"Your old friend?" Link asked.
"Pay no mind to that, if I were you, I'd be worried about yourself." Zara said.
Link looked up at his attackers, weighing his options as they began to take up a triangular formation around him, the Gerudo woman staying in front of him as the two others moved into his blind spots. The Hero glanced over at his horse, spying three spines in it's thigh, feeling a pang of guilt as it was most likely dead.
"Shall we?" Link said.
Zara smiled before dashing forward and loosing volley of fireballs at Link, the Hero dodging three before dispersing the last with his sword.
Link's ears twitched as he sensed movement from behind him, the Hero bringing up his shield to block a series of spines from Levesque, the well dressed assassin grinning maniacally as he shoot another round at Link, the Hero fading to the side only to be forced to duck as a fireball flew overheard, Zara swiftly approaching from behind. Link stood, bringing up his shield as the third assassin, Hauer, slung his snake-like arms at him, Link deflecting one with his shield before slashing at the other, Hauer quickly withdrawing it before his sword could make contact.
Link began to move towards Hauer when Levesque sent another round of poisonous spines at the Hero, Link leaping to the ground, hitting it with a roll and sticking out a foot to stop himself just as a blast of flame struck the grass in front of him.
Hauer cried out as he charged forward, Link bringing up his sword only for Levesque to shoot another series of spines, Link being forced to stop before running into them. Hauer smirked as he began striking his snake appendages towards Link, the Hero managing to block one with his shield, the other passing by his head so close in proximity that he could hear it's jaws shut.
Link's ears twitched again, the Hero calling on his Triforce of Courage, the power of Goddesses coursing through him as he leapt into the air, performing a backflip over a fireball that now passed below him.
Hauer stumbled back as it exploded at his feet, the reptilian assassin looking up at Zara. "Watch it! He was right in front of me!"
"You didn't get hit did you?" Zara snapped.
"Stop squabbling!" Levesque called. "He's getting away!"
"I'll admit, this kid has some skill." Zara remarked.
Every time he'd make a move toward one, the other two would make a move towards him, he had managed to stave off their attacks for now, but they were getting faster and he didn't know how much longer he would last. He needed a plan. Link ducked behind a tree as a blast of flame flew into the woods, casting an orange glow over the shaded area as it burst against the ground. Link peered around the tree, taking in his surroundings as he began to walk away, making sure to step on a twig every now and again as he moved.
"Come out and fight, coward!" Levesque called, Link noting that his voice was somewhat distant.
More bursts of flame lit the forest behind him as he continued his trek, the sounds of Levesque's voice becoming more distant. The Hero stopped as he heard something, quickly leaping back as Hauer dashe out from behind a tree and charged at him.
"I've got you now!" he roared.
Link brought up his shield and blocked one of his strikes before stumbling back while slashing madly at the other snake appendage.
"Starting to panic are we? Or maybe you're just afraid of snakes." Hauer laughed.
Link continued stepping backwards, stopping as he backed into a tree, gritting his teeth as he tightened his grip on his sword.
Hauer cried out as he slung on of his snake appendages at Link, the Hero darting out of the way swiftly, the snake's wide open mouth clamping firmly around the tree trunk.
"What?! Damn it!" Hauer growled as he tried to pull the appendage free.
"Looks like your stuck...let me help you." Link said.
"No!" Hauer shouted.
Link hacked through the snake appendage with ease, Hauer screaming as what remained of it retracted, only a bloody stump remaining. Link went on the attack, sprinting towards Hauer, the assassin tried to strike at him with his remaining arm but Link easily dodged every attack. Link brought up his sword, nodding his head to the side as Hauer spit of stream of venom at him, Link tilting his eyes towards his shoulder as it started to corrode his armor. Hauer used the distraction to strike at Link again, the Hero reaching out and catching the man's arm, holding it away from himself. They met eyes for a moment before Link ran his sword through Hauer's chest, the man breathing in sharply before falling to the ground, coughing up blood for moment before going still and reverting to his human form.
Link walked away, picking up Hauer's severed arm, still in snake form, as he went.
"He can't have gotten too far, now come on!" Zara called as Levesque trekked after her, the well-dressed assassin stopping to search every possible hiding place.
"He's behind one of these trees, I'll bet you." Levesque said.
"And I'll bet you he's halfway back to the Castle by n-" Zara said, going quiet.
Levesque peered into a bush when he was roused by Zara.
"Fuck!" she screamed. "Levesque, get over here!"
The other assassin sprinted over. "By the Gods." he breathed as he looked down, Hauer's severed arm lying on the ground.
"Do you think..?" Zara said as she knelt down to examine it.
Link leapt out from behind the tree next to it, slinging a knee into her head, stunning her momentarily before pulling her upright and placing a sword to her neck. "Who sent you?" Link demanded.
"You bastard! I'll burn you slowly for what you did to Hauer!" Zara snarled.
"If I feel any heat I'll cut right through the artery." Link said, pressing the blade more firmly against her neck.
"Well, if I told you I wouldn't be a very good contract killer, would I?" Levesque laughed.
"Step back!" Link shouted.
"Okay, okay." Levesque said as he raised his hands and took a step backwards. "How about I answer a question, then you answer one."
"I'm not in the mood for games." Link growled, tightening his hold on Zara.
