Chapter 14

A/n: I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year's Eve and New Year's day! I, admittedly, spent some of mine dancing in my bedroom to a few CD's. It was great. xD' For future record, after the Lakebed Temple, the story line is going to veer away from TP's. In a way. You'll see. Thank you once again cwizumi!

'The age of man is over.

A darkness comes, and all these lessons that we learned here

have only just begun.'

-"Kings and Queens" by 30 Seconds to Mars


With a screech that sent the Gorons taking cover in whatever hole they could find, Volvagia soared above the mines and returned to the area it had flown out of. It landed on the rim of the volcano that was the source of the explosions. Ash was rising out of the mouth of the Composite volcano. Volvagia dropped Glenna and Link on the edge and flew back into the air.

"This was not part of the plan," complained Glenna as she fell to one knee. "A dragon living in Death Mountain. Who would have thought."

Link was doubling over somewhat, but he was trying his best to seem alright. "All we can do is defeat it and get back to Kakariko as soon as possible."

"Monsters, I can handle. Your average daily ones. Even an overgrown, demented plant because it resembles a Deku Baba. A possessed patriarch's alright, too, because all we had to do was destroy the gem on his forehead. The twilight monsters were just a bit of a push. But now a dragon?" Glenna shook her head as she fell to her other knee. "I just can't do it anymore, Link. I can't do it. I know exhausting, but this is... insane."

He glanced down at her. "You can't just up and quit now, Glenna. It's way too late. Somehow, we managed to get through a treacherous, fiery dungeon together. And it's only going to get worse from here on out. But I saw the way you defended Zelda back there, and if we don't keep going on, then she won't be saved. Wouldn't that be a crappy way to repay her -- and even me -- for everything we've done for you?"

Glenna bit her lip. "But I'm just so..."

"She's tired, Link," Midna told him without really needing to. She was hovering behind them. "So she's saying really stupid things that she doesn't mean. Sometimes, Glenna, the danger doesn't just go away when you've finished one task. And even if you're exhausted, you have to fight with all your being for it. Because, if you don't, you'll have to live with the fact that you let it get away. Does that sound like something you want to do?"

No, of course. Of course that's not what Glenna wanted. And Midna brought up a valid point. "No time to argue it, I guess," breathed Glenna as she stood, then fell back to one knee. Link held out his hand.

"Come on. We can do this together."

Glenna pushed herself up and used Link's weight to fully stand. "Alright, alright. What do you suggest we do?"

"...I can't say. I've never read about dragons before," murmured Link.

"Really?" asked Glenna, clearly surprised. "Well, let's see... If you chop off the heads of most living creatures, they'll die. I'll distract him and you can try to lob his head off." Link stared at her for a moment with his mouth hanging slightly open from the cheery way that she delivered the particular instructions. "What?"

Link simply shook his head as Volvagia returned. "Stay on your toes. If you drop your guard, you'll either fall down the side of the mountain or fall inside of the volcano."

"And all of our careful work in the mines would have been for nothing," sighed Glenna as she held the bow in her hands, notching an arrow as she began to walk rightwards as she attempted to get a shot at the flaming dragon. Volvagia was truly a sight to see. His body was the very color of flames, the top the color of red and black, and his underside orange and yellow. A flaming mane rose from his neck, and he wore what looked like a helmet (but was actually an exoskeleton of sorts) over his face. Although Gor Coron had called Volvagia a dragon, and the fact he could fly around, he had no wings, only arms. "He's like... a flying serpent."

Volvagia moved surprisingly fast. By the time Glenna had finished analyzing him, he was hanging in front of Link, staring at him with his neon green eyes. As a rule, the majority of people accepted all dragons as fire-breathers -- just in case. Link quickly raised his shield, hiding what parts of his body he could as Volvagia opened his mouth and breathed fire. Link shielded himself well enough to only scorch his clothing and avoid his skin.

