Chapter one: Rin
Three lights danced around one another like brilliant fireflies. One red, one blue and one green; they grew brighter as they drew closer together and dimmed when they separated. An eerie, black fog descended upon the lights, nearly snuffing their glow completely. However, the lights converged, becoming one bright, golden light and banished the fog completely.
"Rin!" The young man startled awake, whacking his head against the stone wall behind him.
Rin hissed, clutching the back of his head for a few moments before peering up at the condescending, red eyes of his brother, Ino. The two young men looked quite different as, despite being brothers, they had no shared blood between them. Rin's mother had been a close friend of Ino's mother, Impa. Impa had adopted Rin when his mother died soon after his birth. Ino was a good head taller than Rin, and somewhat leaner with the distinct snowy white hair and red eyes of a pure-blooded Sheikah, while Rin sported silvery hair and pale blue eyes.
"How did you manage to fall asleep here, anyway?"
Rin shrugged, getting up from the ground outside his home, where he'd somehow nodded off. "I had a weird dream."
"A dream?" Ino's demeanor changed in an instant, dreams were important among the Sheikah and not to be taken lightly. Rin described what he had experienced and Ino thought for a time. "I have no idea what it could mean," he said finally, "Perhaps Mother will have some insight, you should ask her about it. Come on."
Ino and Rin wandered the vast network of tunnels that made up the Rebel Stronghold for several minutes. It was easy to get lost in the labyrinthine structure, which was no accident. This stronghold was the last place in Hyrule that was free of the tyrannical Labrynnian rule that had spread steadily from Gerudo City in the southwest since they first invaded nearly twenty years ago. The stronghold only existed due to the foresight of the Royal Family, who asked the rock-eating Goron people to build it in the northernmost region of the Akkala Province -far from Gerudo Desert- as a refuge. While the Royal Family did not survive, many Hyruleans did, and now the survivors -led by the Sheikah, who had long served Hylian royalty- had a chance to fight back. The citizens who did not make it to the stronghold were either killed or enslaved, forced to work for the Empire.
The young Sheikah didn't find their mother, but they did run into Marni, one of the bird-like Rito people, who told them that Impa was looking for them.
"Lady Impa has called an emergency meeting," she said, "Apparently she got word from Kara Kara that the Labrynnian Empire is sending more troops to Gerudo City."
"I wonder why they'd be sending troops," Ino said, as the boys followed Marni to their mother's office. Rin shrugged.
"Shara thinks they may be planning to march on Deep Akkala," Marni said. Shara was the leader of the Rito, and had been keeping a close eye on Gerudo Desert from the air.
"Let's hope not," Ino said.
Should the stronghold fall, the Kingdom of Hyrule would cease to exist. The way things stood, the future of Hyrule was bleak without the Royal Family, and re-establishing the nation would prove difficult. However, rumors of a surviving member had been whispered around the stronghold, though there was no proof that they could be true. All anyone could hope for was to banish the Labrynnian Empire from the land and worry about what came after when the time came. Impa -leader of the Resistance- certainly didn't seem too concerned, so the others followed her lead. Freeing Hyrule came first; the original plan had been to start in Eldin, the province bordering Akkala to the west, and then to Lanayru, the province to the south, but with the recent news perhaps those plans would be changing.
When Ino, Rin and Marni arrived at Impa's office, the leaders of the Rito, Zora, Gorons and Gerudo were already present, looking over a map that was spread over Impa's desk. Impa looked up as the three entered.
"Ah, boys," she said, beckoning them over, "We've received news."
"Marni said something about Labrynna sending reinforcements," Ino said. His mother nodded.
"That's correct," the Gerudo leader, Anaya said, "My contact in Kara Kara Town sent word that General Jara is expecting more troops within the week."
"That means our plans have changed, yes?" Tuuli, the Queen of the fish-like Zora people now spoke. She was no doubt disgruntled at the change in focus from Lanayru and Eldin to the Gerudo Desert, but understood that it was necessary. Shara of the Rito and Gor-Yubo of the Gorons both scowled but said nothing.
"They have, I'm afraid," Impa said, "We must keep any more troops from entering Hyrule at any cost, even if it means we must take back Gerudo Desert before the other provinces."