"Stronger than you look, boy." the woman said with a laugh.
"Alright, maybe I should go first." Levesque said. "Our friend Hauer, is he still alive?"
"You see his arm there, don't you?" Link asked.
"Severing an arm doesn't kill it's owner...trust me, I'd know." Levesque said. "Besides, that's not an answer."
"No, but what I did was self-defense." Link replied.
"You son of a-" Zara began.
"Zara, stop...just let's work this out." Levesque said with a forced grin. "Now, I'll answer that question of yours...we were hired by someone important...very wealthy and who obviously seemed to have it out for you...but I know not his name."
"You're lying." Link said.
"Why would I? You have my only remaining friend on the edge of your blade and you're obviously quicker than we think you are...I wouldn't lie in this...situation." Levesque answered.
"I know you're lying, you're not as good at that as you think you are." Link growled.
"Oh fine, you got me." Levesque said before craning his head to the right. "He's figured us out! You can come out now, Sir Lirien!"
Link turned his head in an alarmed manner, finding no one behind him. Just then, Zara loosed a burst of flame from her body, sending Link sprawling.
"I can't believe he fell for that!" Zara cackled.
Link forced himself back to his feet, barely having time to recover before he had to do his best to avoid blasts of flame and volleys of darts from the both of them. He slowly got closer and closer until they were nearly fighting hand to hand.
Zara tossed a ball of flame, Link blocking it with his sword before side-stepping a spine from Levesque. The Hero quickly raised his shield to block a flame-empowered punch from Zara. Levesque lunged forward, shooting a series of spines at Link, the Hero kicking him in the abdomen and knocking him to the ground, causing him to miss. Zara charged at Link, throwing a kick before leaping into the air with a spinning sidekick and landing with a jab, Link dodging the kicks and deflecting the jab before taking his knife out of his belt. Zara threw another punch, flames shooting from her fist. Link quickly grabbed her arm and pulled it down, forcing Levesque to leap out of the way of Zara's flames and land on his stomach. Link pulled Zara closer and gave her three well-placed stabs, the woman crying out and falling to ground as she looked down at her chest, blood beginning to stain her clothing.
"Zara!" Levesque shouted as he charged Link.
Link ran towards Levesque, blocking his poisoned spines with his shield before hurling the object into the assassin's shins, Levesque yelping in pain as he landed on his hands and knees. Link circled around behind him and pulled him up by his arm.
"Unhand me!" Levesque hissed as Link pulled him up placed him his arm in a hold, pointing it Zara before twisting it, the assassin involuntarily shooting his spines at the Gerudo woman, hitting her in the thigh. "No...damn y-" Levesque said, suddenly crying out as Link stabbed him through the chest, the man going quiet before falling onto the ground motionless.
Link looked back at Zara, her breathing was shallow but he knew her chances of recovery were slim. He started forward when a stinging pain greeted him, he looked down to find three of Levesque's spines stuck in his thigh.
"No..." he breathed as his thoughts suddenly went to Zelda. Her Triforce of Wisdom had been glowing, making it clear she was under some type of duress, but now it was completely inactive, only worsening his worries. "I can't...I can't stop." he said as his breathing slowed. The Hero looked up at the sky one last time before falling over, everything going black.
oOo
Zelda awoke slowly, blinking the bleariness from her eyes as she sat up, not yet aware of her surroundings. She tried to focus her eyes only to be struck by a splitting pain in her head and a soreness unlike anything she'd felt before that spanned her entire body. The Princess let out a short cry as she fell back onto the bed, her eyes slowly opening as her hands closed tightly around the sheets.
"A bed?" she thought. Zelda couldn't recall much of the events that preceded her arriving at wherever she found herself, but what she did remember she did not want to. The Princess slowly forced herself into a sitting position, her blue eyes surveying the room as she cautiously opened them, four walls made of wooden planks surrounded her while a small light fixture hung overhead, the candles sitting in it's arms casting a warm, orange glow over the room. Zelda looked down at the bed to find it was a straw mattress clad in gray cloth, the same cloth her sheets were made from, the Princess briefly wondering how she slept in such an abysmally made bed when she began to question where she was. The room had now windows and only one door, the door itself looking much older than the actual walls.
Zelda leaned forward, attempting to use her magic to prop open the door only for a new wave of exhaustion to sweep over her body, the Princess having to put her arms back and brace them against the bed to stop herself from falling. Her heart began to pump faster as the possibility that she was imprisoned by her father...or someone else, began to seem more and more likely. The Princess tried to raise herself from her bed when footsteps sounded from outside the room, Zelda going rigid as they stopped at her door. She began to shake with effort as she tried to call upon her magic, but to no avail, her breath hitching as the door opened. She gripped her blankets tightly, her knuckles turning white as she grit her teeth.
"Oh good, you're awake!" a cheerful voice said.
Zelda began to relax, her face adopting a more curious look as a young woman, about the same age as her, entered the room. The woman stood about the same height as her, having fair skin, blue eyes and hair with an unusual green tinge to it. "Wh...where am I?"
"The Faron Sanctuary, my sisters and I found you in woods earlier this morning, you were in quite a state." the woman said.