The dragon took back off into the air and immediately plunged within the volcano. "I hate this. It's like there's no simple way to defeat him," remarked Glenna as she stared within the bowels of the volcano. "But I know that there's not always a clear answer, anyway." At that moment, the mountain began to shake violently, and Glenna forced herself to fall away from the crater while Link plunged his sword into the ground and held on. Rocks began to violently and constantly spit out of the volcano, raining down on random locations of Death Mountain. Glenna and Link only bothered to attempt to protect their heads, knowing that they could, likely, live with any other injuries.

"Beast! Not let you hurt new friends or Death Mountain anymore!" came a sudden roar from behind Link and Glenna. Climbing up the side of the mountain was an ordinary Goron with a ferocious expression.

Volvagia resurfaced from the crater, cutting the explosion short, and started straight for the Goron. "Link! Stop him!" cried Glenna as she watched the dragon hurl itself at the unarmed Goron.

Link hurled his sword at Volvagia, who strategically moved his body to avoid the blow. His claws, outstretched, snatched the Goron up into his hands. The sword clattered down the side of the mountain, and Link reached out to it even though he knew it would not make the sword return. Meanwhile Glenna stood, wide-eyed, as Volvagia dangled the Goron over his open mouth. The Goron shouted and cried uselessly, and Glenna raised her shaking hands to shoot at the dragon.

The arrow pierced into one of Volvagia's arms, but it did not stop him from dropping the Goron into his waiting mouth. At this point, Glenna dropped her head in order to pretend that the chomping noises were something else completely. When it was over, she lifted her head back up only to find herself and Volvagia on the summit, but she was strangely calm about it. Volvagia flew toward her, whipping his flaming mane behind him as he moved. Glenna lifted the bow once more, but Volvagia's tail somehow rose up and knocked it out of her hands. "Is that how you want to play? Well, who's afraid of the big bad wolf?"

Glenna transformed, surprising the dragon, and jumped at Volvagia's throat. She tore her claws into the soft underbelly since she knew that the face was a no-go. "Eee hee hee! Oh, I wonder where the Hero went? You look like you're enjoying yourself."

Midna was floating, transparently, in the air. Her tone was a smug as ever, but her face seemed interested and a tad concerned. Glenna threw her a look that clearly said, 'Now is not the time for a distraction.'

"You're trying to read me, Blondie. Don't be fooled by my expression. I just want to get to the final province to get the last Fused Shadow as soon as possible," informed Midna. "Nothing personal."

Volvagia circled around the summit a few times before flying forward with his claw outstretched. Glenna jumped to the side, snarling, and the dragon whipped his head. The mane flipped toward Glenna, catching her in the face and causing her to howl in pain as she flipped over. A sword plunged into the edge of the summit, and Link pulled himself up. A sheen of sweat covered his forehead, which made sense as he had made it down to his sword and back to the summit in record timing.

"What happened?" Link asked the transparent imp when he saw Glenna rubbing her face with her paws.

"I guess wolves aren't a big fan of fire," answered Midna simply before sighing loudly, stretching her arms over her head. "Anyway, can you hurry it up? That next Fused Shadow is waiting."

"And it's not going anywhere, Midna," argued Link as he walked over to Glenna. "As much as I'd like to focus on the future, we're not getting to that Fused Shadow if this dragon kills us first."

Midna waved him off. "Yeah, yeah. Just move it, hm? Before another Goron gets eaten?" she suggested before disappearing into Link's shadow.

"Pull it together, Glenna," said Link as he raised his sword and shield. The wolf stood up with newfound determination as Glenna stood at his side with her teeth bared at the dragon.

XxxxxX

The meals that Zelda was granted were not particularly appetizing or filling, so she did not mind when she stood up with the piece of stale bread and few pieces of meat in her hand. One of her guards was a rookie -- that much was obvious. He was also a resident of the light realm. How a simple Bulbin managed to retain its form under the twilight influence was an absolute mystery to Glenna, one that she did not care to resolve at that moment.

