[Warhammer sits on a rock in the middle of Hyrule field.]
WH: Though difficult, treating everyone else the way you want to be treated, even if it's someone do you don't like, does have its advantages.
Teknos Warhammer presents
The Force of One: Third Chapter: Wicked Games
A Legend of Zelda fanfiction Based on the Ocarina of Time game.
All Link could remember was Bashara pushing him into the river, shortly before he realized he could not swim. In addition, he was far beyond the reach of his friend or the platform from which he fell.
The current was much faster than first impressions gave and whenever he tried to fight his way to the surface, the low rocky ceiling made him think twice about trying to emerge as high as he could. In addition, the Master Sword and the rather large Hylian shield he had purchased a while ago had started to weigh him down.
He could swim, but the current was simply far too strong for him to try and control his path. Struggling as he did, all he could see was Navi above him, helplessly trying to think of something to do while avoiding the stalactites above.
The little fairy was zipping about frantically looking for some sort of avenue to escape the powerful current of Hyrule's hidden underground river. There were no real enclaves to hold onto, every sort of protruding rock were too slick and jagged to even try to grab to. At this rate, Link was going to drown.
"Oh Goddesses! What should I do? Show me the way so that... hey!" she chirped before dashing off into another tunnel, leaving the poor Kokiri boy in a Hylian man's body to continue to thrash about in the water.
"Navi! Don't go! HELP!" Link screamed, feeling his strength starting to wane. He had spent the last hour doing nothing but running and without a real chance to rest, it was getting harder and harder to stay up.
Now of all times, Navi had to fly off for who knew what!
Taking one last gasp of air, he started his slow decent to the bottom of the river, counting on the Zora scale to at least give him a little more time. Yet, in his tired state, his lungs were starting to burn without fresh air. His vision was starting to blur and he began to lose his equilibrium.
From behind him, he could begin to see a shape moving freely through the water. Yet, due to the lack of light from the tunnel, he could not place a name on that shape. He could almost make out a pair of eyes in the front of the shape. In fact, it almost looked like a Zora covered in some sort of cloak before he passed out...
*
Nighttime at Castle Hyrule brought an end to a small feast. The delegates from other countries had been invited by their Hylian hosts to a small gathering to ease them from their journey. Though the hosts seemed to enjoy it as well as they guests, one well versed in the political power games knew that the expressions they wore were nothing more than masks.
This was evidenced as Queen Zelda, along with two other members of the Hylian Council, had retired to the throne room.
"By the Prime Evils! If that pompous windbag went on about another of mighty Zakkurum's deeds against some other devil, I would have wrung his neck then and there!" Shelia Koz exclaimed, throwing her hands into the air, venting out much held back frustration. The rest of the council had known her to be a rather emotional woman, so whenever she threw a tiff such as this, they knew better to keep their mouths shut.
Her dark brown skin, accentuated by the onyx black mane of hair which reached her shoulders, in addition to the pearl white dress she wore over her unusually large frame, made her all the more appealing to her fellow council member, Farlein Lakarthis.
Taking off the phoenix-colored feather cap off of his head, the only male in the room sighed at his larger companion's outburst. "Calm yourself, my dear. Though they are filled with doctrine of mere sectarians, their deeds more oft than not reflect their faith, which I find admirable." He was one of the few people of the grand council who did not fear the giant woman, which only brought confusion to those who saw how much smaller he was when compared to her. He was not scrawny by any means, simply built a bit smaller than his peers.
His response only got a tired sneer out of Shelia, "And if I knew no better, Farlein, their females pleased you as well, more so than their vaunted religion. I would suggest you keep your lusts to yourself, otherwise those women would more likely than not thrust you through the heart with a sword, thinking you to be possessed by some incubus or whatever."
In spite of her warning, Farlein thought more about the female paladins that had accompanied the delegates. "True, their zeal is indeed admirable. Almost envious."
By then, the Queen had taken her seat on the throne and addressed the council members casually, "Aside from your obvious grievances, I take it the negotiations with both went well?"
Shelia nodded, "Yes, your highness. Within a month's time, we'll be receiving the first shipment of scholars. They were pleased when they heard that you desired your people to be learned."
Zelda smiled. "Good," she said, and then turned to Farlein. "And of Travincal?"
The smaller man nodded. "It went well, your highness. Should we agree, they will begin transporting the promised gold, silver, and other metals within days. However, there was one condition they added."
The queen's eyebrow rose in suspicion. "And that is?"
"They wish to build a chapel to the Eternal Light on the outskirts of town. They mentioned that they are willing to pay for the land and will use their own materials to build it. I am unsure about that, your highness. It could be a ploy to begin some crusade."
Zelda only chuckled at his fear as she removed her circlet and placed it by the throne. "It's not. They learned their lesson when their Grand Council had to be purged all those years ago. They have no desire to shed blood, but they want to spread the word of the Great Zakkurum to the minds of those who are 'benighted' to the light they feel they hold."
She stood up to retire to her personal chambers. "Inform them that they may build their chapel. After all, shouldn't we be as tolerant as they are now? They have proven themselves to be trustworthy on more than one occasion."
Lord Lakarthis bowed to his queen, yet before he exited the queen turned to him and continued. "Oh and add a condition to our terms. No paladins. At the very least, not for a while. By then, they should be able to take care of that gang of rogues that dissented from them and became thieves. They've started to harass traders near our borders, and if they wish to continue to have good relations with us, they'll show more responsibility and take care of them."
He bowed again and left to inform the delegates. Before Shelia exited, Zelda said surprisingly quiet, "Inform Alyx that I want to speak with him, Shelia."
Shelia blinked. "Is it about..."
"Yes. He's come to my attention and I need to find out where he is before he can do any more damage."
Both Zelda and Shelia turned their attention towards a small rat in the corner, trying to scurry away from them both their gazes. Almost as if it knew it was being watched. Without a move, Zelda had caught the rat with invisible hands and dragged it back into the center of the throne room.
Zelda's frown deepened once she stood to examine the vermin. "I know you can hear me. I know what you're trying to do and why. Yet, you cannot seem to understand that Hyrule is my kingdom. Not yours. You seem determined, yet you lack the courage to come out and tell me this yourself."
Shelia stepped back as she saw the details of this rat. It was half rotted and by all rights, it should have been dead. However, she knew was it was and what it meant. The source of these vermin was unknown for several years as Zelda began to establish her dominion over Hyrule.
Zelda had discovered, to her dismay, that someone else had designs on the throne of Hyrule.
"You want my throne, you withered corpse...." her voice suddenly sounded ethereal as a wave of distortion spread from her body, "....then come take it!"
The rat suddenly imploded. Sickening cracks and other sounds filled the room as it was compressed into a small sphere. This one was not the only one to feel her wrath, for a few other spheres, which had been formerly bats, landed with a small and near silent thud.
Shelia winced in disgust. It was never pleasant to be the witness to the queen's displeasure. She was supposed to be the Commander of Hyrule's forcers and she still found herself queasy at sights that any soldier should have been used to by then. Granted, she was a few years older than the queen and grew up in the woods west of Termina, but she still could not stomach such sights.
"What I don't understand is how he can still be living when he's supposed to be dead." The executor mumbled loud enough for the queen to hear.
"It doesn't matter. Once I find him, I'll see to it myself that he remains dead." Zelda said, turning to the entrance to her room. "In the meantime, I want you to keep a look out for the boy who stole the Master Sword. I have a feeling he'll return."
Confused, Shelia pressed. "What will you do once you find him?"
Turning back, the queen smiled pleasantly. "To see how he has been. It's been a while since he and I had a decent talk."
Surprised as Shelia was, she could not help but wonder exactly how the Queen came to know a thief. Though wondering, Shelia thumped her chest, turned, and walked out.
Zelda took one last look at the giant of an executor and smiled pleasantly.
Such faithful puppets they were to her.
As much as they tried to hide it, she knew their secrets, their hatred of her political power, and their mistrust of anything they could not see with their eyes. It was all too amusing to one who held the power of all three Triforce.
Zelda had recalled receiving a puppet with strings when she was only five years of age. She enjoyed it as much as a child could. She took extra special care of it and practiced using it often until she could control it to the point where she could make it do things beyond it was originally meant for.
The only thing that kept her mind wondering was how exactly the family that she received the puppet from in the first place got it. It was simply wrapped in a small parcel, no name of the sender written on it, only filled with paper to cushion the puppet as it was transported to them. What made it all the more stranger was that when they received it, they were to give it as a gift instead of selling it.
However, as amusing as the toy puppet was, playing with human puppets had become much more fun. They danced the dances she had orchestrated, they sung the lines she had given them, and best of all, anyone and everyone in this kingdom could live and die at her will. It seemed cruel, playing a god to those who did not know that she was doing such things to them. Yet, they never knew, did not know, nor would they ever know.
Life had become her play.
Settling down in a chair, she looked over to a shelf where small trinkets of her childhood had been preserved. A few small toys, gifts from foreign delegates, and of course, the puppet. She smiled a bit, waved her hand, and within seconds, invisible hands lifted the puppet from the shelf, and caused it to hover in front of her chair.
The puppet, still under control from the invisible force, bowed to the Queen, and started to dance. Zelda started to chuckle at the many memories of trying to make the puppet stand. It seemed so simple at first, but there were more times were she got frustrated than satisfied. Now, after much practice, she could make it dance for as long as she wished - just like with real people.
Ever since she had acquired all three Triforce, the affairs of Hyrule had taken many cruel twists and turns. The end result being she on the throne and the Gerudo being sent into hiding - and what remained of her right hand.
Though it saddened her that so many people had to die in order to achieve these ends, she saw the grand future her people would possess because of her leadership. Yet, now was not the time to brood on things yet to come. Link had returned and even with the Triforce of Wisdom, she saw Link as a focal point in a grand future, which sprung countless potentialities.
When the dance of the puppet had finished, she waved her hand again and the puppet was whisked back to the shelf. It then slumped against the wall and remained inert until it was ready to serve its master again. It always was.
Normally, she'd be using her puppet much more than usual, but in a fit of peak, she let it sit here. Not to gather dust, like the rest of her childhood effects, but give it a rest. It always worked so hard to please her.
She stood and walked to the window to behold the kingdom in which she was supreme. Looking past the town, she saw the great expanse of Hyrule field stretching out to the point where normal sight could only see rolling hills, rare trees, and many rocks.
He was out there, somewhere. Somehow, she would find him and he would assist her in the grand destiny of her people.
A small part of her felt a sense of sadness because she had not been able to see him again. The only memory she had was giving him the ocarina of time while avoiding Ganondorf and meeting him in the castle garden.
