Okay so fun thought that doesn't have much to do with the chapter, can you imagine Zelda showing up to the shooting gallery and beating Sheik's uncontested high score? And then later Sheik shows up to reclaim their spot on the leaderboard? From there, the regulars of the shooting gallery watch in awe as this newbie and Sheik have a competitive rivalry, completely unaware that they are the same person.

Updated 17 January 2021. Minor typos fixed.

The Magic Awakens

Chapter 15

The Triforce Trio

When Impa came back from her shift on that fateful Tuesday morning, she was not only incensed with Link, but mandated that he, Zelda, and Ganondorf hone their combat skills before they pursued the medallions any further. "You almost died to Gohma?" she had scolded. "Your ancestor defeated it at age ten!"

Saturday morning, the three of them sat around the dining room table, speculating on the location of the next medallion as they munched on the last edible morsels of Zelda's panic baking. Well, Link and Zelda did. Ganondorf was trying to listen to them through his nagging headache.

"There have been a lot of tremors around Death Mountain," Zelda argued. "It has to be connected to the Fire Medallion."

"Earthquakes around volcanos aren't unusual," Link said.

"But Death Mountain has been dormant since the age of magic ended. Around the time we pulled the sword, it's become active again." Zelda pulled up an email on her slate. "I've been corresponding with Daruk, the head of mining operations there. He believes that something within the volcano could be reacting with the increased magic levels."

Ganondorf's thoughts drifted away from the conversation, towards his subconscious. For the last few days, there was always some reel of bloodshed and tyranny playing in the back of his mind. He assumed it was anxiety about recently being offered a lot of power, both in the magical and political sense. A fear he never knew he had of being corrupted. At the same time, he felt divorced from the whole thing, as if someone else's thoughts had wandered into his head, settled in uninvited, and strew its things everywhere. It was annoying, but also a little creepy.

Something rose from the depths. It floated just beneath the surface like a drowned corpse. Fully-formed. Uncanny. You could kill them now, it said. Ganondorf's eyes were locked on the bickering twins. They're unarmed, and they don't suspect a thing. Snap their thin little necks, and then the world will be yours.

What? How was his mind capable of considering such an atrocity against his friends? They're just intrusive thoughts, Ganondorf told himself. They're supposed to disgust you. Just push them down, and-

A hunger for violence gently simmered within. The barest thread of a desire to kill the twins.

"Ganon? You've been awfully quiet," Zelda remarked.

"Yeah," said Link. "You alright, mate?"

Ganondorf cracked a false grin. "What? I've been trying to be a better listener, and I gotta say that I am on fire today." He wiggled his eyebrows. The twins dressed their groans in smiles. Their chat resumed, and this time, Ganondorf made a conscious effort to participate. Whatever these thoughts were, they were easy to ignore for now. He could deal with them after their quest.

"So, it's settled then," said Zelda. "We'll finish Impa's training regime as soon as we can, and then we can explore the volcanic mines before they erupt."

"I still think it's too dangerous for you," Link grumbled.

"But it isn't for you? If there's anything I've learned this past week, it's that you shouldn't go questing without supervision." Ganondorf choked on his tea. Link crossed his arms and shot them both a sour look.

"Easy there, mate," Ganondorf said. "She's a capable vai. Without her, you'd be molduga meat."

"You're an ass," Link said. It was code for You're right and I hate you for it.

Ganondorf smiled. "Glad we agree."

"D'aww, isn't he cute when he's mad?" Zelda cooed. She pinched Link's cheek.

Ganondorf tussled his hair. "Adorable."

Link shook them away. "Since when did you two gang up on me?"

Before either could answer, there was a knock on the door. Zelda sprang to her feet and skipped over with Link close behind. Ganondorf trailed after them, a little apprehensive about meeting this new person Link had told him so much about.

Zelda flung open the door. "Uncle Rusl!" She threw herself into his arms.

"Good to see you, Zel." He hugged Link next. "Look how much you've grown! I swear you both look more like your parents every time I see you."

Zelda rolled her eyes. "Easy for Link. He wears all of Dad's clothes."

Rusl chuckled. "Good thing I brought some of your Mum's old things with me."

"And I'm trying to bring it in," Impa said on the front porch, "but your sweet little reunion is in my way." They shuffled out of the doorway, and Impa walked in with a suitcase rolling behind her.

