Death Mountain

Ghirahim paced back and forth, letting his rage fuel his movements. He was so close, and then those two brats showed up and took the pendant from right under him. One got away with the pendant, but for the one he captured… Oh, Ghirahim planned to make the boy suffer. He will make him experience pain beyond relief, and keep him within an inch of death. He will make the boy beg, weep, scream, bleed, break… The Demon Lord's head filled with rainbows of sadistic ideas. But first, while the boy was tortured elsewhere in the base, Ghirahim had a report to file, and his audience had just showed up. The Demon Lord stopped moving, eyeing the apparition of one of his comrades.

"You seem unwell, Demon Lord."

"Oh, I am beyond unwell. I am furious, outraged, sick with anger! The runts have the Pendant of Power!"

Since the apparition was masked, Ghirahim couldn't tell the other person's emotions, but something told him that the apparition was smiling. "Well… That is disappointing. Wouldn't be good for you if someone was to know if this."

Ghirahim raced up to the apparition. "Remember your place! I lead this campaign, not you!."

"Unfortunately."

Ghirahim clicked his tongue and turned around. "Be on the lookout for a redhead girl. One of your kind, exactly."

"A girl...of my kind? Describe her."

"Reddish orange hair, red eyes, slightly dark skin. Tall and slender… Ringing any bells?"

The masked man was quiet for a moment. "It rings too many bells…"

Eastern Woods

Link spotted his target. Zelda will be highly disappointed when she sees his catch. The buck hasn't sensed Link's presence yet, so it might be an easy catch.

18 year old Link and his friend Zelda were hunting in the woods, hoping to make a huge catch. They decides to split off and challenged each other to find who could capture the biggest game between the both of them. Now that Link had indeed found a buck, a big one at that, it was with no doubt that it would be his. He should let her win anyway, as tomorrow will be Zelda's 18th birthday, February 21st… No, he'll let her lose today, and she'll always remember the day as Link's early birthday present. He chuckled to himself with this thought of seeing Zelda all red and angry, which looked mighty cute on her when she wasn't threatening to kill him with her mastered magic.

SNAP!

Link immediately ducked to the ground, hoping the buck was not disturbed by the snapping branch. It didn't seem it was, as it continued to eat as if nothing happened. Breathing a sigh of relief, Link cursed himself for thinking off topic. It wasn't his fault that in the twelve years he had know Zelda, it was the last five that he questioned whether or not it was right that he looked at her not as his best friend and sister figure, but as another girl in his community. Well, no, that's the wrong thing to say… He looked at her as a growing young woman. Much better. As he was around her 95% of the time, he always got to see Zelda in all her beauty, whether it was the curves that now graced her body, or the feminine features he, as her brother figure, should never had thoughts about. But she wasn't his sister, nor was he her brother. No, they were, even to this day, Best Friends For As Long As You Live.

In other words, Zelda had friendzoned him since they were tots. Or does that count now, since he hard heard married couples call each other "best friends" before? Link would figure it out one day.

In the distance, the sound of crying birds alerted both Link and the buck, but neither found any reason for the birds to be in alarm. Link thought maybe Zelda was over there, scaring the birds as she usually liked to do. It was one of her many quirks, like being very spontaneous when she found an interest about something (Which led to Link's unwarranted involvement), her OCD about Link's appearance (Which led to many painful combs to his brown hair), her interest in Hyrule's past (Which led to him listening for hours to her reports), her growing interest in fighting (Which more often than not leads him to be hurting because she had to use magic) and, the greatest quirk of them all, her annoying habit to always correct Link. This morning, she did just that when Link spelled out "fairy" to Spryte . Zelda spelled it "faerie."

Speaking of Spryte, the fairy was hidden in Link's cap, doing Farore knows what, but it wasn't distracting him. He was definitely glad, for now, he had the perfect shot at the buck. Slowly taking out an arrow, and notching it to his bow, Link slowly pulled up and back, hoping nothing would disturb him or the buck in these very crucial moments. "Victory is mine."

WHISH! WHISH!

Two arrows struck the buck in the neck, and it fell with a final cry as life left its eyes. Link would have celebrated his catch, but he didn't, because he could never fire two arrows at once. Only Zelda could. Link stood up, disappointed by his friend's actions, and walked over to the animal, just as Zelda climbed down from a tree. Damn her acrobatics. Link looked down at the animal as Zelda giggled at her accomplishment. "Sorry, Link, the day belongs to the great Zelda, who joins the world of eighteen year olds tomorrow morning!" She twirled and pranced around Link, who only could sigh in contempt.

