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Author's note: Any people who've been following this so far (Thanks!) might notice that this chapter is a good deal shorter than the others. Am I just being lazy? No, (well maybe a little) it seems to me that most people prefer their stories in short segments. Although I normally find in other people's fanfics that the longer the story is the better the writing normally is, I actually have to make much more of an effort to read something that long then a few kb story. Therefore I'm splitting the rest of the originally planned 12 chapters in 2.

Special thanks go to John Sheffield, who I forgot to mention in the last chapter. He has been reading through the first draft before this goes up and generally motivating me. Go and read his The Legend of Zelda : The Continuing Saga now! (Well, maybe you might want to read this first).

I hate to say this, but comments never hurt...

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Four

Bren smiled as the new girl opened her eyes. Mentally he tried to imagine what she would be like to teach. Her face may look nice and peaceful now but he could remember how fierce it had been when he had been fighting it. Probably just wanted training to be an assassin. Stop being so cynical, he told himself. She looked a nice enough apprentice.

The girl just looked dazed for a moment, and she looked around her in wonder at the tranquil garden they were in.

"How...did I get here?" she asked warily.

Bren shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't think anyone but you is quite sure of that. Why did you want to be here?"

The girl opened her mouth to speak and then shut it again. She thought for a few moments, and then asked, "Where am I?"

"In the mid-garden. It's a nice place where we normally go to relax."

The girl again looked confused for a moment, and then asked again, "Where am I?"

Bren smiled. She'd soon know that she had done it. She had joined the elite in the Xi headquarters, and knowing that was not always a good thing. Some people who could have been great became overconfident. Still, he had to tell her, and so he did.

When she knew, the girl looked more alert, and she simply asked, "Why?"

"Because one of our guards took a liking to you. But that is all in the past; lets concentrate on the future. What's your name?"

"When do we start?" she said, still not giving out information.

Keen was his latest apprentice. Was she his fifth or sixth? Some of the others had seemed like blank personalities, but he had a feeling that she would not be the same. She might be difficult, especially before her K'Tan, but she would probably be fun.

He had been only 14 when he had been trained to be an Xi master, a trainer itself of the normal Xi. Led by another 'Xi master' he had been taught the ways of the Xi until he passed all the tests (well, fairly) easily.

"First," he said quietly to the girl, "you'll need a room and fresh clothes. Then the lessons will start."

The girl nodded and prepared to follow him. Bren was impressed by her relative lack of curiosity compared to the others.

"Just one thing," he asked, "your name?"

She looked at him again quietly for a few moments and he found himself saying, "Bren."

"Tai"

It was a brief introduction.

*-*

Link.

Malon? What was Malon doing here? Then again - where was here?

Quiet, I can not stay long. They let me stay only until you are awakened.

What is going on?

The sages, Link, the sages. Not Zelda, you hear? The sages.

If you say so Malon. But who did this to you and me?

Fate. I've got to go now... The sages...

"So our monster from the sea has awakened?"

The first thing that Link noticed was that he was no longer lying in the quiet beach waters. Instead he was lying in some old run down room. Above his bed was a fairly tall brown haired man who was wearing a simple grey robe. For the moment Link did not notice the woven crescents on the man's shoulders.

"What country is this?" Link asked.

"What country are you expecting?" The man replied cryptically.

Link shook his head slowly. "My geography isn't good. I can't remember which countries are by the sea."

"Try Nurai."

"Nurai? I didn't think my geography was that bad. I'm sorry but I've never even heard of it. Where is it near?"

This remark bought a great big smile to the man's face. "Perfect. But I mustn't get too excited too soon. First a little test. Where do you come from, stranger?"

"I do have a name," said Link, a bit annoyed. "I presume you do to. If I'm going to be tested can I at least know who by?"

"Nala, at your service. And you?"

"Link. Link of Hyrule, heard of it?"

"All my life," said Nala, the smile still spreading. "So, you come from the home of the Triforce, right? What were the Triforces again?"

"Wisdom, courage and power. Your reason for wanting to know would be?"

"To prove that you're not some fake trying to take advantage of a possibly leaked prophecy." Nala was serious now.

"This prophecy?"

"And in the time before the test shall come; shall come the guardian from the sea and his Hail. They who rule in fear the sea will be led by she, Hail and she will bring death and then life and then death," quoted Nala. "The Enlightenment in Text, verse 57a and the more famous (and not barred knowledge to anyone outside the church) 57."

"Lost me completely," Link admitted.

