A/N: Next chapter for LoHH is here! Now, we'll see how Hyrule has fared in the seven years that Ganondorf has taken over. This is where I make a few more drastic changes to the story. Instead of just seeing devastation in Hyrule Castle Town, we'll see it all over, even Hyrule Field. Now, some review responses, and there's a lot of them.

The Master of Chaos: Heh, heh, heh! Thanks! I was hoping to get a reaction like that to the KH finale!

sokairoxnam12349: Thanks. Also, I'm an LPer myself, so shoot me a PM with the vid link and I'll watch and possibly sub! ;D

xxxDreamingFlowerxxx: All in one go here. Yeah, I love these two games as well. Also, the reason Navi is hated is mainly by those that have played before, but she still insists on telling us what to do. That's okay! Thanks for reading!

Second review: Ah, via emulator, I assume? You need a lot of processing power to run a heavy emu like a PS2. Yep, that they would...

Third: I've been trying to write the story as though someone may not have played either LoZ or KH, so that's why Link and Sora are described. Also, the way I see it, Sora's probably still in some sort of minor shock over all the sudden changes that he's come across. Actually, at the time of this chapter, I was giving some characters dialogue from OoT, and Mido was one of them. Nah, it's fine! I'm glad someone's pointing out this stuff, as I obviously missed it! XD

Fourth: Yeah, but I'm one of those people that just wishes Navi would shut up. And no, I haven't read any of the LoZ manga. I'm sure Sora could've used Strike Raid to defeat the Skullwalltulas, but Link needed to get the Slingshot, so... As for your last question, that comes later...

Fifth: Yeah, true... I honestly can't think of much of a way for that fight to have been made better... though I wasn't really trying as much back then. Yeah, as I've stated before, Sora's gonna mostly be the excitable idiot of the story. Also, Deku Nuts can be quite useful, especially against Stalfos Knights and Wolfos.

Sixth: Yeah, Deku Tree's death is pretty sad for that early in the game. Also, though it's not stated until later, Sora is 15 for LoHH. Link starts out at 9, and ages to 16 for the rest of the fic (and series). That, and girls just didn't sound right instead of women. Yes, I know ZeLink is a favored pairing, but I wanted to take things in a new direction when it comes to pairings, but you'll see that in Pt. 2. Yeah, the Seven Sages and seven Princesses... seems like game makers have something for the number 7, huh?

Wow... thanks for the reviews, Flower! XD I'm really glad someone took the time to point out stuff at each chapter like that! Now, I need a disclaimer!

Ansem: GamesMaster64 doesn't own LoZ or KH. LoZ belongs to Nintendo, and KH belongs to Square Enix.

Table of Fonts:

Standard Text: Regular Dialogue/Storytelling

Italics: Emphasis, Sound Effects, thoughts

Bold: Navi's annoyingness, Boss Name, Ganondorf's Speech

Bold Underline:Special Attacks (this is cried out)

Bold Italic: Deity speech

CAPS: Yelling

Underline: Flashback/History, name of location

Italic Underline: Dream

BOLD CAPS: Dungeon name

Chapter 35: Hyrule's Plight! Link's New Mission!

Sacred Realm, Hyrule

Link and Sora felt themselves falling. This time, they lightly landed on their feet. Sora was still ecstatic about his victory over Ansem, but he soon realized their troubles weren't over. Rauru standing in front of them confirmed that.

"Link! Sora!" the Sage greeted them. "I presume your mission in the Scattered Realms was successful?" Rauru asked. Link and Sora nodded. Rauru smiled. "Good. Now, though success was yours in the Scattered Realms, Hyrule hasn't fared so well in the past seven years..." Rauru told them. Sora shook his head, his look confused.

"Wait a minute... we were only gone for a few months..." Sora said.

"Sora... didn't King Mickey tell you that each of the Dimensions run on different time flows?" Link asked. Sora shook his head.