Rusl turned to Ganondorf with a greeting smile. "You must be the Mighty Ganondorf. Link has told me so much about you." He held out his hand. "Rusl Alder."

Ganondorf stared at the hand for a second before it clicked. He shook it. "Ganondorf Dragmire," he said. "Sorry about that. We don't shake hands in Gerudo Town much."

He waved it off. "Don't worry about it. It's an honour to meet this century's Gerudo man-"

"Voe-born Gerudo," Ganondorf corrected.

"Right. It's an honour to meet the voe-born Gerudo of the century, and I look forward to seeing how he fights."

"Ha! With the tenacity of a whole century's worth of voe, I assure you."

Tufts of grass and moss peaked from cracked stone tiles. They formed a wide circle surrounded by tall trees. Ancient Sheikah training grounds hidden away in the forest near Kakariko. Zelda marvelled at the space, wondering what history had been made here. Link and Ganondorf had spontaneously visited it once upon a weekend, though it was their first time seeing it in full daylight.

"Summon all your weapons," Impa ordered. Ganondorf's sheathed scimitars appeared first, followed by his boomerang. He set them down. Link lay the Master Sword and crossbow beside it. It took Zelda a few tries, but she was elated to produce her precious bow and quiver from thin air. (She was afraid she might've lost them forever.)

Rusl paced back and forth, examining the weapons and forming lesson plans around them. He stopped on the Master Sword. "Is it the real thing?"

"Yeah," Link said. "Ganon can attest." Ganondorf elbowed him.

"Can I have a go?" Rusl asked. Link nodded. The Ordonian heaved on the handle, but it refused him. "Farore, it is real!" The trio chuckled.

Ganondorf picked up the Gale Boomerang and held it out to him. "Give this a whirl." Rusl tossed the boomerang. It created a small whirlwind that tussled the hair of everyone present. His jaw fell open. When the boomerang looped back around, he yelled and ducked. Ganondorf leapt forward to catch it.

Rusl took a moment to gain his bearings, then looked at Ganondorf in wide-eyed wonder. "Seems like you know how to use it better than me."

He shrugged. "Self-driving weapon." Zelda giggled, and for the first time, she wished her mask wasn't hiding her smile.

Impa clapped her hands for everyone's attention. "First item: Rusl and I want to see what you can do." From her pocket, she drew an illusion strip. It rose into the air, and with a scrunch and a snap, the ashes of the burning parchment shot upwards in all directions. Several moving targets swirled above them. "Zelda, you're up. Shoot as many targets as you can in three minutes."

Zelda nodded and stepped forward with butterflies in her chest. At the shooting range, her Sheik disguise was a comfort. She could fail fast and do so anonymously which was how she became such a prodigious archer in the first place. Here, there was no anonymity. The training would be over soon if she exceeded their staggering expectations, right? Well, she could only try her best.

The arena was hers. Zelda readjusted her mask as she gazed up at a whirlwind of about twenty targets or so. This should be no different to the shooting gallery, where her high score was uncontested. The notion calmed her a little as she nocked her first arrow with a second in hand.

"Ready," Impa called. "Set. Go."

Two targets poofed into ash in the first ten seconds. Link and Ganondorf cheered from the sidelines. She sprinted towards her next mark as she drew another arrow. The tip followed its movement and shot through. Poof. Her chest swelled with pride as she picked off the targets. All that sand seal practice had almost perfected the art of archery on the go.

Only ten remained. "Two minutes left," Impa called. Zelda smirked as she drew two more arrows and aimed.

The targets had changed route, zipping about in zig zags. In twenty seconds, two more became ash. Zelda's next arrow missed, but the following one barely hit. She scowled.

Many arrows were wasted on the remaining targets. The more she hit, the more they darted about like pesky flies. Not to mention how high they were. Zelda had to tilt her head back to the furthest degree just to aim. Two targets remained.

"Thirty seconds."

They zipped about so fast that they were almost a blur. Zelda aimed an arrow at a fork in the tree one of the targets had passed. When it looped around, an arrow poofed it. She applied the same strategy to the final mark, but the moment her arrow flew, the target zipped off course. Zelda scowled and fired arrow after arrow. The target dodged each one with hummingbird reflexes.

"Five." Zelda channelled her magic. "Four." She thrust out her hand. The target froze in gold light. "Three." She snatched an arrow. The connection broke. "Two." In a panic, Zelda shot. It missed. Completely. "One."