The goddess Nayru had blessed her with the ability to withstand the twilight with her mortal form, rather than one of a beast, like Link, or even Glenna. But Glenna was something completely different to begin with, anyway. And, Zelda realized, she was currently distracting herself from her current task. Her very important task. "I'm not hungry," Zelda announced to the Bulbin.

The Bulbin growled in response, obviously hating that the food would go straight to the trash as it had before. When Zant had first taken over Hyrule, Zelda had gone a hunger strike. She had, eventually, given in and began to eat, for she knew that starving herself to death would accomplish nothing for Hyrule. Now her stomach growled in revolt as she handed the food over to the monster. The Bulbin's face contorted into confusion at the sound of her stomach. "I want you to have it. Being a rookie, I imagine that all of the larger, older guards get all of the good food while you are left with gruel. It's a pity, really."

Now he began to shake his head, and Zelda knew why he was hesitating although his stomach also growled in response to, what he thought, the lovely meal. The Bulbin was afraid that Zant would know it was him, and he would be killed. "Fear not. You can eat it in here, and Zant will be none the wiser." Zelda returned to the relatively comfortable bed and threw her hair over her right shoulder. Her hair was becoming ratty from being unwashed and, as she ran her fingers through it, she noted the sheer amount of knots and tangles through it. Hoping that she appeared substantially preoccupied to the Bulbin, she began to work her hair into a braid. 'I bet I look just like the average damsel in distress who has been locked in a tower. Like Rapunzel, I suppose.'

But, of course, that was all part of Zelda's façade. Her eyes darted up quickly to examine the Bulbin, who was shoving the food down his throat. An inured animal that is taken in by a caring human being will not, at first, take food from their caretaker for fear that it is poisoned. However, if the animal trusts the person enough, it will eat the food. A sly smile appeared on her lips as she returned her eyes to her hair and continued to braid.

XxxxxX

Glenna sunk her teeth into Volvagia's neck as he paused to breathe fire at Link. While she held him somewhat, sort of, still, Link stabbed at the dragon. Volvagia freed himself, throwing Glenna off, and Link's sword moved downward, striking one of the neon eyes. The dragon screeched in pain and struggled to relieve the pain. He struck his head from side to side until Link yanked the sword out. Glenna barked her approval as Volvagia took to the air once more, but he did so a bit more shakily.

"So we blind him, then we stab him to death," remarked Link. "Sounds good to me. Doable, at least." He picked the Hero's Bow up and held it out to her. Glenna reverted to her human form and took it from him.

"I just doubt that, even blinded in one eye, Volvagia's going to let up easy enough to let us stab him again," said Glenna.

"Then I guess we'll just have to take any opening we get."

"Any?" asked Glenna.

Link nodded. "Any."

Volvagia returned to just about their level, whipping his tail in a graceful arc. Glenna and Link were prepared to avoid the blow, but they had no need. The tail missed them by a longshot, instead beating the side of the mountain. "Well, I'm liking the lack of peripheral vision, at least," noted Glenna.

Screeching with frustration, Volvagia tail whipped the side of the mountain again with enough force to bring the two hylians to their feet. The dragon snaked through the air and reached his claw for Link. Glenna notched an arrow and drew the bowstring taut, but she was knocked clear away from them by Volvagia's strong tail. Volvagia snatched up Link, keeping him in a vice grip that hindered him from moving even a centimeter. His arm twitched uselessly in an effort to draw up his sword.

Volvagia did not make a move to eat Link as he did the Goron, nor did he show any sign that he was about to throw him clear of the summit. Instead, he slithered into the crater of the volcano. He would sink deep into the volcano, and the heat would harm neither of them (because the Goron Tunic protected Link from extreme heat). So, once he reached the lava, he would drop Link down and forget him like a bad dream. "Midna!" screamed Glenna as she knelt over the edge of the crater, allowing the heat and ash to hit her hard in the face.

