[On a somewhat cloudy afternoon in the town market in front of Hyrule castle, Warhammer site casually by the fountain, reading 'MacBeth'.]
WH: It's odd, isn't it? How a simple action, or concept for that matter, can be the mere catalyst for so much? Makes you wonder what that person is thinking as they begin to move the wheels of fate when they don't even know it.
Teknos Warhammer
Presents:
The Force of One:
First Chapter:
Deviation
A work of fanfiction based upon
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Link gasped in wonder at the plain, yet beautiful, manner in which the
Temple of Time was made. It was all white and gray, due to the shadows, and the windows on the upper wall brought the fading rays of light from the west as the sun began its decent into the evening. The light giving the temple it a more than holy... almost divine atmosphere, as if the Gods themselves oft came here to converse with one another in hushed tones out of reverence for what they created.
He had never taken the time to actually visit this holy place. Mostly due to the fact that trying to acquire the three spiritual stones to open the door to the back of this temple, so as to obtain the Master Sword and the gate to the Sacred Realm. Ganondorf Dragmire had nearly killed him earlier when the Princess Zelda and her guardian, Impa, had escaped to the south.
More likely than not, Ganondorf was after the dark blue ocarina that she had thrown to him after she had escaped.
Holding the ocarina in his hand, Link could not help but wonder what made this one different from other ones, other than the fact that it belonged to the royal family. It was also very smooth and shiny, even when doused in water and bouncing on the dirt from Zelda's hasty throw, it appeared to be brand new. Not a scratch or water stain appeared on its surface.
As much as he could spend time admiring the beauty of the ocarina, he had a job to do, and that was to stop Ganondorf as soon as possible, before
Zelda's dark premonitions came true. Walking up to a pulpit, he found on the front of the stand, three small holes, each with their own distinct shape, were embedded on a small platform which were below an inscription on the top.
'Ye who owns the Kokiri Emerald, the Goron Ruby, and the Zora Sapphire... stand with the Ocarina of Time and play the Song which transcends time itself and the way shall be made open for you.'
He recognized three shapes and knew that they were meant for the three spiritual stones, which he now held in his pouch. The first was to accept the Kokiri's Emerald, which he had gotten from his first friend, Saria. The second was to receive the Goron's Ruby, which he had received from Darunia, his Goron 'Brother', whatever that meant. And the third, the Zora's
Sapphire from Princess Ruto, who was now talking about some kind of engagement. Link still was wondering what exactly she was talking about, because it seemed all so new and strange to him, after all, he had only left the Kokiri Forest a few weeks before.
Anyway, When all three were present, the way to the Sacred Realm would be open.
So, taking the blue ocarina into his hands, he slowly played the song that he had learned from Zelda. The notes came soft and slowly, reverberating through the temple. There was no one else to hear the notes play, but the silence that soon followed felt as if there were others there, but simply not present.
Then, the three sacred gems floated up and out of the pouch he usually kept them in. At first the gems floated above his head in a circular pattern, the power within making them glow. Soon after, each one floated down into the three slots meant for the gems.
Behind the pulpit, a large door stood, with a symbol of the Triforce embedded in the wall. As soon as the gems settled into the pulpit, the three triangles representing the power of the three goddesses glow a gentle gold. After which, the door below opened slowly, not making a sound at all.
The opened door revealed another hallway, leading to the back of the temple, where Link could see something standing upright in the rays of light, peeking through a window. Walking around the pulpit, Link walked silently through the hall and into the back chamber, not exactly sure what to expect.
He was told that the gate to the Sacred Realm was here, but he was not sure what exactly it would look like. Would it be like any other door? Would it be like the Great Deku Tree, where it opened its mouth? Many other possibilities ran through his young twelve-year-old mind, as the shape in the back became more visible.
When Link finally got a good enough look, his fairy companion, Navi chirped,
"Link! Isn't that..." she paused before floating over towards the shape.
"...the Master Sword?"
Embedded into a stone was a marvelously crafted weapon. Several centimeters after the blade came from the dark sapphire colored hilt, the blade widened out slightly, giving it a wider range when swung. Carved into the hilt, was the symbol of the three Triforce, more likely than not made by either the three goddesses themselves or someone who had made it with their direction.
Standing up to the sword, Link looked it over and found it to be nearly as tall as he was. It was also hard for Link to know what exactly he should do next. Navi knew a lot, maybe she would know what to do.
"Say, Navi. What exactly is the Master Sword?" Link asked, looking up to the little blue light that Navi floated in.
"Well, it has been a while since I last checked, but if I recall right, the
Master Sword is not just a weapon, but a key."
"A key?"
"Yes. A key that opens the gates of Time itself."
"But what about the three jewels? Aren't they keys too?"
"No one ever said that there was only one key. The ancient Hylians often used words like that to confuse tomb raiders and thieves from getting valuable treasure. They also made things like this owner specific. So should a thief try and take something like this, they'd be in for a bit of a shock."
"What would happen?"
"I don't know. But whatever it was, it wasn't good."
Link wished he did not hear that. Looking at the sword, he started to wonder if something bad were to happen to him if he tried to take it. He still had doubts, even after all the things the Great Deku Tree, that blasted owl, and Zelda had said. He was only twelve years old for heaven's sake! How could he be some hero that needed to be bigger and stronger than he was... let alone defeat Ganondorf?
"What's wrong, Link?" Navi asked, concerned at his silence.
It took a while before Link could find the words to convey his fear, "I don't know... it's just that, it seems something so big... and I'm still small. I don't know if I can do this, Navi."
Navi slowly floated by his face and hugged his ear, the aura from her wings warming his face. "It's ok, Link. I'm here. Don't ever think that you're alone in doing this, because I'm with you. Win or lose, I'll be there."
Link smiled and held his hand up to Navi, almost pressing her against his face like he was trying to hug her, though it was impossible, due to her size. "Thanks, Navi."