"Correct. However, that is not the main point here... What actually matters is that after you two were sent away, Ganondorf invaded the Sacred Realm. There, he found the Triforce. However, he didn't get the full Triforce. You see, one can only claim the full power of the Triforce if they have a balance of the virtues of Wisdom, Power, and Courage. However, Ganondorf's heart was unbalanced. Instead, the Triforce split up, leaving him with the piece he most believed in, which was the Triforce of Power. In the seven years you two have been gone, Ganondorf has slowly taken control over all of Hyrule. No longer is he the Gerudo King of Thieves. Now, he refers to himself as the King of Evil." Rauru looked at the two. "Link. Sora. Hyrule's Princess is in hiding. Ganondorf has no opposition. His evil power radiates from the Temples of Hyrule. My power only has influence here in the Chamber of Sages. The fate of Hyrule is now in your capable hands." Rauru turned to Sora. "Keyblade Master Sora. You must now play the role of support to Link." Rauru then turned to Link. "Link. Hero of Time. The Master Sword has chosen you as its wielder. You alone have the ability to work with the Sages of Hyrule. Go forth, and save Hyrule from Ganondorf's evil hand!" Rauru then lifted his hands up. A golden medallion came down, before dispersing itself into Link's body. "There. Take that, the Light Medallion. It contains a portion of my power. Link... you must find the other Sages. Together, us Sages will be able to seal Ganondorf away. Now, there's a friend that I think has missed you two." Rauru gestured, and the two saw a yellow orb of light descend down. Link groaned.

"Oh, no... Nonononono." However, to his dismay, the orb spoke.

"Hey! Link! Sora! It's nice to see you guys again!" Navi said. Link managed a smile.

"Believe it or not, we missed you. We could've used you quite a few times." Link said. Sora nodded. Rauru then drew their attention.

"Now, you three... the fate of Hyrule is in your hands. Go, save Hyrule! I'll make sure you return here after you find the other Sages." Rauru then raised his hands, sending the two away. Another blue portal appeared, and the two felt themselves ascend again.

Temple of Time, Hyrule

Link and Sora descended to a familiar site: the Pedestal of Time. Navi had returned to Link's hat. Link and Sora stepped away from the Pedestal when they heard footsteps behind them.

"I've been waiting for you... Hero of Time." a voice said. Link and Sora drew their weapons. They turned around and saw a figure, which stepped into the light. As it did, they could slowly make out the figure as a male with his face covered from the nose down with cloth, and his hair covering his right eye. The person held his hands up in surrender. "I am not an enemy. I am here to help you." the voice continued. Link and Sora put their weapons away.

"Who are you?" Link asked. The male chuckled.

"I am Shiek, Survivor of the Shiekahs. Link... with you standing there, holding the legendary Master Sword... you look like the Hero of Time of legend. Now, I must tell you of the legend of the temples passed down by my people. Listen well:

'When Evil rules all,

an awakening voice from the Sacred Realm will call out to those destined to be Sages,

those who dwell in the five temples:

One, in a deep forest...

One, on a high mountain...

One, under a vast lake...

One, within the house of the dead...

One, inside a goddess of the sand...

Together with the Hero of Time,

the Awakened Ones will bind the Evil and return peace to Hyrule...'

If you believe that legend, you have no choice. Link, you must seek out the five temples and awaken the five Sages. One Sage is waiting for the awakening in the Forest Temple. The Sage is a girl that you know very well. However, due to the evil power from the Temple, she cannot hear the awakening voice. Yet, even with your equipment that had found its way to the Scattered Realms, you'll be unable to enter the Temple. Do not despair, for another old friend holds the other key on the way to the Forest Temple." Shiek then threw down a Deku Nut. When Link and Sora had recovered, they couldn't find Shiek anywhere.

"Well... that was weird..." Sora muttered. Link nodded in agreement. The two then stepped outside to Hyrule Castle Town. They stopped short.

"Holy Goddesses..." Link muttered, his voice barely audible. Everything in sight was ravaged, burned, destroyed. Link and Sora made their way to the main square, where they encountered...

"ZOMBIES! LIIIINK! EVERYONE IS A ZOMBIE!" Sora shouted. Navi popped out from underneath Link's hat.

"Hey! Watch out! Those are ReDeads! They can release a scream that'll freeze you in your tracks. Then, they'll suck your life force right out of you. However, they don't move very fast, and they hate sunlight. Just keep away for now!" Navi said. Link and Sora heeded the warning, quickly leaving the carnage of Castle Town behind them. However, things weren't much better in Hyrule Field. What was once a huge, verdant green paradise was now a vast, brown decaying wasteland. Gray and black clouds blocked out most of the sun, leaving everything covered in a gloomy shadow that spoke of death to those that wandered the once cheery field for too long. Link's face was sad. Sora looked over.

"We'll set it right." Sora said. Link nodded. They had to. No sooner had they taken five steps than they encountered their first foes. Several ghostly figures appeared, dressed in brown tattered cloths and straw. They were carrying torches. However, they all disappeared, leaving only the torches visible. The torches then started spinning, charging at them. Link reacted instinctively.