It was through her dreams that she first saw Link and for one of the few times in her life, she felt a sense of kinship with someone. That having to do with being part of destiny's convoluted power games. She even hoped that through that she would have been able to have a friend... a real friend for once.
In spite of his age at the time, she had a feeling that he would take on the world in order to save it, if need be. Even the shadow of doubt she saw in his eyes when she had asked him to help her save Hyrule only endeared him more to her. It seemed kind of silly to anyone, but to her, it was enough for her to trust him.
Her gaze turned from the field to the south. She did not enjoy the fact that so much of her attention had to be diverted between her own country's politics, her private activities, and her allies.
She had to remember begrudgingly the assistance she needed in taking Hyrule's throne from her father. Even now she still had relations with the nation of Stamas and their unusual 'steam machines'. With her expansive wisdom, she had been able to refine and perfect their construction techniques from theories. In appreciation for her help, they had assisted her in the coup of Hyrule among other things.
Now, she was beginning to wonder if they were more than content with what they had now.
A sound brought her attention to her right hand. She removed her bracelet and her sleeve glove and rubbed her wrist. A few chips of the skin fell off and it appeared worn.
"And again..." she whispered dejectedly.
*****
At the edge of Hyrule's capital town, a man with short orange hair, a knee length purple jacket, and a large backpack of masks on his back, walked out from the now empty building, which had once belonged to him. Business had grown stale in the past few years and people had lost interest in the masks that were meant to bring happiness.
Though he had no more business in Hyrule, he knew that there were other prospects among those in the surrounding villages. The city had grown far too hardened for the time being to be able to feel the effects of his masks. The only thing he could do was pack and leave for a season.
He would regret leaving this city, but the memories of the happiness he had brought to some of the residents gave him hope that in the future, more people could feel the same joy that he had given in the past.
To most in plain sight, he walked towards the drawbridge leading to the outer perimeters of the city. The gate was closed during the nighttime and the few people who glanced his way wondered how he would be able to leave so easily. The salesman simply nodded to the soldiers with a smile as they opened the door as quickly as they could for his sake.
"Many thanks to you, good soldiers." He reached into his pack and handed the two soldiers a pair of smooth, onyx black masks, each one labeled, 'Mask of Comfort' on the inside. The faces of the masks were as smooth as a real onyx gem, yet with holes to give the wear room to breathe.
"You two know well the happiness these masks can give... you both know where to find me should you give more happiness to others." With that, he bowed to them both and walked off as the drawbridge closed behind him.
It was only minutes before the soldiers realized what had transpired. In spite of the rules made by the Grand Council, most of the people there knew the Mask Salesman very well. Some of them knew the salesman as far as to their childhood. He was always a mystery, yet everyone seemed to respect and honor his presence whenever he appeared.
The salesman walked calmly through the scattered and few houses of the outskirts of the town, not at all worried of what could happen to a regular traveler. He had just passed the last house on the main pathway before seeing another nighttime wanderer.
"Greetings to you, friend." The Mask Salesman said taking the other man's hand and shaking it. The stranger, clad in simple white robes, a light blue sash around his waist, and light gray cloak, smiled back to the salesman and accepted the greeting.
"Likewise. I trust time has been kind to you?" Ladasha, the man in the simple robes asked.
The salesman nodded and replied sadly, "The people here have forgotten about true happiness... but a harsh lesson that shall come will remind them of what they have so casually taken for granted. That is why I must leave."
The stranger looked to the city and sighed in agreement. "It is not always the case. The people prosper, and then pride comes in and ultimately destroys everything."
The Mask salesman continued ruefully, "Though that is a certainty, the evils being unwatched by the Council are taken to the extreme by the Queen. There is much unnecessary death in secret."
The traveler leaned against his hard wooden staff and looked to the castle in the distance. He had seen much in his many travels, and in all of his many years, such action, covered in altruism, was nothing more than a case of over rationalization.
"So, friend, you wish to spread the happiness that your kind gives to these people?" The salesman asked, noting his locked gaze on the city.
The travel nodded and answered, "Though our methods are different, our goals are the same. Plus, we can only hope that our means justify the ends to what we wish to do."
"If that be the case, I shall take my leave and leave the people, and my shop, to you. May the joy you spread be long lasting and wonderful." The salesman said before bowing, handing Ladasha the keys to his shop, and walking southward to Lon Lon Town.
Watching the salesman leave and out of sight, Ladasha then furrowed his brow and shook his head. "Such a sad, strange little man."
He always enjoyed playing the role of the traveling priest. Kind to everyone. Completely guileless. Ready to help at the drop of a hat. Indeed, there were many advantages to being an excellent actor. Though he was never a real priest, he certainly did fill the role adequately. Knowing powerful healing herbs and techniques had also added to the nuance of the disguise. Only a few, the mask salesman included, could look past his façade.
With a slight frown, he wondered as he went through the gates, "I know he can tell that I'm lying, but why doesn't he show it?" The salesman's constant smiling face seemed to mock his attempts at stealth. That crafty salesman could always tell when someone was trying to rook him and he always saw through it.
Several minutes past as he silently walked through the streets past central square. Just out of sight of the fountain, the now abandoned Happy Mask shop lay in wait for its newest occupant. He was only with a few yards of the door when he heard three distinct pairs of footsteps converging on his location.
With a bored stare, he placed his belongings down and turned around to see his suspicions confirmed. Three young men, no older than twenty and more likely than not armed, appeared. Their leader, brandishing his short sword, opened up casually; "Nice to see some new blood to our happy little city. It's not everyday you get to be the first ones to introduce new business to Hyrule."
Ladasha blinked for a second, then frowned. "You're all thieves, aren't you?"
Slightly taken back at the stranger's forwardness, the leader nodded. "We're not charity workers."
One of the other thieves chirped in, "Except for our own charities." The three had the appearance of a group of moblins rather than Hylians as they laughed.
As their laughter grew, Ladasha's frown and agitation grew in kind. With a casual air, he walked towards the leader and said as their belly laughs died down. "Son, head the words of an old timer who knows his way around being a thief." He placed a hand on the shoulder of the leader, "If you're going to rob someone; DO IT RIGHT!"
With the leader stunned for a second, Ladasha whacked the leader on the side of the head and onto the ground. Taking advantage of the others' distraction, he swung his staff and struck the second thug in the cheek with the blunt end. Standing off with the third, he stood his ground casually, but was more than ready to strike. Keeping his eyes on the third, Ladasha heard the leader struggle to stand up.
The third, after seeing his companions fall within a matter of seconds, started to lose his composure. Ladasha, once again, took advantage of his foe's fear as he thrust the head of his staff into the would-be thief's torso, knocking the wind out of him violently. The third rolled backward a few times before coming to a stop and into unconsciousness.
Turning back to the leader, he sighed at seeing the boy's angry face. From that expression alone, he gathered that the boy could have been the spoiled son of a wealthy merchant, a terribly unlucky orphan, or simply didn't know any better. He then gave the young thief a look of pity, "I feel sorry for you. You know why? Because no real thief would have made as many mistakes as you have, you can't even hold onto what's yours."
The leader looked on in confusion until he saw his bag of hard stolen rupees twirling between Ladasha's fingers. It had taken him at least week's worth of stealing to get that much and worst of all was that the bag was full of his red rupees. He was about to yell at the stranger to give the bag back when Ladasha stepped forward, "You know, there are some basic rules you need to remember as you steal. First; make sure that no one sees you. It's much more effective that way. By the time the victim knows he or she's been robbed, you would have already gotten away... well, provided that they weren't reaching for their money in the first place."
The leader, not feeling the mood for a lecture, charged to get his money back. With steps that seemed more casual, Ladasha moved the bag around his person and purposefully out of reach of the young man. With another fluid move, Ladasha tripped the young thief and forced him into the ground. Placing the bag inside his sleeve, Ladasha then used his weight to pin him down.
"Since you don't seem to be in the mood for learning how to steal. How about learning a few things about the body?" he said before grasping the young man's arm and pulling it with such strength that it cleanly dislocated from its socket. "For example: see just how fragile it is. It comes apart so easily!"
The young man gasped and was about to scream when Ladasha's free hand clamped over his mouth, preventing any sort of noise to escape. With a vicious smirk, Ladasha continued, "Please, young man, this is a private lesson and to involve others would be quite a distraction. But anyway, today's training ends with the body's miraculous ability to heal."
Ladasha grabbed the dislocated arm, yanked on it away from the young man's torso, then gently forced the ball back into its socket.
With a friendly smile, Ladasha stepped up and chirped happily, "There we go. Good as new, but the doctor doesn't recommend stealing for two days so as to give the arm proper time to heal."
Feeling satisfied, Ladasha stepped over his assailant and back to the shop. However, the leader, determined to retrieve his ill gotten money, grabbed his short sword, stood up, and charged, aiming for the priest's back.
Sighing, the priest turned quickly and allowed the blade to pierce his right hand, much to the young thief's surprise. Clasping his hands around the blade and to the hilt guard, he winced and let out a grunt to keep his scream of pain inside. Tightening his grip on the hilt, dumbfounding the young thief, he brought his empty fist back and struck him right between the eyes.
The thief let go of his weapon and fell backward, unconscious.
"Sorry, friend. No refunds," Ladasha said before pulling the weapon out. No sooner had the point been pulled out, he clenched his fist to try and stop the bleeding and suppress the pain. Kneeling like a child that got a splinter in his finger, he fought to suppress a groan.
"That really hurt," he whimpered, keeping his voice as low as possible. Reaching down, he tore off a bit of his cloak and used it as a make shift rag to clean up the mess and stop the bleeding. "By all that's holy, it's going to take at least a week to heal! Stupid boys..." he grumbled.
Walking back to his new home, he stopped and turned back to his assailants, grumbling about the youth these days.
With considerable effort, he dragged all three of the young men by the fountain where they would most certainly be found. With any luck, he would have changed his clothes by then and would be unrecognizable. He turned the key and opened up the door. There was a bedroom in the back, with a bed, much to his elation.
After a long sigh, he took off his cloak, jacket, and sash, leaving only a vest and a pair of trousers. He also made a note to place his pack of clothes and staff by his bed once he woke up.
Stretching to the point where his old bones popped viciously, he fell face first on the bed and finally allowed himself much-needed sleep.
*****
Link's head hurt immensely and he was starting to get annoyed at constantly waking up at different locations with someone new to tell him more bad news.
