Chapter 4

The Seeds of War are Sown...

Meanwhile, on the other side of Hyrule, Shadow was tarining in the Garudo Valley. He was in the Garudo Training Pit, a recent invention of the Garudo's, where Garudo's could come and train any time. To fight, one merely had to leap into the pit, and await a challenger. There were no rules. There were no teams. There is no mercy.

Shadow ducked, leaning to the side, causing a Garudo attacking from behind to flykick the one preparing an attack in front. All aorund him in the 90 feet pit, there was battles. Hundres of Garudo's fought each other, while three dozen seemed to have made it there personal goal to defeat the Hero of Time's Dark incarnation. and, watching all the Chaos, was the King of Evil, Ganondorf, high above them, sitting in his throne. He had his chin rested in a palm, elbow laying on the arm of his throne. He seemed rather amused with the Garudo's futile attempts to defeat Shadow.

And Futile they were.

With an expert spin, Shadow defeated 7 of the Garudo's at once. They left the pit. This was an elimination tournament;You get hit, you're out. Shadow dodged various shot's, making sure to strike only when he would be able to guard another blow, and the number's quickly plummeted. Soon, there were only two left and, Ganondorf noticed, Shadow was toying with his opponent. He seemed to take delight at making the female wariror leap aorund, panting and groaning, as all her slash were parried either by Shadow's own sword(A wooden weapon, as all weapons in the Fighting Pit were)or his Shield, which he had obtained in the Netherworld; The Shield of the Netherworld it was called. Wielding the Wooden Sword in his left hand, the shield in his right, he locked blade's with the Garudo, and he started spinning his sword. Within a few spins, the female's sword went spiraling through the air, landing at Ganondorf's feet. Shadow thrusted forward with the shield forcefully, knocking the female warrior to her ass, and she sprawled onto the floor. Shadow flipped his sword around, Catching it upside down, and dasing forward, placing the blade at the Garudo's fortress.

"Yield." He demanded.

She seemed pain for a moment and then, calling out to all watching:

"I yield!"

Ganondorf laughed. His infiltration of the Garudo Fortress, taking over the fortress, was so easy. At was as if they had handed him it on a Silver platter.

"My soldiers...We recuperate from the obvious weakness of youre previous leader, Nabooru. But, we shall have our way with the world. The name Garudo shall be feared throughout Hyrule once more!"

He punched the air, and the Garudo's were screaming with joy. Shadow sighed, placing his shield over his back and throwing the wooden blade to the side. He was growing impatient. He wanted his reward for winning!

Ganondorf raised a hand for silence, and it came immediately.

"Furthermore, for our Champion..The Rank of General in the Garudo Army."

Shadow blinked. Not bad...But, from the look on Ganondorf's face, Shadow knew there was more to come.

"We exiled the pitiful Nabooru and the small troupe of Garudo still loyal to her. But you are loyal to me...And youre General, Shadow! Join me here, Shadow!"

With a sigh, Shadow exited the pit through the only way possible; a portal that appeared at the end of all large battles. Shadow stepped into it, teleported up to Ganondorf's side.

"I bestow upon you, General Shadow, The Sword of Good's Destruction. In the nameof the Garudo's and the Triforce of Power...Take youre prize! The Oblivion Sword!"

In Ganondorf's hands, a blade appeared. For a moment, Shadow thought the Master Sword had appeared in Ganondorf's hand, but he quickly scolded himself for such a judgement. The blade looked nothing like The Master Sword. The handle was simple, and the blade was a blood red. What threw Shadow, however, was it's aura; it caused the Shadow of the Triforce piece on his hand resonated at it's sight, and more so at it's touch, then the resonatin faded, and Shadow weighed the blade in his hands. He turned to the crowd of Garudo's, all watching him intently. He smiled coyly. He thrust the blade into the air, the sun glinting of the blade's malicious tip. He let out a battle cry, and it was echoed by the Garudo's, punching there fists into the air.

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Link frowned. There was something...Wrong the Master Sword was resonating. His brow furrowed in curiosity, he drew the blade. Zelda sat up, proping herself up by the elbows.

"What's wrong, Li-Oh! Look at the Triforce!"

The Triforce pieces on there hands were glowing. Brighter than they had been in a long time. And the Master Sword was vibrating, as it used to, resonating as if evil was near...Or was it?

Suddenly, there was an odd noise; Mixtures of cries of pain, and fear. Zelda and Link both loked up. A man ran by them.

"The Lon Lon Ranch is on fire!"

Zelda and Link's eyes met, and they both whistled at the same time. The piercing noise silenced the crowd.

"Men, follow me. Bring bottles, buckets and baskets of water." Zelda called out. Link drew the Ocarina of Time, and played a song swiftly. Within seconds, Epona was next to him.

"I'll get you there!" He told Zelda, and shoot forward, racing towards the Ranch.

Leaping off of the horse, Link rolled, drawing his bow and knocking an Ice Arrow in. He Fired at the main source of the flame, freezing it. The men made there way's toward the fire, extuingishing it as well as possible. but suddenly, something landed behind Link. He drew the Master Sword and Mirror Shield, locking blade with the man's double blades. He frowned.

"Who are you!" He demanded

"Czar." The odd man replied. He had wings, and feline features...An odd specimen, to be sure. Link pushed off of Czar, backflipping, and landing in a ready stance.

"Did you start this?" He asked, refering to the fire.

"I'd ask you the same question!" The man claimed, running forward and spinning, sending a volley of punishing slashes rapidly to Link's various body parts. Eyes wide with the sudden attack, Link used the Master Sword and Mirror Shield to deflect the blows, and the two were suddenly locked in heated combat. After a few minutes of tense battle, Czar backflipped, grinning.

"Very nice, Hero of Time, Very nice!"He claimed.

Link frowned.

"How do you know of me?" His comment brought laughter from Czar.

"Everyone does, Hero. You're a legend. You are the bastillion of hope and light the people need during times of darkness." He had sheathed his blade's, and was watching the men of Kakoriko Village put out the fire.

"But...There is no time of darkness now..." Right? He added mentaly.

Czar's eyes locked with Link's.

"Don't be so sure."