From Weegie: This is the chapter I had to rewrite, as Word decided to corrupt my original file and delete half the crap I wrote. And it was decent crap, too. Ah, well, what to do, what to do.

Also, I had included this in my original intro before it got deleted and in frustration I neglected to add it a second time: Thanks for getting me to finally start writing this goes to my friend, Gemini.

*~*

Dear Mother and Father,

I miss you very much. I am enjoying my travels and have found many nice people and made some friends. I am taking care of myself and not getting into trouble.

I learned to write with Zelda's help. She is a friend I have met. She is very patient with me and doesn't get mad even when I spell something wrong or can't read something. She's teaching me reading too.

I know you have been long dead but I had to write. Zelda told me something about the power of words on paper. She said they are immortal and can exist in many times and spaces. So maybe you can read this if I write it down.

Mother and Father, I miss you.

Your devoted son, Link

*~*

"I said 'transcend', Link."

"Pardon?" Link looked up beside him and put the quill to rest. Zelda leaned over the paper, careful not to drag the long sleeve of her dress into the ink.

"Words are immortal because they can 'transcend' time and space, Link. That's what I said about writing." She said, clarifying her point. "But you don't have to put that into the letter. It's very good as is." She added quickly, smiling.

"I'm glad." Link returned the smile and turned back to his letter. "Will you write one to your father, Zelda?"

"No, I haven't the time." She sighed.

"What would you say to him if you did?" Zelda paused. There were too many angry words there than there were pleasing ones. She clenched her hand into a fist. "Nothing, Link." She replied quickly. "Come, let's prepare that letter. It's nearly dry."

"Why are we going to the royal tomb then tomorrow?" Link asked as Zelda stood, reaching around him for the letter.

"Because we must. It's tradition, Link. I must pay respect to my ancestors." She explained. "Everything here is steeped in tradition and pageantry. If I break with that the people will be upset. Besides, we get to go see the countryside." Zelda tried to sound cheerful. Link gave her a skeptical look.

"You don't really want to do this at all. You're ruler here. If you don't want to go then say so."

"That's impossible. And I'm not ruler, just regent. And I've also told you about tradition. People must be reassured that things will not change from the way they were before." Zelda repeated, almost like a chant.

"But you've said before the most any of these people can remember is war. Few can remember peace, so what 'before' are you even talking about? Why would anyone want to have those rituals that remind them of such bad times?" Link's voice raised and he could hear his voice echo off the stone walls. He spoke with honesty and conviction but Zelda's opinion was not changed.

"Link," Zelda began, taking a deep breath. "Even through the wars my father and my grandmother carried on with the ancient tradition of kings. They put on these pageants and parades as they had been taught to do and did them even when the castle was under siege and the people admired and loved them all the more for it. It may not give hope to me but it gives hope to others." Zelda sat down again, feeling her energy drained. Link leaned over and took her hand.

"Zelda, you look pale." He said quietly with concern. "You need rest." Zelda pushed him away with a slight laugh.

"Link, I'm fine. What am I to do between you and Impa?" Despite her words, Zelda's eyelids were falling quickly and she was slumping in her chair.

"Come on, let's get you to bed." Link reached over and grasped Zelda under her arms. She fought still, insisting she had more work to do, yet as Link managed to cradle her in his arms she stopped resisting and her head fell onto his broad shoulders.

The castle was deathly silent save for the sound of Link's boots hitting the flat stone floor where there were no carpets or fresh hay to absorb his heels. Link found no one in Zelda's apartments when he reached them and assumed the princess had dismissed her attendants for the evening before she came to study with him. After fiddling with a doorknob for a few minutes, Link was able to lay the girl to rest. He did not bother trying to remove her gown for more appropriate sleeping attire for fear of what she might do to him if she awoke or found out later. Besides, she looked perfectly calm and peaceful sleeping for now. She could change herself later if she really wanted to.

Link sighed heavily watching Zelda wriggle in her bed for a more comfortable sleeping position yet smiled to himself as he turned to the door. As a boy, Link had had few friends, and he certainly had never had a best friend. Zelda did all the things with him that a best friend would do, he thought.

When Link reached the door Zelda made an odd noise and, startled, Link turned back quickly to make sure she was okay. Of course she is, Link reassured himself. Upon turning back to the door Link began to walk and nearly tripped over the old woman standing before him now.

"Impa!" He said loudly, his voice breaking.

"She fell asleep on you, didn't she?" Impa asked. "I told her that would happen. But what would I know? I'm merely the woman who raised her from a babe." Link stood wordless for a moment before Impa continued. "You're a fine boy to bring her all the way up here and put her to rest."

"It's my job." He said simply and Impa nodded. "I suppose it is too." Then, as Link thought Impa would go in to check on Zelda, Impa grabbed his arm instead. "Boy, come with me." She requested.

"Don't you want to see Zelda?" Link asked with confusion.

"She is fine and needs her rest. I fear if I go in she will sense my presence and awaken just to ask me questions she could wait and ask in the morning and tire herself out some more." Impa patted Link's arm. "Now, off with us boy, before our conversation does wake her up, poor dear."

Link did as he was told and let Impa guide him. The old woman said nothing for a long time and Link felt the silence awkward. Eventually he guessed she was leading him back to the library where Zelda had fallen asleep earlier.

"Link, what do you know of magic?" Impa asked before they reached the main hallway to the library.

"Nothing, ma'am." He replied, unsure of why Impa would be asking him such a question. She knew perfectly well he knew nothing of it.

"What about the Master Sword?" She was speaking of the sword Link had been given in his travels by an imprisoned sorcerer. Link had been told the sword had magical elements within it and indeed when Link used the sword he could wield a form of strange magic he did not understand nor directly control. "I know little of its power." Link said honestly.