"Yippee, Zelda wins. I forget my confetti at home."

Zelda stopped moving, and crossed her arms. "Oh, stop complaining, Link. You made the challenge, and I fairly won. Such a downer."

"No, I tracked this buck, and it was my kill!"

Zelda scowled, and turned away from Link. "Well, excuuuuse me, Princess, but you didn't name your rules. You said biggest kill, and I did it, no matter the means. But if it makes you feel better, I'll give you the credit of tracking it down. I couldn't find anything anyway."

Link's demeanor dropped, as he was appalled by Zelda's statement. "What do you mean you couldn't find anything? We've been here for...a good two hours." Zelda stood up, and looked to Link, her light blue eyes still furious compared to his darker blue, but Link could see the gears turning. However, her silence seemed to draw out, and that worried Link. She didn't have to say it, but Link knew she had no clue. Looking back to the buck, Link bent down, and heaved half of it up. He shortly grinned, and gestured to the other half of the buck. "A little help, o great Zelda?"

Zelda beamed at Link's sarcastic proclamation, and picked up the other half of the dead game. It was a little heavy, but their combined strength made up for it. They had begun the trek back to Ordon, and had been walking for about a good thirty minutes before Zelda spontaneously decided to switch course, almost knocking Link to his feet. "Oh sorry, Link, but I want to go to the spring first. We could rest there, and then have the buck home by early evening. Please?"

Link sighed. "Fine. Spryte?" The little blue fairy popped from Link's cap, excited to be called upon.

"What is it, Link the Loser?"

Link ignored Spryte's comment. "Can you go get Epona, and led her to the spring?"

"Sure." Before Spryte left, the sound of distant cries happened again, and this time, Link, Zelda, and Spryte could see a huge flock of birds leave the trees.

"What's up with that? I heard that earlier."

"This is the third time birds have left the trees, Link. Maybe it is an early spring, and they're migrating back up north?"

"No, Hylians, those flight patterns are irregular. However, I don't know the reason why this is happening. Whatever it is, hopefully, it isn't anything dangerous." Spryte zipped away, and Link and Zelda continued to their destination. It was another half hour before they got there, and set the buck on the ground, and Link stretched out his aching limbs as he fell down onto his back, laying down.

Zelda chuckled at the sight of her friend, and sat beside him as he pulled his dark hood over his eyes. She remembered how happy he was when he received it for his birthday last November, and wore it almost everyday. He said it made him, when combined with his green tunic, look like the hero in the stories, but Zelda would correct him by telling him the hero had an evergreen tunic with brown sleeves, not a light green tunic with a white undershirt. She skipped the part with his pants, because...well...she was too flustered to tell him that the boy's favorite hero, the Hero of Legends, wore no pants. That would be weird to tell him what her obsession with the legends led her to. Today, he wore a blue shirt over a white t-shirt, khaki pants, and brown boots.

But she would admit, Link looked just like the heroes, as they were described, and that was a huge compliment. He was, by all means, grown to be very attractive, and Zelda had to catch herself from staring too much. Unlike Link, who thought being with Zelda would be weird (Zelda didn't know anything about this, of course), she entertained the thought. She knew Link better than anyone else, and vice versa. She threw a little hints then and there, like this morning, when she asked for his opinion on her new attire, which was a long-sleeve purple shirt covered by a blue vest, gold armbraces, pink pants, and very long brown boots. It looked sexy to her, and given Link's baffled expression, it worked.

Impa had scolded her for teasing the boy to his grave.

Tired, Zelda rested her head on Link's hardened stomach, smoothing out the creases in the light blue shirt, and looked up to the sky. It had darkened a bit, but Zelda couldn't smell the scent of moisture in the air, despite the incoming dark clouds. However, that didn't mean it couldn't rain. She turned to Link, who had succumbed to taking a nap, and Zelda couldn't help but silently scold him. He was her lazy Link, she mused.

