Zelda stops in the middle of the woods, out of breath. She leans her back against a tree and slides down, hugging her knees, "…I can't take this anymore…" she muttered.
"Hey." A voice said, and a hand gently places itself on her shoulder.
"…Nave?" Zelda asks and looks up to see who it was.
Vincent stares back down at her and grins, "You wish." He tightens his grip painfully and yanks her up forcefully.
Nave looks up suddenly. There was a scream. It was Zelda, no mistaking it. He bolts into the woods, gripping his sword tightly "Please…make it in time…" he whispered, and runs as quickly as his legs would carry him.
He breaks through the bushes and skids to a stop, he sees Vincent's imposter with his arm around Zelda's waist, standing behind her with a knife to her throat, "Nave…" Zelda whispered, her eyes darting from the blade to him.
"Let the girl go!" Nave demanded; holding his sword at the ready.
Vincent smirks, "…aren't you tired of playing Hero, yet? We both know you don't have it in you. The Hero of Time…he is the one I seek." together, with Zelda, he vanishes, a purple orb of light staying in his place. The orb zips past Nave and flies straight to Vanale Castle.
Nave looks at the castle, "…hero…" the more he thought about it, the more he wondered if he really knew what he was doing. This entire time, no choices were actually up to him. He was always pulled along.
"This is my choice…" Nave said to himself and runs towards the castle, "I want to save her."
Vincent was in the throne room with Zelda. Zelda was lying on the table, she seemed unconscious. Vincent was saying, "The flames of Sorrow…Despair and Destruction have been lit…all thanks to the people of this land. All that's left is a sacrifice…one that is pure. Pure evil or good, it makes no difference." he draws a knife and walks over to her and raises the blade high above her stomach, "Let us welcome the beginning of a new era! The return of Ganon! True ruler of this land!" he brings the knife down, but hits the table instead. Shock swept over Vincent's face, "What!"
Zelda had rolled out of the way, drawing her own knife and pressing the tip against Vincent's throat, "I'm sick of playing the damsel in distress. It's time I kicked your ass, whoever you are!"
"How…how did you…I had you sleeping!" Vincent stuttered.
"Simple. I had a barrier up…the spell didn't even touch me." Zelda smirked, "Come on, now…its simple magic, nothing a child can't do. Also, you sure do like talking to yourself. Must get pretty lonely, huh?"
"I don't need a lecture." Vincent said angrily.
"Fine." Zelda replied.
Before anyone can do anything, Nave bursts into the room, breathing heavily, "Let her…huh?" Zelda glances at Nave. Vincent takes this chance and leaps back, out of Zelda's range. Nave rushes forward, his sword ready for a downward slash. Vincent blocks with his knife and kicks Nave to the ground, "I've got much more experience than you, boy." Vincent extends his palm out at Nave and he fires an orb of darkness, knocking Nave's blade aside when he tried to block.
Before Nave could recover, Vincent plants his boot onto his chest, pinning him down.
Zelda runs at them to try to save Nave, but Vincent quickly blasts Zelda aside with the same spell, knocking her against the wall, causing her to cry out in pain.
He turns back to Nave, "You saved me back there, boy…and for that, I'm grateful. However, I do think you're stupidly annoying…so this is good-bye and good riddance, my friend."
He raises his blade up and brings it down. Before it could hit, an arrow flies through the air and impales Vincent's arm, causing him to double back in pain and drop the knife, falling to his knees, "Gah! The hell?"
All three turn to the source of the arrow.
There was a man standing by the doorway. Blue eyes…green tunic, strange green hat and a bow in his hands.
"It's you!" Zelda exclaimed excitedly.
"It's you?" Nave gawked, confused at the sight.
"It's you…" Vincent said bitterly.
"I came here looking for a friend…he asked for help and wanted it to be kept under wraps." Link said, "I find him, but there was something odd. Two weeks later, I find his body on the docks." He drops the bow and draws his sword, twirling it before pointing the tip at Vincent, "Aren't you a little too old to be playing dress-up?"
"I'm still a kid at heart, Link..." Vincent said.
"Give it up, Aghanim. The Evil Tribe is finished, so drop the charades."
Aghanim shakes his head, "No…I was so close…but it doesn't matter. There will be a sacrifice! Lord Ganon shall rise again!"
He grabs the knife and stabs himself; using himself as a sacrifice, "See you all in hell…" he grinned and collapses. Before anyone could react, his body disappears and the blade levitates for a moment before slicing open a portal in midair and getting sucked in.
"Crap…" all three muttered.
There was a bright flash and everyone is knocked to the ground.
A hand grabs the side of the portal from the inside, followed by another on the other side of the portal. Ganondorf hoisted himself to the entrance of the portal.
"What do we do?" Zelda asked, panicked. Everyone looked at Link. Link looked around quickly before his eyes landed on Nave, "You!"
Nave blinked, "Me?"
Link nods, "Yeah! Give him the boot!"
Nave raised a brow, confused at first. Then he quickly got what Link was saying. Nave takes off his boot and chucks it at Ganondorf.
Ganondorf says triumphantly, "Hahaha! I have returned!" before a boot smacks him dead center in his face, causing him to lose his grip and fall back into the portal with an angry shout, "Damn it all!" the portal shuts, trapping him inside once again.
The room went silent. They all stared at each other in shock. It actually worked…they gave Ganondorf the boot--literally!
All three suddenly burst into laughter, Link gives Nave the thumbs up as Zelda runs over and gives Link a tight hug, "Link! I missed you!" she lets go and smacks him upside the head, "Ow!" Link exclaimed.
"Why didn't you tell me anything!" Zelda pouted angrily.
Several days later, Nave was standing in front of a door, wearing a gray tunic with a white lavishly decorated chest-plate. Link was behind him, he wore the same type of clothes, but with a green tint. After he finished putting the cape on for him, Link asks, "How are you?"
"Pretty nervous." Nave admitted.
Link laughs and gives Nave a pat on head, "Relax...she may be the queen, but she's still the Zelda we all know."
Nave smiles, "Right…any tips?"
The trumpets played, signaling Nave to enter. Link smiles, "Don't trip, don't laugh and stay calm…oh, don't stutter, either, that's what I did. Just stay calm, and you'll be a knight in no time." He pushes the doors open and Nave steps through, walking past Link and into the throne room where many different kinds of people were attending. Zelda stood at the head of the room and waited patiently with a friendly smile on her face. She was wearing a beautiful royal blue dress with a crown on her head.
Nave kneels before Zelda and Zelda asks, "Do you vow to uphold the marks of Chivalry and never flee from battle? To protect the Royal Family of Hyrule and swear your allegiance to this great land?"
"I do." Nave said.
"Then I, Zelda of Hyrule…bequeath upon thee…the rank of Knighthood." She takes her royal sword and taps him on the shoulders with the flat of the blade, "Rise, Sir Nave…Knight of Hyrule!"
Nave rises, trying to stop grinning, but failing miserably. The people in the background clap their applause. Zelda hands Nave the sword and gives him a tight hug, "Congratulations, Nave." she whispered in his ear. She lets him go and he turns to face the audience. Link was leaning against the door giving him the thumbs up gesture.
Nave thought back to that one night…
Nave puts his head down, "I don't believe this…this has got to be a dream…"
Zelda grins, "Well, if it was and I'm in it, it can't be all bad, right?"
"I guess you were right...it wasn't all bad, at all." Nave said quietly and bowed.
THE END
