Zelda's Exile

The Princess of Hyrule sat on the steps in front of the grass of her private courtyard. She adjusted her golden jewelry agitatedly as she pondered her troubled thoughts. It was another beautiful day, but she couldn't shake the feeling of foreboding. She had been having strange dreams for a few days, just as she had seven years ago when Ganondorf was around. They always involved strange beings, many of which she had never seen before. But these dreams weren't as clear as the ones from before.

Meanwhile, Link and Impa were just outside the courtyard. Link was delivering milk from Lon Lon Ranch. He was dressed in his usual Kokiri Tunic, with his Gilded Sword sheathed on his back.

"Good afternoon, Link," Impa greeted him. "Have you come to see Zelda?"

"Yeah, but first I wanted to talk to you," he said nervously, putting down his sack for a moment. "I'm having a bit of a problem, you see, so I was hoping you could help.

"I'm all ears," she said, smiling warmly.

"Well, I have these friends," he said, speaking slowly to use the right words. "For the most part I've been friends with each person ever since I left the forest. Even after I left Hyrule for a while, when I came back they all considered me a friend."

"Go on."

"I'll put this the best way I can… I think some of them are starting to…have feelings for me."

"Girl problems, eh?"

"Uh, yeah…It's just weird because they never acted that way before. Back when we were kids, we were just friends and that's it. But now, I've seen so many signs that they're coming onto me, I just wonder how I missed them before."

"Are you sure you aren't misinterpreting them?"

"You tell me," he said, shaking his head. "Saria's been taking me on long, quiet walks in the forest. Malon wants me to move onto the farm and sleep in her room. And Ruto! She's not only getting hotter…uh prettier, but nicer, too…Really nice, actually. I like all of them, but I don't know if I…love them… Have you ever been in love?"

"I have," Impa said simply, amused by the teenager's rant. He had become much more talkative than when she had first met him years ago, yet he still carried a humble air about him.

"Well, can you give me some advice?" Link asked, folding his arms.

"Hmm. You're still young, so don't worry about them too much. Just wait until you know how you truly feel."

"Okay, thanks," he said, not really satisfied with her answer.

"Zelda, someone's here to see you," Impa said, standing at the entrance. Link appeared around the corner, smiling as he lugged the sack of Lon Lon Milk.

"Hey, Zel," he greeted, putting down the sack.

"Oh, hello, Link," she said, coming out of her thoughts. "What brings you here, today?"

"Just going on the milk route, so I thought I'd stop by. How's everything going with you?"

"…Fine," Zelda said hesitantly. "How have you been doing?"

"Pretty good, actually. The money's starting to build up. The only problem is what to do with it."

"You could always move into town," she said quietly.

When their eyes met, Zelda blushed and Link smiled nervously, now well aware of her feelings toward him. Before either one could say anything, a guard sprinted into the courtyard with Impa.

"Your highness, we must get you to safety at once!" he said quickly.

"The kingdom is under attack," Impa added. "They're approaching the castle, now. Both of you, come with me." While the guard went back to his fellow guards, the others ran through the gardens and into the castle, where guards were scattering to their posts. Everyone was in a panic. Servants were running and screaming everywhere, while guards began to arm themselves.

"Who's attacking?" Link asked, running alongside them as they moved through various rooms.

"An army of monsters," Impa replied, leading the way. "We don't know who their leader is."

"Where are we going?" Zelda asked, having trouble running in her dress.

"To the inner chambers," Impa said, taking out a key. "Your father should be waiting for us there." Just as they reached a room with a large metal door, the entire castle shook. "Whatever that was probably breached the wall. We have to hurry." Before they could reach the door, an adjacent wall burst into the middle of the room, blocking them completely. A trio of brutish, dog-faced Moblins stomped into the room. The largest one had a huge club, while the other two carried long, sharp spears.

"Attack!" the club wielding one roared, slamming his weapon down. The entire room shook from the strike. The two flanking Moblins charged forth. Impa leapt onto the back of one of them and bloodily cut its throat with the large knife she always wore on her back. Link and Zelda sidestepped the other one. When it turned to attack Zelda, Link's stab in the back put it down quickly. The last Moblin with the club slammed it hard on the ground creating a shockwave that streaked across the room and busted through a wall. No one dared to get close to it. Instead, Impa flung her knife into its face. It fell to the ground with a crash. A group of Moblins and the warrior skeletons, Stalfos, ran in through the hole in the wall and saw them.

"We have to go!" Impa yelled, yanking her knife out of the Moblin's bloody face. She smashed a Deku nut down onto the stone floor, creating a blinding flash and small puff of smoke. The flash blinded the monsters long enough for the Hylians and Sheikah to escape into another room. Again, the castle shook violently. Monsters had infiltrated the castle and were engaged in mini battles with guards everywhere. Impa, Zelda, and Link avoided them as best they could and turned down a corridor. They skidded to a halt and ran the other way when they saw Iron Knuckles demolishing everything and anyone in their path. The castle rumbled once again as the ceiling collapsed in the room behind them.

