The Legend of Zelda: Bridge Between the Worlds (Temporary Title)
Co-authored by Umi Kanshisha and Sargent Snarky
Summary: Link returns to Hyrule only to have everything go wrong. And Hyrule is not all that's in danger. Tatl and Tael return, bringing warning of the impending doom of Termina, and the return of Majora… Not to mention the return of Ganondorf. With the aid of an interesting assortment of companions (including -three- fairies) Link must embark upon yet another quest waged across the two parallel domains to save both. Lucky him…
Disclaimer: Neither one of us owns the Legend of Zelda franchise. All right? We wish we did, but that doesn't count.
Umi: Although, I do own it in my dreams. When I'm sleeping, the magnificent Legend of Zelda series, Golden Sun series, and a number of other anime's belong to me. And then I wake up, and I don't own it anymore…
Disclaimer take 2: We've borrowed some ideas from the magnificent author Rose Zemlya - a.k.a. Lady Rose, mostly concerning the Sheikah, the Gerudo, and details concerning the loverly Hyrule. And possibly brief mentions of some of the characters in her story – but only brief mentions! O.o The only thing plot-wise we've borrowed from her… I shan't mention until we actually get to it. Since mentioning it would be somewhat of a spoiler for later chapters.
Disclaimer take 3: Snarky: This story is based off of an ongoing Legend of Zelda roleplay occurring betwixt us two authors. (And, indeed, much of the writing is transported directly from our roleplay, albeit with editing.) Thus, some characters are written about differently than others. Writing styles differ, you see. Karin, Atreyu, Draconis, Ganondorf, and Zelda (at first) were played by Umi while Link and Zelda (towards the latter half of this chapter) were played by Snarky. Umm… We each have other characters we play who will surface within the next chapter… You will have seen them in the prologues.
Umi: Also, throughout the story, there will be elements (and sometimes weapons) drawn from the Naruto anime series. You see, I have a sort of obsession with it, and as such I borrow things such as hand seals, kunai and shuriken, exploding tags, and Fuuma shuriken. Just so everyone knows, I am not the awesome anime god known as Kishimoto Masashi-san. Of course that should be obvious, being the fact that I'm a girl…o0 I only own Naruto when I'm sleeping. And since I'm awake, none of those things are mine. Oh, and Dark Link and Tatl don't belong to me either, though they are currently in my head… They're my two Zelda muses, although, they're not working much today. Dark has an obsession with pizza, and he just found a coupon for the 555 deal for Dominos, and Tatl /is/ his guardian fairy now, so… They're busy.
Snarky:So that's where Tatl and Dark went… Hope Zelda doesn't realize he stole her purse… Muahaha…
Umi: Anyway, it is now time for both of us to shut up, and for you to get to the story. So… Enjoy! (That sounded corny; sorry…)
Chapter I (The Pilot Chapter)
The Beginning of It All… Again.
The dawn was dark; the clouds hiding the sun were pregnant with rain, and the water would be breaking very soon. So, of course, this just happened to be the day Link finally found his way back to Hyrule. He'd been away for years – almost four, to be exact – searching and adventuring. The object of his search had been Navi, the fairy with whom he had fulfilled his destiny (or one of his numerous destinies) to become the Hero of Time and defeat Ganondorf, and Link had found her a year ago, after a few adventures, including a trek through Termina: a land parallel to Hyrule. And now, he and his fairy had finally found their way back to Hyrule after getting thoroughly lost.
Despite the weather, both were overjoyed to be back, and even the horse Epona was exuberant, pleased to be back upon her home turf. She pranced about, frisking excitedly. Link, upon her back, let her jump about as she pleased, and he reveled in the sights and smells of the Hylian Field. They had entered Hyrule not terribly far (within an hour's ride) from Castle Town, so Link determined to head there first. He could drop in on friends there, check up on what all had happened in his absence, say 'hi' to the Master Sword and the Temple of Time, and (perhaps best of all) talk with Princess Zelda. Link was very good at sneaking onto the castle grounds, you see.
"I'm sorry Link," said Navi after a few moments of riding. "But… I really can't take it anymore."
"Then go back to the forest. Don't worry. I know you need to return there often, and you've been away for quite a while. I was planning on going to the forest to see Saria after Castle Town, anyway."
"Really?"
"Yup, so, get going, you annoying ball of glowing fluff."
"Fine, then. I will." Navi sniffed, then pausing in front of Link's face, she waved. "See you in a few days, then, partner."
"Bye, Navi!"
And with that, she was gone: A blue glowing speck zipping hurriedly out of sight in a direct line for the forest. Link might not have been a Kokiri, but Navi was still a Kokiri fairy, and she couldn't leave woodland for too long, especially the Kokiri Forest and the Lost Woods. And she hadn't been in the Kokiri Woods in six years. She'd been in a forest parallel to the Lost Woods, and that had helped some, but she wouldn't be fully recovered without a few days spent in the Kokiri Woods, near the Great Deku Tree. (Or, rather, the Young Great Deku Tree, since the old one had died six years ago.)
Link sighed as she flew away. He missed her already; she was as much a part of him as his ears or eyes. Sure, he could function with out them, but if they was gone, there'd always been something missing, a sense he no longer possessed. However, the seventeen year old (almost, but not quite eighteen, as he still had a few weeks until his birthday) forced his thoughts ahead, to Castle Town. He and Epona reached the drawbridge within the hour.
Link would have just turned Epona loose, but she held some of his supplies and things in her saddle bags. (Funnily enough, she wore a saddle, but not a bridle.) He proceeded to take the things out and put them into his magical pouch. Now, this pouch was just about the most useful thing he owned, because no matter how much he put into it, it was never full. It had endless space within it, and Link never had to fish around for what he wanted. The pouch seemed to just know what Link wanted, and it provided it, should the item be inside. The pouch also didn't like pickpockets. It tended to bite them; hard.
Anyway, Link dismounted Epona and let her loose. She nuzzled him, nickered and took off for Lon Lon Ranch, her home. Apparently, she'd been homesick, too. Link smiled and shook his head, then (after adjusting his trademark stocking cap) sauntered across the drawbridge and into Castle Town.
At first, he was somewhat uncomfortable with the hustle and bustle, but he came to ignore it. No one particularly recognized him – Link hadn't spent too much time before in Castle Town, or at least the market place where he was now – although many eyed his clothing with interest. No one (except Link) dressed as a Kokiri would. And no one else, including the Kokiri, wore a hat just like Link's. But, don't knock his hat. It was Link's hat. It was special.
Link was just wandering around when someone tapped his shoulder. He spun around and was surprised to find a girl staring at him with golden eyes. They weren't metallic, but they were still aureate in color. Those eyes were set in a pale face framed by a cascade of purplish black hair that fell just below her shoulders. A black trench coat adorned her thin frame, but instead of being worn properly, the collar of it was snapped around her neck to form a cape behind her. A navy blue shirt and matching pants clung tightly to her body, and black fingerless gloves were covering her hands. Finally, a sword was strapped onto her back in a dark red sheath, and a small dagger could be seen about her waist – along with several containers that looked as though they might hold scrolls.