The sound of a neighing horse bought Zelda's attention, and stood up as Epona and the fairy Spryte joined their human master and mistress. The fairy (faerie) and the horse moved up to the edge of the spring, and Zelda found a brush and towel in one of the pouches upon Epona's saddle. The horse was a gift from Link's father, Rusl, and it seemed that man and animal made a quick connection. However, Zelda quickly befriended the horse as well, but for some reason, could never mount Epona unless Link was with her. Maybe Epona was too loyal to her master, but if Zelda could say anything, she was the only one Epona would let mount her with Link, and would be the only person who Epona would let clean her. Link must have done a horrible job his first time cleaning Epona, or maybe it was the song Zelda sang while cleaning Epona. After singing it the first time, Zelda cleaned Epona since, and Link never questioned it. He probably was happy Zelda made a connection with his girl, or that he would not have to clean Epona. Knowing Link, it was the latter.

Spryte fluttered to her master, sighing. "Can anyone's destiny really depend on such a lazy boy?" She chuckled as she flew beside Zelda. "I can only imagine…" Spryte turned to Zelda, who swiped her fairy away. Focusing on cleaning the horse, she dipped the towel into the spring's water, and brushed it against Epona's skin as she began to wash the horse and sing.

"Oh youths, guided by the servant of the goddess, unite north and south, and bring light to the land."

More distant cries from the birds, and what sounded like a horn, startled Zelda, and this time, she didn't ignore them. Stepping away from Epona, she walked out of the spring, and looked around. She saw nothing wrong. Confused, she returned to the spring, she kneeled beside Link, and continued singing. "Youths chosen by the three... unite north and south... and return the light to the darkened land..."

Zelda turned back to Link, who she found wide awake. He smiled as he sat up, folding his legs. "I like the other one better. The lullaby."

Zelda smirked. "Yeah, so do I and Epona, but this one was on my mind. Can't be a narcissist all the time."

Link nodded, and turned back to the spring. "Can you sing the song again? I like hearing you sing it."

Excited that Link love her singing, Zelda was more than eager to do so. "Youths chosen by the three, unite north and south, and return the light to the darkened land. Show the holy pendants the way to the timeless temple, an age old war you shall fight."

"Then I regret to make it a quick find." A horse braying startled Link and Zelda, and for a moment thought it was Epona, until they realized it came from behind. Link turned first, and with a gasp, abruptly stood up and drew his blade and shield. Zelda followed, drawing her curved katana. The new arrival looked at them both, his monstrous head of a horse frowning as he lowered his large mace. The horseman snorted at the sight of the armed Link and Zelda. "Hmph… For a second, I thought I was seeing doubles, but now that I look upon you two, you are nothing compared to them." Before they knew it, the horseman threw the spiked ball of his mace, and Zelda barely was able to put up Nayru's Love. However, due to her surprise, the barrier was too weak, and Zelda was implanted by the ball in the chest, and was sent flying into the waters of the spring.

"ZELDA!" Link would have ran to her, but the beast had retrieved the spike ball via a chain. In his fury, Link charged forward, swinging his blade for the beast's head. He connected his sword to the mace, but was pushed back by the horseman's strength. The beast spun around, and battered Link's face with the mace, causing the boy to drop to the ground, feeling the bones of his face on his left side shatter from the weapon's impact. Link fell to the ground with a cry. He was barely able to stay conscious, and looked up to the beast. It stood over him, mace held on his shoulder. With one arm, the horse picked him up, and analyzed Link's face. "Hmph… Now that I see it, you do like exactly like him. But he's dead, and send him a message from me. Tell him, the former Hero of Hyrule, that I, Horsehead, say hello." Horsehead used all his strength to throw Link into the spring, and all Link felt right after splashing in the water was nothing but a dark pain. As he began to blank out, he felt Zelda's hand, and weakly grabbed it before darkness consumed him.

Ordon Village

Ravio jumped off his horse, looking at a red mailbox with the word 'Koroks' written on the side. Beyond the mailbox and the fence in front of it was a light brown-painted two-story house, quiet as it can be. That made Ravio nervous. "Man, I hope this is the right address."

In front of him, Hilda pushed open the gate. "Well, General Auru said look for the Korok residence." She turned to the still-saddled Zora. "Don't you want to come in?"

Oren shook her head. "I'll stay out here. You two handle your business."

"Alright then. Come on Ravio."

Ravio made no such movement. "You know, the prospect of meeting a Sheikah is much less thrilling now than it was in Kakariko. I… I'll stay with Oren, keep her company-"

"Ravio." The fear-ridden boy paled as he looked into Hilda's commanding gaze, the only thing he knew that could override any fear he had. With a gulp, Ravio crossed the gate, and followed Hilda to the front a silent gesture, Hilda commanded Ravio to knock on the door, and he did so, weakly but audible. Hilda smirked. "See, not so hard now, isn't it?"