He then turned to the sword, and though the doubts still were there, he pushed himself to stand up to the edge of the stone, and raised both hands to grab the hilt. A surge of power went through him as he grabbed the hilt, it was like holding a lightning bolt.
Navi started to hover a bit higher as Link finally yanked the sword out of the stone it rested in. The instant it left the stone, a pillar of blue light grew from where he stood and swirled about like a hurricane, pulling him up into the sky and into a vortex created by the power emanating from the pillar. Just as he flew through it, Navi sped up and followed suit.
It was only seconds later that the doors to the temple opened a second time and someone else had entered. The light through the doorway was completely blocked out by the imposing figure as it walked through the door and into the main hall.
"I knew it..." the man in black said as he witnessed the swirling pillar of light. "I knew you had the keys... and to think that all I had to do is wait for you to open the gate for me. It's odd, that I got you to thank, kid. It all thanks to you that I've found the way to the Sacred Realm."
He walked forward, a feeling a triumph in his step, as he got nearer and nearer to the hall leading to the back room.
However, just before he entered the small hallway, a second figure leapt from the shadows and sent a foot straight into the side of Gannondorf's head, knocking him aside. The perpetrator of the deed was dressed in a loose fitting black and dark blue suit, which covered her entire body, save for her head. Ganondorf shook his head to clear out the pain as he looked up to see who exactly kicked him.
Yanking a curved sword strapped from her back, Impa, raised the sword high and swung down as hard as she could, yet missed as Ganondorf rolled out of the way and to the entrance to the temple. Impa continued to attack, not allowing her foe the time to concentrate enough to summon the magic he could have used against her.
The Gerudo king rolled to his feet and tried to through a sphere of energy at Impa, only to be pushed back farther than before. It was at the entrance to the temple did he not only see that it was Impa who was attacking him, but the Sheikah was not alone.
"The triforce was never meant to be yours!" Zelda, standing at the edge of the distant hallway, screamed. "Nor will it be!" Without another word, the child ran into the back room and before Ganondorf could hope to the stop the princess, Impa had jumped up and slammed both of her feet into his chest, knocking him away.
Gathering his breath, Ganondorf grumbled as he stood up, "I could never understand why you and your kind serve that little runt."
To the Gerudo king's surprise, the Sheikah woman gave a smirk that was nothing short of vicious, "What makes you think that the Sheikah are anyone's servants? We have always kept the peace of Hyrule, regardless of who was in charge. Hylian, Gerudo, Goron, even Zora. We have always watched the land and any weakness that would destroy the peace is killed silently and slowly in the shadows."
Were it not for the fact that Impa and he were fighting, the Gerudo would have had quite a bit of respect for her. Yet, now was not the time, he needed to get to the Sacred Realm and to the Triforce before the princess did.
With a wave of his hand, Ganondorf summoned a sphere of purple colored light and threw it at his foe. Impa took this chance to jump over the shot and raise her sword to slice the Gerudo in two. Yet, to her shock, she had been tricked into lowering her defense and during her time in the air, the Gerudo brought his hand back, invested a good deal of power into the fist, and threw it forward and into Impa's stomach.
The blow sent the Sheikah away and into the pedestal where the three gem keys hovered. The jewels scattered and the door closed shut. Ganondorf cursed his luck and was about to take his anger out on the weary Sheikah when the temple started to shake.
*
The Sacred Realm was a wonder to behold.
Zelda had read in the ancient texts of how this wondrous place was created in the first place. Yet, even the most detailed accounts from scripture paled in comparison to actually being there.
The princess found herself standing in a quiet field, nestled comfortably in the middle of a mountain range. Yet, everything seemed strange, almost distorted slightly whenever she moved. In the middle of this valley was a massive tree, which towered over the valley.
Walking through the knee length grass, Zelda kept her breath in check at seeing small light float about her person. With what little magical ability she had, she could tell that these lights, though small, radiated power way beyond her own.
Walking to the base to the tree, Zelda found an opening, leading into the very heart of the tree. On the side of the opening, was a young boy, wearing a white shirt and shorts, sitting in between a few of the roots. His back was turned and all Zelda could see was his red hair color.
"Hello?" the young princess asked quietly.
The boy turned to reveal that he was wearing a hideous mask. The yellow eyes seemed wild and untamable, the variant colors gave off a chaotic feeling, and the spikes that jutted off the edges made her feel uncomfortable.
"You... are the first person to come here in a long time..." the boy said in a soft voice.
Though Zelda could not see beyond the mask, her heart settled a bit at knowing that this boy did not seem malignant.
"Yes... I am."
The boy only stared at her through the eyes of his mask. Zelda did not know whether to be frightened of the silence or not.
"What makes you happy?" the boy asked bluntly.
A bit taken back at the question, Zelda sat down and tried to give some thought of an answer for the boy. There were many things that did make her happy. For example, she really liked playing with a little marionette that she received as a child. Being with her father was also quite nice when he was not bogged down with meetings with other dignitaries and such. Impa was also a great source of comfort and happiness whenever she felt alone.
Yet, as good as any of her private joys were, they seemed inadequate for the simple question this boy asked her. It was then an answer that seemed so obvious, yet so vague, had popped into her head.
"Helping people be happy." She said simply. In one of her few sojourns to the town beneath her home, she had seen a poor child look longingly at a new coat Zelda had received for a previous birthday. Winter had come early and the chill was near murderous. Seeing the poor child in distress was more than the five-year-old Zelda could bear. So without thinking, she removed her coat and gave it to the boy no older than her. The boy was crying for joy upon receiving the warm new piece of clothing.
Impa and her father later asked her what had happened and she told them. Though it was not evident at first, Impa and the king were proud of her show of charity. The next day, the family of the boy had expressed its appreciation and had given her one of its few priceless possessions. A beautiful handcrafted puppet, made of a special wood that gave whatever shape it took a life-like appearance.