"Excuse me," she said. "But do you know where the Philosophers Potion might be sold?"
"No… But there's an old lady who makes potions in Kakariko. You might find it there," Link answered. The girl nodded and walked off, but seemed to give Link something of a suspicious glance.
Link paid her little mind after that. It wasn't like Kakariko was far, or a particularly dangerous journey… If you were armed, that is. Just about half a day's walk, or a couple hour's ride. Anyway, as the young man wandered a little longer, drifting through familiar – yet changed streets – he saw not-quite-recognizable faces. Was that the lady who doted upon her dog? If so, she'd lost weight. Lots of weight. But her dog still sprang about with ebullience.
However, Link found himself steadily drawing closer to the Temple of Time. It might just have been his imagination, but he felt a gentle call, a pull towards that holy place. Even before he'd known his true destiny, when he'd first come to Castle Town and visited the stately cathedral, he'd felt at home there. It was the one true place, it seemed, in all of Hyrule that was truly, well, his. A place of his own, so to speak.
The village of the Kokiri had never been home. No, it had never felt like home. No place did. Perhaps that had something to do with Link never knowing where he really came from. Or, perhaps it merely came from him being the Hero of Time. But, he was inclined to think it was a bit of both.
As he reached the quiet, deserted courtyard of the Temple of Time, his thoughts turned thither, and he sighed softly as he strove yet again for some recollection of a time before the Kokiri. As usual, he strove in vain. Nothing could he remember. Nothing at all. Still, maybe someday… he might recall?
He stood upon the steps to the Temple of Time, gazing up at the stonework for a long moment before smiling just a little and entering. The smile wasn't a happy smile, per say, but one of cynical amusement at himself. He absent-mindedly left the door ajar behind him as he strode slowly across the floor, pausing upon the pad inscribed with the Triforce and the symbol of the Sage of Light. Faintly, the soft sung melody of Time could be heard echoing. Link found himself humming it softly, too. The music just thrummed with his soul… relaxing him.
After a moment of basking in the music and the all around welcome feeling he received, Link started forward again, stopping once again before the altar in which the three indentations for the three Spiritual Stones lay. The stones were there now, though the door remained closed. He'd left them here when he'd left Hyrule – they belonged to Hyrule, and they belonged in Hyrule.
Now, however, they flashed softly, as if reading his mind, and the door opened to where the Master Sword sat in its pedestal. Link supposed if he drew it now, then he wouldn't have to worry about getting swept into Sacred Realm for seven years. Indeed, he mused, it had been seven years since he'd sheathed it there. Yet, the blade still shone clean and pure – evil's bane.
He went up the first set of stairs and through the door, but he stopped before those leading up the platform upon which the pedestal sat. Certainly he contemplated drawing it, but it probably wasn't a good idea. It wasn't that the seal on Ganondorf was centered upon the sword, and it wasn't that drawing the sword opened up all paths to the Sacred Realm, but it was that it made the seal upon Ganondorf weaker. The sword also served to keep the flows of time and the gates completely closed. If the sword was drawn, the seals were just a little weakened – not much, but enough that allowed a little slippage.
Standing there, though, Link felt the sword beckon to him. He silently told it 'no', but it wouldn't listen. It still called, saying it would be needed soon. Very soon. Evil was coming…
"Hey, is that your sword?"
The sudden voice startled Link, and he turned quickly, hand on his sword hilt – a considerably lesser sword than the one truly belonging to him, but it was well-made and sharp. He relaxed only slightly when he saw that it was the girl from earlier, whose eyes flicked back and forth between the Master Sword and Link.
"Maybe… What are you doing here? I thought you went to Kakariko?" Link asked, his voice slightly suspicious.
The girl shrugged. "I was going to go to Kakariko, but then I decided to come here instead."
"Why?" Link inquired further, crossing his arms. The girl shrugged.
"I don't know; I just felt like it. By the way, my name's Karin." She held her hand out to him, and he slowly extended his to shake it. "What's yours?"
"Link."
"Cool name – reminds me of a fence or a chain, though." She replied with a laugh, and walked up to the Master Sword. "This is a pretty blade, isn't it?"
"I guess, yeah," Link replied, feeling something of an impulse from the blade as she neared it. He didn't know why he felt so suspicious around her, but he did know that the Master Sword didn't seem to like her much either, or at least didn't like something about her.
"Ooh, I think I know what this is!" Karin exclaimed suddenly. "My father used to bring me books from Hyrule all the time, and the Master Sword was in quite a lot of them… Legends and such… But it said that only the Hero of Time could draw it…"
Link watched her, shifting slightly in his place. She wasn't from Hyrule… Though that news eased him slightly, it almost made him even more wary of her – more so when she reached up to take the blade. He almost called out a warning to her; he could feel the sword growing somewhat irritated.
"Ow!"
That startled cry came from her lips as the Master Sword repelled her with a small shock. Link winced slightly at the blade's annoyance, wishing that she had just left it alone. The blade even extended a bit of its displeasure to Link, as if it was somehow his fault that she'd touched it.
"It doesn't… like being touched by most people," He told her, though his tone was somewhat distracted; his azure eyes never moved from the hilt, for it cried a warning, suddenly, of something or someone drawing near to the Temple. "I don't recommend going near it again."
"You said it was yours, right?" She asked, heading his advice and stepping away. He nodded slowly. "So you're the Hero of Time?"
"Yeah, I guess… I mean, I was, but not… It's hard to explain." Link said, moving a bit closer to the Sword.
Karin grinned at him. "So why don't you draw it?"
"I don't know if I should," He replied, "I haven't in such a long time, that... Well, I just don't think I should." He didn't think explaining about Ganondorf would help matters any, besides the fact that it really wasn't any of her business.
"Oh, come on!" She encouraged, motioning to it. "Time doesn't matter to that sword, right? Besides, it's yours anyway; you might as well draw it."
"No, I don't—"
"Why are you hesitating so much? Scared?"
"No!" His tone was definitely annoyed. "I just don't think that it would be wise, that's all. Not yet, anyway."
"But wisdom was never your strong suit, was it?"
Link whirled at the sudden voice, as did Karin. Standing in the doorway of the Temple of Time was a man who appeared to be around twenty-six or twenty-seven. He had thick, unruly dark chocolate hair that fell into oddly tinted blue-green eyes. A thick blue cape was fasted about his shoulders, and fell all the way to his black boots. Thin looking gray armor encased his chest, yet his pants – though they were the same color – were normal. His skin held something of a tan, and a long scar ran across his right cheek.
"Who are you?" Link demanded in a low voice, seconds away from drawing his blade; something about this eavesdropper set him on edge – he didn't feel… right. No other way to describe it. The Master Sword agreed, however.
