The Legend of Zelda: Heroes of the Past

by Wilmont220

An adventure to reunite the triforce and break the curse it has placed upon Zelda, Link, Ganondorf, and their descendants.

The Legend of Zelda: Heroes of the Past

By: Wilmont220

Chapter 1

"Sand. A woman can get sick of sand. It's in your boots, in your hair, it's even in your underwear! It's hot in the sun and cool in the shade; it's hard to traverse; why else have we stayed? It's yellow, it's grainy, it's just little rocks; oh look, there's some in my socks! This place we dwell may be filled with sand, but it is our home, our territory, our land. Thank you."

Ganondorf sat in the audience and started to clap with everyone else. He had stopped listening half way through. "Another poetry night, just great," he thought to himself sarcastically. He tried not to look too bored but he knew his glazed over eyes and slightly slumped posture wasn't hiding much. When the presenter gave him a questioning look, a look that was hoping for approval or any type of reaction, her expression changed to disappointment when she saw boredom written all over the Prince's face.

An average looking, younger girl walked onto the stage as Ganondorf, again, wondered why he had to be here. "It's your given right as a prince to show the people that you are interested in what they do," the Queen of the Gerudo had told him many times. "That includes participating in seemingly mundane activities. It is useful for a ruler to know his people and their lives. Study them, learn from them, be their voice as much as their ruler." He knew his mother was right. Experience was more valuable than any other form of learning. It didn't stop it from being boring, though. The night ended with applause and a reminder of upcoming events in the town like it did every week. The night finally finished and Ganondorf left the pub.

Getting into bed and sleeping was all Ganondorf could think about as he made his way back to Gerudo Castle. After his morning combat training, his afternoon history lessons, and his evening of poetry, tired didn't even begin to describe him. Yet, his sleep was restless. He had a nightmare that his mother and all his people were killed in a river of blood that flooded the town as a fire raged on in the castle behind the town. He tried to escape; he ran for his life but the blood river and the flames seemed to pursue him. A dark, shadowy figure was closing in on him. It gave a loud, evil laugh right as it was about to attack Ganondorf. They both knew there was no escape. The figure drew a bladed weapon and sliced towards the fleeing Ganondorf. He awoke from his nightmare right as the blade was about to make contact with his neck. It had been several months since he'd had this dream, but it still occurred far too often for his liking. It had started about ten years ago and seemed to arrive whenever he was feeling particularly exhausted. Always the same dream, always waking up before the deadly blow. Frustrated, he decided to get out of bed and do something, anything, to get his mind off his nightmare. He could never fall back asleep after it occurred.

Combative training wasn't on the schedule for that morning, but he decided to train anyways. Physical activity seemed to take his mind off his troubles the most. "Sword training is one of the most important techniques to practice. Easy to learn, hard to master," his trainer, Jules, had constantly reminded him. She had also pointed out that his side slashes needed some work. "Keep your strength grounded evenly between both feet until the blow hits the target, not a moment before. A successful strike needs all your power behind it. Otherwise, you'd be giving your opponent a chance to tackle you." This criticism of Jules', along with many others, ran through his head as he worked on balance and form. "Wide stance, even balance, power flow from feet up through the body to the strike hand, shoulder, and arm. Follow through on the swing, then power flow back down to the feet," he instructed himself in his head. He was interrupted an hour into his workout by a member of the Gerudo Royal Council.

The council member bowed to Ganondorf before speaking. "My good Prince, Queen Kalintha wishes to see you in the interrogation room as soon as possible. When shall I tell her to expect your arrival?"

Ganondorf took a quick look at the gear he was wearing and decided he should probably shower first. If a council member came to get him, it was unlikely this would be just a casual conversation with his mother. "I shall be there in thirty minutes. Please have the attendant in the hall get me something to eat quickly beforehand while I clean up." The council member bowed herself out of the room and Ganondorf made his way to the change room.

He had a bad feeling about this meeting. Somehow, he knew it would be about him. He wasn't usually invited to sit in on a meeting with the Gerudo Royal Council unless it was the trial of a major crime. He hadn't heard about any arrests, thus either an arrest had been made in secrecy, or he was the one on trial. They put criminals in lock down for a week or more to break their resolve before a trial, though, and news of such events usually reached him by then. The moment he opened the door and saw the interrogation stand was empty he knew his instinct had been correct. He entered, the room filled with heavy tension, while he attempted to maintain a stoic expression and tried to think of what he had done to prompt this meeting. One of the council members asked him to approach the stand and take a seat. He felt an icy chill run down his back, composed of both fear and annoyance, as he stepped into the bright spotlight and sat down at the interrogation stand. They Gerudo Royal Council, sitting at their moon-shaped table, ominously towering over him in their raised seats, were unidentifiable in the bright light, forcing Ganondorf to stare straight ahead, eyes squinted. They opened the meeting with the usual prayers and banter.

"State your name, age, status, and occupation for the council," said one of the members.

"Ganondorf, age twenty-seven, status is militant trainee, occupation is Prince of the Gerudo," he responded in a pointed voice. His curiosity and impatience were getting the better of him as he waited for the next part: the reading of the crimes the accused had committed. For too long the council was silent. "What, may I ask, is the purpose of this meeting? Have I been accused of a crime?" he asked, unable to hide his annoyance any longer.

"You are not on trial for crimes. This is, however, an interrogation regarding last night. Tell us, why were you out of bed so early?"

The question caught him off guard at first, before he realized that this had to be about his nightmare. "How much do they know?" he thought to himself. "I was up rather early this morning, I suppose," he answered. They couldn't know he woke up because of that nightmare, could they? He had made sure not to tell anyone about the recurring nightmare, especially not his mother.

"An attendant heard you saying some alarming things last night. She checked in on you to find you were still asleep. To quote her recount, "the things he said were disturbing, but the look of pure evil on his face was something I had never seen before. I left the room to get help, and when we returned, we heard him yell "DIE" and give a maniacal laugh. Then it stopped and he sat up in bed. We left as quietly as we could to tell our boss." Do you have any memory of this happening? Or a memory of the dream you were having?"

He contemplated not telling them about the dream but decided against it. Lying might make things worse at this point. "I had a nightmare about the town being flooded and the castle on fire. But I was escaping the chaos, not causing it! And I certainly did not yell "DIE" or laugh manically at any time in the dream. The one chasing me laughed as he pursued me."

"Did you recognize the one chasing you? Did he look at all familiar to you?" His mother was talking fast, panic distinguishable in her voice. Ganondorf had a feeling there was something she wasn't telling him.

He tried to remember anything he could about his pursuer. "It was a large figure that seemed to be made of shadow." As he said this, a clearer image of the figure popped into his head. "His most noticeable feature was his flaming red hair," Ganondorf said hurriedly. He heard the council gasp, almost in unison. He did not remember noticing that before. "Probably because I was too busy trying to get away before he struck me with his sword," he thought to himself.

"Queen Kalintha, your highness, I believe it is time," one of the members said gently.

Ganondorf noticed his mother's voice was shaky as she began to talk. "The time has come to tell you of the ancient history of Hyrule." Her voice steadied as she continued on. "The legend of the Golden Triforce. Before time began, before spirits and life existed, three goddesses descended upon the chaos that was Hyrule. Din, the Goddess of Power, Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom, and Farore, the Goddess of Courage. Din, with her strong, flaming arms, cultivated the land and created the red Earth. Nayru poured her wisdom onto the Earth and gave the spirit of law to the world. Farore, with her rich soul, produced all life forms who would uphold the law." His mother took a brief pause. She still had some nervousness in her voice. Ganondorf was wondering what this had to do with his dream. "The three great goddesses, their labours completed, departed for the heavens. They left behind a golden relic called the Triforce, which was hidden away in the Sacred Realm. The relic is said to grant the wishes of anyone with a pure soul. However, if someone with questionable intent tried to use its power, the relic would break into three pieces: a Triforce of Power, a Triforce of Wisdom, and a Triforce of Courage. The user would then obtain only one piece, the piece they desired most. The other two pieces would be given to those who would be destined to stop the impure soul from bringing about the demise of the land of Hyrule." Ganondorf had a furrowed brow and a frown on his face as he tried to decide what the point of this story was. There was only one conclusion he couldn't ignore. Someone had already gotten to it, and it was affecting his life somehow.

"The Triforce was already taken and split apart," a council member confirmed, "by your ancestor. He had the Triforce of Power and was defeated long ago by the other two wielders. The ancient text writes about, quote, "an evil man from the desert with bright red hair." He was sealed away in the Sacred Realm upon his defeat by the ancient sages of Hyrule. If this is true, he no longer exists in this world, but his influence lives on. This dream you keep having seems to suggest that you, his natural heir, may now be the holder of the Triforce of Power."

Ganondorf was silent again as he tried to process this new information. How could he have a power like that and not know it? He had so many questions in his head. "Who has the other two pieces then?" He was surprised at how stead his voice was.

"We believe we know who possesses the Triforce of Wisdom. The Princess of Hyrule, Zelda. Her lineage has a history of wielding it. As for the Triforce of Courage, it doesn't seem to have made an appearance in anyone," a council member answered. "We tell you all this now for two reasons. Firstly because we fear the Triforce of Power is growing stronger."

Ganondorf went to protest this. "How can you tell? I've had this dream before, many times."

"We are aware of your nightmares and their frequency. The talking in your sleep has occurred occasionally, but this time there was an intensity that hasn't be present before. We feel the Triforce of Power may be having a larger influence on you as you grow older. It can be a dangerous thing, Ganondorf. While any piece of the Triforce could bring about the downfall of Hyrule, the Triforce of Power holder is most often the culprit," a council member replied.

""Most often,"" Ganondorf quoted. "So this has happened before then?"

"We have seen its influence throughout history in many forms. While it doesn't appear that the wielder has had succeeded in destroying all of Hyrule, they have had success destroying parts. We were once buried under a great sea. We've had interactions with other realms, such as the Twilight Realm and a Dark World, which is a reflection of our own world. We've even had periods where the Triforce of Power wielder ruled this world. Which brings me to the second reason we tell you all of this now: we believe we can cure the curse laid upon you, Zelda, and the possessor of the Triforce of Courage and prevent this burden from being placed upon your descendants by reuniting the Triforce and once again sealing it in the Sacred Realm."

"What is your plan of action then?" Ganondorf asked.

Queen Kalintha spoke this time, using the gentle voice of a mother rather than the commanding one of a leader. "We want you to live at Hyrule Castle for a while. Firstly to see if being around another Triforce wielder has any effect on either of you, and, secondly to have you and Zelda keep an eye out for the third Triforce wielder." Given the alternatives Ganondorf could think of, like being locked away in a dungeon in the middle of nowhere for the rest of his life, or, worse yet, slaughtered at the hands of his own people, he decided to trust their decision.

"Tell us, Ganondorf, do you feel any special connection with Princess Zelda? I know you've only met her a handful of times, but you two held a tight bond from the moment you met," a council member asked.

Ganondorf recalled to mind the few times she had come with her father to visit the Gerudo and vice versa. He could not deny that there was something special about being in her presence, an instantly strong bond would be the best way he could think to describe it. He simply nodded. To try to explain this connection to the council would be impossible. It was as though they had known each other in a former life, had known all about each other. It was a natural friendship, sure, but there was an energy between them that he did not feel from anyone else.

"Very well, then, we shall begin the plan at the end of this week. King Rhoam is already aware of the arrangement and is making preparations for your extended stay." It was a fair deal, and Ganondorf was excited to finally get to do something different. The council members were closing out with the usual prayer and blessings and then dismissed him. It felt good for once to feel like he was doing something useful.

Chapter 2

Princess Zelda had always had a taste for learning. She loved to learn about anything from mechanics to science to combat and even history. There were almost no subjects she didn't find some interest in, but nothing tickled her fancy more than studying people. She loved to sit by the fountain in the town square and write about things she noticed. To a passer-by, she may seem wholly uninterested in the goings on around her, but she was taking in every aspect including sight, sound, smell, and energy, in an attempt to explain behaviour. However, her favourite spot to observe people was at Hyrule Castle's training grounds. She was only welcome to watch on certain days as her presence seemed to distract some of the recruits. She often watched from a distance, usually the Eastern tower where she conveniently kept all her research notes. She loved that she was learning about people and about fighting techniques at the same time. She definitely had her favourite trainees to watch, with particularly high interest in the best fighters.

Alatar, Zanpher, and Gereth were the top of their class. The ceremony for official knighthood was just around the corner and they were among the favourites to receive the high honor of becoming Royal Guards. Nothing would mean more to them than this. Zanpher had lived in castle town his whole life and was practically guaranteed to become a guard of some caliber. Gereth was born on a ranch south of the town, thus had a moderate opportunity to become one. He was just glad he no longer had to tend to animals, despite loving them. Alatar, however, was lucky to even get to train. He had come from a forest to the South-East and was barely considered a Hylian citizen. That didn't stop him from being top student.

After their training session today the trainees were to find out who in the class was going to graduate. This meant that combat training today would be overseen by the royal family, who had the last say in the choosing. Zanpher and Gereth were their normal, energetic selves, feeling quite confident in their talents. Alatar was a bit nervous, though, not necessarily because he was being judged that day, but because Zelda was attending. He and Zelda hadn't shared much interaction, but every time she was near him, an unbelievable, other-worldly energy filled his soul. Sometimes he performed better with her watching, while other times he stumbled over every action and couldn't hold himself in a duel to save his life. He was unsure what today would be like, hoping for the former option. The day began with twenty minutes of warm-ups and stretches while they waited for the royal family to arrive for the assessment.

"Recruits, gather your equipment and form a line. Today is judgement day and I want all my men to show us their best! There is much competition for the top spots," their captain gave a comically pointed look towards Alatar as he spoke and the gang laughed a little. "King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule and his consort will be here in ten minutes. Look sharp and be on your best behaviour!"

A few of the men practiced their combative techniques while in the line. Zanpher and Gereth, standing on either side of Alatar, took a bit of a different approach.

"Ooh look who gets to be judged by his lover today. Hope she fancies you a Royal Guard as much as she fancies watching you." Zanpher poked Alatar in the shoulder and laughed.

"Just try not to trip over your own two feet today. Let the invisible force do it for you. I love seeing that thing in action when Zelda's around. Makes it easier for the rest of us to catch up to you." Gereth teased. Alatar went to playfully punch Gereth in the arm, but he dodged it. "Someone's feeling playful today! Better save that energy for the Princess." Alatar smiled at Gereth and rolled his eyes sarcastically. The last thing he needed today was to be clumsy, but he knew joking about it with his friends would help loosen him up.

"You guys are just lucky to even get to compete. I mean, c'mon! My granny hits better than you two and she's dead," Alatar chuckled to himself. Gereth and Zanpher tried to wrestle with him, but Alatar jumped out of the way. They ended up getting into a small fight with each other until the captain cleared his throat loudly, a sign for them to behave.

"Save it for the judgement, men. You don't want to look like you fell down the stairs this morning," the captain teased.

King Rhoam entered the grounds, followed by Princess Zelda, General Impa, and three other judges Alatar did not recognize. The atmosphere changed with their arrival. It was do or die time, making tensions very high and giving the atmosphere an icy feel. The captain approached their table and whispered something to the King. He gestured to the empty chair beside Zelda and whispered something back. The captain saluted him and turned to face the trainees. "Men, we will have a special guest joining us today. Hailing from the Gerudo Desert, please give your utmost respect to Prince Ganondorf." At that moment a man with a tanned complexion and a stoic expression entered the grounds. Alatar had a moment of malice towards the guest that faded almost instantly. He noticed the man look at him out of the corner of his eye and wondered if he had felt it too. It had come and gone so quickly that Alatar wondered if he had just imagined it.

The King stood up and gave his introductory speech about the history of the guards, the honor of becoming one, and a layout of the military system. "Three levels of the military are hiring new recruits: Conventional Guards, Castle Guards, and Royal Guards. Conventional Guards have the job of patrolling outside the town that surrounds the castle. They are the first people called upon when outside threats appear. Castle Guards have the job of patrolling from inside of the town and are posted mostly at the entrances to the castle. Their job is to keep peace inside the walls of the town as well as guard the underground prison. Lastly, the Royal Guards are the protectors inside the castle. Their job is to protect the royal family and any and all staff members that reside in the castle. Do not take these positions lightly, gentlemen. Each comes with its own challenges and rewards. Each requires your utmost dedication. Each is important and requires varying levels of sacrifice. We are here today to decide if any of you deserve the honor of defending Hyrule." The King gave the line a quick, sweeping look, then made eye contact with the captain once more. "I leave the rest up to you captain. Show us what you've got."

"We shall begin with duels, followed by individual showcases. The duels will take place simultaneously as some of the judges walk around, observing your techniques and taking note of the winners. On my whistle you will line up here once more and each of you will have two minutes to show the table of judges your individual capabilities, using the training dummies provided if necessary. The board behind you shows your duel partner; find them then stand in any one of the squares painted on the ground. The objective is to knock your opponent down or force them out of the square. We shall give you all a moment to get ready. Do not start fighting until I say so!"

The entire line up gave a salute and responded in unison with a "Yes, sir!" before heading to the back. Alatar's opponent was a buff guy he hadn't had much interaction with. He knew this was the antithesis to Alatar's lean frame and average strength, but he had the upper hand when it came to technique. They both took a fighting stance with their shields and wooden swords, studying each other, trying to gauge their opponent. "He's tough, pushing him out of the square won't be a good tactic. His speed is slower than mine, I should use that to my advantage. First, find out how his blocking capabilities are, notice where he keeps his attention when attacked, then decide from there," Alatar rehearsed in his head. When the whistle blew, Alatar charged towards his opponent, swinging strategically, but keeping most of his energy at his feet to prevent being knocked over by his larger opponent. "He keeps his eyes on my sword, directly focused on the attack," Alatar noticed. "Perfect opportunity for a fake-out." Alatar dodged the few swings his opponent took, then went in to begin his plan. "First, make it look like I'm aiming for his upper body. Give him enough time to block the attack, most likely obstructing his lower vision. As soon as the sword and shield make contact, I'll put all my strength into my lower body, sweep one leg at his feet, then quickly regain my balance and sweep again. It's rare they expect the second leg sweep," he thought to himself in a split second. It wasn't a common attack and he hoped he could pull it off. His sword hit, he ducked, and had finished the second leg sweep in under two seconds. His opponent landed with a loud thud, losing the battle. Alatar stood up, then held his hand out to help his opponent get back on his feet.

"Good fight," the man said, as he walked away to sit on the bench. Alatar noticed a judge writing on his clipboard, nodding his head, looking impressed with their duel. Alatar had to think about what he would do for his showcase while they waited for the other duels to finish. He followed his opponent to the benches and drank some water, thinking up techniques he was particularly skilled at. By the time the whistle was blown Alatar knew exactly what he was going to do.

One by one names were called and the recruits stepped forward using steady metal swords this time, exactly like the ones they would use in real combat. Alatar was too busy rehearsing his maneuvers in his head to pay attention to anything going on in the showcases. He was only watching them to make sure that he wouldn't be repeating any of their moves. Zanpher was up. His biggest strength was his agility. His ability to manipulate his energy to exactly where he needed it to be, with high accuracy and incredible reaction was impressive. He showed off his jump, his roll, and mostly his ability to switch between putting all his power behind his swing then moving it all back to his stance. He finished with a theatrical decapitation and bowed to the judges, all of them taking notes. A few more recruits took their turns, then it was Gereth's time to shine. Alatar noticed he was looking a little downtrodden but chalked it up to nerves. Gereth was always nervous in the presence of authority. He decided to show off his strength mostly, slicing as deep as he could with every slash of the sword. He finished with a roll between the legs and a large slice up the back that caused large amounts of stuffing to fall to the ground. He looked embarrassed at the result, but the judges looked impressed. Finally, it was Alatar's turn. He showed off his speed with some crouch stabs and a few jump slashes from way further back than most people could handle. For his final move, he charged forward and stabbed at the ground to make his sword steady enough to hold his weight. With one hand on the sword he bent his knees and kicked both his legs at the dummy's head. He then pivoted with his hand on the sword and swept his legs at the dummy's feet to knock it over. Withincredible speed, he pulled the sword from the ground and jumped into the air, finishing with a stab right through the heart. He raised his head to look at the table before getting to his feet, not daring to judge his own performance. He went back into the line-up while the last of the recruits did their showcases.

The King dismissed himself and his panel to discuss their decisions. The recruits were to go freshen up before being called to a meeting room for assignments. The tension was so high that no one dared talk. The captain just stood by the benches with his head held high and an unreadable expression on his face. Alatar wondered if he felt pride, disappointment, satisfaction, or something else. Sure, not all of the recruits had been at their peak today, but most of them did better than usual. Alatar just hoped he would be hired, regardless of the position. He judged Gereth and Zanpher to be quite impressive earlier. Either way, they would know in about a half hour who had made it and who hadn't.

