"Hello Link. I've been waiting for you."

Link instantly dropped to his knee and put his hand over his heart.

"You don't have to do that."

"But I want to, Princess."

"It's all right," she spoke softly. "Please stand."

He did so without hesitation.

"Let me have a look at you."

Her hands followed her eyes as she looked him over carefully. They rested warmly on his chest while she examined his tunic, and when she looked into his eyes her fingers brushed his cheeks. She removed his leather glove and took his hand in her own.

"Oh dear," her voice cracked. "I'm crying."

As tears streamed down Zelda's face, Link couldn't contain himself. She took her hands away from his face while he wrapped his arms around her.

"It's okay, Princess, it's okay. I'm here now."

"I know, Link," She cried and buried her face into his chest. "Forgive me. I didn't expect to break down like this, but it feels like… like you were a friend who left and finally came back. I missed you so much…"

"I… I missed you, too."

"Link," Navi whispered in his ear. "I don't mean to interrupt, but how could you miss each other if you two have never met?"

"Oh goodness," Zelda's awkward laughter broke through her sobs. "You even have a guardian fairy. Now I know this isn't a dream."

"Guardian…fairy…" Navi repeated the phrase to herself, then shook her head. "Whoa, wait a minute! Your Highness, can you hear what Link is saying?"

"I can."

"But how? And how did you know his name?"

"I'll explain later but now that you've come, there's no time to waste. We must leave the castle at once."

Zelda beckoned with her hand as she walked to the other side of the room.

"This is my room, but I am being held prisoner here while my city is destroyed and my people murdered in front of me."

"Who?"

Link's sudden, angry demand made Navi inch away from him.

"Who's doing this, Princess? Tell me. I'll kill him."

"His name," she answered, "is Agahnim."

"The guy from the Temple of Time!" chirped Navi. "I knew he was evil!"

"You've met him, then? That will make things easier."

Zelda traced her fingers along the stones in the wall until they came to a stop. She pushed herself against the wall as hard as she could, but it didn't budge.

"Link, could you give me a hand please?"

He stepped beside her and pushed with one hand. Dust billowed out as the wall jarred open and rumbled to the side.

"Ooh! A secret passage," Navi observed.

"No one knows about it, including Agahnim or his forces."

Zelda waited for the dust to settle before scooping some up in her hands and carrying it to the fireplace.

"Let me do that, Princess."

Link followed her lead by scooping up a heap of the dust and throwing it into the fire.

"No offense, Your Highness," asked Navi. "But should you really worry about cleaning if we don't have a lot of time?"

"If any of the guards come in and see this dust once we've escaped, they'll know how I escaped."

"Good idea. Maybe we should clean up the water at the window, too."

"No, leave the water. It will throw off anyone who would try to follow us. They'll think I climbed out the window instead."

"Wow, Princess, you're really smart!"

Zelda sighed sadly, "I know."

Link glanced up at the princess, and saw the glow of the bottom-left Triforce on her right hand.

"…You have it, too."

"I do," Zelda answered. "It's been glowing for days, but the real thing came to me just moments ago. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

"I…I made a wish. And it split."

"What wish did you make?"

"I wished that I could have the strength to protect you."

Zelda cleared her throat while pulling at her collar.

"You know, most men wouldn't come right out and say that so bluntly."

"I don't care."

Link took her face in his trembling hands and pressed his forehead to hers.

"I feel like…I could tell you anything, Princess."

"If it's all right, I'd like it if you called me Zelda."

"Anything you want, my princess."

"Your Highness," Navi interjected again. "Can I ask a question?"

"Of course, little one."

"If you knew about this escape route, why didn't you leave sooner? You could have gone to look for help whenever you wanted."

Zelda's gentle smile twisted into a grimace.

"I'm sorry!" Navi stuttered. "I didn't mean to-"

"It's all right. I understand what you meant. Please excuse me."

