Chapter Two: The Battle Rages On
It was widely told throughout history that Hylian nobility threw rather elaborate celebrations for many events, one of them being marriage, and, to be quite frank, the rumors weren't in the slightest bit close to reality. The cooks prepared a lavish feast consisting of traditional Hylian cuisine, not to mention some bar-be-que that them boys from Oklahoma taught them. The menu was filled with dishes suited for every race in the land: for the Zoras there was Fried Octoroc, the Gorons had prepared for them the freshest and most choice cut of Rock Sirloin. The main course, of course, had to be the traditional roast boar, which meat was so tender, it literally fell off the bone. The band played during the whole of the party, performing traditional Hylian song and dance numbers, which, in turn, meant that at least 30 people were dancing at any given time, either dancing off what they ate of dancing up the appetite to eat. Thus was the cycle: eat, dance, talk, eat, dance, talk, wash, rense, repeat.
At the north side of the ballroom set a huge, tuxurious table roughly 30 feet long, four feet wide, and five feet tall. There sat seven people, the King being in the middle. To the right of him sat his daughter, Zelda, Link, and Zelda's head caretaker and close personal friend, Impa, respectively. The King wore his best robe, knickers, boots, and shirt, Zelda, her fine white gown, Link, a blue formal suit, white shirt, with his sword and shield under the table, whilst Impa wore her Sheikah clothing along with a black trenchcoat. To the King's left sat April, wearing the exact same thing as Zelda, Mitchell, whom wore a gray suit nostalgic of the 1920's mobsters with red Converse's, and Tiger...well, what was supposed to be Tiger. Instead, he was outside in the courtyard aimlessly walking around. He wore regular deep blue Wranglers, a white shirt, a gray suit jacket, his boots, and his sword and shield on his back. He soon found himself on a balcony overlooking Hyrule, looking out across the land, reflecting upon memories.
"Marin..." whispered Tiger, as the wind gently blew all around him, flashbacks of Koholint playing through his mind like a bad dream. Although he could not show it in his face or his body language, anyone with the ability or the heart could tell he was melancholy.
"This seems to be the saddest I've seen you in the short amount of time I've known you, Tiger..." said a voice coming from behind. As he turned around, Tiger saw that it was Impa. "Is it Marin again?"
"Yes", Tiger replied.
Impa stood beside him and put her hand upon his shoulder in comfort. "Listen, young one, I know it seemed so real, and in fact it quite possibly could have been, but there's no use in killing yourself over her. Instead, you should be cherishing her memory, holding it close to your heart."
"It ain't necessarily Marin's memory or Marin herself, it's just that she's the kindest, most gentle and perfect girl I've met." Tiger turned his head up and over towards her. "I guess I'm afraid I'll never see her or anyone else like her again."
"Or maybe you're afraid of walking through life alone, and Marin was the closest thing to love you've felt in your life..."
"It WAS love." Tiger turned around towards her and walked past. "Come on, let's get back inside, it's about time for the toast and the dance of the two love birds."
"Hiding your emotions from everyone will only lead to an explosion of madness." Impa said as she followed. Tiger just looked over his shoulder at her with a glare of warning, and that was the end of the conversation.
A fork clanged against a crystal champagne glass, making everyone go silent inside the ballroom. The King stood up and raised his glass. "We are gathered here today to honor the glorious decision of union between one of the greatest warriors I've ever seen, and my lovely daughter and princess of Hyrule, Zelda."
Tiger and Mitchell couldn't hold back. "Speak the good word, brother!" Laughter ensued.
"Thank you, you two!" The King chuckled. "But in all seriousness, this is a great day for all people in Hyrule, and especially for the Royal Family, for there is now an heir to the throne, and the makings of a golden age in all the world."
That's when all hell...oh, you get the idea already...
A guard burst through the main door, screaming like a banshee. "He's coming! He's coming, your majesty! He-". That's when a huge spear impaled him, leaving him no choice but to fall forward dead.