He could not see Navi, but he could feel the soft and warm feel of some sort of bed beneath him. He could also make out a light coming from some far source, but he still could not see very well due to his drowsiness and the dark.
He could also tell that he was not alone. Someone was holding him gently, like a parent holding a child when fear had overcome the child. The person holding him realized that he was coming to.
Link tried to look up and see whom it was, but all he could see was a shadow. To his surprise, the person reached up to his face and slowly moved a few of his blond hairs away from his face... as if whoever his rescuer was, was trying to get a better look at his face.
"My beautiful child..." the shadow whispered with a voice that was also ambiguous to its gender. "For so long, I had thought of you as dead. Not once, but twice."
Feeling sore, Link tried to move but found it useless. He looked up to the shadow who cradled him like a baby and tried to use the light to see who exactly it was. Though he could not see any details, shape of the face led him to believe that it might have been a man... but he still could not be sure.
"Who... who are..." the person put a finger on his lips and silenced him gently.
The shadow shook its head. "I cannot say right now... but let it be known that when the time is right, you will know all the truth that you deserve to know. I promise. Will you wait for this?"
Although he would be more than happy to know who this was exactly, he nodded slowly and could tell that the shadow was smiling at him. "You've grown so strong... in soul, if not in body. Now rest... a friend of ours saved your life and was in turn nearly killed. Sleep..."
Though it did not seem like a command, Link felt his eyelids becoming much heavier than before and returned to the sleep from which he came.
*
Link could remember being grown up after pulling out the Master Sword, but now, he was a boy again. Fires that were not consuming anything surrounded him. He was sitting on a slightly elevated platform in the middle of what seemed to be a massive cathedral. It was large enough to contain the entire expanse of Hyrule Field and near impossible to judge its scale.
Above him, the windows were filled with iridescent light, which fell down to where his platform was. Below were the fires he had seen before and an all-consuming darkness, which seemed to be a living being, trying to reach him and something else.
He looked in front of him to see a sight more horrific than Ganondorf's face. It was himself, but grown up, chained to a massive stone with glowing symbols. The appearance of this 'other' self had a more dark and sinister look to it, as opposed to the single chance he had to see himself as a grown up.
The darker self also appeared to be struggling to release himself from the bonds and the stone. He constantly roared with a rage and madness that chilled Link to the bone. The darker one noticed Link, ceased his roaring, and growled with an omnipresent, ethereal, and dark voice, "Look what she's done to me... no... not me, us! She betrayed us! She used us! If we do not slay her, she will slay us!"
Link was frozen with fear. Whatever this vision or person or whatever was, it knew him. Its rage and anger was everywhere the darker half was and was being sealed within the stone and bonds that held him.
"Courage, Link!"
Everything had suddenly changed with hearing those words.
He was now in the middle of a storm on the side of a mountain. The thunder was raging across the sky and the wind was beating him mercilessly. He also had another with him, but this one was different from before.
It was a knight in a full suit of armor, with the exception of a helmet, which left his head exposed. Etched within the breastplate and shield he carried were holy symbols, glowing with power as they fought back the storm. The knight appeared to have seen many battles, judging by his time worn face. He also seemed to have seen much more bloodshed than he would have liked. His short hair was a bright yellow with some gray growing in. Even then, it seemed to shine with its own light as a few strands wavered in the wind.
The knight turned to Link, smiled, and said with a still small voice, "I am here, Link." Even through the roar of the storm, Link could hear his words as if it were as clear as day. In addition, he could not help but feel that he had known this person before... like he could trust this man. "Things have gone wrong and they will get worse. But I feel that you can make things right."
Feeling not as scared as before, Link gathered up the courage to ask, "Who are you? How do you know me?"
The knight was about to answer when the roar of an inhuman monster erupted from the other side of the mountain. The knight kept his vigil on the edge of the path, which led out of sight and answered.
"Suffice it to say that I know you and have been watching over you ever since the day you were born. From shadow and light you were born, and with shadow and light, you shall repair the damage that has been done. You must head to the east. You will find the truth there.
"The east? But what's there?"
Before the knight could answer, a cold wind blew against them and they both turned to see a large demon that could have been human at one time, but had been twisted beyond recognition. All that was human in this demon was merely the shape of it's upper body, head, and arms. There seemed to be no lower body, save it were a heavy mist upon which came from the bottom of a spinal column that came from the body. Its pale skin reflected the cold hatred in his eyes as it glared at both the knight and Link. Several horns and tentacles grew from its head and back as a mockery of the human shape that it came from.
"Quickly, make haste! I'll handle this thing!" The knight said before drawing a sword glowing with holy light. He turned to the demon and charged, raising his sword high and brining his shield to bear.
Link was torn between wanting to help the knight and following his words. Even more so was the fact that he had no idea what was going on. The knight, in the middle of his battle with the demon, screamed to Link, "Hurry! GO!" It was then that the demon had whacked him across the head and into the mountainside.
The demon, seeing that the knight was disposed, turned to Link and started to give chase. Seeing as Link was still as a boy and without a weapon, Link now had no choice but to run.
Try as he would, the knight could not catch up with the demon. To make matters worse, the wind was blowing harder and harder, causing Link to lose balance by the edge of the mountain.
The demon raised a massive tentacle to strike the boy down, only to see it chopped off by the knight's sword. The demon turned around to face its opponent, only to see the knight leap up and drive its sword straight into its heart, pull out a dagger from the back of his belt, and stab it into the its head.
The victory, however, was short lived as the demon fell backward, pushing Link over the edge. The knight realized his folly too late and was far beyond helping the boy before he plummeted to the earth below.
*
Link nearly leaped from the bed that he was laying in from all the horrors he seen too clearly from the nightmares. He looked around to see that he had been brought into a nearly bare room, save for the bed he slept on, a rug or two, and an opening in the wall. Outside, he could see mountains, dirt, boulders, and not much else.
Glancing beside his bed, he saw that everything of his had been placed beside it. The Master Sword, shield, items, and everything he had acquired. Now the question was, where was he?
"Oh! You're awake." The familiar voice of Navi said. The little fairy fluttered from the ceiling and landed on top of his head.
"Navi, are we going to have to hurry out of here too?" Link asked, not wanting the answer to be yes. He had gone who knew how many years from the past to the future, traveled from Hyrule town to Kakariko, got pushed into a river, and experienced enough nightmares to give a prophet a full day's work.
The little blue light ringed once and answered, "No. We got some friends here too."
"What kind of friends?"
"You'll find out in a bit, they found you and put you here so you could recover. You were almost stone cold when they rescued you."
"That's comforting." Link said humorlessly.
"I've also found out a few things while you were asleep." The fairy said, fluttering off his head and in front of him.
"Like what?" He asked, getting a bad feeling in his gut.
She took a deep breath and said, "Well, it seems that we've been taken ten years into the future. About three years after we left, the Gerudo thieves tried to assault the castle but were turned back. I think they were tired of trying to live an honest life back then.
"Then, another two years later, the king's mind was starting to fade into insanity, resulting in a lot of misery among the people. Even then, he started a war with the Beast Tribes and was losing miserably. It continued for another year before Zelda began an insurrection and overthrew her father and took place as Queen of Hyrule and established the Grand Council.
"Even with the end of the war, thieves that weren't Gerudo started harassing the people of Lon Lon. Oh yeah, the ranch had also grown a lot until it became a town by itself. No matter how hard people tried, the thieves were too well trained and would retreat into the Lost Woods. It was that same year that the Queen and Council burned the woods.
"Ever since then, everywhere in Hyrule has grown immensely. Kakariko and Hyrule have become cities. Termina, another town in the East, has also become Hyrule's first protectorate. Several more towns and port cities have also joined in Zelda's kingdom as well.
"Even with how good things are going, relations with the nomads of Mount Arreat from the North have gone sour and there's a chance Zelda would go to war with them."
As hard as Link tried to absorb all the information he still was focused on the dreams and the parts of the past relating to Zelda. The Zelda he knew was no insurrectionist, but it had been ten years. Also, he could tell that if it was true, that she could not have done it alone.
"How was Zelda able to overthrow her father if most of the kingdom was behind him?" Link asked.
Navi turned away, "The Triforce... she used the power of the Triforce to bring all of Hyrule under her command. Hardly anyone knows this and most merely attribute it to her good fortune, quick mind, and efficient cunning."
"How do you know?"
"The magic in the air... while you were asleep, I went to what was left of the Lost Woods and spoke with what few spirits are left. Things are changing far too quickly for it to happen naturally."
Hearing about his home, he inquired a bit too eagerly, "Did anyone from the village survive?"
Navi turned back to him. "All I found was the sprout of the Great Deku tree, and an old hag protecting it. I could not find the Kokiri or Saria anywhere."
Link's gaze fell downward upon hearing of what become of his only home. Navi hovered by his face and let her blue aura rub against his cheek. It was all she could do to comfort him for the time being.
At that time, the door to Link's room swung open and in stepped in his benefactor.
"Welcome back, kid."
Link looked to who had said it.
It was Ganondorf Dragmire.
...
Ganondorf Dragmire saved link.
Link screamed at the top of his lungs, which also sent Ganondorf off his feet out of surprise. Another Gerudo woman dashed in, only to trip over Ganondorf and land on her face.
Link scrambled out of the bed, to his gear, and lost his balance along the way. In an attempt to pull the Master Sword out, he pulled too hard, started spinning around wildly, and landed on the ground, getting an all too clear look at Ganondorf's face. The screaming in horror continued.
*
"Are you done yet?" Ganondorf grumbled, rubbing the part of his head that hit the floor.
"I have to be in a dream! I have to be!" Link said, pacing around the main room like a scared animal.
"Believe me, kid. I'd be more than happy to tell you it's a dream, but there'd be no point in doing it. Besides, reality's much more fun." He noted with an almost uncharacteristic smile.
"It gotta be a nightmare... it's gotta be." Link said, putting his hands on his head.
Ganondorf sighed and stood up from his chair. "Whatever the case may be, kid, you're here, now, and you can't do much about it."
Standing near the entrance, the other Gerudo woman, Nabooru, folded her arms and added, "On top of that, we have to get ready to get out of here."
Link turned to the Gerudo woman and asked, "What for? Isn't this place your home?"
"Home? We don't have a home. We've been wandering around Hyrule for the past seven years. Ever since that little brat Zelda broke the treaty." Nabooru snorted.
Ganondorf noticed Link's face of disbelief and before the boy from the Kokiri forest could reply, "I was planning on grabbing the Triforce for myself, and THEN double crossing the King. But the princess got to them before I did and with their power made us look like traitors and got us exiled."