"The hard part hasn't begun." As soon as Ravio said that, the door opened, and both teenagers looked up to see their target before them. While Ravio stiffen upon seeing the Sheikah, Hilda stood tall.

"Lady Impa?"

The tall woman frowned upon hearing her name, and leaned against the door frame. "Who asks?"

"I am Hilda Lorule, and this is Ravio Sheerow. We're friends of old friends of yours."

"And who are these 'old friends?'"

"Sir Error, Sir Bagu, and General Auru."

Impa nodded, and turned to the boy. "What's his problem?"

Hilda smiled. "Ah, you know how people perceive Sheikahs. They lure them out in the shadows drink the blood of their victims, wipe their minds, do rituals…"

Impa smiled. "Ah yes… We only do two of those things. Come on in." Hilda followed Impa into the house, dragging her friend behind her. Impa directed them to the seating area, and took one herself. Ravio, much more comfortable that he was sitting down, looked around the well-kept house, mentally noting that it seemed to belong more so to a knight than a Sheikah. The stand with armor of the Hyrulean Army interested the boy the most.

"What's with the armor? Sheikah don't wear armor."

Impa nodded. "That's not my armor. It belongs to a friend of mine and to Bagu, Error, and Auru. His son also lives here, and the girl I look after. The knight is working now with the blacksmith, and the kids-they're your age-are in the forest doing Farore knows what." Impa crossed her legs, and looked to the agents of the Resistance. "What brings you to me?"

"The Resistance," Hilda exclaimed. "General Auru asks for your assistance in aiding us."

"Does he now?"

Ravio nodded, and fished within his pockets. "Yeah, he told us to bring...where is it...hold up...oh no...wait...wait...wait...here it is...this to you." Ravio handed Impa the blue instrument he obtained from Auru, and the Sheikah looked over it.

"Hmm… How did he get this?"

"From what Auru told me, King Vatis gave it to him before he escaped the castle."

"Do you know what it is?"

Ravio shrugged. "It's an ocarina, but I don't know why it is important. All we have is that, and a message."

"What is that message?"

"'When the time comes, unite the three, and play it at the doors.'"

Impa nodded, and set down the ocarina. She folded her arms, leaning forward. "You do know who the three are? For not being Hyruleans, at least."

Hilda frowned. "What makes you think we're not from Hyrule?"

"All Hyruleans would at least know what the ocarina resembles, which of course you don't know, plus," Impa tapped her left eye, "as the leader of my clan, I can see the truth."

Ravio raised an eyebrow. "Was that a pun? You guys have humor?"

Impa ignore Ravio's comment and continued, "You are Loruleans. Your Highness and her loyal knight, a coward but brave when the situation calls for it. I guess the link between worlds was enough for the Imperials to take your land." Impa sighed as she looked back to the ocarina. "This is the Ocarina of Time, 'the three' are those chosen by Din, Farore, and Nayru, and 'the doors' must mean the Doors of Time, within the Temple of Time in Rauru Town… What King Vatis told General Auru is very valuable to defeating the Imperials. The gods are on our side." Impa took the instrument in hand, and gave it back to Ravio. "Hold on to it for now. When you meet Auru, Error, and Bagu again, tell him that I'm grateful to hear that they're alive and well. We must find the one chosen by Din, the demon himself, and pray he's on our side."

"The demon?" Hilda turned to Ravio. "Isn't Gan and Midna going to a place with that name?"

"Yeah, and from what Auru told me, they're looking for a pendant of sort."

"A pendant?" Impa leaned back, nodding to herself. "The pendants… those are the three Vatis spoke of. Of course. The Pendants of Virtue. Courage, Wisdom and Power." Impa looked to Hilda. "What were those names again? First and last."

"Gan Dragmire and Midna Twilight."

