[WH stands in front of the Temple of Time, though everything around him and it seems the same... something seems different. The town's larger than before, the sound of people is more prevalent than before.]
WH: Whether people realize it or not, their actions can and will affect others. Should they be careless, only suffering for all ensues.
Teknos Warhammer presents
The Force of One:
Second Chapter:
Liar's Reconciliation
A Legend of Zelda fanfiction
Based on the Ocarina of Time game.
Dark.
All Link could see was the dark.
His body was sore and hurt all over.
The last thing he could remember doing was holding the Master Sword and going through some odd gate in mid air. After that, everything was a blank.
Blinking, Link looked about himself to see that he was standing in the middle of a platform. It seemed to float over some odd abyss. His platform was surrounded by several other smaller platforms in a circular formation, each one its own distinct color.
Aside from that, he saw an old man, standing on the platform in front of him. Though the man did not intend to surprise him, Link was startled a bit at seeing him appearing in front of him and out of nowhere.
The man smiled warmly at Link's little reaction and said softly, "You have awakened... that is good. At first we began to wonder if you were able to wake at all."
"I do not have much time. Much has happened since you left us. Most importantly, the balance of power has been changed dramatically. Whatever you do, once you leave here is that you must be wary of everyone and everything around you. Agents of evil lurk everywhere and they carry the most convincing disguises."
A rumbled shook the chamber and Rauru frowned in annoyance at the noises that did not seem to come from any known source from inside the chamber. He returned his attention to Link and continued, "All of the sages are fortunate enough to remain alive, but they are all in hiding. I have risked being found to come and warn you of whom our foe truly is."
"Wait!" Link interjected, "What are you talking about? Isn't Ganondorf the bad guy?"
Rauru shook his head, "If only the true foe were so easily recognized without the bane of personal bias, then I could easily say that he was. But he is not."
Whatever confusion Link felt earlier now paled in comparison to the complete obscurity in which he found himself.
He was about to press further, when a massive shadow emerged from behind both of them. Rauru turned around in agitation while Link nearly fell back in shock.
"You again..." the Sage of Light mumbled irritably. "Beings such as you never seem to learn."
The shadow's only reply was forming into a hideous mockery of a humanoid figured, raising an arm, and swinging it downward to take them both out. Link dove for the ground while the Sage simply stepped around the swing. Link, from his vantage on the ground, could tell that the older man was hardly a pushover when it came to combat.
When it seemed that the shadow could not hit either one of them, its chest opened up, revealing a vortex of darkness, which gradually swirled together a sphere of energy. At the same time, Rauru raised an arm and proclaimed with a near omnipresent voice, "Sowlayl!"
Link had to cover his eyes with his arms to prevent being blinded by the piercing flash of untainted and powerful holy light. He kept his eyes shut tight and his arms in front of his face as the light died down. With a look of amusement on his face, Rauru walked over to Link and tapped his shoulder. "The shadow's gone. You can look now."
The young man did as he said and looked to see that the shadow, which had assaulted them both, had vanished as promptly as it appeared. Also, getting a closer look at the aging Sage, he found that his robes were slightly tattered and worn. Link didn't need to guess that this sort of encounter occurred quite often. However, the elder man's eyes appeared distant... almost as if...
"Can you see?" he asked without thinking.
Shaking his head, the Sage of Light sighed, "A moment of inattention cost me my sight. Though my other senses are heightened and I can 'see' to an extent due to my power, a part of me still longs to see the sun that I took for granted for most of my long life."
Still curious, Link went on, "How old are you?"
Rauru only smiled, "How old do I look?"
"Uh... fifty maybe?"
The elder only laughed, "I can only wish I was that young. I was around your age when his highness' grandparents were born." He didn't need to see to know that Link still had no idea. "Well, I've lost count after a hundred and twenty, but if I had to make a guess. I'd say about a hundred and thirty-nine." He then thumped his chest enthusiastically, "And I don't feel a day over forty!"
Link couldn't help but chuckle and respect the old man's persistence.
"But I ramble; it appears that my presence has been found." With a helpful tug, he assisted the Hero of Time to his feet. "Now you have to return to Hyrule at once. The longer we stay the more likely a stronger fiend will appear."
Link looked worried, "Stronger?"
"The shadow you saw was one of the many types of evil spirits that roam Hyrule. They usually stay away from cities and towns because of the large amount of living people there. Yet whenever they find solitary travelers, they attack once in a while." He turned to a pathway that had appeared behind his golden colored platform, "Yet, I still cannot figure out how they gained entry into here of all places..."
"Will they come and wait for you here?" Link asked, following Rauru down the pathway to a newly created vortex of light.
"No. Spirits like them cannot maintain the mental energy necessary to remember. Thankfully, those are the only types that have been able to get in."
"Um... why did you come here?"
"To wait for you of course. Though things are not as they should have been. Oddly enough, had nothing changed from how fate originally should have went, Ganondorf would be in power and Hyrule would be in ruins."
Link gaped, "What do you mean by that? What's Hyrule like now?"
He gestured to the portal, "Go. You will see what I mean."
Nodding, Link walked past the older man and into the portal and as he felt himself flying through space, he heard Rauru's voice, "The other sages and I will always be nearby, so you need not fear!"
*
As the sun started its decent to the west, a figure walked to the balcony of her castle where she could see the ray of light entering the Temple of Time. She could not tell whether to frown or smile. So much had happened since then.
From the shadows behind her, a male voice that only she could hear, whispered, "He's returned!"
She replied sardonically, "Yes. He has. His timing could not be any less convenient."
"You sound as if you aren't overjoyed to see him again, especially after all that's happened at that."
"No. I am just as elated that he is back. The possibilities coming to me are endless of what he can do for me... I am just wondering how it will all end." She turned to the shadows and smiled, "That, of course, makes the game all the more amusing."
"And you do know what he would do, if he did know what you have done that is..."
Not at all concerned, she replied, "Oh, he will find out. It is all simply a matter of when. And the why, who, what, and where will soon follow. Yet, even with all that I know, I still do not know the how."
The other, finding a rare hint of doubt, pressed, "So, there is something you fear. The how."
Focusing her eyes back to the temple, she replied calmly, "It is not fear, mere curiosity. There are so many means in which he can reach the ends. I merely wonder which means he will implement."