"And that makes things all better doesn't it?" Link asked sardonically.
"Not really. I've thought about it for a while and I came to a conclusion." Ganondorf said, looking thoughtful, "Conquest is overrated. Being a thief is not only more productive, but it makes life more meaningful to me."
The sequential silence was deafening.
Not standing it anymore, Link said, "Either way, I'm having a hard time believing what you're saying. You're all a bunch of thieves, how can I trust you?"
Not at all fazed by his words, Nabooru replied, "You can't. We've always been thieves... or so her majesty would have everyone believe. Unless you see Zelda's manipulations for yourself, we have no way of proving ourselves to you."
At that time, another Gerudo woman peeked through the doorway and announced to those within, "The caravan is ready. We leave on your orders, Master Dragmire."
Nodding, Ganondorf started for the doorway, with Nabooru close behind. Though he was not sure why, Link followed the two Gerudo to the outside to see what exactly their caravan looked like.
Much to the Kokiri boy's surprise, he did not see wagons like the ones at Lon Lon Ranch, but rocks, which seemed to move just as smoothly with massive beasts pulling them. The beasts themselves were something Link had never seen before, for they had the appearance of rocks, which gave them good enough camouflage to hide with, as did the 'wagons' in which they rode.
In addition, there were many Gerudo women scurrying about as quickly as they could, some carrying plants indigenous to the area and other carrying precious stones. Whatever the case might have been, they were all in a hurry to prepare for departure.
"Well, kid. This is where we part ways." Ganondorf said before hopping onto the lead wagon boulder. "If you want to know that we're telling the truth, just go back to Hyrule Castle and you'll know."
Link was about to reply when Nabooru patted him on the back before walking to the nearest boulder, saying, "Take care of your self, boy. I hope we can have a chance to talk like we used to."
As she walked away, Link started to notice a little swing in her gait. He was not sure why, but he did not feel comfortable looking at her hips. Without another thought it, he turned around and started in the other direction a bit too quickly to hide it.
Noticing his discomfort, Navi hovered by his face and asked, "Link, what's wrong?"
His face was more flustered as he tried to find the right words to say. "Uh... Navi... you know... uh... that thing... when I saw that girl walk away... it made it..."
"I have no idea what you're talking about!"
He answered, in spite of his embarrassment, "It made that thing... you know... that thing that only boys have... it... it... it grew..."
It only took a few seconds for Navi to realize what he was talking about before she began to giggle uncontrollably. She was laughing so hard that she actually had to concentrate to keep herself floating in the air.
"What's so funny?!" Link asked, both flustered and frustrated.
Gathering her composure, Navi answered between giggles, "It's... it's really complicated. You'll understand what it's all about when you really grow up."
Starting for the path leading out of the mountain valley, Link mumbled, "I'm not sure if I really want to know."
It had been a few hours before the two travelers had finally reached the edge of the mountain range and to the edge of Hyrule field. The recently built stone bridge gave Link a way across the deep chasm and within minutes, found their way into the vast western part of Hyrule.
"There you are." A familiar gruff voice said above Link and Navi. They both looked up, only to see the massive form of Mareg land a few feet beside them far too silently. "I take it you had a nice trip through the underground river?"
"Well, it was nice, but I don't think I'll be going in again anytime soon." Link replied, trying to hide his complaint.
Mareg nodded in agreement, "I do not blame you. Many others have said the same thing you have after surviving such an experience."
"Well, now that I can finally take a minute to think, I need to know more of what's happened. For example," He turned to the large beast man and inquired with a large frown, "How were you able to do that?!" The Kokiri boy pointed up to the place where the beast man had apparently come from.
Mareg smiled, gestured Link to move in closer, leaned forward, and whispered, "Very... very... carefully." With the boy's question answered, Mareg smiled, causing Link to sigh in resignation. No one was ever going to give him a straight answer.
"So, how did you know that I fell in the river?" Link asked, looking across the field for the path that would lead to Hyrule Castle.
"Shiek requested that I seek you out. He could not do it himself because the Hylian soldiers were giving him trouble."
"Have things really been that bad between your race and the Hylians?"
"Not really. It is a select few who believe that degrading another race will improve their self-esteem. Sadly, it is always that few that make the rest look bad." The beastman replied. "It is for that reason, the rest of my people do not care too much for Hylians."
Link paused a bit before continuing, "Would your people go to war again?" If Mareg was an example of how the beastmen were, Link shuddered internally to think of an army of people like him laying waste to Hyrule.
"Only if an outside force were the aggressors." The aged beastman said bluntly.
Hearing Hylians unmentioned sparked another question, "Who else have your people gone to war with? I thought Hylains were the only ones here until I saw you."
"The Beast Tribes have had many wars in the past. Though the wars were always the same, the circumstances and enemies were often different. There were wars among my tribe and the Skywing, or the Treeshadow. Or another tribe whose leaders were lead astray by delusions of having power and glory." He folded his arms and leaned against the tree he had jumped from. "From the outside, pirates, bandits, and even over-zealous Zakkarum paladins have tried to conquer our people, but they've always been repulsed. It has always been the instinct of my people to band together when an outside power wishes our doom. But enough about me and the past."
He started from the tree and took a look over Link's head to where he was looking. "So, you wish to visit Hyrule Castle?"
Noticing Mareg towering over him, Link nodded once.
"A dangerous place, if anything else. Why would you wish to go there?"
"Zelda... I have to see her. I have to see if what everyone has been saying has been true."
"Were I you, I would be careful. I have only been there once, but I can smell the intrigue, treachery, and insidious power games in the air. The Grand Council is dangerous enough as it is, but the Queen herself is a silent threat to anyone who dares to challenge her."
Though Link could easily retort the claims of Ganondorf and his like, the word of the Sheikah was a different matter. Confusion and ambiguity seemed to be the only fate for him.
"If you desire, I shall escort you to the edge of the town. After that, I am afraid you must continue by yourself. Sheik has told me that he will be watching for you. You need not worry about not being found."
Link could not help but accept the larger man's offer. They traversed the pathways to the castle in silence and within an hour's time, reached the edge of the outskirts of Hyrule City. Several small houses lay outside the massive walls of the core town and newly constructed battlements littered the outer perimeter.
The young Kokiri could not see the castle within, due to the walls, but he could see that the city had grown much more than when he last remembered. He saw several wagons entering and exiting the front gate, each one filled with differing items ranging from hay, to wood, to metals, and food.
He was almost mystified at the amount of people going about their businesses. Some were haggling, dealing, selling, and buying from countless stores and stands. Several children were playing with cuccos in the massive central square that could be seen from the front.
All the warnings given by Mareg almost seemed absurd and Link was about to walk into the city when the beastman grabbed his shoulder, "Before I go, I will tell you this: Trust no one... for everyone wears masks with the intent to deceive."
The deep growl of Mareg revived all the fear he had seen from the nightmare and the Gerudo's warning. The beastman let go and started off.
Link turned around to ask Mareg something, but found the man nearly three times his mass had vanished. He turned back to the town and felt the warnings take a hold of him. Walking through the gate along a wagon filled with wood, Link could not help but feel that he was being watched.
Weaving through the many people, he felt eyes of curious people taking a single glance at him, and then turning away, uninterested. Link did not mind the amount of people he saw before he traveled to the future, but this was something completely different.
Little did the boy know that his fears were justified.
Through a small telescope, the Executor recalled the description the Sekorf had given her and found him to be the same one. She turned to the soldier standing next to her on the battlement.
"It's him. Watch his every move. If the usual grunts that tried to find him a while ago try to arrest him, stop them. The Queen wants him to find his own way to her."
The soldier thumped his chest and bowed to Shelia before exiting. Alyx Tein, Captain of the Guard, hid his sword beneath his priest's robes and walked into the busy city streets. Along the way, he nodded to several other inconspicuous people on the street, sending a silent message to them to be prepared.
Alyx allowed himself a smile for once. It certainly was not everyday your next surveillance target was the Hero of Time.
End of Chapter 3
[Warhammer sits on the fountain, like in the first chapter.]
WH: Lovely, isn't it? A world that seems to be so wonderful and beautiful at first, only to see how shallow and pretentious it really is. Very much like reality, I think.
[A little yellow light flies out from behind WH and rams into his head, knocking him into the fountain.]
Tatl: Your reality anyway...
WH: Don't start, sprite!
Tatl: [Turns to the reader] Don't mind him. He's just mad because people he considers scumbags can get married and he can't even get a date.
WH: Anyway! As I was saying, the newer characters are actually related to characters I created for an original story I was making up several years ago. By newer characters, I mean the Council people and the Sekorf.
Tatl: Alyx Tein? Farlein Lakarthis? Shelia Koz? What kind of names are those?
WH: Original names. Took me long enough to make them.
Tatl: No surprise there. What about the dream?
WH: I'm still working out the logistics of how it could work. But folks are going to have to wait for the ending to understand everything. Also, I can only hope people will understand the ending when it gets here.
For those who play a lot of PC games, you'll know what the other Link's prison looks like, the demon the knight was fighting, the knight himself, and where they all come from. Also, in the next few chapters, you'll find out who exactly all those weird characters are.
Tatl: Oh, can you be a little more vague?
WH: Not even if I tried, sweetheart.
Tatl: So you say.
WH: Next, I always figured that if Ganondorf was not the usual bad guy he's always been, he would have been a great comic relief character.
Tatl: You sure?
WH: Of course. He's got the nose for it.
Tatl: You know, the more I hang around you, the more I realize just how crazy you are.
WH: Thank you.
Tatl: Are you still going to be adding more parts from Diablo II and Grandia II into this story?
WH: Of course! Both are cool games and Mareg is by far one of the most unique 'big guys' I've ever seen.
Tatl: You know what they say about birds of a feather...
WH: Silence, light bulb. Or else I'll be using you for my fly swatting practice.
Tatl: ...
WH: Finally: Anything related to the Diablo games belongs to Blizzard Entertainment. Anything related to Grandia II belongs to Gamearts. All characters, places, items, and so on related to Zelda belong to Nintendo. All original characters belong to me. Anything not listed that does not belong to me, belongs to their respective owner.
Tatl: I like how Zelda's being evil and stuff.
WH: I know. Isn't it great! There isn't enough 'Evil Zelda' fics out there. And a special thanks to Hugh Jasse, author of 'Only Half', for kicking my hinder and in turn, getting this wretched chapter done! For those who don't know, 'Only Half' is one of the stories that inspired me to write this fic. Go to Fanfiction.net to read it. Beware, it's dark. *nearly swoons*
[Tatl helps WH swoon by pounding his head into the water again.]
