A/N: Christmas Present for ya'll! Double chapters this week! If you haven't read chapter 20, you need to go back and do so, or else you won't understand what's going on here. I'm planning on going back and revising all the chapters up to this point in the next several weeks, but we'll worry about that later.

Anyway, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and all that good stuff.

Time's Saga

First Life: Prince of Power

"Conquer yourself!"

Chapter 21: Training with a Shadow

"And that is my report, King Ganondorf."

Link tried not to heave a great sigh. He was scolded by Aaroot the last time he did that after giving a report. But the entire ordeal was so nerve-wracking that it was so nice to finish.

Sitting straight, he glanced at his King and then back down to the ground in nervous submission. Usually, when Prince Link recited his report King Ganondorf kept his standard impassive look. This time, though, the King's face was contorted in anger. His lips were pressed firmly, and his bushy red eyebrows were drawn close together. The King's hands, unto the untrained eye, were folded in his lap. But Link knew that was a sign of his anger. If the King was simply listening to his report without any opinion, he would simply place his hands on his knees. Or if he was thinking deeply about some troubling information, he would cross his arms. But if his hands were placed in his lap like that… Link swallowed as a light drop of sweat ran down his neck. He really hoped the King wasn't angry at him.

"This is why I wanted Prince Link to give his report as quickly as possible, my King." Aaroot supplemented, "If I may suggest, we need to increase the Prince's training. We already know Twinrova's opinion of the him. If the situation ever arises, he needs to-"

"Agreed."

Ganondorf's voice boomed throughout the nearly empty council hall. Link looked up quickly. The King's tawny eyes had hardened, and he was rubbing his chin thoughtfully. He addressed the boy in an authoritative manner. Something about the way he said his words made Link pay attention to his orders more than usual.

"Prince Link. You've done well in your studies over the course of the year." Link beamed at the praise.

"But with the situation being what it is, you need to double your efforts."

The prince tried hard to not slump his shoulders. Double his efforts? But he wasn't playing as much with his age-mates anymore. What more could he do?

Completely ignoring Link's disgruntled look, the King continued, "For that reason, you will continue your lessons with Councilmember Aaroot, but you will also be training under me. Starting today."

A moment of silence filled the room after that announcement. Tilting his head, Link could only blink in wonder. Train with the King? Some part of him was filled with excitement at the idea but another was filled with dread.

Aaroot then spoke, "King Ganondorf, are you sure about this? Prince Link may be a year older, but he's only truly just begun to take on his calling. And you have your own duties to consider."

"And the majority of those duties, Aaroot, consist of formal preparations for the Prince's stay in Hyrule. If he is killed by the witches before then, or if he fails to live up to those expectations at the Castle, all of this will have been for nothing. This is why I am taking matters into my own hands."

Ganondorf spoke to Aaroot all the while he stared Link down. The boy tried not to shrink under his piercing gaze. "Link will be under my care, as it is my responsibility to care for the future of the Tribe. And Prince Link is the manifestation of that future."

Aaroot bowed her head in submission. "Very well, My King. I understand."

"Good. We'll have to discuss aligning our schedules later, but for now I want to get started. You are dismissed Aaroot."

The woman bowed low, before standing up. As she shuffled past Link she gave him an encouraging smile. It did little to quell his rising fear. She quietly pushed back the curtain, then was gone.

Turning his head back around Link nearly jumped when he saw two large feet before him. Ganondorf had walked quietly from his position at the head of the room to where Link sat in the middle. With a gulp, Link shut his mouth and peacefully looked up.

Looking down at him, Ganondorf mused, "You do well to cover your fear. Come. Today, I will teach you the first steps in conquering your fear." He brushed past Link, not even checking to see if he was following.

Scrambling, Link jumped to his feet and followed the King out the door. The headpiece slipped off his sweaty forehead, but he managed to catch it just in time. He was highly tempted to say one of the colorful words he learned at the Hunter's camp but bit his tongue instead. He suspected language like that wouldn't be appropriate around the King. So instead, he muttered the short spell to reattach the ornament, then ran to catch up.

Ganondorf acted like he didn't notice so the prince acted like nothing happened. They traveled up the halls until they reached an area Link was unfamiliar with. When they brushed past the richly decorated curtain, Link paused. The blue markings were unmistakably the King's personal emblem. Chewing his lip, Link hesitated. He wasn't sure if he should be in this room or not. It was King Ganondorf's private quarters.

