Chapter nine, chapter nine! Is everyone about ready to leave the desert then? I can tell you I'm running out of synonyms for the word "sand." All kinds of fun things can happen in the rest of Hyrule! And though it may not feel like it, this is still the very beginning of the story. Well, I would say that this chapter ends the "very beginning" part. So much more to come, I can't wait, and I hope you can't either! First, though, a couple random author's notes:

AN 1) Rodarian: Thank you for reading! Sorry if it wasn't entirely clear back at chapter five. Here's what went down: the room in front of Ganondorf was completely dark, so he couldn't see anything. Then the darkness receded (by way of witches' magic) and revealed his mother, bound and unconscious. It was meant to be inferred that the witches had nabbed her when she ran off into the desert at the end of ch. 4. Hope that helps.

AN 2) Sakume kicks ass. Plain and simple. She was my very first reviewer, and that last review of hers made me feel indescribably awesome. And, she's a wonderful writer. Seriously, if you haven't checked out her stuff before, I highly recommend it.

I don't have space to mention everybody, but every single one of you is my hero! Your reviews make me feel like I'm actually writing something worthwhile, so please, keep them coming! Finally, without further ado, chapter 9...

Kirandorf woke Ganondorf while the stars still shone bright; the moon slowly reaching toward the horizon, preparing to relinquish the sky to the sun. There was no complaint from Ganondorf—waking before dawn was not uncommon under Kirandorf's mentoring, and though outwardly he remained stoic, his excitement at his first journey beyond the desert was overpowering.

Each donned their traveling gear—heavy but breathable black garments with white capes—and strapped their broadswords across their backs so that the hilt protruded over the left shoulder from underneath the cape. They took nothing else; Nabooru would have provisions prepared for them at the Village.

Departing the Colossus, the two men quickly reached the sandstorm wall, and wrapped white scarves over their mouths and noses to help combat the furious sands. Though he knew the path to the Village by heart, Ganondorf remained near his companion. He berated himself for his cowardice, but he had never been able to escape the horrible visions he had experienced in the Wasteland as a child. Indeed, he was often revisited by them in his dreams, and every time remained paralyzed by terror. He was shaken from these thoughts by the true menace of the Haunted Wasteland; one both terrible and entirely unavoidable.

My friends, my friends!
So long it has been
Since you last came to visit;
Too long, I deem.

The Poe floated down in front of them, facing them and flying backward as the men walked forward. He shook his lantern jovially. Kirandorf scowled. "Can we not have one trip through the desert free from this blasted spirit?" he grunted lowly to Ganondorf.

Though I am quite deceased
I hear very well still.
But I shall forgive you
Surely you meant me no ill.

"Of course not, Phantom Guide," Kirandorf lied, returning his voice to its normal volume. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your company?"

To my boredom, of course
Curiosity too.
To where do you travel
And shall you be back soon?

"Our destination is ultimately undecided. It is time for my student to observe the world outside of our desert. I think we shall visit the Zora first, and decide further from there."

Very good, very good
For your return I shall wait.
One somewhat early
One much too late.

This disturbed Kirandorf very much, though he was careful not to show it. He had learned long ago not to discount Phantom Guide's abstract prophecies. He considered asking the Poe what it meant, but knew he would receive no more intelligible an answer. They walked for sometime longer, doing their best to ignore the ghost's incessant rhyming, until they reached the River of Sand, and Phantom Guide bid them a relieving farewell.

As they neared the end of their solid path, both men removed their swords, still in their scabbards, from their backs. Though he knew it was unnecessary, Kirandorf pointed to the center of the flowing quicksand, to an area that looked entirely identical to the rest of the River. Ganondorf nodded. Taking several steps backward, he ran toward the River and leapt into the air. He cleared nearly a dozen feet, and as he fell to the area Kirandorf had indicated, he thrust his sheathed blade into the quicksand. It fit perfectly into the groove on a raised, concealed stone, only a foot long on each side, which had been erected in ages past for Kings' passage. Using the sword as a vaulting pole, he propelled himself the across the rest of the River, landing and, after wiping the liquid sand off, returned the weapon to his back. Seconds later, Kirandorf landed next to him and similarly replaced his weapon.

The warriors walked to the nearby iron gate—the only entrance to the Gerudo Village, sheltered under rocky cliffs. Using his golden bracelets against the iron, Kirandorf rang out a complex melody. Hearing this, the tower guard on the other side began turning the massive crank to raise the gate. Ganondorf and Kirandorf entered the Village just as the sun crept over the eastern horizon, happy to remove the heavy scarves from their faces. They waved to the woman in the tower and continued into the village. Nabooru was already running toward them from the Gerudo Fortress, the large stone building spanning the entire length of the Village that served as prison, school, training area, and gathering place for the desert dwellers. Hama came more slowly behind her. Ganondorf stared appreciatively at the young girl as she ran, until he realized this and forced himself to look elsewhere.