WH: Though difficult, treating everyone else the way you want to be treated, even if it's someone do you don't like, does have its advantages.
Teknos Warhammer presents
The Force of One: Third Chapter: Wicked Games
A Legend of Zelda fanfiction Based on the Ocarina of Time game.
All Link could remember was Bashara pushing him into the river, shortly before he realized he could not swim. In addition, he was far beyond the reach of his friend or the platform from which he fell.
The current was much faster than first impressions gave and whenever he tried to fight his way to the surface, the low rocky ceiling made him think twice about trying to emerge as high as he could. In addition, the Master Sword and the rather large Hylian shield he had purchased a while ago had started to weigh him down.
He could swim, but the current was simply far too strong for him to try and control his path. Struggling as he did, all he could see was Navi above him, helplessly trying to think of something to do while avoiding the stalactites above.
The little fairy was zipping about frantically looking for some sort of avenue to escape the powerful current of Hyrule's hidden underground river. There were no real enclaves to hold onto, every sort of protruding rock were too slick and jagged to even try to grab to. At this rate, Link was going to drown.
"Oh Goddesses! What should I do? Show me the way so that... hey!" she chirped before dashing off into another tunnel, leaving the poor Kokiri boy in a Hylian man's body to continue to thrash about in the water.
"Navi! Don't go! HELP!" Link screamed, feeling his strength starting to wane. He had spent the last hour doing nothing but running and without a real chance to rest, it was getting harder and harder to stay up.
Now of all times, Navi had to fly off for who knew what!
Taking one last gasp of air, he started his slow decent to the bottom of the river, counting on the Zora scale to at least give him a little more time. Yet, in his tired state, his lungs were starting to burn without fresh air. His vision was starting to blur and he began to lose his equilibrium.
From behind him, he could begin to see a shape moving freely through the water. Yet, due to the lack of light from the tunnel, he could not place a name on that shape. He could almost make out a pair of eyes in the front of the shape. In fact, it almost looked like a Zora covered in some sort of cloak before he passed out...
*
Nighttime at Castle Hyrule brought an end to a small feast. The delegates from other countries had been invited by their Hylian hosts to a small gathering to ease them from their journey. Though the hosts seemed to enjoy it as well as they guests, one well versed in the political power games knew that the expressions they wore were nothing more than masks.
This was evidenced as Queen Zelda, along with two other members of the Hylian Council, had retired to the throne room.
"By the Prime Evils! If that pompous windbag went on about another of mighty Zakkurum's deeds against some other devil, I would have wrung his neck then and there!" Shelia Koz exclaimed, throwing her hands into the air, venting out much held back frustration. The rest of the council had known her to be a rather emotional woman, so whenever she threw a tiff such as this, they knew better to keep their mouths shut.
Her dark brown skin, accentuated by the onyx black mane of hair which reached her shoulders, in addition to the pearl white dress she wore over her unusually large frame, made her all the more appealing to her fellow council member, Farlein Lakarthis.
Taking off the phoenix-colored feather cap off of his head, the only male in the room sighed at his larger companion's outburst. "Calm yourself, my dear. Though they are filled with doctrine of mere sectarians, their deeds more oft than not reflect their faith, which I find admirable." He was one of the few people of the grand council who did not fear the giant woman, which only brought confusion to those who saw how much smaller he was when compared to her. He was not scrawny by any means, simply built a bit smaller than his peers.
His response only got a tired sneer out of Shelia, "And if I knew no better, Farlein, their females pleased you as well, more so than their vaunted religion. I would suggest you keep your lusts to yourself, otherwise those women would more likely than not thrust you through the heart with a sword, thinking you to be possessed by some incubus or whatever."
In spite of her warning, Farlein thought more about the female paladins that had accompanied the delegates. "True, their zeal is indeed admirable. Almost envious."
By then, the Queen had taken her seat on the throne and addressed the council members casually, "Aside from your obvious grievances, I take it the negotiations with both went well?"
Shelia nodded, "Yes, your highness. Within a month's time, we'll be receiving the first shipment of scholars. They were pleased when they heard that you desired your people to be learned."
Zelda smiled. "Good," she said, and then turned to Farlein. "And of Travincal?"
The smaller man nodded. "It went well, your highness. Should we agree, they will begin transporting the promised gold, silver, and other metals within days. However, there was one condition they added."
The queen's eyebrow rose in suspicion. "And that is?"
"They wish to build a chapel to the Eternal Light on the outskirts of town. They mentioned that they are willing to pay for the land and will use their own materials to build it. I am unsure about that, your highness. It could be a ploy to begin some crusade."
Zelda only chuckled at his fear as she removed her circlet and placed it by the throne. "It's not. They learned their lesson when their Grand Council had to be purged all those years ago. They have no desire to shed blood, but they want to spread the word of the Great Zakkurum to the minds of those who are 'benighted' to the light they feel they hold."
She stood up to retire to her personal chambers. "Inform them that they may build their chapel. After all, shouldn't we be as tolerant as they are now? They have proven themselves to be trustworthy on more than one occasion."
Lord Lakarthis bowed to his queen, yet before he exited the queen turned to him and continued. "Oh and add a condition to our terms. No paladins. At the very least, not for a while. By then, they should be able to take care of that gang of rogues that dissented from them and became thieves. They've started to harass traders near our borders, and if they wish to continue to have good relations with us, they'll show more responsibility and take care of them."
He bowed again and left to inform the delegates. Before Shelia exited, Zelda said surprisingly quiet, "Inform Alyx that I want to speak with him, Shelia."
Shelia blinked. "Is it about..."
"Yes. He's come to my attention and I need to find out where he is before he can do any more damage."
Both Zelda and Shelia turned their attention towards a small rat in the corner, trying to scurry away from them both their gazes. Almost as if it knew it was being watched. Without a move, Zelda had caught the rat with invisible hands and dragged it back into the center of the throne room.
Zelda's frown deepened once she stood to examine the vermin. "I know you can hear me. I know what you're trying to do and why. Yet, you cannot seem to understand that Hyrule is my kingdom. Not yours. You seem determined, yet you lack the courage to come out and tell me this yourself."
Shelia stepped back as she saw the details of this rat. It was half rotted and by all rights, it should have been dead. However, she knew was it was and what it meant. The source of these vermin was unknown for several years as Zelda began to establish her dominion over Hyrule.
Zelda had discovered, to her dismay, that someone else had designs on the throne of Hyrule.
"You want my throne, you withered corpse...." her voice suddenly sounded ethereal as a wave of distortion spread from her body, "....then come take it!"
The rat suddenly imploded. Sickening cracks and other sounds filled the room as it was compressed into a small sphere. This one was not the only one to feel her wrath, for a few other spheres, which had been formerly bats, landed with a small and near silent thud.
Shelia winced in disgust. It was never pleasant to be the witness to the queen's displeasure. She was supposed to be the Commander of Hyrule's forcers and she still found herself queasy at sights that any soldier should have been used to by then. Granted, she was a few years older than the queen and grew up in the woods west of Termina, but she still could not stomach such sights.
"What I don't understand is how he can still be living when he's supposed to be dead." The executor mumbled loud enough for the queen to hear.
"It doesn't matter. Once I find him, I'll see to it myself that he remains dead." Zelda said, turning to the entrance to her room. "In the meantime, I want you to keep a look out for the boy who stole the Master Sword. I have a feeling he'll return."
Confused, Shelia pressed. "What will you do once you find him?"
Turning back, the queen smiled pleasantly. "To see how he has been. It's been a while since he and I had a decent talk."
Surprised as Shelia was, she could not help but wonder exactly how the Queen came to know a thief. Though wondering, Shelia thumped her chest, turned, and walked out.
Zelda took one last look at the giant of an executor and smiled pleasantly.
Such faithful puppets they were to her.
As much as they tried to hide it, she knew their secrets, their hatred of her political power, and their mistrust of anything they could not see with their eyes. It was all too amusing to one who held the power of all three Triforce.
Zelda had recalled receiving a puppet with strings when she was only five years of age. She enjoyed it as much as a child could. She took extra special care of it and practiced using it often until she could control it to the point where she could make it do things beyond it was originally meant for.
The only thing that kept her mind wondering was how exactly the family that she received the puppet from in the first place got it. It was simply wrapped in a small parcel, no name of the sender written on it, only filled with paper to cushion the puppet as it was transported to them. What made it all the more stranger was that when they received it, they were to give it as a gift instead of selling it.
However, as amusing as the toy puppet was, playing with human puppets had become much more fun. They danced the dances she had orchestrated, they sung the lines she had given them, and best of all, anyone and everyone in this kingdom could live and die at her will. It seemed cruel, playing a god to those who did not know that she was doing such things to them. Yet, they never knew, did not know, nor would they ever know.
Life had become her play.
Settling down in a chair, she looked over to a shelf where small trinkets of her childhood had been preserved. A few small toys, gifts from foreign delegates, and of course, the puppet. She smiled a bit, waved her hand, and within seconds, invisible hands lifted the puppet from the shelf, and caused it to hover in front of her chair.
The puppet, still under control from the invisible force, bowed to the Queen, and started to dance. Zelda started to chuckle at the many memories of trying to make the puppet stand. It seemed so simple at first, but there were more times were she got frustrated than satisfied. Now, after much practice, she could make it dance for as long as she wished - just like with real people.
Ever since she had acquired all three Triforce, the affairs of Hyrule had taken many cruel twists and turns. The end result being she on the throne and the Gerudo being sent into hiding - and what remained of her right hand.
Though it saddened her that so many people had to die in order to achieve these ends, she saw the grand future her people would possess because of her leadership. Yet, now was not the time to brood on things yet to come. Link had returned and even with the Triforce of Wisdom, she saw Link as a focal point in a grand future, which sprung countless potentialities.
When the dance of the puppet had finished, she waved her hand again and the puppet was whisked back to the shelf. It then slumped against the wall and remained inert until it was ready to serve its master again. It always was.
Normally, she'd be using her puppet much more than usual, but in a fit of peak, she let it sit here. Not to gather dust, like the rest of her childhood effects, but give it a rest. It always worked so hard to please her.
She stood and walked to the window to behold the kingdom in which she was supreme. Looking past the town, she saw the great expanse of Hyrule field stretching out to the point where normal sight could only see rolling hills, rare trees, and many rocks.
He was out there, somewhere. Somehow, she would find him and he would assist her in the grand destiny of her people.
A small part of her felt a sense of sadness because she had not been able to see him again. The only memory she had was giving him the ocarina of time while avoiding Ganondorf and meeting him in the castle garden.