"I don't know a Twilight, but Dragmire... Uh huh… Listen to what I'm about to tell you, for this could be the factor, the one factor, that decides whether the Resistance wins, the Imperials stay in power, or both sides fall. Understand?" Ravio and Hilda both nodded, and Impa continued. "Before the fall of Hyrule, actually the day of, my king and queen welcomed their heir into the world. I escaped with her, raised her as if she was my own, and trained her to fight like my own. The knight who we stay with has a son as I have said, and he is no ordinary boy. That boy, as foolish as it seems sometimes, has an unbreakable spirit, and the girl, as annoying as it can be, is unmatched when it comes to the head. Under this house for the last thirteen years, I have watched over the chosen ones by Farore and Nayru, and prepared them to survive what's to come. They no nothing of life outside Ordon, nor know who they are. But I assure you that they will do their part. But for the third… He is one of you, the Dragmire kid. Not only is he born into the bloodline of Ganon, he is Din's chosen, I'm sure of it. You must watch over him. Why, you may ask? Courage can be corrupted. It's called cowardice. Wisdom can be corrupted. It's called foolishness. But power cannot be corrupted, but it can corrupt if it isn't contain. Left to its own devices, the thoughts of power will become overwhelming, and will take over Dragmire. If he submits, he'll be just another Ganon, and that's not good for either side. He must make power submit to him, make it his ally. Once the three are united, no one except each other and the gods can defeat them. All we must do is keep Power in check until that time comes." Impa pointed to Hilda's chest. "Now I suggest you answer your Gossip Stone."

Hilda stood up and picked up the stone. "Hello?"

"Hilda? Is that you? Oh thank goodness!"

Hilda paused in step and looked to Ravio. "Midna?! Thank the gods! We were worried about you and Gan when we weren't able to make contact with you yesterday. Are you okay?"

"Umm… Physically, yeah. Mentally, I'm freaking the hell out!"

"Why?"

"Gan was captured by some Imperial freak in the dungeon, I got the pendant, but I don't know exactly where in Hyrule I am. Well, actually, I do, and it's the worst place possible right now. I'm in Clock Town. Don't ask how I got here."

Hilda and Ravio stared at the stone. "Hold up, how are you making contact? Clock Town is under Imperial blockade, and Kafei and Anju hadn't been able to contact base, and vice versa."

"I don't know. It must be the pendant then. I do sense a huge magical presence within it… You say Anju and Kafei are here? I can find them then!"

Ravio stood up, and took the stone. "Please do that, for me and Hilda. We'll be there soon."

"Why? Where are you guys?"

"In Ordon. Auru sent us-"

"Ordon? No no no, you need to leave!"

"Why?"

"Imperials. They're searching for the pendants, and I think I have a clue as to where the next one is. If you're in Ordon, then you're close to it, but you cannot access it. Only certain people can. I don't know if the Imperials can, however. But they're coming."

"And leave you shall." Hilda and Ravio turned to Impa, who was facing a nearby window. "You have played your parts, and I have done mine. Remember my words, once you save young Dragmire."

Hilda stepped forward, "You should come with us."

Impa shook her head. "I'm needed here. You two are not."

Ravio nodded. "Yes Hilda, we should go before the Imperials get here. No telling what they'll do to Oren if they get their hands on the Sage… Which reminds me… Impa, aren't you the Shadow Sage?"

"That's true, and four of the others are human as well. I did notice that the new Water Sage is with you. What do you need to know?"

"The seal on Ganon. How strong is it?"

"The truth is...debatable. The seal was said to be linked to the seven sages, but in truth, the seal is linked to the former Queen and Hero. As far as I know, that seal is halfway broken, and only I, your companion, and my child are the only three Sages around. I should find someone younger to carry my mantle. Who knows if I'll survive the assault on Ordon…" Impa closed her eyes, bowing her head. "Go now, before it's too late. The gods have set today's events in motion. Destiny will call us all together again. Farewell."

When it was apparent Impa was going to say no more, Ravio opened the door, allowing Hilda and himself to exit Impa's home. Saddling up upon his horse, Ravio helped Oren back up on the saddle. "So glad you two are back. It has been completely weird out here."

"How so?"

The Zora pointed towards the forests, where a flock of birds were exiting. "See the birds leaving the woods? That's the third time that's happened. That's not normal."

"Wait, what is that?" Hilda pointed to an object arcing from the forest. Ravio shaded his eyes from the sun and glanced at it.

"Oh shit. They're here." Ravio jumped off his steed to his friend's side, giving the Ocarina of Time to Hilda.

"What are you doing?"

"Someone has to find out who is leading the Imperials. We got an opportunity to do so now."

Hilda sighed. "I like you much better when you're a coward than when you're foolishly brave."

Ravio chuckled. "Ah, I thought girls loved knights in shining armor."

"Well, I prefer the one who wears this ridiculous robe." Hilda smiled and hugged her friend, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Don't do anything stupid enough to get you killed."