Twenty minutes went by in dead silence, the recruits gathered on the bench. Finally, one of the judges came back to the grounds. He called out three names and took them with him for judgement. Gereth was among the first names called. Zanpher gave him a little nudge and told him to keep his head held high and show them some confidence. Alatar nodded his head in agreement as Gereth left. "You know he doesn't have a great chance. Of becoming a Royal Guard, I mean," Zanpher said quietly to Alatar. "He did well in the individual showcase, but he lost his duel. I happened to see it out of the corner of my eye. Was doing well but lost focus at the end and fell to Perj. He's probably got a good shot at becoming a Castle Guard though. How do you think you did?"

"I don't want to think about it," replied Alatar. "It's over now and nothing I do can change the outcome at this time," Alatar sighed. "No point in trying to guess when we'll know in a few minutes."

Zanpher nodded in agreement and looked out to the distance. "Would be nice to become a Royal Guard though."

The judge came back and called out three more names. Alatar was on the list this time, excitement replacing the nervousness he had felt since finishing his showcase. When they got to the hall's entrance the judge asked the other two to wait outside the door while Alatar went in for judgement. "Should be quick lad," the judge said. "They've already made up their minds after all."

King Rhoam immediately addressed him with a warm smile as he walked into the room. "My boy, I haven't seen fighting skills like yours in a long time. I have never been more proud to give the high honour of Royal Guard to anyone. Zelda, please give Alatar a royal blue ceremonial sash that he may wear proudly at the knighting ceremony tomorrow night." It felt strange to Alatar to hear the King use his name. It instilled a sense of pride in him as the reality slowly sunk in. Zelda stood up and grabbed a large, stiff, blue scarf with gold trim and draped it over his shoulders. They saluted each other and he was dismissed from the room. He was so happy he could hardly contain his glee.

Chapter 3

The castle hall was decorated beautifully. Ribbons hung from the ceiling, golden statues stood on either side of the stage. Every pew had woven fabric covers in the three colour combinations of the guard's levels: green and bronze for the Conventional Guards, red and silver for the Castle Guards, and blue and gold for the Royal Guards. Everything sparkled and shined, the epitome of perfection, not a single detail out of place. Along the walls near the stage were the names of the inductees. They were on beautifully decorated green, red, and blue plaques with white engravings of all the graduates and a bronze, silver, and gold lace design for the outline.

"The mason and glazier workers must have worked on them for hours last night to get them finished so quickly," Zelda said to her father, who was inspecting the decoration work and double-checking that all the names on the plaques and in their speeches were spelled correctly. "I swear they get lovelier every year."

"Are you ready for today Zelda?" King Rhoam asked. He'd asked her the same question every year since she had started participating in the ceremony at age ten.

"I'm not nervous, or at least not any more than usual. I assume I'll be the sword wielder again?" she responded.

"Would you prefer another job?" the King teased. He knew full well she loved knighting the graduates. "I'm going to double-check with General Impa about some name pronunciations. Make sure you practice your correct stances. Run through the ceremony for practice. I'll have Ganondorf join you so he knows his role well. It is his first time after all."

"Not like he hasn't been part of a royal ceremony before," she mumbled under her breath as the King left the hall. She went back to studying the room, wondering how a group of people could make such perfect decorations in one day. Ganondorf appeared, looking bored as usual. Zelda knew that it was just how his face was. She could feel his excitement.

"Are you ready for the ceremony today?" He asked a little sarcastically.

"Oh yeah, only been doing this for fifteen years. It would be a miracle if I don't slice off someone's head," she laughed.

"Your dad said he wants us to run through the ceremony a couple of times. Shall we get started?"

"Sure but let's just do the short version. Make sure we know where we stand and what we say. I'm assuming you've done ceremonies like this before?"

"I have. The only major difference is most of your guards are men. All of ours are women." This brought on an awkward silence. Zelda had a feeling that being the only man in an all-female race must come with some challenges she didn't have to face in a mixed gender society. She pretended to be studying the names on the wall again. Ganondorf shrugged.

"The ceremony is a little different but not much. My role is usually to stand there and look important and interested. At least I'll have a little more to do this time." Ganondorf said. Looking stern was what he was good at but deep down Zelda knew he was a passionate person who loved exploration and discovery, something lacking in both their lives, given their roles as future rulers. She realized she had a wide-eyed stare right at Ganondorf while her brain wandered off topic. Ganondorf raised an eyebrow and smiled. "You're head's in the clouds again isn't it?" Zelda nodded and looked down with a slightly shameful expression. She always got in trouble with her father when she'd stare off into space like that.

"Okay, back to the ceremony. It starts with the emcee introducing the King, followed by the seven members of the Hylian Royal Council, then General Impa, the Royal Guard captain, me, and finally you, with an announcement that you are our special guest. We enter in a line-up backstage from the left. On stage, I'll be seated in a chair behind, and off to the side of, the emcee's podium. You will take the far left position of the royal lineup. The emcee will say a few more words about the military and the new recruits, who will be lined up off stage to the right in order of position, then name. The emcee will then ask the King to read off the names. I'll stand up as the King approaches me and hands me the replica sword. I salute him and he nods back before taking his place at the podium. He'll do his own short opening, including a congratulatory message to the graduate, then announce the new guards one-by-one, starting at the lowest level. They will come on stage, salute him, and then walk over me to be knighted with the sword while I say "may the goddesses of Hyrule protect you." Finally, each recruit will walk off the stage to stand in a lineup below the stage. The King will stop before announcing the top three graduates, all Royal Guards, and invite you to the podium to introduce them. Each will come over to you, you will put either a bronze, silver, or gold pin on their sash, do a salute with them then they will walk to me to be knighted like the others. They will stand in front of their fellow guards below the stage, ready to lead them out of the hall at the conclusion of the ceremony. Ready to act it out?"

"I think I got it all. So the three names I'll be saying are at the top of the plaque on the wall there?"

"Right. Say your speech for me now and I'll correct you on pronunciations and check if you're missing anything."

Ganondorf pulled some papers out of his pocket and cleared his throat. "Thank you your highness. I will now announce the top three students from this year's graduates. In third place, and winner of the bronze honour, Bremen Kafegaro. In second place, winner of the silver honour, Zanpher Mirweis. Finally, in first place, top of his class, and winner of the gold honour, Alatar Almaan."

Zelda stopped for a moment to think about it. "You have the names right. Speech seems a little stiff but that's probably a good thing for a ceremony like this. It sounds on par with the speech my father usually gives so that's a good thing. Alright, let's get started."

Zelda and Ganondorf ran through the ceremony three times before they were satisfied with the results and confident in themselves. Then a guard entered the hallway and asked them to go to the meeting room on the second floor. "Time to tell the guards how the ceremony works and announce the three top graduates. Ganondorf, I'm supposed to ask you if you would like to announce the three winners at this meeting."

"Uh, sure. Don't see why not." He replied to the guard and they all left the hall. "Might be a good way to make sure they are happy with how I pronounce their names," Ganondorf said quietly to Zelda. They made their way to the meeting room.

Alatar was dressed in his ceremonial best, blue and gold head to toe, waiting outside the meeting room for his friends to show up. He knew he was almost an hour early to the meeting but he just couldn't wait. He knew not what the other two had been assigned, and was hoping they had good news. He certainly did. He waited for them to arrive, knowing they liked to be super early to these kinds of things too.

About ten minutes later Zanpher showed up dressed the exact same as Alatar was. He was a little surprised not to see Gereth with him. "Hey man," Zanpher said as he approached Alatar, his expression a little sad, given the occasion. "Gereth didn't make Royal Guard. I'd guess he came close but the judges must have noticed that he lost his duel. I don't know where he is. He'll show up though. Not like him to be late, but he may not be in the best of moods."

Alatar lowered his head slightly, feeling bad for his rejected friend. He had really hoped they would all get to work together. "He did at least get a Castle Guard position, right?"

"Yes. He's pretty much their best guard. He must have just missed out, or maybe there aren't enough positions and someone else outdid him. Either way, he still has a chance to make Royal Guard someday. Maybe we should remind him of that if he gets too mopey. I have a feeling looking sad or angry around the King and his consort won't play out very well if he does want to try for Royal Guard again. So let's do our best to cheer him up, okay? Speak of the devil." Gereth walked around the corner dressed in red and silver, looking a little down and a lot serious. Alatar was trying to decide what to say to him when Zanpher cut in. "Good to see you, man. You doing alright?"

Gereth sighed before he spoke, making his stern look fade a little. "I guess I'm happy I became a guard at all. Not like I have much else to do with my life at this point and it's better than going back to the Ranch, I guess." He looked down at his shoes.

"What, you don't miss all the animal fur and feathers everywhere, and that just absolutely beautiful smell?" Zanpher replied sarcastically then laughed. "I'd pay big money to see you chasing cuccos all day." Gereth smiled a little but still had his head down.

"It's not like you can't earn your way to becoming a Royal Guard. Judging by the evaluation I'd wager you are the top recruit in your position," Alatar said.

"Yeah, just kiss up to everyone you come across and do everything they tell you to and everything they don't tell you to do. You'll be one in no time." Zanpher said jokingly. Gereth raised his head with a small, goofy smile on his face.

"You guys better keep safe too. After all, as I'm posted just outside the castle, thus it is now my duty to guard you," Gereth replied. Zanpher gave him a dirty look, but didn't look very convincing with the smirk forming on his face.

More graduates were starting to arrive. About ten minutes before the meeting would start, the King and his consort arrived, followed shortly after by Princess Zelda and Prince Ganondorf, who were in a deep, quiet conversation. Zanpher poked Alatar's side hard. "Look, it's your girlfriend again." Zelda looked away from Ganondorf for a second to nod at Alatar, who nodded back. Ganondorf glanced at him, too, before quickly looking away. He felt a large surge of power in his chest for less than a second. It was the same type of feeling he'd had the first time he saw Ganondorf and hoped it was just nerves. After all, the Gerudo Prince did give off an aura of menace, which, along with boredom, was written all over his face. A few minutes later one of the judges came out of the room to invite the graduates in.

They lined up just like they had in the courtyard, although the line was noticeably smaller. The King did a quick introductory speech which Alatar was not completely listening to. He was particularly interested in Zelda and Ganondorf whispering to each other. Why did he feel he should care? He didn't think of Ganondorf as his enemy, he didn't even know the man! He pulled himself back to reality and tried to pay attention. Just in time too, since one of the judges was now going over how the ceremony would play out. Alatar nodded along with everyone else as the judge explained the procedure. "Lastly, we will have the top three graduates announced by our guest of honour, Prince Ganondorf. He will now announce the names of the winners."

There was a bit of a murmur from the lineup as people wondered who had the top three spots. Ganondorf stood up and traded places with the judge causing the lineup to go silent in respect for the guest, or in Alatar's case, because he felt the power surge in his chest again. Ganondorf wasn't one to waste time and got right to the point. "The bronze winner is Bremen Kafegaro. The silver winner is Zanpher Mirweis, and the gold winner is Alatar Almaan. Am I saying those names correctly?" Alatar nodded with the others. "Now let's all go to the hall for a practice run."

They were led to the hall by General Impa who proceeded to put them in the order they would be called to the stage before taking them backstage. There was no time to talk, as the practice began immediately. About two hours later, after all the kinks had been worked out of the ceremony, the King dismissed everyone for supper, which would be held in the dining hall as a treat for the graduates. Alatar, Zanpher, and Gereth, along with a few other recruits, stayed behind to admire the decorations or run through the ceremony with themselves again. Alatar just stared at the plaque. His name was right at the top of the beautiful blue plaque, carved in bright white, forever. He felt pride and for the first time in his life he was absolutely sure he was on the right path. It felt wonderful to be a part of something bigger than himself, the ceremony exciting him and amplifying his pride even more. The robes, the decorated hall, the plaque with his name, it was all a small reminder of the immense pressure that he was under to be good at his job.

The rest of his night went by in a blur. Alatar was so excited, making everything feel dream-like. Things seemed to glow more brightly, his mind seemed captivated by everything going on around him. His pride had him keeping his head held high, his posture straighter than a pencil, and his body lighter than air. Before he knew it, he was standing backstage, just he and the other two top graduates, each waiting for their name to be announced. Soon there were two. Then only he remained. Finally, he was called to the stage. As he approached Ganondorf his nerves went wild. He never realized he was prone to stage fright. His heart was beating too fast and he had a strong desire to avoid looking at the audience. "It's like being in battle," he thought to himself. He did his best to stand still as the pin was put on his sash. He then looked at Ganondorf to give him a salute and had a bit of a power surge once again when he made eye contact with Ganondorf. He walked stiffly over to Zelda, forcing his tense limbs to move. He waited while she finished her part, trying to hide his slight shake, then walked off the stage to stand beside Zanpher. They walked out of the hall while the audience stood up and either clapped or saluted them. The ceremony had concluded and Alatar realized he was holding his breath. He let out a big sigh of relief as he relaxed a little. Now the real work would begin.

Chapter 4

There was no mistaking the sight that stood before her very eyes. Hyrule Castle was up in flames and she was watching it burn to the ground. She was being dragged from the carnage by one of the Royal Guards. They were escaping through the town, Zelda just now realizing she was on horseback, fleeing the flames. She looked down to find the town was drenched in a rising river of blood. She thought she heard someone screaming and realized it was her. She was crying, praying for the safety of her people. As they galloped away on ginger horse with a shiny white mane and tail, a particularly bright glow in a world so dark, she began to worry. The reality of the situation was sinking in. Would her father make it out? Would anyone make it out? A bunch of people flashed through her mind, each face she recognized and they added to her worry. The blood and flames seemed to be chasing them.

She heard someone shout something to her. Her thoughts were too overwhelming to make out what the voice was saying. It took a few seconds for the words to become clear and she realized the Royal Guard was the one shouting. "Are you okay Princess? Please answer me. I need to know if you need medical attention." The horse was slowing down while he shouted. She nodded but realized he wouldn't see her.

"Yes, Link, I'm fine. Let's just get somewhere safe and try to make contact with the others." She was surprised by her own bravery. Link heeya'd the horse and headed for the Ranch south of town. Suddenly something burst forth from the flames in the castle. It was a dark figure, darker than the night sky on a cloudless night, and it was headed right for them. Zelda screamed Link's name as she put her arms around him for protection and he tried to get the horse to run faster. As the darkness was closing in, an evil laugh could be heard coming from it. It grew louder and louder as it got closer. She realized at the last second that there was no escaping this darkness and braced for impact.

Zelda rolled out of bed and landed on the floor on all fours feeling sick. Her heart was racing so fast she could see the heartbeat in her eyes. "It wasn't real" she told herself over and over again. The guard in the hallway outside her room heard her hit the floor and came to check on her. He was about to ask if she was okay when she stuck her hand out for him to stop talking for a second. He froze, unsure what to do.

"Go get me some paper and a pen." She realized she had said it very harshly and was breathing heavily. "Please," she added in a slightly calmer tone.

"Right away, Princess," the guard responded and ran out of the room. She didn't want to forget her dream. "Dreams have to mean something, they always do," she whispered to herself. She dared not move from her position on the floor in case she forgot even one little detail. She knew the connections between dreams and reality could mean something as simple as she had seen a lot of blue flowers that day so her dreams were tinged blue. She hoped this had been brought on by something simple like that. A story she had read, a particularly tense moment she wasn't recalling at the moment, something out of place her mind was trying to warn her about. She was rehearsing the dream over and over again in her head as the guard arrived with her supplies. She got to her feet, took the supplies from the guard, and headed to the desk.

"Do you require medical attention?" The guard asked. The same thing someone had said to her in her dream. It brought the scene of the castle on fire back to her in vivid reality for a moment.

"I don't think so." She paused for a moment before writing her dream down. The guard turned to leave a few moments later. "Wait!" Zelda yelled, a little too loudly for this time of night. She was clearly still shaken. "What happened before I woke up? Did you notice anything strange?" She had a lot more questions but couldn't form them in her current mindset.

"You were rolling around in your bed a lot, mumbling. Then you gasped really loudly and went silent. I came in to check on you. Your breathing was a little heavy, you had sweat running down your forehead, and you had an extremely pained look on your face. It faded pretty quickly, though, and you seemed normal again. I resumed patrolling the hallway when I heard a quiet scream and a thump," the guard finished nervously. She took a deep breath to calm herself before responding so she could help ease his nerves.

"Did I say anything you recognized when I was mumbling? Any words or names?"

"The only words I heard you mumble at first were "fire" and "blood." A bit went by and you said, very clearly, the name "Link". You gasped immediately after that." She contemplated this for a bit, then realized the guard was still standing there.

"That's all I need for now. If I need more I'll let you know okay?" She smiled at him as she attempted to remember every aspect of her dream. The guard left and she began writing some more. It seemed that every scene she put on the page was seared into her memory in vivid detail. She knew she wouldn't go back to sleep so she informed the guard, now half way down the hall, that she was going to the East Tower to do some work. He escorted her over there and she began to do some research into every aspect of her nightmare.

"How does one begin to research a dream as chaotic as that?" Zelda asked herself. She looked over her notes again and decided to think about everything that had happened recently, starting with yesterday. "There was the rehearsal, the ceremony, and the supper. Nothing really stands out there. The day before that was the judgement for the new guards. The only thing that stands out there is the tension in the air, but that is normal for judgement day. It would need to be something more than that." Zelda thought about all the activities she could remember doing in the past week and couldn't come up with a good reason for why she had had such a vivid nightmare. She decided to shift focus, thinking instead about major changes in her life. There was the death of her mother three years ago. "But why would that trigger something now? I wasn't even thinking about my mother recently," she thought, a little guiltily. The only other major change she could think of was the arrival of Ganondorf, but couldn't fathom a reason he would have triggered the nightmare.

She decided to look at some astrology books to see if there were any outside influences. Nothing in the stars nor planets pointed to destruction on that level, and she didn't really believe in that stuff all that much. She put the books away and read her recount of the dream over and over again. Many theories crossed her mind as to what had caused it, each less believable than the last. After an hour she had decided she knew two things about the nightmare. Firstly, she would tell someone about it to get an outside perspective. "Who though?" she pondered. "Father would just worry, the guard who was watching over me tonight would probably feel too intimidated to give his actual opinion on the matter, who else is there?" In the end, she decided to tell Ganondorf first. "He's intelligent, maybe he knows something I don't." The second thing she would do was attempt to identify the mysterious character whose name was, apparently, Link. "He seemed so familiar; how could he though? I never saw his face. Did his voice sound familiar? His scent? Maybe just his presence?" Zelda sat in her tower for the rest of the night thinking about what it all was supposed to mean, anxiously awaiting the coming morning when she could carry out her plan. "After morning training," she thought. "Nothing like exercise to clear the mind."

Zelda went to her usual training spot, a small, enclosed space next to the courtyard that reminded her of a dojo. She went to the board like every week to see what they would be practicing today. Block and parry was first on the list for today. She was more than an hour early and decided to start her warm up and practice some sword skills. She did her best to keep her mind on her training, working mostly on left to right side slashes, her weakest move. It frustrated her to no end that she couldn't stop thinking about the nightmare. She turned around to take a break and noticed Ganondorf was sitting on the bench watching her. How did she not notice him come in? She smiled and waved at him, his face looking bored as always. Behind his eye, she could see he was deep in thought. She had a feeling she knew what he was thinking about.

"You had that nightmare too, did you?" Zelda asked, sitting on the bench beside him. Ganondorf looked startled, but just nodded his head. "Have you been up all night thinking about it, too?"

"Yes. I've had this nightmare before, many times. But last night was the most intense it has ever been," he said, dejected. "Have you ever experienced it before?"

"I don't believe so, not that I recall anyways. Tell me, in your dream, did all of the following happen? Castle on fire, town full of blood, escaping on horseback with a, uh," she paused for a second. She decided, for now, not to tell Ganondorf the name of the person in her dream. "Royal Guard, I think it was?" Her voice went higher on that last part. She hoped he didn't recognize that this was her tell. She had always been a bad liar. "Oh, and a black mass burst forth from the flames and chased us. Right before it hit me I woke up." Ganondorf straightened up and looked at her with a serious look on his face.

"I had an almost identical dream. It's strange that it took place at Hyrule Castle for me, though, as it usually takes place in my hometown." He slouched back on the bench and put his arms behind his head. "I don't think it means anything Zelda. Probably just all the excitement from the judging and the ceremony." He looked at her with his one eyebrow raised. "Unless you can think of another reason, perhaps?"

Zelda felt like he was holding something back. "I admit I've been trying to find out the meaning of it since it woke me up. My conclusion has been much the same." They both sat in silence and waited for the trainer to arrive, Zelda wondering if Ganondorf was telling her the whole truth. "Why, though, he has no reason to lie," she thought to herself. "What could he possibly gain from holding something back?" She decided to tell her father about everything, just in case.