The target exploded. Her bow fell to her side as the others approached. "I failed."

"Not quite," Impa said. "The point of the exercise was to find your limit, and we just did."

"I was supposed to lose?" Impa nodded. Zelda pouted beneath her mask.

Next up was Ganondorf, who would show off his skills by sparring Link. They circled each other in the arena with practice swords, as they had many times before in many different places. "Ready," Impa said. Link spun his hilt as Ganondorf cracked his neck and shoulders. "Set." They took their fighting stances. "Go."

They hurtled towards each other. Ganondorf unleashed a barrage of slashes. Link bobbed around them. Two swords against one left Link with little room for an opening. Rusl frowned at Ganondorf's technique, as he was sure to tire himself out, but when Link was caught in a block, he shook under Ganondorf's superior strength. Ganon shoved him back. Link tottered. A sword flew at his throat, stopping shy. "I win," Ganondorf announced. "What's the tally now? Twenty-seven out of fifty-one?"

"You're at twenty-six and you know it!"

Round two. Each followed the same pattern of attack, but this time Rusl's prediction came true. Ganondorf's attacks became sluggish enough for Link to slip around to his back and prod him in the spine. Ganondorf groaned as he massaged the sore spot. "Best of three?" he offered.

"I think that's enough," Rusl said. "Both fights were revealing."

As Rusl and Impa planned the weekend's lessons, the teens paused for a quick drink and small talk. The voice in Ganondorf's head whispered still. You are a blight on their family, trailing behind their unparalleled bond. Thoughts like those had crept into his subconscious ever since Monday morning, but Zelda calling him a friend did wonders for ignoring it, especially when the three of them chatted so naturally. The link between Ganondorf and Zelda was all that they were missing for the perfect balance between their trio.

"I reckon we should have a team name," he said.

Zelda giggled. "And why is that?"

"All the best hero squads have one."

"Ooh!" Zelda clapped her hands excitedly. "What about No be̞ Daʃeʋu?" The boys blinked at her. She sighed. "It's ancient Hylian. Means Youth of Light."

"Doesn't quite roll off the tongue, Zel," Link said.

"Then what would you suggest?"

Link shrugged. "Hero Squad?"

Zelda and Ganondorf cringed. "Hella basic, mate," he said.

"Couldn't agree more," said Zelda. "The idea of calling myself a member of the 'Hero Squad' reminds me of those kids who were in the news last week because they dressed up in spandex and got into a tussle with a blind man who had accidentally stolen someone's dog." The boys tilted their heads simultaneously. "What? I've been combing news sites about odd happenings for the past two weeks. That article looked like it had something to do with the Yiga."

"Did it?" Link asked. Zelda shook her head.

"Send me the link," said Ganondorf.

Zelda opened the article on her slate and held it out to Link, biting back a smile. He blinked at it. "What?"

"You're the Link," Zelda said. "You have to pass it over."

"I thought we agreed no more punning on my name?"

"For a month, yes, but now the month is up." Zelda and Ganondorf laughed as Link groaned. He was not enjoying this new dynamic.

Their training first focused on honing the skills they already had. Link's steady stances and parries were a bit rusty, and Ganondorf needed a stronger defence. They were quick to smooth out their edges and were able to move onto new forms and techniques within a few hours. Part of that included Rusl's insistence that Link use a shield.

"It'll weigh me down," Link complained.

Rusl held the Hylian Shield out to him. "C'mon, son. It's a family heirloom, and it'll protect you from magical attacks."

Impa's focus remained solely on developing Zelda's levitation ability to serve in battle. It took her the whole afternoon to get from hovering a few inches off the ground to shakily levitating herself onto treetops for greater vantage points. Impa tried to teach her more spells, like light shields, but Zelda couldn't conjure it for more than a few seconds.

After a long and exhausting day, they set up camp. Link built the fire while the rest pitched three tents. Zelda hammered in her last peg and rose to admire her handiwork. The tent tipped to the right, a breeze threatening to collapse it. Her shoulders drooped.

Ganondorf dusted off his hands as he stopped beside her. "Sagging like a Lon Lon cow."

Zelda rapped the paper in her hand. "I followed the instructions exactly."