Zelda looked the woman up and down, now that she had calmed herself, she noticed more about the woman, the robes she wore were religious in nature, the ones worn by the Priests that served her family were far more ornate but had the same symbols and markings. "You're a Priestess." Zelda observed.
"Well...not yet." the woman laughed. "I'm still a novitiate, but I hope to receive my priestess robes soon...my name is Seres by the way."
Zelda looked away, she knew she couldn't introduce herself, her father and his forces would be looking for her and she had no intentions of being found. "I'm...Sarina." Zelda said, using the name of a nobleman's daughter she used to know.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sarina, I'm overjoyed to see that you're doing so well and I'm sure my sisters will feel the same." Seres responded with a smile.
"Why? What happened to me?" Zelda asked.
"Well..." Seres said a look of concern on her face. "You can't remember anything?"
"No...I...I can't." Zelda replied.
"My sisters and I went out for a morning walk, we planned to gather some herbs but we found you, you were wearing only your shift and were white as snow...you were so cold we thought you...had passed." Seres explained. "As you can imagine it came as quite the shock when you began to stir right then and there."
"Did you...dress me?" Zelda asked.
Seres looked away uncomfortably, scratching at the back of her neck. "Please pardon me...but yes...we had to get you in warm clothes, you see-"
"Thank you." Zelda said as she gently set herself back down into the bed.
"Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable?" Seres asked. "Perhaps I can try to find your family."
"No...no...it's fine, it really is, I just wish to be alone right now." Zelda said.
"I understand." Seres responded. "If you need me I'll be three rooms down the hall on the left...if you want to have a walk please ask me first, we can't risk you taking a wrong turn into the infirmary."
Zelda's interest was somewhat piqued as she raised her head, locking eyes with Ceres. "What's in the infirmary?"
"You mean to tell me you haven't heard of the plague that's sweeping the northern provinces?" Seres asked. "Some say it's a sign that the beasts are gathering again."
"I had no idea." Zelda said. She had never heard her father or Jakob so much as mention a plague. "Does the King know?"
"We've sent messengers to the King and his Minister of Health, we've received no answer." Seres replied.
"That's terrible." Zelda replied as she set herself back down into the bed, her eyes fixing on the wall. The Princess began to wonder how many other problems her father had been ignoring in favor of making Hyrule look perfect to it's people and it's neighbors.
"Well, it is what it is." Seres answered. "We're doing our best."
"Is there any way I can help?" Zelda asked.
"Oh! I couldn't ask that of you...you need your rest." Seres said.
"I need to repay you for your kindness somehow." Zelda responded.
"Worry about that later, for now, recover your strength." Seres said. "I must help my sisters prepare breakfast, I'll check in on your shortly.
"Thank you." Zelda answered, Seres giving her a smile and a nod as she softly shut the door as she left. Zelda closed her eyes, gently drifting off to sleep, hoping her memory would return when she awoke.
oOo
"Come on, in you go!" a voice called.
Eldrin was roused from his sleep by the sudden sounds of guards entering the dungeons, the dim orange glow of a torch casting a dull light over his surroundings.
"What's going on?" Eldrin asked groggily.
"Shut your mouth and mind your own business!" a guard shouted.
Eldrin squinted, his curiosity growing as he saw six guards carefully ushering a female figure into the cell adjacent to his.
"Don't even think about trying anything." another guard said.
The woman remained quiet as she stepped into her cell.
"Sit down facing the wall!" a guard yelled, two others pointing crossbows at her.
The woman complied, sitting down facing away from Eldrin, the guards standing over her for a moment before hurriedly making their way to the exit and closing the door behind them.
"Enjoy your stay." one of the guards taunted.
Eldrin got to his feet and approached the bars to his cell until her was nearly up against them. "Who is that? Tell me what's going on here! I must speak to Captain Yot-"
The guard nearest his cell unsheathed his sword and slammed the blade against the bars of Eldrin's cell, the former Captain falling back onto the stone floor beneath him.
"Stay quiet or we'll find you new accommodations that will make this cell look luxurious." the guard said, locking eyes with Eldrin before gesturing towards his men, the guards heading towards the exit. Eldrin waited a moment, hearing the heavy iron door shut as darkness once again consumed the forgotten dungeon in which he found himself.
"I've been wondering where you've been." a voice called out.
"Impa!" Eldrin shouted. "Impa is that you?"
"Goddesses." Impa sighed. "What did you do?"
"I looked too deep into Thalmont's affairs and he had Jakob make me disappear." Eldrin explained. "I think the real question here is; what did you do?"
"Zelda found out some things about her father and Jakob that were rather unsavory...Gustaf planned to confine Zelda to her chambers and marry her off to Jakob shortly thereafter but I agreed to help her escape...the King was ready for that...or so he thought." Impa explained.
"What do you mean, 'or so he thought'?" Eldrin asked, a worrisome tone to his voice.
"The duress the situation placed upon her made Zelda tap into her true power, she was able to escape but I wasn't." Impa replied.
"I would've liked to see his face." Eldrin remarked.
"He attacked her." Impa stated.
"Wait...he struck his own dauhgter?" Eldrin asked.
"Yes, with a bolt of lightning." Impa answered.
"That bastard." Eldrin muttered. "We must do something about him!"