The man chuckled. "My name is Draconis. I was merely visiting and – since this temple seems to have so much historic quality – I decided to drop in for a visit. I didn't interrupt before now, however…"
"And what do you mean by 'wisdom was never your strong suit'? You don't know me, so how would you know that?" Link asked, narrowing his eyes; as if on cue, he felt a slight twinge upon the back of his left hand. The piece of the Triforce had never left; Link wondered why and if it ever would. In his honest opinion, it was something of a freeloader.
Draconis shrugged. "I was merely making a statement based on what I've heard so far. After all, you do refuse to draw a blade that is clearly yours…"
"How is that clear?"
"You said it yourself, did you not? Forgive me for sounding intrusive," Draconis gave a small, short bow, "and for eavesdropping on your conversation. But I do have advice."
"Oh? And what would that be, pray tell?" Link asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Draw the Master Sword. You'll need it."
"For what?" It was clear from his suspicious tone that Link didn't exactly like Draconis, despite the fact he was only echoing the Master Sword's sentiments. The foreigner, however, didn't seem to mind this at all.
"Couldn't you sense it? There's something looming on the horizon – something evil. If you are indeed the Hero of Time, and if that is your sword, you'll need it to protect this land that you love so much."
Link frowned, but Karin nodded.
"He's right, Link – you will need it. You do want to protect Hyrule, don't you?"
"Of course, but…" Link turned back around to face the Master Sword, his frown still in tact. "Something about this doesn't feel right…"
"So you do sense the evil. I'm glad – now you'll be able to defeat it easier." Draconis nodded as he said this. "Draw the sword, Link; it's the only way to truly protect Hyrule."
"Draw it – he's right. You need a legendary blade if you're the legendary hero. It all fits." Karin urged, gesturing towards the sword.
Letting out a sigh, Link threw up his hands and walked towards the Master Sword. "Fine, fine – but this still doesn't feel right."
Reaching towards it, he curled his fingers tightly around the hilt and gave a tug. A flash of brilliant sapphire light shot up around Link and the Pedestal of Time before fading away. He again felt a twinge upon his left hand, and a greeting from the blade.
Link smiled at the Master Sword, giving it an experimental slash. It felt perfect in his hand – as if it had been there for his entire life. He supposed it sort of had, but then again, this was the first time he had the sword since he had changed time. Slipping his other sword out of its sheath, he slipped the Master Sword in and hooked his spare in the straps that held his sword sheath and shield. Maybe he could find a spare sheath later.
When the Hero turned back around to look at Draconis, he was surprised to see that the man was laughing. Not over dramatically, but just chuckling a bit under his breath with a satisfied smirk plastered on his face.
After a quick look at Karin – who seemed bewildered that Draconis could find a sword drawing so humorous – he snapped, "Who are you?"
"I've already told you. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to go. Have fun saving Hyrule – since you've just released the danger, I think you'll have a ball." Draconis replied, and turned and walked out of the Temple.
Link – his anger incensed – chased after. "No, not your name; I already know that. I mean, who are you really!"
Karin - startled by both of their actions - quickly ran after Link.
Draconis, meanwhile, stopped to turn around and faced Link -- smirking. He folded his arms -- the armor covering them clanking slightly as he did so -- and fully ran his blue-green orbs up and down the Hero of Time.
"Who am I?" He repeated the question, laughing. "Why are you so interested in me? You'd think you'd be more concerned with the land you have to 'save'. However, if I really interest you that much..." He shifted his shoulders slightly, causing the cape he was wearing to flair slightly -- and the rain to splash his armor. "I believe it is obvious that I am not of the desert?"
"How would that be obvious?" Karin asked, coming up from behind Link.
Draconis glared at her. "I wasn't talking to you, girl, so shut your mouth."
"Hey! You can't talk to me like--"
"Do I have to shut it for you?"
There was so much finality in his voice -- and such a deadly undertone -- that Karin instantly shut up. He smirked at her and went on. "So you may question what connection I have with the Dark Lord. Well, that doesn't really concern you, however--"
"He did ask," Karin interrupted, stepping forward and folding her arms. "You know, it's really rude to bait people like that. If you're going to tell him, just tell him instead of rambling on like some incoherent idiot,"
He glared at her, and raised his hand. In his palm, a small -- quite small, compared to what the Evil King of Darkness could do -- glowing sphere of energy appeared in his hand. "Don't push me," He warned, and she fell silent once more. Turning back to Link, he closed his palm -- dispelling his power.
"I will tell you this; he is not gone for good. If you think your previous heroic efforts truly meant anything to the sealing of the Great King, you were wrong. He is very much alive; and he will return. I will make sure of that.
"I told you my name is Draconis. I originate from the land of Westaria--"
"You what?" Karin shrieked, and then pointed an accusing finger at him. "Liar! You couldn't have come from--"
"Shut up!" He hissed, and narrowed his eyes to slits at her. "If you speak one more word, girl, I will kill you."
Karin did look like she wanted to say more, but seemed to take his words to heart. She backed up slightly, as though thinking that if she was behind Link he could protect her.
"But I traveled to Hyrule long ago to seek something," Draconis went on as though Karin hadn't interrupted, though his breathing was somewhat more shallow from his anger. "This is where I met my master -- Ganondorf -- through meditation connections with the Realm he is sealed in.
"I can restore him to power, giving him back the rule he once had. You drawing that blade would make it too simple for me. I can even help him maintain that power -- forbidding you or that meddling princess Zelda from interfering. However, I am willing to strike a bargain with you.
"Deliver me your blood -- your blood and Zelda's -- and I won't return my master to power. Instead, I'll tell him the process failed -- something he'll most likely believe. Just bring me the blood, and I'll keep your little land safe."
With this, he turned and started walking away from the temple once more.
Link was truly worried and truly wished to avert any harm to Hyrule (especially by his fault) but... was this another trick? Something told him it was. Call it his intuition, but it was never wrong about stuff like that.
"Wait," he said. "Why do you need the blood? And how much?"
Link, although very untrusting of Draconis, and all but sure that this was a bad idea, was willing to take a chance that Draconis might be speaking the truth about not returning Ganon... but what if he wasn't? What if the blood was what was needed to restore Ganondorf?
"Oh, just a little bit. Just cover the bottom of any ordinary bottle," Draconis responded. "And as for why I need it... Let's just say I have my own reasons, shall we?"
Link narrowed his cerulean eyes. "Let's just say that isn't a very good reason. Give me a better one, and a true one."
With the speed of a practiced (and natural) warrior, he moved forward in a single, graceful lunge. The blade of the Master Sword was suddenly within a finger's breadth of Draconis's neck, poised for a simple slicing.
Tone brooking no argument, Link repeated, voice surprisingly icy for the normally kindly boy, "Give me your true reason."
Most people -- Karin included -- would have been deeply scared by Link having his sword at their neck. But Draconis wasn't near the category of "most people"; he merely laughed while looking at the blade, and stared deep into Link's eyes as he replied,
"I merely want to restore my home, Link. Is that so wrong?"
Link had no real reply for that, but to query, "Is aiding one so evil really the way to regain your home?"