The twili resurfaced into the light world, floating within the crater. She glanced up at Glenna lazily. "You called?"

"Stop that dragon from burning Link alive." Glenna had meant for the sentence to sound like a request, but it snapped out of her mouth like an order.

Midna raised an eyebrow. "Listen now, Glenna, and listen well. I head this journey, omnipresent or not. So I don't take orders from you -- not really. You take orders from me."

"Seeing as this dragon doesn't involve your journey in any way, shape, or form, then I don't think you can order around me, either. But I didn't meant to snap at you like that, but you need to understand that if that thing throws Link into the lava, then your journey is over. Your race will wither and die."

A smirk appeared on Midna's lips. "I have another wolf, so that's not happening."

"Midna," began Glenna, a snarl on her lips.

"Oh, of course I'll help him, Blondie. Don't get yourself excited," remarked Midna before turning down toward the dragon and Link, who were getting to be too close to the bottom of the volcano for her comfort. "Alrighty, uppsie-daisy!" Midna's hair transformed into a hand as an orange netting-like object covered Volvagia and, as a result, Link. She lifted her single hand as well as her real hands, and Volvagia and Link went soaring out of the volcano.

Volvagia's grip on Link loosened, not enough for him to free himself, but enough for him to free his arm. "Catch!" he called to Glenna, who looked up in enough time to catch his sword. She felt a breeze behind her as Midna jumped into her shadow, murmuring something about her, "lack of gratitude."

The dragon and Link soared over the side of the mountain before Volvagia attempted to regain enough control over his body to adjust his fall. Volvagia's strength gave out, and he and Link collapsed in the hot springs, sending the few Gorons there running into one of the halls leading to the elevator. The warm water jumped up at the sudden, heavy force and extinguished Volvagia's flaming mane. Glenna, at the top of the summit, cursed as she began stumbling down to join them. She jumped the gate separating her from the actual mountain and its base. And, still, she was far away from the spring. "Fear not, I can help you," a deep, male voice informed her from where she stood.

Glenna stopped for only a moment, and a mighty force lifted her into the air and into the spring. Link had already slid himself out of Volvagia's grip, and his arms were bleeding where Volvagia's nails had dug into him. "Glenna...!" began Link, only to see her falling through the air in a downward stab. The sword successfully pierced Volvagia's good eye, and he roared in pain. She jumped off of the sword in order to allow Link to wield it.

Link removed the sword with a skin-tingling squelching sound. For the first time in a while, Glenna unsheathed the kokiri sword and proceeded to stab Volvagia in the neck. Link did the same beside her, only piercing the dragon with much more success than her. Flecks of blood flew from the neck and hit their faces. With each consecutive hit, Volvagia's roars became more muffled and weak until Link finished the job by slitting the dragon's throat.

The two of them leaned back on their heels, wiping Volvagia's blood off of their foreheads as said dragon's body decayed and dissolved before their very eyes. Gor Coron stood atop the part of the mountain closest to the spring, shock clearly etched on his face. "I... I can't believe it. The two of you actually defeated Volvagia without the aid of the ancient Megaton Hammer. This is... unheard of! You two are honorary members of our tribe from this point on. Your strength shall always be acknowledged by the Gorons."

XxX

With the aid of Midna, Link and Glenna were instantly teleported to Eldin's Spring via twilight fragments. "I'm so glad that's over with," sighed Glenna with content as she collapsed in the spring in hopes of restoring her energy. "Just one more section of twilight to go, and we never have to deal with this stuff again -- sorry Midna -- with the exception of Zant. Who knows, maybe the Princess will come up behind him and slit his throat. We can only dream."

"Dreaming about slitting someone's throat?!" an alarmed voice demanded from behind Link and Glenna. Link turned to find Colin standing behind them, staring at Glenna with alarm. "Why would you dream about something like that?"