Nayru's Love!

The blue shield surrounded Link and Sora, protecting them from harm. Shortly after, the ghosts reappeared, as did Navi from under Link's hat.

"Hey! Those are Poes! They're spirits of hatred manifested into our mortal realm! They disappear if you make eye contact with them. If you defeat them, their spirit is left behind for a bit, though it has never done anyone any good with collecting them." Navi said. Link and Sora nodded before leaping into action.

Firaga Burst!

A giant fireball shot into the air, raining fire down on the Poes, defeating most of the them. The few that were left fell prey to Link's attack.

Hero Skill: Super Spin!

Link and Sora stared at the Poe souls that lay on the ground. After a few seconds, the souls disappeared. Link and Sora then continued along the path, making their way toward the Kokiri Forest. Along the way, they dispatched several groups of Poes and Stalchildren. After almost a full day's travel, the two found themselves entering the Kokiri Forest. Link stopped on the bridge. Sora kept going, until he saw Link had stopped.

"Something up?" Sora asked. Link shook his head.

"It's just hard to believe that it's been seven years...do you think anyone will recognize us?" he asked. Sora nodded.

"Of course! The Kokiri are your friends and your people. There's no way they could forget you." Sora replied. Link nodded. The two then entered the forest. There, they saw a devastating scene: monsters had invaded the Kokiri Forest. Navi gave them a quick rundown on the enemies, which were nothing more than stronger versions of enemies seen inside the Great Deku Tree: Mad Scrubs, Giant Deku Babas, and Giant Skulltullas. Link and Sora quickly sprang into action. Sora surprised Link by batting the Deku Seeds shot at him by the Mad Scrubs. Soon, the two had disposed of all the enemies in the area. One of the Kokiri then stepped outside her house. The two recognized the girl as Fado. a Kokiri girl. Surprisingly, it looked like she hadn't aged at all as she approached Link and Sora.

"Who... are you?" she asked. She looked Link and Sora over. "Why do you wear our style of clothes?" she asked Link. Link, however, stammered at her, unable to answer the question. She then looked over and saw Sora. She then looked back and forth between the two.

"L-l-link...? Sora...?" she asked. The two nodded, and Fado shook her head. "It can't be... you two left the forest... no Kokiri that leaves stays alive for long... but if it is you, then we need your help. Saria's gone." Fado said. Link then looked toward the entrance to the Lost Woods. Fado nodded. Sora looked at Link, seeing the look on his face.

"What are we waiting for? Some Heartless?" Sora asked. Link nodded.

"Right. Let's go. Thanks, Fado." Link said, taking off with Sora following. Fado nodded.

"Welcome back..." she said, stepping back inside her house as the monsters regrew and a Poe headed off toward the ruins of Castle Town...

Ganondorf sat on his throne, smirking. Seven years it had taken him to conquer this miserable world, but he'd done it. However, there were a few small pockets of resistance. As one of his Stalfos Knights was just telling him...

"What do you mean the Gorons keep resisting?" Ganondorf asked, his smirk replaced by a smoldering scowl. The Knight backed away, still locked in a bow.

"My Lord, they, uh... they, you see... ah..." The Knight stammered, but Ganondorf had heard enough. He slammed his hand on the throne.

"ENOUGH! As I'm sure I've told you several times, if they resist, PUNISH THEM!" Ganondorf said. The Knight nodded.

"Yes, My Lord... it will be as you say." the Stalfos Knight then straightened up and quickly left the room. Ganondorf then felt a presence make its way through one of the walls of his castle. A few seconds later, a Poe entered through the floor.

"Well? Why are you here?" Ganondorf asked the Poe entirely clad in purple.

"My Lord... two warriors have appeared and defeated the monsters in the Kokiri Forest. They're making their way to the Forest Temple as we speak." the Poe reported. Ganondorf nodded.

"So... those two are back, eh? Meg, I expect you and your sisters to take care of them. I'm also sending Phantom Ganon to ensure things don't get too far out of hand. Inform the Moblin Guardians to be on their guard." Ganondorf commanded. The Poe, Meg, bowed before floating through one of the walls. Ganondorf smiled. "So, you've finally returned... Hero of Time... Keyblade Master. Welcome... to my world!" Ganondorf said, his evil laugh resonating throughout the castle.

Link and Sora stepped into the Lost Woods. The first thing they heard was...

"Is that... Saria's Song?" Link asked. Sora nodded.