He then sighed, and with another fluid movement, he sheathed the sword, though he didn't relax.
Draconis shook his head. "My reasons for aiding Ganondorf do not have a single thing to do with restoring my home. Whoever gave you the idea that the blood was for him?"
"Uh, you did?" Karin replied, but he ignored her.
"No, the blood is for something much more. You see, I need the blood of the innocent. I think a faithful lapdo-- I mean, warrior and a fair princess are innocent enough. Besides that, harming children just doesn't seem right, even though there are plenty of them in the forest," He rolled his eyes for a moment before replying, "Including that annoying one who is always playing that damned music. Anyway, Link, consider your decision carefully. You will not have long to make your choice. I suggest you choose wisely," With that, Draconis started to leave once more.
"Nut case..." Karin muttered, shaking her head at him as he walked off.
"Innocent?" Link repeated, almost laughing. Oh yes… A young woman who had entirely too much skill in manipulation and a young man who had spent a good portion of his life killing things are oh so innocent. "As for my own thoughts, suffice it to say I do not trust you. Karin speaks true. Your own actions and words..."
At the mention of the forest, Link's eyes narrowed. "The Kokiri," he said. "I'd leave them alone, if I were you... Especially and including Saria, the 'annoying one who always plays music'."
"My own actions and words have nothing to do with this," He replied, narrowing his own eyes at the hero. "For one who claims to care so much for this land -- and those who inhabit it -- you sure are acting the hypocrite. You should want to do whatever you can to save it; yet you are stalling on precious time.
"And I never said I'd hurt them. At least, I won't as long as I get what I want from you and the princess. If not, then the little elves will have to go. And believe me," He smirked cruelly, his eyes laughing in a twisted way. "'Saria' will be the first. So, if you don't want Hyrule under siege from the Dark Lord, and the forest children to be slaughtered... You'll give me what I want."
"You would kill children?" Karin spat, and shook her head. "You're sick. Westaria doesn't need you."
"You're obviously doing nothing for it," He retorted back at her. "And yes. I would do anything to obtain my desires."
"So, in your opinion, the ends justify the means?"
"Most definitely,"
Karin just shook her head once more, not feeling the need to say any more. Link shot a dark glare at Draconis before walking swiftly past him and out of the back alley of sorts by which one got to the Temple of Time. He then made his way, quickly threading through streets of varying degrees of crowd, towards the Castle itself.
Link was quite certain that donating his and Zelda's blood to Draconis would most likely result in Draconis bringing Ganondorf back, but… Link just wasn't willing to risk the Kokiri getting killed. Better he and Zelda lose a bit of blood, than the Kokiri lose all of theirs. Besides, at least then he'd know when Ganondorf was coming back.
Draconis chuckled lightly to himself. Some were just so simple to manipulate. Of course, I love manipulating people... Like a huge game, and I hold all the pieces, He thought to himself, and walked off, disappearing amid the back streets of Castle Town.
Karin, meanwhile, had no intention of leaving Link alone. Running as fast as she could, she caught up to him and asked, "Are you going to go see the Princess?"
Link nodded, but didn't answer aloud.. Or if he did answer, it was quiet enough to be drowned by the pounding of the rain. Quickly exiting the bustling crowds, Link hurried along the dusty (but now muddy) path to the castle. To his surprise, wrapped in a thick cloak to protect her from the rain, Zelda stood beneath the portcullis that served as the first gate to the castle. Her own blue eyes watched him with unblinking worry as she awaited him.
With a glance back at Karin, Link quickened his pace to meet her. Karin saw his glance, but didn't mind it; she merely stared back at him with unblinking golden eyes, and then noticed the princess.
Wow... She's beautiful... Karin thought, at least, of what she could see of her. Giving a small bow, she kept directly behind Link as he walked up to Zelda.
Zelda, meanwhile, glanced once at Karin. She really didn't know why the girl was there, but just looked back at Link.
"He's returning, isn't he?" she asked Link, staring at him with an unblinking -- yet kind and slightly worried -- gaze.
Eyes meeting hers, Link nodded. "I..."
He broke off... unsure quite what to say.. Whether to tell her immediately of his encounter with Draconis, or what... A rather odd reunion after a little over four years, no?
Her eyes swiftly stole a glance at the sword in his scabbard, recognizing it anywhere. Not that she hadn't known he had drawn it; she had felt it as soon as he did, sort of like a jerk at her heart, not to mention the twinge from the Triforce of Wisdom. Not only that, but she had known it would happen. She had seen it in her dream.
As well as some of what would happen afterward. Not a whole lot -- just that evil was threatening the land she loved once more. Gosh, but Zelda loved her vague dreams that never made much sense until after the fact.
"You drew the Master Sword," She finally spoke, and it wasn't a question. Not that it was judgmental or angry; rather, it was just... a statement. Nothing more, nothing less. "Destiny has come upon us once again to protect our land... And for you to take up your place as the Hero of Time," She looked back up at him. So calm... So calm when so much evil threatened the land. It was actually admirable. "Link... What alerted you to draw the sword? What caused that?"
"That... Was sort of my fault," Karin broke in, glancing down at the floor. "I'm sorry, Princess... I pushed him into it. I mean, I didn't mean to! I didn't know about that evil creep, I just... I don't know... I was curious..."
Zelda gave her a slight smile. "You're not from around here, are you?"
"Nope, so I have no importance in this. I just felt like following him," She pointed at Link, "Don't mind me at all, your highness,"
Zelda glanced back to Link waiting for his answer. Though she wouldn't tell him, it was great to see him again. Through the four years, she had missed him... And to talk to him again -- even under such circumstances -- felt great.
Link sighed, eyes slipping to the ground. "It wasn't your fault, Karin.. Not entirely, anyway. The sword… called. And yet, it kept warning. I wasn't going to draw it unless I saw a need. But I thought... I thought maybe Draconis' warning was true; something certainly was looming on the horizon. And still is."
He trailed off a moment, then told Zelda of Draconis and what the man had said. When he'd finished, he fell silent, waiting for a response, if any, from Zelda. Looking at her, he recalled how much he'd missed her (and, yes, worried a bit), and yet somehow he had the weird feeling that if anything had really happened to her, he would have known... somehow...
"...I see..." Zelda glanced up at the sky for a moment, rain drops falling onto her pale skin. "I had a vision last night while I dreamt. A shadow was looming over Hyrule, falling steadily downwards. Suddenly, it blanketed the land, covering everything and blocking out the light." She looked back at him. "Except for one light. You, Link. I think... I know that you will save us." A sardonic smile curved her lips. "Like last time. Only, there was more; you weren't alone with just Navi this time. There were other lights that joined the first. Well, that wasn't everything in the dream, but that's the gist of it."
Wow. Pretty abstract vision, Karin thought, but didn't say it aloud. That would be disrespecting the princess, and would probably piss Link off. Seeing the way he had acted towards Draconis, that was not something she wanted to do.