"We have to get out of here first." Impa said before standing up and making her way over to the bars. "And our first priority is Ganondorf, Gustaf is a fool, a woefully unprepared fool...Ganondorf will have an easier time dealing with him than any ruler that came before."
"Well, if Zelda remembers now, she and Link-" Eldrin began.
"I never said she remembers." Impa said, cutting him off. "The use of her powers was stress-induced...she didn't mean to. In addition to that, I have no idea where she is."
"This is fantastic, just fantastic." Eldrin said. "We're stuck in here while Link and Zelda are off...Goddesses know where."
"You shouldn't have come to Castle Town." Impa replied.
"Link is the Hero, my duty is to guide him." Eldrin answered.
"No, your duty is to point him in the right direction...and now you're here in a cell. I'm curious to see how you'll guide him from here." Impa said.
"My time here hasn't been useless, Thalmont's affairs that I spoke of...I found something." Eldrin said. "He's aiding Ganondorf."
"I already knew this, it was just a matter of proving it." Impa answered. "But now there's nothing we can do...we'll be lucky if we're still alive by this time tomorrow."
"Looking forward to it." Eldrin said. "You're lucky you have those Sheikah eyes, I can't see a damn thing down here."
"There's nothing to see." Impa said as she lowered herself to the ground, slumping back against the wall. At this point she could only hope that Zelda was doing well.
oOo
Jakob arrived outside his manor, standing for a moment as the snow swirled around him, the torches on his home glinting off the blanket of white before him. The Knight sighed before turning away from his Manor and stepping over to the edge of the mountain upon which his family's home was situated. Everything was so far below that it was a wonder the builders were even able to get the materials up the mountain to raise the house. Jakob remembered standing on this very precipice as a child, looking down upon the rolling hills of Hyrule far below, it was in those moments he felt as if he had it all.
"My Lord, please come inside, you're not dressed for the cold." Alden said as he trudged through the snow.
"Just give me a moment, Alden." Jakob said as he raised his head and looked out over Hyrule, the sun shining over the Lanayru Province while Peak Province had it's perpetual overcast, snowy weather.
"Is everything alright? Shall I call for a healer?" Alden asked.
"When I was a child, I would hear tales of the Hero from my friends as my father and mother refused to tell me such things." Jakob said, still looking out over the land below.
"They thought those stories made the Royal Family and the nobles look like blundering fools." Alden added. "Now please, sir, come inside."
"I always thought..." Jakob said as he turned, raising his voice. "They were just fanciful tales, stories to put your children to bed with and that those in the faith who believed in them were halfwits...never did I consider that my beliefs, that...that my reality was a lie!"
"My Lord, please, you're not well!" Alden shouted.
"No, I'm not well, nothing is 'well' right now." Jakob answered. "The Hero, the Princess, the Demon King, it's all real...all of it. I spent my life only believing in what I could see with my own eyes...but there's more than that! I always thought that the Hero, Princess and the Demon King were just metaphors or just fiction, placeholders for people and things that have been forgotten..."
"Please, just come with me...you can sit down in front of the fire and we talk about this." Alden said.
"You think I've lost my damned mind, don't you?" Jakob asked with a laugh.
"You were telling me just the other day that you didn't believe any of this nonsense." Alden answered.
"No, that's not right...I was telling you that I was beginning to have my doubts about my own beliefs...but now I know." Jakob explained.
"I don't understand..my Lord, what's happened?" Alden asked.
"What's happened, you ask?" Jakob said. "What's happened is that King Gustaf has lost his mind, Zelda is missing, the Queen has no idea what's going on and I am no longer going to be King by marrying the Princess."
Alden looked taken aback, the difficulty in processing this information being evident on his face. "I...I'm sure this is something we can handle."
"We're past that point now, I truly did have feelings for Zelda, I still do, but I won't let that get in the way." Jakob answered as he began heading for his manor.
"Get in the way of what?" Alden called after him.
"Pay no mind to that right now." Jakob said, pausing while still keeping his back to Alden. "Call the other young Lords, it's time we take control of this situation."
oOo
"You're telling me you actually have a chain link net full of sharks that you drag behind your ship?" Daemus asked with an amused smirk.
"When I would throw people overboard I'd get tired of waiting for them to die...so I decided to make it happen." Saahirah laughed.
"You Gerudo are a bit more aggressive than your Hylian sisters." Daemus observed, noticing the slight furrow in Saahirah's brow. "That's a compliment."
"I realized." the woman answered. "I just don't like to think of our desert-dwelling siblings."
"Interesting." Daemus said as he poured himself a glass of ale before offering it to Saahirah, the Gerudo Captain holding up a hand and nodding on the negative.
"May I ask why?"
"They're so content with their solitary lives, they hunt and scavenge in the sand and venture into Hyrule only to trade...they should take what they want...reaving is our way, always has been." Saahirah explained.
"The Hylians don't take too kindly too even the slightest hostility from them." Daemus replied.
"Are you Hylian?" Saahirah asked.
"No, I've just worked among them many times." Daemus said. "There are the legendary wars that you hear about through word of mouth and history texts but then there are the small conflicts between houses and such and that's where my my men and I come in. We were once hired by by House Leifling to aid in their fight against House Sovin...my men and I outlasted both Houses and reaped the rewards."
"That still doesn't answer where you're from." Saahirah said, seemingly unimpressed.
