Chapter 2: The Changing of a Kingdom
Zelda sat on the grass, looking out over the beautiful waters of Lake Hylia as the sun started to sink. She thought about all the other times that she had snuck out of the castle and come here to be alone.
Now she really was alone. Her father was dead. Her friends were dead. And the only boy she had ever cared for was dead too.
So now here she was. No friends. No family. Nothing. All she had was the clothes on her back. But that's not what bothered her. What bothered her was that she thought she would never see the boy again.
"Are you OK, Miss Zelda?" Impa's voice seemed distant, but Zelda saw her sit down next to her.
Zelda looked to her. A tear streamed down her cheek. "Yes, Impa. I'll be fine."
"What troubles you child?" The setting sun made Impa's gray hair and eyes seem almost magical.
Zelda's blue eyes were full of tears. Her blonde hair was soaked with sweat. "I miss my father. I miss my friends."
Impa looked out at the waters. "Is that all?" she said.
Zelda's eyes moved to the ocean as well. "No, Impa. I miss Link." She used her sleeve to wipe the tears from her eyes. "I worry that he was killed. I can't speak to him anymore." She sighed.
Impa was silent for a few moments. "Life will not be easy from now on. Ganondorf has taken over and he will plunge Hyrule into darkness." Again, that dreaded silence. "We will fight. It won't be easy, but when we get to Labryyna, I'm going to make you powerful. Until then, I'll teach you what I can when we have the chance."
"I'll get him back." Zelda said, more to herself than to Impa. "I'm going to face Ganondorf, and I'm going to destroy him."
Impa smiled at her determination. It made her happy to see that she was ready to fight, no matter what the cost.
When Ganondorf opened his eyes he was still in the Temple of Time, sprawled about the empty pedestal like a Gerudo Rug.
When he stood, he was a bit woozy, and it too him a few moments to remember what had happened. But then he laughed.
He felt a new surge of power as he clutched his fists together and ran out of the Temple.
As quickly as he could he ran to the castle, where his Gerudo followers patrolled, killing any Hylians they found. As he approached them he did not slow, but instead ran faster toward the castle.
"I must change this place." he started, "to something more to my liking." And he smiled evilly.
He looked over at one of his soldiers. "I want Hyrule searched until you find the Princess." His face was wide with delight. "Then bring her to me."
His soldiers mounted their horses and rode off into the distance, scimitars held high.
Impa woke Zelda late in the night. As Zelda sat up, looking around, she could see torch light in the distance.
"What-" she started, still dazed form sleep.
"Gerudo." Impa whispered. "When I tell you, lay flat in that tall patch of grass." A few silent moments passed. "go, child," Impa said.
Zelda scrambled toward the patch of grass. It was wet from the morning dew, and Zelda hated to get her dress dirty, but then again, she didn't want them to catch her.
"I'll be right back," Impa whispered from her own unseen hiding spot. And then she was gone.
For the first time, she was scared. Her body trembled, shaking the tall blades of grass and causing dew to droop on her blonde hair.
But she watched, despite her fear, as the Gerudo troops came closer and closer. Then she saw a shadow drop down. the torch in front flew threw the air and the carrier fell, shortly after. Then one by one each soldier fell victim to an unseen assassin.
Zelda jumped when Impa knelt down beside her. "It's clear," was all she said.
Slowly, Zelda rose, still shaking form Impa's dramatic entrance. Her heart was still pounding and she struggled to get it back to normal.
When she stood, she tried her best to brush the dirt off her, but the wet dew would not come off. It would have to dry to her dress.
"When we get to Labrynna," Impa started, her gray eyes looking to the horizon. "we will get you some fresh clothes."
Zelda now stood at her side. Her protector now looked like a hardened warrior, instead of the soft, docile lady Zelda always thought her to be. "How far is Labrynna?" Zelda's voice was clam and beautiful.
Impa was silent for a moment. Her gaze shifted from the horizon to Zelda, "A long way." was all she said. She didn't want to tell Zelda how long the ride was actually going to be.
"Will it take us long to get there?" Zelda was just as curious as she always was.
"I can't say for sure." Impa stated.
"Why not?" Zelda's big blue eyes looked up at Impa.
"It all depends on several factors. One is the amount of resistance Ganondorf sends to us. Another is the weather." Impa looked to were a cloud of dust rose. It was coming from the castle, she could plainly see. "A third is how fast you are willing to go."
Zelda followed Impa's gaze to the dust cloud. "To get to safety?" Zelda said. "As fast as we can."
Impa nodded. "Good." She said. "We ride at dawn." And she sat on the ground, her back against a tree. She didn't want to get any wetter than she already was. But that was the least of her problems.
Sleep did not come easy for Zelda. She was used to sleeping in a soft bed, not against a tree. This, she could tell, would take some getting used to.
Hyrule castle was now changed, and none for the better. The stone bridge leading to the castle was shattered. The beautiful green grass and bright flowers that once dotted the land were destroyed, and had been replaced by dark mud and dirt. The gates around the castle were ripped apart.
A moat of fire and lava surrounded the once white and vibrant castle, turned black and evil as it floated on a piece of land in the air. Inside, the dark King Ganondorf strapped his armor on and prepared for his search of the land, which was now his.
Now ready for his departure, he descended from his castle and softly landed on the desolate land. His pitch black steep ran to him, it's own armor strapped to it's neck and legs. Mounting the horse, Ganondorf rode into the distance, searching for his trophy.
