The Corrupted Kingdom
By: Sketzer
(Based on the Legend of Zelda games)
Prologue
Evil emanated from the Hyrulian castle in the sky. No one knew how the castle had gotten there. The entire Royal Family and their servants were now imprisoned. No one had seen or heard from Link since he had retrieved the Statue of Kokiri, after that he left to find and kill Ganon once and for all.
The Hyrulian people were now in disarray as they were unable to ask the King for advice. They wondered how long the Royal Family's provisions would last. Finally, someone decided to search for Link. That person was Giltram.
Chapter 1: Clouded
Dark World. Link had heard Dark Link say it was where he was from, but Link had never heard of that place. He soon wondered what Ganon would do next. He'll probably try to enslave Hyrule, Link thought, as he traveled across a long plain called Hyrule Field.
In the distance was a long mountain range with an odd dark cloud above it. That isn't like any rain cloud I've ever seen. Link decided to ask his fairy friend about it. "Selestie, what do you think that cloud is?" He learned much about the fairies from her and knew they had certain senses about nature and magic. "That cloud is what happens when a large amount of pure evil is all in one place. That cloud is what that evil gives off. It is not only the color and smell of evil, but the feel of evil as well, " she said with a somber tone. "Then that is where we must go," Link stated firmly, and somehow knew Ganon was in those mountains.
As they crossed the plain the sky grew darker and darker, until only the light emitted from Selestie remained. Link felt cold inside like someone sucked all the happiness from his heart. "It seems Ganon made his move to enslave Hyrule," Link said as he looked at the core of the cloud.
"Yes, and we must stop him from finishing whatever he has started. Link, from now on we will not be able to tell day from night, as the cloud will disrupt the light from the sun. I will tell you when it is nighttime."
After a few hours they stopped and set up camp just outside the mountains. The ominous clouds had grown in size and intensity, and covered the entire sky. It was going to be hard for Link to sleep until he became used to all this evil. Tomorrow they would start the hard part of their journey.
Chapter 2: Giltram's Panic
Once Giltram had decided to search for Link, he did not hesitate. He went to the stable where he kept his horse, Arrowhead, and made ready for travel. Giltram was an old elven man who had no family and owned a small farm on the edge of Hyrule. Once Giltram had packed everything necessary for the trip, including a small basket of vegetables, he climbed onto Arrowhead and set out.
Giltram was a spiritualist and a hermit. He could feel changes in the environment almost as good as the fairies. After noon he felt a cold wind. The cold was not of temperature, but of darkness. He felt as though a mass of evil that had been gathering for years had been unleashed upon Hyrule. Sensing this he focused harder on its intentions. He felt something, and moved his mind toward it. The humans will be corrupted.
The people of Hyrule will be turned evil. I do not know how to stop this. I must get to Link, he thought with panic. He spurred Arrowhead into a gallop and set off toward the center of the evil. Somehow he knew Link would also head that way. After another hour the evil had spread all over the sky and into the center of Hyrule.
Chapter 3: The Tower of Torment
The next morning Link and Selestie woke up to find the world still shrouded with evil. The horrible cloud had thickened immensely overnight; it was like a puddle being rained on. After breakfast the pair headed into the mountains. "I've traveled this range many times," said Link enthusiastically, "we'll find Ganon in no time."
"I hope so. He certainly is good at hiding isn't he?"
"Not really. I always have a pretty easy time finding him. It should be no problem this time, he probably thinks I'm dead."
"I agree, but let us not do something stupid like walk into…" Selestie stopped mid sentence. They had rounded a flat cliff, and before them was a tall dark tower. Out of the top of the tower came a stream of black cloud. "…a trap!"
"I don't think this is a trap. Ganon probably doesn't even have this place guarded very well. Let's go in."
"Wait. It just feels so evil. I want to stay here."
"Ok, you don't have to go in. I'll be out before you know it.
Link went up to the large oaken doors and grabbed the round handle. The handle was huge, and had a large snake engraved around it. It was coiled around the handle as a real snake would. He pulled the handle and the ancient door creaked as it opened.