"Because it's, uh, not such a bad thing when it's the enemy?" murmured Glenna, adding in a whisper, "Help me out, Link."

Link shook his head and bent down so that he was at Colin's level with his hand resting on the boy's shoulder. "Don't pay any attention to her; she's delirious. How are you doing, Colin?"

Colin smiled, the worried creases in his face disappearing. "I'm so much better now, Link. I know that things could have turned really bad, but I'm glad I did it. Even if it didn't do anything for Glenna, I'm happy that I could try to help. It made me understand what my dad meant when he said I should be more like you. And sometimes trying to do something -- even if you can't do it -- is better than not doing anything at all."

Glenna's cheeks flushed red as she remembered a few of the things she had said before fighting Volvagia. "You're absolutely right, Colin," she agreed before standing and embracing him in a hug. "And I think it's absolutely chivalrous that you tried to save me."

"But, hey... you two are covered in blood. Are you okay?"

"Depends on your definition," replied Glenna to herself as she stood up.

"You two have been gone for quite some time. I was starting to get deeply concerned," Renado's deep voice informed Glenna and Link as he exited the Sanctuary with the other children at his feet. He and the other children also stared in surprise at the excess of blood on the fronts of their bodies and wherever else they're actual cuts were. "Did the Gorons trouble you?"

"No, it was the navigating through the mine," answered Link.

"And forget the possessed patriarch. The dragon? That was horrid," groaned Glenna.

The kids' eyes became wide and their jaws dropped. "A dragon?!" They all shouted with excitement.

"It sounds like quite a trip," noted Renado with the hint of a smile.

Link nodded. "We'll be more than happy to tell you if you have us for one more night."

"Really, Link?!" demanded Talo. "That would be so cool. Hey, do we get to hear the story, too?"

Before Link could respond, Glenna nodded. "I'll tell you guys the story later, I promise. In the meantime, you all go play."

"Where are you going?" inquired Malo.

"To get all of this blood off of me," answered Glenna. "Real PG-13 stuff, so you all go on and play. I'll tell you the story tonight, how's that?"

The kids begrudgingly agreed. "Shall we speak in the Sanctuary?" suggested Renado without awaiting an answer before striding toward the house. "She is quite good with children. At the very least, fond of them." At the door, they heard Luda approach Glenna and offer her services in First Aid, which Glenna gratefully agreed to.

Once inside, Renado said, "Link, tell me about your journey into the Mines. And this... dragon that Glenna mentioned."

Running a hand through his hair, Link sat himself on one of the stairs. "The dragon was sort of a surprise, and so were the Mines. I've never really touched a bow before, so I'm not sure I could have navigated through that place that easily by myself."

'And what am I, chopped liver?' demanded an annoyed voice.

XxxxxX

When suppertime rolled around, Zelda once again handed her food over to her rookie guard. Her stomach argued against the action, but her brain had no problem with it. Again, the guard eyed her skeptically. "You can take it," she reassured him, dangling the plate just above his head. When he reached out to grab it, Zelda yanked it back up. "But, on one condition. You must help me with something. Alright?"

The guard stared at her for just a moment before nodding eagerly. Then, Zelda handed him the plate, and he began to eat the food with the appetite of a starved Wolfos once more.

XxxxxX

Later that night, after her wounds were bandaged by Luda, Glenna relocated to a bar stool in the main room of the inn. All of the children sat themselves in the seats and tables before her."The dragon disappeared, and we came back here," finished Glenna with a smile. "So! Any questions?"

"Was that a ghost that laughed at you and helped you into the room with that big Goron?" wondered Beth who, Link noted with surprise, was sitting beside Colin.

Glenna shrugged a little. "I would have to say yes, but... it all depends on whether you all believe in ghosts."