Though the mask covered his face, Zelda could tell that the boy was smiling. He turned to the entrance and said quietly, "Do not mistake that for what you want to be what you need."
Zelda looked back to the boy, only to see him walk into the valley and out of sight. She went over what the boy had said, only to find herself even more confused than before. Zelda never was good at convoluted word puzzles like this. Well, whatever the boy meant it could wait.
Walking into the base of the tree, Zelda beheld the object of her journey into the Sacred Realm. Hovering over a pearl colored pedestal, were three golden triangles that radiated even more magical power than the lights outside the tree. Zelda became mystified at the sight. What little was said about the Sacred Realm was little enough, but there was hardly a mention of the Triforce.
All she knew was that these triangles held power beyond anything ever conceived of by anyone in Hyrule.
And it all was within her reach.
All of it.
The thought of having this much power was almost mesmerizing, but then the memory of Ganondorf trying to get his hands on such a powerful artifact brought her back to reality. Though she saw dark visions of what could happen, the fact that they had not happened yet was enough to drive her forward. After all, though prophecies were indeed the truth of things to come, it did not mean that the future could be altered.
Impa had tried to impress upon her the idea of time being an immutable forward progression, almost like a river. If that were true, then the course of that river could be altered and if that were true, then time could be altered by events in the past.
Walking up to the pedestal, Zelda began to feel the near overwhelming amount of power coming from the Triforce. She put forth her hand to touch the trinity of gold triangles and discovered that one of them glow a marvelous sapphire blue.
Zelda blinked to see that single Triforce flow into her hand. At that instant, she understood. She was the possessor of the Triforce of Wisdom. All at once, many questions that had plagued her small mind and confounded the best scholars and philosophers had become simple. Her knowledge had increased rapidly and the mind that contained it also grew accordingly.
At that same time, Zelda saw the other two triangles begin to glow with their own luster and change color. The Triforce told her that as part of their design, the other two Triforce would go forth to their respective owners and become one with them. One of those owners was Ganondorf.
Almost on impulse, Zelda reached forward and grabbed the remaining Triforce with her hand. Instantly, flesh, blood, and bone started to burn and incinerate at their touch and liquid pain shot up Zelda's arm. Yet, the thought of seeing the Gerudo king was such power drove her to continue holding onto dear life to the other Triforce.
Her lungs we filling with heat, Zelda continued to try and assert control over the remaining Triforce. Her own part of the Triforce had given her much more mental control, in addition to the training that Impa gave her ward. However, it appeared that her hand would be burnt to nothing and Zelda would perish for trying to subvert their will to her own.
Zelda could see nothing else save it were the other two Triforce and the remains of her hand beginning to vanish. With one final push, Zelda gave a powerful mental command to the defiant sources of power.
'Mine! The whole of you!'
It sounded strange to even think of saying those words. Yet, among all the pain she was feeling, there was no other alternative. Either conquer or be conquered and she had a bad feeling that if she lost this battle; her hand was not going to be the only thing she would lose.
Screaming in agony, Zelda felt her grip on reality beginning to slip, in addition, her balance was beginning to leave her. In that last attempt, Zelda stretched it as far as she could to overcome the other Triforce. By then, a sphere of light had enveloped the pedestal and the princess knew she could no longer hold on and released.
The princess fell back from the pedestal with a silent thud. As she opened her eyes, the pain from her right hand was still there, but she didn't dare to look at what might have been left.
Realization came quickly to her, despite the pain. She had emerged the victor. The other two Triforce were gone and now a part of her. Using her remaining hand, Zelda got up wearily and started back to the entrance.
"Impa..." she whispered, moving from a weary walk to a quick stagger from the heart of the tree and to the Sacred Realm. Zelda remembered that Impa was more likely than not, still fighting with Ganondorf and could be in danger.
From beneath the branches of the giant tree, the boy with the mask watched her leave. He did not need to go into the tree to wonder what she had done, for he had felt the balance in power shift.
"So..." the boy whispered after her, "What will you do now?"
*
Back in the temple Zelda's apprehension about Impa's safety was not unfounded. When the rumbling stopped, the Gerudo had attempted to reopen the door, but with no success. Impa, though weakened, was able to hold her own against the angered Ganondorf, but found that the last blow had taken more out of her than she previously considered.
Now, the Sheikah was cornered by the locked door and without any smoke bombs to hide an escape. Her sword was on the other side of the hall and far too distant to try and make a dash for it.
Though the Gerudo king was not in any better shape, he certainly did have the upper hand. He did not need any sort of weapon, and besides, until he took the Triforce from the princess brat, his current amount of power would suffice.
In one last attempt, the Sheikah dashed forward and attempted to gain leverage against Ganondorf's legs, but instead found her stomach the target of several blows from his knee. With a snarl, the Gerudo grabbed Impa by the neck and threw her into the opposing wall, effectively knocking her unconscious and near death.
Standing in front of the door, Ganondorf raised a hand and gathered power for the final blow... but got no further as beam of light coming from the head of the building pushed him through the door and into the courtyard.
"Impa!" Zelda screamed, running down the steps, doing everything to maintain her balance as she ran to her nanny. Zelda collapsed against the inert Sheikah and placed her ear to below the larger woman's collar bone to search for a heart beat.
Yet, she heard nothing.
Various pleads went unheard as Zelda cried out and realized that the only person who ever listened to her was gone forever.
Amid a flood of tears, Zelda cradled Impa's head as she stood there in the dreary silence. The light coming from the windows almost seemed to mock Zelda's pain as tears streamed from her face and onto Impa's cheek.
The pain in her right arm was still there, but seeing Impa gone hurt even more.
