Sorry this chapter took so long! I spent all week downloading Zelda no Densetsu-the manga for the Legend of Zelda series. Actually, I think there might be a couple of references in here to that, so if something confuses you, just stick to it and know that it's from the manga.

Er, guys, listen. This story has gotten really weird on me, and it's difficult to write. If no one's gonna read it, I won't write it. So, what I'm saying is, please review. I need the support.

JUST BECAUSE I SAID NO QUESTIONS DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN'T REVIEW FOR ME!

Grrr, anyway, here's the next chapter.

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Zelda turns to me, eyes wide. "Link," she says. "We're in the Temple of Time."

"The . . . what?" I ask, facing her. Navi lets out something between a disgusted and a happy squeal. "Navi, what the goddesses is she talking about?"

"I keep forgetting," Zelda sighs. "You don't know. It doesn't help that you have those clothes on." She motions to the now-dirty tunic that I still haven't changed out of since the Halloween party. "The Temple of Time-the entrance to the sacred realm, door of time, the Master Sword." She sighs and shakes her head. "Maybe it would be easier if I did revive your memories."

"I don't care," I say, shrugging. We stand silent, with nothing to say that stretches a silence between us. "So . . . you mentioned something about the Temple of Time earlier. We're here, now. What should we do next?"

Zelda sighs."The Temple of Time is the resting place of the Master Sword," she says. "That's what we came here for. Navi, do you think it's still here?" Navi nods.

"I saw it earlier," she says. "When we came in." She motions to the large chamber that we just came out of.

Was that what the flagpole-like thing was?

"So . . . I guess I finally get to wield a real sword," I say. Zelda nods, and turns to walk back into the big chamber that we came out of. I pause, unsure, and she motions to me to follow. I do so, but I keep a good distance behind her.

For some reason, I feel really nervous about this.

"Hurry up, Link," Navi complains as she and Zelda come to a stop in front of the raised platform. Zelda turns to me. I stop, suddenly very unsure about this whole thing.

The Master Sword.

I don't know if I can take it.

Only a true hero can remove it from the Pedestal of Time, or so Zelda's told me.

I'm no hero-I'm a stupid kid from down the block who is only a brown belt in karate. Not even a black belt, a brown. I go to school, I get in fights, and barely manage to turn my homework in on time. I piss of my parents-I'm just a normal teenager, not the reincarnation of some ancient hero. And they want me to save the freaking world, all of them. Why? Isn't it obvious that I can't? I'm just a normal teenager!

"I can't," I say. I feel Navi and Zelda's eyes on me. "I can't take it. This isn't-you've got the wrong guy, Zelda. I'm no hero, just a teenage boy from a modern world."

"Link," Zelda says, approaching me. "You don't believe what you've seen?" She puts a hand on my shoulder.

"I believe," I say. "I just think you've got the wrong guy."

"Link, don't be stupid," Navi says. "Of course you're-"

"I'm not stupid!" I yell. "You're the ones who are stupid! You think you can just drag me out here with no clue what I'm doing to tell me I gotta take up this old sword that's probably going to break when I swing it and save the world! I can't do that-I just can't." I bow my head, lowering my eyes to the ground. There's complete silence while Navi and Zelda think, their eyes boring into my head. I can't take it anymore.

I turn, and run.

"Link!" Zelda and Navi shriek as one, but I ignore them. They can't expect me to do this, they can't. I stumble out of the Temple of Time and nearly fall down a flight of stairs and break my neck minutes later. I don't look up until I'm in the ruins of an old town. Stone foundations are the only things left of the buildings-everything else has been wiped away by time. I stagger and fall, draping my arms about the ruins of an old fountain. I take the time to look around-this was probably a grand city market in its day. Was this what the legendary Hero of Time saved? I look around-a lot of good it did, from what I see.

"It's so stupid!" I say, burying my face in my arms. "This isn't me-I couldn't have-I can't do this. Navi and Zelda should go back to their little sacred realm and find the real Hero of Time, not count on me." I probably can't even pull the Master Sword from its pedestal. There's silence, and I'm surprised that Navi and Zelda haven't come after me. I get up and look at the stupid tunic. It probably started all of this. I pull at its hem. Stupid tunic. I hate the tunic. If I had a spare change of clothes I'd-

"Link?" A questioning female voice assaults my ears, and I pause. I let the voice ring in my ears a few moments, and then I know who the voice belongs to.

"Skye?" I ask, and turn. She's standing there, head tilted slightly, looking at me. "Oh, goddesses, it's you. How'd you end up here? Your dad was so worried, everybody's been worried, it's you, it's you, it's you, it's yo-Skye, what in Nayru's name are you wearing?"

"This?" Skye asks lightly, plucking at the fabric of the long black and red dress she's wearing. "I . . . found it." I frown and cross my arms. She smiles again, but something's off.

"Tell me the truth," I say. "What happened? Who gave you the dress? Why haven't you at least tried to contact me?" She frowns.