Zelda left them to return to her desk. Zelda's heavy cloak did little to hide her discarded appearance. A worn maid's uniform had replaced her ceremonial kirtle, and her pretty hair was tied up with pieces of straw. Her flat shoes were falling apart at the seams. She opened and rummaged through the desk drawers, speaking the entire time.

"You're right. I could have left anytime I wanted. Believe me when I say I couldn't stand waiting in my room like a coward while the city was thrown into chaos."

She pulled out something that glinted in the light of the fireplace, and stuffed it into her cloak pocket. Next, she went to her dresser on the other side of the room.

"Agahnim has been an adviser to my father for as long as I can remember, but something's changed in him these last few years, and I've watched as evil filled his heart. I tried to warn my father, but his kindness got in the way of his judgment. Keeping me prisoner in my room while he takes over the city is Agahnim's idea of a cruel joke."

"What do you mean?" asked Navi.

Zelda searched through the dresser drawers until she finally pulled out a tiny string-tied pouch. This also went into her pocket.

"I don't know why, but Agahnim has come to hate the Royal Family, especially me. As far as he's concerned I'm a spoiled-rotten brat. Locking me in my room is his way of throwing my regality in my face. He's literally showing the world that I hide in my lavish castle and partake in tomfoolery while my people suffer."

"Is that why he forced you to dress like a girl who sleeps in the cinders? No offense."

Zelda clenched her fist tightly.

"I don't care what Agahnim thinks of me," she seethed, "but if that murderous traitor thinks I'm going to sit idly by while he destroys my kingdom, he will soon learn my wrath."

Zelda walked back to the secret passage and reached into its shadows. She plucked up something from inside, blew the dust from its weathered surface and came back into the room. She held an ornate bow in her hand, and wore a quiver around her shoulder.

"Agahnim may have taken my fine clothes, but he didn't take this. My father had this bow made for me a long time ago. He knew I would need it one day…"

"But if that's the case, why did you wait here? You're the Princess of all of Hyrule; surely you have the power to stop him?"

"I'm afraid that's the trouble, little one. I have neither the power nor the courage to stop Agahnim…only the wisdom…"

"Power…courage? Wisdom?"

"That's right, Link. I waited here, because I knew you were coming. Four days ago, I had a dream. In it, dark clouds billowed over the land of Hyrule. But then, a ray of light shot out of the forests in the north. It parted the clouds and lit up the ground. The light turned into the figure of a young man accompanied by a fairy.

"When I sensed you this morning, when you came to the castle, I almost couldn't believe it. When I saw you from my float, I nearly fainted. I felt it too when you tried to save me at the parade, and again when you pulled the Master Sword from its pedestal. I waited here, because I knew the Hero of Time was coming to the castle to find me. You are the Hero of Time, Link. I have no right to ask you, but please, you must help me stop Agahnim before it's too late.

"…No. I must help you."

Zelda took Link's hand.

"You're the only one in the city who has a chance of defeating Agahnim. As the holder of the Master Sword and of the Triforce of Courage, it's your destiny to stop him, and I promise to do all I can to help."

"…Okay."

"Okay?" said a baffled Navi. "Okay?! Link, do you know what you just agreed to?! You could barely beat back the bokoblins in the waterway on the way here, and now you wanna fight this guy Agahnim at the drop of a hat? We don't know anything about this guy other than what he looks like! He can probably breathe fire for all we know!"

"He is dangerous," Zelda explained. "Agahnim is a powerful and cunning wizard with many followers. Half of the Hyrulean Army has joined him. It won't be easy to defeat him."

"I don't care. It's what you want me to do, so I'll do it, Princess. I'll do whatever it takes."

"Please call me Zelda. By the way, I never got your name."

"Oh, me? I'm Navi."

"Navi, guardian fairy, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Navi was about to respond when Zelda and Link both whipped toward the door.

"Did you hear that?"

"I sure did."

"Hear what? I didn't hear anything."

Zelda ran back over to her desk and snatched up a lantern.