There were times when Zelda cursed her station. She had dreams, many dreams. Many dreams which could have helped her people and her country from pointless misery. She now understood that the point of pain was to understand what joy was.
Yet she could not abide the occurrences of the whims of fate. Once again, realization dawned upon her. She held all three of the Triforce. At that same instant, the pain in her right arm flared to life once again and she held what was left to try and suppress the pain. Once the pain was gone, the thought of what she could do for the people continued as if it never was interrupted.
She stood up and started to walk out. Her tears had now dried and with fresh anger towards the Gerudo king, dashed out of the temple. She would make sure that evil men like him would never gain precedence in her kingdom... even if it meant killing them. When she reached the small courtyard of the temple, she found that he had vanished. Though her skill with the Triforce was recently learned, she could not tell which way he had run.
Yet, as appealing vengeance sounded, people would wonder what the commotion was all about. Running to a path hidden by bushes in the back of the Temple, she noticed Impa's horse. Using the horse would have been useful, but she was with only one hand and far too small for the war-horse. Another problem was where could she go? She had insisted to Impa that they stay here until the Gerudo king made his move and now she had no other recluse, for returning to the castle would only raise more suspicion.
She then remembered a small safe house of Impa's that lay on the outskirts of Kakariko. The Sheikah woman had shown it to her once and told her to use it to hide out in the worst of times until the worst had passed. The only problem that by foot, travel would take almost a half a day. Reason would suggest having sore feet was a small sacrifice for safety.
Taking one last look at the temple, she sighed and whispered, "Good-bye, Impa." Without looking back, the princess ran down the path that would lead her away from the present and to an unknown future.
With folded arms, Impa leaned against the back wall and frowned. It was just as she had seen it. Though both she and the princess had the gift of prophecy, hers was much less ambiguous. Especially a certain vision that she had the day of Zelda's birth.
*
Impa smiled at the recently born princess and started stroking her head. It was a miracle in it of itself that the baby was born. The queen was rumored to be barren and incapable of child bearing, but by the grace of the heavens, the rumors were proven false and a new life was brought into the world.
In the next room, the Sheikah overheard both the king and recovering queen speak happily of the addition to their family. Never more had she been more proud to be a friend of the royal family and at the queen's request, Impa would be the one who would teach the princess when her parents could not.
Turning back to the princess, the Sheikah adjusted the baby's blanket slightly for more comfort. Though the baby was just born, Impa had a feeling that this child would be instrumental in many great things. Great things indeed.
No sooner had the thought crossed her mind when a sharp pain in her head appeared. Staggering to the wall, Impa could not prevent the images that assaulted her mind. She knew what this was. This was a vision of the future and rarely was such things wrong.
She saw the baby princess, now an adult, adorned in robes fit for an empress, holding something in her hands. Whatever the object she was holding, Impa could not see, for it was giving off a light so powerful that it seemed only Zelda could see what it was.
The light itself spread around the princess and was as a part of her as the soul was to the body. Everything in Hyrule seemed affected by whatever was occurring with Zelda. What filled Impa with horror was seeing the light turn into a consuming darkness and explode to all of Hyrule.
The vision ended.
Impa's hand was on the small of her back where a hidden dagger was kept and drawn. No sooner had the blade been drawn did she place it back. Had either the king or queen seen it, her head would have been chopped off quicker than a wolfos devouring a rabbit.
Instead of joy and admiration, fear and uncertainty took their place. The potential for the princess was fairly evident, but as to whether or not it would be for the better of Hyrule was something to be debated.
This child had to be... no, must be watched. Were it not for the fact that Harkinian was a just man, he would have been dead long before. The Sheikah did not abide tyrants for long. It unsettled Impa in the many ways that a person like the king could suffer a death that no one would suspect.
Now a new potential threat had appeared, in the form of the most innocent creature in the world. Her teacher would have laughed at her and say something about this being irony of the cruelest sort.
Returning to the present, Impa unfolded her arms and started to follow the princess. She hated for having to deceive Zelda so, but there was no other alternative. There was a technique created by the ancestors of her clan, to be able to consciously control one's heartbeat for the sole purpose of giving the image of death. This ability had saved the lives of many Sheikah on the battlefield, yet there was a real danger when used. When in the hands of a novice, permanent heart damage or even death could occur.
The princess had to be left to her own devices and to her own choices. She had done all she could to show the princess that the black and white had to be sought in the various shades of gray.
Now, all that could be done was wait.
"'Great things' indeed." She mumbled beneath her breath.
End of chapter 1
[Warhammer sits still, looking at the retreating characters silently.]
WH: First off, I always liked stories in which good guys go bad, but not completely bad. It kinda breaks the monotony of most stories read out there. I guess you can call it an interest in the subject of evil itself. It all started with reading Piers Anthony's 'For the Love of Evil'. Part 6 of the Incarnations of Immortality series. Though I don't care much for Mr. Anthony's works as much as I used to, it's stuck with me all this time.
Next, I do not recall ever seeing a description of the Sacred Realm in OoC, but only in LthP. So, I figured that if this was supposed to be a hallowed place where the Triforce are supposed to be held, why not make it like the field in the final part of Majora's Mask? It seems appropriate, but if not, let me know. And as a side note, I'm still wondering if the little kid with Majora's mask is or should be Majora or not. Oh well.
Also, only those who search for good Zelda fanfiction know where Zelda's quote comes from, and it's a reference to one of my favorite fics. I'll give you a hint. The story belongs to one of my favorite authors. If you happen to know her, be nice or she'll sick her horse on you.
Only other thing I have to say is if there's any sort of helpful advice you readers can give me, it would be most appreciated. And as much as I like hearing people say they like my stuff, I'd also like to hear what exactly they liked about it... provided they like this in the first place.
Just remember the fact that everyone and everything in this fic belongs to the almighty Nintendo. Not me. Get it? Good.
And here's hoping that I can gather the motivation to continue.