The man in the shadows smiled. "Very well then. With your permission, I would like to welcome him to a world he never thought possible, especially for a mind so young."
With that, the woman turned around and walked into the shadows. "Do as you wish."
Seconds later, a young man, clad in a snug, black and blue body suit with the red symbol of the Sheikah upon his chest, walked to the edge. His blond hair covered his left eye, bringing out the other one, which nearly shone like a ruby in the dying light. A long scarf wrapped around his neck, which kept everything below his nose, covered. A small cap covered the top of his head and kept most of his golden hair in check and out of the way.
Beneath the scarf, he smiled warmly at the thought of meeting him again. It had been far too long since he and Link had been in conversation or in battle and another meeting was definitely in order.
With the agility of a cat, he jumped from balcony to balcony, hardly making a sound. Yet, judging by the way he was landing, his mentor would have broken two sticks over his head by now. He had truly become sloppy, mostly from staying in one place.
Oh, how displeased Impa would be. She would most likely harp on about the great standards and traditions of the Sheikah, how he was a disgrace to them, and put him in a coma. In spite of his reservations, Impa did have a point.
Staying in one place was the main reason why the Sheikah had nearly died out many years ago. They grew content with how they lived and forgot the instincts needed to survive. Though comfort was necessary for ensuring the balance of the body and mind, it was when people become overly content, did it become dangerous.
Though he would be more than happy to leave the castle and explore the world, he had obligations at Hyrule Castle, which took precedence. It was not all parties and social pleasantry in local politics, there was much intrigue, word working, and secret conspiracies that needed to be kept in check.
In addition, many people had come to him for the purpose of doing things in the night, which they dare not do in the day. Give a secret proposal ring to a lover, an offer for secret work between rival companies, even a little seduction of a young woman or man, the Hylia Hawk was called for such business.
Though he had not gone all the way with any young woman or man in the way of sensuality, he enjoyed playing around with the lusts of people that could not control themselves. He also wished that people kept their business more private when he was asked to take care of it. The reason being that he had more often than not found out the reason for his 'services' and wishing he had never known.
Landing on the top of a wall, he double-checked the sides to make sure that there were no guards. Recently, the Hylian Grand Council had been notified of a certain 'thief' that had been sighted around the castle and around town. Yet, the ironic part was that the Grand Council was the ones that came to him the most. How hypocritical, yet amusing.
Nearing the exit, he paused to look back at the castle that had housed him for the longest time. True, it was large, spacious, and wonderful on the outside; it was what was inside of it which somewhat disturbed him. He hoped that Link's appearance would change all that. Heroes often set an example for the rest of the people to follow, yet even then there were those who were so deep in their crapulence that they would not or could not care less.
Hopping over the housetops, he began to notice that he and the Queen were not the only ones who had noticed the light at the temple. The local law enforcement had been stirred into a frenzy trying to explain to the people what had happened.
He did not think much of it until he saw several members of the Grand Council's secret police, disguised among the regulars, marching their way towards the temple. Sheik knew them all too well. They were the eyes and ears of those in the Council as well as their muscle. Cunning, cruel, and very efficient, the 'Sekorf' had earned a name for themselves to those who knew them by fear and force.
If they discovered Link, who knew what they would do? Sheik then increased his speed until he was far enough ahead of them to retrieve Link and get out of there before anyone was the wiser. He opened and closed the doors as quickly and as quietly as he could, hoping the no one had noticed him along the way. He ran past the pulpit, where the Three Spiritual Stones still resided, and into the back. He was thankful that this place was hardly visited, judging from all the dust he found.
Entering the back room, he saw exactly what he hoped. Link, standing with the Master Sword in hand, with his back turned to Sheik, looked about to see what had happened. Sheik took another step towards him and before he could say anything, Link had drawn his shield, hopped forward to give himself some space and turned around to meet the newcomer face to face.
Sheik had made no move against him, but simply stood there, taking in what had changed. He was now a man of twenty-two years, by the looks of it. His hair had grown a bit longer; the green Kokiri tunic had also been changed to compensate the size difference, a pair of white trousers, bigger and stronger boots, and heavy cloth gauntlets.
Sheik raised his hand and said, "Calm yourself. I am not here to harm you. It had been a while and I figured it would be best to meet you here."
Link, still a bit suspicious, lowered his sword, but kept the shield close. "Who are you?" He asked quietly.
"No one of consequence." Sheik replied casually.
"Link!" cried a small voice. Both men looked up to see the little blue sphere of light with wings appear from the window and float around Link's head. "Oh, thank goodness, you're alright!"
Blinking, Sheik inquired, "And who might you be?"
The little blue light rang, "I'm Navi. Link's fairy. Who are you?"
Sheik smiled behind his scarf, bowed and said, "I'm Bashara Ushek." He had learned never to disclose his real name on first appearances, even if it was with someone like the Hero of Time. Many like him had made that mistake and had paid for it dearly. Only after when their trust was proven was their real name ever disclosed.
He then turned to the boy in the green tunic and said, "And you must be Link, am I right?"
The young man said cautiously, "Yes, Link Mordix."
Sheik continued to smile, "An honor to meet you both and..." the sound of the door being kicked open made all three of them turn towards the entrance. The Sekorf had come sooner than he had expected.
It was only a few seconds later; five well-armed and trained soldiers entered. They charged into the room, expecting to find someone but found nothing at all.
Vale Tarros looked up to the ceiling but found no one as well. He had his suspicions about it all and felt that someone had been here before. He would have given the order to continue searching, were it not for the crowd that had developed outside the temple.
"The rest of you, go on ahead, I'll be with you in a minute," he said as the other four exited abruptly. He took a long look at the empty pedestal where the Master Sword once lay and began to think. It all seemed too clean to his trained eye. Making note of everything in the room as it was, he walked to the outside entrance.
Had he taken a closer look, he would have seen both Link and Sheik pressed against the wall, next to the window. The window provided enough light to keep the eyes of the soldiers off them and enough leeway to blend in with the shadows from the stones.
Sheik sighed with relief quietly and looked over to his companion, who was still having problems keeping his balance and trying not to look scared from the height by closing his eyes. Sheik silently removed a grappling hook from his back, shot to the top of the room, moved over to Link and whispered, "We're going down now. Are you ready?"
