretty bloodthirsty, Zario. Okay, I'll try it. You distract them and I'll take them out."

Without hesitation Zario jumped out from behind the wall and ran over to the Gerudo. Thanks to his diminutive height the Gerudo didn't notice him until he situated himself beside them and gave the shrillest, loudest taxicab whistle Link had ever heard in his life. For such a little guy Zario had good lungs.

The Gerudo jumped a foot in the air and searched for the source of the noise for at least five seconds, enough time for Link to enter the hallway and whack the guards over the head with the Goddess Sword. Both crumpled to the ground and Link shot Zario and appraising glance.

"Nice work. We'll be out of here in no time."

The only problem was, Link didn't know where Zelda was. She wasn't in the dungeons, but that was the only place he could eliminate. She might be locked in a closet like Zario had been for all he knew. Kneeling beside the Gerudo guards, he took one of their radios and opened the frequencies. A rush of chatter flooded through the radio, and Link switched the channels until he found word of Zelda.

"Yeah, we have him pinpointed at the creep's place. Anyone volunteer to go in? No, it's not cursed... Yes, I've heard the legends!"

"Aveil, I think you might want to know this..."

"Detaining the prisoner now, tell him I don't need to buy Sailcloths, or sails in general. This is the desert!"

"Bringing the princess to Aveil's chamber. Prepare to interrogate."

Link almost dropped the radio. "Interrogate?"

Zario nodded sadly. "Indeed, sir. Although Aveil is kind, she has grown worried with the rise of Gangstadorf. When she wants information, sir, she will receive it by any means necessary."

"Do you know where Aveil's chamber is, Zario?"

The Zuna bobbed its head furiously. "Oh, yes, sir! I have drawn a full map in one of the scrolls, complete with labels and a detailed legend! Follow me, sir!"

Link would have been very lost without Zario. The Gerudo fortress was winding and difficult to navigate, but Zario had no problem, weaving his way through the corridors with ease. Much to Link's surprise, the whistling-and-bashing technique for getting rid of the guards was working, too. Even though he was cactus-green and not particularly fast, Zario was completely ignored by the Gerudo until he shattered their eardrum with his shrill whistling. Every so often they would come to a locked door and Link would swipe the Gerudo Membership Pass to get through.

"They're worried about Gangstadorf breaking in here? That Aveil character must be smarter than I thought. A Kikiwi could get in here no problem!" Link exclaimed as he smacked the Goddess Sword across the back of a Gerudo guard's head.

"Perhaps so, sir!" Zario exclaimed, looking as close as Link had ever seen him to laughing.

Their plan was almost busted when one of the Gerudo caught Zario weaving between their ankles and aimed a sharp kick at him, which the Zuna dodged easily.

"Hey!" She exclaimed, and Zario scampered back to Link, who lifted the Goddess Sword in preparation for a fight.

"You're that cursed historian guy! And you're... Are you that escort of the princess?"

"Escort?" Link placed a hand on his chest like he was offended. "The princess wouldn't be here without me. I would consider us at least partners in crime."

"Crime is right." The Gerudo guard scoffed. "You're an insult to our intelligence. Let's show him how we can fight!"

After about two seconds Link realized that the Gerudo fight hard. Wasting no time, the first guard spun her spear straight at Link's face, and he only managed to bat it away before it impaled him. The other two guards readied their weapons but didn't interfere with the fight, waiting their turn. The first guard tried again to jab at his face, but he was prepared this time and forced the spear down to her feet, then rammed his shoulder into hers. Stumbling back dazedly, the guard didn't even try to block the blow when Link struck her across the head with the Goddess Sword.

"Who's next?" He asked, grinning and holding his arms out to his sides.

As it appeared, the second Gerudo was more than ready, and she whipped her spear out with such speed that Link could barely follow it as it crashed into the side of his head.

Zario squealed as Link lurched to the side with the spear's momentum, and the guard was swinging the spear around again in seconds. Barely ducking under the second swipe, Link rolled underneath the spear and kicked out at the Gerudo's legs. She winced but continued to attack with ferocity as Link stood, blocking the wooden hilt of her spear with his blade.

Spinning on one heel, the Gerudo guard wound up for a strike and lashed out at Link, jabbing at his lower side. He managed to catch the wooden part of the spear on the hilt of the Goddess Sword, but the sharp side of the spear slid over this side, cutting through his shirt and grazing his side. Forcing the blade back up, Link lunged forward and smacked the guard's spear into her face using his momentum. Her eyeballs trembled in their sockets with the ringing force before she collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

No more games – Link was ready when the last guard came up to him, wary now when he struck. She had a precise way of fighting, but slower that her companions, and Link managed to loop her ankle and pull her to the ground, an old trick from the fighting ring back in Castle Town. Once the hallway was clear he and Zario could proceed.