[WH goes back to reading 'MacBeth'.]
WH: It's odd, isn't it? How a simple action, or concept for that matter, can be the mere catalyst for so much? Makes you wonder what that person is thinking as they begin to move the wheels of fate when they don't even know it.
Teknos Warhammer
Presents:
The Force of One:
First Chapter:
Deviation
A work of fanfiction based upon
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Link gasped in wonder at the plain, yet beautiful, manner in which the
Temple of Time was made. It was all white and gray, due to the shadows, and the windows on the upper wall brought the fading rays of light from the west as the sun began its decent into the evening. The light giving the temple it a more than holy... almost divine atmosphere, as if the Gods themselves oft came here to converse with one another in hushed tones out of reverence for what they created.
He had never taken the time to actually visit this holy place. Mostly due to the fact that trying to acquire the three spiritual stones to open the door to the back of this temple, so as to obtain the Master Sword and the gate to the Sacred Realm. Ganondorf Dragmire had nearly killed him earlier when the Princess Zelda and her guardian, Impa, had escaped to the south.
More likely than not, Ganondorf was after the dark blue ocarina that she had thrown to him after she had escaped.
Holding the ocarina in his hand, Link could not help but wonder what made this one different from other ones, other than the fact that it belonged to the royal family. It was also very smooth and shiny, even when doused in water and bouncing on the dirt from Zelda's hasty throw, it appeared to be brand new. Not a scratch or water stain appeared on its surface.
As much as he could spend time admiring the beauty of the ocarina, he had a job to do, and that was to stop Ganondorf as soon as possible, before
Zelda's dark premonitions came true. Walking up to a pulpit, he found on the front of the stand, three small holes, each with their own distinct shape, were embedded on a small platform which were below an inscription on the top.
'Ye who owns the Kokiri Emerald, the Goron Ruby, and the Zora Sapphire... stand with the Ocarina of Time and play the Song which transcends time itself and the way shall be made open for you.'
He recognized three shapes and knew that they were meant for the three spiritual stones, which he now held in his pouch. The first was to accept the Kokiri's Emerald, which he had gotten from his first friend, Saria. The second was to receive the Goron's Ruby, which he had received from Darunia, his Goron 'Brother', whatever that meant. And the third, the Zora's
Sapphire from Princess Ruto, who was now talking about some kind of engagement. Link still was wondering what exactly she was talking about, because it seemed all so new and strange to him, after all, he had only left the Kokiri Forest a few weeks before.
Anyway, When all three were present, the way to the Sacred Realm would be open.
So, taking the blue ocarina into his hands, he slowly played the song that he had learned from Zelda. The notes came soft and slowly, reverberating through the temple. There was no one else to hear the notes play, but the silence that soon followed felt as if there were others there, but simply not present.
Then, the three sacred gems floated up and out of the pouch he usually kept them in. At first the gems floated above his head in a circular pattern, the power within making them glow. Soon after, each one floated down into the three slots meant for the gems.
Behind the pulpit, a large door stood, with a symbol of the Triforce embedded in the wall. As soon as the gems settled into the pulpit, the three triangles representing the power of the three goddesses glow a gentle gold. After which, the door below opened slowly, not making a sound at all.
The opened door revealed another hallway, leading to the back of the temple, where Link could see something standing upright in the rays of light, peeking through a window. Walking around the pulpit, Link walked silently through the hall and into the back chamber, not exactly sure what to expect.
He was told that the gate to the Sacred Realm was here, but he was not sure what exactly it would look like. Would it be like any other door? Would it be like the Great Deku Tree, where it opened its mouth? Many other possibilities ran through his young twelve-year-old mind, as the shape in the back became more visible.
When Link finally got a good enough look, his fairy companion, Navi chirped,
"Link! Isn't that..." she paused before floating over towards the shape.
"...the Master Sword?"
Embedded into a stone was a marvelously crafted weapon. Several centimeters after the blade came from the dark sapphire colored hilt, the blade widened out slightly, giving it a wider range when swung. Carved into the hilt, was the symbol of the three Triforce, more likely than not made by either the three goddesses themselves or someone who had made it with their direction.
Standing up to the sword, Link looked it over and found it to be nearly as tall as he was. It was also hard for Link to know what exactly he should do next. Navi knew a lot, maybe she would know what to do.
"Say, Navi. What exactly is the Master Sword?" Link asked, looking up to the little blue light that Navi floated in.
"Well, it has been a while since I last checked, but if I recall right, the
Master Sword is not just a weapon, but a key."
"A key?"
"Yes. A key that opens the gates of Time itself."
"But what about the three jewels? Aren't they keys too?"
"No one ever said that there was only one key. The ancient Hylians often used words like that to confuse tomb raiders and thieves from getting valuable treasure. They also made things like this owner specific. So should a thief try and take something like this, they'd be in for a bit of a shock."
"What would happen?"
"I don't know. But whatever it was, it wasn't good."
Link wished he did not hear that. Looking at the sword, he started to wonder if something bad were to happen to him if he tried to take it. He still had doubts, even after all the things the Great Deku Tree, that blasted owl, and Zelda had said. He was only twelve years old for heaven's sake! How could he be some hero that needed to be bigger and stronger than he was... let alone defeat Ganondorf?
"What's wrong, Link?" Navi asked, concerned at his silence.
It took a while before Link could find the words to convey his fear, "I don't know... it's just that, it seems something so big... and I'm still small. I don't know if I can do this, Navi."
Navi slowly floated by his face and hugged his ear, the aura from her wings warming his face. "It's ok, Link. I'm here. Don't ever think that you're alone in doing this, because I'm with you. Win or lose, I'll be there."
Link smiled and held his hand up to Navi, almost pressing her against his face like he was trying to hug her, though it was impossible, due to her size. "Thanks, Navi."