Acting like it was the most casual thing in the world the King crossed to the other side of the room, where some rare stone shelves were carved out. He pulled out a tome and then turned to face Link.

"This is one of the most comprehensive grimoires on Blood-magic," he explained. The King walked back over and dropped the book into Link's hands.

Sternly he said, "I don't expect you to perform these spells. In fact, I forbid it. Blood-magic is only for those who have vast amounts of Red magic and is highly dangerous. But you should still understand the spells. Both their strengths and their weaknesses."

Link looked up from the leather-bound book in his hands. "King Ganondorf," he began with a squeak. With a nod from Ganondorf to continue, Link asked, "aren't the Twinrova Gerudo?"

"Yes, they are. Did you not see for yourself?"

Link blushed in embarrassment. He hadn't meant to ask that. "I mean- uh- well..." He pattered off.

Ganondorf crossed his arms, "Don't stutter. And speak you mind."

"Yessir." Link stood up straighter. He blurted out, "I mean, why would Twinrova want to kill me? Aren't I Gerudo too?"

With only a light tremble in his hands, Link stared at the tawny eyes that were giving him a hard look. With carefully measured words, the King finally spoke. "To most of the Tribe, you are Gerudo all but in blood. To a few older members, especially to the Twinrova, you are not and can never be Gerudo. Despite how well you know and live our customs, or how loyal you are to us, there are some things your Hylian linage just won't measure up to."

At those words Link did shrink. He wanted to be Gerudo, more than anything. His sisters were the most important thing to him in the entire world. Link silently cursed his light skin, blue eyes, and long pointy ears.

It wasn't fair.

A large hand came to rest on his shoulder. "But that doesn't matter. I named you the Prince. I am the King, so they must obey me. Just as you must obey me."

Biting his lip as he looked up, Link was somewhat surprised to not see a comforting gaze of Mother Heruta, or a concerned look like Aaroot, or Nabooru's pleased smile. Instead, what he saw was the proud and stoic face of the Gerudo King.

An emotion fluttered through Link. He wasn't sure what it was as he didn't have the words to describe it, nor had he ever felt it before. All he understood was that his King was different from Aaroot and Mother and Nabooru. That the King had an irrefutable power that could not be challenged.

A light shudder of fear passed through him, but it quickly abated when he realized that his noble King was going to teach him. That Link would somehow be stronger just by being near the great man.

With a vigorous shake of his head, Link whispered, "I will."

"Good," Ganondorf said easily, as if that answer was to be expected. "Now come. We're going to the cliff top."

It was a long way down. Link wanted to hang his legs over the edge and just look across the valley, but unfortunately, he was here to train. Carefully he placed the tome on a flat rock then turned to face Ganondorf. The man was facing the bright sun with his eyes closed.

It was late into the afternoon. Link and Nabooru arrived mid-morning and he had given his report to Aaroot. Immediately after, he found himself in the council room speaking to the King. Now something was going to happen, and he felt woefully unprepared for it.

"Now, recite to me the properties of Red magic," was King Ganondorf's demand.

Link stood straight, shoulders back and hands clasped behind him. Speaking clearly he said, "Red magic is derived from the Goddess Din. Those blessed with her power are best suited for direct manipulation of the elements of earth and fire. They are also most suited for summoning and transformation magics. Red magic is unique as it can make the spells more powerful, longer-lasting, and capable of affecting a wider area."

All the while, Ganondorf looked as if he was asleep, with his eyes closed, arms crossed, and shoulders relaxed. "Good. Now, where does Red magic come from?"

"Uh-Red magic… it comes from…" Link pattered off. He remembered learning about it, but it wouldn't come to him.

"The sun and the earth." Growing impatient, Ganondorf stiffly answered his own question. "The sun provides the greatest power. It provides heat and light for everything, allowing plants and animals to thrive. But we, who live in the desert, understand what happens when the sun is too powerful."

Link slowly nodded his head. He was currently having to concentrate on maintaining the spell to keep his fair skin from turning a terrible red.

"This is why power needs to be controlled. If it's not, it can be destructive. But when it is controlled, and when someone has vast pools of magic like me, the possibilities are nearly endless."

Ganondorf uncrossed his arms and with the movement two scimitars appeared. He slowly began moving in a complicated dance. Everything he did was precise and deadly; from the slice of the swords, to the quick and sure movement of feet.