"We should do whatever we can to prevent Ganondorf from coming again," the princess continued, "And yet, while I have my concerns about Draconis, we ought to do as he says... I don't want the Kokiri to be slain either," Zelda nodded once to Link, sighing and speaking a bit slower. "You have two bottles, right?"
Link nodded slowly; something about his eyes held a trace of... something… Regret? Sadness? Weariness? Who knows... "I have a lot, actually. But... oughtn't we go inside or something?"
Zelda nodded. "Yes, perhaps that would be best." She turned and walked under the arch, clutching the cloak tighter to her. The rain... It was cold. Forbidding, almost.
Karin followed, slightly excited. She had never seen a castle before... Not that she thought they'd let her in. But hey, maybe if she stayed quiet enough, they'd forget about her and she could slip in. Couldn't hurt to hope, right?
Link hesitated before following Zelda. Something… just wasn't right, and it had nothing to do with the rain. He glanced back at Karin to see if she would follow, hoping she would, but perfectly understanding if she wouldn't. But she was following, and that was fine with him.
Zelda, too, paused to look back at Karin, and offered the other woman a smile. Then, she turned back around, leading around the curve in the pathway to the steps and gate to the castle proper. She kept her pace slow enough that she was only a little ahead of Link. Why? Well… She hadn't seen him in four years, and he had changed. Not so much in personality (although he seemed wearier, and a bit sadder… He certainly wasn't the carefree boy he'd been when she first met him in the garden of the castle.), but physically; Link had matured, grown taller - he was lean and muscular -, and Zelda was curious to know what had happened in those four years. But now was not the time to find out. So she watched him out of the corner of her eye.
Link gazed up at the castle, hazy through the rain.
Karin gazed up at the castle in wonder, smiling slightly to herself. Even though it was covered in rain, it was still beautiful; plus, the water gave the white stone of the castle a glossy sheen.
She stopped suddenly though, listening. She could have sworn that she heard somebody walking behind them, but halting as soon as she did. And she did sense someone... Who, though, she couldn't figure out.
As soon as she started walking again, she got her answer. A glowing yellow energy ball came crashing through the air, aiming at the space directly between Link and Zelda. Startled, Karin's head whipped to the right to see Draconis perched in a tree, with another orb in his hand.
"Link, Princess," He offered with a smirk. "Long time no see."
In one fluid motion, both his regular sword and the Master Sword were in Link's hands as the yellow orb flew between he and Zelda. Stepping somewhat in front of the princess, so as to protect her, he held the two blades at the ready as he stood, slightly crouched.
"What the hell was that for?" Karin yelled, glaring at Draconis.
He glared back at her. "Mind your own business, girl--"
"See, I would, but I don't normally let psycho's with energy balls go unquestioned," Karin retorted sharply.
"You do when they can kill you," He responded without looking at her. Karin -- severely pissed now but grinning -- pulled her dagger out of its sheath.
"Come on and try it, then,"
"I would, but I'm not interested in you," He kept his smirk and his gaze on Link and Zelda, switching the energy between his hands. "I'm interested in them..."
"What do you want this time?" Link questioned, tone decidedly unfriendly.
Zelda merely looked irked. An orb of pinkish light gathered in her hands, and she glared at Draconis, eyes icy. She said nothing, however, but waited.
Draconis merely smirked. "I just wanted to see if you've made your decision yet. Have you decided to give me what I wanted?"
"You know, there is such a thing as being patient," Karin muttered, holding her dagger tightly. "We just saw you, what, fifteen minutes ago?"
Draconis chose to ignore her. "So, did you make a choice yet?"
Both Zelda and Link gazed coldly at Draconis, neither one speaking for a moment. Strangely, Link didn't have to look at or ask Zelda to know that she was disturbed by Draconis, or to know that she didn't trust him in the slightest; Equally as strange, she - without using the power given her by the Triforce of Wisdom - felt the same way, perceiving, after a fashion, Link's annoyance and mistrust. Still, now was not the time to dwell upon such peculiarities. Therefore, they didn't. Instead, they observed Draconis for a moment before speaking.
Zelda spoke first: "Yes," she said, slowly, hesitantly, "We have made our choice."
She relaxed a bit, but didn't dismiss the orb of energy. Link, too, relaxed, lowering his swords, but not sheathing them. Of course the two would take any chance to keep Hyrule from harm... but they were both still uncertain about this. Still... Maybe it was better to give Draconis their blood than to risk having the Kokiri harmed.
"And it is...?" Draconis asked, becoming annoyed now. "It isn't nice to stall like that, Princess. It's actually quite annoying."
After a moment, he looked at Karin, waiting for a response from her. When she merely blinked, he asked, "Well?"
"Well what?" She retorted coldly, glaring at him.
"Aren't you going to say something incredibly annoying that makes me want to strangle you?"
"No. Obviously you want me to, so I'm not going to,"
Draconis rolled his eyes. "Thank the Goddesses,"
Karin rolled her eyes as well. "But I do think--"
"No," He cut her off, "You've given up the chance to say something irritating. Say it now and I'll kill you."
Karin glared at him, but did shut her mouth.
Draconis, meanwhile, looked back at Link and Zelda as if waiting for their answer.
Zelda then completely dismissed the orb of energy, and sighed. Stepping next to Link - who still kept his swords out - she looked up at Draconis through the rain. "I... we will give you our blood."
Draconis smirked, and jumped down from the tree. "Perfect, Princess. I'm glad you've made the right choice. I trust you have the containers?" He pulled a long, double-edged dagger from its case. Twirling it between his fingers, he kept up his smirk as he watched the pair of them. "Don't worry," He added to Link. "I'm not going to hurt you. In all honesty, this barely hurts at all."
Link blinked, then abruptly sheathed his swords. Though he kept his infinately blue eyes trained upon Draconis, the youth fished around in his pouch, removing two glass bottles from it. They were empty. "Here," he mumbled, holding them out.
Draconis took the bottles and walked over to Zelda, holding his dagger steady. "Ladies first," He told her, "hold out your arm, please."
At least he said please, Karin thought sarcastically, watching with perfect attention.
Zelda took a deep, steadying breath, removed one glove and pulled back her sleeve to reveal her smooth, porcelain skinned arm. The princess held it out unwavering, though uncertainty played behind her eyes. Her instincts screamed against trusting anything this man said, but... there was nothing for it.
Draconis smirked and held the jagged blade to her wrist. Zelda winced as it sliced across the delicate flesh, cutting into tender tissue. However, she couldn't help but gaze at the dark crimson liquid trickling into jar.
Draconis caught it, filling the bottom of the jar. Then, without so much of a "thank you" or offering of a bandage to Zelda, he moved to Link.
He didn't even wait for the Hero of Time to offer his arm. Reaching out, he grabbed Link's arm and sliced roughly across with the dagger to get the offering. For some reason, some sort of dislike seemed to be in his eyes whenever he looked at the Hero; even a mocking look.