Daemus shrugged before looking out over the water. "A small rock in the Great Sea called Windfall Island, life there was simple and peaceful until a ship full of soldiers from Gamelon's Imperial Navy came to our Island and destroyed that way of life...after they left my father, the Captain of our Guard, with what few men he had left picked up the pieces and rallied our once kind-hearted people with calls for revenge. I remember every tree on the island being uprooted as we began to build ships. We used those ships to travel to other nearby islands and do the same until we had a small fleet. After a short search we found that ship that attacked our island, we tossed the crew off and watched them drown while my father, a man as large as I am, gouged out the Captain's eyes himself...we waited two weeks before we finished him off."
"Now I can respect that." Saahirah laughed.
"So did other pirates." Daemus said. "There was no going back to our way of life after that so we kept on going, attacking every Imperial ship we saw regardless of which crown it belonged to. Other pirates joined us and became part of our company...it wasn't long before we began to receive requests from influential figures to attack their enemies and that's when we went from being pirates to mercenaries, it wasn't until my father fell in battle and I took up his mantle that our company was given a name...the Black Wyverns...named after this very ship we're sitting in."
A sudden knock came at the door, Saahirah and Daemus giving it an agitated glare.
"Wait a moment." Daemus said as he rose from his seat, making his way over to the door and wrenching it open with force.
Bastion stood on the other said, tilting his head up to look at the man. "It's almost time, Lord Ganondorf wants you both there."
"What difference does it make?" Saahirah called.
"I don't ask questions, I just do what he asks." Bastion responded.
"That's why people like you will never be-" Saahirah began.
"We'll be there shortly." Daemus replied, Bastion nodding before strolling away.
"Your men let him on this ship without asking you? And since when did you take orders from that child?" Saahirah asked.
"You know who hired us...he is one of you." Daemus said.
"Hardly." Saahirah said as she got to her feet. "He's an old man who has yet to earn my respect...but fine, let's go see his little magic show."
Daemus nodded as he closed the door and went after the Gerudo Captain.
oOo
Ganondorf strolled through the abandoned Clock Town with Bastion, Veran, Blackmoore and the merged Twinrova in tow, Daemus and Saahirah standing outside with their forces and Ganondorf's beasts behind them.
"So what's going to happen here?" Veran asked, recalling the moment of Ganon's rebirth and his subsequent rampage.
"Worry not, today I reclaim my youth and the full range of my power." Ganondorf answered.
"And we didn't even need Hyrule to do it." Twinrova laughed.
"They will come, though...and they will meet more than they are prepared to face." Ganondorf answered.
"Will he be there?" Bastion asked.
"If it's the boy you're speaking of, then I am sure of it." Ganondorf answered.
"I was wondering if I could face him." Bastion said, Ganondorf slowing while the rest of the group turned to look at him with concern.
"What do you mean; 'face him'?" Ganon growled
"I am him, was I not created to be his killer?" Bastion said. "Last time I faced him I vastly underestimated the power of the Triforce he carries but I learned to compensate for that...I'll do better this time."
"I created you to lead my armies as I have seen the boy do with those of Hyrule many times...you may fight him...but his life...it's mine to take." Ganondorf said as he continued onwards.
"But...my Lord, I-" was all Bastion managed to say before Ganon raised a hand, hurling him backwards telekinetically, the younger man landing with a thud, his armor clanging as he came to rest in the middle of the street.
"Someone pick him up." Ganondorf growled as he continued on.
Veran sighed and went after Bastion while the rest left them behind. "Why do you do this to yourself?" she said as she knelt next to him.
"Am I even the first?" Bastion coughed as he sat up.
"The first?" Veran asked.
"When the Hero saw me he seemed only slightly surprised...before he ran right through me." Bastion explained.
"He was focused on saving his friends, I'd be surprised if he was even looking at your face." Veran assured him.
"He has a grand destiny, chosen by the Goddesses to fight for them while I was created to be Ganondorf's messenger boy." Bastion responded as he staggered to his feet. "Sometimes I feel like he created me just to get some pleasure from ordering about someone that looks just like his nemesis...and I'm tired of it."
"Just be patient." Veran said as she looked around. "I've found the location of the last shard of the Mirror of Twilight...as soon as he opens the doorway and steps through we'll shatter it again then he'll be the Twili's problem."
"What about Koume and Kotake...and Daemus and Saahirah?" Bastion asked.
"Koume and Kotake might be a challenge...but they will fall to us. As for Saahirah and Daemus, they've already been paid and that should be good enough for them." Veran said. "You and I...we'll have our freedom and our own destinies someday...I'll make sure of it."
"Until then, it looks like we'll have to wait." Bastion said as he stared at the Clock Tower.
oOo
Ganondorf ascended to the top of the Clock Tower, Twinrova and Blackmoore behind him.
"Veran and Bastion still haven't caught up?" Ganon asked.
"It appears not, Lord Ganondorf." Blackmoore answered.
"You did throw the brat pretty far." Twinrova laughed.
Ganon growled quietly as he made his way to the platform at the peak of the Clock Tower. The night air greeted him as he looked down, his armies going silent as he raised his arms. "Tonight! This will be the beginning of something new! A path towards a new world, a world that will have no place for the weak-willed and those who believe in any other power than my own!" The world may have forgotten me, but soon they will all be reminded of the fear that my name once inspired and you will all be there to see it!"