Inside there was only a flight of steps winding up the tower. Link climbed the steps, and at the top was a sight of absolute evil. The Fairy Queen was chained to the wall and was being used as the source of power for the evil tower. "Your highness," whispered Link. He moved toward her and took out his sword. "Stop," commanded the Queen, "if I am set free by anything other than the key to my shackles, all my power will be drained instantly and I will die. Link, this is the Tower of Torment. It takes good and turns it into evil. If the evil power is not used then it will be dispersed into the sky. The amount of good energy I have is unsurpassable to anything in Hyrule except for the Triforce. Link, there are things I still must do before I pass on. Find Ganon and take the key. I need to survive, the fairy race depends on it."
"Yes, your highness. You have my word, I will save you."
Chapter 4: Trouble on the Field
Giltram knew that the fastest way to get anywhere in Hyrule was Hyrule Field. He headed straight for it and rode all night long. He arrived the next morning and decided to make camp because Arrowhead needed rest and food. For the most part the day was uneventful, but he was sensing odd things.
Large groups of Octorocks were moving randomly through the country. The land was changing. The water was growing algae twice as fast as normal, and the leaves of the trees were turning purple. He felt as if hands were moving things at their will. The evil in the air was twisting the land, shaping it, discoloring it, until only a fraction of the original beauty was left.
After he and Arrowhead had eaten lunch they moved across the plain. By the end of the day they were outside the mountain range, where they set up camp again and went to sleep.
For the first half of the night Giltram slept uneasily. Arrowhead woke him with a muffled neigh. He threw off the blanket and reached for his knife. He noticed that the light was the same as it had been when he went to sleep. Then he saw three figures. He recognized them as children. Suddenly awake, he asked, "Who are you?" The smallest child replied with an evil voice, "We want to eat your food."
"Is that all you want," asked Giltram baffled by the simplicity of the statement.
"No, we also want your soul!"
The human boys jumped him, but he was an elf. He moved with a quickness faster than the three corrupted boys put together. He sidestepped and swung hitting the first one in the back of the head with the hilt of his knife, knocking him out. Giltram smoothly grabbed the next boy's ankles and pulled his feet out from under him, plowing his face into the ground. The third boy grabbed at the knife but Giltram punched him in the temple just hard enough to knock him out but not kill him. The other boy got back up and grappled Giltram from the back and started to squeeze. However, Giltram easily broke free and proceeded to knock him out with a good punch.
He looked at Arrowhead; the corrupted boys had killed his best friend. Giltram knew this was not the boys' fault, but the influence of the cloud. He then gathered only the most necessary things and began hiking toward the mountain range.
Chapter 5: To the Volcano
Link left the tower and found Selestie sitting on a stump staring at the swirling black sky. Link had a lump in his throat as he tried to tell her about the tower. "Selestie, your Queen is in that tower and we must find Ganon and get the key from him."
"Th…the Queen…is in there? In the Tower of Torment?"
"Yes," he paused as he struggled to find the right words, "we'll save her, Selestie, even if I have to go to the depths of the underworld and back."
"Thank you Link, that lightens my heart."
They discussed where to search for Ganon next, and decided to brave the volcano on the other side of the mountains. To get there they would have to climb to the top of the mountain they were on. Link hummed an enchanting melody, a trait all elves possess, as they climbed higher and higher until they reached the height necessary for their assessment of the land.
Link saw the volcano had miraculously moved into the center of the mountain range, shortening their trip to a half-day. According to Selestie it was midday, so they decided to risk venturing into the now ragged land. The land had been stripped of all its beauty, and yet it still provided everything needed for life. Link saw this undeniable fact, as a paradox. Evil tainted this land, and it was by far fouler than anything he had ever seen, but it had as many beasts as before.
They proceeded down the mountain. At the bottom, they stopped for a quick meal of bread and water. Then they trudged through a valley of dense forest, which they found very hard to navigate because of the random rock walls scattered throughout the trees. They spent the night at the foot of the volcano.
Chapter 6: Magic Time
Giltram climbed to the top of the first mountain he saw. He ignored the evil cloud that seemed to be coming straight out of a rock wall. Little did he know the wall was merely an illusion. At the top he could see the volcano, and decided to climb up the taller mountain next to it so he could see what was in the crater, if anything.
He passed through the shortest part of the thick forest, and once at the foot of the mountain he sat down. His body was starting to get old, even for an elf. He was still grieving the loss of his fourth and favorite horse when he thought of something. He pulled out a small silver chained necklace, which had a small vial of blue liquid attached to the chain. The blue liquid was a formula for "magic time" as he called it. It was a potion that triples someone's running speed.