"We are thinking of a two-part offensive," Ayana said, "One to infiltrate the city and another to invade after, once the first team thins the enemy's numbers."
"I think Ino and Rin should be the leaders of the advance team," Impa said, and Ayana frowned.
"I'd much rather the team be composed of women," she said, citing the age-old tradition of allowing only women to enter Gerudo City. She sighed, "However, if your sons are the most suited to the task, I suppose I cannot argue."
"Perhaps you would like to test them?" Shara now spoke up, she had known Ino and Rin since they were young and knew the kind of skills they had. "I have no doubt they will be up to the task. Ino is as talented in Shadow Magic as his mother," Shara nodded toward Impa, "And Rin excels in ranged weapons, almost as well as any Rito." Rin smiled at the light teasing tone in Shara's voice.
"It couldn't hurt to see what they can do," Ayana said, thoughtfully, "If only to make sure I pick the right team for them to lead."
"You? Shouldn't the boys be in charge of that?"
"It's all right, Shara," Ino said, "Lady Ayana is already allowing two men to enter the city, it would only be right for the rest of the team to consist of those she chooses." Rin nodded in agreement.
"Very well," Impa said, "Ayana, you and my sons will work together to strategize and put together the advance team. I will work on the secondary team with Gor-Yubo and Shara."
"Is there anything we can do?" Tuuli knew that she and her fellow Zora wouldn't survive for long in the dry air of the desert, but she wished to assist the mission however possible. Impa thought for a moment, but it was Rin who answered.
"The canals," he said, stepping forward to stand beside Impa's desk and pointing at a series of lines on the map that represented a network of artificial waterways. The canals were built as a result of a trade agreement between the Zora king of the time and the Gerudo chieftess in order to allow travel between Lanayru and the desert. It was thanks to the canals that Gerudo City became a bustling center of trade, at least until Labrynna attacked it nearly twenty years ago. Before that, even a Zora could reach Kara Kara Town without much trouble.
"The canals haven't been maintained in some time," Tuuli said, "Do you think they'll still take us to Kara Kara?"
"It is certainly worth a look," Impa said. "We could certainly use all the help we can get."
"Very well, perhaps we can get the help of some Gorons, should we need to clear any blockages?"
"You can count on us, Lady Tuuli," Gor-Yubo said, enthusiastically.
"So, we have jobs for the Gorons and the Zora," Shara said, "What of the Rito?"
"You can provide air support for the secondary team," Impa said, "However, I think the advance team could use a few pairs of wings to get into the city."
"I will keep that in mind when choosing the team," Ayana said, "If there is nothing else to discuss, I would like to start on my task as soon as possible." Impa nodded and Ayana left the room, Ino and Rin close behind.
They followed Ayana to a training room, where warriors of every race practised various forms of combat. There were several scimitar and spear-wielding Gerudo, who all took a moment to nod in Ayana's direction. During the First Invasion of Hyrule, Ayana -at the tender age of fifteen- led many of her people from the desert into Akkala, earning her the title of hero and the respect of many. She looked over the people occupying the room.
Along with the Gerudo, every other Hyrulean race was represented, each with their own fighting style. Gorons were known for their brute strength, wielding fists and enormous weapons alike. They were useful in mass-combat but horrible when it came to stealth, not to mention no Rito could fly with a Goron in tow. A Zora would be easier to carry, and their use of spears and lighter weapons would no doubt be useful as part of the advance team. There were several promising females among those training. Ayana's first choice of the Rito would be Shara, but she was planning to join the secondary team. Perhaps Shara's niece, Marni, would be willing.
"So," Ino said, pulling the woman from her thoughts, "Do you plan to test us?"
"I do," Ayana said, "Shara spoke highly of your Shadow Magic, Ino. Would you care to demonstrate in the obstacle course?"
In an enormous hall off of the training room was an impressive obstacle course which could be customized to fit both race and skill level. Ino and Rin had spent a great deal of time in this course, racing each other and thinking up new ways to challenge each other.
"I want you to make it from one end of the highest level course to the other, and hit all of the targets." Ayana said. Ino looked almost disappointed, this would be too easy. "Without letting me see you." Ino now grinned, excited by the new challenge. "Can you do that?"