Link did not resist as the other snatched his arm, not even flinching as Draconis made a jagged (and painful) slash across the boy's wrist. (Luckily, he'd removed his glove on that hand, so it didn't get sliced.) The man took less care in his cutting of Link than of Zelda, and Link observed that Draconis did this with utmost distaste, though the Hero of Time did not know why. He wished he did. Then, maybe, he would understand this other man. At least a little.
Karin just watched, narrowing her eyes at Draconis'. Something about him... She didn't know what it was, but she just didn't like it. She almost felt as if he didn't like what he was doing; like he was only doing it for some sort of a reward. At the same time, she felt as though he couldn't have been happier than when he was cutting Link. So she merely watched, lingering in the background as he got Link's blood.
"Well, that about ends my work here," He replied, giving a smirk to the hero and princess. "I thank you both for your time and offering. May the Gods give you luck." Sealing the bottles, Draconis turned and started to walk off.
Zelda hadn't expected any words from him, so, upon completion of her role in the blood drive, she pressed her other hand over the wound. A light blue glow surrounded it for a moment, then she let both arms fall to their sides. One might, if one looked, have seen that no trace of the incision was visible upon her skin now.
Link fished around in a pouch at his waist for one of the spare bandages he kept there, but a touch on his arm stopped him. He looked sidelong at Zelda, deep blue eyes meeting deep blue eyes for an instant. Then, she placed a hand over the deep cut and closed her eyes. A blue glow similar to that of before permeated the wound for a moment, then left, taking with it the pain and leaving behind a healed wound. No mark. No scar.
Pulling on his glove, Link took a few steps after Draconis. "Wait," he called. He paused a moment, as if considering exactly what to say, then added, "Will you answer a final question or two?"
Draconis paused, and turned around. "Depends on what those questions are."
He could almost hear Link's question in his mind; what he was glaring at, or what he was really going to do with the blood. Of course, it didn't really matter to him; as far as he was concerned, Link could ask whatever he wanted. Whether or not he would receive an answer was questionable.
The rain slowly stopped as they stood there, dripping a few drops upon the ground to heighten the slippery sheen that was left.
Karin, meanwhile, just continued to stare at him. She couldn't help it. Every time she tried to tear her eyes away, they snapped back. She didn't want to let him out of her sight.
"Why? Why do you glare like that? What do you need our blood for? And why ours in particular?" asked Link.
Zelda merely stood by, now, studying Draconis closely.
Draconis laughed. "I glare because... Well, I would have thought that would have been obvious. For one who saved your country, it is apparent that you're a lot more ignorant than I thought. And as for the other two, I'm not answering." He turned and walked off before they could stop him, soon disappearing into Castle town.
Karin glanced up, where it was easy to see a small black dot circling in the sky. She motioned slightly with one of her hands, and the bird flew down, landing on her now outstretched arm.
It was easy to see that he was a raptor; or, more precisely, a red-tailed hawk. He looked at her (though with his fierce amber eyes, it looked more like he was glaring at her) and flapped his wings a bit in irritation. She removed the strap and rolled up piece of paper from his back before he turned back to her,
"I'm not playing messenger anymore," He snapped, "you find another bird, and make sure to tell Jamie that the next time she wants to send a letter she can use her own bird,"
"Stop complaining," Karin snapped, and put the letter away. "You said you wanted to help,"
"Do I look like a carrier pigeon?" He retorted. "Or an owl? I don't carry letters!" He started to come off her arm, but Karin stopped him.
"Wait, Atreyu, did you see that ugly guy that was here a few minutes ago?"
He nodded. "Yeah, what about him?"
"Go and see if you can find him, and then tell me where he is."
The hawk nodded once more and went into the air, once again becoming nothing but a speck in the sky. A few moments later and he landed on her shoulder, muttering,
"He went into that temple over there,"
"Oh, great, we keep going in circles," Karin muttered, and then turned to Link. "I don't know what he's doing in your temple, but I don't think time would be wasted if we found out." She then started to run off, Atreyu taking to the sky again and muttering about "idiots" and "split-decisions" without "thinking things through".
Link looked slightly bemused for a moment, then he sighed as Draconis disappeared into the city. He exchanged a glance with Zelda and muttered something.
"What?" asked Zelda.
"Nothing."
"No really, what?"
"Nothing!"
"There is something. What?"
Link sighed. "It's just... Well, people - and not just people like him - complain that I'm ignorant, and yet, when I ask to be relieved of my ignorance, they refuse to answer. Besides, has it ever occurred to them that I am only seventeen right now? I haven't had a long time to go seeking answers." He shook his head. "It's rather irritating how people seem to expect perfection…"
Zelda opened her mouth to say something when Karin mentioned the fact that Draconis was headed to 'Link's temple.'
"The Temple of Time," murmured Zelda, worried. "We need to go there. Now."
Link fully agreed with her and Karin. "Ocarina, or sprinting?"
Karin didn't answer. She was sprinting, and every time that the crowd got too thick for her to get through Atreyu would swoop down and scare the hell out of them -- causing them to move out of her way.
When she got there, the doors were locked. Frowning, she began to hit her fists upon it, but no response. "Oh, that's nice!" She yelled in. "Just shut yourself up in the temple!"
"The doors are made out of wood, Karin," Atreyu supplied, landing on her shoulder. "Burn them down,"
"Yeah, then I can get thrown into jail for vandalism," Karin retorted.
"I'm just saying that if you want to get in there quickly, you'll stop hitting your fists on the door."
"Search for another way in," She demanded, and when he didn't move she added, "Please,"
After a few moments he came back to her. "There's a window you can get to if you climb."
She ran around the side and started climbing a tree, jumping up to the window. It was also closed, but at least she could see what he was doing.
In front of the alter there was a large circle drawn, and delicate Westarian letterings put all around that. (She could read some of them, but others were upside down,) He had three torches lit, and was now putting their blood on the circle.
"This... Doesn't seem good," Karin told Atreyu, who responded, "Then do something about it,"
"I'm getting to it!" She pulled out her dagger once more and started to pick the lock on the window, watching him as she did so.
Link leapt after her, Zelda close behind. They followed almost upon Karin's heels, but when they reached the Temple, instead of looking for an alternate root, they merely ran to the door. Link rested his hand upon the door for a moment, and a faint click signaled its unlocking. There were several benefits to being the Hero of Time, one of which being the Temple of Time was kind of like home. It knew you, and it knew you well. Therefore, it would react to you, at least a little.
Anyway, Zelda and Link burst into the temple just as Draconis was pouring the blood. At the same moment, Karin managed to unlock the window. Opening it, she jumped through and landed on the floor, Atreyu following soon after.
"Look, Atreyu, the idiot's doing some magick," Karin supplied sarcastically. Draconis -- for once -- ignored her.
"Stop acting like an idiot and do something about it," He replied, making low circles over them.
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Karin rolled her eyes and started forward... But some sort of barrier knocked her back.
So she got up and tried again. And once more, she was knocked backwards. She finally got the hint to stop after the fifth time that she tried this and Atreyu started yelling at her.
"You idiot! Do something else!"
"Like what?" Karin shouted back.