Zelda found her father in the dining hall with two of his council members. The members stood up to bow as she entered and she bowed back. King Rhoam looked up from the papers he was reading to smile at his daughter. He immediately recognized the curious look she had on her face when she was deep in thought, but noticed concern or, perhaps, fear there too. "Zelda, my dear, what are you doing here? Did something happen to you?" He had trouble hiding the concern in his voice. The two council members picked up on the tone shift and both looked up at Zelda again, taking their gaze off their papers.

"It's probably nothing, father, but I do want to talk with you. Nothing your council members need concern themselves with. No need to worry them over what is probably nothing," she said, waving her hand. She knew she wasn't fooling her father with that lie.

"Thank you Mulich, Nidera, you may go," the King requested.

As soon as they left the room, Zelda's recount of her nightmare poured out of her like a wild river. "I was escaping on horseback with a Royal Guard." She decided to leave the name out of it again. She was unsure what it was about the name Link that made her want to keep it a secret. She finished telling her father the rest of the story. She mentioned that Ganondorf had had the same dream and then paused a moment, doubting her decision to not mentioning the name Link, nor her fears about Ganondorf's possible deceit. Her father noticed she was holding something back. She was never very good at hiding her emotions, especially from him. They tended to be written all over her face and body language.

"There is more you're not telling me, isn't there?" the King asked. She nodded and looked down at her shoes. "Why don't you just tell me and we can decide afterwards if it's something you should keep a secret from everyone?" Zelda nodded in agreement.

"I know the name of the Royal Guard in the nightmare. When he asked me if I was alright, I replied and I spoke his name; it was Link. I've never heard that name in my life, it doesn't even sound Hylian. The guard did seem familiar, though. Not that I saw his face at any point." The King's face went pale and his eyes grew wide. "Father, are you okay?" Zelda asked. She had never seen her father look so worried, even when her mother had been sick. He said nothing. He stood up and walked towards the door.

"Mulich, I need you to find Ganondorf and the high priestess. Tell the priestess to bring the golden tome. I need to seem them at once." He walked back to the table and sat down. Colour was returning to his face but his look of fear was unchanged. "Sit down, Zelda. You will understand the meaning behind this once the other two get here." Zelda sat on the opposite side of the table from her father. She stared at him, afraid. The minutes it took the other party members to join them felt like hours.

Ganondorf came marching into the room. He was looking fierce and somewhat unfazed. The priestess, holding a book, walked in right after him, out of breath and looking a little fearful.

"It is time, Elena. She must be informed at once so they can make haste to the Southern Spring!" the King said with so much urgency it made Ganondorf pause for a moment before he sat down. He had a feeling he knew what this was about.

"Are you sure, my liege? She is still very young." Elena answered. The King cut her off mid-sentence.

"I believe to wait any longer would be unwise. If you'll excuse me, I have to make preparations for the journey. Elena, come find me as soon as you are done, I will be speaking with General Impa. Zelda, Ganondorf, stay here until I get back." The King walked very quickly out of the room while Elena took a seat opposite them and opened the text to begin the story.

"Zelda," Elena addressed her, "the story you are about to hear is an ancient tale passed down by the royal families. The legend of the Golden Triforce."

"It is an ancient relic created by the three goddesses who created Hyrule," Ganondorf cut in. "It is said to grant the wishes of anyone with a pure soul." Elena stared at him in shock. "I was told about this before coming to stay here. It's the reason I'm staying here."

"Then you must know what happens when one with questionable intentions tries to use the Triforce's power," Elena said excitedly.

"It breaks into three pieces, courage, wisdom, and power, and the one who tried to steal it gets the piece they desire most, while the other two pieces are given to those destined to stop them."

Zelda looked confused and alarmed. "If you knew this, why didn't you tell me? You must know what my nightmare means then!"

"Prophecy?" he guessed as he shrugged his shoulders. "I've been having the same dream for years now. Even when I learned all this from my mother I still don't know what the dreams mean. The Royal Gerudo Council believes it to be from my ancestor. They believe I possess the Triforce of Power thanks to him. He stole it from the Sacred Realm long before either of us was born. Based on that information, I'd say the Triforce is trying to warn us of something." Ganondorf watched as Zelda made her usual thinking face and he smiled. "Never change, Zelda."

She smiled at him. "So if you think your dream was brought on by possessing a piece of the Triforce, does that mean I have a piece as well?"

Elena nodded. "King Rhoam knows, or strongly believes, at least, that you hold the Triforce of Wisdom." Zelda was about to ask a question when Elena answered it for her. "We do not yet know who possesses the Triforce of Courage. The King has a few ideas but refuses to share them with anyone."

"So why are we going to the Southern Spring? Is it to find the Triforce of Courage holder?" Zelda asked.

"I am not sure, Princess. You'll have to ask the King. I'm guessing he's hoping to find some answers there," Elena finished. She left to find the King, leaving Zelda to wonder what could possibly come of this trip.

"The journey is all set and will begin early tomorrow morning," King Rhoam spoke as he entered the room once more. "I have asked three guards to accompany you. Your bags are being packed as we speak. I do not have much time before I must return to work, so ask me any questions you have now, as there will not be time again before the trip," the King said quickly and quietly.

"Why do you want us to go to the Spring?" Zelda asked. She recognized her father was trying to keep composure, even though she could sense he was in hysterics.

"Answers to questions I have not yet thought of. I'm hoping simply being in proximity with the Spring will help at least you understand what must be done with your power and why you have it. I'm hoping the Spring has a connection to the Goddess of Wisdom."

"Are you part of the plan to reunite the Triforce as well?" Ganondorf asked. This took the King by surprise.

"How do you know about the plan?" he said with such ferocity that Ganondorf jumped a little.

"I was informed of it by the Gerudo Royal Council right before coming here. They mentioned it was to get rid of the ancient, evil curse placed on us and our descendants." The King looked a little suspiciously at Ganondorf. "I have no objections to the plan," Ganondorf said quickly. The King didn't have time to argue with him.

"Father, do you know who holds the Triforce of Courage?" Zelda asked

"I have a strong idea who but now is not the time. First we must see what becomes of your trip. I'm afraid to guess who in case I am mistaken. I'm hoping that's one of the questions this trip will answer. Any other questions?"

Zelda and Ganondorf both thought for a moment. Ganondorf shook his head, but Zelda had one more question. "Who is Link?" King Rhoam smiled at her and patted her on the shoulder. "You'll know soon enough."

Chapter 5

Alatar and Zanpher were both finishing their night shifts. Alatar was trying to concentrate on his duties whilst Zanpher was excitedly talking his ear off. "I saw the Princess, man, on my first night of patrolling! She looked scared. Said it was a bad dream and made me get her some paper, tell her what I saw her do in her sleep, and then had me escort her to the Eastern Tower. What a wild first day!" Alatar wasn't paying much attention. He was trying to make sure he remembered to do all his duties before his shift was over. It sucked working over nights but it was no surprise that the newer Royal Guards would have these shifts. He tried to seem interested in what his friend was saying, but it just didn't seem all that exciting to him.

"Sounds like you had an interesting night," he replied in a somewhat unenthusiastic tone. He knew this tone wouldn't faze Zanpher at all, not when he was this excited about something.

"It was so cool! She was even talking in her sleep! I hope every shift is that exciting!" He looked at Alatar hoping for an enthused reaction. Alatar tried, yet again, to feign interest in his friend's story.

"Oh yeah, what did she say? Anything interesting?"

"Just a lot of mumbling, a scream right before she woke up and hit the floor. Oh, and she practically yelled the name "Link!" at one point."

Alatar's eyes grew wide for a split second. He looked away from Zanpher quickly before he noticed. He was too busy telling Alatar about his exciting night that he didn't notice. "Why did she say that name? Did she tell you?" Alatar asked, trying to hide the suspicion in his voice.

"No she didn't. It didn't even seem like she knew why she'd said it herself," Zanpher concluded, not noticing Alatar's shift in tension. "Anyways," he said with a sigh, "we should go check in with the captain before we finish our shift and make sure we're good to go home for the day." Alatar nodded, still thinking about Zanpher's story, and barely registered what was going on around him. "We should also tell Gereth what happened. He probably had the night shift as well. Who knows, maybe he had an interesting night too," Zanpher said. Again, Alatar nodded, lost in his own thoughts, as they headed off to finish their shifts.

They found Gereth at the Castle Guards' residence. Zanpher spared no time telling him a recount of the exciting night he'd had. Gereth seemed more interested in it than Alatar had. They both knew that Zanpher could talk about this all day if they let him. Thus, the two of them were glad when the captain came to collect them.

"Alatar, Zanpher, the King has requested your presence at once. Follow me." The captain didn't wait for them to respond, he simply turned and left the room, trusting his men to follow orders. Alatar noticed the slight urgency in the captain's voice and hoped it wasn't something he had done wrong, on his first shift of all things. Zanpher was just more excited than he had been before. He kept elbowing Alatar and whispering "The King! We actually get to meet him face to face! He requested us! This is insane!" They walked into a seating area outside the Royal Guards' chambers to find King Rhoam, standing by the window looking worried, with General Impa beside him, both awaiting their arrival. Even Zanpher, who almost never picked up on the room's atmosphere, especially when he got excited, noticed the intensity in the air. The captain addressed General Impa, who dismissed him. Impa then addressed the King, who in turn spoke to them.

"I need you two to escort my daughter to the Southern Spring. It won't be a dangerous journey, but there is no telling what will happen once you arrive. Zanpher, I assume you've told Alatar here what happened to Princess Zelda last night? You were the guard who intervened, correct?" The King was talking with measured authority but they could both sense he was putting forth a lot of effort to remain calm.

"Yes, your highness, I was the one who intervened and I told Alatar about my night," he answered. He clearly knew he was in the presence of authority and spoke as such, to Alatar's relief.

"The fewer people who know about this, the better. I request that you invite one or two more people for this mission. It may prove to be unpredictable but we cannot send an army with her. It would bring too much attention to the mission and we'd like it to be as discreet as possible. The official story I shall spread, where necessary, is you are escorting Princess Zelda and Prince Ganondorf for a visit to his kingdom. Queen Kalintha will also be informed of the plan." The King paused a moment, noticing the look of confusion to the name. "Queen of the Gerudo," he answered their questioning looks. "Are there other people you two would request for accompaniment?"

"Gereth of the Castle Guards," Alatar answered. "The three of us work off of each other well, especially in combat. I believe we won't be needing anyone else, your highness."

"Inform him as soon as possible. I shall have the carriage and horses ready to go in a few hours. Pack, then rest, and I shall send the captain to retrieve you three once the preparations are complete. Any questions?" Alatar and Zanpher shook their heads in response. "Very well then, you may go." They saluted the King, who saluted back in dismissal.

The three guards, the horses, and the fully loaded carriage were all in the courtyard, ready to go by mid-afternoon. General Impa joined them. "Time for a briefing men." Alatar, Zanpher, and Gereth took their stances while Impa paced in front of them, giving a synopsis of the plan. "The Southern Spring is not more than a day's travel on horseback, but bringing a carriage means it will probably take longer. I suggest you stop for the night at some point and let everyone rest. Your main objective is to guard the Prince and Princess. We imagine the journey and destination to be quite uneventful. It is for Princess Zelda's research purposes and not much else. While away, remember that you must represent and uphold the positions of Royal and Castle Guards respectively. You will follow protocol as if you were on patrol here. You will immediately report anything that happened on this trip to me upon your return, no matter how mundane. General formation is standard on this trip: one in the front, one in the back, one driving the carriage. Leisurely pace is acceptable. Finally, you will do as the Princess requests of you at all times, no exceptions." General Impa stopped pacing and faced them. "Any questions gentlemen?" The three of them shook their heads. "Very well, dismissed." They saluted each other and the General went back to the castle. Gereth, Alatar, and Zanpher went to start their inspections on the carriage and supplies. Once they completed it, Gereth ran inside to tell Zelda and Ganondorf that they were ready to go. They headed out the back of the castle and made their way to the Southern Spring.

The rest of the afternoon and early evening were uneventful. So why did Alatar sense there was something amiss? He constantly felt like danger would strike at any moment, but knew that it wasn't because of nerves for the assignment. He had a feeling it had something to do with his company. He was glad he was bringing up the rear because his mind was not staying as focused on the task at hand as it should be, no matter how hard he tried to concentrate. Zanpher and Gereth were conversing on and off, Zelda and Ganondorf had grown quiet in the past hour or so. Alatar, however, couldn't stop thinking about what this trip actually meant. No matter how hard he tried to convince himself that what General Impa had said about the trip being purely research was the whole truth, he couldn't help but wonder what the underlying cause of needing this research trip was. "Should we break for supper?" Ganondorf's question jutted Alatar out of his stupor.

"If that is your request," Alatar replied. Ganondorf nodded and Alatar yelled for Gereth and Zanpher to stop the carriage for a break. The three guards got the food and placement ready while Ganondorf and Zelda stepped out of the carriage.

"I did not realize how late it was getting," Zelda commented, looking up at the darkening sky. "Perhaps we should just rest for the night and begin again early in the morning."

"You're just tired because you were up all night last night," Ganondorf said. "Why don't you rest in the carriage for the remainder of the journey? That way, we can make it by early morning tomorrow."

"Ganondorf, think of the guards!" Zelda exclaimed. "I happened to know that this one," she pointed to Zanpher, "was on the night shift last night and probably didn't get much sleep either. I'm assuming the other two were also on night shift, since they are both new guards as well. Plus, the horses pulling the carriage, and the ones the other two ride would probably like a small rest." Zanpher smiled at the Princess. It was true that he had grown rather tired after only sleeping about three hours between his shift and the journey. Ganondorf shrugged and went to sit down on the blanket they had laid out for supper.

"I like picnics. It's so nice to take a break from palace life every once in a while, wouldn't you agree?" Zelda asked Ganondorf. He agreed that a break was refreshing, especially in the lush green field they were in.

"Definitely different from back home," he responded, admiring his surroundings. The three guards began serving them supper, then joined them. Zelda and Ganondorf didn't have much to say and the guards were far too nervous to strike up a conversation, giving the supper a bit of tension. Gereth and Zanpher finished up and left to unpack everyone's overnight bags. They were about to set up the beds for Zelda and Ganondorf inside the carriage when Zelda protested again. "I want to sleep under the stars. It comforts me to gaze at them. I can't fall asleep in a strange bed very easily anyways, but being under a night sky on such a clear night should feel fantastic, wouldn't you agree Ganondorf?"

He was taken aback by the statement a bit. He'd never slept under the stars before. "Yes, yes, the sky is beautiful." The more he thought about this trip, the more ominous it felt, but he thought no one else seemed concerned. He realized he was mistaken when he made eye contact with Alatar for about a minute and noticed that he, too, was deep in thought. Alatar didn't seem to notice they were staring at each other at first. "Maybe I'm not the only one who senses the unknown intentions behind this trip," Ganondorf thought to himself. He took an opportunity a couple minutes later to watch as Alatar fed the horses, trying to size him up, study him, almost like he was expecting them to fight each other. "Get a hold of yourself, he's not here to fight you," Ganondorf thought to himself. Why, then, did he feel malice behind Alatar's gaze every time they made eye contact?

"I'll take first watch," Gereth told Alatar and Zanpher. "Sounds like you two had a busier night than I did. I can stay awake a few hours longer."

"Wake us if anything happens though," Zanpher told him as he and Alatar settled into their beds. Gereth went and sat by the fire pit. Zanpher fell asleep almost immediately, but sleep alluded Alatar. He closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep, knowing a small rest, half conscious, was better than no rest at all. He was almost asleep when he heard Zelda and Ganondorf start talking again in low whispers to each other. At first, Zelda was pointing out constellations in the stars to Ganondorf, who would only make small noises of approval. Then, a conversation started that piqued his interest.

"Who do you think holds the Triforce of Courage?" asked Zelda.

"I have an idea, and I think you do too, or else you wouldn't still have that thoughtful look on your face." Ganondorf replied.

"The Triforce of Courage? What could that mean? Is that the reason we're on this journey?" Alatar thought to himself.

"Yes, well, he is the best fighter. But it may not be him. It could be someone we don't even know of yet." Zelda answered. There was silence for a few minutes before Ganondorf spoke again.

"It seems like the King knows who it is though. So it must be someone he knows of, at least."

"Do you think it's possible that this "Link" person from my nightmare is the wielder? Why else would he appear in it? I mean, hypothetically speaking, if these nightmares you and I have are a warning brought on by the Triforce then it makes sense that anyone in the dream is connected to it somehow." Zelda and Ganondorf again went silent for a stretch. "I wish I had seen his face. Then I could look around the castle and the town for anyone who looks like him. I could ask some of the guards about the name, I guess, but I'm pretty sure I'd know if a "Link" was a guard. I've been in every knighting ceremony since I was ten and the name is so unusual, so unlike Hylian names I've heard, that I'm sure it would have stuck out to me."

"I feel the better question to ask here is why your father isn't telling you about this person. What reservations could he possibly have?" Ganondorf asked.

Zelda sighed. "I'm sure it's to protect me somehow. That is usually father's intention for not filling me in. It does get frustrating. Does your mother do the same to you?"

"Yes, I suppose. I haven't really thought about it before. I'm not as curious about stuff as you are." Ganondorf said.

"I guess we'll find out more tomorrow." The two went dead silent. Alatar's head was buzzing with this new information. After laying there for what felt like too long trying to figure things out he realized he wasn't going to fall asleep anytime soon. He decided to relieve Gereth, who was just walking by doing his rounds.

"Hey, why don't you get some sleep? I'll take over for a little while." Alatar said as Gereth walked by, startling him.

"Warn a guy next time, I nearly drew my sword on you!" Gereth joked quietly. They traded places.

Alatar was sitting by the fire pit trying to make sense of the new information he had. He knew that if he could talk to himself aloud, even in a whisper, he'd be able to at least clarify the questions he had about the situation, maybe even some answers. "First off, what is a Triforce of Courage? Secondly, how do Zelda and Ganondorf relate to it? Thirdly, how did Zelda dream up the name "Link"? Lastly, what questions are these people hoping to have answered with a trip to this spring? Is there some ancient text, perhaps, or other clues there?" Alatar thought about these question and realized he couldn't answer any of them. After pondering for a while he realized he had another question. "Is that why being around Zelda and Ganondorf gives me such a strong reaction to their presence?" He went to do his walk around the camp. It would be daylight soon and he knew he wasn't going to sleep. He let Zanpher sleep the rest of the night and would request to drive the carriage this time, telling the other guards that it was because he was tired and driving took the least effort, when in reality, he was hoping to hear more of Zelda and Ganondorf's conversations.

They were off early that morning and the rest of the trip to the Spring took only a couple of hours. Alatar was getting more and more curious about the answers to the question floating around in his head. He didn't notice Zelda or Ganondorf talking much though. They arrived at the Spring and decided to eat lunch before entering. While Alatar was cooking by the fire, Zelda joined him.

"I love watching people do tasks," she admitted, looking over her shoulder at the other three members of their group. She then spoke in a hushed, hurried voice. "I know you were listening in on the conversation last night. I heard your heavy breathing halt and noticed you switched out with the other guard soon after we were done talking."

He hesitated. "I did," he responded, when he saw Zelda's accusatory face. He realized that there was no hiding it from her. He was also not surprised that she had noticed. "Sharp as a sword you are, Princess."

"Do you know who "Link" is then? Have you met anyone by that name?"

Alatar went to go answer her when Ganondorf came over. "What are we having today?" he asked.

"Roasted Hyrule bass and wild greens," Alatar answered.

Zelda and Ganondorf nodded to each other. "Listen, Alatar, was it?" Ganondorf asked. Alatar nodded. "Stay by Zelda's side today, at all times. I don't know what is going to happen here. I have a feeling it's either going to be nothing at all, or something big. You make sure to keep her safe, got it?" Alatar nodded again. So he, too, felt this trip had an ominous aura to it. "I know you've been thinking a lot, I'm assuming about this trip. You get the same look on your face as Zelda when you're deep in thought. I also know you were listening in on the conversation last night." Alatar just stared at him sheepishly, waiting for instructions or questions. "I'll take your silence as confirmation," Ganondorf replied. "Try not to think about it too much, we'll all learn more today, I'm sure." Alatar nodded once again, then they all went to sit down for lunch.

After they all ate, Ganondorf pulled out a scroll and showed them the plan for their trip to the Spring. "Zanpher will wait outside the entrance to guard us from any danger that may come from outside forces. Alatar will accompany Princess Zelda into the Spring first, while Gereth and I will enter about twenty minutes later, assuming we don't hear a protest from Zelda or Alatar. It is important that you do not leave your posts unless it is an absolute emergency. Not that we are expecting anything to happen," Ganondorf finished with a wave of his hand. "Purely... research... purposes." He slowly mumbled to everyone. "Whenever you're ready, Zelda."

"Let's go!" Zelda grabbed her notebook from in the carriage and she and Alatar entered the short path to the Spring. "Father told me it's a very short walk, just behind these trees."