With his eyes tightly shut, Link nodded quickly, looking a bit ridiculous for a man his age acting like someone ten years younger. Sheik could not blame him though; he too had been scared of heights many a time in the past. Slowly, he grabbed Link around his waist and swung to the other side, keeping the sound of his feet muffled as he repelled downward.
Upon reaching the floor, Sheik finally said casually, "You can open your eyes now."
Blinking, Link saw that he was on the ground and let out a loud sigh of relief. Sheik patted his shoulder, allowing him to gain his bearings again. Though Link was used to heights, it was the added height and disorientation in this new body that threw him off. At that time, Navi had flown out from the pocket of Link's tunic and hovered above them, making sure that the soldiers would not be coming back.
"Who were they?" Link asked, still woozy.
"The Sekorf. They are the secret police of the grand council. Superb fighters, brilliant at subterfuge, and each one a dedicated killer." Sheik said with evident disapproval.
Whenever someone was taken into custody, it was more likely than not the Sekorf had found either a scapegoat for its masters or someone who had learned too much. "Either way, we must leave here at once. They're more likely to return here with reinforcements to scour the area."
"Yes, but how? There's only one entrance and they're most likely at the door!" Navi said, confused as to what they were to do next.
Sheik only smirked and walked to the back of the room, saying, "Who said there was only one entrance or exit?" Before either of the two could say anything, Sheik pushed a stone, which moved gently backward under his touch, and soon enough, a door, which blended in perfectly with the walls, opened without a sound. Both Link and Navi were awestruck.
Sheik then hopped through the door and motioned for the others to follow. Soon enough, both young man and fairy entered, and still without making a sound, the door slid shut, sealing off their avenue of pursuit.
*
Half an hour through dark and unused tunnels later, the three had emerged from a root of a large tree which had grown long before anyone had realized that it was used as an entrance and escape for the order of monks and nuns who kept the Master Sword.
Navi was quite elated at seeing the sun again as she flew circles around the entrance in a blissful charge of glee. Link sighed and leaned against the tree, trying to get his breath back. He never realized how strange it felt being in a much larger body than the one he knew and used.
Meanwhile, Sheik had climbed up the tree with a speed that normal Hylians could only dream about and looked around to see if they were truly alone. The Sekorf were not ones to be underestimated, as he had learned on several previous occasions. Then, taking a look down at the panting Link, he wondered if it was wise to have hurried as much as they had. "Are you feeling well, Link?"
The Hero of Time looked up and nodded, before jumping back at seeing Sheik land so casually and quietly next to him on the ground. "How do you do that?" Link asked, incredulous.
Sheik only smiled again and said, "Practice. Now come, we must make our way to Kakariko at once. The Sekorf won't be able to find you there and they will not be able to catch me either."
Link's head tiled in confusion. "What would they do if they caught you?"
His question was answered by a slew of crossbow bolts that flew right over their heads.
In shock, Sheik capped, "That! Come!" Both men and the fairy took off as fast as they could to the west as more bolts rained from the sky. From the southeast turret of the castle, the five soldiers ceased fire and watched as the infamous thief and the boy who had stolen the Master Sword run out of range.
Turning to his compatriots, the Vale said, "The council will want to hear of this."
Another one spoke up, "Shouldn't we follow them? The boy did steal the sword."
"Yes we could, but the delegates from Guardania and Travincal will be arriving tonight and the council will want us to watch them to make sure they don't cause any trouble. After all, the last thing we need is either those self-righteous paladins or the Shining Force declaring war on us, don't we? Besides, we can send the usual grunts to Kakariko to look for them."
*
Link felt as if his lungs were ready to burst as he collapsed on the ground. Both he had Sheik had run for longer than they cared to, but Sheik insisted that they kept going. He looked up to see a more heavily fortified entrance to the village... or at least it was a village. Now it was a bustling town, filled with people that would lead one to suspect that they were Sheikah as well.
With seconds, a large, heavyset man, clad in a uniform somewhat similar to Sheik's approached, and took a look about both men and the fairy with a practiced eye. The large man's uniform had no sleeves and had been torn at the knees. Growing from his shoulders, elbows, and knees were tufts of gray fur, and from the small of his back, grew a tail which reached to the ground. Also, judging from the parts of his head that were exposed, one would think of him more animal than man because of the large ears.
With a deep voice, which showed his age, he said, "Welcome back, friend. It also appears that you've brought company as well. We've not seen a fairy since that young man came here many years ago." He started to smile fondly at the memories that came back. "To think that the Lost Forest was full of them at one time... a pity."
"Greetings to you too, Mareg." Sheik said pleasantly. "Our friend here once lived in the Lost Woods. That's how he came to be with the little sprite."
Hearing about the Lost Forest started to worry Link, more so about the tone in his voice. "What are you talking about? What happened?"
The larger man, Mareg, looked downcast. "You must be new here. Nearly four years ago, the throne decreed to burn the Lost Woods to weed out a gang of Hylian thieves, which had entrenched themselves inside of it. No one knew about it when it had happened, and when they did, nothing could be done."
Link's eyes widened with horror at the news. Saria, the Great Deku Tree's sprout, and the other Kokiri were there. If what he had said was true, then they were all gone... yet he had to know.
"Were there any survivors?"
"Nobody knows. By the time the Sheikah had reached the Forest, no one was found. We can only pray to the Goddesses that they had the presence of mind to escape."
It still did not sound right to Link. "But... but... why would the King do such a thing? I mean, burning an entire forest just to get a bunch of thieves?"
Mareg shook his head. "It was not the King, he was already dead by then."
A new thought came to mind. "Gannondorf! He must have taken the throne while I was gone and knew that..."
Mareg interrupted, "I think you are mistaken, young man. Gannondorf Dragmire is the leader of the Gerudo Thieves. He has been for the longest time and no one's been able to find them. The decree was issued by Queen Zelda and by the Hylian Grand council."
Link felt like he had just been slapped across the face. "Zelda? She ordered that?" Zelda, the princess who had requested that he stop the machination of Gannondorf, was the reason why his home was gone and first friend was most likely dead. "No... I can't believe that! I won't!"
Mareg did not seem fazed by Link's denial. "The truth is never easy to deal with, young man. In fact, nothing we can do will ever change the truth once you know for yourself."