He then turned to the sword, and though the doubts still were there, he pushed himself to stand up to the edge of the stone, and raised both hands to grab the hilt. A surge of power went through him as he grabbed the hilt, it was like holding a lightning bolt.
Navi started to hover a bit higher as Link finally yanked the sword out of the stone it rested in. The instant it left the stone, a pillar of blue light grew from where he stood and swirled about like a hurricane, pulling him up into the sky and into a vortex created by the power emanating from the pillar. Just as he flew through it, Navi sped up and followed suit.
It was only seconds later that the doors to the temple opened a second time and someone else had entered. The light through the doorway was completely blocked out by the imposing figure as it walked through the door and into the main hall.
"I knew it..." the man in black said as he witnessed the swirling pillar of light. "I knew you had the keys... and to think that all I had to do is wait for you to open the gate for me. It's odd, that I got you to thank, kid. It all thanks to you that I've found the way to the Sacred Realm."
He walked forward, a feeling a triumph in his step, as he got nearer and nearer to the hall leading to the back room.
However, just before he entered the small hallway, a second figure leapt from the shadows and sent a foot straight into the side of Gannondorf's head, knocking him aside. The perpetrator of the deed was dressed in a loose fitting black and dark blue suit, which covered her entire body, save for her head. Ganondorf shook his head to clear out the pain as he looked up to see who exactly kicked him.
Yanking a curved sword strapped from her back, Impa, raised the sword high and swung down as hard as she could, yet missed as Ganondorf rolled out of the way and to the entrance to the temple. Impa continued to attack, not allowing her foe the time to concentrate enough to summon the magic he could have used against her.
The Gerudo king rolled to his feet and tried to through a sphere of energy at Impa, only to be pushed back farther than before. It was at the entrance to the temple did he not only see that it was Impa who was attacking him, but the Sheikah was not alone.
"The triforce was never meant to be yours!" Zelda, standing at the edge of the distant hallway, screamed. "Nor will it be!" Without another word, the child ran into the back room and before Ganondorf could hope to the stop the princess, Impa had jumped up and slammed both of her feet into his chest, knocking him away.
Gathering his breath, Ganondorf grumbled as he stood up, "I could never understand why you and your kind serve that little runt."
To the Gerudo king's surprise, the Sheikah woman gave a smirk that was nothing short of vicious, "What makes you think that the Sheikah are anyone's servants? We have always kept the peace of Hyrule, regardless of who was in charge. Hylian, Gerudo, Goron, even Zora. We have always watched the land and any weakness that would destroy the peace is killed silently and slowly in the shadows."
Were it not for the fact that Impa and he were fighting, the Gerudo would have had quite a bit of respect for her. Yet, now was not the time, he needed to get to the Sacred Realm and to the Triforce before the princess did.
With a wave of his hand, Ganondorf summoned a sphere of purple colored light and threw it at his foe. Impa took this chance to jump over the shot and raise her sword to slice the Gerudo in two. Yet, to her shock, she had been tricked into lowering her defense and during her time in the air, the Gerudo brought his hand back, invested a good deal of power into the fist, and threw it forward and into Impa's stomach.
The blow sent the Sheikah away and into the pedestal where the three gem keys hovered. The jewels scattered and the door closed shut. Ganondorf cursed his luck and was about to take his anger out on the weary Sheikah when the temple started to shake.
*
The Sacred Realm was a wonder to behold.
Zelda had read in the ancient texts of how this wondrous place was created in the first place. Yet, even the most detailed accounts from scripture paled in comparison to actually being there.
The princess found herself standing in a quiet field, nestled comfortably in the middle of a mountain range. Yet, everything seemed strange, almost distorted slightly whenever she moved. In the middle of this valley was a massive tree, which towered over the valley.
Walking through the knee length grass, Zelda kept her breath in check at seeing small light float about her person. With what little magical ability she had, she could tell that these lights, though small, radiated power way beyond her own.
Walking to the base to the tree, Zelda found an opening, leading into the very heart of the tree. On the side of the opening, was a young boy, wearing a white shirt and shorts, sitting in between a few of the roots. His back was turned and all Zelda could see was his red hair color.
"Hello?" the young princess asked quietly.
The boy turned to reveal that he was wearing a hideous mask. The yellow eyes seemed wild and untamable, the variant colors gave off a chaotic feeling, and the spikes that jutted off the edges made her feel uncomfortable.
"You... are the first person to come here in a long time..." the boy said in a soft voice.
Though Zelda could not see beyond the mask, her heart settled a bit at knowing that this boy did not seem malignant.
"Yes... I am."
The boy only stared at her through the eyes of his mask. Zelda did not know whether to be frightened of the silence or not.
"What makes you happy?" the boy asked bluntly.
A bit taken back at the question, Zelda sat down and tried to give some thought of an answer for the boy. There were many things that did make her happy. For example, she really liked playing with a little marionette that she received as a child. Being with her father was also quite nice when he was not bogged down with meetings with other dignitaries and such. Impa was also a great source of comfort and happiness whenever she felt alone.
Yet, as good as any of her private joys were, they seemed inadequate for the simple question this boy asked her. It was then an answer that seemed so obvious, yet so vague, had popped into her head.
"Helping people be happy." She said simply. In one of her few sojourns to the town beneath her home, she had seen a poor child look longingly at a new coat Zelda had received for a previous birthday. Winter had come early and the chill was near murderous. Seeing the poor child in distress was more than the five-year-old Zelda could bear. So without thinking, she removed her coat and gave it to the boy no older than her. The boy was crying for joy upon receiving the warm new piece of clothing.
Impa and her father later asked her what had happened and she told them. Though it was not evident at first, Impa and the king were proud of her show of charity. The next day, the family of the boy had expressed its appreciation and had given her one of its few priceless possessions. A beautiful handcrafted puppet, made of a special wood that gave whatever shape it took a life-like appearance.