"I'm not Gan or Ralph. I'm not that brave." The pair released each other, and Hilda got upon her horse with Ravio's assistance. "Now get out of here. I'll easily catch up." Hilda nodded, and directed her horse to the east. With a final glance at Ravio, Hilda snapped her reins and her steed galloped away. Oren, however, hesitated, looking down on Ravio.

"You know you got nothing to prove to her, right? I, of course, never heard it out of mouth but I can see it, but whenever you decide to take that chance, she will be yours. I guarantee it."

"I'm not doing this for her. I'm doing this for me. Maybe Ralph is right, that some guy like me who wears a bunny robe and is a coward at heart doesn't deserve a princess. How can I compete with a prince who is brave?"

Oren shrugged. "Heroes are not loved for their bravery, that's just their most recognizable trait. True heroes, even the one in green, are loved by what's in their heart." Oren turned around and followed Hilda out the town. Ravio watched the vanished into the forest, and then turned to the town being currently attacked. He looked to the door of Impa's house, finding it slightly ajar.

"Kick some ass, Impa. As for me, I should find a place to hide."

The Imperials, lead by one named Horsehead, rounded up all the villagers within Ordon by the mayor's residence, and stood around them, weapons in hand. Scattered across the village laid the dead bodies of those who tried to fight back, and the remains of the Bokoblins that were taken down.

Most of those Hylian bodies laid around the blacksmith's shop.

They all watched as a large bird-like creature landed a few yards away, and its rider disembark. The newcomer wore a huge robe, decorated with several green and red foreign symbols. He had on a mask that covered his entire face, and gave him the look of a fish. He walked up and through the crowd, up to the porch of the mayor's residence. He looked to Horsehead, who stood over the crowd with his arms crossed. "I have received news from Ghirahim. He didn't retrieve the pendant."

"How is that possible?"

"Apparently two rebels entered the Demon. He has captured one of them, it seems." He turned to the crowd, scanning the villagers. "Someone here knows where the other two pendants are. We found Power by luck." As he said that, the robed man turned as he saw his soldiers bring in a newcomer. It was a woman of middle age, wearing a dark blue jumpsuit and dark boots. She had a sheath for a short sword, most likely lost trying to fight the monsters. But what interested the man the most was the white hair on the head on such a young woman's head, her skin color, dark but not that of the Nabooruans, and the dead giveaway to her identity: red eyes. Pointing to the woman, he commanded, "Bring her here." The monsters pushed the woman through the crowd and up the stairs towards the masked figure. She gave him a glance over, and stared at one symbol on his clothing that, by her shocked reaction, looked recognizable to her.

The symbol of an eye.

The masked man looked down to the symbol and then back up to the woman, who now had her gaze fixed on him. "It's been ten years since one of your kind has been around, yet you do not hide your traits… Sheikah."

The woman frowned. "What do you want, Imperial? This village has done no wrong."

"We're here for the trinkets of Your Highness'. I didn't expect a good response from the villagers, but now the former right hand of the Queen is presented, and I desire knowledge. You know what I've come for."

The Sheikah, eyes closed, was quiet for a moment, and slowly opened them. "I know where you come from… Zant Twilight."

The masked man, Zant, began to pace. "The Pendants of Courage and Wisdom. I cannot sense them, but I know you can, and you will, for the sake of this village, and for my king."

"So the usurper is a man, then? That's good to know, after years of knowing nothing. The Imperials rose from darkness. You, and your sister, are not."

Zant paused for a moment, turning his head towards the Sheikah. "So it is true… If you can see what I haven't said, then you must be the one marked by the eye. You must be Impa. I have heard a lot about you. So listen to this truth. Give me the location of Courage and Wisdom, or I will show me darkness. I will kill every last one of these villagers myself."

Impa scoffed. "You'll make them martyrs."

"To the Resistance? They will be destroyed."

"To them, maybe. But to the ones you fear the most, definitely. To Courage, to Wisdom...and even Power. Sadly, the pendant of the latter was taken. That, indeed, I did know. A family, divided by the thoughts of death, reunited under different banners. How will you tell your sister, who doesn't even know you're alive, that you were the reason her life was utterly destroyed?"

"How will I?" At this, Zant flicked his right arm and thrust it forward. Impa yelped as metal pierced her chest and was quickly removed. She fell on her knees, clutching her chest while Zant held his bloodied blade over her.