It was through her dreams that she first saw Link and for one of the few times in her life, she felt a sense of kinship with someone. That having to do with being part of destiny's convoluted power games. She even hoped that through that she would have been able to have a friend... a real friend for once.
In spite of his age at the time, she had a feeling that he would take on the world in order to save it, if need be. Even the shadow of doubt she saw in his eyes when she had asked him to help her save Hyrule only endeared him more to her. It seemed kind of silly to anyone, but to her, it was enough for her to trust him.
Her gaze turned from the field to the south. She did not enjoy the fact that so much of her attention had to be diverted between her own country's politics, her private activities, and her allies.
She had to remember begrudgingly the assistance she needed in taking Hyrule's throne from her father. Even now she still had relations with the nation of Stamas and their unusual 'steam machines'. With her expansive wisdom, she had been able to refine and perfect their construction techniques from theories. In appreciation for her help, they had assisted her in the coup of Hyrule among other things.
Now, she was beginning to wonder if they were more than content with what they had now.
A sound brought her attention to her right hand. She removed her bracelet and her sleeve glove and rubbed her wrist. A few chips of the skin fell off and it appeared worn.
"And again..." she whispered dejectedly.
*****
At the edge of Hyrule's capital town, a man with short orange hair, a knee length purple jacket, and a large backpack of masks on his back, walked out from the now empty building, which had once belonged to him. Business had grown stale in the past few years and people had lost interest in the masks that were meant to bring happiness.
Though he had no more business in Hyrule, he knew that there were other prospects among those in the surrounding villages. The city had grown far too hardened for the time being to be able to feel the effects of his masks. The only thing he could do was pack and leave for a season.
He would regret leaving this city, but the memories of the happiness he had brought to some of the residents gave him hope that in the future, more people could feel the same joy that he had given in the past.
To most in plain sight, he walked towards the drawbridge leading to the outer perimeters of the city. The gate was closed during the nighttime and the few people who glanced his way wondered how he would be able to leave so easily. The salesman simply nodded to the soldiers with a smile as they opened the door as quickly as they could for his sake.
"Many thanks to you, good soldiers." He reached into his pack and handed the two soldiers a pair of smooth, onyx black masks, each one labeled, 'Mask of Comfort' on the inside. The faces of the masks were as smooth as a real onyx gem, yet with holes to give the wear room to breathe.
"You two know well the happiness these masks can give... you both know where to find me should you give more happiness to others." With that, he bowed to them both and walked off as the drawbridge closed behind him.
It was only minutes before the soldiers realized what had transpired. In spite of the rules made by the Grand Council, most of the people there knew the Mask Salesman very well. Some of them knew the salesman as far as to their childhood. He was always a mystery, yet everyone seemed to respect and honor his presence whenever he appeared.
The salesman walked calmly through the scattered and few houses of the outskirts of the town, not at all worried of what could happen to a regular traveler. He had just passed the last house on the main pathway before seeing another nighttime wanderer.
"Greetings to you, friend." The Mask Salesman said taking the other man's hand and shaking it. The stranger, clad in simple white robes, a light blue sash around his waist, and light gray cloak, smiled back to the salesman and accepted the greeting.
"Likewise. I trust time has been kind to you?" Ladasha, the man in the simple robes asked.
The salesman nodded and replied sadly, "The people here have forgotten about true happiness... but a harsh lesson that shall come will remind them of what they have so casually taken for granted. That is why I must leave."
The stranger looked to the city and sighed in agreement. "It is not always the case. The people prosper, and then pride comes in and ultimately destroys everything."
The Mask salesman continued ruefully, "Though that is a certainty, the evils being unwatched by the Council are taken to the extreme by the Queen. There is much unnecessary death in secret."
The traveler leaned against his hard wooden staff and looked to the castle in the distance. He had seen much in his many travels, and in all of his many years, such action, covered in altruism, was nothing more than a case of over rationalization.
"So, friend, you wish to spread the happiness that your kind gives to these people?" The salesman asked, noting his locked gaze on the city.
The travel nodded and answered, "Though our methods are different, our goals are the same. Plus, we can only hope that our means justify the ends to what we wish to do."
"If that be the case, I shall take my leave and leave the people, and my shop, to you. May the joy you spread be long lasting and wonderful." The salesman said before bowing, handing Ladasha the keys to his shop, and walking southward to Lon Lon Town.
Watching the salesman leave and out of sight, Ladasha then furrowed his brow and shook his head. "Such a sad, strange little man."
He always enjoyed playing the role of the traveling priest. Kind to everyone. Completely guileless. Ready to help at the drop of a hat. Indeed, there were many advantages to being an excellent actor. Though he was never a real priest, he certainly did fill the role adequately. Knowing powerful healing herbs and techniques had also added to the nuance of the disguise. Only a few, the mask salesman included, could look past his façade.
With a slight frown, he wondered as he went through the gates, "I know he can tell that I'm lying, but why doesn't he show it?" The salesman's constant smiling face seemed to mock his attempts at stealth. That crafty salesman could always tell when someone was trying to rook him and he always saw through it.
Several minutes past as he silently walked through the streets past central square. Just out of sight of the fountain, the now abandoned Happy Mask shop lay in wait for its newest occupant. He was only with a few yards of the door when he heard three distinct pairs of footsteps converging on his location.
With a bored stare, he placed his belongings down and turned around to see his suspicions confirmed. Three young men, no older than twenty and more likely than not armed, appeared. Their leader, brandishing his short sword, opened up casually; "Nice to see some new blood to our happy little city. It's not everyday you get to be the first ones to introduce new business to Hyrule."
Ladasha blinked for a second, then frowned. "You're all thieves, aren't you?"
Slightly taken back at the stranger's forwardness, the leader nodded. "We're not charity workers."
One of the other thieves chirped in, "Except for our own charities." The three had the appearance of a group of moblins rather than Hylians as they laughed.
As their laughter grew, Ladasha's frown and agitation grew in kind. With a casual air, he walked towards the leader and said as their belly laughs died down. "Son, head the words of an old timer who knows his way around being a thief." He placed a hand on the shoulder of the leader, "If you're going to rob someone; DO IT RIGHT!"
With the leader stunned for a second, Ladasha whacked the leader on the side of the head and onto the ground. Taking advantage of the others' distraction, he swung his staff and struck the second thug in the cheek with the blunt end. Standing off with the third, he stood his ground casually, but was more than ready to strike. Keeping his eyes on the third, Ladasha heard the leader struggle to stand up.
The third, after seeing his companions fall within a matter of seconds, started to lose his composure. Ladasha, once again, took advantage of his foe's fear as he thrust the head of his staff into the would-be thief's torso, knocking the wind out of him violently. The third rolled backward a few times before coming to a stop and into unconsciousness.
Turning back to the leader, he sighed at seeing the boy's angry face. From that expression alone, he gathered that the boy could have been the spoiled son of a wealthy merchant, a terribly unlucky orphan, or simply didn't know any better. He then gave the young thief a look of pity, "I feel sorry for you. You know why? Because no real thief would have made as many mistakes as you have, you can't even hold onto what's yours."
The leader looked on in confusion until he saw his bag of hard stolen rupees twirling between Ladasha's fingers. It had taken him at least week's worth of stealing to get that much and worst of all was that the bag was full of his red rupees. He was about to yell at the stranger to give the bag back when Ladasha stepped forward, "You know, there are some basic rules you need to remember as you steal. First; make sure that no one sees you. It's much more effective that way. By the time the victim knows he or she's been robbed, you would have already gotten away... well, provided that they weren't reaching for their money in the first place."
The leader, not feeling the mood for a lecture, charged to get his money back. With steps that seemed more casual, Ladasha moved the bag around his person and purposefully out of reach of the young man. With another fluid move, Ladasha tripped the young thief and forced him into the ground. Placing the bag inside his sleeve, Ladasha then used his weight to pin him down.
"Since you don't seem to be in the mood for learning how to steal. How about learning a few things about the body?" he said before grasping the young man's arm and pulling it with such strength that it cleanly dislocated from its socket. "For example: see just how fragile it is. It comes apart so easily!"
The young man gasped and was about to scream when Ladasha's free hand clamped over his mouth, preventing any sort of noise to escape. With a vicious smirk, Ladasha continued, "Please, young man, this is a private lesson and to involve others would be quite a distraction. But anyway, today's training ends with the body's miraculous ability to heal."
Ladasha grabbed the dislocated arm, yanked on it away from the young man's torso, then gently forced the ball back into its socket.
With a friendly smile, Ladasha stepped up and chirped happily, "There we go. Good as new, but the doctor doesn't recommend stealing for two days so as to give the arm proper time to heal."
Feeling satisfied, Ladasha stepped over his assailant and back to the shop. However, the leader, determined to retrieve his ill gotten money, grabbed his short sword, stood up, and charged, aiming for the priest's back.
Sighing, the priest turned quickly and allowed the blade to pierce his right hand, much to the young thief's surprise. Clasping his hands around the blade and to the hilt guard, he winced and let out a grunt to keep his scream of pain inside. Tightening his grip on the hilt, dumbfounding the young thief, he brought his empty fist back and struck him right between the eyes.
The thief let go of his weapon and fell backward, unconscious.
"Sorry, friend. No refunds," Ladasha said before pulling the weapon out. No sooner had the point been pulled out, he clenched his fist to try and stop the bleeding and suppress the pain. Kneeling like a child that got a splinter in his finger, he fought to suppress a groan.
"That really hurt," he whimpered, keeping his voice as low as possible. Reaching down, he tore off a bit of his cloak and used it as a make shift rag to clean up the mess and stop the bleeding. "By all that's holy, it's going to take at least a week to heal! Stupid boys..." he grumbled.
Walking back to his new home, he stopped and turned back to his assailants, grumbling about the youth these days.
With considerable effort, he dragged all three of the young men by the fountain where they would most certainly be found. With any luck, he would have changed his clothes by then and would be unrecognizable. He turned the key and opened up the door. There was a bedroom in the back, with a bed, much to his elation.
After a long sigh, he took off his cloak, jacket, and sash, leaving only a vest and a pair of trousers. He also made a note to place his pack of clothes and staff by his bed once he woke up.
Stretching to the point where his old bones popped viciously, he fell face first on the bed and finally allowed himself much-needed sleep.
*****
Link's head hurt immensely and he was starting to get annoyed at constantly waking up at different locations with someone new to tell him more bad news.
He could not see Navi, but he could feel the soft and warm feel of some sort of bed beneath him. He could also make out a light coming from some far source, but he still could not see very well due to his drowsiness and the dark.