"Not much further now!" The Zuna announced, rounding a corner and pointing down a long hallway that was practically lined with guards. "See that door at the end of the corridor there? That's Aveil's chamber. The princess should be there."

"I don't think these guys are going to fall for the old whistling trick, you think?" Link asked, counting the Gerudo guards in the hallway. At least ten, maybe more. No way would they be able to get down to there undetected.

Zario moaned as he saw all of the guards waiting for them. "What are we going to do? And we were so close."

Link turned slowly to his new companion and smiled. "I believe I might have an idea."

Minutes later Zario rounded the corner boldly and hollered, "Cursed Gerudo!" The guards started and wheeled around, paling as they saw Zario approach them, swirling his hand around the Pirate's Charm Link had handed him moments ago like some sort of magic talisman. A few backed away in shock, quavering hands clutching their scimitars, making the blades wobble. Then it was Link's cue – Zario beckoned with his hand and Link stumbled after him. He had purposefully torn his clothes and smeared dirt and blood over him face and body, dulling the look in his eyes to look like a magically tortured victim. For a moment his head whipped to the Gerudos and he croaked out a faint message.

"Please, help me... Help me!"

"Silence!" Zario screeched, and Link snapped to attention rigidly. The Zuna walked over to him and dangled the Pirate's Charm before his eyes. Link rocked back on his heels and let out a fake hiss of pain, then rolled his eyes back and crumpled to the ground.

The Gerudo were terrified now, knees knocking together as they watched the events unfold. They had heard the legends of the cursed creature in the closet for ages, but now he had escaped, and took what he had done to the captive!

Zario wasn't finished though; he made a tugging motion with his fingers and Link got back onto his feet like a marionette being yanked by its strings.

"I can control him, you know. Make him do whatever I want." Zario mused, his high-pitched voice eerily mysterious. Link rocked from side to side slowly, awaiting orders.

"I could amuse you, but it would be more fun to watch him kill you. Your sword." The last two words were a barking order and Link unsheathed the Goddess Sword in one swift motion. Even though they were armed as well, the Gerudo shrunk away from the weapon, like it was enchanted as the Pirate's Charm was. With a flourish of the necklace Zario pointed to the far door.

"Kill."

That was the only word the Gerudo needed to hear, no way they were going to turn out like that poor kid. In seconds they had sprinted past Zario in terror, fleeing as fast as their feet could carry them. The hallway was empty in moments.

After the last footsteps had receded from earshot Link sheathed the Goddess Sword and took the Pirate's Charm back from a beaming Zario.

"Guess those legends paid off after all. Ready to meet the princess?"

Zario was shaking almost as much as the Gerudo were, but from excitement. "I can hardly believe it, sir!" He proclaimed, dropping the eerie magician accent. "The brave lady I have chronicled for so long, and I get to meet her! Oh, sir, it is an honor for a humble Zuna like me!"

Link tried to rub off some of the grime off of his face, to no avail. "Well, we'll never get there if we stand around here talking. You can have the honors."

As entrances go, it was very grand. Zario entered first, his little frame suddenly seeming much larger as he shoved the doors open, and Link at the rear, bloodied and dirty, carrying the glowing Goddess Sword in one hand. Everyone turned in shock as they burst in, all conversations stilled.

A Gerudo Link assumed was Aveil was perched on a small throne-like chair, glaring with great intensity at Zelda, who stood flanked by two Gerudo guards. Link was surprised to see her wrists were shackled, but she looked otherwise unharmed. A few other Gerudo advisers stood by Aveil, hands clasped in front of them and twin scimitars strapped across their backs. Each looked like they could gut Link and wouldn't even blink. Aveil's sharp eyes snapped up to Link and Zario as they walked through the doors, filling with dark rage, then curiosity.

"Storyteller? And the prisoner? How did you escape?"

"Funny you would ask – you have a hole in the ceiling." Link commented helpfully, and Zario stepped in front of him. A look of determination to match Aveil's biting glare filled his eyes.

"We have come for the princess!" The Zuna declared, and Aveil scoffed.

"I'm just... Questioning her. I wanted to know how she escaped from Gangsadorf's clutches."

Zelda turned to face Link and Zario, jaw dropping. "What are you doing here?" She hissed.