Zelda sat on the grass, looking out over the beautiful waters of Lake Hylia as the sun started to sink. She thought about all the other times that she had snuck out of the castle and come here to be alone.
Now she really was alone. Her father was dead. Her friends were dead. And the only boy she had ever cared for was dead too.
So now here she was. No friends. No family. Nothing. All she had was the clothes on her back. But that's not what bothered her. What bothered her was that she thought she would never see the boy again.
"Are you OK, Miss Zelda?" Impa's voice seemed distant, but Zelda saw her sit down next to her.
Zelda looked to her. A tear streamed down her cheek. "Yes, Impa. I'll be fine."
"What troubles you child?" The setting sun made Impa's gray hair and eyes seem almost magical.
Zelda's blue eyes were full of tears. Her blonde hair was soaked with sweat. "I miss my father. I miss my friends."
Impa looked out at the waters. "Is that all?" she said.
Zelda's eyes moved to the ocean as well. "No, Impa. I miss Link." She used her sleeve to wipe the tears from her eyes. "I worry that he was killed. I can't speak to him anymore." She sighed.
Impa was silent for a few moments. "Life will not be easy from now on. Ganondorf has taken over and he will plunge Hyrule into darkness." Again, that dreaded silence. "We will fight. It won't be easy, but when we get to Labryyna, I'm going to make you powerful. Until then, I'll teach you what I can when we have the chance."
"I'll get him back." Zelda said, more to herself than to Impa. "I'm going to face Ganondorf, and I'm going to destroy him."
Impa smiled at her determination. It made her happy to see that she was ready to fight, no matter what the cost.
When Ganondorf opened his eyes he was still in the Temple of Time, sprawled about the empty pedestal like a Gerudo Rug.
When he stood, he was a bit woozy, and it too him a few moments to remember what had happened. But then he laughed.
He felt a new surge of power as he clutched his fists together and ran out of the Temple.
As quickly as he could he ran to the castle, where his Gerudo followers patrolled, killing any Hylians they found. As he approached them he did not slow, but instead ran faster toward the castle.
"I must change this place." he started, "to something more to my liking." And he smiled evilly.
He looked over at one of his soldiers. "I want Hyrule searched until you find the Princess." His face was wide with delight. "Then bring her to me."
His soldiers mounted their horses and rode off into the distance, scimitars held high.
Impa woke Zelda late in the night. As Zelda sat up, looking around, she could see torch light in the distance.
"What-" she started, still dazed form sleep.
"Gerudo." Impa whispered. "When I tell you, lay flat in that tall patch of grass." A few silent moments passed. "go, child," Impa said.
Zelda scrambled toward the patch of grass. It was wet from the morning dew, and Zelda hated to get her dress dirty, but then again, she didn't want them to catch her.
"I'll be right back," Impa whispered from her own unseen hiding spot. And then she was gone.
For the first time, she was scared. Her body trembled, shaking the tall blades of grass and causing dew to droop on her blonde hair.
But she watched, despite her fear, as the Gerudo troops came closer and closer. Then she saw a shadow drop down. the torch in front flew threw the air and the carrier fell, shortly after. Then one by one each soldier fell victim to an unseen assassin.
Zelda jumped when Impa knelt down beside her. "It's clear," was all she said.
Slowly, Zelda rose, still shaking form Impa's dramatic entrance. Her heart was still pounding and she struggled to get it back to normal.
When she stood, she tried her best to brush the dirt off her, but the wet dew would not come off. It would have to dry to her dress.
"When we get to Labrynna," Impa started, her gray eyes looking to the horizon. "we will get you some fresh clothes."
Zelda now stood at her side. Her protector now looked like a hardened warrior, instead of the soft, docile lady Zelda always thought her to be. "How far is Labrynna?" Zelda's voice was clam and beautiful.
Impa was silent for a moment. Her gaze shifted from the horizon to Zelda, "A long way." was all she said. She didn't want to tell Zelda how long the ride was actually going to be.
"Will it take us long to get there?" Zelda was just as curious as she always was.
"I can't say for sure." Impa stated.
"Why not?" Zelda's big blue eyes looked up at Impa.
"It all depends on several factors. One is the amount of resistance Ganondorf sends to us. Another is the weather." Impa looked to were a cloud of dust rose. It was coming from the castle, she could plainly see. "A third is how fast you are willing to go."
Zelda followed Impa's gaze to the dust cloud. "To get to safety?" Zelda said. "As fast as we can."
Impa nodded. "Good." She said. "We ride at dawn." And she sat on the ground, her back against a tree. She didn't want to get any wetter than she already was. But that was the least of her problems.
Sleep did not come easy for Zelda. She was used to sleeping in a soft bed, not against a tree. This, she could tell, would take some getting used to.
Hyrule castle was now changed, and none for the better. The stone bridge leading to the castle was shattered. The beautiful green grass and bright flowers that once dotted the land were destroyed, and had been replaced by dark mud and dirt. The gates around the castle were ripped apart.
A moat of fire and lava surrounded the once white and vibrant castle, turned black and evil as it floated on a piece of land in the air. Inside, the dark King Ganondorf strapped his armor on and prepared for his search of the land, which was now his.
Now ready for his departure, he descended from his castle and softly landed on the desolate land. His pitch black steep ran to him, it's own armor strapped to it's neck and legs. Mounting the horse, Ganondorf rode into the distance, searching for his trophy.