"That was the guard, and he's coming upstairs to check on me. Quickly! We must leave at once!"

The two followed shortly behind Zelda into the tunnel. Link managed to close the wall moments before they heard the bedroom door open. They heard bokoblin grunts of arrogance, then confusion, and finally alarm.

"…Aah…haaah!" Navi gasped suddenly.

"Navi, don't sneeze!"

"I can't help it," she squeaked. "It's so dusty back here! Ah, Ahh, AHH-"

Zelda caught the tiny fairy up in her hands and held her close, muffling the great sneeze. They heard the bedroom door open and close, and the bokoblin guard's screaming down the tower stairs.

"Thank you, Princess. I hope I didn't blow our cover."

"Do you think the guard heard that?"

"I'm not waiting to find out. Let's move."

Zelda released the fairy, then struck a match against the tunnel wall and lit her lantern.

"If we can get to the Temple of Time and meet with Sahasrahla, he can help us plan our next course of action, perhaps even help us stop Agahnim. This secret passage goes under the city straight to the Temple of Time. I've never had to use it before, and it passes through the castle's dungeon, which is probably crawling with Agahnim's dark knights, so we must be careful."

The tunnel sloped into steep stairs as Zelda led the way. Link was one step behind the princess as they descended deeper and deeper beneath the castle. The tower was pitch black, save for Zelda's lantern and Navi's natural light. Their footsteps echoed against the narrow walls.

"It's getting so cold," Navi shivered. "We must be really far underground."

"It is getting kind of chilly."

"Stick close to my lantern if you're cold."

"You're lucky, Your Highness. At least you've got a big cloak to keep you warm."

"You can hide in my pocket if you want."

"That's okay, Princess. I'm a guardian fairy, remember? I must remain vigilant! I'll lead the way!"

Navi flew ahead and put her hand emphatically to her brow. Zelda couldn't help but laugh. The winding staircase ended and the group found themselves walking through a dank corridor. Link began to pick up the smell of wet iron.

"Fi, you've been quiet for a while."

"I've been running analyses since we've met with the Princess, Master, and I'm afraid she is correct in her observation; I sense a large amount of hostility coming from the large chamber ahead, what I can assume is the castle's dungeon. In your current state, should you encounter an enemy your chance of survival is only 45 percent."

"…Fi, can I ask something?"

"Of course, Master. I will answer all questions as correctly and honestly as I can with any and all available data at my disposal."

"You don't have much faith in me, do you?"

Link heard no answer from the Master Sword.

"Your silence is reassuring."

"Forgive me Master, but I have no knowledge of the concept of 'faith'. Perhaps if you explain it to me, I will be able to answer your question."

"You want me to tell you…what faith is? Hmm…where do I even start? To be honest, I'm not quite sure myself."

"You seemed knowledgeable of the concept when you asked your question, Master. Do you mean to say that you are unfamiliar with it as well?"

"No, it's not like that– I mean, I know what it is, I just don't how to explain it."

"What does it mean to have faith in someone, Master?"

"Well… I guess it means to believe in someone even though the odds are against them. It means that even though their chances of succeeding aren't very good, you still think they can do it."

"…Interesting. Can you provide more details?"

"I'm not sure, Fi. It's kind of abstract."

"What you have described to me, Master, sounds like a train of thought only humans are capable of. I do not operate under paradigms such as that one."

"Oh … b-but if you did, what would you think?"

"I will tell you the same thing I said before, Master; the Goddesses saw in you the divine attributes that are essential of the Hero of Legend. They watched over you as grew up and became an honorable adult. Despite what any of my analyses tell me, the Goddesses hand-picked you for this great mission, and therefore have more 'faith' in you than I could ever possibly have."

"Hey!" Navi cried. "Link, watch out!"

"I guess it's nice to know that the Goddesses trust me, if nothing else."

"Link, stop!" Zelda warned.

"Master, please watch your step."

"What?"

Something hard caught Link's foot, and he fell heavily on his stomach.