After his year of training, Link now paid careful attention to the combat moves he had seen every year at the festivals. He took note of how far the steps were made, the angle of the swords as they curved in an arc, even the darting of Ganondorf's eyes as he slashed at an unseen enemy.

It lasted only a minute, but the display of power was enough to yet again prove to Prince Link that the King of the Gerudo was the most powerful being alive. A small smile crossed Link's lips and a shiver ran through his small frame.

Ganondorf faced Link, and in an elaborate move, the swords disappeared. "That," he explained, "was Red-Tusk Retaliation. It is the deadliest maneuver that is expected to be mastered by the chieftain of the Tribe. I want you to learn this before you go to Hyrule. Now, take your stance."

Immediately Link placed his feet in the starting stance and raised his arms for combat. A silly grin crossed his face but then he hesitated. He had no swords to hold so he wasn't sure what he should do. Looking up to his King, Link began to ask, "Wha-"

"You don't start with swords. Instead, you must learn to master you fear and charge in to attack, despite whatever disadvantages you're at. Despite whatever consequences may fall upon you. Red-Tusk Retaliation is a final move in which you either win and live or lose and die."

Link's eyes grew wide as his body tensed. The stunning performance Ganondorf executed now felt like a burden. He had to remind himself that this wasn't a game, like when he and Riju would play mock battles. He had a responsibility to learn this and learn it quickly. So with a sober determination, Link nodded his head in understanding. He closed his fists tightly, to keep himself from trembling.

"Don't tighten your fists. It makes you too tense and you'll be unprepared when you do have a sword. Act like a sword is already in your hand," Ganondorf commanded.

The King slowly walked around his pupil. He adjusted the length of Link's stance and brought his right arm up just a little higher. Satisfied with the proper pose, he stepped back to a boulder and leaned against it. With the ever-stoic look he said, "Good. Now wait."

Link waited… for an entire minute. By then, Ganondorf had closed his eyes and turned his face toward the sun. He looked utterly relaxed. In contrast, Link was darting his eyes around and trying his hardest to not break his stance. Sweat was running down his neck and back and he had to constantly return his consciousness back to maintaining the spell. Finally unable to stay like that, Link lowered his trembling arms and dared to speak.

"Um… what am I waiting for?"

Ganondorf only opened one eye and gruffly replied, "Don't break your stance. You have no idea when or where an attack may come."

Quickly Link returned to his stance but a great sigh escaped him. He didn't know what he was supposed to be learning. His mind flittered over what had happened over the past several days.

The Hunters were a lot of fun to be around, and even though they were crude, he learned a lot from them. And the Twinrova. He heard a lot about them growing up; like how they were instrumental in achieving victory at the Ghastly Gorge Battle during the civil war, or how they had raised three Gerudo Kings who were all renowned throughout Hyrule. They were admired, if not greatly feared. Link faintly wondered if anyone really liked the witches.

His eyes wandered. Sweat droplets were sliding down his face and he felt his headpiece slip again. Biting his lip, Link concentrated on his magic power. Aaroot had assured him that his magic would grow as he grew, but he still felt frustrated at his lack of abilities. He would have to constantly readjust the headpiece or sometimes have a tingling sensation across his skin when it began to burn after failing to maintain that important spell. He wished he was as good as Nabooru, or if he even dared to hope, King Ganondorf.

Thinking of his King, Link glanced over at him. He was still leaning against the rock and facing the sun but now he was slowly breathing, like he really was asleep. In an effort to copy him, Link slightly tilted his head to the sun, whose powerful rays were what he wanted to complain about the most. Instead, he simply stood there with his eyes closed. Waiting. It was another minute before Link calmed his mind and focused only on the sun.

He was thankfully wearing his long-sleeved shirt, but the sun still radiated off it. He wanted to grumble about the unfairness of it all; how the sun was cruel. Why he had to be born Hylian. The Twinrova hating him for something he had no control over. Having to stand out here for seemingly no reason. His sisters and how hard everyone had to work just to stay alive. But he kept it all inside and let it boil within.

It was several minutes later, with his body trembling and when his anger seemed to reach it's peak, that Link felt a shift in his magic.

Ever since his talk with Naomi, he had been diligently practicing his magic under the guidance of Aaroot. He beginning to understand the natures of the two different wells of his natural magic. His Blue magic readily came to the surface either during quiet contemplation or when he was emotionally charged with music. Whatever Green magic he managed to retain as a baby came as small bursts of energy when he was either training or playing with his sisters.