He opened the vial and drank it all. He felt an immense power rush to his legs. He got up and started running up the mountain. This won't last long in the mountains, I'll have to think quickly. In a half-hour he was at the top of the tall mountain. In the thick clouds he was surprised at how well his aging eyes could still see. Inside the volcano's crater was a vast swamp. He was stunned to see a large dank looking castle in the center of the swamp.
He ran back down the mountain at an amazing speed, and was at the base of the volcano in ten minutes. The effect of the potion was just wearing off as he stopped. He spent the night there.
Chapter 7: Swamped
Link and Selestie woke the next morning to the same bleak twilight that they were now accustomed to. They started breakfast as they were climbing the volcano. Soon they neared the top of the volcano, and wondered what was at the top.
Selestie stopped to take a drink from a rivulet while Link went ahead to the top of the volcano. He was very surprised to find a swamp in the crater. Then he saw the familiar sight of Ganon's castle. A long rickety bridge connected the edge of the volcano to the front gate of Ganon's castle. "Selestie, hurry up!" Link yelled to his companion. There was a bit of dismay in his voice. He looked around a bit longer and spotted a shield on the ground. He walked over to it and tugged, but it wouldn't budge. He took out his sword and began to pry it from the ground. The moment it came loose five re-dead came out of the ground. They looked more gruesome than usual because of the moss and gray water from the swamp hanging on their stretched skin and bones. The one in the front was holding the shield in its left hand and had a horrible looking sword shaped like a Y.
Link began a fierce battle by running, jumping, and diagonally slicing the far right re-dead into two pieces. They slowly trudged toward him. He jumped back toward the edge of the volcano, to prevent being caught between the re-dead and the swamp. He slowly cut through three of the four, saving the leader for last. After finishing them off he stood and faced the leader. It came at Link with amazing speed. They clashed swords, and the re-dead smote him with the shield. Link flew back, landed a few feet away, and rolled to dodge a thrust from it.
Link quickly stood up and momentarily staggered, then he ran toward the re-dead. It swung; he dodged. It attacked again; he blocked, rolled to the side, and stabbed it in the heart. The re-dead turned and smiled at Link, and swung his shield at him again. Link had expected this and dropped to the ground to cut both of its feet off. The re-dead leader fell to the ground. Link stepped on its sword and shield, and proceeded with the finishing blow to the head.
After the battle Link pried the re-dead leader's arm from the shield. Link took the shield and searched for Selestie. Selestie had been watching the battle and was hiding behind a rock. "Link, you were wonderful!"
"Thanks, they aren't too hard to fight anymore."
"We should head for the castle now."
"Good idea. I think Ganon will be surprised to see me."
Chapter 8: The Dash
Giltram woke up early the next morning to watch the volcano for Link. Eventually he saw a green figure at the edge of the volcano. It must be him, it must be Link. He was now sorry he had used up the entire potion when he did, because now he needed it.
He started down the mountain to get to Link as soon as possible. He took every shortcut he could find or make. He even started a rockslide by moving a big boulder and then running on top of it. Once he had gotten to the bottom, he immediately started up the volcano. He used every ounce of adrenaline his body could muster. Halfway up the volcano he stopped for a quick drink, and then he continued running.
He had finally made it to the top and found that there was no one there, so he decided to head toward the entrance of the long bridge. He hoped Link had gone inside. He tore open the door and yelled, "LINK!"
Chapter 9: Tales of Peril
Link and Selestie slowly crossed the long bridge to the castle. When they reached the front gate they took their time opening the door so they would not attract attention to themselves. Inside was a huge lobby with a giant painting of Ganon hanging on the back wall. The room was dimly lit with a few scattered candles. They looked around for a short while before they heard, "LINK!" coming from directly behind them. "Who are you?" asked Link with a deadly tone.
"Thank goodness! I am Giltram, a hermit. I searched you out to tell you of a terrible peril."
"What would that be?" Link asked, now much more interested.
"The great castle of Hyrule has floated up into the sky, and the Royal Family is in it. All the Hyrulian people have been corrupted."