"I told you to watch out," nagged the guardian fairy. "But you weren't listening!""

"Ouch! It feels like I tripped on an anvil! What was that?"

He flipped over and looked at the offending tripper. In the light of Zelda's lantern, a Hyrulean Knight rested against the cold wall. It was his sprawled legs that had caused Link's fall. Blood seeped generously from his armor, and his eyes were glazed as stones.

Upon seeing the soldier, Link's mind went blank with panic. He scrambled to the other side of the hallway.

"D-d-d-dead! He's dead!"

"Calm down," Zelda soothed. "He's not dead. Not yet."

"Wha…" the injured soldier stirred and looked up. "Who's there?"

He reached for the sword at his belt, wrapped his fingers around the hilt and tried to lift, but the sword only fell weakly from his hand.

"Haa…" he moaned. "It's no use…"

Zelda stooped down and put her hand on the soldier's forehead.

"Brave knight," she implored. "Who has murdered you so wrongfully?"

The knight looked up into the princess's face and smiled in surprise.

"Your Highness… thank goodness you are all right. My death won't in vain after all…"

"You don't have to die, mister!" Navi replied. "I can heal you!"

Link approached the dying soldier who grimaced in pain.

"Agh! Don't bother. I'm done for…"

The soldier looked to Link as he drew closer.

"You… you're that kid! I…I was in the bar the other night with Wallace. Do you remember?"

His eyes grew wide as he noticed the sword strapped to Link's back.

"That sword… I'd recognize it anywhere! Then you must be…oh god, forgive me, boy. If I had known you would be our Chosen Hero, I would have thought twice before ever harming you. I would have killed Wallace with my bare hands before ever letting him lay a hand on you! Perhaps…you can forgive me, if I give you this. It's not much, but it'll help."

The soldier opened his clamped-tight hand. In it was a small key.

"Take it. You'll need it to get through the castle's dungeon. You won't get far without it."

Link reached cautiously into the soldier's hand and took the key.

"Please," the soldier begged. "I have no right to ask after treating you so unfairly, but the knights have betrayed the kingdom, and what's left of us is being killed left and right by the traitors we once called our brothers-in-arms. It's up to you now, boy. You're the only one who can stop…Him."

"Sir," Zelda asked once more. "Who has done this to you?"

"Princess," the soldier raised his hand to Zelda, then coughed suddenly. Blood spewed from his lips.

"Princess, please listen to me. Agahnim… he's not what he seems."

"What do you mean?"

"I…I happened to hear what I thought was Agahnim scheming as I was guarding the dungeon entrance…but then I realized it was not his voice. Agahnim was never a good man, but he wasn't cruel, not like this. I tried to get a better look at the true villain… but what I saw…"

The soldier coughed heavily and leaned against the wall.

"He… he can't be human. There's no way…"

"What did you see, sir?"

"A monster. He looks like Agahnim, but he wears a disguise. He looks like a normal person, but when you look into his eyes…those horrible eyes…"

The soldier's breathing grew shallow, and his voice lowered until it was barely a whisper.

"I'll never forget…those burning eyes…not as long…as I…"

"…Sir?…Sir?!"

Zelda gently shook his shoulder, then closed her eyes.

"…What do we do now?"

"…"

"Your Highness?"

"We must leave him here. For now."

Zelda put her fingers to the soldier's eyelids and closed them. She laid him down on his back with his hands over his chest, and clasped her hands. Navi dropped beside Link and put her hands together.

"Rest in peace, brave knight," Zelda prayed. "And know that your death will not go to waste. The information you have given us is priceless in our endeavor, and we thank you for it. May you receive blessings from the Goddesses on the other side."

"Amen," Navi answered shakily.

"…"

"Get up, Link."

Zelda took his hand and lifted him.

"We'll have to mourn as we walk. We cannot stay here."

"Link? Are you okay?"

