The Legend of Zelda: The Battle for Hyrule
By: Chris Boyer and Nick Locastro
Chapter 1: The Hylian Riders
Link, a fourteen-year-old boy, lay asleep by the fire he had built that evening. Link had saved Hyrule in its time of peril, and defeated Ganondorf Dragmire, the Gerudo king, seven years into the future with the sword of evil's bane. The Master Sword and the Ocarina of Time were the keys to the sacred realm and Ganondorf wanted to control the sacred realm so he could have complete control over Hyrule and Link had already had the keys in his possession so Ganon just needed to enter to have it all to himself. Link still lay asleep but awoke to the constant hooting of an animal. Link sat up and looked around and saw an owl.
The owl fluttered and landed at a nearby tree and spoke to Link "Link you must hurry."
"But why? I was sleeping so well and without any prophecies of the destruction of Hyrule."
"Link stop being foolish! It's Kokiri Forest the Great Deku Sprout is in need of you!" Link untied Epona from the tree he had tied her on and saddled his young pony up. Link placed his left foot in the stirrup and hoisted himself up, seized the reins and rode off in to the cool night. Link rode through the forest he had grown up in and knew so well. He saw a shop and at first started to pass it by, but he then realized that his mirror shield that had served him well as an adult was to heavy for him now.
I suppose I could wield it or just buy a deku shield. He bought the deku shield because he would most likely need it. He tied up Epona and ran through a clearing
until he saw the great tree.
"Ah Link… you've come at last. I've sensed a new evil growing not Gannon he has left this Evil is from-" Suddenly a flame came from nowhere. It burned the Deku tree down it was trying to tell Link something but, the message was unclear and it burned down as Link wheeled around as saw this enemy.
"You've out lived your use Deku tree." Link started swinging his sword but whomever it was vanished and Link sank to the ground trying to remain calm. When at last he had got a grip on himself, he considered the situation. Without the Deku tree Kokiri forest would fall in to chaos he would have to find another protector to take its place before he did anything else.
So as fast as he could he dashed to Epona calling as he went "The Deku tree has been burnt down run now get out of the forest!" Luckily everyone trusted Link enough to flee. Arrows came out of nowhere. Two fleeing children fell, Link shot down an archer as he rode out. All of a sudden just as Link was to the Hyrule borders a stray arrow hit Epona. Her head went down first, as her body fell Link flew off her.
"Nooo Epona!" Link yelled. Epona had been with Link through countless adventures. She had even tried to get into Ganon's castle to help him. And now she was simply gone. He could call her until his voice was gone, but she would never come. Link wept and looked at the dirt that had gathered on Epona's side. Link stared into her face, she had given her life to save his. He would have his revenge. Link wanted to get up and find the leader of these... beasts and pull his guts out then cut of his head and feed his body to a wolf. He couldn't though not now, he wouldn't leave Epona's body to these monsters. He knew that if he threw her body into the river it would float down to the towns hopefully they would find her body.
He dragged Epona's body to the Hylian River and tried to hide but it was no good as sword wielding Re-deads came he was spotted. Then from out of nowhere a horse jumped over him as it's rider struck down a Re-dead after Link arrows hit several others then two more riders came and drew swords the Re-deads fled. Then a rider approached Link.
"We recognize you hero of time. We are the remaining people loyal to Hyrule known as the Hylian Riders and we need another rider will you join us?" Link looked at the rider and noticed the design on the cloak was the Hylian shield. That was good enough for Link.
"Fine, it will be an honor to fight amongst true Hylians once more, But my horse was killed I may not be able to ride with you." Another Rider rode up.
"You needn't worry about that we shall give her a proper burial."
"That voice I recognize it. Zelda is that you?" The Rider threw down her hood and a face that Link knew well was before him again.
"Yes Link, I joined the Hylian Riders when my castle was over-run we think Gannon is back."
Link replied quickly. "No it can't be Gannon the Deku tree said he had left"
"Hmmm… weird. Now anyway Terra have him suited!" Another female Rider came and threw a cloak over his shoulder and handed him a new sword heavier than the Kokiri sword, but lighter than the Master Sword, And a kid-sized Hylian shield.
"Thank you but there is still no way I'll keep up with you guys."
"Oh yes you will." Said Zelda. They brought out a white horse.