"Princess, I wish you'd let me take the lead," Alatar said as she rushed ahead with great enthusiasm, ignoring his request. It was a little hard getting to the Spring, given the uneven terrain and low level of light. It was a very overgrown area with a blue glow that seemed to grow stronger the closer they got to the Spring. Alatar almost tripped over something. He glanced quickly down to see what it was and noticed an exposed brick with a pattern painted on it. It glowed faintly orange and he had a moment of flashback that made his heart skip a beat. It happened so quickly he couldn't tell what he actually saw.

"Not much further, Alatar. We're almost there!" She was giddy with excitement. The blue glow became very strong as they entered a clearing. The floor beneath them sloped downwards slightly into the water. Sitting in the middle of the flooded part of the Spring was a large statue of a goddess. It was odd that this area wasn't covered in moss or vines like the path had been. Alatar and Zelda were in complete awe at the sight of everything. "Look," Zelda said, pointing upwards. There was an arch that said words in ancient Hylian that Alatar didn't recognize. "It says, "Spring of Wisdom, sacred bridge between worlds, blessed by Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom." It looks very old, I'm surprised it's still standing." There was silence for a few moments while they took in the sights around them. "The water," he heard Zelda say under her breath. That's when he, too, noticed that the blue glow was coming from under the unnaturally clear and empty water. A pattern of glowing orange lines on the floor became brighter the closer they got to the statue. The more Alatar stared at the strange sight, the more he was tempted to enter the water and examine the statue up close. "Do you think it's safe to enter?" Zelda asked, seemingly reading his mind.

"Allow me to test it first please." Alatar said with all the courage he could muster. His cautious side was being dwarfed by his curious one, but that didn't stop him from staying alert. He walked slowly into the water, stopping when it hit the exposed skin on his ankles. He bent down to touch the water with his fingers, confirming what he had first felt: the water was warm to the touch. He walked around in the shallows, completely in awe at the sight and feel of the Spring before turning to Zelda and nodding his approval. She took off her sandals and waded in after Alatar, surprise hitting her face the moment she, too, noticed the warmth of the water. She stopped once the water touched her knees, opened her notebook, and began writing furiously while Alatar took in all the sights around him. He noticed a back wall's bricks had the same glowing orange lines as the floor. He looked up and saw that they were standing in the remains of a building of some sort, noting that the ceiling had all but crumbled away, leaving most of the three walls intact. He looked over at the entryway. The wall there was completely gone say for the arch. He was snapped out of his stupor when Gereth and Ganondorf arrived.

"Ganondorf, the Spring seems to be safe to enter," Zelda said after a few minutes, giving the two new arrivals time to take in the interesting sight of the Spring. She put her notebook down and turned to Ganondorf. "Should we investigate the statue more?"

Gereth and Ganondorf entered the shallows. He nodded to her, his eyes wide with wonder. The two approached the statue, Zelda with her hand in front of her, excited to touch it and discover its mysteries, Ganondorf lagging behind, cautious of what was to happen. Gereth and Alatar followed at a close pace. Gereth was shivering. Alatar wondered if he was scared. The moment Zelda touched the statue, the eyes began to glow orange. Instantly, a thousand memories flooded Alatar, Zelda, and Ganondorf, knocking Zelda and Ganondorf to their feet and throwing Alatar off balance. Memories of lives long past, of motives long forgotten. Memories of revenge, sacrifice, adventure, triumphs, and failures. There was a flash of darkness, penetrated by beams of light, then nothing. The three of them looked at each other. Zelda had wide eyes, Alatar had a determined look, and Ganondorf had an evil smile. He began to laugh; it sent chills down Alatar's spine, and Zelda recognized it as the laugh from her nightmare. She jumped to her feet as Ganondorf slowly stood up. Alatar immediately jumped in between them to face Ganondorf, sword and shield drawn, ready to strike.

"You are the fool destined to defeat me? I cannot be beaten by a wimp like you!" Ganondorf said menacingly. He went to hit Alatar with great speed, who stopped the blow just in time with his shield. Gereth came charging in behind them for a surprise attack, but Ganondorf avoided it with ease. "Only one can defeat me!" he screamed as Gereth caught himself and repositioned to strike again. Alatar made eye contact with Gereth and ever so slightly nodded in Zelda's direction, ordering Gereth to get Zelda to safety. He charged forward with his sword drawn, his arm outstretched as far as he could go, only to jump around Ganondorf at the last possible moment. In a split second he had Zelda in his clutches and was fleeing the scene. Alatar took advantage of the momentary distraction to take a swing at Ganondorf. Ganondorf raised his hand and caught the sword mid-slash, bending and breaking it in the process. Alatar was stunned for a split second before he too jumped out of range and ran after the others. "YOU'LL NEVER GET AWAY, LINK!" He heard Ganondorf yell as he dashed back to the carriage. He could see the others gathered at the entrance.

"What are you still doing here?!" Alatar yelled to them. "Get the Princess out of here and back to Hyrule Castle!" He realized he was still carrying his broken sword and threw it off to the side as far as he could. He kept running, wondering why they had not fled already.

"You take her!" Gereth shouted back. "She wants you to do it, and you don't have a weapon anymore."

Alatar nodded and jumped on his horse as quickly as he could. He pulled Zelda up behind him with all the strength he could muster and grabbed the reins of the horse. They rode as fast as they could back to Hyrule Castle, both of their hearts pounding in fear.

"Are you okay, Princess? Do you need medical attention?" Alatar shouted to Zelda. The exact same line Link had spoken to her in her dream made her turn her head towards the Spring to see if it were on fire, if a river of blood were chasing them, or if a big black mass were bursting forth to strike.

"No, Alatar, I'm fine. Let's just hurry back to the castle." She kept her eyes on the Spring behind them, waiting for one or all parts of her nightmare to come true. Once she could no longer see the Spring on the horizon she turned her head back to the front. The trip took almost a full day, but Alatar didn't stop to rest. Zelda agreed with his decision. She didn't want to give Ganondorf the chance to catch up with them.

Chapter 6

They arrived at the castle in the early morning, immediately setting out to find General Impa and King Rhoam. All four of them gathered in a meeting room to discuss what had happened at the Spring.

"...and then memories, most of which seem to have left me, flooded my brain. They weren't my memories, but they didn't seem out of place either. If all of this is true, I'd wager it was from past lives, giving me insight into the history of the struggles with the Triforce. Did you experience this as well?" Zelda asked.

It took a moment before Alatar realized the question was directed at him. He was still shaken from the incident and tired from the trip home. "Yes, same thing."

"The same thing seemed to happen to Ganondorf who then tried to fight us. He was very fast, so fast Alatar could barely block the incoming attack in time. I was pulled away by Gereth. Alatar will have to fill in the rest here. I waited at the entrance to the Spring for him to get out safely," Zelda finished, then looked at Alatar to finish the story.

"I tried to strike him. He stopped my blow with almost comical ease and broke my sword." This made Impa jump a little.

"How did he break your sword? Those are made from the strongest metal available!" the King said.

"He caught it mid-swing and snapped it like a twig. Then I ran as he yelled, "You'll never get away, Link."" He paused for a moment. The King looked unconcerned at the name, but Zelda and Impa looked at him curiously. Alatar sighed and decided it was time to tell them, just to put it to rest. "My name is Link. My first name, anyways. I was born in a forest to the South-East of here. I was moved to Hyrule Castle at the bequest of someone on the Hylian Royal Consort about six years ago. I have no idea who requested it or why. I was immediately put into training to become a guard and instructed to go by my middle name, Alatar, so as not to stand out too much. I was told it was because the rules didn't allow someone of non-Hylian descent to become a guard. I see now that that may not have been the whole story."

"You knew about this, didn't you father." Zelda said, looking furious. "You need to stop keeping secrets from me if you want our mission to succeed!"

"It was at my bequest that this boy become a guard. I heard news of a boy from the forest showing great promise as being the wielder of the Triforce of Courage. I knew the old legends, about how the wielders of Courage and Wisdom often defeat the wielder of Power and wanted you two in proximity to each other, hoping you'd form a bond and confirm that Alatar did indeed have a piece of the Triforce. I was aware there was a high chance that my daughter held the Triforce of Wisdom. I wanted to make sure she was protected if the Triforce of Power was to rear its ugly head upon us. I did not want anyone else to know what I knew for fear of the information getting into the wrong hands. So I requested that he be told to use a different name. I didn't want his name or lineage to stand out. But I guess his sword skills did that anyways," the King told them, as he stood up and approached his daughter. "It looks like I made the right call, having him here, sending him with you." He gave her a big hug and looked at Alatar. "You kept her safe, I owe you a great debt." He let go of Zelda and stood beside her. "There is nothing to do now except wait for Ganondorf and the others to return. Perhaps he holds some of the answers we are now desperate for. For the time being, I do not want either of you to leave the castle. I will notify you both when they return. For now, get some rest. General Impa, I will be giving Alatar temporary leave from guard duty until further notice." Impa nodded.

"I don't think that will be necessary, sir," Alatar interjected. "I would feel better if I could continue on with duty as usual."

"If that is what you wish, I shall allow it. You will still remain inside the castle, though, as close to Zelda as possible." Alatar nodded, grateful to the King. To him, there was nothing worse than sitting around with nothing to do, anxiously awaiting news on a situation as serious as this. "You two should go rest up. Or do whatever it is you feel you need to do, as, I'm sure, if you are anything like my daughter, Alatar, resting is the last thing you will be doing at a time like this. I must inform the council of the situation. I will keep the details to a minimum, and, Alatar, you should still keep your identity a secret to everyone. Although," the King thought for a moment, "Gereth and Zanpher do seem trustworthy enough. If you wish to let them in on all of this I have no protests." Alatar and Zelda nodded at King Rhoam, who smiled warmly at them as they left the room.

"Let's go tend to that poor horse, running for almost a full day. I hope she isn't injured," Zelda told Alatar.

"I doubt it, Epona is a trooper. I bought her from Gereth a few years ago. "One of the strongest, most loyal horses we've ever bred, but also one of the most stubborn. Gives her a heightened will to live," he said to me. After spending time with her, I believe him."

"Still, I bet she'd appreciate seeing you, unharmed," Zelda said. "Oh, and a nice, red apple for her troubles."

"Indeed." They made their way to the stables. Epona was out in the field, running around as if she hadn't just spend nearly twenty hours running with two riders on her back. The moment Alatar whistled for her, she came running towards him, ready for anything. Alatar patted her on the head while Zelda fed her the apple. She neighed in appreciation at the attention. Alatar led her back to the stable and removed her reins and saddle. They all sat down, Alatar brushing her fur and Zelda petting her head.

"What was it like, growing up in the forest?" Zelda asked.

"It wasn't much different from growing up here, I suppose. More akin to living on a farm than in the town. You're close with nature," Alatar reminisced. He sometimes missed his home so much it hurt. He knew going back wasn't going to be the same though.

"I heard the children of the forest don't have a traditional family setting. Is it true there is a guardian spirit that watches over all of you instead?"

"Yes, the Great Deku Tree. I suppose he is like a father, in some ways. He doesn't raise us, like parents do. It's more like he's our protector and it's up to us to look out for each other. The fairy spirits are the ones that raise us. They bridge the gap between the Deku Tree and us. We call ourselves the Kokiri."

"Do you have a fairy spirit?"

"I did, before I came here. It was a little odd. For the longest time I was the only Kokiri who didn't have a fairy. A couple years before I came here I was sort of "assigned" one. Her name is Navi. I don't know if she was meant to keep an eye on me or what. Knowing what I do now, I'd guess she was sent to watch for signs of the Triforce of Courage. But she could not be with me after I moved here. And now we know why." Alatar sighed. He missed her more than anything, even if she was a bit overbearing at times.

"Alatar, do you think the forest might hold some answers for us?"

"How do you mean?"

"Well, what if there are more springs? It was called the Spring of Wisdom, after all. Three Triforce pieces, three goddesses, it would make sense that there would be a Spring of Power and a Spring of Courage as well. Since father heard about a boy from the forest having possible Triforce connections, someone there might have known about these things too. Maybe the Great Deku Tree knows something father doesn't." Alatar hesitated. "We don't have to decide now, let's wait until Ganondorf gets back and see if he has any answers."

"Don't you think we should stay away from him? It's one thing if we are there with the King. Ganondorf has proved to be a dangerous foe."

"If we want to reunite the Triforce then we're going to have to be near him at some point. And I don't think the person that attacked us was the Ganondorf we know. How else would he have said what he did? He seemed more possessed than anything. He also didn't seem to know your name ahead of time, yet called you Link at the Spring. No, I'd say one of his past lives attacked us." Alatar could not dispute Zelda's points with anything but basic fears he knew she would disregard in an instant. So he did what he did best and remained silent. Zelda sighed. "The only thing that's strange about this scenario is why you and I didn't get taken over by past lives. We were stunned at his actions, and I, for one, felt like myself when I ran away. I'm guessing you did too. I've seen you training your whole career, I know what your fighting style looks like. That was definitely you fighting Ganondorf." Zelda went silent in thought again.

"Let's head back to the castle. I, for one, could use some sleep, how about you?" Alatar asked. Zelda nodded, now realizing how tired she was. They said goodbye to Epona and left.

He saw it from the stables. Hyrule Castle was on fire. Immediately he jumped on Epona and made for the castle entrance. He saw Zelda running out the front door, saw her turn around and drop to her knees as she stared at the fire. Epona gave a whinny and a jolt that made Alatar look down. A red river was starting to flood the town. He rushed at Zelda and grabbed her by the midsection; she protested leaving the castle behind, wanting to wait and see if anyone else would emerge, safe. He got back on Epona, pulled Zelda up behind him, and raced through the town as the blood river became deeper and deeper. He could hear Zelda screaming, crying; she was in complete hysterics. He tried to calm her down, did everything he could to make sure she wasn't hurt. "Princess Zelda, we need to leave! Are you hurt? Can you hear me? Zelda!" He yelled, keeping his eyes on the road and trying desperately to outrun the river and the flames that seemed to pursue them. They were leaving the town, Zelda was only whimpering now, her voice seemed to have left her. He asked again, "Are you okay, Princess? Please answer me. I need to know if you need medical attention." He slowed Epona down, begging for a reply.

"Yes, Link, I'm fine. Let's just get somewhere safe and try to make contact with the others." Alatar was flooded with relief at her response. He sped Epona up and headed for Lon Lon Ranch. Then, he heard Zelda scream his name. He glanced back and noticed a black figure burst from the flames at the castle and make its way for them. He tried to get Epona to go faster, but their pursuer was too fast. Zelda tightened her grip around his midsection as the figure attempted to grab her. He wiggled free of her grasp, jumped off the horse, and drew his shield and his sword, a mid-size blade with a blue winged handle. He swung at the mass just as it reached Zelda and heard it give a great cry of pain. The blade was now glowing white. He sent Epona onward, Zelda still on the horse's back, and prepared to fight off this monster. Right as his sword made impact for a finishing blow, he woke up, jumping to his feet and taking a fighting stance, half expecting the black figure to still be in his presence. It took his eyes a moment to adjust to the light in the room, and he realized he was no longer holding the sword or shield. He sat back down on the bed, still rigid with adrenaline, trying to straighten out his thoughts. He was interrupted by General Impa's knock.

"Ganondorf, Zanpher, and Gereth are back. Go to the meeting room once again, where Zelda and King Rhoam will be waiting for you. Thirty minutes," she said. Alatar saluted her and she left with a nod. At least he had time to find Zelda and tell her about the dream before the meeting started. He hurriedly got dressed and made for the Eastern Tower. He knew she spent most of her time there, especially when her curiosity was piqued.

"Come in," came Zelda's response to Alatar's knock. She looked a little surprised to see him. "Heard Ganondorf was back, did you?" Alatar nodded.

"Before we go, I must tell you about a dream I just had. I have a feeling it will mean something significant to you as well." Alatar gave a quick synopsis of his dream.

"I had almost the exact same dream, the night before we left for the Spring. I woke up just as the figure was about to strike me, so I didn't see the last part with the sword. Ganondorf told me he'd had a similar dream as well." They sat in silence for a moment, pondering the implications of the dreams. At last, Zelda broke the silence. "I believe it means we should make for the forest post haste."

"I agree," Alatar said, his hesitations in the plan completely gone. He wanted more than ever to be rid of the burden of the Triforce.

"Welcome to my life," she said, jokingly, as they got up to leave for the meeting. "Seeking answers but only getting more questions. Never a dull moment," she laughed. Alatar nodded and smiled at her.

They arrived at the meeting to find Ganondorf handcuffed to a chair with Zanpher and Gereth on either side of him. King Rhoam beckoned for the arrivals to sit next to him. "Tell us your side of the story Ganondorf," the King asked, kindly but with authority.

Ganondorf went into great detail about everything that had happened on their trip. "We were hit with memories of past lives. I became but a puppet while my ancestor took over my actions. I remember watching what he saw, moving as he wanted me to, I could not control it. He spoke words I didn't want to speak. I tried to fight him off, but how do you fight off a force like that one? I had been overcome with rage and a sense of pride I have never felt. And power. I felt much stronger than usual. Stronger than any one man should feel. I fought with Gereth and Alatar. One fled with the Princess and the other soon followed. I let out a cry of desperation, trying to fight off any unwanted movement. Gereth and Zanpher approached the Spring cautiously, weapons drawn. I tried to plead with them but my mouth would not speak. They looked at each other and silently agreed on a technique for battle. Zanpher dodged all my attacks and got in behind me while I tried to ward off Gereth. I heard one of them shout "NOW!" and I was knocked off my feet from behind. Then the bunt of a sword hit me in the head. I felt my body go limp and used my last remaining strength to rid myself of my possession. I succeeded but blacked out from the effort. I awoke in the carriage, half way to the castle, my legs and hands bound like a prisoner's. Once they noticed I was awake they drew their weapons cautiously and asked me about what had happened. For safety reasons, I insisted I remain bound until we knew for sure I wasn't going to have another incident," Ganondorf finished.

"That sounds scary," Zelda replied, "and I believe you. It's definitely in line with what we experienced." Zelda looked to her father. He nodded in agreement.

"What are your opinions on the situation?" the King asked Gereth and Zanpher.

Zanpher spoke first. "I agree that this is indeed the truth. He wasn't himself. I would have expected him to put up more of a fight, but he seemed to be fighting whatever had possessed him."

"With all due respect, your highness," Gereth spoke to Ganondorf, "I believe you should be locked up for the time being." Zelda and Zanpher gasped. The King shook his head, and Alatar wondered if agreeing with this sentiment was cause for alarm. Gereth attempted to back-pedal, slightly panicked, "I don't mean in jail necessarily, but who knows what will happen now. We have no idea if that will happen again. Just for a little while, and we can test interactions with Alatar and Zelda, make sure it doesn't happen again. I request that Zanpher and I be there anytime they are together. We've seen it first-hand and have an idea how to fight it."

Zanpher looked at Gereth with great loathing. "You don't get to decide that for him! You can't seriously believe it will happen again while at the castle! It was clearly from being in contact with that spring! Didn't you notice the arch, the architecture, the fact that the place seemed void of forest life and plants?! It definitely wasn't entirely of this world!"

"I agree with you Gereth," came Ganondorf's reply. Zanpher looked at Ganondorf, confused and angry. "If Zanpher doesn't wish to participate we can always get someone else. Maybe that Bremen guy, the other new Royal Guard," Ganondorf said. Zanpher's gave him a nasty look and went to argue. Ganondorf cut him off. "WE DON'T KNOW!" Ganondorf yelled. "I DON'T WANT TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR HARMING THE PRINCESS OR ALATAR!" Ganondorf calmed down a little. "I think my opinion matters more here, I'm the one who was taken over by the very thing we are trying to prevent from coming back. And I agree to be in lock down, supervised at almost all times!"

"If it is what you wish, we shall accommodate your request," the King said, rubbing his temples. "Zelda, Alatar, please fill everyone in on your side of the story. Impa and I will go make arrangements for the lock down. Zanpher, for the time being, I expect you to stay with Gereth for this. If after hearing the whole story you still disagree, you may withdraw and resume your normal duties. I will have no objections." The King left the room while Gereth and Zanpher took a seat and began listening to Alatar and Zelda's stories.

They told Gereth, Zanpher, and Ganondorf about their experience at the Spring of Wisdom, about Alatar's past, about the Triforce and their plan to reunite it, and finally, about their next step.

"I believe our next move is to go to the forest. It may prove beneficial to speak with the Great Deku Tree, find out if he knows anything the King may not. I also believe there may be two more springs, or even just spiritual places, representative of the other two pieces of the Triforce. Perhaps he knows where another one is. Any information we can gather will be immensely helpful. And I believe we should bring you all with us," Zelda finished. Zanpher had a concentrated look on his face and Gereth seemed to be trying to disagree with the plan in some way, but couldn't think of anything.

"Why do you want me to come?" Ganondorf asked.