"NO!" Zant looked up and saw an archer on a rooftop fire an arrow. Zant lifted his unarmed hand and the arrow froze in flight, and the archer himself was frozen as well. Zant waved his hand and the man flew across the town to the porch. Zant walked over Impa's bleeding body and dropped the young man. He had a most interesting attire, a purple robe with a bunny hood and a blue scarf tied around the neck. He brushed aside his dark hair, and looked up to Zant with dark green eyes. Zant knelt down to his level, and both men gazed at each other.

"So are we going to talk, or are we going to look at each other lovingly? I rather do the former."

"You're part of the Resistance, aren't you?"

The boy shrugged. "I can be a bunny if you want. Do you want me to put it on? You're in your Halloween costume, I might as well join you." Before Zant could question him any further, a weak shout from behind him whisked the boy away. Totally frustrated with the shenanigans of the Sheikah, Zant stood up and stomped over to Horsehead.

"What shall we do with her?"

"Leave her be. But before she fades… Kill them all." Zant walked away from the sounds of pleas, arrows flying in the air, and the cries of death towards his ride, silently fuming at his failure to find the two missing pendants. However, he had a new objective in mind.

"Link… Zelda… LINK!"

…

…

…

"Hey, calm down Spryte . Is he alright?"

"I… I think so."

"And the girl?"

"Yes sir, she lives. What do we do?"

"Hmm… We watch over them. The weather is getting bad, and my home is too far away… Ah, I know a place of respite."

…

…

…

The first thing Zelda felt was the feeling of being wet. That was first on her mind, the sinking feeling of drowning in a spring she had swam her entire life in. The second feeling was that of a relaxing heat, and the smell of smoke came third. Great, she was on her way to hell, for some untold sin. She groaned at the thought of not making it to the Sacred Realm, and thought of Link, and if he was going where she was headed, or up to the Three. Maybe he was still alive, by some chance. Maybe he avenged her. Link… "Link…"

"Hey, are you alright?"

That was a voice. Did people speak in hell? Zelda slowly, and painfully, opened her eyes, seeing not the skies filled with smoke, or the land seared by fire as she believed hell to be in. Zelda saw the dark skies filled with stars, and the sounds of water stirred her out of her daze.

Then she realized she was totally alive, and the shock drove her to sit up abruptly. "Ahh!" Pain seared through her chest, and Zelda clutched it as she laid back down, breathing hard.

"Yeah, you shouldn't do that. Whatever hit you, be lucky you were near a Fairy Spring. You and your friend would have died had not the waters kept you alive, and slowly healed you." Zelda turned to the source of the voice, and saw a figure sitting opposite of her. It was a masculine, definitely older than Zelda's age, and from what seeable (as Zelda's vision was a little hazy), the man had a dark green robe, grey and dark brown hair, fair skin, and a short grey and brown beard that rivaled Rusl's. His smile was very warming, and Zelda felt a little comforted that someone had indeed found her and Link… Spryte!

"Sir, did you see a-"

"-fairy? Yeah, she's with your friend. He's on the other side of this island, cutting the buck you two guys found earlier. Gotta say, nice catch."

Zelda nodded, and slowly sat herself herself up, finding something for her back to rest on. She looked around, finding herself on an island, with several dead trees scatter about, including the very thin one she was leaning against. She stretched her legs out, and sighed. "Yea, it was Link who found it. I stole the kill, though. He was not happy with that."

The man smiled. "Ah… I can relate. An old friend of mine doesn't like it when his spotlight is stolen. Then again, he let the idea that he was a hero get into his head."

"Hero? What did he do?" The older man chuckled, and tended to the fire. Zelda found his chuckled contagious, and while it hurt to laugh, Zelda felt her mind go on ease as she did so. "Aww, tell me."

"It was a long time ago...now it is a bother. If he was alive, he could tell the story, because, you know, heroes love their bravado."

"Even when it is complete and utter bullshit, yeah."

"Right." The two chuckled once more, before the man looked east of their location. Her smile fell, but Zelda didn't why, nor did she need to. "I'm sorry about what happened at Ordon. I cannot believe the Imperials would go that far, for whatever reason. Innocent people died because of it. Maybe the Resistance pissed them off too well."

Zelda raised an eyebrow. "The Resistance? You know of it?"

The man nodded. "Yes. I follow the news whenever I get it. The Resistance must be putting up a good fight if the Imperials did what they done. Not to say it is right, but… Nothing is right these days."

Zelda cocked her head to the side, confused. "What do you mean?"

"You'll understand it soon. Maybe sooner or later."