"Sure," remarked Luda. "If a person who has died still has unfinished business in the world, then they'll return as a ghost. Either because they can't find the light or because they don't want to find it. Like the spirits that haunt the cemetery here."

"Unfinished business, huh?" replied Glenna softly. "Then, I guess that's just more of a reason to tie up loose ends in life, huh? Not that you kids have to worry about that sort of thing." She leapt off the stool and stretched her arms over her head. "Alright, you kids get going. I'm going to take a really long nap."

Talo's hand shot into the air, and he wiggled around in the chair like he was about to have a very large accident. With eyebrows raised, Glenna nodded in his direction. "Was he the one that helped you into the spring, too?"

A grin appeared on Glenna's face. "I love how you automatically assume it was a male, but... I agree with you on the gender. And I would have to say yes. I mean, it's not like I just up and sprouted wings, right?"

"I dunno, Glenna," replied Talo seriously. "You sure have looks like one."

Glenna's grin disappeared as she stared at Talo with the most dumbfounded expression she ever had in her life. "Wai... What?"

Link lightly tapped the back of Talo's head as he entered the inn and stood behind him. "Alright, get lost before Glenna remembers how to speak normally. I'm pretty sure it's time for bed, so go upstairs." The chairs screeched against the wooden floor as the kids made to up and leave. Link ruffled Colin's hair as he led the rest of the kids upstairs. "You made him pretty popular with the others, you know."

"Yep, by putting him in harm's way, I got his friends to like him," said Glenna, "I feel so proud."

Link patted her on the back. "That's over and done with, Glenn. If you were to die tomorrow--"

"Always a possibility," Glenna and Midna remarked. No one jumped at Midna's sudden intrusion because they were so adjusted to it.

"--Then, you'd come back as a ghost because you won't let stuff go. It's not going to help us."

Glenna nodded. "You're right, I know you're right. And I think that letting the kids know that I repeatedly saved your butt on Death Mountain has helped me achieve that closure."

"That makes no sense," noted Link.

She smiled in response. "I know. It just makes me feel better."

"Hey, what exactly did you tell them?"

"I'm really tired Link, so I ought to get myself to bed. You should consider it, too," she added before heading upstairs. "'Night."

"We're getting up bright and early to head to Lanayru!" Midna informed Glenna. "So you'd better be ready, Blondie!"

Glenna waved her off at the top of the staircase. "Yeah, yeah," was all she said before disappearing from view.

Link rolled his neck forward and his shoulders backward. "Hard day?" asked Midna with her usual smugness as she floated onto the bar's counter.

He returned the smile. "Wouldn't you know? How long were you planning to wait before throwing Volvagia and I out of the volcano?"

Midna batted her eyes. "Oh, come on, Link. Do you really think I'd leave you to die? When have I done it before?"

"How about on the other side of the town's road, up on one of the cliffs in a house that was about to explode?" suggested Link just as innocently.

"Eee hee hee! You play the game well, Link. Maybe there's hope for you after all. Don't worry. I promise to take good care of you in the twilight tomorrow. Better go rest up!" she remarked before diving into his shadow, leaving Link alone in the main room.

XxX

Bright and early was just what Link got the next morning. He was surprised to find Glenna standing over him, fully dressed in her white dress the next morning. Or, at least, what he assumed was early, early morning. The sun had yet to even rise. Her bandages had been disposed of, except for one that covered her nose. That, he knew, was where Volvagia's mane of fire had hit her face while she had been in her wolf form. "Is it... is it morning?" Link's groggy voice asked.

Glenna inclined her head. "Sure," she answered. "Really, really early. I couldn't sleep, really. I was thinking about Lanayru all night." It was obvious, by her tone, that she had been thinking about her home province since the very beginning of the journey. Link had never had to go through that, since Ordona had never truly been under the twilight influence.

But, she knew, that the fate of the children had been plaguing him. And Ilia's whereabouts had been unknown for quite some time. "I feel badly for you," she confessed suddenly. Link stared at her.