"This is Ganon's doing, again. He thinks that I am dead. Now he will pay for all the evil deeds he has committed."
"I want to help. I can be a diversion for you. Ganon will think that I am trying to be a hero in place of you."
"Good idea, just don't get killed." They spent the next few minutes composing a plan that involved Selestie telling Link when to come help Giltram.
As far as Link could tell the castle had not changed, so they went upstairs to the throne room. Once Link had found the door to the throne room, they proceeded with the plan.
Chapter 10: Ganon's Flight
Giltram opened the door to the throne room to see Ganon asleep in his large obsidian throne. He and Selestie went inside and left the door open a little for Link. Giltram proceeded to walk up the steps not worrying about the sound of his footsteps. He wanted Ganon awake. Ganon opened one eye and yawned loudly before talking to his intruder. "You are in my castle," then he noticed the small sheathe on Giltram's hip, "and you have a pitiful little knife. Interesting. How do you think you will be able to hurt me with that puny blade? Even Link could not stand up to my power. Hah hah haa…oh great Link. We knew thee well." He started into a maniacal laugh that was enough to make even a troll retch.
"I am Giltram, and I can defeat you with my pinky finger," Giltram said with surprisingly good force. Ganon began laughing even harder. Giltram unsheathed his knife and looked Ganon straight in the eye. "Fight me." Ganon sneered, "Fine, Giltram, you can die if you want to." Ganon drew back his hand. Link came running through the door off-queue. "WHAT!" screamed Ganon with uncontrollable rage. "You're DEAD! I killed you with that fireball."
"Ha! Selestie here healed me right after you attacked me. Ganon, do you remember when I told you, 'if you attack me at anytime I will not hesitate to kill you'? Well that time has come."
Link and Giltram started to run at Ganon, but Ganon threw his fireball at the ceiling. As the roof came crumbling down, Ganon jumped out the window. They were stopped by the falling debris, but turned back and headed for the front door. Once outside the saw Ganon getting onto a raft. Selestie used her powers to create a magical canoe for them to follow him.
Chapter 11: The Chase
Ganon blasted out part of the volcano wall instantly creating a river. The two vessels sailed down the mountain range at an unbelievable pace. In five minutes they were off the volcano and heading away from Hyrule. Link pulled out his bow and started firing at Ganon. Selestie then started setting Link's arrows on fire with magic to start burning their enemy's raft. Ganon retaliated with a few fireballs and electric bolts. Finally Link got a good hit on one of Ganon's ropes and his raft split into two unequal pieces. Ganon quickly got on the larger one and attacked a few more times, hitting Selestie's boat twice, but the magical boat took no damage. While Ganon was looking back at his enemies, his raft struck a large rock and knocked him into the water.
Very soon the three caught up to him, took the key, and Selestie tied his hands behind his back with magical bonds. Over two days they traveled back to the Tower of Torment, with Ganon ranting the whole way. Link went to the Fairy Queen and unlocked her shackles. This stopped the flow of evil into the sky. In return for her rescue, the Queen promised to help the people of Hyrule by freeing them from their corruption and setting the castle back in its proper place.
The Final Chapter: Defeat
With the help of the Fairy Queen it took two weeks for the evil to completely dissipate from the air. She then uncorrupted the people, put the castle back in its place, and cleansed the land. After everything was set right, Ganon was interrogated about his plan by using a truth potion made by Giltram. "I knew what that tower could do. I had planned on it sending evil through the air so I could change the land at will. Unfortunately there was so much evil that I could not tell Link was nearing my castle. I thought he was dead, so I wasn't even watching for him. I also corrupted the people to use as my army, but they got out of my control. This is what happens when I think too big!" Ganon was then charged with attempted overthrow of the kingdom, and sentenced to be sealed up in a box, forever.
Link finally had the chance to talk to Zelda. It felt great to be back with her. She told him she had been completely out of harm's way, except for running out of food. For a few months everything was quiet, so they had lots of time to spend together. Eventually Link proposed to Zelda, and they got married a month later. Link volunteered to be one of Ganon's guards. He wanted to hold up his family's tradition of keeping Hyrule safe from all evil.
Author's Notes:
Thanks to Nintendo, you have the best games.
Thanks again to my dad for editing.
Thanks for everyone's support.
I don't own The Legend of Zelda.