Tiger and Link jumped up and drew their swords, Impa and Mitchell staying at the table to protect the others. They watched as a dark, purple fog began to fill the room, accompanied by an evil presence, one that made Tiger's eyes open as wide as silver dollars, and the Triforces glow on both his and Link's hands. In slithered an amorphous black blob, a darkness eminating stronger than Ganondorf could ever conceive. It's one red eye opened up and peered around the room, making those who dared gaze into it feel like they were looking down into the fiery bowels of hell itself. It soon took a more humanoid form, and stood there in front of everyone. It gazed at Tiger, and flame raged within it's eye.
"YOU!" a deep, ethereal voice boomed. "You, the one whom sent me back into the shadows, who hath sentenced me to an agonizing year of torment, the one who saved the trapped souls of Koholint!"
Link turned his head to Tiger. "What is this beast, and how does it know you?"
Tiger looked on in disbelief, and the specter took advantage. "Aaaawww, don't you remember? A plane crash? A tropical island? A fair maiden whom you can never have?"
Rage filled Tiger's veins as he took a step forward. The beast shot a dark bolt of energy at him, knocking him back against the wall behind the King's table. Everyone there went to check on him, but he pushed them away, getting up and standing atop the table as Link retreated back to protect Zelda. "What do you want here, demon?"
"Allow me to reintroduce myself, I am the Nightmare, the epitome of all that is evil, and the one whom organized the moblin uprising to try to kill you! Now, seeing as those damned mongrels have failed me, I have come to send you a message: I have sealed the flow of power from the Triforce, and you shall soon lose your powers, that is, unless you abide by one condition..." The beast smirked in pure evil. "Turn over the Triforce, or I shall destroy everything you have built, even your dreams!" Before Tiger could reply, the fog returned and surrounded the Nightmare, spinning like a tornado, dark lightning crackling from within. "I give you one week, farewell!" The Nightmare laughed maniacally as it disappeared into oblivion...
"So thus prophecy turns full circle..." Tiger muttered under his breath as everyone looked at him in disbelief and confusion.
"Why didn't you alert us of this Tiger, when you took the three Triforces into yourself!" The King yelled in his quarters. Only them and Impa were in there, everyone else was in the ballroom. "How could you do this to us? The whole essence of the cosmos could be at stake, your time and ours, and all because of this Nightmare!" Tiger sat in a chair leaned back against the wall with his arms crossed, having just changed into a black t-shirt, silent as a church mouse. The King got in his face when he did not answer, "LOOK AT ME WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU, BOY!" As the king reached back and tried to slap him, Tiger caught his hand. Immediately, his eyes opened and glowed a strange light, the Triforce on his hand glowing just as. "I did not know of this, nor did Zelda, Impa, Link, or anyone. Only God knew, and it was not shown to me. So, if I was you, I would think twice before laying a finger on me, lest you wish to join this perversion in the grave." Tiger said before releasing the King.
"You dare threaten me!" The king exploded.
Tiger looked up at him, eyes and Triforces fading. "I don't threaten, I promise. Now, let's get back on track, we can discuss this later."
The King took a deep breath and sat upon the throne, his hand on his forehead. "How do we take care of this foul demon?"
Tiger stood up and walked to the window, looking up at the full moon as it began to set. "I do not know. This is not something that Spiritual Stones, medallions, or anything of the sort can take care of. The monster is weak, however, I could not kill it in the spirit, I can not kill it now in the physical. The Triforce is fading from my hand, and will continue to do so unless I reverse the flow." He walked towards the King. "Let us go to the Temple of Time, I must return to my own time and reverse this."
Impa took the Ocarina of Time from the King and began to make her way to the door. "I shall alert Mitchell and Link..."
Tiger turned to Impa. "Leave them be, Impa, this is my fight, I'm the one the Nightmare wants, not them. Besides, if Link was to come and end up dead, the whole flow of time would be distorted, and may end up destroying both time and space."
"And what about your friend?"
"He doesn't have the Triforce of Power anymore, remember? So if the Nightmare sent some cronies after us, he'd surely die. It's me the foul demon wants, this is my fight, I must do it alone."