But this- Link nearly broke his stance in his surprise. This magic was different. As he felt his anger continue to bubble up he felt a different magic begin to rise. It wasn't gentle or organized like Blue, nor was it laughing or full of energy like Green. Instead it was raw and simmering, growing in might as he concentrated on the unfairness of life and the horrible sun that was beating down on him.

As Link concentrated on the sun and the new well of magic, he had an epiphany. The sun could be cruel if one wasn't careful, but he had defied it many times before with his own magic. He was a Hylian that had survived years of the blistering heat, and he could continue surviving many years more.

No.

Not survive, Link decided with giddy satisfaction. Surviving wasn't enough. Nabooru didn't raise him to just survive. Aaroot didn't spend hours teaching him to just barely get by. Mother didn't patch his wounds just for him to die a pathetic death the next day. His sisters weren't counting on him to simply be another warrior.

No, Link vowed. He would thrive.

Ganondorf gave a rare smile. This was easier than he thought it would be. By his estimate it should have taken the boy two days to bring his Red magic to the surface, but he managed to do it in a matter of minutes. Perhaps Link was far more devoted to the Gerudo than he thought. Taking note to ask the Prince later of his thought process, Ganondorf began the next step in their training.

Slowly raising a hand, Ganondorf muttered a spell as quietly as he could. It was a complicated spell, but the results were magnificent. Link would certainly find this to be a challenge.

Link didn't hear the mumbled words as the blood was rushing in his ears. Nor did he see Ganondorf's smile as his eyes were closed tightly in concentration. But he did feel the shift in the air. Something was disturbing his newly-discovered, and what he thought was very pretty, Red Magic. Something invasive was pushing against it, hoping to conquer his little flame. With a shiver of fear running down his spine Link snapped his eyes open and subsequently squinted in the bright light. As he looked around, he knew something was amiss. An eerie sense of fright made the hair on the back of his neck tingle. When he saw his King was no longer leaning against the rock Link let down his arms thinking, hoping, the session was over. He didn't want to do this anymore.

"Do not relax!" The King barked. He repeated his earlier words, "You don't know when an attack may occur."

Something in his voice made Link shoot his arms back up and freeze. He tried not to squeeze his empty fists, but it felt unnatural to not have a weapon. His heart beat quicker, but it almost stopped when he glanced down.

Something was terribly wrong.

Link looked up at the sun to make sure it was still there, but then chided himself. Of course it was still there. He could feel its heat baking his skin.

But then, why was his shadow gone?

He wanted to ask King Ganondorf, but then bit his lip as his childish mind thought it would be a silly question. Instead, he tried calming his heart and sharpening his ears to any possible sounds.

He wasn't expecting to be tripped while standing.

Completely losing his balance, Link's hands and knees fell to the ground. Wildly looking around for his attacker, Link scrambled back up. When he felt something curl around his leg again, he jumped away. This time he made sure to look where the attack came from.

"Ah!" he shrieked.

His eyes widened in horror as he saw a smoky black figure coalesce where he once stood. It was human-like, with one knee on the ground and the opposite hand curled into a fist as it propped itself upright. The hand that had reached for Link was slowly pulled back, soft smoky tendrils escaping with the light breeze that was blowing.

As Link continued to stare, the figure stood up. It was mostly transparent, but Link noticed dark particles were slowly moving up the body. Its feet were nearly solid, while the legs were somewhat opaque. The chest and arms were still translucent, but the outline of its head was what freaked Link out the most.

"What is it?" he timidly asked King Ganondorf. He failed to show the proper respect of looking at the king, but Link couldn't take his eyes off the smoky apparition if he wanted to. Something screamed inside that this wasn't right.

It was rather terrifying, this looming shadow of himself. By now most of the features of its face were formed. And from the few times Link had seen himself in a mirror, that thing looked exactly like him. It had the same rounded face as him, with the cupid-bow lips, large pointed ears, and even the parted bangs in the middle of his forehead. Everything about it was a dull grey, with portions of swirling black, where clothes or other distinguishing features might be. The jeweled head piece was a light grey while the mock jewel was a deep onyx. It's ash grey pony-tail swished in the breeze that still blew, in perfect synchronization to Link's own blond strands. The eyes were simply indiscernible, no color escaped its inky blackness.