"Sounds a lot like it, don't it?" he asked. Link nodded, and the two followed the music. As they took the third turn, they saw...

"Hey! How did you two get here? Only a Kokiri can find their way through the Lost Woods!" a familiar voice said. Mido was blocking their way. He then took a look at the two strangers.

"Sora...? Link!?" Mido asked. He then shook his head. "It can't be you two. You two disappeared seven years ago, and didn't return." Mido said. Link stepped forward.

"Mido, it's us. You have to let us through there." Link said. Mido shook his head.

"Sorry, this is a special favor to Saria." Mido said. Link started to say something, but Mido continued before he could. "But! If you can prove to me that you are Link and Sora, I'll let you pass." Mido said. Link nodded, pulling out the Ocarina of Time. He played Saria's Song, causing Mido's jaw to drop.

"Is that proof enough?" Sora asked. Mido nodded.

"That's... Saria played that song all the time... she... she only taught that song to her special friends..." Mido said. He then turned to Link. "Link... I'm sorry... I tried to stop her... she didn't listen. Here, some talking owl told me to give this to you." Mido said, handing Link a second Hookshot. "He said you'd need that..." Mido said. Link nodded, putting the Hookshot away. Mido then moved and allowed the two to continue. The two made their way to the Sacred Forest Meadow. There, they saw creatures that looked like bipedal pigs. Navi came out of Link's hat.

"Hey, look out! Those are Moblins! They're Ganondorf's personal guards. They're very strong, and well-armed. You'll have to find a way to sneak past them. The only thing you have that can take them out is your Bombs, and that'll draw the rest of them in!" Navi said. The two nodded. They made their way carefully through the maze. Along the way, they had to dispatch a few Mad Scrubs, but those were easily taken care of. The Moblins were another story. At even the slightest noise, they immediately ran over to investigate. Link had the idea of using Bombs to draw them to one end of a corridor, then run across the other side. Using this strategy, the two made their way to the last corridor, which led straight to Saria's secret spot. There, they saw a humongous Moblin carrying an equally enormous club. As soon as it saw them, the Moblin hit the club on the ground, causing a shock wave to speed toward the two heroes. They each lept to the side, and Link looked over to Sora.

"Sora! Batter up!" Link said, pulling out a Bomb. He tossed it to Sora, who hit the Bomb with his Keyblade. The explosive sailed through the air, exploding in mid-air near the Moblin's head. The servant of evil was temporarily stunned, but a second Bomb finished it off. The two then made their way to the spot where Saria was sitting...

"Sora... are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Link asked. Sora nodded.

"Yeah, I am." came the reply. Link nodded. The clearing was empty. The two looked around, and Link saw a couple of target-looking marks in strategic places in the wall. The two heard someone land on the ground behind them. They turned around and saw Shiek, who walked toward them.

"The flow of time... always so cruel... Its speed differs for each person, yet no one can change it... However, a thing that never changes with time is memories of younger days... If you two wish to come back to this spot again, just play the song I am about to teach you... the Minuet of Forest." Shiek said. He then pulled out a harp, playing a series of six notes. Link pulled out the Ocarina of Time and played the same notes. Sora thought he saw a look of recognition on Shiek's face, but he told himself he was imagining things. Soon, Link had learned the Minuet of Forest. Shiek nodded. "Link... Sora... I'll see you two again." Shiek said, pulling out a Deku Nut. Link and Sora shielded their eyes with their arms. When the flash faded, Shiek was gone. Sora looked at Link.

"How does he do that? Sora asked. Link shook his head. He then saw the marks and had an idea.

"Wait here." he told Sora, pulling out his Hookshots. Link fired one into a target mark and was pulled toward it. Link rested his feet on the wall, and fired the Hookshot at the second target mark. There, he saw he was at a point that he could latch onto a branch hanging above a concrete balcony. To test something, Link detached himself from the wall. Link then tried firing at the branch, but the Hookshot fell short. Link then repeated the process, and saw a switch. When he pressed it, a ladder fell so Sora could join him.

"Ready, Link?" Sora asked. Link nodded, and they both stepped into the doorway in front of them.

Notes on the Chapter:

1. Yeah, I wanted to set a darker tone for the story than was set in OoT. I mean, everything's all dark and horrible in Castle Town, and then cheery again in Hyrule Field! WTF! So, it's all dark and dying.

2. Shiekh... possibly one of the most enigmatic and mysterious characters in OoT... and I wanted to capture that feel here.

3. Cameo appearance by everyone's favorite talking owl, Kaepora Gaebora.