"You do? Why?"

"Because everything you love has been scattered. Your home is still in Ordona, but the children that you love aren't. Here, the kids are here, but you're not home. And your best friend isn't in either place... When we restore Lanayru, I'll have everything I want in the same place, albeit Zelda may be a bit hard to get to," remarked Glenna.

Link nodded. "Yeah, but will you really have everything you want? I'm really starting to get to know you, Glenna, and I know that there's one thing that you're not okay with."

"You would be bitter too if you were in my situation. But I don't want to be in that stupid little village. If I did want to live in a village, though, I would move to Ordon. I love how close-knit your village is. It's so wonderful. My old one? Not so much. But, we digress. Since we're both awake enough to hold a conversation, we're awake enough to go to Lanayru."

Glenna stood and started for the door. "I'll be waiting for you downstairs." And she left.

XxxxxX

"The age of man is over as you foolish humans know it. This is my world now. I will take back what was wrongfully taken away from my ancestors, Princess. And, honestly, you would be hurting your people less if you just truly gave in to defeat, Zelda," mused Zant, who was standing in the center of Zelda's "room." "Resisting is only going to hurt you."

Zelda looked up at Zant, her hood obscuring the majority of her features once more. "Have you ever heard, Zant, of the story of the Hero of Winds?" Zant's eyebrows drew together, which did not surprise Zelda. How could he have heard a hylian folk tale in the Twilight Realm? "After the Hero of Time defeated the beast, he disappeared, never to allegedly be seen by Hyrule again. And, afterwards, it is said that the evil man rose to power once again. And all of the people awaited for him to return, but he never did. They never left hope. They prayed to the gods, and the gods listened. They flooded Hyrule, sealing away the evil man.

"And there was one island in the whole great sea that continued to have boys between the ages of ten and twelve dress up as the hero to show that their beliefs in him had not waned. When the evil man rose up to power again, a boy from this island bravely left his home -- the only place he knew -- in order to save not just his home, but all of the Sea. And the only reason that he succeeded was because of other's faith in him and the Hero of Time.

"So, regardless of my people's faith in me, I know that they believe in two things: their gods and the Hero of Time. And, as long as those beliefs remain, you will never have truly conquered Hyrule, nor will you have injured their spirits -- or mine."

Zant narrowed his eyes at the princess. "Spout your foolish fairy tales at me, Princess; I do not care. For Hyrule -- at least this province -- is mine."

"The Hyrulean people do not even know who you are, Zant. They do not know the name of the person who forced Princess Zelda to surrender. And, if you want them all to revel at how you are the 'best villain ever', then you shall be disappointed. There is only one man that they believe is capable of conquering Hyrule, and he has never been permanent, either," remarked Zelda cooly. "Lock me in this tower 'til my death, if you choose. But, so long as there are small throngs of groups rising to try and rescue Hyrule, then you will know that you have failed as a villain. As long as they do not know your name, and do not give up their beliefs in the goddesses, then you will have lost."

Zelda didn't know how he did it, but Zant closed the space between the two of him. He greatly assaulted her personal space and lifted his hand. With all of his might, he delivered a blow to the side of her face, which easily knocked her onto her pillow. "You have a sharp tongue, Zelda. That will get you in trouble one day." Zant turned on his heel and disappeared from the room without another word.

The Princess pressed her hand to the side of her cheek for a moment before forgetting it in favor of lifting her pillow. Below the pillow was a brown, leather bound book with golden symbols on the cover. The book as a whole was written in complete Hylian. And, Zelda was pleased to note, it had not taken long for her to befriend the rookie guard into getting it for her.

A/n: Long chapter. I was going to include the twilight stuff in this one, but I didn't really want to push it. I hope it was a decent chapter. There is an actual reason for me reviving Saria and Darunia into the story aside from my childhood memories. xD Reviews are loved, btw!