"I don't remember what happened," she says. "All I knew was that I needed to find you."

"Skye, you're creeping me out now."

". . . So that I can kill you."

"SAY WHAT?!?!?!?!" I jump backwards as Skye pulls a dagger out from the folds of the dress and swings it at me. I land and fall over my own feet. She walks toward me, brandishing the dagger, an evil glint in her eyes. I scramble backwards as the stabs it into the stone where I just was. "You're not Skye. Who are you?" My hand closes about a rock behind me as the creature in Skye's body advances on me.

"I am the closest thing to Skye you'll ever see in the remainder of your life," she hisses, bringing the dagger high up over her head. As she goes to plunge it down into my body, I throw the rock that I picked up. It hits Skye in the forehead, and she hisses, backing away from me. I stumble to my feet and run-hoping to lose her before I turn around and go to the Temple of Time. A dagger embeds itself in the stone a few inches from my feet.

"She has throwing blades?" I yelp as another one misses me by centimeters. I pick up speed, praying that Skye's aim hasn't improved any since she lost the barrel-shooting contest last year. Just when I think I can't run anymore, I hear Skye screech.
"What the hell is this thing?" I turn to look at Skye, who has her hands up-defending against Navi. The fairy is currently hurling herself at Skye for a distraction-giving me time to run away. I take a step, ready to run to them, even though I'm unsure what I would do when I got there. A hand grabs my shoulder and I yelp.

"Hush," Zelda says, her eyes darting to Skye. She looks like she wants to ask me something, but doesn't think it's a good idea.

So she does it anyway.

"That's Skye?" Zelda asks. I nod.

"Why is she attacking me?" I ask. Zelda shakes her head and guides me back to the Temple of Time. We wait there for long minutes before Navi joins us, looking throughly worn-out. That doesn't bother me, though. I immediately get to my feet and bug her. "Navi, what in Naryu's name is wrong with Skye? Why did she-?"

"I don't know," Navi says. "She acts as she usually does, save the fact that she's trying to kill you." I growl. "Link, do you think she's gone over to Ganondorf?"

"That's the only possible reason she's acting like this," I say. "But . . . she doesn't seem like she'd try and help some half-dead madman take over Hyrule! She'd have to be brainwashed!!"

"Impossible," Zelda says. "If she were brainwashed, there would have been a jewel."

"A jewel?"

"Twinrova's mark," Zelda says. "When they brainwash someone for Ganondorf, there is a jewel somewhere visible on their body. That jewel is also how you break the brainwash."

"Really," I say. "And Twinrova is. . . ?"

"The two witches who raised Ganondorf," Navi says. "They work-or worked-for him, but you-the past you-killed them. I don't see how they'd be back."

I don't listen as Navi and Zelda launch into a possible debate about how exactly Ganondorf plans to attack this time.

Who really cares?

He's got Skye.

That's all he needs to beat me.

". . . how you break the brainwash . . . " I blink, remembering Zelda's words.

Break the brainwash?

But she isn't. . .

I don't care.

I'll get Skye back, no matter what it takes.

"I'll do it," I say, getting to my feet.

"Huh?" Navi says, watching me walk to the back of the temple. I see the Master Sword, still covered with dust. Walking up to it, I glare at it, challenging it to resist me. After a few moments, I blow the dust off, carefully waving it away from my face.

"Link?" Zelda comes into the room, followed by Navi. I turn to them. To her.

"I'll do it, if only for Skye," I say. I turn and grasp the hilt of the Master Sword. I yank it up, and hear a scratchy sound as the blade breaks free of the stone. I stumble backwards, holding onto it. There's silence, as if we are waiting for something. Nothing happens.

Well, that's oddly anti-climatic.

"Well," I say, turning to Navi and Zelda. "Who's got a scabbard for this thing?" Both Navi and Zelda shake their heads.

Well, I guess I'll just have to-

The fake sword!

"Never mind, I've got something," I say, fishing the fake plastic sword off my back. I take it out of the scabbard and insert the Master Sword. It fits, but barely. I wish I had a rope of some kind-I could at least hang the Master Sword from it. "Ready, guys?" Zelda and Navi smile, and then nod. "Okay, where can we find this Ganondorf bastard and get Skye back?"

"Technically, Ganondorf himself is still in the Realm of Evil," Zelda says. "But his servants-Skye, as well-are somewhere in this world." Navi nods her agreement. "Link, I think I know the most likely place. Do you want me to show it to you?" I nod, and she begins walking out of the temple. I follow, my sword bouncing against my back and my fairy hovering over my head.

Zelda leads us to a black castle that, unlike the rest of the market, is in one piece.

"How in the-?" I ask, motioning madly to the castle with my hands.

Zelda's eyes harden. "I suspect that this is new-his servants probably built it recently, hoping to scare people. They also probably overlooked the fact that Hyrule Castle Town is deserted."

"Castle Town?"