"Research purposes mostly. We will wait a month and if nothing happens while we're here we should go look for answers. I would advise you stay away from the sacred places though. We can't really form a solid plan of action to reunite the Triforce with what we know now, and I doubt I'll find more information about our situation here. I'll look in that tome the priestess showed us to find more information, but this, shall we say, problem, is ancient." Zelda went silent, slipping back into thought.

Zanpher and Gereth looked to Alatar, who had remained silent since talking about his past. "What are your thoughts?" Zanpher asked him.

"I'm skeptical, but we will be more prepared this time. Almost expectant of it. So I guess I agree with Zelda." Alatar responded.

"If anything happens with him," Gereth said, gesturing to Ganondorf, "while we are still here, I insist we leave him behind. Even if something doesn't happen, perhaps it would be wise to restrain him, even just his hands, for the journey."

Zelda and Zanpher went to protest but Ganondorf cut them off. "I snapped a sword in half! I don't think it's a bad plan."

"I don't believe the trip to the forest will require restraints, but until we know what being in the forest will do to him, restraints upon arrival may be a good idea," Alatar responded. Ganondorf and Zelda nodded. Gereth let out a sigh of relief. Zanpher looked uncomfortable.

"Do you want to accompany us? You are one of the best fighters we have. And we'd rather not have more people knowing about all this." Zelda asked Zanpher. He still looked uncomfortable but nodded in acceptance.

"I will go see what the plans are for the lock down and inform my father of the plan." Zelda left the room.

"What is your problem?!" Zanpher accused Gereth. "Were you just hoping to gain some favour with the King? Hoping to join ranks of Royal Guards? He's clearly not a danger to us here!"

Gereth didn't respond. He kept an angry face but looked down at his shoes.

"Your silence is proof enough," Zanpher said quietly, angrily. The silence that followed was tense and only broken when Zelda returned.

"Ganondorf will stay in a bedroom on the second floor. It locks from the outside and has access to a bathroom. Father said one week of lock down will suffice for now, but heavy guarding may be put into place when he is free of his confinement. In the meantime, all his requests that don't put our lives in danger shall be fulfilled. Father agrees with our plans and sent the tome to my study. Alatar, I'd like to keep you and Ganondorf up to date on anything I find in my studies, perhaps have you accompany me at times. Alatar can then inform Zanpher and Gereth. It will look too suspicious if we all meet together frequently. For now, you two," Zelda pointed at Zanpher and Gereth, "are to escort Ganondorf to his room. Try to do it quickly; father has the route from here to the room cleared for now, as to avoid any awkward questions. You and I, Alatar, will go gather his things and put them in his new room." They stood up to do their respective duties, unchaining Ganondorf from his chair restraints and binding his hands behind his back. Zanpher shot Gereth another nasty look, making Gereth look away. Alatar looked at them, shaking his head, feeling frustrated with their arguing.

Chapter 7

The week went by rather quickly. Zelda was unable to dig up any more information on the Triforce, and nothing seemed to be happening to Ganondorf now that he wasn't near the Spring of Wisdom. Two more weeks went by without much else happening, and before they knew it, Alatar was helping Zelda pack on the night before their trip to the forest.

"I'm worried," Zelda admitted, yet again. Alatar sighed and rolled his eyes. "I just don't want to have another incident. Maybe I shouldn't have suggested that Ganondorf come with us. What can we possibly discover on this trip that we don't already know?" Alatar didn't respond. He had had this conversation at least twice a week with her for the past month. He knew she was talking more to herself anyways, almost fighting with herself. "Alatar, maybe we should put a back-up plan in place, just between us."

"And what do you suggest that be, Princess?" he said, unable to hide his frustration.

"I don't know, you should make yourself useful and think of something!" She instantly regretted snapping at him. She knew it was due to her nerves.

"Well, excuse me, Princess, I thought you were the idea person around here," Alatar replied with a smirk. He knew she was sorry for the outburst, she didn't need to apologize. "We don't know what's going to happen. We survived fine last time. But if I think of something, I'll let you know okay?" he said more gently.

Zelda looked at him with a smile on her face and shook her head. "Always the voice of reason." She paused for a moment. "Do you think I should bring my horse? Give poor Epona a break if we need to escape again?"

Alatar was silent for a moment, weighing the pros and cons of bring her. "I think that would be a good idea. And I'm sure your horse would love that. What's their name?"

"Her name is Precious," Zelda said, reminiscing about her. She loved riding and caring for her horse, the one living soul she felt responsible for.

"That's a beautiful name. I'm sure she's a great companion." They smiled at each other and spent the rest of their time packing in blissful silence. "I'm going to go prepare your horse for the journey now, then. One less thing to do in the morning." Alatar left the room, Zelda silently protesting his leave as he turned around. She felt safe in his presence and hoped they could remain friends after their mission.

The five of them set off for the forest very early the following morning. The trip would be a little longer than the last one so they decided to have Ganondorf ride with Princess Zelda, as the carriage was full to bursting with equipment and supplies this time. "Can never be too careful," Zelda had reminded them while packing all manner of combat equipment. Alatar just shook his head, knowing full well they wouldn't need it, but also knowing there was no point in arguing.

The trip would take a day and a half. It was relatively uneventful, Zelda constantly voicing her excitement over their trip, finally having decided the risk was worth the reward of discovery. She and Ganondorf constantly discussed all manner of strategies and outcomes, talking about everything and anything that could happen, both on this trip and after. Gereth and Zanpher seemed to have set aside their differences for now, although Alatar noted that Zanpher was a lot more quiet than usual. He didn't speak except when he had to. Upon their stop for the night, Zanpher asked Alatar to double up the watches.

"I know nothing will happen here, but let's just be safe. I'll stay up the full eight. I don't need sleep right now, I'll sleep once we arrive or something, after we know for sure that the forest is safe to be in. You two can handle it, right?" Zanpher joked. Alatar nodded, sensing there was an underlying cause for this odd request.

A couple of uneventful hours went by as everyone else slept. Once he was sure he knew they weren't being overheard, Alatar decided to confront Zanpher. "What do you want? You seem irritated. Is this still about Gereth?"

"Yes, sort of. I'm sure he's just suggesting this stuff because he wants to look good in front of King Rhoam. He's very bitter that he didn't make Royal Guard. He tried to pick a fight with the person he lost the one-on-one duel with right after the ceremony was finished. I get he's upset but this is way out of line. So what's his angle? What is he hoping to accomplish here? Why does he want to be a Royal Guard so badly? It's not like a Castle Guard isn't a great position." Zanpher stopped for a moment to think.

"I don't think he's doing this to become a Royal Guard honestly. I think he just wants to make sure everyone is safe. You can't deny that Ganondorf was a real threat back then. Why does it upset you so much?"

"I don't know man, it just irks me. I've been in his position before, I know what a painful sting it can be to try and fight for your innocence, feeling like the whole world would rather believe you a criminal than listen to your story. It's disrespectful, for one. That man is a Prince after all, we don't want him hating Hyrule, declaring war, or who knows what else. And everyone else seemed to recognize that Ganondorf wasn't himself at the Spring. He's been very nice to us; you can't deny that he treats us more like friends than guards," Zanpher trailed off. They sat in silence for a while, Alatar unsure where he stood on the issue. They both had good points.

"Ganondorf doesn't seem to have any reservations about my decision," came the voice of Gereth, walking up behind them.

Zanpher went to reply, but Alatar cut him off, knowing it was going to be something snarky. "It's just us three now, why don't you explain your reasoning. You," he said, pointing to Zanpher, "listen to what he has to say before you respond. And keep an open mind."

"Working on the Ranch, you hear a lot of stories," Gereth began. "I've heard tales, legends, rumours, whatever you want to call them, about a Gerudo King taking over Hyrule. He was, as my mother put it, "the bane of evil, destined to destroy Hyrule". I began to panic when all that stuff happened at the Spring. It was like the tales had come to life! Then hearing Ganondorf talk about being possessed by a past life, and about memories flooding Alatar and Zelda, and about the Triforce, it all but confirmed the tales I'd heard about for years." He paused for a moment and sighed, hoping Zanpher would understand his point of view. "Look, it's over now, can we please just put it behind us?" Gereth asked. Zanpher didn't seem ready to forgive him just yet. "Hey, man, why are you taking this so personally? It's not like it was meant to be an attack on Ganondorf or anything, it was meant for safety. Nothing else," Gereth tried to assure him.

"I'm not taking it personally. You overheard my reasoning anyways. I don't think I'm out of line for thinking this way."

"Why do YOU care so much then? That whole "he's a prince" bull crap ain't fooling anyone! Not to mention, you're a Guard! A member of the Hylian military, it's part of your job to protect people from outside threats!"

Zanpher quickly got to his feet and kicked a rock nearby, making Alatar and Gereth both jump. "It's called respect!" He snarled. "Ganondorf has been nothing but nice to us and we know that he wasn't himself at the Spring! He was taken over by a past life for crying out loud!"

"And what if it happens again?" Gereth asked pointedly. "It's just better to be safe than sorry! Like it or not, your number one duty is to protect the royal family!" Gereth calmed down a little. "He snapped a sword in half, with minimal effort," he said slightly hysterically. "I'm not sure the three of us could take him if he were to show signs of possession again. And by the sounds of it, Ganondorf can't fight it off so easily either."

Zanpher sat down to face the fire, refusing to look either of them in the eye. "I know you're right but I can't help feeling like you're just doing this for brownie points with the King. I take issue with putting an innocent man in a binding. Even more so, he was a victim as much as we were. So you'd better not do it again, I'm not going to be so forgiving next time." He went silent as he moodily poked at the fire with a stick.

"You call that forgiving?" Gereth said sarcastically. He sighed and shook his head. "Alatar you might as well get some sleep since I'm already up."

Alatar nodded and went to lay down. He had a feeling there would still be tension between them all, but it might be better than before. His eyelids heavy, his body like jelly, he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

"Link..." came a soft voice. "Link, awaken!" He could not respond. The voice was distant and he did not recognize it. It continued to call to him, seeming to come from everywhere at once. He couldn't tell if it was pleading for help, as it sounded desperate but not worrisome. "LINK!" It gave one final cry that echoed in his brain as he woke up with a jolt. The image of the sword he'd used to fight the monster in his previous dream burned itself into the back of his eyes. He shook his head, wishing he had answers, and wishing things would go back to normal. He was too tired to contemplate the meaning of this dream and decided to carry on sleeping.

Dawn appeared far too early for his liking, the bright sun peeking over the horizon to blind them all. It was going to be a beautiful day for travel. Zanpher and Gereth already had everything packed up and were waking up Zelda and Ganondorf to continue their journey. Zelda was giddy with excitement and kept saying things like, "Today is the day! We will finally find out more information! Aren't you excited? I'm excited." It was energizing to everyone how lively she was. She had to restrain herself from running off with her horse straight to the forest.

When they finally arrived they made a plan to send Alatar and Zelda in alone. "Yeah, because that worked so well last time," Zanpher said sarcastically. Alatar elbowed him in the rib cage. "Fine, fine, be alone with your girlfriend." Alatar quickly turned his head to Zanpher, shooting him a stare of death. Luckily, Zelda was too distracted to notice the comment. They entered through a short tunnel and arrived to find a lively forest full of Kokiri, each with their own fairy flying around their heads, all going about their daily business. Alatar was unfazed by these routines he'd seen a million times before, but Zelda was beside herself with excitement.

"They're all children!" She exclaimed under her breath. She had to resist the urge to pull out her notebook and write about everything she saw. Of everything she had been expecting, she didn't expect the children of the forest to actually all be children.

Alatar lead her through the settlement towards the Great Deku Tree, waving at his childhood friends. They seemed excited to see him, stopping him to ask about his new life, and asking why the Princess of Hyrule was there with him. He'd dodge the questions as best he could, saying something like, "just here to check up with the Deku Tree, see you around!" They entered a pathway and a light blue fairy flew over to Alatar.

"Link, you're back!" said Navi. She zoomed around him, just like old times. It felt so nice for him to see his old companion. "What are you doing in the forest?"

"I need to speak with the Deku Tree," Zelda cut in. Navi hadn't noticed her right away; she'd had eyes only for Alatar. "Feels weird having someone call you Link," Zelda joked with Alatar. They walked the rest of the way towards the clearing where the Great Deku Tree resided.

"Look whose come to see you!" Navi exclaimed excitedly to the Deku Tree. It took a second before he responded.

"Link, my child, how have you been? Although I sense this visit is for more than friendly exchanges and catch ups." The Deku Tree spoke in a deep voice that seemed to boom throughout the clearing. Zelda was taken aback by the powerful tone and the strange sight of a tree talking.

"I need to talk to you about the reason I was sent to Hyrule for training, Great Deku Tree," Alatar addressed him, taking a seat in the grass with Zelda following suit. He went into great detail about all he knew regarding the Triforce and the plan to reunite it. Zelda remained silent, both from awe at the whole situation and because she could sense great authority from the Deku Tree, perhaps even more than from her own father.

"Finally, Zelda believes there to be two more springs, one for Courage and one for Wisdom, neither of which we know the locations of. We believe they may help us in our plan to reunite the Triforce, although we'd need to find a way to prevent Ganondorf's possession. Any more information we could get would be of great help," Alatar finished.

"I have some information that may be useful, son." The Deku Tree responded. "I do not know if we can prevent Ganondorf's ancestor from taking over again. However, you would do well to be better prepared. There is legend of a weapon that has slain the King of Evil in his many forms. It has been known by many names, such as the Sword of Evil's Bane, but most know it as the Master Sword."

The image of the glowing white sword with the blue, winged handle came back into Alatar's head with ferocity. "I think I had a dream about it."

"I do not doubt it. Only the wielder of the Triforce of Courage may pull it from its place of rest. But take caution. There is no telling what pulling the sword from its resting place will do." The Deku Tree's booming voice faded. Zelda was processing this new information, but Alatar was certain they could not continue their plan without this ancient weapon.

"Where can I find it?" Alatar asked.

"Princess Zelda is correct about there being two more springs. The master sword lies in the ruins of the Temple of Time, now the Spring of Courage, buried deep in the Lost Woods. I assume you know where that is," the Deku Tree chuckled. Alatar had spent much of his childhood fooling around in those woods. "Link, take Navi with you. You may have trouble finding your way through. Those woods were made to deceive anyone who enters them. You must let the Triforce of Courage guide you and not let threats nor your desires lead you astray. I suggest you leave the Princess behind, however. The woods can really take their toll on those without Kokiri blood." Alatar nodded. "Return to me once you have found it. I will protect the Princess, and your other companions for now. Understood?" Alatar nodded again. He stood up to leave but Zelda remained seated, deep in thought.

"You coming, Princess?" Alatar asked. She nodded, still in a stupor, standing up slowly. Finally, she addressed the Deku Tree.

"Alatar won't be safe though. He's not Kokiri, is he?"

The Deku Tree looked momentarily taken aback by this. "You have keen eye for details Zelda," the Deku Tree responded. "I'd expect nothing less from the wielder of the Triforce of Wisdom. Although he was born here, his mother was Hylian. She was pregnant and very sick when she came requesting my help. I tried to have our fairies heal her wounds but they were too great and she eventually succumbed to her ailment, but not before giving birth to Link. We normally do not let outsiders into our forest but it was at the request of the King of Hyrule so I made an exception. Something told me that this boy was important, for reasons I did not know until signs of the Triforce of Courage presented itself in him. The Kokiri remain children their whole lives, each protected by a guardian, a fairy of the forest. In that way, he stood out, aging ahead of the others and not having a fairy. But we managed."

"Is it a good idea for him to enter the Lost Woods then?" Zelda asked.

"Do not worry, that is why Navi is going with him. Between her and the influence of the Triforce of Courage I believe they can make it safely," the Deku Tree finished. Zelda nodded her head and left the clearing with Alatar and Navi.

"We should go get the others and tell them about the plan. Now's the time to keep an eye on Ganondorf because who knows if the forest will have an effect on him. Once we know for sure he's safe, let's say in an hour or so, then I will begin my mission to retrieve the sword," Alatar told Zelda. She nodded her agreement and they left the forest to grab their companions.

They passed their time in the forest getting to know some of Alatar's old friends. There was a boy who was way too serious for a child and seemed to be the self-proclaimed leader of the village, a set of twins who were very knowledgeable about many subjects, and one cute girl dressed all in green named Saria who really seemed to fancy Alatar. All of them exuded a childish innocence that was very contagious. Zelda had finally succumbed to her urges, pulling out her notebook and taking notes furiously while deep in conversation with all of them. Ganondorf hung back a little, hands tied, flanked on either side by Gereth and Zanpher, who both seemed to be slowly relaxing as time passed. Ganondorf warmed up to the strange children rather quickly. He joined Zelda in conversation with the Kokiri while Zanpher and Gereth took a seat in the background, listening and resting for a while. Finally, an hour had passed and they agreed to unbind Ganondorf's hands and have Alatar and Navi enter the Lost Woods.

The first thing Alatar noticed about the Lost Woods was how dark it was. It couldn't be much later than mid-afternoon, and he could definitely see the sun shining through the trees, but there seemed to be something more than foliage blocking the sunlight from fully entering the woods. He surveyed the trees around him, trying to find the correct path through the woods. There were no footpaths leading him where he needed to go, and although he had played in here as a child, he was never more than twenty meters from the entrance at any given time. As he continued walking, he would notice movement in the corner of his eye every once in a while, somehow seeming out of place. He couldn't shake the feeling he was being watched. He had a feeling that if it weren't for Navi he wouldn't feel so brave right now. Something about her presence comforted him in a way he could not put into words.

Alatar tried to use his sense of direction as best he could. It was greater than average, but there seemed to be an invisible force leading him. He did not know whether or not to trust the pull he felt at his midsection. The pull seemed to change its mind with increasing frequency, sometimes even having him retrace his steps to head in a different direction. Navi remained unusually silent, simply hovering near his right shoulder. He took her silence to mean one of two things: he was going the right direction or she had no idea how to get there either. He knew he was very deep in the woods now, and noticed that there was a light fog starting to form at his feet. The sun seemed to have all but disappeared from the sky, leaving him in darkness akin to night. His eyes were still adjusting to the dark when he heard a faint, but distinct little laugh. He stopped in his tracks, unsure whether or not to continue on or call out for the thing to show itself and stand his ground. Weighing the pros and cons of both for a moment, he decided to continue moving forward with more caution.

"Getting lost, are we?" Alatar heard a quiet voice to his right. He unsheathed his sword and turned towards the sound. "Oh, the boy wants to play?" The voice said playfully, coming from behind him now. Navi flew towards the source of the sound while Alatar stood his ground, ready to strike if need be, and answered in a measured, authoritative voice.

"I'm here to find the Spring of Courage."

"My, my, what an interesting journey you must be on." A little imp wearing a mask floated down to hover in front of him. Alatar took one look at the mask and was instantly stricken with a great fear he had never before experienced. Thankfully, some combat training kicked in automatically and he was able to keep himself from full on panicking, remaining in his fighting stance, unmovable. Navi zoomed over to the imp. Alatar knew she was trying to gather information about their new possible foe. "You have a fairy, yet I sense you are not a child of the forest. Stealing from the Kokiri are we?" Alatar remained silent and unmoving, resisting the urge to strike. He did not have a good enough idea of what he was dealing with to mount an attack just yet. "Oooh, looks like mister wants to play a game. Shall we begin?"

Alatar was taken aback by this statement. "Why do you want to play a game? What's my reward if I win?" He wanted to keep the Imp talking while he tried to decide his next move.

"The player decides what those answers are. I can only offer you my honest participation as a host." The Imp gave a giggle that sent chills down Alatar's and Navi's spines. Alatar just stood there, silent, as Navi returned to his shoulder. The Imp hovered for a moment before landing on his feet and pulling a flute out of his pocket. He giggled once more and began playing a tune.

Alatar recognized it at once. His childhood friend, Saria, had played that song many times, sometimes so loudly it would ring through the forest. He felt light, hearing the song again, his yearning for childhood hitting him like a ton of bricks, wishing to be young and care-free once more. The only thought in his head at this moment was, "It's good to be home." He lowered his sword and shield, a goofy smile on his face, and said the name, "Saria."

The Imp stopped playing for a moment and the reality of the situation came flooding back to Alatar. He stopped himself from raising his sword and shield again, not wanting to alarm the Imp. The Imp giggled with a hint of menace again. "You know Saria, do you? Heard her play this song before, have you?"

Alatar answered at once. "Yes, many times. Where did you learn it?"

"It is a mysterious song we Imp know from ancient times. Meant to lead travelers through the forest."

"Lead them where?" Alatar asked, trying not to sound too scared or too demanding, trying to maintain eye contact with eyes he could not see through the mask. The Imp just giggled again.

"Hey! Listen!" Navi said. "You can hear the song in other parts of the forest right now." Alatar took his eyes off the masked Imp to look around for others. He looked back and noticed the Imp had disappeared. He closed his eyes for a moment and tried to listen to the sound in the woods. He could hear the song coming from multiple places at once, yet it remained eerily quiet. He could feel the pull of yearning for childhood entering his thoughts again, less strongly this time. Suddenly, the words of the Deku Tree popped into his head.

