Link was full of more energy than he knew what to do with. Being next to Midna made him feel unstoppable. She was his reason for living at the moment and anything that dared stand up to him was mercilessly cut down. The voice evil voice inside him was awake and though he was didn't realize it, Link allowed small amounts of his power to seep into his boiling blood and fill his veins. Link's voice had dropped to low snarls and growls with feral yells and screams. His skin had darkened noticeable and his eyes seemed less blue and closer to a blue-ish purple. His fierceness attracted many of the challenge seeking monsters but none could even begin to keep up with him. Even the ningothos dropped like flies to the master sword.

Suddenly Midna screamed.

"Link! Turn around! Look!"

He whipped around ready to take out yet other foe but instead he found Midna pointing up to the rim of the basin.

"Up there!"

His eyes followed the direction of her slender finger to where Ganondorf had taken Zelda. The Dark Lord was clearly visible against the fiery orange rising sun as he reared backward on his horse. He held out his hand and made a 'Come on' gesture with his fingers, daring Link to chase after him.

Link's savage mindset immediately softened into heartfelt distress at the sight of Zelda defeated and captured and even more so when he laid eyes on her captor.

It couldn't be. Not... him. Ganondorf... was back. The goddess's warning came back to him now and he knew what he was seeing could not be false. Link's heart dropped like a stone in water. Why though? First Armogohma and Argorok, then Darkhammer, And now Ganondorf too? He wasn't going to be able to take much more of this.

"No…" he whispered shaking his head. His eyes began to water and his fists shake with compassion.

"No." he said more loudly and angrily. His breathing was getting heavier and he was beginning to tremble with rage.

"Link, no." Midna said firmly trying to get through to him. "He's just baiting you. Don't fall for it. There's nothing we can do for her, right now."

But The Hero of Twilight had already called Epona with the horse call, a flute shaped like a horseshoe. Link began running up the hill and Epona rushed and met him from his right. Without missing a beat, he jumped on top of her and spurred the brown, white-maned horse to her fullest.

"LINK! Don't do this! Please!" Midna cried in distress but it was too late.

Ganondorf had already left the basin and was speeding away. Link was soon clear of the Deku Basin as well, pushing Epona to her fullest. Link knew all about Ganondorf's stallion. It was a larger heavy breed with unparalleled stamina and strength but even at full speed it was still slow for a horse. Epona was quite the opposite. Her stamina wasn't too good but she was fast and sleek. Link's only chance was to catch up to Ganondorf and take Zelda back before Epona ran out of steam.

The Hero of Twilight and the Dark Lord speed further and further away from the battlefield towards a thick forest that stretched the length of the horizon before them. This gave Link some hope. Ganondorf's large horse wouldn't be able to navigate through such obstructive terrain as well as Epona would.

Link was slowly gaining on him. At this rate, he hoped to reach Ganondorf before they even entered the forest. The farther they got from the basin the more it became a struggle between just them. Old feelings came back to haunt them both. Once again, there was a damsel in distress kidnapped by the evil villain and her hero was rushing to save her. It was just like old times.

They were almost there.

Maybe. Link thought. Just maybe.

But in another few moments he realized that it wasn't going to be that easy. Ganondorf burst into the shady woods with Link hot on his heels. They were both blasted by the sudden change in the scenery. While it was somewhat warm and sunny in the basin and the air, light and breezy, the early sunlight had yet to piece through the canopy of the forest. The air was chilled and heavy with tendrils of mist creeping along the ground disturbed only by the thunderous hoof beats of Link's mare and Ganondorf's stallion.

Link found his predictions had been wrong. Ganondorf's horse wasn't affected at all by zigzagging pattern of the trees and their branches, as he barged right through the bushes, branches and small trees, only moving to dodge the thick trunks of the trees that were bigger that he was, but Epona was still gaining on him.

More and more Link slowly closed the gap between them. Epona had it easy due to the cleared out path that Ganondorf and his black stallion left in their wake.

Reaching into his boot, Link equipped himself with his dagger, planning to cut the ropes that bound his princess. He reached out for her, extending his arm to such a degree that that it became quite painful, but his outstretched arm fell just short.

Almost! He thought. Just a little closer and I'll have it!

Closer and closer he came till the dagger point could just barely cut the outer fibers of the brown rope. He was ready to catch her when he cut it.

But it could not be so.

Epona, for all her speed, had begun to tire. At first she slowed down to the same speed as Ganondorf's horse but then, slowly, inch by inch, the dagger's sharp point and the rope around Zelda's waist began to drift apart. Epona's stamina was used up and Link knew Ganondorf would not need to rest his horse for several miles yet.

"No." He whispered.

"NO!"

Realizing it was hopeless but unwilling to just give up, Link continued to pursue Ganondorf. More and more trees were starting to obstruct Link's line of sight. The Dark Lord was disappearing into the maze of green and brown but never would Link just let him win. Never would he just give up and accept defeat. Still, for all his determination, tears were welling up at the corners of his eyes as hopelessness began to painfully burrow its way into his heart.

It wasn't much longer before Ganondorf had completely disappeared into the natural maze of the forest. Link didn't have to heart to push Epona any harder than he was lest he kill her. The poor beast was breathing heavily, her eyes unfocused and foaming at the mouth. He had to stop very soon or she wasn't going to even be able to walk back to camp.

And suddenly… the forest ended. Link barely managed to stop Epona and prevent her from leaping into the giant canyon that now lay before them. Quickly, he dismounted her and looked for any sign of the dark king but it was as if he had vanished without a trace. Falling slowly to his knees in shock, Link dug his finger nails into the dirt watching his tears drop one by one to the brown dusty earth.

"I… I couldn't save her." He cried softly. "I was too slow and… too weak."

That familiar voice stirred again "You know, I-"

"SHUT UP!" Link roared, jumping to his feet. "What do you know? Huh? What do you know about saving someone you don't know or even care about?" He paused, breathing deeply for a moment and then Link's voice dropped low and cold. "I don't ever, EVER want to hear your voice again. I will save her. Alone. This is my quest, for me. Not to save Hyrule or its people, but to save someone close to me. And by the goddesses, if anyone or anything stands in my way, I will... remove them by Any. Means. Necessary."

End of Part One

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