"Where you were attacked by Skye," Zelda says. I fall silent. Zelda turns to me. "Are you ready, Link?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," I say. She nods, and leads the way into the castle.

"There wasn't a bridge here last time Ganondorf took over," Zelda says as we walk across the stone bridge. I nod, but it's not really that interesting to me. All I want to do is save Skye. Then I'm going to leave and never come back, and forget that this ever happened. When we enter the castle, I am amazed. The whole place seems to be made out of black stone that makes you feel about one inch tall. Zelda stops suddenly. "They're here."

"Who's here?"

"Ganondorf's underlings," Zelda says. My hand flies to the sword on my back, and curls about the hilt, ready to draw it if needed. Zelda takes a few more steps with me close at her heels. I growl at the walls, daring something to leap out at-

"Get down!" Navi shrieks. I throw one arm around Zelda's shoulders, dragging her with me to the ground as I drop. Something flies over us, cackling madly. After I know it has passed, I jump to my feet and draw my sword in one fluid motion, ready and looking for the thing. The hall we've been walking down is completely empty, and I frown.

"Where is it?" I ask Navi.

"It flew by already," Navi says. "It was a Poe."

"Those damned ghost things?" I ask, amazed. "Like in the stories about old Hyrule?" Navi nods as I lend a hand to help Zelda get to her feet. "Wow." Zelda brushes off her dress and begins walking again, a signal that we should continue.

We do.

We walk down the long hallway for what feels like hours. I begin to wonder if my parents are at all worried about where I am. My feet hurt inside the large brown boots that I wear and I feel sweat soaking through the fabric of my tunic. Zelda stays in front of me; Navi is hovering above my head. The Master Sword is has been slapping against my back for a while now, and I think that it's going to leave a bruise. Every once in a while a Poe will come flying over us, but other than that, nothing's happened.

Something tells me its not supposed to be like this.

Zelda pauses, frowning. "This place is different," she says. "It used to have on central room, a tower, with six chambers leading away from it."

That's obviously not how it is now.

"At least we know we're going the right way," I offer. There was only one hall-no doors, nothing. "Unless, of course, there's some sort of secret passage that we don't know about."

"There's no secret passage, Link."

"Skye?" I whirl, trying to find the source of my friend's voice. "Where are you?" She laughs, but the laugh is different from when I last heard it. More . . . evil. I blink in frustration as I realize the voice is coming from the walls.

"She's using a spell," Zelda tells me, and I calm down a bit.

"Ah, clever princess," Skye's voice taunts. "Have you anything else to share?"

"Shut up!" I yell, knowing she'll hear me. She did before. "Skye, I don't know what the goddesses has happened to you, but Zelda, Navi and I are here to save you!"

"Navi? The ferret?"

"Nice going, Link," Navi whispers. "This would have been so much easier if I didn't have to explain the fairy thing to everyone."

"We're here, and we're going to help you," I say. The voice laughs, and I bolt down the hall, Navi and Zelda at my heels. I keep running, ignoring the voice's laughs and Zelda's cried for me to slow down. I finally stop in a chamber that resembles a throne room. A figure is seated in the shadows of the room. I draw my sword and take a few steps. "Skye, that's you, isn't it?"

She steps out of the shadows. "Hello, my friend," she says, but the words ring false.

"Why are you doing this?" I demand.

"Link," she says. "The Skye you knew is no longer-I am the only thing left of her. I am every angry thought, every fight, every insult you said to her. I am the part of Skye that hates you."

"She doesn't hate me," I say.

"She does," Skye says. "I do."

"No!" I cry as Skye pulls a dagger from her waistband and flings it at me. I dodge it with ease and run to intercept the blows she throws at me. She brings out a sword, finally, and the metal clangs as we parry death blow after death blow. I fall to the ground and roll away from a vertical swing that could cut me in two. She misses a parry but dances away from the metal of the Master Sword. Just when I think that I can't take anymore, I hear Navi and Zelda arrive.

Why do they need to follow me?

Navi takes action, flying in front of Skye's face to distract her. Forgetting about the sword, I drop and swing my legs in a circle, bringing Skye's out from under her. She falls, the sword clanging to the ground and flying off into the shadows. She gropes for the sword as I gather myself. I grip the hilt of the Master Sword tightly, bringing it up. I hold it over my head, ready to bring it down on Skye for a finishing blow.

I can't.

She turns her head to me, and her eyes are empty.

This isn't Skye.

But I still can't kill her.

"I can't!" I cry to Navi, who has retreated behind me, to Zelda, who is still standing in the doorway, waiting. The silence from them is unbearable, telling me I must do what I can't gather the courage to. The sword falls from my grasp and clanks to the stone floor. "I can't."

And I fall to my knees.

She's more than a friend.

She's a sister, a partner.

"Wake up, Skye!" I cry, unable to stare into her empty eyes any longer. My hands curl into fists. "Please, wake up."

A tear falls down my cheek.

I'm crying over Skye.