Hyrule Field, which usually lay dormant in the darkness of night, was now ablaze with a hundred torches of Goron soldiers. The Amies of Hyrule were on the move, followed by warriors of both Kakariko and Hyrule Castle, though such soldiers were hardly trained for this line of fighting. Tents had been pitched in the grass and the Gorons were busy about their weapons and armor. Hammers were thrown against the sides of anvils to test their durability, while swords glowed white hot as smiths pounded them to perfection. Blades were sharpened against stray rock, while shields were re-plated with slabs of Mountain Steel that were impenetrable by any weapon and harvested personally by the Gorons. Helms were strengthened, thickened, and christened with the symbol of the Fire Medallion. Breastplates were strapped on and Bomb flowers placed in large sacs to be carried to the field. With the caravan came three catapults, courtesy of Kakariko; in these were placed both bombs and boulders, pulled along by a dozen Goron to the campsite.

Impa waited on the outskirts of camp, listening silently to the sounds of activity. Link was beside her, quieter even than she. The future had been told to him, an inescapable future he was yet afraid to confront; but fear or none, he would do his duty to Hyrule.

From afar the first messengers of the Zora came forth. Most did not ride anything, but traveled on foot. Princess Ruto, however, came forth saddled on an a large amphibious creature that wheezed from lack of water and caused the group more problems than solutions.

But when Ruto dismounted, Link did not see the normal spark of flirtation and childish love that usually lit up when she saw him. Whether or not she truly believed he was her fiancee was unknown to the Hero - but something in the way she approached them caused a sinking feeling in his stomach.

Something was terribly, terribly wrong...

Ruto swallowed and knelt before Link. Trembling, she held out a small bundle, wrapped in satin cloth. Link took it in his hands, bemused. What was this? A gift? A warning? Then he caught Ruto's eye and the answer screamed at him. Slowly, he looked down and unfolded the satin.

Navi lay, motionless and pale, the light gone from her torn body. Her eyes were closed as if sleep had taken her; but she did not awaken, did not stir. The warmth her pink radiance had once let off had fallen into an icy coldness. And at last she lay, content in death, as Link stuttered a prayer through his tears.


Link gazed into the lamplight, unfocused, lost in the despair and confusion. He was motionless, standing in the midst of his tent without any intention of resting. He was concentrating on his breathing...the soft inhale, exhale that he had so many times taken advantage of...the perfect way his rib cage widened to let in air, the way his diaphragm always lifted to exhale. Slowly he raised his hand to push the blond bangs from his eyes; he paused, astonished at the beautiful working of his own bodyThe way the impulses of the brain, quicker than thought, reached the ends of sinews and invisible fibers that caused the joints to move and the muscles to tighten, loosen, tighten again. He wondered how, even through so many years of near death experiences, that he would realize the beauty of the human form at this point. Perhaps, he thought, it was because this time he knew death was inevitable, unescapable...even to those he thought would stay forever.

When he heard Aloarn walk into the room his own body slowed; he felt the beating of his heart go shallow in his chest and the indescribable peace enter his mind. She glided toward him, almost as fluid as the wind itself, and he felt something stir within his chest.

Her hair caressed her shoulders as she walked, the wind pushing her blond bangs behind her ears...hair he longed, more than ever, to run his fingers through...eyelashes that fluttered, deep, glorious green that called to him irresistibly, beckoned him to stare into for eternity...hips that swayed subtly as she drew close, hips he could wrap his fingers around, a beautiful waist he could draw close, draw near to him before...

When she touched him, a shiver went up his spine and he forced himself to close his eyes. She slid her hands up his chest and wrapped his arms around him, breathing slowly against his cheek. She did not speak, but he felt her pain match his and a need for love and reassurance overcame him

His breathing became faster and uneven; the feeling of her body against his was almost too much to bear. He swallowed his pain and clung to her, but still she did not speak. He felt her lips caress his forehead, his eyelids, his cheek...felt a desperate need to cry out for warmth, for comfort...lips met and he fell into her, unresisting and weakened. She kissed him deeper and his grip on her hips tightened ever so slightly. Each kiss grew more passionate, more intense, and Link's mind clouded, confused and overwhelmed by the absolute power she had over him.

He traveled to her neck, yearning to get every inch of her, terrified that she too would leave him. She sighed his name and the sound was unbearable; he broke away from her to regain his breathe, trying to focus on something.

"Aloarn...everyone...they...Navi, and Darunia..and...don't...don't leave me..." He stuttered desperately, broken to pieces in her arms. Aloarn did not let him collapse, but sustained him, held him up when the world shattered beneath him.

"I'm right here, Link..." she whispered. The full surge overtook him; a tear fell and he pressed against her, lowering her to the mattress as the night grew late.


Vulhal was practically foaming at the mouth with greed, her steed red-eyed from terror and scarred from a spiked whip. Ramil stood beside her, her teeth bared in the same fashion, her appearance beginning to match that of an Outcast. The two grinned at each other, expectant and hungry for their rewards. The sun was rising, heavy and hot, as it always did over the Valley on these mornings. Clouds were forming about the horizon, thundering in the distance with faint forebodings of rain; but now red light streaked red sand and the Desert lit up beneath the sun. The hissing figures of the Banished covered the earth like spawn of the devil; and that devil stood, now in his full human form, plated in armor, with a sinister grin before his army.

Ganon turned to Ramil and Vulhal and gave them a yellow smile. The two women dismounted and fell down before their King in complete loyalty; the sight made him laugh, the poison of power running through his veins like his cursed blood was pumped through, indestructible, all but immortal. He turned and Ramil and Vulhal took their places at the front of the first onslaught.

The army of Hyrule stood before them, grim-faced and determined. Goron's stomped the ground impatiently and banged their chests with heavy fists. Zora crouched and prepared themselves to spring, their bodies arched with cat-like flexibility, the spears glittering in their silver scaled hands. The few Kokiri that joined the army stood close by with bladed boomerangs clutched in their hands. Other forest children arched the strings of bows and prepared slingshots; several Kakariko drew Sheikah war paint across their faces and soldiers were inches from cutting the strings on catapults. Saria knelt low to the ground at the right wing of the army with Nabooru, who slid her blade along theearth and roared at the line of traitors before her. Impa and Ruto stood quiet as Impa twirled a mace idly and Ruto leaned against her carven spear. Aloarn crouched low with her blades beside Goron Link, who stood before the army of Gorons and banged his breastplate three times in proper introduction. The Goron's cheered and the other races joined until and all out roar sounded through the valley.

Link stood in the front, sitting upright like the fairy-tale Hero he was born to be. Epona was unsaddled and unbridled; free from any chains she tossed her head in fury and strove to gallop against the mighty tides of evil before her. Yet this time, the sight of Ganon stirred no fear in the Hero's eyes. Link no longer feared anything; not death, not pain, not Ganon himself. His eyes bore into the Dark King's with nothing but utter hatred.

The two armies were poised like pieces on a chessboard; the Hero of Time vs. The Gerudo King.