"So what are we to do, just let you go on without us?" April said as she, Mitchell, Link, and Zelda entered the door.
"Stay here, you'll be safe. If anything happens, at least you'll be here in the past, so you can start again here." Tiger replied, picking up his sword and placing the belt around his back exactly like Link, except leaning the other way since he's right-handed.
"And if the Nightmare comes back like it did earlier?" Mitchell spoke up, a casual-yet-paranoid tone in his voice. Tiger began to walk towards them with an almost cynical smirk on his face. He took the Ocarina of Time from Impa and closed his eyes. "Make your peace with God, and let Link take care of it. One of his descendants will fight the thing and banish it, so why can't version one?"
"And how do you..." Zelda said before she was cut off by Tiger, whom put his hand over her mouth.
"Banish the bastard to the same void Ganon's in. I'm sure they'll make great acquaintances..." With that, Tiger walked out of the room, followed by Impa, towards the Temple of Time. He never looked back, for he knew what was to come. The only thing getting him was the fact that he probably wouldn't walk out of this alive, but he was willing to take the chance. They mounted one of the royal steeds, and rode out of the castle grounds, into town, and finally to the Temple as daybreak swiftly approached.
"Once you enter the Door of Time, I will seal off the portal between your time and ours temporarily." Impa said as Tiger placed the Zora's Sapphire onto the pedestal, causing the three Triforces to glow above the Door, which began to open with a great rumble. "You have one week to make it back here, if you happen not to succeed, the flow of power will be too weak to continue, and will eventually die off from your end. Also, since the Triforces will no longer have an owner, Courage will return to Link, Wisdom to Zelda, and Power to Mitchell..." Impa paused and put her hands on Tiger's shoulders. She sighed and continue. "Are you sure you have to do this alone?"
Tiger nodded. "Yes, I do. The Nightmare said it disrupted the flow of the Triforce. Thus, I need to go to each of the temples in my own time and reopen the connections. Even then, I don't know if it'll be enough, but there's only one thing to find out." He finished packing his supplies and stood, Impa's hands withdrawing to her sides as Tiger turned around to her. "Trust me, Impa, I'll try my hardest to keep both Hyrule and my land safe." He smiled and walked towards the Door of Time. He just about entered the portal when Impa yelled "Tiger!". Tiger turned around and looked at her. Impa just stood there, smiled, and said "Just be careful."
"As careful as one would..." Tiger replied as he turned to the Door, walked through, and was teleported to his trailer.
It was evening time when Tiger finally got re-situated and comfortable. He sat and watched Fox News to see how bad the world was, eating a hot bowl of generic instant rice seasoned only with salt and pepper. Strangely enough, he was craving it, seeing this was the first time he had stepped foot in his trailer in what, six months to a year, thanks to the Moblin hoards? It felt good to be home...home, this was NOT his home. Home is a permanent dwelling where one raised a family, worked (or at least owned) the land, and held his-or-her spouse tight. This was not his home, he had no home, never had a real home, and never would. This alone made him almost lose his appetite, but he just shrugged it off and kept on eating the heaping bowl, even after his stomach ached from over-indulgence. This may not be his home, but it was damn good to be back, nevertheless. Solitude, privacy, a loud explosion proceeded by a thud outside the door on the wooden deck...WHAT!
Tiger jumped up, put on his flip-flops and grabbed his sword. He made a bee-line towards the door to see what was outside. He was expecting an Independence Day artillery firework shell had landed and set his deck on fire, or someone burning trash had an aerosol can explode and something just randomly fell onto the deck shortly afterwards...but then again, he's literally miles away from anyone, so that certainly couldn't be it. Opening the door, he looked around. Seeing nothing, he went outside into the chilly early-autumn evening. That's when he saw a figure on the deck, curled up in a half-way fetal position. He walked over to it, and turned it on it's back...or should I say HER back.
Tiger's eyes went wide as he gazed at a young woman in a blue dress, fiery red hair, fair skin, and a flower in her hair...