Chapter Two: Corruption

Night was falling fast as a small boy rushed towards the gates to the Hyrule Castle Market. As he approached it, a wolfos howled somewhere in the distance, signaling the end of dusk and the onset of night. The boy continued to run towards the drawbridge that would be closing any moment, decapitating a pair of Stalchildren without breaking stride. Somewhere in the back of his mind he realized the drawbridge should be closing by now. Another pair of Stalchildren rose up in front of him. He chopped off the right arm of the closer one, and put his sword through the skull of the other. The Stalchild collapsed, but the other remained intact, sans it's right arm. A swift kick to the chest solved the problem and he hurried on. Rain began to fall, lightly at first, but soon escalating into a storm. Black, billowing storm clouds began to roll in, and lightning began to sizzle through the air, and the boy ran on. Just as the boy set foot on the drawbridge, a white horse carrying two figures burst out the gates and rushed past him. One figure was a white-haired woman in armor that didn't really cover too much, and the other, sitting in front of the woman, was a young girl that peered out from under the woman's arm. As the horse drew further away, the girl tossed something back at he boy who stood at the end of the drawbridge watching them go.

A moment later the princess Zelda was gone, and Link was vaguely aware of a large seated atop an armored black stallion. Ganondorf looked down upon the small boy in the falling rain.

"I've seen you before," he said, in a dark, commanding voice. "With the princess. You were looking at me through a window in the palace garden."

The rain continued to fall around the man and the boy as they stood in silence, their eyes locked. Link spoke.

"So?"

Ganondorf spoke cruelly. "I know what you've been doing boy. And I know Zelda told you to do it."

"Zelda didn't tell me to do anything." Link lied.

"Do you think I got where I am today by being stupid? I have my sources, and I know exactly what she said to you. I also know you did it. I also know about the green-haired girl."

Link flinched at the mention of Saria, as memories of Kokiri girl came unbidden to his mind. Ganondorf continued.

"You possess the spiritual stones. I want them. There are two ways the next part of our little conversation can go. You can either give them to me, or I can take them."

Link wordlessly raised his sword, ready to defend the stones, but Ganondorf just laughed.

"There isn't a man in this world that would dare to fight me without half a dozen others armed to the hilt backing him, and here a cold, wet and tired little boy armed with a wooden shield and a sword I could break between my thumb and forefinger is fighting back. You have courage boy. There's no doubt about that. And potential. A pity that you waste it so."

Ganondorf waved one hand and in a flurry of purple energy, Link was disarmed and lying on his back in mud. Ganondorf dismounted and walked towards Link, while he scrambled to find his sword. Ganondorf was preparing another spell. Link's hand closed on something as his mind frantically tried to maintain control over his body. Was it the sword? No, shield. He raised it just in time to block the spell, but it caused the shield to burst into dark purple flames. Link hurled the flaming hunk of deku wood at Ganondorf, but he just blasted it out of the air. Link resumed his frantic search for his sword, and Ganondorf cackled wickedly at Link's distress while summoning another energy ball. After what seemed an eternity, Link's groping hand touched the cold steel of the sword blade. Unfortunately, the hilt was no attached. Ganondorf hurled the energy ball, and Link swung the sword blade desperately, cutting his hand on the sharp edges as the magic was deflected.

Link struggled to his feet, holding the broken weapon in his bloody hand, ready to strike. Ganondorf moved closer, smiling cruelly the whole time as he picked up Link by his tunic's collar and lifted him to eye level, and laughed vilely when the boy swung the blade and dropped it when it struck Ganondorf's gauntlet, causing it to vibrate and cut even deeper into Link's hand.

Still grinning, Ganondorf hurled Link into the wall that surrounded the town. There was the crunch of bones hitting stone, and Link was vaguely aware that his arm was broken as he plunged into the brackish water of the moat at the base of the wall. As he sank to the bottom, something brushed against his good hand, and he grabbed it instinctively, just before an arm plunged into the water from the world of the surface, and jerked Link back into that world roughly. Now Link dangled from the large hand that was closed around his throat; one arm hanging limp and useless at his side, the other still clutching something Link couldn't see. It was becoming harder to breathe, and Link's vision began to cloud with blotches of red. He raised his hand to throw whatever it held at the grinning face before him, prepared to fight to the end, when Ganondorf grabbed his wrist and laughed.