"A good old-fashioned rescue, princess. Now," Link leveled the Goddess Sword at Aveil's chest, "Unhand her."

Aveil was silent for a moment, unblinking, then she leaned back in her chair and roared with guffawing laughter. The advisers joined in awkwardly, watching their leader with concern, until finally the laughter subsided and Aveil regained her composure.

"You think that you can just waltz in here and save your beloved princess? What makes you even think she needs saving?"

"Um, the handcuffs? Just a guess." Link pointed to Zelda's shackles.

"Oh, those?" Aveil asked, scrambling to justify her actions.

"And don't try to tell me they're friendship bracelets." Aveil's gaze turned murderous and Link took a step back. She withdrew her scimitar with ease and swung it through the air a few times, admiring the blade.

"It's been a long time since I've used this..." She murmured, then her eyes darted up to Link. "You know how we treat escaped prisoners here?"

The scimitar came first, punching at Link's stomach, and he dove to the side to avoid the strike. Aveil's fighting style was more desperate than the other Gerudo, each blow thrown with all her might. The Goddess Sword was in his hands in seconds, and he couldn't turn to the offensive with all of Aveil's wild attacks, slashing at his legs, trying to elbow him in the face, even spitting to distract him. Each of her attacks displayed her incredible talent as a fighter – even though her attacks seemed random, Link could detect a method behind them. No doubt about it, Aveil would be a tough opponent.

An opponent he might not be able to overcome.

As Link tired Aveil seemed to only find more energy, shouting as she swung her scimitar over his head and earning similar shouts of encouragement from the other Gerudo, who, like the guards Link had met earlier, were not interfering with the fight. Link knew if he kept up this was there was no way he could beat the Gerudo leader. He needed to bring some of the momentum to his side.

Aveil had just finished a side swipe when Link brought the Goddess Sword up and shoved it at the hilt of Aveil's scimitar. The blow wasn't especially powerful, but Aveil was so startled by the offensive move that she faltered, giving Link a chance to lash out with a jab of his own, cutting across the scimitar's blade as Aveil parried. Her amber eyes narrowed as Link forced his blade against hers, straining for leverage. Link could see the beads of sweat on her forehead, a good sign. If he wore her out, he might have a chance.

The Gerudo muttered worriedly as Link continued to fight on the offensive, sending powerful blows at Aveil, always keeping in range of the Goddess Sword's reach. Zelda's advice from the Spirit Temple streamed through his head. Slide you feet as you move. Keep your elbows bent. Don't let her push you back, remember where to keep your weight. Aveil's strikes grew more sluggish, but Link's faster and more precise. Soon she was unable to even retaliate through the storm of blows Link assaulted her with. It was obvious that the fight leaned in his favor.

Watching Aveil's scimitar carefully, Link twisted the Goddess Sword and locked it into her hilt. Panicking, Aveil jerked the interlocked blades up and her hilt slammed into Link's nose. He forced himself to stay standing and yanked the Goddess Sword to the right, twisting the swords one more time, and Aveil's scimitar clattered to the ground.

Silence fell in the room and Link brought the Goddess Sword to Aveil's throat.

"Tell me everything." He ordered.

Aveil gulped and raised her hands. Lowering the sword to the ground, Link gestured for her to sit.

Visibly shaken, Aveil sat back on the throne and gave a sign to one of the advisers, who unlocked Zelda' handcuffs. She darted over to Link's side and fixed Aveil with a dark glare, but the Gerudo wouldn't meet her eyes.

"I'm sorry. Let me explain." Aveil whispered. "When I saw you come in, I knew that you were living at Gangstadorf's skyscraper. Castle, whatever he calls it. I assumed you were a spy for him. I've spent so much time trying to keep him out, doubling security, doing whatever I can. You don't know what he was like, do you?" She angled her eyes at Link, who shook his head. "Charming. Infuriatingly so. He blinded us with us, that charm, until we realized his real motives. I banished him on the spot. Ever since we've been terrified he'll resurface, coming back for those who did him his first wrong. Do you understand now why I was hesitant?"

Link wasn't sure hesitant could be defined as trying to kill people with your scimitar, but he understood Aveil's point.

"I'm sorry, Aveil." Zelda said, bowing her head. The Gerudo nodded solemnly.

"I apologize for any delay I have caused you. Surely Gangstadorf has sent out his troops to find you?"

"It even made television." Link recalled.