"Absolutely," the young man said. Indeed, Ino's statement was no empty boast, as he used a combination of Shadow Magic and clever hiding places to make his way through the course. The only indication of where he might be at any time was the occasional thunk of a throwing knife as it hit the center of the swinging targets, though even if one were to follow the trajectory, he would have been gone by the time they figured out his location. When he finally appeared on the other side, Ayana looked truly impressed.
"All right, I suppose you will do," she said. She then turned to Rin, "Now, you are a marksman? Are you versed in Shadow Magic as well?" Rin shook his head.
"My brother never got the hang of Shadow Magic," Ino said, "But he is unmatched with a bow, and quicker and more agile than any other Sheikah -except for me, of course." Rin rolled his eyes.
Rin's course was slightly different from Ino's, it sported more hiding spots but also more targets, which suited the young man just fine. Ayana was just as impressed -if not moreso- with Rin's abilities. Although he could not move completely unseen, he did make himself difficult to spot as he made his way through, bow in hand, hitting each target no less than two times, sometimes up to four.
Ayana had to admit, none of the Gerudo she knew could match the skill of these two Sheikah boys -not even herself. She could think of a few girls, however, who came close and were quite skilled in their own right. She would pick two, which meant she would need four Rito to get them into the City.
Rin finished the course, panting slightly and grinning.
"I beat you," he said to Ino, breaking Ayana from her thoughts. The brothers were shoving each other playfully when she finally divulged her musings.
"Right then, I suppose I will need to pick a few more people for the team you two are to lead," she said, "I will let you know by nighttime tomorrow."
"Understood," Ino said, serious for just a moment, before racing his brother back to the beginning of the course for another chance to beat his time.
After several hours of trying to one-up one another, the two young Sheikah finally headed for home and Rin realized he still hadn't spoken to his mother about the strange dream he'd had. Come to think of it, the dream reminded him of the books of ancient stories his father, Mutoh, had read to him and Ino when they were young, before Mutoh's death at the hands of the Empire. The books had once belonged to the royal family and Impa hated them. "The royal family is dead but thank Hylia they saved the books," she would say, bitterly. Perhaps he wouldn't ask her about it; the books could now be found in a makeshift library, Rin decided he would check there first. He told Ino where he was going and set off to do some research.
Rin was unsurprised to find a young, dark-haired Hylian by the name of Thayle at a table in the library surrounded by piles of books and what looked like a stack of rolled maps. If Thayle wasn't in the library he was with Ino, who just so happened to be his boyfriend. He currently seemed very interested in a book titled Hyrule Historia; perhaps he could help Rin make sense of his strange dream. Getting the other's attention, however, was a bit of a challenge. When saying his name several times didn't work, Rin decided to throw politeness to the wind.
"Hey!" Thayle tried to grab his book back as Rin yanked it from this grasp, "Oh! Rin," he frowned, "Was that really necessary?"
"Yes."
"I, well…" Thayle flushed, "Fair enough. What can I do for you?" Rin described his dream, and the Hylian's eyes widened. "Hang on, that sounds like…," he trailed off as he got up and began rifling through a shelf full of rather old-looking books. After a few minutes he found what he was looking for. "Ah! Here we are, The Ancient Tales of Hyrule, here you go!"
"Um…" Rin found himself a bit overwhelmed by the enormous volume.
"Don't worry, the part you're looking for is in the very beginning, about the Goddesses and the creation of the world," Thayle said.
"Thanks," Rin said, leaving Thayle and finding a comfortable corner in which to read. Looking at the first few words, he was reminded of a time many years ago when his father had read to him so long ago.
In the beginning, all was darkness and chaos. Then, three Goddesses descended and created a world from the emptiness. Din the Red, Goddess of Power, created the World and it's earth. Nayru the Blue, Goddess of Wisdom, bestowed Law onto the the World and Faore the Green, Goddess of Courage, created all life forms to live upon the World and uphold the Law. Once their work was completed, the Goddesses left, leaving behind a shining golden power called the Triforce. This power would grant the wish of any who touched it; should one with a righteous heart touch the Triforce, it would create an age of peace and prosperity to the land. However, if one with dark intentions laid hands on the Triforce, the land would be plunged into an age of despair.
Rin huffed, frustrated. Although the colors fit his dream, what could some mythical Goddesses have to do with him? He looked up and was startled to see Impa standing before him.