Link still shook his head at the announcement. He would never believe that Zelda could be so cruel. She knew the Kokiri lived in the forest and if the forest was gone, so were they. It just did not seem reasonable.
Sheik turned around to see the approaching guards from the castle in the distance. However, from his location, he could tell they were not the Sekorf. The formation they rode in was far too sloppy for them to be so easily caught off guard.
Without saying a thing, he grabbed Link by the shoulders and dragged him into the town, all the while saying to Mareg, "Try and stall them! I will explain things at a later time, I give you my word!"
Mareg simply nodded and turned to face the guards, which had appeared only minutes later. On their horses, the soldiers regarded Mareg with nothing but contempt. Mostly because of the fact that not only was he a Sheikah, but he was also a man from the Beast Tribes, far east of Termina.
Though the Beast Tribes were not at war with the Hylians, there as no love lost between them. The Hylians had been at war with them and had lost miserably before Zelda had taken the throne and had made peace. Even then, the Hylians regarded the Beastmen with as much contempt as they did the Gerudo.
The Beast Tribes, having more experience than most of the Hylians, had frankly forgiven the Hylians, but still remained wary of Zelda and the Hylian Council. A few of them had even migrated to the west and into Kakariko, as Mareg did, for the sake of ensuring the peace between the two peoples. The Sheikah and the Beast Tribes had been in contact more than the Hylians ever knew, henceforth the simple transaction for some to go either East or West.
"You, beast. We heard a pair of thieves break into the Temple of Time and stole the Master Sword. We then heard that they came this way. Did you see anything?" The head soldier said.
Mareg shook his head, "There are no thieves in Kakariko. We make sure that thievery is never practiced among those who live here."
Loi Meves sneered at Mareg's reply, "You're all a bunch of thieves! If it weren't for the royal family, your wretched kind and the Sheikah would have been dead long ago."
Mareg was not fazed, being all too familiar with such insult. "How unfortunate."
Loi turned his gaze to the town. "We're going to search through this town and find those thieves."
Mareg folded his arms. "And if you're wrong and they were never here?"
The soldier's expression only went sourer. "They'd better be here, beast." With that, he led the other soldiers into the village, only receiving questioning and suspicious looks from the various men, women, and children of the town.
Kakariko had once been a small village on the eastern edge of Hyrule. Yet, since the doors to the Beast Tribes and other foreigners had been opened, many people had come not only to trade, but to live there as well. A few had been admitted into the Sheikah, others started lived as traders, even a small city government had been established to maintain regulation.
The town did not require a police force, due to the presence of Sheikah. Many had come here thinking the town to be easy prey for thievery or fraud, only to find themselves broke and banished. Kakariko was truly a safe place to be for not only the Sheikah, but the people who lived there too.
Loi yelled to all that could hear him. "Attention, there has been a pair of thieves coming through here. We were dispatched to arrest them for stealing the Master Sword and bring them back to Hyrule."
No one answered. Nor would they. They knew this particular soldier had acted on more than one occasion like a thug and disliked him with a passion.
He continued to yell for cooperation but found none as the people continued to go about their own business. Loi growled and ordered his horse forward. Taking glances at every visible place, he ordered his followers to follow suit. He then took out his automatic crossbow from the holster behind him and made sure the bolt cartridge was full.
Completely mechanical, this recent innovation had made mowing down foot soldiers much easier, as opposed to using standard bows and crossbows. Yet, even then, it still had a few problems. The user had to get used to the kick the frame gave the user whenever a bolt was fired and had to reload a new cartridge of bolts which took a bit longer than a bow or regular crossbow to load a single shot.
He took another glance to the western part of the town, noticing the entrance to the underground river, which had been built only a few years ago, and noticed a pair of men running into it.
"There they are!" he screamed before hopping off his horse and running towards the entrance, his fellow soldiers trailing behind him.
*
Sheik had overheard the soldier, and hoped they were given enough time to find another avenue of escape. Somehow, though, he knew timing was not on their side that day as he heard the lead soldier discover their location.
The tunnel, which they escaped in, led to the underground river. Since they had no hope of escaping to the west, this was the only alternative. The stone pier held strong and sure as the vicious currents of the river waved up and over the stone once in a while. Usually boats would use this river when they had to take a swift and direct route going to either Lake Hylia or to the desert settlements to the west.
Link, Sheik, and Navi stopped at the edge and noticed the soldiers' shadows creeping up by the entrance. Sheik took a quick look at the empty bay and back to the entrance and came to a quick conclusion.
"Link, can you swim?"
"Uh... I think. Why?"
Without another word, Sheik shoved Link into the river.
End of chapter 2
[WH is sitting on a rock by the river looking worriedly as Link is screaming and failing his arms wildly as the it takes him away.]
WH: Scary isn't it? I fully realize that this chapter has poor Link being treated like a rag doll. Being tossed to and fro. Ever felt that way before? I have, it's not only confusing, but also painful for the head.
Oh, you first have to throw away everything you ever knew about Zelda/Sheik. Why? Wait for it. You'll see. Bear with me.
I've been reading several other books and have been given ideas for how Hyrule and Kakakriko could have changed with more people and time.
The Sekorf is an imaginary name I made up for the secret police for a new idea for new characters coming up in later chapters of the fic. The reason for this being, since there are always some bad apples everywhere, they need some people to do their dirty work. It's human nature, and don't try and convince me that Hylians are different... besides, that's a topic of a completely different discussion.
I hope that the original characters I make up will be interesting enough so you won't want to just hop up and leave at the mention of them.
And yes, Mareg DOES come from Game Arts' 'Grandia II', and Mareg and the Beast Tribes belong to Game Arts. It's all for the sake of cameos, but we may see him in the future.
Travincal and the paladins within belong to Blizzard.
The Shining Force and Guardania belong to SEGA, and many thanks for creating one of the best Turn-based strategy game ever made.
The automatic crossbow was an item inspired by the weapon of the same or similar name from best Final Fantasy game of all: number six, or three for us older gamers.
Everything Zelda and Zelda-related belongs to the all mighty Nintendo.
Next, no monetary gain = no reason for a lawsuit. Sorry. :P
Finally, since Link's now washed up the creek (yes, the pun WAS intended), I'll bet you're wondering where he's going to end up next. That's for the next chapter.