He could also tell that he was not alone. Someone was holding him gently, like a parent holding a child when fear had overcome the child. The person holding him realized that he was coming to.
Link tried to look up and see whom it was, but all he could see was a shadow. To his surprise, the person reached up to his face and slowly moved a few of his blond hairs away from his face... as if whoever his rescuer was, was trying to get a better look at his face.
"My beautiful child..." the shadow whispered with a voice that was also ambiguous to its gender. "For so long, I had thought of you as dead. Not once, but twice."
Feeling sore, Link tried to move but found it useless. He looked up to the shadow who cradled him like a baby and tried to use the light to see who exactly it was. Though he could not see any details, shape of the face led him to believe that it might have been a man... but he still could not be sure.
"Who... who are..." the person put a finger on his lips and silenced him gently.
The shadow shook its head. "I cannot say right now... but let it be known that when the time is right, you will know all the truth that you deserve to know. I promise. Will you wait for this?"
Although he would be more than happy to know who this was exactly, he nodded slowly and could tell that the shadow was smiling at him. "You've grown so strong... in soul, if not in body. Now rest... a friend of ours saved your life and was in turn nearly killed. Sleep..."
Though it did not seem like a command, Link felt his eyelids becoming much heavier than before and returned to the sleep from which he came.
*
Link could remember being grown up after pulling out the Master Sword, but now, he was a boy again. Fires that were not consuming anything surrounded him. He was sitting on a slightly elevated platform in the middle of what seemed to be a massive cathedral. It was large enough to contain the entire expanse of Hyrule Field and near impossible to judge its scale.
Above him, the windows were filled with iridescent light, which fell down to where his platform was. Below were the fires he had seen before and an all-consuming darkness, which seemed to be a living being, trying to reach him and something else.
He looked in front of him to see a sight more horrific than Ganondorf's face. It was himself, but grown up, chained to a massive stone with glowing symbols. The appearance of this 'other' self had a more dark and sinister look to it, as opposed to the single chance he had to see himself as a grown up.
The darker self also appeared to be struggling to release himself from the bonds and the stone. He constantly roared with a rage and madness that chilled Link to the bone. The darker one noticed Link, ceased his roaring, and growled with an omnipresent, ethereal, and dark voice, "Look what she's done to me... no... not me, us! She betrayed us! She used us! If we do not slay her, she will slay us!"
Link was frozen with fear. Whatever this vision or person or whatever was, it knew him. Its rage and anger was everywhere the darker half was and was being sealed within the stone and bonds that held him.
"Courage, Link!"
Everything had suddenly changed with hearing those words.
He was now in the middle of a storm on the side of a mountain. The thunder was raging across the sky and the wind was beating him mercilessly. He also had another with him, but this one was different from before.
It was a knight in a full suit of armor, with the exception of a helmet, which left his head exposed. Etched within the breastplate and shield he carried were holy symbols, glowing with power as they fought back the storm. The knight appeared to have seen many battles, judging by his time worn face. He also seemed to have seen much more bloodshed than he would have liked. His short hair was a bright yellow with some gray growing in. Even then, it seemed to shine with its own light as a few strands wavered in the wind.
The knight turned to Link, smiled, and said with a still small voice, "I am here, Link." Even through the roar of the storm, Link could hear his words as if it were as clear as day. In addition, he could not help but feel that he had known this person before... like he could trust this man. "Things have gone wrong and they will get worse. But I feel that you can make things right."
Feeling not as scared as before, Link gathered up the courage to ask, "Who are you? How do you know me?"
The knight was about to answer when the roar of an inhuman monster erupted from the other side of the mountain. The knight kept his vigil on the edge of the path, which led out of sight and answered.
"Suffice it to say that I know you and have been watching over you ever since the day you were born. From shadow and light you were born, and with shadow and light, you shall repair the damage that has been done. You must head to the east. You will find the truth there.
"The east? But what's there?"
Before the knight could answer, a cold wind blew against them and they both turned to see a large demon that could have been human at one time, but had been twisted beyond recognition. All that was human in this demon was merely the shape of it's upper body, head, and arms. There seemed to be no lower body, save it were a heavy mist upon which came from the bottom of a spinal column that came from the body. Its pale skin reflected the cold hatred in his eyes as it glared at both the knight and Link. Several horns and tentacles grew from its head and back as a mockery of the human shape that it came from.
"Quickly, make haste! I'll handle this thing!" The knight said before drawing a sword glowing with holy light. He turned to the demon and charged, raising his sword high and brining his shield to bear.
Link was torn between wanting to help the knight and following his words. Even more so was the fact that he had no idea what was going on. The knight, in the middle of his battle with the demon, screamed to Link, "Hurry! GO!" It was then that the demon had whacked him across the head and into the mountainside.
The demon, seeing that the knight was disposed, turned to Link and started to give chase. Seeing as Link was still as a boy and without a weapon, Link now had no choice but to run.
Try as he would, the knight could not catch up with the demon. To make matters worse, the wind was blowing harder and harder, causing Link to lose balance by the edge of the mountain.
The demon raised a massive tentacle to strike the boy down, only to see it chopped off by the knight's sword. The demon turned around to face its opponent, only to see the knight leap up and drive its sword straight into its heart, pull out a dagger from the back of his belt, and stab it into the its head.
The victory, however, was short lived as the demon fell backward, pushing Link over the edge. The knight realized his folly too late and was far beyond helping the boy before he plummeted to the earth below.
*
Link nearly leaped from the bed that he was laying in from all the horrors he seen too clearly from the nightmares. He looked around to see that he had been brought into a nearly bare room, save for the bed he slept on, a rug or two, and an opening in the wall. Outside, he could see mountains, dirt, boulders, and not much else.
Glancing beside his bed, he saw that everything of his had been placed beside it. The Master Sword, shield, items, and everything he had acquired. Now the question was, where was he?
"Oh! You're awake." The familiar voice of Navi said. The little fairy fluttered from the ceiling and landed on top of his head.
"Navi, are we going to have to hurry out of here too?" Link asked, not wanting the answer to be yes. He had gone who knew how many years from the past to the future, traveled from Hyrule town to Kakariko, got pushed into a river, and experienced enough nightmares to give a prophet a full day's work.
The little blue light ringed once and answered, "No. We got some friends here too."
"What kind of friends?"
"You'll find out in a bit, they found you and put you here so you could recover. You were almost stone cold when they rescued you."
"That's comforting." Link said humorlessly.
"I've also found out a few things while you were asleep." The fairy said, fluttering off his head and in front of him.
"Like what?" He asked, getting a bad feeling in his gut.
She took a deep breath and said, "Well, it seems that we've been taken ten years into the future. About three years after we left, the Gerudo thieves tried to assault the castle but were turned back. I think they were tired of trying to live an honest life back then.
"Then, another two years later, the king's mind was starting to fade into insanity, resulting in a lot of misery among the people. Even then, he started a war with the Beast Tribes and was losing miserably. It continued for another year before Zelda began an insurrection and overthrew her father and took place as Queen of Hyrule and established the Grand Council.
"Even with the end of the war, thieves that weren't Gerudo started harassing the people of Lon Lon. Oh yeah, the ranch had also grown a lot until it became a town by itself. No matter how hard people tried, the thieves were too well trained and would retreat into the Lost Woods. It was that same year that the Queen and Council burned the woods.
"Ever since then, everywhere in Hyrule has grown immensely. Kakariko and Hyrule have become cities. Termina, another town in the East, has also become Hyrule's first protectorate. Several more towns and port cities have also joined in Zelda's kingdom as well.
"Even with how good things are going, relations with the nomads of Mount Arreat from the North have gone sour and there's a chance Zelda would go to war with them."
As hard as Link tried to absorb all the information he still was focused on the dreams and the parts of the past relating to Zelda. The Zelda he knew was no insurrectionist, but it had been ten years. Also, he could tell that if it was true, that she could not have done it alone.
"How was Zelda able to overthrow her father if most of the kingdom was behind him?" Link asked.
Navi turned away, "The Triforce... she used the power of the Triforce to bring all of Hyrule under her command. Hardly anyone knows this and most merely attribute it to her good fortune, quick mind, and efficient cunning."
"How do you know?"
"The magic in the air... while you were asleep, I went to what was left of the Lost Woods and spoke with what few spirits are left. Things are changing far too quickly for it to happen naturally."
Hearing about his home, he inquired a bit too eagerly, "Did anyone from the village survive?"
Navi turned back to him. "All I found was the sprout of the Great Deku tree, and an old hag protecting it. I could not find the Kokiri or Saria anywhere."
Link's gaze fell downward upon hearing of what become of his only home. Navi hovered by his face and let her blue aura rub against his cheek. It was all she could do to comfort him for the time being.
At that time, the door to Link's room swung open and in stepped in his benefactor.
"Welcome back, kid."
Link looked to who had said it.
It was Ganondorf Dragmire.
...
Ganondorf Dragmire saved link.
Link screamed at the top of his lungs, which also sent Ganondorf off his feet out of surprise. Another Gerudo woman dashed in, only to trip over Ganondorf and land on her face.
Link scrambled out of the bed, to his gear, and lost his balance along the way. In an attempt to pull the Master Sword out, he pulled too hard, started spinning around wildly, and landed on the ground, getting an all too clear look at Ganondorf's face. The screaming in horror continued.
*
"Are you done yet?" Ganondorf grumbled, rubbing the part of his head that hit the floor.
"I have to be in a dream! I have to be!" Link said, pacing around the main room like a scared animal.
"Believe me, kid. I'd be more than happy to tell you it's a dream, but there'd be no point in doing it. Besides, reality's much more fun." He noted with an almost uncharacteristic smile.
"It gotta be a nightmare... it's gotta be." Link said, putting his hands on his head.
Ganondorf sighed and stood up from his chair. "Whatever the case may be, kid, you're here, now, and you can't do much about it."
Standing near the entrance, the other Gerudo woman, Nabooru, folded her arms and added, "On top of that, we have to get ready to get out of here."
Link turned to the Gerudo woman and asked, "What for? Isn't this place your home?"
"Home? We don't have a home. We've been wandering around Hyrule for the past seven years. Ever since that little brat Zelda broke the treaty." Nabooru snorted.
Ganondorf noticed Link's face of disbelief and before the boy from the Kokiri forest could reply, "I was planning on grabbing the Triforce for myself, and THEN double crossing the King. But the princess got to them before I did and with their power made us look like traitors and got us exiled."
"And that makes things all better doesn't it?" Link asked sardonically.