Scared, Link took a step back.

His shadowy-self took a step forward.

"It's called a Shadow Doppelganger. It's an exact copy of you. And you're going to train with it." Ganondorf spoke slowly, as if he wanted to make sure Link was really listening.

Link certainly heard what he said, as he whipped his head around to look at his King. His jaw dropped, and his heart leapt to his throat.

"Wha-what?" he stuttered. "But why?" he squeaked. He felt immediately foolish for saying it like that. Gerudo weren't supposed to be afraid. That heart pounding feeling of flight was taking over, and he was finding it difficult to not run away and hide from his shadow.

Ganondorf leaned against the rock and folded his arms. If it wasn't for his eyes, which held a rapacious calculation in their golden gaze, Link might have been fooled by the completely nonchalant voice that said, "Because this spell is a form of Blood-magic, which was built from an old Sheikah curse. It's the fastest way to train you against Blood-magic. Now, resume your stance."

Link warily positioned himself. The King's powerful voice, though disturbingly calm in the face of such a monstrosity, was what grounded Link to the reality before him. But that didn't diminish the trial before him. His heart fell as little as the clone raised its arms as well.

Daring to look back over to his King, Link pleaded, "But I still don't understand. Why do I have to train against Blood-magic?"

Growing more impatient, Ganondorf let out a huff. "Duel with the Shadow and I'll tell you after. There's only one way to defeat it, but I won't tell you how. Now… begin!"

Link jumped a little at the shout. He took a few quick steps forward, as did the shadow. Circling to the left, the doppelganger did the same. Flitting his eyes between the clone and his chief, Link desperately thought of ways to end the fight quickly.

Seeing himself so perfectly, even though wisps of smoke were floating off it, really freaked Link out. He wasn't sure he could fight something that looked so much like him. Noticing Ganondorf's furrowed brow, a sure sign he was becoming irritated, Link charged half-heartedly at himself. The clone side-stepped easily, though it didn't counter-attack.

"Come on, now!" Barked Ganondorf, "Take this seriously and attack like your life depends on it!"

"Yessir!" Link yelped.

He was weaponless and so was the shadow. That meant it would have to be more of a grappling match than anything. Link wondered if he could even touch a shadow. With a gulp, he decided he would have to find out one way or another.

"Hyiah!" Link charged again. The shadow tried side-stepping again, but this time Link was ready. He threw out his arm and caught the figure's shoulder. It was surprisingly solid, and Link observed that the whole body was now dense grey.

Quickly, Link wrapped his other arm around its neck and stood behind it. Now in a chokehold, the shadow began straining against Link. He had a hard time holding on as it was the same height as him, and Link was having to stand on his tip-toes to gain the needed height to sustain the hold. With one solid elbow – Link was now confident that the shadow could certainly touch him – to the gut, Link ended up letting go to double-over in pain.

He couldn't stay like that for long, as a dark foot came rising to hit him in the face. Link barely swung back to avoid the blow. He jumped several steps back to catch his breath. Now, he was very bewildered. The clone stopped where it was and waited.

Giving his stomach a final rub, Link glared at the thing. If he had a sword, he would have some extra reach. Grumbling, Link brought his fists before his face. Brawling wasn't his ideal maneuver, but it would have to do.

Again, he began circling. And again, the shadow began circling with it's fists up as well. With another shout, Link leapt forward, while drawing his left fist back. He realized the doppelganger did the same, and barely turned his head in time to avoid the blow. This resulted in him missing. In a feeble attempt to keep his pride with that embarrassing blunder, Link brought a knee up to strike. Unfailingly, the clone did the same and there was a resounding crack.

Biting his tongue to keep from howling in pain, Link stumbled back again. He glared at the clone, who simply stood there. This time it opted to not move in synchronization as Link knelt to rub his bruising leg. It was as if it was lording over Link and his feeble body. It was humiliating. In fights with Riju, or even during training, Link could fight against the pain. Usually he would smirk about it though, because he knew whatever pain he took he could also give back just as well. But now he wasn't even sure if the shadow could feel anything, much less debilitating pain.

With a quick glance at the ever-stoic leader, Link bit his lip and quickly looked down. Ganondorf was only staring at him in neither approval nor disproval. That was somehow worse than when Nabooru shouted at him and conked him on the head when he did something wrong. At least then he knew what to fix.

With a sigh, Link slowly stood up and resumed his stance. He knew he wouldn't get any help in this match. It was just him against himself.