"Ino said you had a dream?" Impa always got straight to the point, "You could have asked me about it."
"You hate these books," Rin replied, his mother chuckled and sat beside him on the floor.
"The books, yes, but I know most of the stories quite well," she said, "So tell me about your dream." Rin once again recounted his experience, and Impa's expression turned… strange. If Rin hadn't known any better, he'd say she looked scared, and sad -but only for a moment. "Did you know," she said, "That there are three pieces to the Triforce and each is blessed by a different Goddess? Over the millenia, two of the pieces changed hands many times. The Triforce of Wisdom was the birthright of the Royal Family, turning up in the possession of a princess whenever Hyrule was in danger. Her fate was intertwined with that of the holder of the Triforce of Courage, the Chosen Hero of the Goddesses destined to save Hyrule. The Triforce of Power… Well, that's a very different story. No one knew the original holder of the power was to be, however it was stolen a long, long time ago by a man called Ganondorf, who was the host of the evil being known as Ganon."
A soft sound came from Impa's other side, and Rin looked to see Ino and Thayle sitting side-by-side, listening to the woman speak. She glanced at them before continuing.
"Ganondorf tried numerous times to conquer Hyrule, but was stopped every time by the wielders of the Triforces of Wisdom and Courage. However, the Triforce of Power remained in his possession for over ten millennia, until it was finally freed several hundred years ago. Since then, the Triforce of Power has been lost, and no one knows if it is in the possession of a Hyrulean or if it sleeps in the Sacred Realm, the place where the power was born." Impa looked to Rin, "I suppose your dream could mean that the three triforce pieces are each in the possession of a wielder and it will be up to you to bring those individuals together and help them drive the invaders from Hyrule."
"No pressure, kid," Thayle said, earning a chuckle from Ino. Rin sighed.
"How am I supposed to do that?"
"Who knows," Impa said, shrugging, "You can't force fate. No use worrying about it. Now," she grunted as she got up from the floor, "It is late and we all need our rest." Rin followed his mother from the library, leaving Ino to bid Thayle good-night. When Ino joined them, the three returned home at last.
True to her word, the next day Ayana approached Rin and Ino with a completed advance team for the upcoming mission. Along with Marni, three other Rito women would be joining them: Ralia, Elain and Teli. She also found two Gerudo named Maran and Ferrah, who's skill in stealth was comparable to most Sheikah. Rin only knew Marni personally, but he'd seen the others around. If Ayana thought they'd be a good match then so did he. The eight gathered in the library, where Thayle revealed what he had been working on the night before.
"Here we are, I stayed up all night with these," he said, placing a map of Gerudo City on a table. Ino raised an eyebrow.
"How'd you get your hands on this?"
"You'd be surprised at what you can find in this library," Thayle said, "I believe this was the map kept by the Royal Family. It's not as recent as I would like but it's something. I asked Ayana what she remembered about the city," he pointed to some markings that looked new, "and we made a few adjustments."
"What's this?" Rin pointed to a line that stood out from the others.
"That's the path Ayana took in and out of the city when she was sneaking people out during the First Invasion," Thayle explained.
"Looks like she used several underground waterways," Ino said, "Smart. Those could be useful."
"It would be safest to assume it has been discovered since then," Ferrah said.
"Really?" Thayle's face fell.
"She's right, I'm afraid," Ino said, "It's been eighteen years. Although, having an outdated map may help with finding a way into the city that the occupants may have forgotten about." Thayle smiled, clearly happy to be helpful. No doubt he was concerned about Ino -and the others of course- coming home safely.
Over the next few days, Ino, Rin and the others strategized and trained until they were confident in their ability to carry out their task. The day before they were to leave for their mission, Impa called Rin to her room.
"There's something I'd like to give you," she said, holding a small, wooden box in her hand. On the box was the Sheikah insignia: an eye with a teardrop. "These were your mother's."
Rin's eyes widened as he took the box and opened it. Inside was a pair of silver earrings in the shape of the Sheikah symbol, two dark purple stones took the place of the teardrops.