"Alright, I'll try and explain our whole culture to you as shortly as possible. I believe in Hyrule you have some of the gerudo people?"

Link nodded.

"And you have heard that their god is called Nura? Good, then let it be known that this is the land that she created. She came to us in a time called the Enlightenment and gave us the 100 prophecies. These told of three great dark times when Nuran people would be in peril, which would be mixed with three great golden ages. Two of the dark times have passed. The third is still to come.

"This third dark time is commonly known as the Distile. A stupid name really, as it doesn't express truly the fear that it can bring in our people. At the Distile this world will end. The church is always on the look out for signs that the Distile is coming. Unfortunately, the fact that there will be a fearsome pirate queen called Hail is common knowledge and there have been many fakes. That is why we keep certain prophecies silent so we can know the truth for ourselves."

"Alright... Slow down," said Link. "This is some other reality? I've had that before; I can cope with it. Is there a Hail doing the rounds now?"

Nala nodded.

"Strange... The other land I went to thought that they were doomed too; but we managed to save them. Is there really no help for this land?"

Nala started to look happier at that. "The one thing that the prophecies don't talk about is times. There is a good chance we can delay or even lengthen the Distile a good deal."

"So I was dragged here to help you with your struggle?" Link asked.

"Do you remember how you moved from Hyrule to here?"

"No," Link admitted. "I was asleep, and then I awakened here. I had a strange dream though. One of my friends told me to start looking for the sages."

"I have made it my life's work to study the prophecies and the alternative Hyrule reality, but I do not know these sages. Who are they? They sound important."

"You're here!"

The door suddenly crashed open. In swept what seemed like a blur in the air. Then the air seemed to almost melt into a visible figure. Another man, this time with blonde hair and wearing a red robe. On it was a distinct crescent with a line shooting straight through it.

Nala immediately drew a sword from his waist level. "I had feared one of the Kalen blasphemers would find us."

The Kalen laughed. "Do not fool yourself into thinking I want to attack him, Chi'Lah loving fool."

"What do you want then?" said Link, slightly curious. He was not naive enough to only trust the first person he met.

The Kalen smiled and walked past a glaring Nala. "Just take this broach and remember that the Kalen are always your friends. Please believe me when I say that I have been outcast by my own people to tell you this. We are your friends. I..."

"Is dead," said Nala, without a glint of remorse, as he drew his sword back out where he had stuck it through the Kalen's body.

Link hoped that while Nala removed the body he did not notice Link looking at the metal broach that had been offered; now lying on the floor. Or that he picked it up...

*-*

Exercises, exercises, exercises.

Tai's life consisted of the hated things now. She woke up, washed in the stream and then did exercises. She had a few bites of bread for lunch and then did exercises. She had a few mores bite for supper, went to bed, then woke up early in the morning to do night time exercises.

She was sure that all these practises at skills would make her extra fit and improve her fighting technique; unfortunately they might kill her in the process. She had been here for a month now, and apart from some times when Bren had just talked to her about the Xi and their ways all she had done was juggling balls, strength building up techniques or various other types of exercises. Perhaps the worst thing was when she was about to faint from exhaustion yet she could see Bren calmly watching her at the side; doing no work whatsoever. Actually, the worst thing now she came to think of it, was when she complained and Bren proceeded to do the exercise quickly without breaking a sweat.

Still, Bren said that soon she would be allowed to go on field training. He would accompany her while she did some guard work for the church somewhere. Only last week one trainee Xi was sent to the capital to help defend the Nurai Cathedral.

The one good thing about all this was that she completely forgotten about her guilt and wanting to find Link. Instead, she really didn't care at the moment. Maybe in the future the physical torture would be let up enough for her to be able to feel again.

Still, it was no good thinking. She had to finish this exercise...

*-*

"Any other prophecies I should know about?"

Nala considered Link's words for a moment. "A few. Mostly earthquakes, terrible storms and evils being released. And one other I really should check on now..."

To Link's surprise Nala proceeded to kneel down in front of him, close his eyes, and start muttering fervently. For what seemed like minutes this ceremony went on until finally Nala opened his eyes again. This time to his horror, Link saw what looked like tears in them.

"Nura's gone," Nala said shakily. "The other prophecy has come true. We've lost contact with her greatness herself. We have to do something quickly and find those sages."

"Hey, don't worry, I've saved two lands before," half-joked Link.

Nura looked up at him with new hope in his eyes.

"Well, two out of three."