"I'm not sure what's worse: that I jumped like a kid when I tripped over what I thought was a dead man, or that I watched someone die right in front of me. I feel bad for him…"

Link trudged slowly behind. It finally occurred to him where the iron smell from earlier had come from, but now the scent faded as they delved farther down the corridor.

"Oof!" Navi grunted as she crashed suddenly. "Who the heck put this door here in the middle of the walkway?!"

"Ahh, we're here."

Zelda held her lantern up to Navi's impediment. A rotted wooden door was bound in chains and a heavy rusted lock. She pulled the key from her pocket and pushed it into the lock. Before twisting it, she turned to Link.

"Link," she began. "What that soldier told us has given me a lot to think about, so please listen to what I have to say."

"What is it, Princess?"

"No matter who we meet or who attacks us, do not tell them about the Triforce, or that you've made a wish on it. Don't even mention it. If the topic is brought up, act like you don't know anything about it. If they already know about the Triforce's recharging period and we tell them we made a wish, there's no telling what they'll do to us or the city. So far as I can tell, it's the reason they're invading the kingdom in the first place. That goes for you as well, Navi. Don't either of you mention the Triforce, got it?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"I think that goes for you, too, Fi."

"Affirmative, Master."

"And this goes without saying, but if we happen to see Agahnim, we can't let on that we know he's an imposter, got it?"

"Got it."

"Good. Now let's continue."

Zelda turned back to the door and twisted the key. The lock and the chains fell away from the door with a clatter as it slowly opened to reveal the dungeon.

A knock came at Telma's Tavern. Raven asked for the password, and when it was given he opened the door.

"Whatever you called me here for must be important," Shad grumbled as he removed his heavy cloak. "Especially in the middle of a storm like this. Since when did we use passwords to meet?"

"Shad?" Ashei started. "Have you been under a rock?"

"If you must know, I've been home all day doing research, and when night fell I went to bed, like normal people do. Why? I know it's the New Year, but nothing that important would've happened, right?"

He noticed the others' stark faces.

"Did I miss something?"

"Telma," Impa sighed. "Could you please fill him in?"

"Boy, you've missed one helluva party."

The other Resistance members huddled around as Impa laid a map of the city's layout on the surface of a table.

"Is there no way we can contact Rusl?" Impa asked as she flattened the map corners.

"I'm afraid not," Raven replied. "He left for Ordon Village days ago, and all of our communications are cut. There's no way to get a message out."

"Too bad. He'd probably want to know about this, especially because of Link. What about Auru?"

"He left for Lanayru after last night's meeting," Ashei informed her.

"So we're down two members. Lets make this quick, then; as we all know, Link retrieved the Master Sword from its pedestal in the Temple of Time, and I've sent him to locate and recover Her Majesty. Adelz has followed him in hopes of retrieving Her Majesty's location and possible course of action. He'll be back with a status report any minute now, and when he does I want us ready to help Link at a moment's notice, even for battle if necessary."

"Way ahead of ya."

Ashei patted the hilt of the sword at her belt.

"Raven," Impa directed toward him. "What's your assessment of the army at this point?"

"The numbers are muddled at best, but it's safe to say we've lost at least two-thirds of our troops in the city."

"I have a task for you, but don't leave until Adelz returns. I want you and Ashei to comb the south end of the city, making your way north. Find as many still-loyal knights as you can, and bring them together. When Adelz returns, I'll give you the location for where to lead them."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Is this true?!" Shad's cry rang out suddenly in the tavern. "This is incredible! This is wonderful news!"

"What about him?" asked Ashei.

"Shad's extensive knowledge of Hyrule's legends will give me the intelligence needed for this operation, so for now, he will stay in the tavern with me."

Another knock came at the door, and once again the password was given and the door opened.

"I return with news, Lady Impa," Adelz reported as ze walked in. "The Hero Link has identified the princess and retrieved her from her imprisonment. He is now escorting her through the dungeon beneath the castle, and they are making their way to the Temple of Time."