"I think we'd better get out of here," Link said, smacking away a stray Keese bat.

"We can't leave," Zelda yelled. "What about Father?"

"He's right, Zelda," Impa said, peeking around a corner. "It's not safe here anymore. Your father hired me for your protection. Looking for him would only put your safety at risk. Besides, he has his own bodyguards…"

"What's the plan?" Link asked.

"I was hoping we'd go through this room to get to the horse stalls," Impa said worriedly. "But the room is filled with monsters."

"I'll stall them, while you run through," Link said, ready to run into the room.

"Link, wait!" Zelda called, stopping him.

"What is it?"

"I…I just wanted to tell you…I… Just be careful, ok?" she said, unsatisfied with what came out of her mouth. He nodded with a smile before charging into the room with his Gilded Sword. He ran a Moblin through and parried a strike from a Stalfos. He jumped back and did a quick spin slash that knocked many of the monsters back.

"Go, now!" Link yelled. Impa and Zelda jogged through the room and out the door. The monsters made sure that Link wouldn't get away so easily by. He let out a battle cry as he lunged into a reptilian Lizalfos warrior, spilling its guts across the floor. A Stalfos took the opportunity to slash him in the back. His sheath softened the blow, but he didn't have a shield to adequately guard with. Link began a furious attack on the nearest opponents, slashing repeatedly, regardless of whether their guard was up or not. Just as a pair of Stalfos leapt forward to slash his back, he spun in another circle of magical energy from his blade. The Stalfos flinched from the strike and hopped back, only to leap back with countering lunges. Link was knocked down by the cutting blows and began to frantically roll away from quick stabs at him. He put himself against a wall and began to cast a spell. A blue light surrounded him and a transparent crystal of energy formed around him. Unexpectedly, the monsters intelligently stood back.

"Getting desperate, kid?" a familiar voice spoke tauntingly. "I guess that's to be expected when you don't have any other weapons."

"Ganondorf?" Link gasped. "It can't be… You were sealed away in the Sacred Realm." The monsters parted away from a doorway, and there stood Ganondorf in his black armor with his large, dark broadsword.

"Ah, so it's true. You really did travel into the future to defeat me." Then Ganondorf chuckled, "Well sorry, kid. But you never defeated me in this timeline. I just disappeared for a while; making plans with you in mind. I'd say they're working."

"I wouldn't!" Link said, lunging at the Gerudo King, who parried with his own sword.

"I've heard all about your adventures as the Hero of Time," Ganondorf said snidely. I'm making sure that neither you nor the sages get in my way!" He slammed his sword into Link's blade, knocking the Hylian over. Then, he charged a ball of energy and hurled it into Link.

"Eyaah!" Link cried as the force of the blast tumbled him across the floor. Fortunately, his Nayru's Love spell prevented him from actual harm. The monsters ganged up on him and repeatedly beat on him with their weapons. A dome of fire engulfed them all, incinerating all but the shield-wielding Stalfos and Ganondorf. Link rose out of the ashes, his energy shield gone.

"Not too shabby," Ganondorf said, slightly impressed. "It's too bad you're still no match for me." Link replied by charging at him, but was tackled to the ground by a monstrous, disembodied hand. It grasped him tightly, but was assisted by other disembodied hands when he began to break free. Soon, all that could be seen was a mass of hands and Link twirling his sword around harmlessly. A Stalfos walked up to his arm and took the Gilded Sword, tossing it behind it carelessly. A dark portal opened up and the hands carried Link inside. Ganondorf noted that the Triforce of Courage had not awakened in Link as he was told.

"We'll keep him in there until his Triforce piece appears," Ganondorf said. "Now, where is that brat of a princess?"

During their escape, Zelda and Impa only encountered more monsters. There was no way for them to get out of town through the main gate, with monsters outnumbering the guards. They rode their horses towards the Temple of Time, while two growling Moblins chased them. When they reached the temple grounds, purple Octoroks popped out of the reflecting pool. They futilely spat rocks at the women, who hopped of their horses and ran into the Temple of Time, closing the heavy doors behind them.

"We must get you to safety," Impa said worriedly. "Not even this temple will be secure near an army like that."

"Where should we go?" Zelda asked. There was a weird sound that echoed throughout the room. Impa held her knife tightly; ready to strike down anything that attacked them. Then, she noticed Zelda's shadow becoming larger as the noise became louder. She shoved Zelda out of the way and was grasped by an oversized hand from above.