Though the mask covered his face, Zelda could tell that the boy was smiling. He turned to the entrance and said quietly, "Do not mistake that for what you want to be what you need."
Zelda looked back to the boy, only to see him walk into the valley and out of sight. She went over what the boy had said, only to find herself even more confused than before. Zelda never was good at convoluted word puzzles like this. Well, whatever the boy meant it could wait.
Walking into the base of the tree, Zelda beheld the object of her journey into the Sacred Realm. Hovering over a pearl colored pedestal, were three golden triangles that radiated even more magical power than the lights outside the tree. Zelda became mystified at the sight. What little was said about the Sacred Realm was little enough, but there was hardly a mention of the Triforce.
All she knew was that these triangles held power beyond anything ever conceived of by anyone in Hyrule.
And it all was within her reach.
All of it.
The thought of having this much power was almost mesmerizing, but then the memory of Ganondorf trying to get his hands on such a powerful artifact brought her back to reality. Though she saw dark visions of what could happen, the fact that they had not happened yet was enough to drive her forward. After all, though prophecies were indeed the truth of things to come, it did not mean that the future could be altered.
Impa had tried to impress upon her the idea of time being an immutable forward progression, almost like a river. If that were true, then the course of that river could be altered and if that were true, then time could be altered by events in the past.
Walking up to the pedestal, Zelda began to feel the near overwhelming amount of power coming from the Triforce. She put forth her hand to touch the trinity of gold triangles and discovered that one of them glow a marvelous sapphire blue.
Zelda blinked to see that single Triforce flow into her hand. At that instant, she understood. She was the possessor of the Triforce of Wisdom. All at once, many questions that had plagued her small mind and confounded the best scholars and philosophers had become simple. Her knowledge had increased rapidly and the mind that contained it also grew accordingly.
At that same time, Zelda saw the other two triangles begin to glow with their own luster and change color. The Triforce told her that as part of their design, the other two Triforce would go forth to their respective owners and become one with them. One of those owners was Ganondorf.
Almost on impulse, Zelda reached forward and grabbed the remaining Triforce with her hand. Instantly, flesh, blood, and bone started to burn and incinerate at their touch and liquid pain shot up Zelda's arm. Yet, the thought of seeing the Gerudo king was such power drove her to continue holding onto dear life to the other Triforce.
Her lungs we filling with heat, Zelda continued to try and assert control over the remaining Triforce. Her own part of the Triforce had given her much more mental control, in addition to the training that Impa gave her ward. However, it appeared that her hand would be burnt to nothing and Zelda would perish for trying to subvert their will to her own.
Zelda could see nothing else save it were the other two Triforce and the remains of her hand beginning to vanish. With one final push, Zelda gave a powerful mental command to the defiant sources of power.
'Mine! The whole of you!'
It sounded strange to even think of saying those words. Yet, among all the pain she was feeling, there was no other alternative. Either conquer or be conquered and she had a bad feeling that if she lost this battle; her hand was not going to be the only thing she would lose.
Screaming in agony, Zelda felt her grip on reality beginning to slip, in addition, her balance was beginning to leave her. In that last attempt, Zelda stretched it as far as she could to overcome the other Triforce. By then, a sphere of light had enveloped the pedestal and the princess knew she could no longer hold on and released.
The princess fell back from the pedestal with a silent thud. As she opened her eyes, the pain from her right hand was still there, but she didn't dare to look at what might have been left.
Realization came quickly to her, despite the pain. She had emerged the victor. The other two Triforce were gone and now a part of her. Using her remaining hand, Zelda got up wearily and started back to the entrance.
"Impa..." she whispered, moving from a weary walk to a quick stagger from the heart of the tree and to the Sacred Realm. Zelda remembered that Impa was more likely than not, still fighting with Ganondorf and could be in danger.
From beneath the branches of the giant tree, the boy with the mask watched her leave. He did not need to go into the tree to wonder what she had done, for he had felt the balance in power shift.
"So..." the boy whispered after her, "What will you do now?"
*
Back in the temple Zelda's apprehension about Impa's safety was not unfounded. When the rumbling stopped, the Gerudo had attempted to reopen the door, but with no success. Impa, though weakened, was able to hold her own against the angered Ganondorf, but found that the last blow had taken more out of her than she previously considered.
Now, the Sheikah was cornered by the locked door and without any smoke bombs to hide an escape. Her sword was on the other side of the hall and far too distant to try and make a dash for it.
Though the Gerudo king was not in any better shape, he certainly did have the upper hand. He did not need any sort of weapon, and besides, until he took the Triforce from the princess brat, his current amount of power would suffice.
In one last attempt, the Sheikah dashed forward and attempted to gain leverage against Ganondorf's legs, but instead found her stomach the target of several blows from his knee. With a snarl, the Gerudo grabbed Impa by the neck and threw her into the opposing wall, effectively knocking her unconscious and near death.
Standing in front of the door, Ganondorf raised a hand and gathered power for the final blow... but got no further as beam of light coming from the head of the building pushed him through the door and into the courtyard.
"Impa!" Zelda screamed, running down the steps, doing everything to maintain her balance as she ran to her nanny. Zelda collapsed against the inert Sheikah and placed her ear to below the larger woman's collar bone to search for a heart beat.
Yet, she heard nothing.
Various pleads went unheard as Zelda cried out and realized that the only person who ever listened to her was gone forever.
Amid a flood of tears, Zelda cradled Impa's head as she stood there in the dreary silence. The light coming from the windows almost seemed to mock Zelda's pain as tears streamed from her face and onto Impa's cheek.
The pain in her right arm was still there, but seeing Impa gone hurt even more.
There were times when Zelda cursed her station. She had dreams, many dreams. Many dreams which could have helped her people and her country from pointless misery. She now understood that the point of pain was to understand what joy was.