"Those woods were made to deceive anyone who enters them. You must let the Triforce of Courage guide you and not let threats nor desires lead you astray." He closed his eyes hard, trying to get the sense of direction back that he'd had when he entered the woods. He tried to drown out the music, tried to leave desire behind, desire for a simpler time when he was a child, curiosity directed at the Imp, and a desire to find the Master Sword and end the curse placed upon Ganondorf, Zelda, and himself. "That's it!" he exclaimed, surprising even himself that he'd spoken aloud.

"What's it?" Navi asked. She had been busy flying around Alatar looking for the source of the song.

"This song is meant to deceive me. Remember what the Deku Tree said? This song is meant to lead me astray with my desires, possibly bringing about my destruction. But there is one desire I have above all others at this time that will lead us to the Spring of Courage. The desire to find the Master Sword and end the curse of the Triforce."

"Oh, very good, you've figured it out." The music stopped suddenly and the Imp appeared, as if out of thin air, hovering right in front of Alatar once more. "Desire will lead you astray, but it can also lead you forward. Only those with purpose can find their way through this harsh labyrinth."

"You know the way, don't you," Alatar said slyly. "Is that what I get for winning the game? A path to the Spring of Courage?"

The Imp landed on the rock in front of Alatar and lifted his mask, revealing a face seemingly made of straw, with black eyes and a beak. "Desire shall lead you there." He then pointed in the direction directly behind himself. Alatar felt the pull at his midsection return, leading him in direction the Imp pointed. The Imp moved his head to one side. "A mysterious boy, you are," he said, before putting his mask back on, jumping up into the air, and disappearing from sight. He left behind another giggle, but this one didn't give Alatar and Navi chills. Alatar sheathed his sword, put his shield on his back, and they continued deeper into the Lost Woods.

They arrived at the Spring of Courage to discover it wasn't much like the Spring of Wisdom. There was no arch, no goddess statue, no strange blue glow from the water, and the Spring itself looked more like a shallow pond, not more than ankle deep water. The brightness of the area was in stark contrast to the Lost Woods, nearly blinding them as they entered. The Spring was still eerily devoid of nature, having no overgrowth and no wildlife. Submerged in the middle of the Spring was a medium sized, hexagonal platform with a painting of three triangles arranged in a circular pattern, leaving an empty space for a fourth, upside-down triangle in the middle. He could see peeling flecks of gold paint; something told him that this was the symbol of the Triforce. The only other thing he noticed under water was a black and white chessboard design running along the floor next to the walls, with a path down the middle in a pure white diamond pattern. The building around the Spring had clearly succumbed to ruin, much like the Spring of Wisdom. There was no roof and barely any other parts of the structure remained intact. The only things that seemed unaltered was a stained glass window above the entrance to the Spring and a small door opposite the entrance. The door had a pattern of the sun and sunbeams on it and on the wall above it was the pattern of the Triforce again, painted completely black. There was a pedestal with stairs on either side of it that lead up to the door and out of the water. As Alatar entered the shallows he noticed the water was warm here, just like at the Spring of Wisdom. He took caution as he made his way to the door, Navi stopping at the pedestal between the stairs.

"Hey, Link, there's an inscription here! I can't read all the words but it mentions the Sword of Evil's Bane, the Sacred Realm, and the word Courage. Everything else is too faded to make out," Navi said.

"Seems to match what we know about it. Only the Triforce of Courage holder can pull the Sword of Evil's bane. I'm not sure what it means by the Sacred Realm. I'm going to try to open the door, the sword has to be behind it." He knew he was correct on this but didn't know why. It was as if someone else had put the idea in his head. Navi nodded to him. Alatar stretched his left hand out to touch the door. The symbol of the Triforce glowed bright on the back of his hand just before impact. He looked at it and noticed that only the bottom right triangle was glowing. Normally he would react with caution or amazement, but it felt natural to him, like it was an extension of his being. He touched the door and was immediately blinded by the Triforce symbol on the wall above; the previously black pieces were glowing the same gold as the one on his hand, with the middle piece giving off a blinding white light. As he was shielding his eyes from the light with his arm, the door slowly parted down the middle to grant them access.

The sword caught his attention right away, the blue, winged handle and a small amount of blade sticking out of a pedestal, just enough to see yet another symbol of the Triforce etched into the top of the blade. It looked exactly like the one he'd seen in his dreams. Navi zoomed on ahead to study it up close as Alatar approached it slowly, hardly believing his eyes. Excitement and relief flooded him as he came to the realization that the plan to reunite the Triforce was now achievable. He put down all he was carrying, braced himself with a deep breath, put both hands on the sword handle, and pulled as hard as he could. He had a rush of courage flood him as the pedestal's grip on the sword released slowly, then completely. He closed his eyes as his brain was flooded with memories of his past lives. Being prepared for this to happen again, Alatar tried to sort through the memories as much as he could, trying to hold on to any of them that might be helpful for his journey, as they were fading rather quickly. He opened his eyes to see a semi-transparent figure hovering next to the sword's resting place, blue flames appearing around his feet. The strange sight may have startled him at any other moment but, somehow, he had expected this. He noticed the boy's clothes were green, including a phrygian hat, and had a face so eerily similar to Alatar's that one could easily be mistaken for the other. "You're my past life, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am a reincarnation of the Hero of Hyrule, just as you are. Pulling that sword from the pedestal may have been a grave mistake," the figure warned. "It was the key, sealing the King of Evil from my time in the Sacred Realm, a spiritual world connected to the goddesses of Hyrule. Ganondorf may now be set free to possess your friend and curse this land once more. I know of your plan, to reunite the Triforce, which I will tell you now is only possible in this realm."

"How do we do reunite it then?" Navi asked.

"Unfortunately I know not how. It has never before been attempted, for fear of bringing ruin to all lands. It may not even be possible to reunite the Triforce; destroying it may be your only option."

Tense silence hung in the air as Alatar processed this new information. He needed more information before deciding if his thoughts were correct. "Do the other two springs have access to the Sacred Realm?" Alatar asked.

"Yes. The statue of the Goddess Nayru at the Spring of Wisdom grants access for the Triforce of Wisdom carrier, much like pulling the Master Sword from its pedestal does here for you. The final spring is less known, even its location is only a rumor. You're aware that only you could be guaranteed to find this place?" the past life gestured to the room. Alatar nodded. "Only those with a connection to the Triforce of Power will be guaranteed to find the final spring's destination."

"But Zelda was not the one to first discover the Spring of Wisdom," Alatar responded, thinking hard.

"King Rhoam was with the expedition, eventually. True, the area was first discovered by normal scouts, who sensed the presence of another world when they drew near the Spring of Wisdom. Once the King was informed of this discovery, he had to see for himself if such a place existed. He, being the father of Zelda, is also a descendant of her ancestors. As such, he was able to find the Spring but unable to do anything with it as he is not a Triforce wielder." The three of them sat in silence for a while, Alatar trying to think if there was anything else he needed to ask about.

"This sword will slay the King of Evil, if it comes to that?" he asked.

"It may not be enough on its own. The defeat of the King of Evil from my time was assisted by another powerful weapon. The arrows of light. They reside in the Sacred Realm. To get there, hold your sword skyward, and strike the air when it is ready."

Alatar raised the sword above his head, pointing it skyward, noticing an energy emanating from the handle, like the sword was charging up. When it had reach its full power, Alatar struck at the air straight in front of him as he let out a cry. The area around him dissolved into a dark place, with what he could only describe as "waterfalls of light" dripping through the void. He was standing in the middle of a circular platform, on yet another depiction of the Triforce, glowing dimly gold. Around this were six circles with symbols he did not recognize, each circle a different colour. The other Link was beside him, no longer transparent, no flames at his feet. Navi was still at his right shoulder, shocked by the sudden change in scenery.

The other Link then stepped forward and began to speak. "Goddess Farore, creator of Hyrule, I ask of your assistance once more," he cried at the heavens. "We require the Light Arrows, oh divine one. Please, present them to us, that we may use them in times of crises such as these!" There was no response at first. The other Link lowered his head in silent prayer. Alatar was silently pleading with the goddess, begging her to bestow the essential arrows upon him. He hoped beyond hope that he would not have to use them against his companion.

"The young one seems unsure of himself," came a gentle, yet booming, disembodied voice that filled the room with sound, both calming and alarming. "Would you not slay the monster if need be?"

When he failed to respond, the other Link lifted his head and looked at him. "Do you doubt your power?" he asked.

He responded shakily at first. "I do not doubt it. I wish to avoid the use of both these weapons against my friend." Alatar was gaining confidence and spoke with conviction now. "We'll find out when the time comes if I need to go against my own wishes. If it is to protect the safety of Zelda, Hyrule, even myself, I shall not hesitate."

"Then hold out your hands and receive my gift now," Farore demanded. Alatar did as he was instructed and was instantly sent back to the Spring of Courage, a sheath arrows and a large, silver bow magically appearing in his hand upon his arrival back to the Spring. The other Link was nowhere to be seen. Navi was zooming around the room excitedly.

"Come on, let's get out of here," Alatar said to Navi. She zoomed back over to his shoulder.

Once outside the Spring, the Imp with the mask appeared in front of them again. "You'd better get back to the forest," it said in a warning tone. The eyes of the mask glowed red for a split second and Alatar and Navi were instantly transported back to the beginning of the Lost Woods.

Chapter 8

It took a moment for Alatar to realize where he was. He was waiting for his eyes adjust to the darker setting before moving forwards, all the while his heart pumping from the excitement he felt at his achievement and the startle he'd gotten from being teleport against his will. He looked to his right shoulder to find Navi hovering just above it, where she could always be reliably found. He'd missed having her there and was reminded of the many times since he'd left the forest where he'd look for her and see nothing. She turned towards him, they nodded to each other, and exited the Lost Woods.

The forest was in shambles. The first sight to catch Alatar's eyes was a large scorch mark where everyone had been when he'd entered to the Lost Woods. Either side of the mark was still lightly on fire. Alatar feared the worst as he ran towards the spot, his initial panic and shock turning into planning and action. "Fire, Princess, Ganondorf, Guards, Kokiri," he prioritized in his head. He quickly took off his shirt and threw it into the river next to the shop, then used it to extinguish the remaining flames, all the while looking for any signs of life nearby. He didn't notice anyone or anything moving around. Once the flames had all been smothered, he stood still to listen. Instantly, his ears picked up the unmistakable voice of the Great Deku Tree, and others he assumed would be talking to him. He threw his now ruined, soaked shirt over his shoulder and headed towards the clearing. The voices grew louder as he approached and he could start to make out what they were saying.

"We've done all we can for them, children," the Deku Tree said. "Let the fairies heal them."

"Link should be here any second, we just got back from the woods," he heard Navi say. He hadn't even noticed that she'd flown off. He appeared around the corner to see four Kokiri, including Saria, looking very tired. Laying on the ground were Zanpher and Gereth, both unconscious with freshly bandaged burns all over their bodies. There were fairies floating all around the clearing, some helping to heal his teammates. The moment Navi noticed him, she zoomed over to his shoulder, exclaiming his name.

"Zelda..." was the only word Alatar was able to speak. He'd said it so quietly that he doubted anyone but Navi had heard him.

"She is in danger but still alive," Saria responded. "Ganondorf attacked everyone very suddenly. Zanpher and Gereth here tried to fight them off, only to get burned by his rather unexpected fire attack. We managed to drag them to the clearing for healing. It nearly broke my heart to hear their cries of pain and protest getting them here. They passed out from the pain shortly after arriving. I'm so sorry, Link."

"Not to worry about your fellow Guards, dear boy. The forest can heal these wounds, just give it time," the Deku Tree said gently.

"I have to go after Zelda. It's my fault the King of Evil escaped and possessed Ganondorf again. It happened when I pulled the sword from its pedestal I believe. I think I know where they may be headed. Once Zanpher and Gereth are able to leave, tell them to go back to the castle and inform King Rhoam about this situation." Alatar was a little shocked at the bravery in his voice, almost exactly opposite to how he felt at a time like this.

"If you have made up your mind, I shall not stop you. It is your destiny to destroy the King of Evil. May the goddesses of Hyrule protect you, young Link," the Deku Tree responded. Alatar turned around to leave the forest.

"I'm going with you," Navi said.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Alatar was grateful for her accompaniment. He knew her presence on the journey would help keep him calm.

Once outside the forest, Alatar headed straight for the carriage to grab all the supplies he would need. He tossed his ruined shirt into the bottom of the carriage and decked himself out in full combat gear. He unsheathed his regular sword and put the master sword in its place, swung the bow and shield around his back, and grabbed food, water, and other essentials. He noticed the horses were nowhere to be found. He was not worried, however. It seemed no matter the distance between them, whistling for Epona always brought her to him. He was, therefore, unfazed to see her galloping towards him from far off in the field, followed closely by four other horses. The two that had carried Zanpher and Gereth, and the two that had pulled the carriage were present, but Precious was not.

"That must be how they're getting to their destination," Alatar thought to himself. He hoped the poor horse was not in danger. Navi was excited by Epona's arrival, curious how she had heard his whistle from so far away. "It's more than just her hearing, you know. I feel a special connection with Epona ever since I bought her from Gereth. She never fails to amaze me with our bond. She could be half way around the world and I'd bet she'd still hear my call and come running," Alatar responded. He realized he did not know how long a journey they would be on, nor how long it would be before Gereth and Zanpher were able to go back to Hyrule Castle so he took a moment to make sure the horses were fed and watered, leaving some food and water out in the open for them in case they needed it later. He then grabbed food for Epona for later, mounted her, and rode towards the desert in the West.

It took nearly three days to get there, with Alatar only stopping to rest for a few hours when absolutely necessary. He did it more for Epona's sake than his own. He couldn't bring himself to eat more than a few handfuls of berries a couple of times and had to force himself to drink water. Nerves bubbled near the surface as he realized his plan may not even work. Courage kept him plowing forward, knowing he was the only one who could save Zelda. Upon his arrival, he dismounted from Epona and let her run around the field outside the desert. It would take a couple of hours on foot to arrive at the Gerudo town but he knew she'd be safer here. He set off into the sunset, hoping his plan would work.

He arrived at the town around midnight and was immediately stripped of his possessions and thrown in jail, Navi staying at his side the whole time. "We do not allow men into our kingdom," one of the guards had said. Alatar had to admit, he was a little taken aback by these actions.

"I need to speak with the Queen, it's about Prince Ganondorf!" he cried. "Tell her it's urgent!"

"SILENCE!" the guard responded. "What proof do you have to show me that you tell the truth?"

"Proof?" Alatar was unsure how he could convince them. "The gear you stripped me of is that of a Royal Guard. I work directly for the Hyrulian royal family, even with Princess Zelda and Prince Ganondorf." He hoped name dropping would be enough to satisfy her.

She thought for moment. "I will have to check with my advisers to confirm this is a uniform of the Royal Guards. If they agree with your story I will inform Queen Kalintha of your arrival. Were you sent here by King Rhoam for a mission? We have not received word of any such tasks."

Alatar decided it was best not to lie. He needed to gain her trust if he had any chance of speaking with the Queen. "King Rhoam is unaware I am here. I was sent on a mission to the forest of the Kokiri with Zelda and Ganondorf." He hesitated a moment, gauging her response before deciding if he should tell her more. She looked unimpressed. "I am part of a quest to reunite the Triforce. Ganondorf is too, so is Zelda." She looked at him curiously. "Are you not aware of the quest?" She shot him a dirty look.

"I have not heard of such a quest. I do know that the Prince was sent to Hyrule Castle, I am unaware of the reason." She stopped to study him, looking for any signs of lying or dishonesty. Once she was satisfied he was either telling the truth or good at hiding it, she spoke once more. "I shall also confirm this story with my advisers. Lying to me will not be tolerated. We shall know by midday tomorrow what will become of your imprisonment. For now," she turned to the guard to her right, "keep him locked up and await my orders."

"Yes captain!" the guard responded. They saluted each other and the guard captain left. The other one resumed patrolling the hallway. Alatar decided to try and rest. If his plan was going to succeed, he'd need all his strength.

His sleep was restless and too short. He kept having nightmares about the worst outcomes of his plan. Him losing, Zelda dying, Hyrule in ruins, and he was unable to shake the image of the burned forest from his head. He realized now that Ganondorf had burned down his childhood home. He would never be able to return to his humble house in the tree, the one place he felt safe from harm. He truly felt all alone now, finally letting the reality of his situation sink in. He, and he alone, would have to face the demon inside Ganondorf and take him down. He hoped he would be able to save his friend but knew it would be no easy task. "I suppose it's like asking for a miracle at this point," he admitted to Navi. He lay awake, staring at the ceiling trying to anticipate the battle and figure out a strategy. Navi's presence comforted him for the time being, as she lay on the pillow beside him, tucked into the crook in his neck. Her warmth was exactly what he needed at a time like this.

He was pulled from his stupor by the arrival of the guard captain. "The Queen has requested an audience with you, inmate. Face the back wall and put your hands above your head." He did as instructed as the captain opened his cell and bound his hands behind his back.

Navi stayed behind in the cell, although she could just fly through the bars if she desired. Alatar willed her to stay in there as a sign of good faith. The captain and the other guard led him to an interrogation room. There were people, all women, seated in a semi-circle high above a circular platform. The lighting on a chair and stand on the platform made it hard to make out any of their faces. He knew it was do or die time, and had one shot to convince them to help him.

"State your name, age, status, and occupation for the council," said one of the women.

"Link Alatar Almaan, twenty-six, Hyrulian Royal Guard currently on a mission from his highness King Rhoam."

"The mission to reunite the Triforce, correct?" one the women asked him. He nodded. "We are aware of the quest that was assigned to the Prince. What is your role in it?"

"I'm the wielder of the Triforce of Courage." He heard some of the women gasp. "Please, I need your help. The Prince and Zelda are in great danger! I need to get to the Spring of Power as soon as possible to rescue them!"

"Why do you require our help? We have no knowledge of any Spring of Power."

"I cannot locate it on my own. Only those with a connection to the Triforce of Power can find its exact location. The King was the one to find the Spring of Wisdom because he, too, is a descendant of the previous Triforce of Wisdom wielder. Therefore, the Queen of the Gerudo may be able to locate the Spring of Power. I haven't a clue where it could be located. The Spring of Wisdom didn't seem to be anywhere significant, while the Spring of Courage was hidden deep in the lost woods in the ruins of the Temple of Time. Can you think of anywhere it might be? Maybe somewhere that has a connection to your people or the King of Evil?" He hoped he wasn't pushing his luck with this request, but what choice did he have. The murmurs from the council members were impossible to make out. He felt great relief that they had not sentenced him to death yet and were actually considering his request. Finally, a very authoritative voice spoke.

"First of all, you are bound by secrecy from this moment forward. Outside of those already on this quest with you, no one is to know what we are about to share with you. Do you give us our word?"

"Yes!" He'd responded a little more harshly than he'd have liked, desperation creeping into his voice.

"If I had to guess, I'd say the Spring is located atop Death Mountain. It is said the King of Evil, in one incarnation, ruled Hyrule Kingdom from there. It is a ways to the North of Hyrule Castle, two days' journey from here at least, up a mountain to a volcanic region. We've heard rumours there may be ruins of old Hyrule Castle on the summit." Alatar thought about this for a moment. He hoped their information was correct, as he didn't have time to waste looking for the Spring. "If I'm understanding you correctly, I will have to accompany you on this journey?" Alatar nodded. "Very well, if it's to save my son I will gladly go with you. You arrived here on foot, correct?"

Relief flooded Alatar and he began to relax, realizing he hadn't noticed the high amount of tension in his shoulders. "I walked through the desert on foot but I have a horse in the field near the entrance."

"Lucia, make arrangements for our journey immediately. Link, give us thirty minutes or so to prepare then we will head to the edge of the desert where you can get your horse. In that time, please see the guard captain to reclaim your gear and your fairy. Tamaria, send word to the King of Hyrule at once. Tell him to send back-up to Death Mountain summit. I will be waiting there for them. Then come find me at the town's entrance right afterwards, you shall be my accompaniment for the journey. Let's move ladies!"

Alatar grabbed his gear from the captain, got Navi out of jail and gave her a quick synopsis of the plan, and was outside the town in no time. He waited anxiously for the Queen and Tamaria to arrive. He had a feeling the interrogation was not completely over with but was grateful that his plan had come together so well. He paced near the entrance restlessly still trying to plan battle tactics. He realized he wasn't accustomed to using his new sword yet and decided to try some swings with it while Navi waited by the entrance, watching him. It was amazing how natural it was to swing the sword around. It felt like an extension of himself, reacting to every move he made with great ferocity, light as a feather, yet heavy upon the strike. He heard a snicker from behind him and turned around to see another Gerudo guard watching his every move.