Zelda frowned, but nodded anyways. If he knew didn't want to talk of better days, she knew not to pry, and Zelda could see the distressed look in his brown eyes that he had definitely seen better day in his life. Rusl and Impa acted the same way when they reminisce of their younger days. Whatever happened to those days, and why everyone was so tight about speaking of them, Zelda didn't know. "I hope I do."

The man nodded, and set down his stick. He looked to Zelda, analyzing her for some reason. "Your name is Zelda…did you know that many a queen of this country was named Zelda? The most recent queen was named Zelda as well."

"Yes. It was a family name of the royalty. Impa told me I was named after the queen, who was a dear friend to my mother. She was from northern Hyrule, as am I. I never knew why we came down here, but whatever the case, I really don't care. I just want to know why those Imperials attacked Ordon, and who was the monster that went after Link and me. If I see him again, I'll drive his mace into his chest, and let him see how it feels."

The man smirked, and chuckled. "You know, for a girl who lost almost everything, you sure aren't...in sorrow. You look more like a vengeful warrior." The man shook his head as he looked to the water beside him. "I knew a woman like that once."

"What was she like?"

"She... was the wisest woman I ever met. She was calculating, observant, fair in beauty and in judgment. Her words held power, her posture provided courage. She...was simply amazing...and I lost her to the Imperials long ago."

"Oh… Did… Did you love her?"

"Yes. But I have always been a soldier, and she, a sweet goddess one day, and a cold noble the next. Our love was always complicated, for we had enemies, but we always endured." The man sighed, and looked Zelda in the eye. "When the Imperials attacked, I was in the mountains, fighting monsters. It was a distraction to sway the military, possible the Hero of Hyrule, and we fell for it. Without a hero and a divided army, the capital city was blindsided despite the victory. I don't know who survived the initial attack, and the men and women who retaliated once we got the news either died or barely escaped. I… I ran."

Zelda reached over, and touched the man's hand. "You did what you could."

"No. No I didn't. I once served the most courageous man in Hyrule, thought that I could live up to his potential, and on that day, I lost my love, my friends, my hero, and my courage… But I never truly grieved about it. The lion that sleeps within me wouldn't let me cry in grief, but only in anger. Why, I don't know, but I believe it is because I cannot grieve until I have vengeance. You and Link, you two might be the same. It's been eighteen years, and I think it's time we join the fight against evil. Not like we have much of a choice."

Zelda looked to the sky, glaring at the stars as if they were responsible for everything. "You are right, sir. I have no choice but to fight back. Whether it is true or not, I'm sure Impa trained me physically and emotionally for this very moment. There is something in this world I must do, and I'll be a liar if I said I know what is it. But Link and I should be dead today, but by the grace of Nayru, we lived, and you found us. I got nowhere else to go, but I do have a goal in mind, and that's revenge. I don't know anything about these Imperials, or the Resistance, but I know that one side hasn't attacked an innocent village, and the other destroyed my home." She looked to the man, a icy blue fire in her eyes. "To honor whatever Impa and Rusl has trained me for, and their sacrifice today, I will fight back."

"As will I." Footsteps behind the man garnered the two's attention, and they both looked up to an extremely angry Link, sided by Spryte. He looked to Zelda, his blue eyes never so filled with fury before. "Whatever it takes, the Imperials will pay with every monster in our way."

The man smirked, and turned back to Zelda. "That's what I like to hear. You know… There might be hope for Hyrule yet. As I look up, I see two young warriors, ready to risk their lives, for vengeance. It was fate that we were to meet, and I will be honored to guide thee." The man gestured for Link to sit, and he took it beside Zelda. The man looked to a large, hollow tree in the center of the island, as if he was familiar with it. "Do you know where we are?"

Link looked to it as well, and shook his head. "No."

"Zelda?"

"Sorry, but I don't know."

"That's alright. I'm a little surprised that you never been here, given that is is literally on the other side of your forest, but this place is not one for kids. Well, for most kids." He looked directly at Link and Zelda, a small smirk on his face. "Where you stand, is famous ground, for once upon a similarly as dark time, the Hero of Hyrule walked these grounds as he began his journey."

Link dropped his jaw, raising both his eyebrows. "You mean… We're at a dungeon?"

"Yes, we're at a dungeon. The very first one the hero stepped into, as the legends go. Welcome, Link and Zelda, to Level One." The man looked up, and nodded to the huge tree. "Welcome to… The Eagle."