[WH pulls out a bag of popcorn and watches the show.]
WH: Whether people realize it or not, their actions can and will affect others. Should they be careless, only suffering for all ensues.
Teknos Warhammer presents
The Force of One:
Second Chapter:
Liar's Reconciliation
A Legend of Zelda fanfiction
Based on the Ocarina of Time game.
Dark.
All Link could see was the dark.
His body was sore and hurt all over.
The last thing he could remember doing was holding the Master Sword and going through some odd gate in mid air. After that, everything was a blank.
Blinking, Link looked about himself to see that he was standing in the middle of a platform. It seemed to float over some odd abyss. His platform was surrounded by several other smaller platforms in a circular formation, each one its own distinct color.
Aside from that, he saw an old man, standing on the platform in front of him. Though the man did not intend to surprise him, Link was startled a bit at seeing him appearing in front of him and out of nowhere.
The man smiled warmly at Link's little reaction and said softly, "You have awakened... that is good. At first we began to wonder if you were able to wake at all."
"I do not have much time. Much has happened since you left us. Most importantly, the balance of power has been changed dramatically. Whatever you do, once you leave here is that you must be wary of everyone and everything around you. Agents of evil lurk everywhere and they carry the most convincing disguises."
A rumbled shook the chamber and Rauru frowned in annoyance at the noises that did not seem to come from any known source from inside the chamber. He returned his attention to Link and continued, "All of the sages are fortunate enough to remain alive, but they are all in hiding. I have risked being found to come and warn you of whom our foe truly is."
"Wait!" Link interjected, "What are you talking about? Isn't Ganondorf the bad guy?"
Rauru shook his head, "If only the true foe were so easily recognized without the bane of personal bias, then I could easily say that he was. But he is not."
Whatever confusion Link felt earlier now paled in comparison to the complete obscurity in which he found himself.
He was about to press further, when a massive shadow emerged from behind both of them. Rauru turned around in agitation while Link nearly fell back in shock.
"You again..." the Sage of Light mumbled irritably. "Beings such as you never seem to learn."
The shadow's only reply was forming into a hideous mockery of a humanoid figured, raising an arm, and swinging it downward to take them both out. Link dove for the ground while the Sage simply stepped around the swing. Link, from his vantage on the ground, could tell that the older man was hardly a pushover when it came to combat.
When it seemed that the shadow could not hit either one of them, its chest opened up, revealing a vortex of darkness, which gradually swirled together a sphere of energy. At the same time, Rauru raised an arm and proclaimed with a near omnipresent voice, "Sowlayl!"
Link had to cover his eyes with his arms to prevent being blinded by the piercing flash of untainted and powerful holy light. He kept his eyes shut tight and his arms in front of his face as the light died down. With a look of amusement on his face, Rauru walked over to Link and tapped his shoulder. "The shadow's gone. You can look now."
The young man did as he said and looked to see that the shadow, which had assaulted them both, had vanished as promptly as it appeared. Also, getting a closer look at the aging Sage, he found that his robes were slightly tattered and worn. Link didn't need to guess that this sort of encounter occurred quite often. However, the elder man's eyes appeared distant... almost as if...
"Can you see?" he asked without thinking.
Shaking his head, the Sage of Light sighed, "A moment of inattention cost me my sight. Though my other senses are heightened and I can 'see' to an extent due to my power, a part of me still longs to see the sun that I took for granted for most of my long life."
Still curious, Link went on, "How old are you?"
Rauru only smiled, "How old do I look?"
"Uh... fifty maybe?"
The elder only laughed, "I can only wish I was that young. I was around your age when his highness' grandparents were born." He didn't need to see to know that Link still had no idea. "Well, I've lost count after a hundred and twenty, but if I had to make a guess. I'd say about a hundred and thirty-nine." He then thumped his chest enthusiastically, "And I don't feel a day over forty!"
Link couldn't help but chuckle and respect the old man's persistence.
"But I ramble; it appears that my presence has been found." With a helpful tug, he assisted the Hero of Time to his feet. "Now you have to return to Hyrule at once. The longer we stay the more likely a stronger fiend will appear."
Link looked worried, "Stronger?"
"The shadow you saw was one of the many types of evil spirits that roam Hyrule. They usually stay away from cities and towns because of the large amount of living people there. Yet whenever they find solitary travelers, they attack once in a while." He turned to a pathway that had appeared behind his golden colored platform, "Yet, I still cannot figure out how they gained entry into here of all places..."
"Will they come and wait for you here?" Link asked, following Rauru down the pathway to a newly created vortex of light.
"No. Spirits like them cannot maintain the mental energy necessary to remember. Thankfully, those are the only types that have been able to get in."
"Um... why did you come here?"
"To wait for you of course. Though things are not as they should have been. Oddly enough, had nothing changed from how fate originally should have went, Ganondorf would be in power and Hyrule would be in ruins."
Link gaped, "What do you mean by that? What's Hyrule like now?"
He gestured to the portal, "Go. You will see what I mean."
Nodding, Link walked past the older man and into the portal and as he felt himself flying through space, he heard Rauru's voice, "The other sages and I will always be nearby, so you need not fear!"
*
As the sun started its decent to the west, a figure walked to the balcony of her castle where she could see the ray of light entering the Temple of Time. She could not tell whether to frown or smile. So much had happened since then.
From the shadows behind her, a male voice that only she could hear, whispered, "He's returned!"
She replied sardonically, "Yes. He has. His timing could not be any less convenient."
"You sound as if you aren't overjoyed to see him again, especially after all that's happened at that."
"No. I am just as elated that he is back. The possibilities coming to me are endless of what he can do for me... I am just wondering how it will all end." She turned to the shadows and smiled, "That, of course, makes the game all the more amusing."
"And you do know what he would do, if he did know what you have done that is..."
Not at all concerned, she replied, "Oh, he will find out. It is all simply a matter of when. And the why, who, what, and where will soon follow. Yet, even with all that I know, I still do not know the how."
The other, finding a rare hint of doubt, pressed, "So, there is something you fear. The how."
Focusing her eyes back to the temple, she replied calmly, "It is not fear, mere curiosity. There are so many means in which he can reach the ends. I merely wonder which means he will implement."