"Hey, you're pretty good with that sword. Impressive, for a Hylian anyways." Alatar wasn't sure what to say so he just nodded and sheathed his sword. Queen Kalintha and Tamaria came out of the town on horseback, leading a third horse bogged down with supplies. They were both decked out in full combat gear and had shields and scimitars on their backs. Alatar was impressed with their weapons.

"Get on," the Queen gestured to the empty horse. "I want you to explain to me all that has happened with this quest while we travel. I shall hold all questions until the end."

Alatar, once again, recounted his story, detailing everything from their trip to the Spring of Wisdom to the possession of Ganondorf, to the King's explanation, to their trip to the Spring of Courage, and finally, to Ganondorf's last attack and the kidnapping.

"Do you believe there is a way to separate Ganondorf from the King of Evil?" the Queen asked him.

"I've been trying to figure that out. The only thing that comes to mind is my trip to the Sacred Realm. When I first met with my past life he was transparent and had strange blue flames around his feet while in the Temple of Time, but in the Sacred Realm he was solid, could even be mistaken for someone alive. Perhaps the King of Evil will gain its own form while there. I'd prefer not to have to fight Prince Ganondorf, your highness. He's become a close friend of mine."

"Yes, I believe that would be the preferable outcome." She smiled at him. "I should thank you, for protecting my son." She hesitated before speaking again. "I will be understanding if you have to kill him. If it comes to that, he isn't really my son anymore, after all. I will not let Hyrule fall to this monster when I have spent years attempting to prevent its return." She fell silent. Alatar didn't know how to respond and neither, it seemed, did Tamaria. The rest of the journey to the field was spent in solemn silence.

Epona was happy to see Alatar again. She still had so much energy, even after two journeys with very little rest in between. He quickly fed and watered her and they made their way to the volcanic region in the North. Despite his suggestions, the Queen refused to stop for a rest at any point. Alatar sensed this was from a fierce determination to help her son. He could sympathize with her, he felt the same way about Zelda at this time.

"What's your plan of action once we arrive?" Tamaria asked him.

"I think the best plan would be to try and enter the Sacred Realm as soon as possible. Ganondorf will have to do it somehow. I don't know what awaits us at the Spring of Power. To enter at the Spring of Courage I had to do a skyward strike with the sword I pulled from the pedestal." Alatar pondered something for a moment, then came to a realization about their first trip. "At the Spring of Wisdom, Zelda had to touch the statue of the goddess. We were in the realm for less than a second, so fast we didn't even realize we'd gone somewhere else. I'm sorry there isn't more of a plan, but I do not know what we will face once we arrive. I think its best if you two wait outside the Spring. His power is not of this world and only my sword can stop it."

"Perhaps we should be backup, my Queen? Wait for the others to arrive and fill them in. If Link does end up in the Sacred Realm we won't be of use to him anyways." Tamaria said.

"If that is the plan, so be it. I have no objections as of yet; that may change once we know what we are up against." The Queen's words hung in the air as they finished their final stretch of the journey.

"I feel something!" the Queen exclaimed as they approached their destination. "It doesn't feel of this world." She paused for a moment, looking around. "There!" she exclaimed, pointing towards a crater. They all approached its edge and looked into it. In the middle of it, surrounded by lava, was a castle in ruins. Its structure was much more intact than the other springs had been. Alatar studied the structure, looking for signs of life. Finally, he noticed a shadow moving in the top dome of the castle, right in the center. He knew it had to be Ganondorf, he could feel his presence. Even though they were too far away from each other to see anything but outlines, Alatar knew Ganondorf was making eye contact with him, daring him to enter. Alatar did not see a way to the castle, the only bridge hung at the entrance, broken.

"I anticipated this," Queen Kalintha spoke, breaking Alatar's concentration. "Have this, it should get you inside." She handed him a spring-loaded chain with a triangular, metal head. "It's called a hookshot. It can get you across large gaps by sticking to certain surfaces. Aim at something like wood or clay, you'll know if it stuck, trust me. We will find our way in there if need be, but we shall wait for the others for the time being."

Alatar took the hookshot, dismounted his horse, and looked to Navi for confirmation, who nodded to him. He aimed the hookshot at the ruins of the bridge and pulled the lever on the handle of the device. He watched the head latch onto the wooden bridge, felt his body leave solid ground, watched as his feet dangled precariously over the lava river, and in less than a second was climbing the fallen bridge into the ruins of old Hyrule Castle.

Chapter 9

Alatar was astounded at how large the castle was. It hadn't looked this big from a distance. He could no longer see the dome where Ganondorf was hiding, but estimated him to be three or four floors above. He studied the sight before him a bit before entering. There were tall guard towers either side of the entrance and at every corner, walkways between them, but not another soul in sight. The entire castle was made of a dull, grey stone that seemed to absorb light, giving the whole place a dreary and tense atmosphere. The entry way was pitch black, so dark it was almost incomprehensible to him. The building was showing its age, much like the other springs had, and Alatar just hoped the floors would hold him. He gathered all the determination he could muster, unsheathed his sword and shield, and slowly approached the dark entrance.

It was eerily quiet inside the castle. His ears hurt from the silence, broken only by the odd creak of a floorboard or squeak of a loose door. In front of him was a grand staircase, either side of him hallways, and in the middle of it all, a gigantic statue in such ruin he could no longer tell who or what it was supposed to be. A man? A goddess? It could even be a horse for all he could tell. The floor here had shallow water, unnaturally clear and empty, just as the other two springs had been. The water glowed red, exact opposite of the warm blue glow from the Spring of Wisdom and the inspiring golden glow from the Triforce symbols at the Spring of Courage. Alatar realized the glow was coming from the base of the statue, the red colour getting deeper and darker as the water got closer to the statue. Again, as he entered the Spring, the water was warm to the touch.

He walked up the staircase, every footstep of his amplified in the silence. There were more doors and hallways at the top of the staircase. He checked the nearest doors and found only bedrooms and the like. He chose to follow the left hallway and froze the moment he entered. At the end of the hallway was a corpse laying on the floor, its rotting flesh clinging onto its bones looked like it could fall off with a slight breeze. His instincts told him this was the way forward. He approached the corpse slowly then heard a piercing scream that made him and Navi freeze in place. The corpse stood up and walked slowly towards him. He tried to move, to run, to do anything, but his body wouldn't respond to him. The corpse reached him and climbed onto his back, put its legs around his chest, and somehow began sucking the life out of him. How was he doing it? What was this creature? Alatar did not know. He realized the scream had stopped and he could move once more. He shook his body with all his might, trying to throw his attacker off. He was being choked, and knew he would die if he didn't do something! Altar reached for the arms cutting off his airway and yanked them as hard as he could. The creature let go and fell behind him, Alatar gasping and choking, thankful his lungs could get air once more. Before he could freeze from the scream again, Altar pivoted and struck the creature with his sword. It gave a low moan upon every strike, angry that his prey was putting up a fight. Alatar gave a large, almighty swing aimed at the monster's side, then swung back for a finishing blow to the neck. The creature gave one final, loud, moan then lay on the floor in a heap, convulsing grotesquely until it took one last breath then dissolved into nothing. Altar's heart was beating so fast he could hear every pump, his throat sore, inside and out. He could feel bruises starting to form on his neck and around his ribs. He had not anticipated fighting more that Ganondorf here. He took a second to compose himself before entering the door the creature had been guarding.

Stairs leading upwards greeted him and he let out a sigh of relief before returning to his battle mentality. He checked to see Navi still floating above his right shoulder. They nodded to each other and he walked quickly up the spiral staircase, keeping his eyes and ears peeled for any signs of life. Nothing caught his attention. He arrived at a doorway, listening for anything on the other side, and heard Ganondorf laugh. It was still quite far away, but he was definitely getting closer. "Rescue the Princess, enter the Sacred Realm, fight the monster," he recited in his head, psyching himself up as he opened the door. He was greeted by a figure that could only be described as being made of shadows.

"We were wondering when you were going to get here," the shadow figure said. Alatar was studying him closely, getting into his battle stance. He noticed the figure was carrying a sword and shield, also made of shadow. He was the same height as Alatar, same slim figure. The sword in his hand had a winged handle, and Alatar realized he had the same sword.

"Wait a minute, you're... me!" Alatar exclaimed.

"Ah, very clever," the figure responded with malice, "who better to defeat you than yourself, Link?" He laughed, not taking his eyes off Alatar for a second. The figure was clearly waiting for Alatar to strike first.

Alatar struck at Shadow Link, using most of his strength to keep himself balanced and on his feet. Alatar swung his sword left, right, up, sideways, diagonally, tried bashing with his shield, tried stabbing, tried getting behind his foe, all to no avail. It didn't seem to matter what technique he used against the shadow his blows were countered with almost comical ease. Should he flee? Perhaps find a vantage point and trying to shoot the figure with the arrows? He doubted his speed in this matter, running away alone would take all his effort, let alone finding a vantage point. He dared not take his eyes off Shadow Link for a second, he knew it was looking for any opening to strike. "Think, Alatar, think!" he begged himself silently. That's when he heard the familiar whoosh of Navi's wings. He stopped himself at the last second from glancing at his right shoulder as he heard her talking to him in a hurried whisper.

"Link, he's you! He's going to know all your moves ahead of time. Isn't there something else you could use, something he doesn't have?" Alatar quickly tried to take inventory of everything he had, but Shadow Link had noticed his attention was not fully on the battle and went to strike. Alatar rolled out of the way just in time, the edge of his opponent's sword just skimming his leg. The pain was harsh, but he couldn't think of that now. The shadow was coming in for another strike. Alatar raised his shield to block the attack, feeling for the moment the blow would hit. As soon as the sword and shield made contact he put all his strength into pushing his opponent away with his shield. "Use his own strength against him!" he remembered his captain cry. Shadow Link landed on his back and skidded into the far wall. Alatar tried to take this opportunity to do a jump attack and aim for the heart but the shadow was back on his feet far too quickly for any living thing. Alatar, now on his knees from the jump attack, was struck in the back with a blunt object he figured was a shield and collapsed to the floor, face down. He rolled onto his back just in time to kick the shadow who was now in mid-air ready to do the same jump attack Alatar had just tried. Shadow Link landed on his feet, knees bent, sword hand on the floor to catch himself. Alatar rolled to his knees then jumped to his feet once more, ready to block another incoming attack.

Shadow Link laughed as he got back to his battle stance. "You're a formidable foe, I'll give you that." He stopped for a moment and put his sword hand on his chin, thinking. "Does giving you a complement mean I'm also complimenting myself?" he said with a smirk. His expression turned serious. "Now, let me show you some of my tricks!"

Shadow Link lunged forward. Alatar, expecting a sword swing, raised his shield ready for another attempted blow. He was surprised when the shadow leapt into the air a few paces from his face. He saw Shadow Link's evil grin as he did a downward strike, attempting to plunge his sword into Alatar's head. He rolled forward out of the way but not before getting a cut down the back of his head and neck. The pain was searing him, he let out an involuntary cry of pain and felt hot blood trickling down his back. He hoped he'd be able to survive. Shadow Link had expected Alatar to dodge forward, however, and landed firmly on his hands and feet, bent his knees and pushed off the floor hard with his hands, heading straight for Alatar, feet first. He kicked Alatar in the jaw with both feet, knocking the wind out of him as he landed on his back.

"Don't make it so easy on me, dumbass. Put up a real fight!" Shadow Link taunted. Alatar slowly rose to his feet, mouth full of blood, jaw bruised, head pounding. He felt something poke him in the side from his pocket and realized he had a weapon he could use. He was unsure if he had the strength to pull it off in his current state. Suddenly, he felt a warmth moving through him, clearing his head, healing his bruises, stopping the blood flowing from his wounds, then healing them completely. He glanced over to see Navi in the corner of the room zapped of energy, drained of all colour, slowly falling to the floor. She had used all her energy to heal him.

"Have to admit, I wasn't expecting that," Shadow Link said with an amused huff. In under a second they were both back to battle stances. Shadow Link lunged forward again, looking like he was going to strike Alatar's head. He recognized the fake-out, knowing Shadow Link would half-heartedly strike at his raised shield while he was actually putting his power into a leg sweep that would knock his opponent off his feet. Alatar decided this was his opportunity and threw his shield against the wall just before the sword made contact. He leapt over the incoming attack and grabbed the hookshot from his pocket. He heard Shadow Link mutter, "What the..." as Alatar landed on his feet, took aim at Shadow Link's back, and fired the hookshot. He was instantly pulled towards his opponent, took aim, and stabbed him in the back, right through the heart. Shadow Link began wheezing and sputtering, falling to his knees, then flat on his face. He took one last breath and went limp. Alatar pulled his sword out and Shadow Link dissolved into nothing.

Alatar walked over to his shield, put his hookshot back, sheathed his sword, and made his way towards Navi. She was still alive, slowly turning back to her blue colour. He picked up his friend and held her close to his chest. He knew that holding her would help heal her faster, and he took a seat to wait. He tried to clear his head of everything that had just happened and put all his energy into healing Navi. He watched as she turned more and more blue, her wings perking up gradually. "You saved me, Navi, thank you," he whispered to her. She flew from his hands to rest on his shoulder, her favourite place to be. They both waited a little while longer for her to get all her strength back. Alatar was trying to think up a battle strategy for the inevitable fight against Ganondorf but knew he wouldn't be able to come up with anything solid until he saw Ganondorf's fighting style and the layout of the room. His attention was pulled back to reality when he heard voices coming from the stairwell behind him. He quickly prepared himself for another fight. He stopped to listen for a moment and realized he recognized some of the voices. Relief flooded him as King Rhoam, Queen Kalintha, Zanpher, Gereth, a few forest fairies, and about a dozen Hylian and Gerudo guards entered the room.

"Alatar, what happened?! You look like you've just seen a ghost!" Gereth exclaimed. Alatar looked down at his body and realized how pale he was.

"He was fighting his shadow!" came Navi's response. She went into detail about the fight. "He was kicked in the jaw and was looking unsteady on his feet. I had to heal him but blacked out from the effort, so I don't know what happened after that. I woke up in Link's hands." Navi finished.

"I recognized a fake-out attack, threw my shield away, which he wasn't expecting, jumped over him and used the hookshot on his back. I was pulled towards him and killed him with a stab to the heart," Alatar said. Queen Kalintha looked rather impressed with his battle wit. "I guess I really was fighting myself." Alatar smiled to himself.

"Where's the body?" King Rhoam asked.

"It dissolved into nothing. It was strange," Alatar reflected for the first time, "he didn't bleed. Shadows acting like smoke or something escaped the wound."

King Rhoam looked around at the floor with a look of shock. "All this blood is yours then? You're lucky to be alive my boy!"

Alatar nodded and gestured towards the other door. "Shall we continue on then?" He took the murmurs and nods for a yes.

They opened the door to discover another spiral staircase, winding its way up a large pillar. Alatar heard Ganondorf's voice once again, much clearer this time, although still too far away to know what he was saying. Alatar turned towards the crowd and started whispering the pitiful excuse he had for a plan. "I do not know what we're up against, but we know Ganondorf is unnaturally strong. I am the only one that can defeat him; all of you are responsible for keeping Princess Zelda safe, but I need her to remain as close to the battle as possible. There will be an object of some kind we need Ganondorf to interact with that will transport us to the Sacred Realm. I'm hoping the King of Evil will have his own form there, releasing Ganondorf from his possession. I do not know what the object is yet, so give me as much time as you can for me to figure it out. Do not attack Ganondorf unless the situation gets desperate. We need him alive for our plan to succeed. Gereth, Zanpher," he turned to look at them, "I need you two for back up. I will give you a signal when I want you to join me. Try to study his fighting technique and distract him as much as possible. Avoid his swing and his grip at all costs. Once in the Sacred Realm it will be your job to get Ganondorf to safety, keeping him close as well. I need Zelda and Ganondorf with me if we are going to have any hope of reuniting the Triforce." Alatar paused, quickly going over the checklist he had in his head for the battle. He remembered one more thing. "Queen Kalintha, King Rhoam, who is your best archer?" he addressed them. They looked at each other.

"Tamaria is your best option I believe," Queen Kalintha responded. Alatar approached Tamaria and took the bow and sheath of arrows off his back.

"These are the only other weapons that will work against the King of Evil. Try not to use them against Ganondorf for now unless absolutely necessary. Once in the Sacred Realm, keep your aim on the King of Evil at all times. When I point my sword skyward, shoot him, anywhere you can get a clean shot before I strike." Tamaria took the bow and arrows from Alatar, who nodded her salute. He took one last deep breath, looked to Navi for reassurance, who nodded her approval, and started leading the warriors up the stairs.

Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Alatar had his hand on the doorknob. As he always did before a battle, he checked to see if Navi and all his teammates were ready to begin. They entered the room, unsure of what was on the other side.

The dome gave the room a natural brightness that was in great contrast to the rest of the castle, the stained-glass windows giving the room a red glow. Ganondorf was sitting on a throne made of a dark metal, smiling menacingly at their arrival. There was a large statue behind him of a man that looked a lot like Ganondorf. It had an air of age and authority; Alatar knew instantly that this was a statue of the King of Evil in his glory days. Princess Zelda was nowhere to be seen.

"Took your merry time getting here! How dare you keep us waiting like that!" Ganondorf taunted. Alatar unsheathed his sword slowly and grabbed his shield, now not daring to break eye contact with Ganondorf.

"Where's Princess Zelda?" Alatar asked angrily.

"She's safe, for now. Trapped in a place I'm certain you're aware of. I had to do something to prevent her escape," Ganondorf smirked.

"Didn't work well on you," Zanpher yelled from behind Alatar. "Bet she could get away faster than you ever did!"

"Doesn't matter now, does it? You're here to finish me off, I presume? And you brought a party with you, very nice. Hello, mother, long time, no see!"

The guards were all entering the room and getting into fighting positions around their King and Queen. Queen Kalintha said nothing. She glared at him, jaw clenched, eyes wide, determined to kill.

"You bring the Princess back right now! I'll slit your throat youmonster!" yelled Zanpher.

Alatar looked at Zanpher and raised his hand for him to stop talking. "He needs her alive too, if his plan is going to succeed." He snapped his gaze back to Ganondorf. "You want to reunite the Triforce and take the whole thing for yourself!" he yelled.

Ganondorf smiled and raised his eyebrows tauntingly. "You know, for not being the Triforce of Wisdom holder, you're quite sharp." He stood up quickly, his expression souring. "You want to see the Princess, then let me show you!" he yelled, jumping to the statue behind him. Alatar noticed the Triforce appear on the back of Ganondorf's left hand, only the top triangle glowing gold. As his hand made contact with the statue, they were all teleported to the Sacred Realm, on the same platform Alatar was on earlier. Lying between them, unconscious, arms folded over her chest, was Princess Zelda. Ganondorf gave an evil laugh. "If you want her, come get her!"

Alatar closed his eyes for a split second, his expression turning very serious. He gathered all his strength, took in a deep breath, opened his eyes, and yelled "CHARGE!" with all his might. The Realm rang out with battle cries as every member of Alatar's team rushed forward in an attempt to get Princess Zelda to safety. Alatar, Zanpher, and Gereth charged towards Ganondorf.

Ganondorf immediately went to block the rescue party, dodging around his three attackers. He managed to cut the rescue party off just before they reached the resting Zelda. With a snap of his fingers, an army of minions appeared in front of him, sporting bludgeoning weapons, swords, spears, and bows. Ganondorf gave a great laugh as the two armies began to fight it out. Arrows flew every direction, clashes of weapons on shields and armour rang through the Realm, Alatar's team completely outnumbered. Ganondorf turned back very quickly to face Alatar, Zanpher, and Gereth once more, pulling a sword from his back. "Better help your sleeping damsel," Ganondorf taunted again. He snapped his fingers once more and a crystal prison formed around the still slumbering Zelda. Navi flew over to her, attempting to examine the prison and see if there was a way to break her out of it. At the same time, Ganondorf charged forward, determined to take them all out.

Alatar tried his best to hold back his blows, blocking, dodging, parrying, doing whatever he could to not hurt Ganondorf. Zanpher and Gereth were on standby, watching the intense fight. He noticed the look of determination on Ganondorf's face change to anguish for a split second a few times before changing back. At one point his hand flew to his head and he let out a huff of anguish before fighting again. "What is he doing?" Alatar thought. "It doesn't look like a fake-out. He seems to be holding something back. Or rather, something's holding him back. Someone."

"Ganondorf, listen!" Alatar yelled. "You need to fight his possession! We need you alive if we are going to reunite the Triforce!" Alatar rolled out of the way, dodging a sword swing. "Use the Triforce of Power if you have to! We can hold him off, we need you here!" Ganondorf froze but his face quickly returned to the evil sneer. In a flash he raised his right hand and shot a lightning ball directly at Alatar.

