"Stand down.", Princess Zelda began. "You will disarm yourself of the Triforce of Power. You will return to your cell. Now."

There was no mistake about her intent of deadly force. Zelda was led into the hallway by the point of a light arrow ready on her bow string. Her blade hung from her hip. The polite smile that invited people to assume she was merely Zelda was gone.

"I'd really like to joke around now.", Ashei responded. "I mean, take of the stress and get a feel for how you really think your position is. But that's not me."

Ashei idly spun the spear around herself and continued. "I'm taking Shad. I'm going far away. Then I'm coming back and taking you off the throne."

"Power mad like every other self spun demon?", the princess asked. "We should have known you'd show tusks before those hips got wider."

"I am not power mad, tyrant.", the girl defended. "You're the one oppressing people! You're the one lying. Warring. A blanket of half truths and subtle smiles hiding a gangster. You knew I did nothing and sold me off to a boy who'd change his mind tomorrow."

"For the good of the world, Ashei.", Zelda reminded. "Did Shad tell you everything you wanted to know and nothing you needed to? The sacrifice I arranged for you -one that wouldn't even be made- would save countless lives. You never trusted me."

Ashei scoffed. "You refused to give anyone a chance. You just tried to live everyone's lives for them."

"And what should I have done?", the princess screeched back. "Let them ruin the world? More people are richer and happier and are even having children who will grow up rich and happy because I told them to! Do you think it was easy manipulating Ganon to hold his occupancy to the castle when there's a town full of innocents surrounding it? As long as he was torturing me, he wasn't torturing you."

Ashei shook her head. "You just don't get it. We deserve a choice. It's our lives."

"No, they're ours.", Zelda countered. "We have the responsibility to guard each and every one of you.

"You would choose your own suffering over lending me the freedom that you never missed? Do you think your countrymen would vote to let you roam into hostile territories? To finance Shad's excavations? How many people are just so damn stupid that they need their hands held throughout their lives? On top of that, I've managed to keep them from interfering with you."

"We have a right!", the girl yelled back. "Because a person can be tricked doesn't give you the moral excuse to do so. Just because a person's dumb enough to eat sand doesn't give you the privledge of slapping his hand away from his mouth."

"Listen to yourself.", the princess pleaded. "Don't you think that if most people would vote for some other form of government, we would have one? You're so goddess-damned obsessed with your own ideals that you're blind to how many people disagree with you. You want so desperately to institute changes for individual wills, despite those individual wills being set against it. How long would it take for you to start enforcing your 'freedoms'?"

"Like you would enforce my 'happiness'?", Ashei pointed out. "'She'll be happy with Shad, let's capture her and force him into her arms. She likes the expanses, that'll figure into our plans.' How can you say that any of your subjects are truly happy, or in love when all they are is beneath your thumb. What greater words to describe them than 'your subjects'? They're merely subjected to your whim. We're no longer people because of you."

Zelda's eyes narrowed, gaining nearly the points of her ears. "And what better word to describe you than 'revolutionary'? You feel that the world needs to revolve around your vision of it without empathy for anything else. Your attempts at arguments revolve in circular logics of 'people need the freedom to choose' when no one chooses anything new that they aren't allowed already."

"Get out of my way Zelda. Last chance.", Ashei told her.

"We have too much responsibility to do that, Ashei.", the princess replied.

Ashei's spear was knocked away from Zelda's face by the Master Sword. Much more surprisingly, Zelda's light arrow was deflected by Link's shield.

Link stood in between the two of the most dangerous women he ever met. His combat stance was perfect, pristine, defined and effective. The reasons he took it...

"You will support my rule, Hero.", Zelda commanded.

"You've tasted freedom, greenie.", Ashei tempted.

"You've saved the lives of everyone you ever loved obeying me.", Zelda reminded.

"Adventure's ripe for the taking.", Ashei observed.

"Don't waste your sacrifices.", Zelda pleaded.

"Don't wear chains for her.", Ashei scolded.

Link could not be anything other than brave. The Triforce of Courage wouldn't allow it. As soon as his decision was made, he wouldn't hesitate.

"If you're not going to help then get out of my way!", Ashei and Zelda screamed in unison.

And his decision was made.

Ashei's spear was pushed aside by his shield. The girl growled in frustration as she determined she would have to fight the both of them.

Zelda's light arrow was sliced from the air by his sword. The girl growled in frustration as she determined she would have to fight the both of them.

Link pressed his back into Zelda, not letting her reach out far enough to bring another arrow into position. Link guarded against the spear with his shield and slapped its point into the floor with his sword. Spinning, the shield broke the bow from her hands. Kicking, the spear jumped from hers.

"Fine.", the two women agreed.

Ashei punched two fists into the wall and pulled a stone block free. The Master Sword performed even beyond Link's expectations, slicing through as it hurtled in the air towards his head.

"Din's Fire.", Zelda whispered. The torches were no longer the primary source of light in the hallway.

Ashei was tackled to the ground as Link brought her under the momentary blaze. As Zelda reached out with another spell, Link threw his shield into her arm to stop her.

Back and forth. Blocking the murder of one idealistic heroine by the the callous strumpet raging at the other end of the hall. Every blow of pure power he took wore him down. Every new trick of pure wisdom frustrated him more. And surrender never, couldn't, enter a heart fortified with a divine bravery. Now we know why hardened, worn soldiers are known by the green cap.

After a miracle and a half, the two young women were pressed against the dungeon wall refusing to listen to a word Link said. "She's the truly corrupt one, Link. She's trying to destroy the world with her ill gotten power.", Zelda screeched, pinned down by Link's left hand. "She's the truly corrupt one, Link. She's trying to dominate the world because she's accustomed to such evil.", Ashei screeched, pinned down by Link's right hand.

Midna manifested out of Link's shadow and leaned on his shoulder, as if her only purpose in the world was casually touching him in combat situations. "I think I know how to tell who's corrupt.", she offered.