Author's Notes: Sheikah guy isn't a shadow double of Rauru, though there's an interesting idea maybe for the future. I won't say any more about him, because you get to find out right here and now who this dark guy is who has been haunting the story for awhile. I'll explain a bit about him at the end after you've had a chance to read.

And feey, and Avyuir, welcome to the story, and thank you for reading, and letting me know you like things so far. Much appreciated. And thanks as always to all the other faithful readers, it is all much appreciated.

Ch. 6

The Lonely Battlefield, Pt. 2

"Yes, I am the last," Rauru says, agreeing with the pale, white haired man dressed all in black. "I am the last of the old."

The pale man smiles, the predatory smile of a starving animal, which seems oddly appropriate on that battlefield, with bodies and blood littering the landscape. "So you are old man. I know all about them. Who do you think killed the others? And all those mysterious deaths over the centuries? Did you really believe I was gone?"

"I had hoped you were," Rauru answers. "But I never really believed it. I had my suspicions, but I could never prove anything."

"Of course you couldn't," the Pale man says, donning his black mask once again. "And when the time is right, you'll never see me coming." He glances over his shoulder back at Zelda, and smiles underneath his hood, "None of you will." Then with a flash of light smoke billows out, and when it clears the pale man is gone, leaving Zelda and Rauru alone as the battle rages around them.

It wasn't that the forces of Hyrule weren't prepared that day. They were, they had sentries and scouts out, and their soldiers were constantly at the ready. But those same sentries and scouts were killed silently, by the same man who confronted and defeated Zelda.

The forces of Hyrule were caught unprepared, and were close to being defeated. That is, until Link came swiftly into the battle. He is a silent storm all on his own. No thunder came with him, just the lightning flashes of the Master Sword as it struck into the Moblin Horde. And like true lightning the Master Sword never strikes in the same place twice, it never has to. The sword strikes the moblins with precision and skill, killing them each in one swift move. The forces around him rally, witnessing his courageous and skill displays they are heartened, and the feeling of hope returns to them.

Link skids to a halt, his feet kicking up dust, having just carved a path through the moblins. "Link," a voice calls out to him, and Nabooru comes sprinting up, sweat glistening on those patches of her skin that are bare, but barely out of breath. "The Al'Mob'lair," she breathes. "There's at least one here, and Zelda suspects there are more."

"Where is she?" Link's eyes flicker around, searching for any trace of that golden blonde hair.

"She bade me come find you, to warn you of the First Moblins," Nabooru answers, very aware of what Link's reaction might be. "She said she'd deal with the creature herself."

"Damn it," Link mutters. But, before he can suggest a course of action a cry of alarm sounds, and several Hylian soldiers go sailing by Nabooru and Link, hitting the ground a good twenty yards past them. Both turn, and stare dumbfounded at the giant beast before them. "By Farore, what is that?"

"A Golem," Darunia says, appearing beside. "Ganondorf truly is calling all of the ancient evils to his side. When the Goron people first moved into the mountains, they encountered the Golem. They are viscous monsters, born of the mountains and rocks themselves. They care nothing for other creatures, and are nearly impossible to kill. None have been seen in centuries." And indeed the creature look invulnerable, standing nearly twelve feet tall, its entire hide covered in rocky armor plates.

"Damn it," Link curses. "Nabooru, go back and find Zelda. Help her if she needs it. Darunia, spread a warning about the First Moblins and the Golem. I'll deal with this thing," he says, his hand deftly drawing the Master Sword from its sheath at his side. Nabooru and Darunia move to instantly comply with Link's orders, a fact which clearly eludes Link at the moment, because if he did he'd be horrified at how easly and quickly he slips into the role of leader. The Golem spots him, and instantly sets its sight on him. It could feel the power in Link, and decides he's someone worth killing. The Golem charges at Link, its feet shaking the ground, and its massive arms batting Hylian and moblin forces alike. Link charges at the Golem also, a move which surprises the creature momentarily and stops it. Link leaps into the air as the Golem stops, and slams the Master Sword into the creatures chest. Any other blade would have shattered against that rock armor, but the Master Sword slides in as easily as a hot knife would through butter. But the Golem merely roars and bats Link away, sending the young warrior tumbling to the ground and, with a roll, back onto his feet…without the Master Sword. The Blade of Evil's Bane is still sticking out of the Golem's chest, and the Golem is trying to remove the blade from its chest, but it can't pull it out. No creature of evil could ever hope to wield that blade. But it doesn't really matter to the creature, the sword has done no damage, for it has no internal organs to hurt. Seeing this Link charges the beat once more, pulling a small black orb from one of his pouches on the run. Link leaps into the air once more, this time his feet landing on the Master Sword, and he uses it as a springboard to leap into the air again, avoiding the creatures grab for him. With a quick motion Link hurls the black orb into the creatures gaping maw of a mouth. The creature manages to grab Link in midair though, and clutches him tightly. And Link stares in shock as the bomb he had just thrown explodes, and only blows a small hole in the creatures stomach, which barely fazes the beast. Link growls, and a glimmer of a memory filters into his consciousness, and he smiles grimly. He reaches out with his mind, and can feel the flows of the Power. He finds the Master Sword in those flows of energy, and shifts the Power, channeling it into the blade. To the normal, waking eye the sword begins to glow blue, pulsating with power. The sword grows brighter and brighter, and Link uses his mind to contain the power in the blade, waiting of the right moment to release it. And as the energy on the blade shifts from blue to golden, Link releases the hold on the energy, and it explodes in a flash of light, utterly obliterating the rock creature and turning it into a million little pieces. Link lands on the ground in a crouch, next to the Master Sword which is now sticking straight up out of the ground.