"What the hell?" Daemus said as the sky began to darken, black clouds materializing from thin air.
Ganondorf tensed his arms, the heavens thundering as crimson bolts of electricity shot down from the sky and struck him, Ganon roaring as he channeled the lightning through himself and to the outer edges of the town, blinding flashes and deafening cracks filled the air as it carved into the ground, cracks beginning to spread from the outer walls inward, a red glow emanating from them.
"It's begun." Veran said as she summoned a shield around herself and Bastion.
Blackmoore and Twinrova shielded their eyes as the light emanating from the sigils formed into a circle around the city as it intensified.
"What is this?" Saahirah asked as she looked away.
"The magic show you were waiting for." Daemus answered.
"It's opening!" Ganondorf called as he looked down, the light slowly spreading through the city and towards it's center...the Clock Tower. Ganon began to grin when suddenly the glow wavered. "No!" he growled as the lightning began to destabilize
"Wait, what's happening?" Veran said as she and Bastion watched from below.
Ganondorf's eyes went wide as a massive flash lit the sky, a loud crack filling the air, the sky clearing and the light fading again as he fell to his knees, breathing heavily.
"Master...what...what happened?" Twinrova asked.
"The ritual...it failed!" Ganondorf roared as he smashed his fist into the ground.
"But...why?" Blackmoore asked.
"Because, you didn't have everything that was needed." a voice said.
Blackmoore and Twinrova snapped their heads upward to find a newcomer standing on the edge of the Clock Tower, orange tresses flowing behind him as he stared down at them with an amused grin.
"Who are you?!" Twinrova demanded, her blue and red aura flaring up around her.
"If we don't get an answer you won't like what happens next." Blackmoore said as he took a defensive posture, purple electricity beginning to arc over his arms.
"Stop, both of you." Ganondorf said as he slowly rose to his feet, lifting his gaze to meet the stranger's. "You claim to know why the ritual failed?"
"I do...and it's not for the reason you'd expect." the man said as he hopped down from the ledge, bowing immediately as he landed. "It's great to finally be in your presence, I've been trying to find you for years."
"I tire of these games." Ganonorf snarled as a crimson aura began to rise around him.
"The reason the ritual failed..." the man said loudly. "Is because you need the blood of the one who sealed you."
"The blood of the Hero." Ganondorf muttered.
"Good thing we have Bastion." Blackmoore said.
"Bastion won't work." Ganondorf answered. "His blood is mixed with my own and he's not the Chosen Hero anyhow...we need the true Hero's blood."
"Right you are!" the newcomer said.
"Who are you? And why have you chosen to help me?" Ganondorf asked.
The man stepped out of the shadows, he wore black sorcerer's robes and carried a strange staff with him, his orange hair fell in long curls behind him and his eyes were encircled by dark blue paint. "My name is Yuga...you and I are more similar than you know."
oOo
Link awoke slowly, white curtains flowing nearby as a breeze blew in through the open balcony doors, the sun shining on Hyrule's green hills outside.
"About time." a familiar voice said, a soft hand caressing his forehead.
"Z..Zelda?" Link said.
"You've been out for a while...I was worried." Zelda said as she placed a hand on Link's chest while sweeping aside a golden lock of hair with the other.
"Zelda, do you...have you remembered?" Link asked.
"It all came flowing back to me last night...it was painful as always but I'm glad it finally happened. I'm sorry about how distant I've been...I'm sorry about Jakob, about my father, about everything." she said, a certain sadness in her eyes.
"You don't have to be." Link said as he sat up, taking her hands in his own. "You hadn't remembered yet, it wasn't your fault...and even then...you know I'll always forgive you."
"Link..." Zelda breathed. The two looked into each other's eyes, moving closer together, their eyes closing as they drew near...Link's eyes went wide as he was struck across the face, being knocked back into a lying position. "Ah!" he exclaimed as he placed a hand on his cheek, looking around to find himself lying on a cot, which itself was on the floor. Link looked down at the maroon blanket draped over him before glancing at the fire burning nearby, his confusion building.
"You can be grateful, but not that grateful a rather apathetic sounding voice called out.
"What...where am I?" Link asked as he turned to find a woman crouched next to him. "Who are you?"
"Relax, you're in my home, the village blacksmith was out with his son in the woods and found you nearly dead on the ground." the woman said.
Link noticed her black cloak and shoulder length blue hair first as he looked upon her. "You're a witch." he remarked.
"A witch who just saved your life." the woman said. "Oh, and...sorry about the cuts, they were necessary to draw out the poison."
Link looked down to see bandages wrapped around his wrists, faint red stains showing through. "So...did I..?" Link stammered.
"You tried to kiss me, yes." the woman said, an unamused tone to her voice that perfectly matched he facial expression.
Link looked away uncomfortably, trying to resist his body's natural reaction to blush. "I'm sorry...I thought you were-"
"Yes, yes, the Princess of Hyrule...for a simple Knight you have such high aspirations." the witch answered.
Link briefly wondered how she knew of his status as a Knight before spying his armor lying near his bed. "I never caught your name."
"Irene." the witch said as she turned back to her stove.