"The pegs aren't hammered in deep enough," he said, "and the strings are too loose. C'mon, I'll show you how to fix it." She passed him the mallet, and the moment his fingers closed around it, he was struck by the impulse to smash it through her skull. He shuddered.

"Are you alright?" Zelda asked.

"Just a bit cold."

"I'll fetch you another layer." She bobbed into one of the other tents. He stared after her for a moment, wondering what could possess his mind to conjure such a repulsive thought. Again, it didn't feel entirely his own. Whatever this was, it wasn't that serious. He trusted himself to never give into them.

Ganondorf pounded each peg deep into the ground with a single hit and retied all the strings so that they were taut. The tent was much sturdier now. As he walked around the perimeter one more time, Zelda threw a hoodie in his face and ran towards the campfire with a giggle. He ripped it off his head and smiled. Her sparks of mischief were always a treat.

Zelda had taught Link how to cook in the kitchen many times, only to be met by astounding levels of incompetence, or as Link called it, "bad luck." At the campfire, the situation was reversed entirely.

"But how do you know it's hot enough?" Zelda asked.

"You just know."

"Without using a thermometer?"

"Why in Din's name would I stick a thermometer into the fire?"

"Don't you use one of those fancy laser ones?"

"Never heard of them."

Zelda watched in awe as Link whipped together vegetable and meat stew in the pot. "We'll let it simmer for a bit." He stood. "I'll pump your mattress. Sing out when it's done."

"But how do I-"

"You'll know." Link had plenty of confidence in Zelda as he went to complete his task. After all, how hard was it to mess up a stew? He had barely made three pumps when Zelda nervously called. "Link? Is it normal to have a swarm of bugs settle in the pot?"

A few spices Ganondorf had brought along did wonders to fix the cooking mishap. With bowls licked clean beside them, Rusl told Ganondorf all sorts of hilarious stories from the Harkinian twins' childhood.

"Link was a rascal of a baby," Rusl said. The rascal of a teen groaned. "Quite the escape artist. One summer day, there was a nice breeze. Senior left the door open to cool down the house a bit. While she was dusting, things were oddly quiet in the nursery, so she went inside to find that little Junior had finally gotten to sleep in because her alarm clock had crawled off!

"Senior tore through the house looking for him, then she had everyone scour the village. We thought Little Link might've fallen into the river or gotten snatched up by a wolfos. Eventually, Impa and I found him at the spring, splashing about as happy as could be."

Impa reached out to ruffle Link's hair. "Supposed that should've warned us how he'd turn out."

Even Link reluctantly joined in on the group chuckle. "No fair. No one's here to tell Ganon's embarrassing baby stories."

"And it's gonna stay that way," Ganondorf said. "But I can tell embarrassing tween Link stories."

"Dangerous words. I could return the favour." Ganondorf laughed but didn't push it.

"By the way," said Rusl, "I'm dying to know how two children of destiny became friends."

Zelda burst into a fit of giggles. "Oh Farore, it's a marvellous story."

"An epic one!" said Ganondorf.

"Epicly stupid," Link grumbled, though he was half smiling.

"Gave me a real headache," Impa remarked.

"Now I must hear it." Rusl scooted around towards Ganondorf, who launched into the tale.

"It was a fine day nine years ago," he began, "and by fine, I mean absolutely fucked. My first day of public school."

"He was a right old grump," Link said.

"For good reason! I liked being home schooled in Gerudo Town. Some stuffy politicians ruled that it wasn't a 'proper education' so they forced me and the rest of the kids into the public system. Anyway, it was Link's first day too, and he wasn't too happy about it either."

"For good reason," Link said. Everyone knew why. His parents had died at the start of the summer and Impa, his new guardian, had him and Zelda move to a strange new city.

"Yeah, we were both grumps," Ganondorf continued. "Link would sit in the farthest corner of the classroom with the most sour look on his face, and I kept acting up. Didn't mean to at first. New environment, you know?"

"Yeah, and then you kept escalating shit," Link said.

"In my defence, no one said not to snack during lesson time, so my stomach and I were pretty pissed. But yeah, I was a bit of a problem child. Kept sassing the teacher, picked on some of the other students. Link wasn't having it though, so he pretended to trip and spilled orange juice all over my notebook."

"For the last time, wasn't trying to ruin your stuff."

"You were squeezing the box!"

"I was aiming for your face!"