"That's your cue, you two. Both of you, go and find help from the soldiers, and bring them to the Temple. We'll meet you there in an hour."

"Sir, you know I don't mean to interrupt, but I just received a tidbit of bad news from one of my guards."

"What is it?"

"Well, it's really an embarrassing matter. You see…what's happened is…"

"Speak up, Ghirahim."

"The…princess…she's…well, the princess has…"

"Spit it out."

"That…THAT WRETCHED BRAT! SHE'S GONE!"

"Hmm? Gone?"

"JUMPED OUT THE WINDOW! RUN AWAY AND ABANDONED HER KINGDOM!"

"Calm down Ghirahim, and back up. You say she jumped out the window?"

"My guard informed me that he found water at the window in her bedroom before he came to me! This is preposterous! Our whole plan's down the drain! I say we destroy the city and be done with this horrid place."

"Hmm…Water at the window, huh?"

"…Sir, you don't seem nearly as angry as I expected you would be."

"Ghirahim, let me ask you something. When was the last time someone brought in water from outside when they jumped out the window into the rain?"

"…Sir?"

"Relax, my loyal servant. I know exactly where the lovely Princess of Hyrule has gone. As a matter of fact, it would be a great help to me if you went to Temple of Time and awaited her there. I know how you are about chivalry, and I'm sure she would appreciate the gesture."

"It would be my pleasure…"

The first room was small and dark. Link could barely make out the silhouette of overturned bookshelves and a desk.

"This way," Zelda whispered, leading with her lantern, and tip-toeing over upset books and papers as she approached the end of the room to another door, this one unlocked. Link stepped forward and pulled the new door open and when he did, torch light filled their room and revealed it to be an office quarter. Link took a step out the door when Zelda pulled him back.

"Wait," Zelda whispered, then peered into the room. "It's crawling with dark knights."

"How do we get in?" Navi murmured. "If even one of them sees us, they'll all be after us."

Link poked his head past the door. Lit torches lined the walls of what was a huge stone chamber. Giant statues of identical knights decorated the walkways, and patrolling down those walkways were dark knights, each carrying a pike and shield in hand. On the far side of the chamber was another locked door.

Link looked up, and saw rafters in the chamber's low ceiling.

"This must be the main room of the dungeon."

"Zelda, do you know anything about the dark knights?"

"I'm sorry Link, but I know about as much as you do. They're hollowed spirits in suits of armor who serve evil purposes. Now that I look at them, I think they're the same enemies who attacked Hyrule City sixteen years ago."

Link's skin itched, but he ignored the sensation.

"What else?"

Zelda peered into the next room and observed one of the knights as it stomped by.

"They're still wearing the Hyrulean Army suits. That should help."

"What do you mean?"

"There's a huge design flaw in the armor of our knights; a weak point in the back plate. From the front they're near impossible to defeat, but if you attack the dark knights from behind, you might stand a chance."

"Hey," Navi called quietly. "Look at these."

She hovered inches above the ground behind them. Scattered all around her were documents and papers.

"This must have been the warden's office," inferred Zelda. "That's why these papers and books are here."

"Why is this room so torn apart?"

"I'd imagine that in the confusion of yesterday's events, the prisoners either saw the opportunity to escape and did so through here, or some bokoblins came down and decided to get rowdy."

"Are there any prisoners left? It's a dungeon after all, so wouldn't there be some dungeoners?"

"If they didn't escape, they were either killed or forced to join the dark knights."

"Do you think any of them joined…you know, willingly?"

"I'm sure a few did, but I feel worse for the ones who were forced."

"What are we looking at, Navi?"

"Oh, right. Look at this."

She knelt down onto a pile and peeled back each paper's corner.

"I swear I saw it just a second ago. Gimme a minute."

She climbed under the stack. Her body's natural light leaked through the papers as she crawled under them.

"Aha! Here it is!"

She crawled back out, pulling a blueprint with her.

"Will this help us, Princess?"

Zelda took the document from Navi and looked it over.