The man in the shadows smiled. "Very well then. With your permission, I would like to welcome him to a world he never thought possible, especially for a mind so young."
With that, the woman turned around and walked into the shadows. "Do as you wish."
Seconds later, a young man, clad in a snug, black and blue body suit with the red symbol of the Sheikah upon his chest, walked to the edge. His blond hair covered his left eye, bringing out the other one, which nearly shone like a ruby in the dying light. A long scarf wrapped around his neck, which kept everything below his nose, covered. A small cap covered the top of his head and kept most of his golden hair in check and out of the way.
Beneath the scarf, he smiled warmly at the thought of meeting him again. It had been far too long since he and Link had been in conversation or in battle and another meeting was definitely in order.
With the agility of a cat, he jumped from balcony to balcony, hardly making a sound. Yet, judging by the way he was landing, his mentor would have broken two sticks over his head by now. He had truly become sloppy, mostly from staying in one place.
Oh, how displeased Impa would be. She would most likely harp on about the great standards and traditions of the Sheikah, how he was a disgrace to them, and put him in a coma. In spite of his reservations, Impa did have a point.
Staying in one place was the main reason why the Sheikah had nearly died out many years ago. They grew content with how they lived and forgot the instincts needed to survive. Though comfort was necessary for ensuring the balance of the body and mind, it was when people become overly content, did it become dangerous.
Though he would be more than happy to leave the castle and explore the world, he had obligations at Hyrule Castle, which took precedence. It was not all parties and social pleasantry in local politics, there was much intrigue, word working, and secret conspiracies that needed to be kept in check.
In addition, many people had come to him for the purpose of doing things in the night, which they dare not do in the day. Give a secret proposal ring to a lover, an offer for secret work between rival companies, even a little seduction of a young woman or man, the Hylia Hawk was called for such business.
Though he had not gone all the way with any young woman or man in the way of sensuality, he enjoyed playing around with the lusts of people that could not control themselves. He also wished that people kept their business more private when he was asked to take care of it. The reason being that he had more often than not found out the reason for his 'services' and wishing he had never known.
Landing on the top of a wall, he double-checked the sides to make sure that there were no guards. Recently, the Hylian Grand Council had been notified of a certain 'thief' that had been sighted around the castle and around town. Yet, the ironic part was that the Grand Council was the ones that came to him the most. How hypocritical, yet amusing.
Nearing the exit, he paused to look back at the castle that had housed him for the longest time. True, it was large, spacious, and wonderful on the outside; it was what was inside of it which somewhat disturbed him. He hoped that Link's appearance would change all that. Heroes often set an example for the rest of the people to follow, yet even then there were those who were so deep in their crapulence that they would not or could not care less.
Hopping over the housetops, he began to notice that he and the Queen were not the only ones who had noticed the light at the temple. The local law enforcement had been stirred into a frenzy trying to explain to the people what had happened.
He did not think much of it until he saw several members of the Grand Council's secret police, disguised among the regulars, marching their way towards the temple. Sheik knew them all too well. They were the eyes and ears of those in the Council as well as their muscle. Cunning, cruel, and very efficient, the 'Sekorf' had earned a name for themselves to those who knew them by fear and force.
If they discovered Link, who knew what they would do? Sheik then increased his speed until he was far enough ahead of them to retrieve Link and get out of there before anyone was the wiser. He opened and closed the doors as quickly and as quietly as he could, hoping the no one had noticed him along the way. He ran past the pulpit, where the Three Spiritual Stones still resided, and into the back. He was thankful that this place was hardly visited, judging from all the dust he found.
Entering the back room, he saw exactly what he hoped. Link, standing with the Master Sword in hand, with his back turned to Sheik, looked about to see what had happened. Sheik took another step towards him and before he could say anything, Link had drawn his shield, hopped forward to give himself some space and turned around to meet the newcomer face to face.
Sheik had made no move against him, but simply stood there, taking in what had changed. He was now a man of twenty-two years, by the looks of it. His hair had grown a bit longer; the green Kokiri tunic had also been changed to compensate the size difference, a pair of white trousers, bigger and stronger boots, and heavy cloth gauntlets.
Sheik raised his hand and said, "Calm yourself. I am not here to harm you. It had been a while and I figured it would be best to meet you here."
Link, still a bit suspicious, lowered his sword, but kept the shield close. "Who are you?" He asked quietly.
"No one of consequence." Sheik replied casually.
"Link!" cried a small voice. Both men looked up to see the little blue sphere of light with wings appear from the window and float around Link's head. "Oh, thank goodness, you're alright!"
Blinking, Sheik inquired, "And who might you be?"
The little blue light rang, "I'm Navi. Link's fairy. Who are you?"
Sheik smiled behind his scarf, bowed and said, "I'm Bashara Ushek." He had learned never to disclose his real name on first appearances, even if it was with someone like the Hero of Time. Many like him had made that mistake and had paid for it dearly. Only after when their trust was proven was their real name ever disclosed.
He then turned to the boy in the green tunic and said, "And you must be Link, am I right?"
The young man said cautiously, "Yes, Link Mordix."
Sheik continued to smile, "An honor to meet you both and..." the sound of the door being kicked open made all three of them turn towards the entrance. The Sekorf had come sooner than he had expected.
It was only a few seconds later; five well-armed and trained soldiers entered. They charged into the room, expecting to find someone but found nothing at all.
Vale Tarros looked up to the ceiling but found no one as well. He had his suspicions about it all and felt that someone had been here before. He would have given the order to continue searching, were it not for the crowd that had developed outside the temple.
"The rest of you, go on ahead, I'll be with you in a minute," he said as the other four exited abruptly. He took a long look at the empty pedestal where the Master Sword once lay and began to think. It all seemed too clean to his trained eye. Making note of everything in the room as it was, he walked to the outside entrance.
Had he taken a closer look, he would have seen both Link and Sheik pressed against the wall, next to the window. The window provided enough light to keep the eyes of the soldiers off them and enough leeway to blend in with the shadows from the stones.
Sheik sighed with relief quietly and looked over to his companion, who was still having problems keeping his balance and trying not to look scared from the height by closing his eyes. Sheik silently removed a grappling hook from his back, shot to the top of the room, moved over to Link and whispered, "We're going down now. Are you ready?"