"And you did a piss poor job of it." Everyone laughed. "Thus began the prank wars. I stuck gum on his seat. He hid mouldy grapes in my bag. I guached a giant dick on his desk. He swapped my pens for leaky duds."

"We'd pass each other in the halls and pull faces," Link said. Zelda shuddered at the memories.

"My faces were better," Ganon gloated.

"Cause you have a big mouth."

"And talent." The friends snickered. "Visits to the principal's office became a daily thing. At some point, we realised that we kinda liked each other. We had gotten a lunchtime detention for trying to draw on each other in permanent marker. Link invited me to his local park after school, and the rest is history."

"The teacher looked like she had seen a poe," Link added.

Rusl chuckled. "Glad you resolved your differences."

"Actually, their 'playdate' was a tree-climbing contest full of trash talk," said Zelda. "And they got into trouble for flinging rubber bands at each other the next morning. It took many months to convince them that they could just enjoy each other's company."

"I didn't expect a whole romcom plot," Rusl teased. The group howled with laughter.

Impa lay in the centre of the arena. Ankles crossed. Head resting against interlaced fingers. She read the sea of stars framed by a circle of dark tree tops. They held no message for her. The dread in her chest sank to a whole new low. Her thundering pulse melded with the sound of crickets.

Footsteps thudded against stone and stopped at her head. The shadowy silhouette stretched his arms as he yawned. "What are you looking for this late?" Rusl asked.

"A new path."

A beat of silence passed them by. "I see." With a grunt, Rusl lay down, his head beside Impa's. "As a fellow parent, I can only begin to understand your pain."

"I'm flattered you think of them as my children."

"Aren't they?"

Impa hmphed. "I don't have a right to call them that."

"My brother would disagree, and so would Zelda. I'm a bit surprised she isn't haunting you for that right now." He imitated her voice. "For Din's sake, Impa. I told you to mother them in my absence, so you might as well take the title."

"Still not worthy," Impa deadpanned. "No mother would put their children on this path."

"Ah, the old Everything is my Fault Game," Rusl chanted. "I'm a religious man, but people like you deserve to shake your fist at the sky and curse the Goddesses once in a while."

She hummed. "That does sound nice, but it won't change anything."

"True. At least we have the present moment."

"It's slipping away fast. You saw how they were today. I was hoping we could drag our training regime out for a month or two, but they're too good."

Rusl groaned and got up. "Such a pessimist," he said. "If there's ever a time to enjoy the little moments, it's now." She did not respond. His footsteps receded towards his tent.

With a sigh, Impa set her eyes upon the stars once more.

"We're thoroughly impressed with the progress you've all made," Rusl said.

Zelda's eyes lit up. "Does that mean we're done?"

"Not quite," said Impa, arms crossed. "One more test."

The blades on her belt were different. Translucent. Iridescent. With glowing blue runes along the edge of the blade. It was another shadow magic spell of the Sheikah variety, one which allowed the blade to spare flesh while inflicting pain. Phantom blades, they were called.

The shadows of the trees were long, and the light was tinged with an orange glow. Their second day of training was almost over. Though their muscles were sore, and their breath was shorter than usual, they still had energy to spare for one last battle, whatever it might be.

Ganondorf felt a bit more sluggish than his teammates, having been assaulted by more disturbing dreams throughout the night. He had come to a conclusion that comforted him. These thoughts and dreams were warning him to be vigilant and prepared for the Demon King's return. Casting Ganondorf as said king was a device to help him fully comprehend the extent of his villainy. By that logic, Link and Zelda also struggled with similar nightmares but were too afraid to bring it up. Ganondorf did not want to be the first.

"The three of you are going to battle Rusl and I," Impa continued. She snapped her fingers, and ribbons appeared around the dominant wrists of everyone present. "Your job is to steal the ribbons off our wrists, but if we steal just one of yours, all three of you lose."

"Is that fair?" Ganondorf asked. "I know it's three on two, but still."

"It's to teach you that you can't afford casualties, while the enemy can."

He shrugged. Zelda gnawed her lip. "Will we ever have to kill on our quest?"

"With any luck, it won't come to that," said Rusl. "We could hardly ask three children to consider it, and there would be legal issues to contend with."

"But make no mistake," said Impa, "you must place the survival of Hyrule above all else." Zelda gulped but summoned her bow obediently.

The teams trudged to opposite ends of the arena. "Alright, let's discuss our strategy," hushed Zelda.