"Navi," she breathed. "How did you find this?"

"A guardian fairy does what she can."

"Link, let's get this desk set up so we can look at this map."

Link flipped the upset desk back into place, Zelda laid the map out flat, and the three of them bent over it. The map was worn thin from time and use, and cracked when it moved. Zelda took care not to rip the paper as she laid it down. Only six rooms and four hallways were drawn in faint pencil. The rest was blank.

"This map," she whispered. "It's our dungeon all right, but it doesn't look correct at all. Our castle's dungeon is much bigger than this."

"And there's weird writing all over it, too," agreed Navi. "It looks like the same stuff in that abandoned house, remember Link?"

"I remember. Jovani's house."

"Can you read any of this?"

"I'm trying, but it's hard to make out."

Link leaned closer and squinted at the tiny, handwritten letters.

"Here, it says something about the room…being locked first. In this one on the other side, it says, 'here you will find the Big Key.' And in this room, it says…'Min-Bo Room.'"

"Min what room?"

"That's what it says."

"Are you sure, Link? That doesn't sound quite right to me."

"Can you read Old Hylian, Your Highness?"

"I learned from a young age how to read, write, and speak it."

Zelda traced her fingers across the edge of the map.

"This could be an early architect's sketch of the dungeon before it was built, which would explain why it's written in Old Hylian, but if that's the case then this map is hundreds of years old. Without some way of modifying it to the dungeon's appearance today, there's no way we can navigate with it."

Fi apparated from Link's sword and examined the map.

"The Princess is correct," she analyzed. "This map only retains 30 percent accuracy to the dungeon's current layout. However, If I can identify the perimeters of this map and unify it with my coördinates, I will be able to establish our location nonetheless."

She pointed her long sleeve at a corner room of the map.

"We are present in this south-western most room of the dungeon."

"Then that means we need to head East," Zelda decided as she carefully rolled up the map. "With this map and Fi's guidance, we'll be able to make it out okay."

"Hey wait a minute!" exclaimed Navi. "Princess, how'd you know about Fi, or that that was even her name?"

"It's strange, but I get the same feeling from her as I do with Link. I knew her name the moment I saw her. I wish I could explain it better, but it's difficult to describe. In any case, our next step is figuring out how to get past those dark knights as quietly as possible."

Link wrapped one arm tightly around Zelda's waist.

"Link!" Navi gasped. "What the heck are you doing?!"

He took a clawshot in his other hand, kicked the dungeon door open, and squeezed the trigger. The two of them shot into the rafters of the ceiling. Several dark knights heard the cross breeze as Link and Zelda flew by and looked around, but when they saw nothing, they went back to their trudging.

"Good call," Zelda whispered. "Most people don't look up."

"Right…"

"What did you think I was doing, Navi?"

"N-nothing! I wasn't thinking an–"

Zelda clasped her hands around Navi.

"Hush!" she hissed. "You'll let every dark knight know we're here."

A muffled squeak of apology came from her hands, and Zelda released Navi.

"Link, where was the 'min-bo' room you mentioned?"

He looked around and pointed to the far side of the chamber.

"In there."

"Darn it, I was afraid of that. There's no way we can unlock that door without alerting all those knights."

"We have to try."

"…Hang on."

Zelda leaned over the rafter and watched the dark knights below as they followed their paths.

"Each statue group is composed of four equally sized statues," she began mumbling. "And the statue groups are arranged in two rows of three, totaling six groups of twenty-four statues," she mumbled to herself. "There are six knights total, all moving at the same pace. Each knight follows a set path through the six groups of four statues each. Knights 1, 2, and 5 each walk around group 1, 2, and 6 respectively, where they return to their starting position. Knight 3 walks around groups 3 and 4 before returning to its original post, while knight 4 moves around group 3 and 5, and knight 6 moves around 4 and 6."

"Umm, Your Highness, what are you–"

Navi was silenced by Zelda's erected index finger and replied, "Sorry."