"This is the best the princess can spare for her champion? A little ocarina? Ha! An yet you still fight for her." Ganondorf dropped Link to the cobblestones, bruising his leg. "You are nothing to her. You realize that? Just a plaything, something to amuse her. Someone to send off to do silly and dangerous things, and when you're in trouble, when you really need help, she gives you a little ocarina and runs off. You are nothing but her pawn now."

Link tried to think, but it was all happening to fast and his head was throbbing with pain that was flooding to it form all over his body. Some, no, most of what Ganondorf said made sense. Zelda had sent him to do some rather dangerous things, and now she had runaway without even bothering to take the things he had collected, at extreme personal risk, for her. But, she, she had seemed so sincere in the palace gardens. Was that all an act? Something she had done so many times to others in his position so she could laugh at their foolishness and gullibility later, that she could fake sincerity almost second nature? Ganondorf continued.

" I'll make you an offer boy. Give me the spiritual stones, and you'll have power that most men will only ever dream of. Refuse, and the next time we speak will be behind the Black Gates. What will it be boy?"

Link struggled to his feet, fighting not to lose consciousness, and trying to think clearly with little success. One word floated through his mind. PAWN. Link didn't want to be that. Never again would he be a pawn. His expression hardened as he came to a decision and looked up at Ganondorf.

"I won't be a pawn. Not now, not ever. My name is Link, and you have a deal."

* * *

Minutes later the two stood before the alter in the Temple of Time. Ganondorf carefully placed each spiritual stone in it's place and stepped back while Link watched. There was a moment of silence. Then another. And another followed by yet another as it quickly became apparent that nothing was happening. Ganondorf removed the stones from their place, examined the pits in the alter where they fit, then replaced them. Nothing happened. Ganondorf was getting angry now. He hammered his fist against the doors behind the alter and yelled.

"Why don't they open?! They're supposed to open! You put the stones in place and the doors open! So why don't they open!?"

While Ganondorf pounded at the door, Link watched. He was tired, cold, wet, his entire body ached, one arm hung useless at his side, the hand on his other arm was bloody, and for some reason he was still clutching the ocarina it his bloody hand. For the same unknown reason that he still carried it, he now lifted it to his lips and played a song he had never heard before on it, somewhat awkwardly because he only had one hand to do it with, and it was slick with his own blood. As he played, Ganondorf stopped pounding the doors and watched him At the end of the song, the doors swung open silently to reveal the chamber beyond them. Several steps led up to a raised platform on which stood a small pedestal with a finely crafted sword standing in it. Ganondorf grinned and entered the chamber, walked behind the sword, and turned to face Link.

"The Master Sword." He said, indicating the weapon before him. "With this, I shall be the undisputed King of Hyrule, and eventually the entire world. And for your help in it's acquisition, shall be prince."

It took a moment for this to fully sink in, but when it did Link allowed himself a small grin. He would never be anyone's pawn again.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, came three loud thuds, followed by the words "My lord? My Lord? Prince Link?"

Link sat up in bed as the servant outside his door knocked again. He yawned and groggily rubbed his eyes before replying.

"Come in."

The servant entered. Link recognized him somewhat. Not so much as to know his name, but he had seen him at least once before, which was quite an accomplishment for a palace servant, considering Ketume's temper. Most servants didn't last 24 hours after meeting Ketume.

"Good dream sir?" asked the servant, in a voice that said 'please don't have me put to death for waking you.' Link gave a short, emotionless laugh.

"Old memories. What is it?"

The servant held out a sheet of parchment and said "The King told me to give this to you."

Link took the sheet and read it quickly before looking at the servant again.

"You didn't read this did you?"

The servant looked nervous. "N-no sir. I'm, uh, what's it called, illitergitamate."

"You mean illiterate."

"Yeah, that. Can't read."

Link sighed. He wasn't surprised. He folded the parchment and set It on his bedside table before climbing out of bed and pulling on a shirt.

"What's your name?" he asked finally.

"Er, Dowl sir."

"Dowl, meet me in the stables in an hour."

"Sir?"

"I'm to go to Inigo Ranch and collect a horse of my choosing as tribute to my father. You are to accompany me. You may go."

"Yessir." And with that Dowl was gone, and Link was left alone with his thoughts.