Aveil stood, extending her hand to Zelda, who took it. "If there is anything the Gerudo race can do to help you, know you have our fully support. Even if Gangstadorf if our kin, his wickedness has gone unchecked for too long."

"You're very kind." Zelda replied.

"Actually, one thing." Link turned and saw Zario standing by the door, trembling. Hurrying to his side, Link knelt by the terrified Zuna.

"You fight like the Hero, sir!" Zario squeaked, and Link laughed.

"Coming from you, I'm honored. Listen, Zario, you want to see the world, right? No more copying it down into scrolls. Want to come with us? I'm sure we'll see a hell of a lot of great places. Interested?"

Zario smiled, and Link was almost sure he was going to agree. "You are kind too, sir, but what you ask is too much. Adventures may be your calling, but I only wish to return to the desert. Perhaps see my homeland again... That is all I ask of you, and I am so in your debt already."

Link shook his head. "You don't owe me anything, Zario." Turning to Aveil, he gestured at Zario. "You said you would help with anything, right? Let Zario go. You've kept him locked up in there for ages. Just let him go home."

Zario's face brightened and his dark eyes sparkled with tears when Aveil nodded. "Of course. It's the least I can do. And one more thing, princess." The Gerudo glanced around the room for a moment, looking almost nervous. "If you're looking for aid in your quest, I'd advise you head to Clock Town. There's a group called the Resistance there that have been operating for some time. I'm sure the escaped princess would be very welcome."

Zelda and Aveil conversed quietly for a moment longer before Aveil called for her guards to escort them out. Thankfully, they didn't pass through any of the hallways with unconscious Gerudo guards. By the time they were outside again the sky was clear of raging sand. Fleecy clouds flitted over a swift wind, a nice view if you were emerging from a tiny closer after years of imprisonment.

Zario stared at the desert in awe, jaw slack and eyes staring, taking in every grain of sand. He stood there for a while before Link knelt beside him again. It was time to part ways.

"Zario, Zelda and I have to go now. You know, sacred flames to find, places to be. But don't ever think I won't go back on that deal we made. You'd make a great adventurer."

The Zuna couldn't tear his gaze from the rising sand dunes. "I will never forget your kindness, sir. Nor forget meeting the princess, either!" He smiled at Zelda, wonder in his eyes. "I will depart for my home, and you your journey. May we meet again!"

Link hiked to the top of the sand dune and waved goodbye to Zario, then slid down the slope and out of sight, Zelda behind him.

"So what's your side of the story, princess? Surely not as precarious as my escape, right?"

"Unfortunately not." Zelda replied, tucking a short strand of hair behind her ear. "They took me and cuffed me, so I couldn't get to my bow, and pretty much grilled me for information on Gangstadorf. Aveil was telling the truth when she said she thought I was a traitor. I think they might have gone to more unsavory methods of getting information out of me if you hadn't come in time."

"That's what Heroes do, princess, don't worry." Link grinned at her, and she laughed. "What?"

"Nothing. You just look totally ridiculous."

"Anyone ever tell you how encouraging you can be at times?"

"No! You have sand and blood all over you, and when you came in I thought –"

"Let me guess." Link interrupted. "Oh, my hero!"

"More along the lines of, 'Oh, great. Here we go again.'"

"But I totally changed your mind with my incredible swordplay, right?"

Zelda laughed again, shaking her head. "I thought you were a goner at first. The Gerudo are a warrior race, and you've had that sword for all of two or three days, or something like that. But when you started to fight back..."

"What can I say? The Goddess Sword has some fight in it." Link shrugged, feigning nonchalance.

"It's actually not the Goddess Sword anymore, now that you've upgraded it. Technically it's the Goddess Longsword."

"Nah, the Goddess Sword is better. More succinct. I'll call it the GS for short."

"That sounds stupid."

"That's a load of GS."

Zelda slugged him on the arm and pointed to the west. "Come on, Hero. Let's go find Epona."

Parting with Zario is such sweet sorrow...

Today's donations go to the Castle Town Family Psychiatrist, to treat those poor Gerudo guards' new phobia of Zunas. Be a kindred soul and drop in a review to support these poor Gerudo, will you?

News, news, news... Quite frankly, there really isn't any. I was uber-productive and wrote two chapters this week (I know, wow) but spring break is next week so I should get a lot of writing done then! It's all good.

Apparently these author's notes are really long. It's all good. Everything is all good.

Well, I guess that might be it for this update. Until next time!

(Oh! I updated TTC and it has a pretty cool new chapter - at least, I like it a lot. Go check it out if you want to!)