"We said we need an extra Rider. Her name is Snowfire." Said Terra. Link mounted Snowfire and rode around a bit. Then he got down and helped Zelda dig a grave
for Epona. After they buried her Zelda put a magic spell on the grave so no enemy would disturb her, and Link scratched an inscription to Epona. Soon after he saddled up Snowfire and followed the pack.
"Zelda, I need a place for the Kokiri children to stay." Zelda nodded.
"Terra go tell them to head for the forest temple."
"Where are we going?" Asked Link.
"To stop the enemy before they give news of our location away!" Replied their leader, Mikio. Link caught sight of the Re-deads not a bow shot away.
"There!" He cried. The group charged, Link saw Zelda get into a fight with an archer. He was fighting two Re-deads at once. He saw Terra appear and kill one archer aiming at Mikio. Link chopped off one Re-dead's head and stabbed the other through the chest. He wiped out his bow and shot a Re-dead about to slice Zelda. A Re-dead slammed him off Snowfire, yet that saved his life as an Arrow flew just over Snowfire and missed his hair by the width of a wire.
Link found an archer aiming at Zelda. He ran to her and knocked her out of her saddle and the arrow hit Link but it wasn't deep so it didn't hurt much at first then it started to dig deeper, Then Snowfire came over and Link plucked out the arrow. Snowfire laid down and Link climbed on her back. Arrows almost hit Snowfire but she didn't panic. Link then saw a horse fall it had been Zelda's. Link rode over to her.
"Zelda, hop on." He said. Link shot an archer and stabbed a re-dead then rode off with the pack. Eventually the group stepped into a cave.
"Ok quick in," Mikio whispered. Link wanted to stop and ask questions. Once inside Mikio said,
"Today we failed. Our enemy will learn of us."
Zelda stood up, "There was nothing we could've done. We've never faced so many foes at once."
"Your right there was nothing we could have done but there is one thing we CAN do."
"What can we do now? Link it's hopeless."
"We can attack him meet him head on!"
"Link you are completely nuts, do we really have any other options."
"No, wait I'm not saying that we purposelessly kill ourselves. We find the Gerudos and get them to fight for us."
"Link," Said Zelda "You know perfectly well those wild women listen to no man without reason. They won't let you just ride in and speak your mind about what they should do."
Link sighed. "I know that I got captured by them nearly 7 times, but I know there is a way to gain their trust." In 20 minutes Link was ready to go. He gave a call to Snowfire, hopped on her and rode off.
The next morning Link's keen sight found a broken down bridge.Now,Thought Link.Now I have a problem. Link had always just barely nudged Epona behind the front legs, but Snowfire wasn't the same.
"Um… Ok we have to find a way to well, jump over the bridge." As if Snowfire understood him she ran up and leapt over the bridge remains. Link rode until he found a small post he smiled and tied Snowfire to the post.
"Just stay here, girl." Link moved forward and caught sight of a shadow. For a second Link just figured he had imagined it, but Link never saw shadows that didn't exist. Then all of a sudden a sword came within a half-inch of his face without one more thought Link rolled to the side and pulled out his sword.
He saw a Gerudo holding a dagger. Knowing perfectly well what to do Link pulled out a bomb and threw it at the figure. The figure jumped up at the moment the bomb hit the sand at her feet. Link had to position himself just right. 3…2…1… now. Link turned pulling out his bow then knocked an arrow, pulled back with a quick speed and fired. The figure was hit in the small of the back.
"You'd do well to lead me to your master now if you don't want an extremely painful death." The figure looked up and laughed then disappeared. Link found himself alone with Snowfire in the desert. "What had happened? Was that an illusion?" No matter he'd find it out later. He mounted Snowfire and sighed.
"Ok girl we got to find the leader so let me see… sand, sand, and more sand. What way seems best to you?" Link hadn't really been asking a question, but Snowfire seemed to consider something for a little while and suddenly dashed off into a direction that looked just the same as everywhere else. Link himself had never been here though at the time he didn't know it.
After some amount of time or other, Link and Snowfire came upon a hidden Gerudo valley. 'Why is the fun stuff always in the direction nobody ever goes?' Link wondered with amusement. Snowfire charged down the hill, right at the guards. Perhaps it was the shock of them doing something so incredibly stupid but the guard didn't raise her spear in time. Link pulled out his sword and cut the first guard across the chest shot down the other one and rode into the village.