"I'll take on Rusl," Link said. "I know him best."

"But he's taught you for years. Something tells me they won't hold back anymore."

"Leave the uncle to me," said Ganondorf. "I'm more of a wildcard."

"Just don't be too careless." Zelda turned to her brother. "Link, keep a strong defence against Impa. I'll provide support from the treetops." Link nodded and drew his sword. His shield arm remained bare for the time being. "Ganondorf, give Link the boomerang. He'll need a non-lethal ranged attack." Ganondorf summoned the item and passed it over. Link stored it in his pocket void.

The trio turned towards their competition. "We're ready," Link called.

Neither Rusl nor Impa paid them any mind, still chatting like they were having a short catch up on the street corner. Had they not heard them?

"Hey!" Ganondorf hollered. "When are you-" Impa shot forth in a blur. Ganon barely swiped in time. She burst into a puff of smoke. More shadow clones rained upon the trio. Link and Ganon sliced through them without pause for breath, until Link had a spare second to glance over his shoulder at Zelda.

Her foam-tipped arrow flitted between the three clones encroaching on her as she backed into a tree. They charged. Three hands swiped at her ribbon. A nut cracked. Blinding flash. Blonde hair ducked behind the trunk.

Ganon sent a spray of lightning bolts at the final clones running at them. The arena was abandoned.

Link twisted this way and that until silver hair darted between the trees. He chased after it. "Watch out!" Zelda cried. He leapt back as an arrow hit the hand that grazed Link's ribbon. Rusl grunted, but scarcely rubbed the sore spot. Link's blade was upon him. Wood clacked. Rusl threw back his head and slammed it into Link's. The hero stumbled back with a groan. He glanced up just in time to swerve Rusl's swing and counter. The mentor puffed into smoke.

Crouching on a branch, Zelda observed as the boys fought clone after clone of the wrong enemy. This had to Impa's work. She was hiding somewhere with a vantage point of the chaos she sewed.

Zelda hopped from branch to branch, her body awash in a golden glow, until rustling leaves pricked her ears. She got excited and landed on a branch much louder than expected. Impa shot from the shadows. Zelda squeaked and thrust out her hand. Impa glowed gold the moment she seized Zelda's wrist. With a twist, Zelda tore away and hurled Impa towards the centre of the arena. A mid-air flip, and Impa landed like a cat. Ganon hurtled towards her with a roar. Impa drew two phantom knives and dashed forward.

Zelda redid the loosened ribbon with her teeth and darted through the canopy in search of Link and Rusl. They burst through the bushes. Rusl stumbled backwards onto tile but recovered with a swing at Link's unarmed side. A burst of magic, and wood met metal. Link's shield bashed Rusl, but again he disappeared in a puff of smoke. Impa grunted as Ganondorf landed a hit.

The real Rusl spun around Link, sword bound for spine until a foam arrow to the shoulder joint foiled him. Link whirled around, but his blade met Rusl's shield.

The battle raged on between the wrong pairs, with Impa and Rusl pulling every dirty trick they could on the boys. Zelda rattled her brain for a plan. It was as if their teachers didn't want them to succeed!

Or, perhaps, not without learning some tough lessons, and that was why Zelda chanced a shock arrow.

The moment Ganondorf tired, Impa's handwork rapidly summoned a circle of copies around him. They all raised their phantom blades. Zelda's arrow flew the moment they all rushed at Ganon, grazing the thigh of the real Impa. The jolt banished the illusion, and her knife clattered to the ground.

Ganon was tempted to swipe her ribbon in that moment, but Link was caught in crossed wood with Rusl. He had been forced to block with both hands on his sword at a moment of weak footing, while Rusl's spare hand lunged for his ribbon. Ganondorf crashed into the mentor's side.

Link stumbled back and ran in a curve towards Impa. More quick handwork, and the clones surrounded him as well. He cut through them with a spin attack. The real Impa leapt back and jumped him. Knifepoint scratched a raised shield.

With the swap of opponents, the overbearing beatdown became a stalemate. Zelda wracked her brain. If this were an actual battle and she had no qualms about killing, she could so easily pick off her enemies with a well-placed arrow, but she couldn't murder her family! If only her weapon was enchanted like Impa's.