With his eyes tightly shut, Link nodded quickly, looking a bit ridiculous for a man his age acting like someone ten years younger. Sheik could not blame him though; he too had been scared of heights many a time in the past. Slowly, he grabbed Link around his waist and swung to the other side, keeping the sound of his feet muffled as he repelled downward.
Upon reaching the floor, Sheik finally said casually, "You can open your eyes now."
Blinking, Link saw that he was on the ground and let out a loud sigh of relief. Sheik patted his shoulder, allowing him to gain his bearings again. Though Link was used to heights, it was the added height and disorientation in this new body that threw him off. At that time, Navi had flown out from the pocket of Link's tunic and hovered above them, making sure that the soldiers would not be coming back.
"Who were they?" Link asked, still woozy.
"The Sekorf. They are the secret police of the grand council. Superb fighters, brilliant at subterfuge, and each one a dedicated killer." Sheik said with evident disapproval.
Whenever someone was taken into custody, it was more likely than not the Sekorf had found either a scapegoat for its masters or someone who had learned too much. "Either way, we must leave here at once. They're more likely to return here with reinforcements to scour the area."
"Yes, but how? There's only one entrance and they're most likely at the door!" Navi said, confused as to what they were to do next.
Sheik only smirked and walked to the back of the room, saying, "Who said there was only one entrance or exit?" Before either of the two could say anything, Sheik pushed a stone, which moved gently backward under his touch, and soon enough, a door, which blended in perfectly with the walls, opened without a sound. Both Link and Navi were awestruck.
Sheik then hopped through the door and motioned for the others to follow. Soon enough, both young man and fairy entered, and still without making a sound, the door slid shut, sealing off their avenue of pursuit.
*
Half an hour through dark and unused tunnels later, the three had emerged from a root of a large tree which had grown long before anyone had realized that it was used as an entrance and escape for the order of monks and nuns who kept the Master Sword.
Navi was quite elated at seeing the sun again as she flew circles around the entrance in a blissful charge of glee. Link sighed and leaned against the tree, trying to get his breath back. He never realized how strange it felt being in a much larger body than the one he knew and used.
Meanwhile, Sheik had climbed up the tree with a speed that normal Hylians could only dream about and looked around to see if they were truly alone. The Sekorf were not ones to be underestimated, as he had learned on several previous occasions. Then, taking a look down at the panting Link, he wondered if it was wise to have hurried as much as they had. "Are you feeling well, Link?"
The Hero of Time looked up and nodded, before jumping back at seeing Sheik land so casually and quietly next to him on the ground. "How do you do that?" Link asked, incredulous.
Sheik only smiled again and said, "Practice. Now come, we must make our way to Kakariko at once. The Sekorf won't be able to find you there and they will not be able to catch me either."
Link's head tiled in confusion. "What would they do if they caught you?"
His question was answered by a slew of crossbow bolts that flew right over their heads.
In shock, Sheik capped, "That! Come!" Both men and the fairy took off as fast as they could to the west as more bolts rained from the sky. From the southeast turret of the castle, the five soldiers ceased fire and watched as the infamous thief and the boy who had stolen the Master Sword run out of range.
Turning to his compatriots, the Vale said, "The council will want to hear of this."
Another one spoke up, "Shouldn't we follow them? The boy did steal the sword."
"Yes we could, but the delegates from Guardania and Travincal will be arriving tonight and the council will want us to watch them to make sure they don't cause any trouble. After all, the last thing we need is either those self-righteous paladins or the Shining Force declaring war on us, don't we? Besides, we can send the usual grunts to Kakariko to look for them."
*
Link felt as if his lungs were ready to burst as he collapsed on the ground. Both he had Sheik had run for longer than they cared to, but Sheik insisted that they kept going. He looked up to see a more heavily fortified entrance to the village... or at least it was a village. Now it was a bustling town, filled with people that would lead one to suspect that they were Sheikah as well.
With seconds, a large, heavyset man, clad in a uniform somewhat similar to Sheik's approached, and took a look about both men and the fairy with a practiced eye. The large man's uniform had no sleeves and had been torn at the knees. Growing from his shoulders, elbows, and knees were tufts of gray fur, and from the small of his back, grew a tail which reached to the ground. Also, judging from the parts of his head that were exposed, one would think of him more animal than man because of the large ears.
With a deep voice, which showed his age, he said, "Welcome back, friend. It also appears that you've brought company as well. We've not seen a fairy since that young man came here many years ago." He started to smile fondly at the memories that came back. "To think that the Lost Forest was full of them at one time... a pity."
"Greetings to you too, Mareg." Sheik said pleasantly. "Our friend here once lived in the Lost Woods. That's how he came to be with the little sprite."
Hearing about the Lost Forest started to worry Link, more so about the tone in his voice. "What are you talking about? What happened?"
The larger man, Mareg, looked downcast. "You must be new here. Nearly four years ago, the throne decreed to burn the Lost Woods to weed out a gang of Hylian thieves, which had entrenched themselves inside of it. No one knew about it when it had happened, and when they did, nothing could be done."
Link's eyes widened with horror at the news. Saria, the Great Deku Tree's sprout, and the other Kokiri were there. If what he had said was true, then they were all gone... yet he had to know.
"Were there any survivors?"
"Nobody knows. By the time the Sheikah had reached the Forest, no one was found. We can only pray to the Goddesses that they had the presence of mind to escape."
It still did not sound right to Link. "But... but... why would the King do such a thing? I mean, burning an entire forest just to get a bunch of thieves?"
Mareg shook his head. "It was not the King, he was already dead by then."
A new thought came to mind. "Gannondorf! He must have taken the throne while I was gone and knew that..."
Mareg interrupted, "I think you are mistaken, young man. Gannondorf Dragmire is the leader of the Gerudo Thieves. He has been for the longest time and no one's been able to find them. The decree was issued by Queen Zelda and by the Hylian Grand council."
Link felt like he had just been slapped across the face. "Zelda? She ordered that?" Zelda, the princess who had requested that he stop the machination of Gannondorf, was the reason why his home was gone and first friend was most likely dead. "No... I can't believe that! I won't!"
Mareg did not seem fazed by Link's denial. "The truth is never easy to deal with, young man. In fact, nothing we can do will ever change the truth once you know for yourself."