"I don't know, just something! Oh... Never mind. It's too late."
"How is it too... Oh..." She glanced back as the markings on the ground started to glow, and Draconis put his hands to the circle and began whispering something. "You're right. It is too late,"
"Idiot..." Atreyu muttered. "You know, Tobias was never this stupid,"
Karin glared at him. "I'm not Tobias,"
"Obviously,"
"You know, you never had to help me!"
"Right, I was just supposed to let you die? Tobias wanted me to help you."
"Then shut up and make yourself useful!"
"By doing what?"
"I don't know; whatever you want me to do!"
They stopped arguing as everything stopped glowing for a second -- and then started back up. Meanwhile, the flames switched color to blood red, purple, black, and then settled on blue.
Both Link and Zelda had attempted to pass through the barrier, but to no avail. Even Zelda's powers as a sage did nothing to the barrier. So… they watched with sick horror.
"No," she hissed, sudden comprehension as to the nature of the flames and the magic dawning in her eyes. "Stupid... Stupid... Why didn't I see?"
Link seemed to get the gist of what she'd realized, and he drew one of his swords; the Master Sword. Its blade glittered blue, glowing in response to the magic all around and the approaching evil.
Well, Karin really didn't know what they were on about. True, she could tell what Draconis was doing in the fact that it was a ritual, but she didn't know what or who he was doing it for. And in all honesty, she didn't care. See, Karin was the type of person who didn't really mind so long as you don't offend her in some way. But by blocking her off, he pissed her off. And as soon as that happened...
Well, lets just say that Atreyu had to latch his talons in the back of her trench coat/cape thing to stop her from starting forward again.
"Stop being stupid!" He ordered, "You can't get through!"
"Oh, so I'm just supposed to stand here while he does whatever it is that he's doing?" Karin shot back.
"Yes!"
"Screw you," She snapped, "Whose side are you on?"
"Yours, and I don't want you to get blasted back here so many times it knocks out whatever brain cells you actually have! And I don't think Tobias would like it much if he had to meet you in the afterlife so early,"
That made her stop, but not without muttering about having red-tailed hawk for dinner later. Atreyu didn't let go of her cape thing, but did continue to keep his fierce gaze upon Draconis who, it seemed, finally ended the ritual.
A black and purple vortex opened before them, where shadow-like shapes could be seen within. Of course, not all of them stayed there. A tall Gerudo man in black armor soon stepped out, grinning at them all like he had just received an award for best dressed.
Which, anyone with any dress sense at all would tell you, was impossible. Karin was staring at him, and shaking her head in disbelief. Of course, before right then she hadn't thought that people could arrive through portals, but in the same sense... "Just when you thought things couldn't get uglier," She muttered, and Atreyu finished with, "They do."
The vortex closed behind him and Draconis stood up, leaving Ganondorf to turn and thank -- if that's what you could call it -- his servant. He then focused on Link and Zelda.
"The Hero of Time," he muttered, "and the Princess of Destiny. I didn't count on seeing you both here. Not that it matters. I have everything I need -- if not now, but this unexpected circumstance -- to take what is rightfully mine; Hyrule."
Zelda and Link stared up at the (much) taller Gerudo with something akin to anger, horror and worry mixed into one. Let's call it irate anxiety. Well, with Ganondorf on the loose, things could only go from bad to Link, bypassing worse entirely.
"You will never succeed," snapped Zelda. A pinkish glow, well, glowed in each hand - her powers as a sage.
Link glared at Ganondorf, holding the Master Sword poised for attack. "We'll stop you like we did before," he hissed.
"Will you now?" Ganondorf smirked. "Well, it certainly won't be as simple as before, especially considering that your Sages," this word was said with as much contempt as the "Hero" and "Princess" terms before, "are once again locked off from their temples. And I'm afraid certain Sages won't.. hmmm.. be around to help. But really, is that my place to say?"
Karin rolled her eyes. "Rhetorical questions. This one's just an entirely smart guy, isn't he?"
Draconis glared at her. "Be quiet. This doesn't concern you."
She glared back. "Like it concerns you?" Turning to Link, she said, "You take care of the tall idiot, and I'll see what I can do about the shorter one. We'll take it from there."
Of course, she had absolutely no idea what she was getting herself into. Though, she never really did, so it didn't matter. Pulling her own sword out (she had her dagger in her hand) she looked at the sparkling silver blade for a moment (of course, it was just the light reflecting off of the steel, but, whatever,); The entire length of the blade was engraved with a drawing of a dragon, and for a moment she just stood there looking at it. Moments later, she was busy trying to kill Draconis for doing whatever it was that he did. Mainly, freeing Ganondorf.
Ganondorf simply looked amused, if not irked by Link's and Zelda's attitudes upon his arrival. He raised up one hand, summoning black lightning energy. Link didn't really listen to what Ganondorf said. Ok, so he did, but not closely. Instead, he leapt forward, sword glowing blue as he slashed at the Gerudo king. A white light surrounded Zelda and Sheik stood there instead. A moment later daggers in hand, he, too, lunged to attack Ganon.
Ganondorf, meanwhile, didn't seem to pay this much mind. Yes, he did have to use the arm with the energy to block Link's strike, and yes, it did hurt, but... The other hand, lightning included, was soon thrust forward at the Hero. After all, he didn't really feel like playing with them.
Drawing his sword quickly out of its sheath, he thrust it forward at Sheik. For his demented little plan inside of his demented little mind to work, he needed Zelda. And for that, he needed to halt her progress. After all, an armed Sheikah coming at him did not raise his hopes any.
The dark lightening crackled down the Master Sword, and laced through Link, causing a rather great lot of pain. As it was, he was thrown backwards with a cry, and he landed hard upon the stone floor near Karin and Draconis. He remained dazed for a moment before twisting to his feet. (Although it did hurt, and he did grimace.)
Sheik, meanwhile, easily dodged the heavy swing despite its speed, for he was faster. That was a major benefit of this form. Although less strong, Sheik could lap most other boys in a foot race any day, and not be terribly winded or sore. Anyway, as he leapt aside of the blade, Sheik flung a rather sharp, sturdy dagger at the large Gerudo.
The dagger that Sheik threw managed to hit Ganondorf in the arm, but the Gerudo didn't even seem to realize it. Instead, he just kept trying to hit Sheik, aiming to slam the flat of his blade against the Chosen Sheikah's head and completely forget about the Hero of Time.
Meanwhile, Atreyu was screaming at Karin because of her "stupidity" again. "Will you stop attacking for a minute? You're going to get yourself killed!"
"No!" Karin yelled back, trying to cut Draconis with her sword once more. He dodged, and shoved his own blade into her arm. "This bastard is going to die!"
"You do know that he could be lying in order to piss you off bad enough so you'll be easy to kill, right?"
"He's not!"
"How do you know?"
"I don't!"
"Dammit, Karin, use your common sense!"
"I don't have any to use!"
Draconis smirked at their conversation, taking a hit to the arm, but managing to catch his blade on hers.