"Wallmasters!" Impa grunted. "Zelda, run! Use all that I've taught you." The hand clutching Impa disappeared along with her. Zelda quickly materialized her harp and began to play a minuet, ignoring the sound of another Wallmaster falling towards her. Once the tune was complete, she disappeared in a cloud of green sparkles just before the hand fell where she had stood. It snapped its fingers in frustration and leapt back up to the ceiling.

Zelda reappeared in the Sacred Forest Meadow before the Forest Temple. She could already hear cries of fear and roars of monsters from the forest. She raised her hands and a flurry of white sparkles covered her. When they dissipated, there stood a ninja-like figure in blue tights, grey bandages and cloth over the head and face, and the insignia of the Sheikah, the eye of truth.

"Smoke," Zelda turned Sheik said. "Cries of fairy folk… There must be something I can do." Sheik sprinted away from the temple, down the stone stairway, and into a miniature maze. The Sheikah leapt upon the walls of the maze and looked down into the corridors where Moblins wandered guardedly.

"I'm hungry," one of the Moblins growled to another. "Where's a Kokiri kid when ya need one?"

"There's supposed to be a bunch of 'em somewhere in the forest," another Moblin said. "Master Ganon said there'd be a special green-haired one around here. Keep a look out for 'er." Sheik quietly moved along and spotted a plain, but curiously placed hole in the center of the maze, blocked off from the rest. He decided to investigate and jumped in. As soon as he landed at the bottom, he was relieved to find a fountain full of pink fairies. He walked into the center of the fountain and the fairies began to circle around him gracefully. If ever there were a safe place, this would definitely be one. At least that's what he thought until he heard an impish cackle.

"Hahahahaha!" The laugh came from the entrance. A being of shadow and rags floated down, carrying a lantern. It was joined by a number of other Poes. The one in the lead twirled its lantern and aimed to smack Sheik with it. He easily dodged the ghost with a jump to the side and tossed three nearly invisible needles into it. The creature disintegrated in a puff of purple flames and dropped its lantern.

"Leave this place at once, creatures of shadow!" Sheik hissed. When the Poes began to advance, the fairies turned red and swarmed the Poes. Having never seen something like this before, Sheik stood back while the fairies blocked the Poes.

"Master Ganon wishes to meet the two of you," one of the ghosts rasped.

"Two?" Sheik questioned. A blast of energy from outside the whole scattered the Poes and fairies across the chamber.

"Yes, Sheik," Ganondorf said, floating in. "Or should I say Zelda, Sage of Time. I'm here for you and the Sage of Forest. There's no point in hiding any longer, little Saria." Sheik heard a whimper and looked behind himself to see a little green haired Kokiri girl crouching against the wall, out of Ganondorf's sight. She sighed and peeked around the corner at the evil man.

"How do you know my name? Who are you?" Saria asked fearfully.

"I'm afraid you're mistaken, Ganondorf," Sheik said. "I am not this Zelda you speak of. I am Sheik of the Sheikah."

"Really, Zelda," Ganondorf rolled his eyes. "Is that the best name you could come up with? I was really expecting something more impressive from you. That somewhat masculine incarnation you use is the only thing you've got going for you." With a wave of his hand, a dark aura overtook Sheik and Saria. Sheik winced and reverted back to Zelda's true form.

"Sage?" Saria cried. "Is that the new power that I felt…like Link said I would?"

"Very good, kid," Ganondorf said, opening another dark portal. "That power is the exact reason that I'm going to put you two into the World of Darkness along with the other sages and Link, while I rule all of Hyrule." Ganondorf noticed that Zelda's Triforce insignia did not show up at all. He frowned, but went with the same plan he had for Link.

"Link!" the two gasped, as the Ganondorf moved them towards the portal. Zelda felt no more powerful than usual, but Saria could feel the energy inside her beg to be used.

"If I really am the Sage of Forest," she said, "then maybe I can stop you!" A green aura overtook her and she broke free of his magic.

"No sage can contend with my Power!" he yelled, showing off the glowing Triforce on the back of his fist. He sent out another wave of dark energy that clashed with hers. Though she resisted as best she could, she was blown into the wall and fell to the ground.

"You monster!" Zelda screamed as Ganondorf's magic seemed to be tightening its hold on her. "You'll never get away with this!"

"Link's waiting for you inside," Ganondorf smiled. "You can talk to him about that shortly. She was shocked to hear these words.

"No!" Saria yelled, reaching out to the portal. Her aura spread to it just as Ganondorf tossed Zelda inside.

"Your power is nothing compared to mine," he said, picking up the wincing child by her hair. "Even if you did alter the portal, it's impossible for you to change the general destination from the Dark World." With that, Ganondorf reclaimed the portal and tossed the Forest Sage inside.