No one else.

"Oouufh!"

Link couldn't help it as he was pushed to the ground for what seemed like the millionth time today. The sun was close to setting and the only progress Link had made was claiming numerous bruises and being thoroughly covered in dust.

He lashed out with a kick as his anger grew. This was stupid! He couldn't defeat himself no matter what he tried. All his clever tricks and practiced movements were perfectly countered in the most irritating of ways. And the angrier and more forceful he was, the more animated the shadow became. Which meant Link was more on the defensive than he cared to admit.

The shadow easily danced out of the way and retaliated with a kick of its own aimed for Link's unprotected stomach. Link flinched but the shadow suddenly stopped. Using this precious time, Link rolled out of the way to stand and raise his fists again. But then he saw something strange. The shadow was fading.

"Enough," came the quiet voice of the King. It held no emotion, no inkling as to Link's performance whatsoever.

Link lowered his arms. He wasn't sure if he was disappointed or not. He was glad to be done, but it felt like he hadn't achieved anything. He couldn't help sneering as the rest of the smoke blew away in the wind. That thing was gone. Finally.

Just as Link was about to relax, Ganondorf pushed off the rock he was leaning against. Stiffening into a proper stance, Link stared straight ahead as the king walked past. The man didn't say a word. There was no acknowledgement of Prince Link's efforts whatsoever. Instead, he stood at the edge of the cliff, looking down at the individuals who were gathering inside the fortress for the night. After several long moments of silence, in which Link was able to catch his breath, Ganondorf turned his head to look at him.

"Come here," he beckoned with a single wave of his hand. Link quickly obeyed and stood at the edge of the cliff as well. It was still a dizzying drop, but the prince tried concentrating on his sisters' movements instead of the height.

After another moment, Ganondorf laid a large hand on Link's shoulder. "I would like you to answer me," he idly asked. "What were you thinking just before you brought out your Red Magic?"

Furrowing his brow, Link had to think back. "Um… I was angry, I guess. I was thinking how unfair things were and how I wanted to make things better."

"Like what, exactly?"

The hand seemed to grow heavier on Link's shoulder.

"Well-ll, uh, like how wrong it is for the Twinrova to hate me even though I haven't done anything. Or how my sisters have'ta work so hard. How hot the sun gets and how it kills all the plants. Why I burn so easily, or- or even being born Hylian even though I really, really want to be Gerudo. It's just wrong!" Link started speaking faster, his frustration and anger raging back in a tumble of words. "And I don't like that! Why can't things be better? I want to make them better. I will make them better!"

The grip on his shoulder tightened, and Link shut up. Blinking away the water in his eyes, Link looked up to Ganondorf. He had a rare smile, a really big one, stretching all the way across his face.

"Good," he almost purred. Link blinked again, but for a different reason this time. He had never seen his King act like this before. "You've found the trigger to use your Red magic. You were rambling too much to notice, but powerful Red magic started emitting off you."

Link duked his head a little. He wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not. The hand squeezed his shoulder again, so he looked up.

Turning his eyes from Link's, Ganondorf looked out over the valley. "The magics have different triggers that allow a person to access their well of magic. As is most often the case for Red Magic, it is accessed by a person's desire to achieve their cause. The more motivated by their cause, the more the Red magic can flow into a person. And you have found a deeply motivating cause."

Ganondorf look side-long at Link, who began fidgeting. His face was a little flushed.

"Cause?"

"Yes," was the quiet response. Ganondorf's smile somehow got wider. "Your cause is change. Change the Gerudo way of life. Change the minds of the Twinrova. Change yourself to better fit the people you know and love. You even desire to change the fabric of nature!"

He began to laugh. It was deep and vibrating, and Link wondered, perhaps a little insulting.

"What's wrong with that?" he muttered, furiously rubbing a sore-spot on his arm.

Ganondorf eased into a chuckle. "Nothing. Other than it's absolutely childish and it can't happen. But it's interesting that your cause is the cause of change. It seems that you're much sooner to beating the Shadow Doppelganger than I thought you would be."

Link's ears perked up at that. "Really?"

With a wry grin, Ganondorf turned away and headed toward the steep staircases on the side of the cliff. "I will say nothing more on the matter," he called over his shoulder.

Link crossed his arms and pouted, but after a moment he jogged to catch up.

"Don't forget the book," came the reminder.