"Your skill is definitely below the level that his was. Shame that such a pathetic girl such as yourself is trying to avenge him," Draconis whispered, causing her to speed up her attacks. This, however, served his purpose; her actions were getting sloppier and causing more openings.
Sheik did not have too hard a time dodging some of the swipes, but others came entirely too close for comfort. A minute or so later, when Link had recovered his senses and gotten to his feet, however, Sheik spent a moment too long flinging another dagger, and that moment cost him. The sword swung around, smacking Sheik on the back and sending him careening to the ground, where a soft thud announced he'd hit his head. The Sheikah did not move.
Link, meanwhile, looked rather worriedly at Sheik, but doubted he could spare the time to go over to Zelda. Therefore, he leapt at Ganondorf's back (since the Gerudo was ignoring him), aiming carefully with the pointy end of the Master Sword.
Ganondorf hissed as the Master Sword delved into his back, but managed to move forward and to the side before the blade had a chance to sink in too deeply. Spinning around -- thus cutting a line in his back where the Master Sword had still been, he sliced his blade towards the Hero of Time.
This was only to get Link to back off, though. Ganondorf continued his attacks, moving towards Sheik as he did so. The sooner he managed to retrieve the Princess -- or Sheikah warrior, in this case, though really they were one in the same -- the sooner that he would be able to take what in his mind was rightfully his -- Hyrule.
Link narrowly avoided the painful slice as he leapt backwards, ripping the Master Sword out of Ganondorf's back as he went. Ignoring the hot blood spattered along the blade, Link leapt towards Ganondorf again, praying he hit the Gerudo before the Gerudo reached Sheik.
Unfortunately for Link, that was not to be the case. Ganondorf dodged the Hero of Time's blade, reached out, and grabbed Sheik by his neck. Straightening up, he put his blade to Sheik's neck.
"Well, it looks like we've gotten everything we came here for," A smirk curled upon his face. "Hyrule is mine once more."
Draconis stopped attacking Karin to listen, putting up his sword as she kept attacking him. Finally, Atreyu grabbed the back of her shirt to make her stop, and she listened also.
"You have lost, Hero," Ganondorf continued talking to Link. "If you could even call it that. Your attempt was so pathetic that it would never merit a win. I'm ashamed that I lost to you before, though, that was probably a fluke if I've ever seen it. Or maybe the Sages were backing you before; after all, you would have never won otherwise without someone to help you. What sort of Hero cannot win without help? Perhaps you aren't even a Hero after all, but more of a doll for the Sages -- or those who were the Sages anyway -- to toy with.
"Regardless, the fact remains that you have lost. But don't worry; I will take my rule as King of Hyrule very seriously." Laughing, Ganondorf left the Temple (with Sheik, of course), Draconis following shortly after.
Sheik groggily came to, only to find a sword blade held to his throat, around which was also a large hand. Another moment passed before he realized why, and his red eyes glared at Ganondorf. There was nothing he could do, however, and he, or rather, she cast an apologetic, yet fearful glance at Link.
The hero, meanwhile, looked both irate and anxious. "No!" He swore softly to himself (And we'll leave most of what he muttered unprinted, since it would undoubtedly up the rating. ) as Ganondorf and Draconis left. "Bastard," he hissed.
Sages? Karin had no idea what he was talking about there, but she did know that who was a princess had turned into some sort of warrior, and had just been kidnapped by the freak that came out of the black hole.
Oh yeah. She was going insane.
Regardless, it wasn't Link's fault. Walking over, she told him, "Sorry about what happened, but... We shouldn't just stand here. We should go get those Sage people he was talking about, and then go kick his ass."
Atreyu perched on her shoulder, and then turned his fierce glare towards her. "You know, you're not being comforting at all."
Karin rolled her eyes, but other than that ignored him. "Anyway, where are these Sage people? Do they live in another country or something?"
Link, ignoring Karin for the moment, pulled a rag out of one of his pouches and wiped the blood off of his sword. Then he sheathed the Master Sword and cast his eyes about for his other sword, which Ganondorf had knocked... Somewhere. A moment later, he espied it and walked over to it. When he bent down to pick it up, he winced. Yup. Bruised abdomen. He would definitely feel that in the morning, and the other bruises adorning his skin.
Only once he'd placed his old sword in his makeshift sheath did Link turn to Karin. His endless blue eyes were clear, yet filled with worry, not for himself, but for Hyrule, and for Zelda. Regarding her and her bird, Link sighed. One hand reached into one of his pouches, and pulled out a blue, exquisitely made ocarina. A small Triforce was engraved where the mouthpiece joined the rest of the instrument. Link looked down at it, fingers absently, well, fingering the melodies he knew so well.
"It won't be as easy as all that, I expect," he murmured, darkly. "Ganondorf knows the mistakes he made last time... He'll be much more prepared this time... But the sages... They live here, in Hyrule... But... What he said about them…"
He shook his head, frowning. He debated playing Saria's song to talk with her, or just warping to the Forest Temple.
Karin shrugged off his suspicions. "Well, considering the way that the freaky guy in black came -- you know, through that weird black hole thing -- then I doubt this would be easy. Nothing considering the star of a freak show could be easy."
Atreyu glanced at her once more. "You know, you talk too much."
"And everything that comes out of your mouth is an insult. Why are you following me around, anyway?" She asked, him, looking at him out of the corner of her eyes.
"You're wearing the totem, moron. Plus I was helping you. You do remember how I degraded myself by playing messenger, don't you? Not counting the times that I kept watch from the sky..."
Karin ignored that comment -- for he had her beat -- and then turned back to Link. "So, where's our first destination?"
"The Forest Temple... I need to talk to Saria face to face. If you're coming with me, put your hand on my shoulder... Otherwise, farewell."
Link lifted the ocarina to his lips and played the Minuet of Forest. A slightly green light surrounded him (and Karin), and they disappeared from the temple of time. A moment or two spent in an in between state passed, and then they appeared in the center of the Triforce-marked platform outside the Forest Temple.
Authors' Notes:
Yeah, yeah. We know. It's long. Very looooong. Not all of the chapters will be quite so long, but brevity isn't our strong point. XD Besides, the chapter itself is only about 10,908 words… -shifty eyes-
Umi: I suppose part of the reason that it's so long is my fault.
(Snarky: You suppose?)
Umi: Snarky originally had it much shorter, but I added on quite a bit, because the way the chapter ended before just didn't work for me. And when things don't work for me… Well… As Dark would say, if he wasn't currently involved with his cinnamon sticks "The moron decides to go and change them without any permission or warning,"
But, I did get verification from Snarky, so you can blame her too! Heh…
Snarky: … All righty…
Umi: Anyway, our other characters should be surfacing in the next chapter, along with some familiar faces and people who – though they also have familiar faces – have mental disorders. ; But we all love those people, right?
Snarky: Anyway, we'd really appreciate reviews, even flaming ones that say we suck at writing… Although, we'd prefer if you'd tell us why we suck… x.x