"Zelda, are you alright?" Rauru asks softly, kneeling next to her on the ground.

Zelda nods her head, then asks weakly, "Who was that?"

Rauru sighs, and shakes his head sadly. "He was once a Sage. One of the first, like myself. He was the first Sage of Shadow, and his name is Vaati. He turned against us, and joined the evil forces. He killed those of us who remained, he even tried to kill me. Though I only barely escaped to the Sacred Realm. He is strong in the Power, far stronger than I, and a master swordsman to go along with it."

"Then why didn't he just finish us both?" Zelda asks. "He had me, and you just said he's stronger than you."

"Because he has infinite patience," Rauru answers. "He enjoys the hunt, and thrills at making his quarry suffer. I believe it was he who was controlling your father. That would be just like him." At the mention of her father that furnace of rage in her heart ignites once more. "Calm yourself child," Rauru says soothingly, placing a hand on Zelda's shoulder. "Letting you emotions run wild will do no one any good." He glances around, "It would appear our forces are turning the tide. I think we have Link to thank for that."

Zelda smiles at the thought of Link, "We usually do."

"Indeed," Rauru says, helping Zelda back to her feet. "The effects of what Vaati did you you should wear off. You'll need a good nights rest to completely recover."

Zelda nods her head, spying Nabooru running up to them. "I'm glad to see you're ok," the Gerudo Chief says. "Link sent me back just in case you needed me. He's facing a Golem Rauru."

"He'll manage," Rauru states. "For now, we must get the Queen out of harms way. She is in no condition for any more battles today."

"I'm fine Rauru, I can fight," Zelda says fiercely, not wanting to be left out. She needed to be involved, she couldn't sit on the sidelines, not again.

"Rauru's right Zelda," Nabooru agrees with the Light Sage. "Besides, there's no need. Our forces are winning, they're beating back the Moblins, for now at any rate. There will be plenty of battles ahead, getting yourself killed now would be pointless."

An hour later, as Zelda lays in her tent, Link enters, closing the flap behind him. "Link," she says with a smile.

He returns the smile, and kneels next to her cot, "The battle is done, and we've won for now. This victory should give us time enough to fortify the area enough that we can move troops out in a few weeks. Ganodorf will know now that we'll bloody him if he comes back."

"Good," Zelda says. "And I hear you destroyed that Golem all by yourself."

"Yes," Link agrees. "This Power is beginning to scare me a little."

"But you've grown so powerful, you can do so many things," Zelda says, confused.

"That's what frightens me," Link explains. "This Power…used properly it can be of great use. But I can feel it Zelda, just on the fringes of my consciousness. The desire to use it more and more, to use it for everything. The desire to use it to take the things I want. That…darkness, is what created Azrael. It's what made him the monster he became. He was just like me, he was me. But then he gave in to the darkness, to his desires. It frightens me that I could become like that, that I could hurt the people and things that mean the most to me."

"You'll control it my love," Zelda whispers. "I have complete faith in you, as does everyone else. Without you, we'd all be dead many times over by now."

Link casts his eyes down, his hand clasped in hers. "Zelda…about your father…"

But Zelda cuts him off, placing a finger over his lips. "Don't," she whispers. "It's not your fault, I don't blame you. You were prepared to give your life for mine, and so was he. The way he had been acting…he was under a dark influence, yet he still felt he had to make amends. He…he gave his life for what he believed in," she says, tears stinging her eyes. "What do we do now Link?" she asks. "I'm not ready to be a Queen yet."

"I don't know," Link says, enfolding her in a hug. He could feel her sobbing against his chest. "I don't know."

Kareena stands in the Mountains of Doom in the middays sun, glancing down at the small plateau below her, and the large, strange nest filled with broken eggs. And next to the nest, four black creatures played and fought, snapping at each other. "Four," Kareena thinks to herself. "There should be five of them." And indeed there are five, the fifth one sits on a rock a little ways away, watching sadly at the other four. But this one is not black, but red, and because of that, and other things, it has been left alone by the others. "Makes no difference," Kareena says. "Even four of them will be deadly," Kareena smiles. "It has been too long since the lands of Hyrule have felt the fires and rath of dragons."

Author's Notes...again: I know this section is a little bit shorter, but I got said what I wanted to say about this one. I'll try and make sure the next is longer. But I think the action and the surprise are good in return. I hope.

Now, as for why I'm using Vaati, and why I'm using him in this. I was interested in using the character of Vaati, but, as far as this story goes in the Ocarina timeline, the Four Swords games and the Minish Cap don't exist. So, I had to think of a new way to work Vaati in. And, as for his appearance. Well, I didn't particularly care for the purple hair, but his pale complexion gave me the idea for him being like an albino, and I thought the white hair would be a nice addition to that. As you can see, Vaati still has his socrcerous ways, as he is strong in the power, as well as a blademaster, which means he's a match for Link. Link can deal with the moblins and stuff easily now, so we need someone who can challenge him. That's why Vaati and Aganhim are in this story. Hopefully everyone will enjoy them against Link, as well as their rivarly against one another, competing to be Ganondorf's right hand.