Yet she could not abide the occurrences of the whims of fate. Once again, realization dawned upon her. She held all three of the Triforce. At that same instant, the pain in her right arm flared to life once again and she held what was left to try and suppress the pain. Once the pain was gone, the thought of what she could do for the people continued as if it never was interrupted.
She stood up and started to walk out. Her tears had now dried and with fresh anger towards the Gerudo king, dashed out of the temple. She would make sure that evil men like him would never gain precedence in her kingdom... even if it meant killing them. When she reached the small courtyard of the temple, she found that he had vanished. Though her skill with the Triforce was recently learned, she could not tell which way he had run.
Yet, as appealing vengeance sounded, people would wonder what the commotion was all about. Running to a path hidden by bushes in the back of the Temple, she noticed Impa's horse. Using the horse would have been useful, but she was with only one hand and far too small for the war-horse. Another problem was where could she go? She had insisted to Impa that they stay here until the Gerudo king made his move and now she had no other recluse, for returning to the castle would only raise more suspicion.
She then remembered a small safe house of Impa's that lay on the outskirts of Kakariko. The Sheikah woman had shown it to her once and told her to use it to hide out in the worst of times until the worst had passed. The only problem that by foot, travel would take almost a half a day. Reason would suggest having sore feet was a small sacrifice for safety.
Taking one last look at the temple, she sighed and whispered, "Good-bye, Impa." Without looking back, the princess ran down the path that would lead her away from the present and to an unknown future.
With folded arms, Impa leaned against the back wall and frowned. It was just as she had seen it. Though both she and the princess had the gift of prophecy, hers was much less ambiguous. Especially a certain vision that she had the day of Zelda's birth.
*
Impa smiled at the recently born princess and started stroking her head. It was a miracle in it of itself that the baby was born. The queen was rumored to be barren and incapable of child bearing, but by the grace of the heavens, the rumors were proven false and a new life was brought into the world.
In the next room, the Sheikah overheard both the king and recovering queen speak happily of the addition to their family. Never more had she been more proud to be a friend of the royal family and at the queen's request, Impa would be the one who would teach the princess when her parents could not.
Turning back to the princess, the Sheikah adjusted the baby's blanket slightly for more comfort. Though the baby was just born, Impa had a feeling that this child would be instrumental in many great things. Great things indeed.
No sooner had the thought crossed her mind when a sharp pain in her head appeared. Staggering to the wall, Impa could not prevent the images that assaulted her mind. She knew what this was. This was a vision of the future and rarely was such things wrong.
She saw the baby princess, now an adult, adorned in robes fit for an empress, holding something in her hands. Whatever the object she was holding, Impa could not see, for it was giving off a light so powerful that it seemed only Zelda could see what it was.
The light itself spread around the princess and was as a part of her as the soul was to the body. Everything in Hyrule seemed affected by whatever was occurring with Zelda. What filled Impa with horror was seeing the light turn into a consuming darkness and explode to all of Hyrule.
The vision ended.
Impa's hand was on the small of her back where a hidden dagger was kept and drawn. No sooner had the blade been drawn did she place it back. Had either the king or queen seen it, her head would have been chopped off quicker than a wolfos devouring a rabbit.
Instead of joy and admiration, fear and uncertainty took their place. The potential for the princess was fairly evident, but as to whether or not it would be for the better of Hyrule was something to be debated.
This child had to be... no, must be watched. Were it not for the fact that Harkinian was a just man, he would have been dead long before. The Sheikah did not abide tyrants for long. It unsettled Impa in the many ways that a person like the king could suffer a death that no one would suspect.
Now a new potential threat had appeared, in the form of the most innocent creature in the world. Her teacher would have laughed at her and say something about this being irony of the cruelest sort.
Returning to the present, Impa unfolded her arms and started to follow the princess. She hated for having to deceive Zelda so, but there was no other alternative. There was a technique created by the ancestors of her clan, to be able to consciously control one's heartbeat for the sole purpose of giving the image of death. This ability had saved the lives of many Sheikah on the battlefield, yet there was a real danger when used. When in the hands of a novice, permanent heart damage or even death could occur.
The princess had to be left to her own devices and to her own choices. She had done all she could to show the princess that the black and white had to be sought in the various shades of gray.
Now, all that could be done was wait.
"'Great things' indeed." She mumbled beneath her breath.
End of chapter 1
[Warhammer sits still, looking at the retreating characters silently.]
WH: First off, I always liked stories in which good guys go bad, but not completely bad. It kinda breaks the monotony of most stories read out there. I guess you can call it an interest in the subject of evil itself. It all started with reading Piers Anthony's 'For the Love of Evil'. Part 6 of the Incarnations of Immortality series. Though I don't care much for Mr. Anthony's works as much as I used to, it's stuck with me all this time.
Next, I do not recall ever seeing a description of the Sacred Realm in OoC, but only in LthP. So, I figured that if this was supposed to be a hallowed place where the Triforce are supposed to be held, why not make it like the field in the final part of Majora's Mask? It seems appropriate, but if not, let me know. And as a side note, I'm still wondering if the little kid with Majora's mask is or should be Majora or not. Oh well.
Also, only those who search for good Zelda fanfiction know where Zelda's quote comes from, and it's a reference to one of my favorite fics. I'll give you a hint. The story belongs to one of my favorite authors. If you happen to know her, be nice or she'll sick her horse on you.
Only other thing I have to say is if there's any sort of helpful advice you readers can give me, it would be most appreciated. And as much as I like hearing people say they like my stuff, I'd also like to hear what exactly they liked about it... provided they like this in the first place.
Just remember the fact that everyone and everything in this fic belongs to the almighty Nintendo. Not me. Get it? Good.
And here's hoping that I can gather the motivation to continue.
[WH goes back to reading 'MacBeth'.]