"Well, Irene, I thank you deeply for saving my life and promise I will repay you." Link responded."
"Fantastic, I only take rupees and I'm going to need them sooner rather than later." Irene said.
"Well, I don't..." Link began.
"You better be trying to say 'I don't have a problem with that.'" Irene said, a stern expression on her face.
"I haven't been carrying any currency with me." Link explained.
"You're a Knight, everyone knows how well compensated you lot are...besides, how have you been paying for food and lodging?" Irene asked in an exasperated tone.
"I had all of that set up beforehand." Link answered.
"Well." Irene said as a Kettle started to whistle behind her. "You better figure something out...and by the way, that thing on the back of your hand was glowing quite a bit while you were out...I hope that's normal because if not, well, even I don't know what to tell you."
Link glanced down, turning over his hand to look upon the Triforce mark. The Triforce would activate when it's user was in trouble in an effort to save them, and it was for this reason that he did not know whether to be relieved or worried that Zelda's Triforce of Wisdom still appeared dormant.
"Look, here's some tea, don't be afraid to take it, it's free...and I do mean that." Irene said as she approached with a cup in hand.
Link suddenly felt something, seeing the Triforce begin to react.
"Oh...it's...doing it again." Irene observed.
Link held out his hand towards Irene, the witch taking a step back, the Hero paying no mind as he noticed the Triforce react strongly to her presence. "Goddesses."
"Goddesses what?" Irene asked.
"I...I do believe you're a Sage...it's the only explanation." Link said.
"Right...you might need more rest." Irene suggested.
"Let me guess, you had magic before, but lately it's grown stronger, not little by little but by leaps and bounds...and in addition to that, you've suddenly found yourself able to call forth a mysterious and powerful energy." Link replied.
Irene lowered her gaze, looking down at the floor. "I...I'm a witch, I'm well aware of Hyrule's more spiritual past so I know of the Sages...I could see the parallels between they and myself but...I never wanted to acknowledge it because I know what it means."
"If you know that, then you know I'm the Hero of Legend." Link responded. "You aren't the first Sage I've met...you are right, the emergence of the Sages means that there are dark times ahead...but things are happening quickly and I know I can stop what's coming...but I have to act now." Link said as he tried to stand, finding himself stunned at the amount of effort it required.
"Hey! Careful, now!" Irene called. "That poison in your veins took it's toll on you, you won't be at full strength for a while."
"It's fine, I can manage." Link replied, calling on the power of the Triforce in order to get to his feet.
"You really shouldn't be standing." Irene cautioned him.
"Whether I should or should not be, there's one thing I must do." Link said as he made his way to the door. "I really am grateful, if you'd be kind enough to accept, you can keep my armor as collateral."
"You're damaged armor?" Irene asked derisively.
"It's the armor of a Royal Knight and...it's made of Goron steel." Link replied.
"You're really pushing your luck." Irene said as Link gathered his sword. "I hope whatever it is you're about to do is safe to do in a tunic."
"I've don't a lot more wearing a lot less." Link answered.
"I'm going to try not to think about the meaning of that." Irene answered.
"Worry not, I'll return." Link said as he departed.
oOo
"Yes, I'm sure, I haven't seen him." Rosso said as he went through a logbook on his desk.
"Maybe the Hero found something else that required his attention..." Rutelis suggested.
"No, Lady Lywater said Link should have returned by now...something happened last night, something serious and he needs to know." Osfala answered.
"Listen, I can send word if I see him, but I can tell you right now, he hasn't been around while I've been here and he hasn't signed in the logbook, he's usually pretty good about that, so unfortunately, I'm sure he hasn't been here." Rosso added.
"Thanks, Rosso." Osfala said, a worried tone to his voice.
"Hey, if you know any people in the castle that need their items stored, feel free to send them my way." Rosso called after them.
Rutelis glanced over at Osfala, his friend clearly not being in the mood. "I'll make sure to do so!" Rutelis called back, Rosso giving him a grin and a nod.
"Link is missing and all he can think about is business." Osfala hissed.
"Well..." Rutelis began. "Link isn't his friend and maybe Link's not missing so much as just...doing something else."
"Link wouldn't leave the Castle for this long, there's too much going on and being far from Zelda doesn't sit well with him." Osfala explained.
"This is all so strange." Rutelis said. "Minister Svelheim canceling instruction and locking himself in his office, the Princess not being seen all day, the Hero being absent and General Impa going missing...what does it mean?"
"I don't know, but maybe being in the castle isn't such a good idea right now." Osfala said.
Rutelis made to answer as they came upon Castle Town's main thoroughfare, a large crowd, especially for the evening, having gathered. "What's going on here?"
"Time to find out." Osfala said as he pushed his way through through the masses to find an army marching through down the street, straight towards the Castle.
"Those flags." Rutelis said.
"Those are the banners of House Lirien." Osfala replied.
oOo
Link stopped for a moment, breathing heavily as he leaned against a tree, sighing in exasperation as moisture left upon it's trunk by the bog's humid air soaked through his sleeve. Somehow the Faron Woods had grown even more unforgiving since his last visit, a concept he hadn't entertained in the slightest. The toxic qualities of the water and the gases released from the ground made the trek even more difficult but he had to make it, there was no longer time to be spared.