"Do you know why it was given to you and only you?" Link had no answer to that question. "You have a special purpose, Link, just as Zelda and I and the rest of the people of Hyrule have their own special purposes."

Link was confused by Impa's words, but supposed Impa was speaking of some sort of religious belief he was unfamiliar with. He knew a little about the goddesses of Hyrule but understood he was also no theologian. He was especially humbled before Zelda's knowledge. She knew so much that he always felt that he knew too little. "What are our special purposes?"

"Zelda speaks little of her family, but you can read about it in the library if you wish." Impa said as they entered the library hall. "Each of her ancestors had a special purpose. Has Zelda ever told you how she got her name?"

Link shook his head.

"Long ago there lived the great king, Althusier, son of Gregor, who had two children. The elder, the crown prince, would become Althusier the Second. The younger, a princess, was named Zelda. She was the first of her family to be given the name. Althusier, the king, was said to have ruled the entire kingdom with all three parts of the Triforce."

"How many parts can the Triforce of Wisdom be split up into?" Link asked in confusion.

"No, Link, not the Triforce of Wisdom alone. Althusier had the Triforces of Wisdom, Power, and Courage." Impa corrected him.

"Courage? Zelda never–"

Impa interrupted. "Yes, you wouldn't have heard much about it. No one believes the piece exists anymore. But there are indeed three Triforces. Zelda's family has always kept Wisdom. It was passed down as an heirloom through the female line. We do not know how the women of the royal family came to inherit such a power but I am sure it has something to do with Ganon."

"Why Ganon?"

"Ganon wished for power. It is said that at the time when he stole the Triforce he was unable to obtain all three parts at once. Only power came willingly to him. Wisdom and Courage left him and went to other worthy persons." As they entered the library Impa spied for a chair to sit. "Lets go over there, away from the draft of the windows."

Link led the old woman over to a sturdy chair as Impa continued on. "Perhaps it was at that time that Wisdom became the heirloom of the royal family." She theorized.

"What of Courage?" Link asked.

"As I have said, little is known of its fate. Althusier is said to have had all three pieces of the Triforce, so it is naturally assumed he had Courage at this time. Oh, this seat is fine, Link. You can let go of my arm now." Impa settled into her seat as Link took one across from her. "Unfortunately, after Althusier passed on into the next world the Triforce did not pass on to his son in whole."

"Where did it go?"

"Althusier the Second is remembered as a good king only in passing but when he was young he was very greedy and cruel, so unlike his father. When his father died, the younger Althusier was eager to get his hands on the Triforce and was angry when it did not pass to him in whole. He suspected his sister, the princess, had something to do with this. He had seen her speak in private with their father many times and he suspected, in his fool way, that his sister and father had secretly plotted to disinherit him." Impa suddenly shivered and stopped her story.

"Are you very cold, ma'am? I can get you a blanket," Link offered but Impa raised her hand. "No, dear boy. I just got a sudden chill. It is gone now. Where was I?"

"Althusier accused his sister of taking the Triforce?" Link offered.

"Ah, yes. But Althusier did not accuse his sister of taking the whole Triforce. He did receive the Triforce of Power on his father's death. He was still searching for Courage and Wisdom," Impa continued. "The prince, who was now king, questioned his sister about the Triforce. She told him he knew nothing but he did not believe her. In a fit of rage it is said he inadvertently cast a sleeping spell upon her. He did not mean to do this and Althusier could then not lift the spell, either. And because it was power from the Triforce, no other wizards and sorcerers in the land could break it."

Impa paused to rub her hands. "In the end the prince could only grieve his sister and curse his greed and from that day on he decreed that all first-born girls of the royal household should be given the first name of Zelda. The tradition has lasted all these many years."

Link nodded dumbly, unsure of what to make of the entire story. "So," He began, eventually thinking of something to say. "I guess they eventually found the Triforce of Wisdom. And I guess Ganon got the Triforce of Power somehow. But did they ever find Courage again?"

Impa shook her head. "No. And to this day they say men in Hyrule lack courage because the kingdom herself has lost Courage. Farore be merciful on us, for we have lost her most sacred essence."

"Why tell me all this, Impa?" Link asked. Rarely did he speak at length with the women on such subjects, so why would they start now?

Impa replied with a smile and a simple explanation. "I thought it might give you something to talk about on your trip with Zelda. As well, a little more knowledge on the country you're about to tour doesn't hurt." Then the old woman stood and held out her hand in that subtle way that all women of noble birth are trained to do. "Now, would you mind escorting an old woman to her quarters? I need my rest."

Link obliged as his head swam with the story of Althusier and the Triforce of Courage he had never even known existed. Tomorrow, he would ask Zelda more about it.

*~*

I exist out of fear.

I am sustained by hatred and jealousy. Despair was my nursemaid and lust was my playmate.

I have known nothing of love. I only know that I covet.

I am the parasite of one who hides me because he does not understand how to deal with me.

Soon, I will overtake him and change him into a new man. This is the mission I was created for. And once I have control I will find my master and the kingdom will finally be all of ours.

Who wishes for equality and total bliss? Those things are unattainable because the Goddesses did not allow them to be. They keep anything perfect for themselves and throw the scraps to mortals.

In that case we will take back what should have been our birthright. I shall finally make everyone equal. They will all be equally as poor and miserable. No longer will inbred mortals be allowed to rule here. My master will make sure of that. He is already a god among men. He is immortal and his powers equal that of the Goddesses themselves. They will not stand a chance.

What do they call a man who can kill a god? And what will they call a man who becomes one?