"Not really. I've thought about it for a while and I came to a conclusion." Ganondorf said, looking thoughtful, "Conquest is overrated. Being a thief is not only more productive, but it makes life more meaningful to me."
The sequential silence was deafening.
Not standing it anymore, Link said, "Either way, I'm having a hard time believing what you're saying. You're all a bunch of thieves, how can I trust you?"
Not at all fazed by his words, Nabooru replied, "You can't. We've always been thieves... or so her majesty would have everyone believe. Unless you see Zelda's manipulations for yourself, we have no way of proving ourselves to you."
At that time, another Gerudo woman peeked through the doorway and announced to those within, "The caravan is ready. We leave on your orders, Master Dragmire."
Nodding, Ganondorf started for the doorway, with Nabooru close behind. Though he was not sure why, Link followed the two Gerudo to the outside to see what exactly their caravan looked like.
Much to the Kokiri boy's surprise, he did not see wagons like the ones at Lon Lon Ranch, but rocks, which seemed to move just as smoothly with massive beasts pulling them. The beasts themselves were something Link had never seen before, for they had the appearance of rocks, which gave them good enough camouflage to hide with, as did the 'wagons' in which they rode.
In addition, there were many Gerudo women scurrying about as quickly as they could, some carrying plants indigenous to the area and other carrying precious stones. Whatever the case might have been, they were all in a hurry to prepare for departure.
"Well, kid. This is where we part ways." Ganondorf said before hopping onto the lead wagon boulder. "If you want to know that we're telling the truth, just go back to Hyrule Castle and you'll know."
Link was about to reply when Nabooru patted him on the back before walking to the nearest boulder, saying, "Take care of your self, boy. I hope we can have a chance to talk like we used to."
As she walked away, Link started to notice a little swing in her gait. He was not sure why, but he did not feel comfortable looking at her hips. Without another thought it, he turned around and started in the other direction a bit too quickly to hide it.
Noticing his discomfort, Navi hovered by his face and asked, "Link, what's wrong?"
His face was more flustered as he tried to find the right words to say. "Uh... Navi... you know... uh... that thing... when I saw that girl walk away... it made it..."
"I have no idea what you're talking about!"
He answered, in spite of his embarrassment, "It made that thing... you know... that thing that only boys have... it... it... it grew..."
It only took a few seconds for Navi to realize what he was talking about before she began to giggle uncontrollably. She was laughing so hard that she actually had to concentrate to keep herself floating in the air.
"What's so funny?!" Link asked, both flustered and frustrated.
Gathering her composure, Navi answered between giggles, "It's... it's really complicated. You'll understand what it's all about when you really grow up."
Starting for the path leading out of the mountain valley, Link mumbled, "I'm not sure if I really want to know."
It had been a few hours before the two travelers had finally reached the edge of the mountain range and to the edge of Hyrule field. The recently built stone bridge gave Link a way across the deep chasm and within minutes, found their way into the vast western part of Hyrule.
"There you are." A familiar gruff voice said above Link and Navi. They both looked up, only to see the massive form of Mareg land a few feet beside them far too silently. "I take it you had a nice trip through the underground river?"
"Well, it was nice, but I don't think I'll be going in again anytime soon." Link replied, trying to hide his complaint.
Mareg nodded in agreement, "I do not blame you. Many others have said the same thing you have after surviving such an experience."
"Well, now that I can finally take a minute to think, I need to know more of what's happened. For example," He turned to the large beast man and inquired with a large frown, "How were you able to do that?!" The Kokiri boy pointed up to the place where the beast man had apparently come from.
Mareg smiled, gestured Link to move in closer, leaned forward, and whispered, "Very... very... carefully." With the boy's question answered, Mareg smiled, causing Link to sigh in resignation. No one was ever going to give him a straight answer.
"So, how did you know that I fell in the river?" Link asked, looking across the field for the path that would lead to Hyrule Castle.
"Shiek requested that I seek you out. He could not do it himself because the Hylian soldiers were giving him trouble."
"Have things really been that bad between your race and the Hylians?"
"Not really. It is a select few who believe that degrading another race will improve their self-esteem. Sadly, it is always that few that make the rest look bad." The beastman replied. "It is for that reason, the rest of my people do not care too much for Hylians."
Link paused a bit before continuing, "Would your people go to war again?" If Mareg was an example of how the beastmen were, Link shuddered internally to think of an army of people like him laying waste to Hyrule.
"Only if an outside force were the aggressors." The aged beastman said bluntly.
Hearing Hylians unmentioned sparked another question, "Who else have your people gone to war with? I thought Hylains were the only ones here until I saw you."
"The Beast Tribes have had many wars in the past. Though the wars were always the same, the circumstances and enemies were often different. There were wars among my tribe and the Skywing, or the Treeshadow. Or another tribe whose leaders were lead astray by delusions of having power and glory." He folded his arms and leaned against the tree he had jumped from. "From the outside, pirates, bandits, and even over-zealous Zakkarum paladins have tried to conquer our people, but they've always been repulsed. It has always been the instinct of my people to band together when an outside power wishes our doom. But enough about me and the past."
He started from the tree and took a look over Link's head to where he was looking. "So, you wish to visit Hyrule Castle?"
Noticing Mareg towering over him, Link nodded once.
"A dangerous place, if anything else. Why would you wish to go there?"
"Zelda... I have to see her. I have to see if what everyone has been saying has been true."
"Were I you, I would be careful. I have only been there once, but I can smell the intrigue, treachery, and insidious power games in the air. The Grand Council is dangerous enough as it is, but the Queen herself is a silent threat to anyone who dares to challenge her."
Though Link could easily retort the claims of Ganondorf and his like, the word of the Sheikah was a different matter. Confusion and ambiguity seemed to be the only fate for him.
"If you desire, I shall escort you to the edge of the town. After that, I am afraid you must continue by yourself. Sheik has told me that he will be watching for you. You need not worry about not being found."
Link could not help but accept the larger man's offer. They traversed the pathways to the castle in silence and within an hour's time, reached the edge of the outskirts of Hyrule City. Several small houses lay outside the massive walls of the core town and newly constructed battlements littered the outer perimeter.
The young Kokiri could not see the castle within, due to the walls, but he could see that the city had grown much more than when he last remembered. He saw several wagons entering and exiting the front gate, each one filled with differing items ranging from hay, to wood, to metals, and food.
He was almost mystified at the amount of people going about their businesses. Some were haggling, dealing, selling, and buying from countless stores and stands. Several children were playing with cuccos in the massive central square that could be seen from the front.
All the warnings given by Mareg almost seemed absurd and Link was about to walk into the city when the beastman grabbed his shoulder, "Before I go, I will tell you this: Trust no one... for everyone wears masks with the intent to deceive."
The deep growl of Mareg revived all the fear he had seen from the nightmare and the Gerudo's warning. The beastman let go and started off.
Link turned around to ask Mareg something, but found the man nearly three times his mass had vanished. He turned back to the town and felt the warnings take a hold of him. Walking through the gate along a wagon filled with wood, Link could not help but feel that he was being watched.
Weaving through the many people, he felt eyes of curious people taking a single glance at him, and then turning away, uninterested. Link did not mind the amount of people he saw before he traveled to the future, but this was something completely different.
Little did the boy know that his fears were justified.
Through a small telescope, the Executor recalled the description the Sekorf had given her and found him to be the same one. She turned to the soldier standing next to her on the battlement.
"It's him. Watch his every move. If the usual grunts that tried to find him a while ago try to arrest him, stop them. The Queen wants him to find his own way to her."
The soldier thumped his chest and bowed to Shelia before exiting. Alyx Tein, Captain of the Guard, hid his sword beneath his priest's robes and walked into the busy city streets. Along the way, he nodded to several other inconspicuous people on the street, sending a silent message to them to be prepared.
Alyx allowed himself a smile for once. It certainly was not everyday your next surveillance target was the Hero of Time.
End of Chapter 3
[Warhammer sits on the fountain, like in the first chapter.]
WH: Lovely, isn't it? A world that seems to be so wonderful and beautiful at first, only to see how shallow and pretentious it really is. Very much like reality, I think.
[A little yellow light flies out from behind WH and rams into his head, knocking him into the fountain.]
Tatl: Your reality anyway...
WH: Don't start, sprite!
Tatl: [Turns to the reader] Don't mind him. He's just mad because people he considers scumbags can get married and he can't even get a date.
WH: Anyway! As I was saying, the newer characters are actually related to characters I created for an original story I was making up several years ago. By newer characters, I mean the Council people and the Sekorf.
Tatl: Alyx Tein? Farlein Lakarthis? Shelia Koz? What kind of names are those?
WH: Original names. Took me long enough to make them.
Tatl: No surprise there. What about the dream?
WH: I'm still working out the logistics of how it could work. But folks are going to have to wait for the ending to understand everything. Also, I can only hope people will understand the ending when it gets here.
For those who play a lot of PC games, you'll know what the other Link's prison looks like, the demon the knight was fighting, the knight himself, and where they all come from. Also, in the next few chapters, you'll find out who exactly all those weird characters are.
Tatl: Oh, can you be a little more vague?
WH: Not even if I tried, sweetheart.
Tatl: So you say.
WH: Next, I always figured that if Ganondorf was not the usual bad guy he's always been, he would have been a great comic relief character.
Tatl: You sure?
WH: Of course. He's got the nose for it.
Tatl: You know, the more I hang around you, the more I realize just how crazy you are.
WH: Thank you.
Tatl: Are you still going to be adding more parts from Diablo II and Grandia II into this story?
WH: Of course! Both are cool games and Mareg is by far one of the most unique 'big guys' I've ever seen.
Tatl: You know what they say about birds of a feather...
WH: Silence, light bulb. Or else I'll be using you for my fly swatting practice.
Tatl: ...
WH: Finally: Anything related to the Diablo games belongs to Blizzard Entertainment. Anything related to Grandia II belongs to Gamearts. All characters, places, items, and so on related to Zelda belong to Nintendo. All original characters belong to me. Anything not listed that does not belong to me, belongs to their respective owner.
Tatl: I like how Zelda's being evil and stuff.
WH: I know. Isn't it great! There isn't enough 'Evil Zelda' fics out there. And a special thanks to Hugh Jasse, author of 'Only Half', for kicking my hinder and in turn, getting this wretched chapter done! For those who don't know, 'Only Half' is one of the stories that inspired me to write this fic. Go to Fanfiction.net to read it. Beware, it's dark. *nearly swoons*
[Tatl helps WH swoon by pounding his head into the water again.]