"If I only could still become a wolf." Link remarked as he looked up at the many thick branches he could leapt to easily in that form.
As he went on, weaving his way around the pools of standing water, through the underbrush and past trees that were rotting while somehow still alive, he found himself wishing he'd stayed to recover like Irene had suggested, but it was discovering that she was a Sage that set him on this path. It wasn't by chance or coincidence that he was brought to her, the Goddesses were setting things into motion, next he'd have to travel to the Zora Kingdom and the Sage that Osfala learned of while still having no idea as to the whereabouts of the other four.
The Hero finally breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped through a stand of trees, setting his eyes on the ruins of the original Castle Town. Link walked through a trench that had once been the moat, the river that fed it having turned into a small stream long ago. As he walked into the former town square he couldn't help but see it as it was, white cobblestones, stands set up along the walls of inns, taverns and shops while throngs of people walked about. He breathed a deep sigh as he remembered the feeling of walking into it for the first time after leaving the forest he called home. He was quickly jolted back to reality by the decaying smell that greeted him, those inns, taverns and shops were no more than crumbing, moss-coated walls while the underbrush had grown up through the cobblestone streets.
Many of those people going about their days died as Ganondorf's evil descended upon the city, their bodies being defiled as they rose again as Redeads. "Not this time, not again." Link thought as he turned down a side street, finally seeing the ruins of the Temple of Time in the distance.
"Now is not the time." a voice said from behind him.
Link closed his eyes as he recognized it, slowly turning to find that the world had disappeared around him, an ethereal version of the old Castle Town in it's prime taking it's place, the Hero's Shade standing opposite him. "I was wondering if you were waiting for me in this life." Link said.
"I wait for you in all lives, it was only in your last that you were finally able to perceive me." the Shade answered, his one, glowing red eye set on Link.
"What's this about?" Link asked.
"The time for you take up the Master Sword has not yet come." the Shade answered.
"What do you mean? Ganondorf has returned, I've already faced him once and he's planning something...there's a magical imbalance in Hyrule that he's to blame for." Link explained.
"I already know of this, but if you take up the Master Sword now, it could be lost." the Hero's Shade said.
"When you say 'lost', do you mean taken...or destroyed?" Link answered.
"Both." the Shade replied. "The Ganondorf you know in this life is not the same as he was. A portion of his soul was separated from him when he was resurrected. This has left him vulnerable to aging and disease...he is a wounded animal that has been backed into a corner and this makes him more dangerous."
"He still seemed as strong as ever when we last met." Link argued.
"He's fading quickly, this is why he's desperate, he knows he doesn't have long. Gather the Sages, the Spiritual Stones and wait until Zelda remembers, only then will you be ready to take up the Master Sword.
Link was confused at first but suddenly an anger rising. "The Goddesses-damned Spiritual Stones?! Those haven't been seen in centuries, most consider them to have been destroyed and then you...you want me to wait for Zelda to remember?! There's still quite an amount of time until she turns seventeen and...as much as I hope and pray that she remembers early, Ganondorf isn't going to wait and neither will I!"
"Link, please-" the Shade said, pausing mid-sentence.
Link looked on with a quizzical expression when suddenly the Shade's singular eye seemed to open wider. A shiver went down Link's spine as he heard something he never thought possible, alarm in the Shade's voice.
"Behind you!" the Shade called.
Link spun around, drawing his sword as the Hero's Shade's world faded away around him. The Hero's eyes widened as he intercepted a ball of dark energy, the blast exploding against his blade and sending him stumbling back before landing on one knee.
Standing on the remains of a wall opposite him was a figure clad in black armor with golden trim, a cape flowing behind him.
Link slowly got back to his feet, holding his sword in a defensive posture as his adversary levitated down from their perch. The Hero noted their similar height as the newcomer landed, instantly deducing their identity. Link gritted his teeth as Bastion removed his helmet, his nearly identical features coming into view.
"Good to see you again." Bastion said with a grin. "I feel like it's time we a have a formal introduction."
oOo
It's been a while, hasn't it? I've had this chapter in the works for a while now, but with things currently as they are it's been a bit more difficult to get things done, but here it is! Thank you waiting patiently!
Ultimate Blazer: Gustaf is a fool indeed, but you'll find out more about that later. Thank you for the review!
Generala: Sorry about the typos, I went back to do some editing and revisions I should have done before publishing the chapter. As you can see, i adjusted Jakob's reaction to something more in line with his character, he's quite out of it right now but he has a plan. Also, as you can see, Zelda ended up in a safe place, but not with Link...not yet. I think about Rhaom a lot when I write Gustaf and at first I was kind of going with that general attitude but I decided to make Gustaf a little (a lot) less likable...but I think there can be more for him in the future! Thank you for the review!
LoruleanHeart: I feel like these characters write themselves sometimes and Zelda's interaction with Impa after her father's rant was one of those times. As you see and could have guessed, it's not over for Impa (and Eldrin) yet! I'm glad you enjoyed Zelda's moment so much! She's starting to come into her own here, even without her memories! Thank you for reviewing!
Thank you to all of those who clicked favorite and follow on my profile and my stories!
I'll be working harder from here on out to get the chapters out in a more timely manner!
Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
-Prometheus17