"Two basic movements are required of knights 1, 2, and 5: turning corners and walking past statues. A third movement is required of knights 3, 4, and 6. As knights 1, 2 and 5 walk past the statues and turn the corner of their respective groups, knights 3, 4 and 6 have to cross pathways leading to the next statue group before they can go around the corners of those groups. The pathways between the statue groups take up the same area as the statues themselves. It takes knights 3, 4, and 6 twice as long to finish their routes as it does for knights 1, 2, and 5. Six knights moving at the same pace, Six statue groups, Two different paths, and three different movements means that by the time they all return to their starting positions, they'll have gone through 8 sequences."

Zelda went silent as she continued watching the knights' movement patterns below. It was a long time before she spoke again.

"If we're careful," she finally stated. "And we time it right, we can move past the knights without any of them seeing us, and make it to that door, but we have to hit the ground running…"

A dark knight stomped by below them, stopped to look around, then went on its way.

"Go!"

Link leapt from his perch in the rafter and landed square on his feet on the stone floor. When Zelda jumped, he caught her in his arms.

"This way," she whispered as Link let her down.

Once the dark knight disappeared around the corner, Zelda darted down the center path while Link and Navi followed. She clung to the statue group on the right, and kept her eye on another dark knight that crossed their path as it patrolled. When that dark knight walked behind another group of statues, Zelda darted to the left and to the next statue group.

"Wait! Do you know what you're doing?!"

Once again, Zelda's reply was only her raised finger.

As the three crossed to the other side, a new dark knight came from behind a corner ahead of them. It looked to its left and right before turning, so Zelda ran back to the statues on the right. This time, she did not stop and wait; she ran while Link took big steps to keep up with her. The princess turned sharply on her left around the statues, and sprinted for the locked door.

"Get your key ready," she spoke telepathically to him.

"Got it."

He fished his key from his pocket just as they reached the door and jammed it into the lock. Before the dark knights had a chance to look up from their patrolling, the Princess, Link and Navi had yanked the heavy door open and closed it behind them, pushing their weight into it.

"Whew!" Navi gasped as she leaned against the door. "That was way too close."

"Where are we?"

It was starkly lit again in this room, so Zelda struck a new match and relit her lantern. A long corridor led past empty stone rooms barred with tall iron rods. Tiny cots and bedpans were all that remained in the narrow cells. The dank stench of body odor and urine stagnated in the hall.

"These must be the prison cells," Zelda explained as she pulled out the map. "But no one's here…"

An ear-piercing clang made the three of them jump.

"What was that?!" Navi shrieked.

"It came from the door!" Zelda realized.

Link bolted back to the door and pulled as hard as he could, but even with his golden gauntlets it refused to budge.

"It's locked tight! We're trapped…"

"And we don't have any more keys! What do we do?! We're gonna be stuck here for weeks and weeks and starve to death and die!"

"Calm down, Navi. We're not going to die."

"Do you think the dark knights saw us and locked us in from the outside?"

"I don't think so. From the way it sounded, it seemed like it came…from inside."

Another sudden clang made them jump, but not from startling. This time, the clang landed so heavily that it made the floor shake.

"What…was that?"

Another clang landed, then another and another, each one landing harder than the last.

"Princess," Navi squeaked as she hid in Zelda's cloak. "I don't think those 'clangs' are getting bigger."

"…You're right."

"They're getting closer."

Link turned slowly away from the door and back to the others. Towering over Zelda and Navi in the light of the lantern was one, huge dark knight. It did not carry a pike or spear. In its left hand was a long metal chain, and attached to it in the knight's right hand was a heavy iron ball that fit squarely in the palm of its gauntlet. Navi gulped.

"Link," Zelda whispered. "I think I know what Min-Bo room stands for."

"What's that?"

"Mini-Boss Room."

"What is it about this guy that could possibly make think you think this place is 'mini?'"

"Just a guess."

The trooper lifted the chain in the air, and the iron ball followed it up before crashing back down.