As if in slow motion, Alatar watched the ball of energy move towards him. His first instinct was to dodge it, but a voice in his head he recognized as his past life told him that this could be his opportunity to fight back. He held his sword straight out to his left side, felt it charging up like the skyward strike, and just before the ball made impact he spun around in a blur, letting out an involuntary battle cry. A blue-white streak appeared along the sword's path around his body and hit the energy ball back at Ganondorf. Ganondorf was stunned with the lightning, falling to his hands and knees, shaking. Alatar, Zanpher, and Gereth froze.

Ganondorf let out a cry of effort and pain as he tried to fight off his possessor. Alatar quickly looked to Zanpher and Gereth, nodding in Ganondorf's direction. They understood that he wanted them to keep an eye on their foe while he was distracted. He knew what he had to do; this was his opportunity to get the King of Evil to let go. He looked over his shoulder quickly, noticing the bloody battle being waged behind him, and scanned the crowd. At the back, guarded by Gerudo archers stood Tamaria, bow and arrow at the ready. He turned back towards Ganondorf, raised his sword above his head, hoping he wouldn't regret his decision, and watched as an arrow with a golden light emanating from the tip struck the still struggling Ganondorf.

The result was instantaneous. Ganondorf fell to the floor, unconscious. The shadow of possession left his body, moved back, and started taking its own form. "GO! NOW!" Alatar yelled to Zanpher and Gereth. They ran as fast as they could to Ganondorf's body and quickly dragged him off the battlefield. Alatar watched as the shadow got to his feet, looking exactly like the statue from the castle. The King of Evil gave Alatar an evil smirk as he snapped his fingers. A ring of fire formed around the two of them. "It's just you and me now," Alatar said quietly to himself.

"Welcome back, Link. Long time, no see!" the King of Evil taunted. Alatar stared at him with loathing, waiting for an attack. "What, you don't remember me? How sad. We were old friends, you know."

"Not on your life," Alatar said angrily. He charged forward as fast as he could, ready to strike him down. The King of Evil gave a great laugh and started changing. Before Alatar had time to react, the King of Evil morphed into a giant monster that was more pig than man. Snout for a nose, sharp horns growing out of his head, a tail forming behind him, he towered over Alatar like man over ants. The monster reached behind his back and pulled out two large gold swords, then gave a loud cry that shook the chamber like an explosion. Alatar stared at the monster with a determined look full of courage. His roster of attacks flashed through his head, taking note of the monster's leather-like skin. He had to find a way to get close. The monster swung his swords outwards from the middle of his body; the attack was as wide as Alatar was tall. He just barely managed to avoid the swing with a couple of backflips, one of his fastest moves. Even dodging the attacks was going to require great concentration and timing. The one thing he had on his side was his speed. He threw his shield out of the battlefield, knowing it would be of no use and would only slow him down.

The monster kept swinging his swords, Alatar managing to dodge all his attacks. "He's slower than before, but one hit can and will kill me," he thought. He managed to land a couple of blows on his slower opponent's arms, making no more of an impact than if he had given the monster a paper cut, the sword able to cut through the leathery skin but not deep enough to make any impact.

"My best option is to get out of range. He probably doesn't pivot well." Alatar tested his theory upon the next dodge. Landing on his feet and hands after his backflip, he burst into a run around the monster. He saw it just before impact; the monster's tail was whipping towards him, using the same spin attack technique Alatar had used on the ball of energy. He was struck clear across the battlefield, his grip tightening on his sword, managing to pivot in the air at the last second to land on his hands and feet, stopping just short of the encasing flame wall. That's when he heard the familiar sound of Navi's wings at his shoulder. The monster gave a great cry as it swung diagonally with one sword at the place Alatar was sitting. Instinctually, Alatar rolled forward twice, as the impact made contact with the floor and shook the battlefield. "Navi!" he shouted, "get close and find his weak point!" He knew she was far too small and quick to get hit.

The monster kept swinging his swords, getting more reckless and powerful with each attempt to hit Alatar. He waited anxiously for Navi to return to him, trying to study his opponent's techniques, watching for tells for the different attacks. He knew he couldn't keep dodging them forever or else his fighting techniques would become predictable too. Rolling, jumping back, darting forward while low to the ground, dodging the gigantic swords was all he could do. He heard Navi's wings once more, ready for her input.

"The only places the skin looks weak enough is the tip of his tail and his head," she said in a hurried whisper. Alatar gave the monster another quick, sweeping look and formulated a plan.

"Navi, head to Tamaria and tell her fire an arrow at my cry," he yelled, knowing the wall of fire would block any physical signal from view. "I'm going for the tail first." He heard her fly away and waited to give her time before carrying out his plan.

Alatar was inching his way closer, waiting for a sideways slash, hoping for another outwards swing like the first. As soon as the opportunity presented itself, he rolled forwards once more, right between the monster's legs, yelling "NOW!" as loudly as he could manage. The monster was getting ready to do another spin attack, his attention focused completely on Alatar. "Perfect," Alatar thought, his speed so great that he managed to slash at the tip of the tail before the incoming spin attack had even started. The monster gave a cry of pain as Alatar slid back under his legs, watching as the light arrow struck him in the face. The monster fell to his knees, momentarily stunned. Alatar jump slashed at the monster's face but managed to strike him only once before the monster got back on his feet. Alatar ran out of range again, just in time to dodge another sweeping double side slash. "He'll see it coming if I try that again," Alatar thought. "It's time to use his own attack against him."

Alatar knew that timing would be everything on this one. If he was even a second too late, he would be dead, struck down at the hands of this monster. He saw the monster move his arms to his sides and Alatar knew this was his opportunity. He waited for the first sword to do the side slash, knees bent, and leapt into the air to dodge the first swing, aiming for a slightly higher jump this time. He felt the wind come off the first sword's swing and put all his energy into his legs for a steady landing, knowing he wouldn't have time to recover if he lost his balance. He watched as the second sword swung under his feet and he landed on the blade, as close to the handle as he could manage. He ran up the sword onto the monster's arm, grabbing for the hookshot in his pocket once more, and leapt off the monster's arm, aiming for his face face, just above his snout. He landed there and immediately leapt once again, as high as he could manage, dropped the hookshot, gripped his sword with both hands, the blade glowing white hot, and did a downward strike, putting all his momentum and strength into a blow to the head.

It wasn't enough. The monster managed to shake Alatar off, making him lose his sword in the process, Alatar giving a loud cry of frustration as he landed on the floor. In another situation it might look almost comical to see a pig monster with a sword sticking out of his head. Alatar was out of ideas, feeling absolutely defenseless without his sword. He began to panic. He had trained in hand-to-hand combat, sure, but he knew he didn't stand a chance against the thick skin. He could try to run up the monster's swords again, try to climb its back maybe. He tried to make himself think of the monster as a wall to climb, hoping he could trust his grip long enough to reach his sword. The monster seemed to be thinking the same thing. He gave Alatar an evil grin as he reached up, pulled the sword from his head, splattering them both with blood, and threw the sword over the flames, away from the chaos of the battle their armies were fighting.

It was now a fight of endurance for Alatar, as he could only hope to somehow get over the wall of fire. "Maybe if I jump from atop his head, I can make it," he thought to himself. Alatar started running zigzag among his dodges as much as possible, trying to look for the best vantage point for climbing while attempting to get the monster to do another side slash. The monster seemed determined to avoid that move at all costs, possibly expecting the trick again. Alatar changed tactics and tried rolling between the monster's legs to climb his back. He inched closer like last time, trying to deceive the monster into thinking he was running around him, waiting until the last possible second to roll between the legs, but the monster was ready for him this time. The tail's sweeping blow hit Alatar, who adapted very quickly and griped the tail to begin his ascent. It was no use trying to climb; the monster was shaking to make him lose his grip and there wasn't anything Alatar could latch on to, the leathery skin slick with sweat and blood. He slid down his opponent's back to land on the floor, trying to think of something, anything he could do. The monster kicked at Alatar as it turned to face him. He tried to dodge but was caught off-guard at the unexpected attack. He landed on his back, eyes closed, ready to accept defeat as he heard the monster give one last evil laugh.

Zanpher and Gereth were working on finishing off the minions with the rest of the army. "They're resilient," Zanpher said in frustration. He kept trying to knock the opponents on their feet, using leg sweeps and shield bashes, having Gereth jump in to deliver a finishing blow. The remaining opponents caught onto this trick, forcing them to switch their battle tactic. "TWO," yelled Zanpher, having Gereth aim a high side slash while Zanpher went low for a leg sweep or a knockback, followed by Gereth stabbing, decapitating, or slashing the opponent a second time. A loud cry snapped both their attention away from battle, recognizing Alatar's voice. They looked towards the wall of fire and saw something being thrown over the wall in the opposite direction. The blue handled, silver blade was recognized immediately by them both.

"He can't defeat him without the master sword!" Gereth yelled as he kept fighting. He knew they had to get to it and throw it back in, but the enemies were coming in waves, making it almost impossible to get there unscathed, possibly even a risk to their lives. They studied the room as best they could while fighting. No one else seemed to notice that Alatar was in trouble, all too busy fighting their own battles. "It's probably because we've trained alongside him for years," Gereth yelled. They looked around desperately for any solution, any way to get Alatar his sword back. That's when they noticed Ganondorf, on his feet, fighting to break the Princess out of her crystal imprisonment. Navi was beside him, trying to help.

"NAVI!" Zanpher yelled as loud as he could. She looked in his direction at the sound of her name. "NAVI!" Zanpher yelled again to get her attention. She quickly flew over to him. "Go tell Tamaria to try and break Zelda's crystal prison open with a light arrow," he said, still dodging and fighting.

"We saw Alatar's sword get thrown over the wall of fire on the far side! Get Ganondorf to grab and toss it back into their battle!" Gereth yelled. Navi flew off to start her missions.

King Rhoam was on the front lines with his guards, some using short swords and shields, trying to break through the opposing army's defenses, while others used long, two-handed blades for further-ranged combat. Queen Kalintha was fighting alongside most of her Gerudo guards, using scimitars to slash at anything that moved, or using spears to stab any opening. The rest were archers, all lined up at the back of the field of battle, protecting Tamaria as she awaited Alatar's cry, bow loaded with a light arrow.

"Tamaria we need you to free Zelda! Shoot at the crystal she's in, it may break her imprisonment!" Navi cried, flying furiously fast.

Navi flew away as Tamaria nodded, studying the battlefield for a moment. She saw the top of the crystal prison but couldn't get a clear path. "I can't get a good vantage point from here!" she yelled to her teammates. "Agraria, I need a boost!" One of the archers ran to Tamaria, putting her bow over her shoulder while the others filled in the gap. She bent down on one knee and put both her hands over the bent knee, palms up. Tamaria backed up a few steps, got a running start, and yelled "LAUNCH" as soon as her feet made contact with Agraria's hands. She was thrown into the air, took aim at the crystal, making sure her shot wouldn't hit Zelda, and fired the glowing gold arrow. She heard the crystal shatter as she landed on her feet, quickly loading another light arrow and resumed waiting for Alatar's cry.

Navi flew over to Ganondorf and the now free Zelda as fast as possible. Zelda was awake now and slowly getting to her feet, her facial expression changing to one of intense concentration as Ganondorf was filling her in on the battle as best he could. "Ganondorf, Alatar's lost his sword! It's been tossed over the wall of fire to the other side of the battlefield!" Navi yelled.

"Got it!" Ganondorf yelled back, taking off at full speed to retrieve the sword.

"What do we do now?" came Zelda's weakened voice.

"We have to wait for Alatar to finish off that monster," Navi replied.

"We have to help him, there's got to be a way!" Zelda cried, tears streaming down her face. She tried to stand but was too weakened from her imprisonment, falling to her knees. Suddenly, her head began to clear and she felt her strength returning to her. "What's happening?" she yelled at Navi, who didn't respond. She turned her head to see Navi had turned mostly grey and was falling slowly to the floor. "NAVI!" she cried, catching her before she hit the floor. The look of shock on Zelda's face was being replaced with a look of determination to avenge Alatar's little friend. She stood up slowly, still wondering what she could do to help Alatar. She saw Ganondorf running back towards them, master sword in hand and shock on his face upon spotting Navi lying in Zelda's hands.

"We don't have time to grieve right now, we have to get this back to Alatar!" Ganondorf shouted as he got closer Zelda, who put Navi gently on her right shoulder, exactly where she liked to be. He skidded to a halt beside her. "I don't think I can throw this high enough to get over the flames. Plus, if he's busy he might not even notice it!"

Zelda's face was in concentration mode once more, her brain working a million miles a minute to think of a solution. The look faded to wide-eyed realization: she had to use the Triforce of Wisdom. She knew not how this would turn out, an internal monologue seemingly coming from another source told her exactly what to do. "Stand back!" she said to Ganondorf. He moved away from her. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and held her hands out in front of her, arms straight, taking aim at the monster she could barely see over the wall of fire. The symbol of the Triforce appeared on the back of her left hand, the bottom left triangle glowing gold. "One shot," she whispered to herself as she let out her breath, opened her eyes, and felt her energy surge in her fingertips.

Even with his eyes shut tight Alatar was blinded by a sudden burst of white-gold light. He opened his eyes to see that a giant beam of light coming from behind him was striking the monster, stunning him in place. Unable to move, he gave a loud cry of frustration, trying to fight his paralysis. Alatar noticed the wall of fire had disappeared and looked towards the source of the light. It was Zelda, holding her hands in front of her, making a triangle with her two thumbs and forefingers. He heard someone yell, "ALATAR, CATCH!" from his left. His head snapped towards the voice to see Ganondorf throwing him his sword. He leapt to his feet and caught it, immediately afterwards turning and sliding towards the monster. He slashed and stabbed at the monster's head and face, being splattered with blood at every blow. The Triforce symbol appeared on the back of his hand, just like it had at the Spring of Courage. "This is my chance to finish him!" he thought to himself. He pulled back his sword, felt it charge up, and stabbed the monster at a full charge, directly in his eye, aiming for the brain. Alatar pulled out his sword as the monster gave a great cry of anguish and slowly morphed back into the King of Evil. The beam of light paralyzing him disappeared as Alatar gave one last great battle cry and stabbed his opponent right through the chest. Alatar dropped his sword by his side and fell to his knees. He slumped to the floor from exhaustion and blacked out.

Zelda and Ganondorf ran towards him, hoping he was alive. "He's breathing, although it's shallow," Zelda said, relief flooding her every nerve.

Ganondorf put a hand to his chest and let out a low sigh. "Thank the goddesses."

They turned around to see that the chaotic battle was still being waged behind them. "Let's try to wake him up. Perhaps if we fulfill our mission we can end this bloodbath," Zelda said, bending down, attempting to speak softly, trying to call him back to reality. "Alatar. Alatar please wake up, we need you," she said. She felt Navi move on her shoulder, noticing she was slowly returning to her natural blue colour.

Zelda took Navi and set her in Alatar's hands. She heard Navi weakly whisper "Link" the moment they made contact. A few seconds went by as Ganondorf and Zelda stared at the pair, watching Navi slowly turn more blue, her wings perking up a bit. Alatar's breathing slowed and his hand twitched as he sensed Navi's presence, his grip tightening ever so slightly. Finally, his heavy eyelids opened and he sat up, releasing Navi, who flew to sit on his shoulder once more.

"Let's reunite the Triforce, quickly, and possibly end the battle," Ganondorf said gently. He then held out his hands to pray to the Goddess of Power, much like Alatar's past life had.

"You wish to return our gift?" a booming, yet gentle voice answered. Zelda noticed the battle behind them did not stop and wondered if they could hear the goddess's voice.

"It has caused us great trouble and we wish to be rid of its burden," Ganondorf replied with the authoritative voice of a leader.

"Your world is not safe without it," the goddess said, materializing in front of them as a woman with dark skin and red hair, wearing a simple, flowing white dress.

"Our world is not safe with it. Hiding it here, in the Sacred Realm, will just tempt the greedy once more, beginning the cycle anew," Zelda replied.

"The land of Hyrule may fall to chaos once more. Are you sure you're willing to risk that?"

"We will prepare for such an eventuality. Don't count us out yet, our resilience has yet to fail us," Alatar answered.

The Goddess of Power waved her arms and the other two goddesses appeared beside her, the Goddess of Wisdom with golden skin and blue hair and the Goddess of Courage with fair skin and green hair, both wearing the same white dress. "If that is what you wish," the Goddess of Power said quietly. "Hold out your left hands, palms down." They did as instructed and watched as each of their hands glowed once more with the symbol of the Triforce. Each goddess laid a hand on top of their corresponding piece and lifted their hands slowly, as if picking a flower from a garden. Each now had a solid gold triangle hovering in their hands. They moved their hands together and the Triforce was reunited. The goddesses then smiled at the three of them and floated backwards, disappearing into nothing, taking the Golden Relic with them. Everyone was instantly teleported back to the dome in old Hyrule Castle.

There was almost complete silence for a moment, broken by the victory cry of the Hylian and Gerudo guards. The monsters and the King of Evil all lay on the floor, defeated, slowly fading into nothing. They gathered their injured to treat the wounds, gathered their dead for a time to mourn. The three heroes went to help attend to the injured guards, feeling weaker than before in the absence of their powers. They all made their way back to the entrance of the castle. While walking through the water in the front entrance, Alatar, Zelda, and Ganondorf noticed it was no longer warm to the touch. They no longer felt another world's presence while standing at the Spring of Power. It was now just a flooded castle.

"There's no bridge, how are we going to get out of here?" Alatar asked.

"We left some guards to make a rope bridge, which should be completed by now. We're just going to have to take it slowly," Queen Kalintha answered as they stepped outside the castle. "Everybody pair up and help the injured," she called to the guards.

"What should we do with the deceased?" Zelda asked her father quietly.

"I think they would have understood that we cannot take them home," King Rhoam said. "Don't worry, Zelda, we'll build them a great memorial."

They all walked steadily across the tightrope bridge, two at a time, to the safety of the ground above.

Epilogue

The bright sun in the sky seemed comforting, filling the land with warmth and hope. It was not as bright as it used to be, it was true that the land was impacted by the disappearance of the Triforce, the crops not as bountiful, the grass not as green, the colours of nature shone a little less brightly. Only time would tell if things would get better.

Alatar was standing in front of a stone slab, dressed all in black, looking at all the names he owed lives to. It had been exactly one year since their journey had ended. He bowed his head, silently thanking the guards, alive and dead, who had risked their lives for them that day. "I never could have done it without all of you," he whispered.

Zelda walked over to join him, carrying a bouquet of bright blue flowers, wearing a black dress and headband. She laid the flowers on the grave, stood back up, and leaned her head against Alatar, who naturally put his arm around her. "Thank you for your bravery," she spoke to the grave. They stood in silence for a while, grateful for all they had. Then, the walked back to the stables.

Zanpher and Gereth were waiting there for them, looking a bit more solemn than usual. Alatar walked onto the field and whistled for Epona, who came running to him immediately. Precious spotted Zelda and made her was to them as well. All six of them went to the stable and sat in a circle, brushing and petting their companions.

"Are you two coming with us tomorrow?" Zelda asked Zanpher and Gereth. They nodded. "Ganondorf will meet us at the castle gate tomorrow morning. We'll probably be there longer than last time," she joked.

Alatar glanced at his right shoulder out of habit. Zelda noticed and snuggled up next to him. "We'll see her in a few days, don't worry. And you can bring her back with you this time, I asked father." Alatar smiled and nodded as he hugged Zelda closer.

"Oh, would you two lovebirds cut it out? You might make Epona jealous," Zanpher joked. Zelda just snuggled closer to Alatar.

"Make me," she said, smirking at Zanpher.

"Challenge accepted," he replied. He quickly attempted to wriggle himself in between them, managing to sit down, lightheartedly shoving Alatar out of the way. "Sorry, man, she's mine now." Zelda giggled as she stood up. Gereth, smiling, shook his head and rolled his eyes.

They all left the stables, Alatar escorting Zelda back to her room alone. "Excited to see your old home once more?" Zelda asked him.

"I think you're more excited than I am," Alatar responded.

"I can't wait to do some more research on the Kokiri, I have so many questions! Plus, it's nice to enjoy nature once in a while too," she finished.

They walked the rest of the way back to Zelda's room in content silence, holding hands, filled with gratitude at all that they had accomplished.

The End

Author's Notes

Hi there, thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed the story! First off, this is not meant to fit in with Legend of Zelda cannon or timeline. Secondly, I'd love your feedback as the whole reason I'm doing this is to become a better writer, just keep it civil please. And lastly, how many references did you spot? I tried to cram in as many as possible from the games I've played most, including two personal ones: Zelda's horse named Precious and Shadow Link calling Alatar dumbass. The first horse I caught in Breath of the Wild I named Precious (she was half white half pink and reminded me of cotton candy) and the first comical name I used in a Zelda game was dumbass and it made for some wonderful dialogue! Also very big thanks to MajicZenith for letting me promote this on his Twitch channel ( /majiczenith), and thank you to all my friends and family who were probably very annoyed with me talking their ears off about this story and making them listen to parts I needed feedback on. You're troopers, I'll give you that.