The knife Impa had dropped still lay a few feet from the scuffle. Zelda took a deep, calming breath and stretched out her hand. The knife tremored, scraping across stone and alerting Impa. Her attention broke away from penetrating Link's defence to chase the rogue knife. She threw herself along the tiles, but the hilt slipped through her fingers.

Footsteps ran at Impa. She rolled over just as Link pressed a foot onto her ribboned arm. Shield vanished as he reached for it. Impa's other hand flew into her pocket. The next second, there was a blinding flash. Link recoiled as spots filled his vision. He rubbed his eyes and stared at the ground, where there was only a shattered deku nut.

The trees rustled. Link whipped around to see Zelda darting through the canopy with Impa's knife in hand. Impa chased her, jumping and swinging from branch to branch. Whatever Zelda was planning, Link needed to buy her the time to follow through. He summoned the boomerang and hurled it. The whirlwind chased Impa down and flung her from the trees, towards Link. With a snarl, she pulled a fistful of illusion slips from her pockets and snapped her fingers.

With Link fighting off every possible attack Impa could send his way at once, Zelda hid behind a tree and copied the runes of the phantom knife onto her arrow. Without anything to write with, she resorted to using an enamel pin and her own blood. With the final stroke, she spoke the ancient Sheikah text. "Worthy opponent, hear my knife; spare the flesh but give them strife." The arrow glowed translucent and iridescent.

There was no time to enchant a second arrow. Link's sword lay on the ground, along with his shield. A dozen clones tore through him with phantom knives. He crumpled with an agonised scream. Ganondorf fought to reach Link's side, but Rusl was doing everything he could to keep him away.

As Link got up groggily, a foot forced him back down. Impa seized his wrist and looped a finger under the ribbon.

A phantom arrow pierced her heart. The scream rattled Zelda's eardrums as guilt squeezed her chest, but it was just the opening Link's shaky hand needed to snatch Impa's ribbon away. They both collapsed against the tile, grimaces on their faces.

Impa's loss severely weakened Rusl's resolve as his age caught up to him. Ganondorf was also growing weary as their wood clacked and clacked, until he felt a sudden surge of energy. With lighting speed, Ganon's sword thwacked into Rusl's side, sending him tumbling across the stone.

Rusl rolled onto his elbows. Ganondorf charged, stake hurtling towards Rusl's open mouth where it would rip out the other side covered in blood and entrails with horrified eyes staring back and-

The tip of the wood stopped just shy of Rusl's lips. He cracked a grin and held out his wrist. "You win," he said. "If that was a real battle, I'd be dead for sure."

It took Ganondorf a moment to process what had just happened, and all he could muster was a curt nod as he knelt to take the ribbon.

By then, Link and Impa's phantom pain had faded. They got up and joined the pair as Zelda floated down from the canopy. Students stood across from mentors. "Well then," said Impa, "you three exceeded all expectations." She clasped her trembling hands behind her back.

"Indeed," said Rusl. "Skill, teamwork, creativity. I don't think there's anything more we could teach you after that battle."

"Is that why you fought dirty?" Ganondorf asked. Zelda elbowed him, but Rusl smiled mournfully.

"Yes. We had to play the part of whoever wanted to stop you." Impa side-eyed him. "Would you say they're ready to continue their quest?" Rusl asked her.

She collected herself with a breath. "Yes, I suppose they are."

Impa sent the teens off to gather their things, most of which had already been packed and just needed to be stored in everyone's pocket voids. "They've never been this tough on us before," Link remarked. "Almost out of nowhere."

"Yeah, 'cause danger comes from nowhere," Ganondorf said.

"Indeed, but we pushed through." Zelda smiled. "The three of us might be capable of saving Hyrule after all."

Ganondorf perked up. "That reminds me. I thought of a team name."

"Ooh, do tell," Zelda chimed as Link nodded along.

"The Triforce Trio."

Zelda laughed. "A bit tautological, isn't it?"

Link shrugged. "I like it."

With a fond sigh, Zelda said, "Me too. I suppose the secret handshake is next on the agenda?" The three of them laughed, and it helped Ganondorf forget about whatever murderous intent captured him for a second.

He was a part of the Triforce Trio, and it was a comforting reminder that his destiny was to save the world.

Because he had no intentions of destroying it.

Drafting the last 800 words of this chapter was intense! I wanted it completed before NaNoWriMo but we had a power outage and we had no idea when it would end. I was racing the battery life on my laptop. Good thing I won ;)