Link still shook his head at the announcement. He would never believe that Zelda could be so cruel. She knew the Kokiri lived in the forest and if the forest was gone, so were they. It just did not seem reasonable.
Sheik turned around to see the approaching guards from the castle in the distance. However, from his location, he could tell they were not the Sekorf. The formation they rode in was far too sloppy for them to be so easily caught off guard.
Without saying a thing, he grabbed Link by the shoulders and dragged him into the town, all the while saying to Mareg, "Try and stall them! I will explain things at a later time, I give you my word!"
Mareg simply nodded and turned to face the guards, which had appeared only minutes later. On their horses, the soldiers regarded Mareg with nothing but contempt. Mostly because of the fact that not only was he a Sheikah, but he was also a man from the Beast Tribes, far east of Termina.
Though the Beast Tribes were not at war with the Hylians, there as no love lost between them. The Hylians had been at war with them and had lost miserably before Zelda had taken the throne and had made peace. Even then, the Hylians regarded the Beastmen with as much contempt as they did the Gerudo.
The Beast Tribes, having more experience than most of the Hylians, had frankly forgiven the Hylians, but still remained wary of Zelda and the Hylian Council. A few of them had even migrated to the west and into Kakariko, as Mareg did, for the sake of ensuring the peace between the two peoples. The Sheikah and the Beast Tribes had been in contact more than the Hylians ever knew, henceforth the simple transaction for some to go either East or West.
"You, beast. We heard a pair of thieves break into the Temple of Time and stole the Master Sword. We then heard that they came this way. Did you see anything?" The head soldier said.
Mareg shook his head, "There are no thieves in Kakariko. We make sure that thievery is never practiced among those who live here."
Loi Meves sneered at Mareg's reply, "You're all a bunch of thieves! If it weren't for the royal family, your wretched kind and the Sheikah would have been dead long ago."
Mareg was not fazed, being all too familiar with such insult. "How unfortunate."
Loi turned his gaze to the town. "We're going to search through this town and find those thieves."
Mareg folded his arms. "And if you're wrong and they were never here?"
The soldier's expression only went sourer. "They'd better be here, beast." With that, he led the other soldiers into the village, only receiving questioning and suspicious looks from the various men, women, and children of the town.
Kakariko had once been a small village on the eastern edge of Hyrule. Yet, since the doors to the Beast Tribes and other foreigners had been opened, many people had come not only to trade, but to live there as well. A few had been admitted into the Sheikah, others started lived as traders, even a small city government had been established to maintain regulation.
The town did not require a police force, due to the presence of Sheikah. Many had come here thinking the town to be easy prey for thievery or fraud, only to find themselves broke and banished. Kakariko was truly a safe place to be for not only the Sheikah, but the people who lived there too.
Loi yelled to all that could hear him. "Attention, there has been a pair of thieves coming through here. We were dispatched to arrest them for stealing the Master Sword and bring them back to Hyrule."
No one answered. Nor would they. They knew this particular soldier had acted on more than one occasion like a thug and disliked him with a passion.
He continued to yell for cooperation but found none as the people continued to go about their own business. Loi growled and ordered his horse forward. Taking glances at every visible place, he ordered his followers to follow suit. He then took out his automatic crossbow from the holster behind him and made sure the bolt cartridge was full.
Completely mechanical, this recent innovation had made mowing down foot soldiers much easier, as opposed to using standard bows and crossbows. Yet, even then, it still had a few problems. The user had to get used to the kick the frame gave the user whenever a bolt was fired and had to reload a new cartridge of bolts which took a bit longer than a bow or regular crossbow to load a single shot.
He took another glance to the western part of the town, noticing the entrance to the underground river, which had been built only a few years ago, and noticed a pair of men running into it.
"There they are!" he screamed before hopping off his horse and running towards the entrance, his fellow soldiers trailing behind him.
*
Sheik had overheard the soldier, and hoped they were given enough time to find another avenue of escape. Somehow, though, he knew timing was not on their side that day as he heard the lead soldier discover their location.
The tunnel, which they escaped in, led to the underground river. Since they had no hope of escaping to the west, this was the only alternative. The stone pier held strong and sure as the vicious currents of the river waved up and over the stone once in a while. Usually boats would use this river when they had to take a swift and direct route going to either Lake Hylia or to the desert settlements to the west.
Link, Sheik, and Navi stopped at the edge and noticed the soldiers' shadows creeping up by the entrance. Sheik took a quick look at the empty bay and back to the entrance and came to a quick conclusion.
"Link, can you swim?"
"Uh... I think. Why?"
Without another word, Sheik shoved Link into the river.
End of chapter 2
[WH is sitting on a rock by the river looking worriedly as Link is screaming and failing his arms wildly as the it takes him away.]
WH: Scary isn't it? I fully realize that this chapter has poor Link being treated like a rag doll. Being tossed to and fro. Ever felt that way before? I have, it's not only confusing, but also painful for the head.
Oh, you first have to throw away everything you ever knew about Zelda/Sheik. Why? Wait for it. You'll see. Bear with me.
I've been reading several other books and have been given ideas for how Hyrule and Kakakriko could have changed with more people and time.
The Sekorf is an imaginary name I made up for the secret police for a new idea for new characters coming up in later chapters of the fic. The reason for this being, since there are always some bad apples everywhere, they need some people to do their dirty work. It's human nature, and don't try and convince me that Hylians are different... besides, that's a topic of a completely different discussion.
I hope that the original characters I make up will be interesting enough so you won't want to just hop up and leave at the mention of them.
And yes, Mareg DOES come from Game Arts' 'Grandia II', and Mareg and the Beast Tribes belong to Game Arts. It's all for the sake of cameos, but we may see him in the future.
Travincal and the paladins within belong to Blizzard.
The Shining Force and Guardania belong to SEGA, and many thanks for creating one of the best Turn-based strategy game ever made.
The automatic crossbow was an item inspired by the weapon of the same or similar name from best Final Fantasy game of all: number six, or three for us older gamers.
Everything Zelda and Zelda-related belongs to the all mighty Nintendo.
Next, no monetary gain = no reason for a lawsuit. Sorry. :P
Finally, since Link's now washed up the creek (yes, the pun WAS intended), I'll bet you're wondering where he's going to end up next. That's for the next chapter.
[WH pulls out a bag of popcorn and watches the show.]