Back at Gerudo Valley, Link was setting the rules. "Alright, Zelda. I'll shoot ten targets first, and then you go. Highest score wins. Simple enough?" She nodded.

"Okay, so what do I get if I win?" she asked.

"The honor of winning?"

"No. Since you set the rules, I pick the prizes. If I win, you give me…. a full day to ride Epona." "What? She's my horse! You have that one, plus a million others-"

"Just wait. I'm not done. If you win, which won't happen, I'll give you…a thousand rupees. Okay?"

"Fine."

"Good. Now start shooting, 'Hero of Time'." Link sighed, hearing his now 'official' palace name. It wasn't his favorite. He picked up his bow, then was about to grab an arrow, when he paused.

"Zelda? Can we use magic arrows?"

"No, you know they always hit the target. It's not fair. Get out a Deku one, mister." He pulled out a Deku arrow and nocked it to the bowstring. Just as he was about to let go of the string, he heard a loud zap of energy and looked up. There was a swirling portal in the sky! Link wasn't sure what to do, especially when he saw a dark figure in a robe step through it, followed closely by Ganondorf's ghost. Well, this is new, he thought. Link quickly added a Light Arrow to the string and aimed for them. When he released the string, the magic arrow seemed to guide the other one to the targets. Ganondorf seemed almost frightened for a moment, then relaxed when the other guy put up a dark energy shield in front of them, shattering the arrows into pieces. The figure then shot magic bolts at Zelda, but Hyacinth nimbly dodged the attack. Before Zelda had time to regain her balance, they fired again, knocking her off the mare. "Zelda!" yelled Link. He jumped off Epona and ran to her side. He checked her pulse, but there was only a faint beat against his fingertips. Turning to face Ganondorf, he unsheathed his sword and charged it for a powerful sword spin. He planned to jump into the air right when it was at full power, using it to 'fly' up to Ganondorf (and friend) and strike when the attack was at full power. Ganondorf floated down to where Zelda lay and yelled something to the other guy. To Link, it sounded like, "Start the spell now!" or something. The figure raised his arms and began chanting in ancient Hylian: "By the powers of the Golden Ones, Din, Nayru, and Farore, let this spirit become one with this body!" A flash of golden light blinded Link and Zelda. When it disappeared, Link noticed that the Gerudo was missing, and the other person was stepping back through the dark portal. Link took out a bomb and hurled it towards the figure. It exploded mid-flight, but he had no time to notice. He went back to Zelda, who lay on the ground, seemingly unconscious. She suddenly opened her eyes and sat up, blinking. "Zelda, are you okay?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm fine," she answered in a monotonous voice.

"Are you sure? You sound kind of strange."

"I said, I'm fine," she said with a slight edge.

"Okay, if you say so. But I still think we should go back to the castle…."

"Who asked you what you thought? We should stay and practice in case the great Ganon returns." Link was surprised.

"Since when is he 'the great Ganon'? And since when are you so rude?"

"I-I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. But we really should practice. If you don't think you can win, then go back to the castle. But I'm staying."

"No way, Zelda. After that experience, I'm not leaving you alone. Besides, I can't let you beat the great 'Hero of Time' at archery!" After they shot several rounds, they stopped for lunch. "I can't believe how many times you beat me, Zelda! After ten rounds, I only won three. I guess you are pretty good," he said, admitting defeat.

"We aren't finished yet. You could still have a chance if you actually tried."

"I was try-oh, I get it. I mean, I was letting you off easy, but not anymore."

"Okay. I've got an idea. How about we do five more rounds. Whoever wins gets both prizes." "But if I get a whole day to ride my own horse, won't that be useless?"

"No. This time you will have my official permission. Remember what happened last time you didn't?" He thought for a moment, recalling the incident.

"Hey, why can't I leave? I need to go ride Epona," he said, talking to the two guards blocking his path. One laughed.

" 'Epona' can wait. Right now, you have royal duties to attend to." Link didn't like this. Once he set his mind to something, it got done, end of story. He turned around and acted as if he was going to walk away, but instead did an effortless back flip over them. He dashed through the town dodging people and Cuccos. Sprinting towards the drawbridge, he stole a glance at the stunned guards and laughed. They were frantically chasing after him. His smile faded when the guards started closing the drawbridge ahead of him. He ran even faster and up the bridge, jumping into the moat at the last second. He climbed out, soaking wet, and played Epona's song on his ocarina. As he heard her hoof beats in the distance, he saw the guards shouting at him to get back to the castle, but he ignored them. He swiftly mounted his faithful horse and galloped in the direction of the Kokiri Forest.

"Oh yeah. I almost forgot," he said.

"Well, don't forget again. It didn't turn out good then, and it certainly wouldn't now."

Back in the Dark Realm, in his fortress of evil, Aronos was watching them. "The plan is going perfectly," he said to himself. He knew Ganondorf could hear him. Now that the Gerudo had overpowered Zelda, he was slowly absorbing her energy and abilities, including her telepathy. He thought Ganondorf was doing a decent job of acting like Zelda. Aronos could feel her spirit slowly fading away. Her thoughts were echoing in his head. Link, help me! I'm too weak to destroy him on my own. Link! Can you hear me! LINK! He laughed at her cries for help. Link can't hear you, Zelda. And soon you will have no chances left, for you are slowly dying. Accept the truth. Ganon is more powerful than you. Death isn't completely bad, believe me. It doesn't hurt. Just let it happen. His thoughts had an evil tone. Remember, Ganon. This is your one chance to finally destroy the Hero of Time. Don't mess it up!

Don't worry, Aronos. There's no way this can fail, he answered. Aronos broke his concentration. I guess I should have a back up plan, in case this doesn't work. He turned to a shelf full of potions. He grabbed a few bottles and walked over to where his book of magic spells and a large cauldron were. "Let's see…" he muttered, searching through the crumbling, faded pages. "Ah, here we go," he said to himself. "This spell is perfect." He poured a few of the liquids in the cauldron, then said a few words in ancient Hylian. The potion glowed bright orange for a few seconds, then turned a glassy, silver color. He filled three bottles with it, putting two on a small table nearby. The third one, he drank. As the liquid flowed down his throat, he realized he could taste again. No, he could…. he could feel again. He felt as if everything had a texture, even the air surrounding him. He could sense energy everywhere. Aronos was no longer a ghost. He pulled back the hood of his cloak and stared into the mirror-like surface of the cauldron. A young, startled face with long, vibrant red hair, emerald green eyes, and pointed Hylian ears stared back.

Review responses:

Greki: It may have only been one word, but it was a very nice word. I hope you meant "interesting" in a good way.

Evil Enigmatic Moomba: Okay, thanks. I think… No more soda for you today. At least the JarJar thing is over. I hope…

harrypotterfan: Thanks. It gets way better, I promise.

Fatalfeline: How is it like anime? Ummm, I didn't really cry.

Darkdragonknight1993: Yes, the E word is a very very very (…) very bad thing. It's spelled 'Ganondork', by the way.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed so far. I just wish there were more of you….hinthintnudgenudgewinkwinkcoughcough -horsie890