"I've got all our things ready!" she exclaimed when she reached them. Both men frowned at this and looked to three sacks of provisions she carried.

"You are not coming," said Kirandorf firmly.

Nabooru made her best attempt at a pouty face. It was not very successful. "And why not?" she asked.

"It's too dangerous," both men informed her in perfect unison.

The young girl would not be perturbed so easily. "I am a Gerudo warrior, not some Hyrulian powder girl! I have trained in survival and combat my entire life and I am the top fighter of all the girls, including most of the older ones. There is absolutely no reason for me not to go."

"Fine," Kirandorf stated simply. He took his bag from Nabooru, and hoisted it over his shoulder. He said a quick farewell to Hama, then started toward the Village entrance.

Ganondorf was bewildered by this seemingly random change of heart. "But... she..." he stammered.

"Don't argue, Ganondorf," came Kirandorf's stern reply.

Nabooru handed Ganondorf his bag and smiled a smile that could never be confused for innocent. "Aren't you happy to have me along?" Ganondorf could not look her in the eye.

Breaking the uncomfortable pause that followed, Hama walked to Ganondorf and embraced him warmly. Her hair had dulled almost entirely to grey over the years, and the sun had begun to reveal creases in her skin. "It has been too long since you visited, Ganondorf. You have grown into a stronger young man than any of us could have imagined. Your mother would have been proud to see you."

For the briefest instant, anger flashed across Ganondorf's face at the mention of his mother. He removed it instantly. "Thank you, Hama. I will see you when we return."

She nodded. "Be cautious, but enjoy yourself."

Ganondorf walked in the direction Kirandorf had gone, with a beaming Nabooru in tow. Kirandorf was waiting for them at the chasm at the edge of the Village. When they arrived, the old King motioned for the guard positioned there to drop the wooden barrier that closed off the entranceway. It was lowered so that it protruded over the gorge, rocking gently in the winds that blew from the white crashing waters hundreds of feet below, and left a fourteen foot span across the opening.

Kirandorf gave Ganondorf a quick smile, and the boy instantly knew why he had been so quick to allow Nabooru to come along. Both men rushed onto the horizontal barrier together, putting all their strength into a clean leap across the rift. They almost seemed to soar, their capes streaming behind them in what should have been an impossible jump. Both men landed on the other side, Ganondorf a foot or so farther than Kirandorf, though not nearly as gracefully, being forced to tuck himself into a short roll to halt his momentum.

Nabooru walked to the edge of the wooden platform and looked down the chasm, across to the two men, down again, and once more to the men. "I can not jump across that."

"This is unfortunate," called Kirandorf. "We shall see you upon our return then?"

Nabooru made another pouty face, failing just as spectacularly as before at the desired effect, then turned around. Kirandorf nodded to Ganondorf, and both men turned and began down the path. They didn't see Nabooru wink to the entrance guard.

When they heard a high-pitched voice scream HYAAAHHHH! they knew what they would see even as they turned in astonishment. Nabooru had run at top speed down the platform, and now threw herself in a wild leap off of the edge, clenching her eyes as tightly as possible and throwing her arms out as she plummeted. She was halted abruptly in the air and her body smacked not gently against the canyon wall. She opened her eyes and smiled innocently at the furious faces of the two men that lay on the ground above her, each holding one of her arms.

"Are you mad?" Ganondorf asked, feeling it a very rhetorical question. "You could not have made that jump if you had wings!"

Nabooru was pulled up and dropped roughly to the ground. Sitting a second to stop her spinning head, she said, "Of course I could not make the jump! I just knew you would catch me."

Ganondorf had to lift his jaw off of the ground. "You what?" he exclaimed, wide-eyed.

Kirandorf glared at the guard across the rift. "Why did you not stop her?"

"I'm sorry, sir, she was just too fast for me." Kirandorf did not need to see the woman's smile to read the lie.

Nabooru stood and hoisted her pack. "Well, shall we go?"

Kirandorf frowned still. "I should throw you back across," he said, but then turned and began again down the path. Ganondorf shook his head and followed after him.

"Aw come on, Gannie," Nabooru said to his back. "We're going to have so much fun!"

Ganondorf turned his head. "If you ever call me that again," he began, pausing to make his point. "I'll cut you in half."

Koume and Kotake floated casually on top of the Desert Colossus. They had been there the entire time, of course—they simply stayed out of sight. They had been there for centuries before Kirandorf, their ancestors for ages innumerable before even the first Gerudo. Though they were happy to let the King of Thieves think that he owned the Colossus, such an idea couldn't be further from the truth.

"The time has almost come to make our move, my dear sister," the fire-haired Kotake declared.

"Yes, yes, I'm almost trembling with excitement," replied the icy hag. "We may not be able to handle both of them when they're together..."

"...but they'll be easy to separate while they're traveling," finished her sister.

The witches flew off in the direction that Kirandorf and Ganondorf had traveled, hatching plan after plan to separate the men, and cackling uproariously the entire time.