"They are imbued with Shadow Magic," Impa said, as Rin removed the hoops he and many other Sheikah men wore and replaced them with the new earrings. "Ana never got the hang of Shadow Magic, either. With these, you will be able to move undetected for a time. Keep in mind, however, that the magic will last for only a few minutes before it will need to recharge, so don't use them all the time, all right?" Rin nodded, and noticed Impa staring at him.
"What?"
"Nothing. You really take after Ana," she said, and Rin smiled. "Now, go get some practise in with those before we leave tonight."
Practise Rin did, thoroughly enjoying sneaking up on his fellow Sheikah, especially Ino. His brother nearly jumped a foot when Rin suddenly appeared in front of him.
"Woah! How did you-?" Rin grinned, and showed Ino his new earrings. "Where did you get those?"
"They were my mother's," Rin said.
"Oh? Was she hopeless at Shadow Magic, too?" Rin gave Ino a playful shove before going to 'practise' some more.
That night, the stronghold was abuzz with activity as the two teams prepared for the mission and everyone else bustled about to assist where they could. It would take three days by horse to get to Gerudo City and the advance team packed light; taking only what they could carry on their persons and a few packs they could leave with their horses. The secondary team could carry more as they would have little need for stealth. Among the secondary team's gear was a blue-flame lantern, lit from one of two sacred flames in Hyrule that had been burning for millenia. Should Impa's team reach Kara Kara without trouble, they would leave a blue light visible from Gerudo City to let the first team know they were ready to go. Should the flame be an ordinary red, Ino and Rin's group would know to lie low until the other team was ready.
"Is your armor fitting all right? Do you have all of your tools?" Thayle flitted about, fussing over Ino like a mother hen.
"Yes, dear," Ino said, "Are you sure you don't just want to come with me?" Thayle swatted at the other man.
"I'm serious, this is a dangerous mission," he said, his voice getting higher, "If something goes wrong-" Ino took Thayle's face in his hands and looked him straight in the eye.
"I'll be alright," he said, kissing his lover on the forehead, "Promise." Rin, who had watched the exchange with a cheeky grin, chuckled. Ino stuck his tongue out at his brother, rather childishly.
Once everyone was prepared and said their goodbyes to their loved ones, they set off. The two teams would travel together until they reached Lake Hylia, far to the south-west, where they would leave their horses with some allies who ran a stable. There, the secondary team would take the canals to Kara Kara and the advance team would take the mountain road, using the cliffs around Spectacle Rock as a launching point to Gerudo City. Before that, they would have to take roads that were seldom used so as to avoid running into Labrynnian soldiers, or spies belonging to the Yiga Clan -former Sheikah defectors who once served Ganon and now served the Empire.
Their journey was relatively uneventful; they had to dodge a few groups of soldiers on the way, but the Sheikah scouts that went ahead gave them plenty of warning and the entire group was able to remain undetected. As they traveled, they passed remnants of what Hyrule was before the invasion; trains on electric rails, towers that once glowed with a guiding light, even flying machines, all abandoned and overgrown with weeds. Rin recalled the stories of the elders who had lived during the prosperous times decades ago. One could travel from the Hebra Mountains in the northwest all the way to the coastal town of Lurelin in only hours, and send a message across the kingdom in seconds. When Labrynna invaded, the Kingdom to the north, Holodrum, stopped all trade with Hyrule in an attempt to keep the invaders out. Despite the fact that Labrynna seemed to have no interest in any land outside Hyrule, Holodrum had kept its borders closed. Rin wondered if Hyrule would ever be so prosperous again, he hoped so.
As they approached Lake Hylia, the air began to crackle with electricity and Rin wondered if they'd been caught in a sudden thunderstorm. However, he saw his mother point to the sky at an enormous, golden dragon as it drifted high above.
"I hope this is a positive omen," she said. Ino grinned.
"What else could it be? Farosh has blessed our mission," he said, voice brimming with enthusiasm. Rin said nothing. He could have sworn he heard a voice calling for… someone. It was strange, though the voice wasn't calling his name, he felt as if it was crying out for him.
"Rin?" He shook his head as Ino said his name, as if clearing his mind of a fog. "You all right?"
"I'm- fine," he said. First the dream, now he was hearing voices? Perhaps he was going insane.
Little else of note happened between the dragon sighting and when they arrived at the lake-side stable, where the group left their horses. The advance team headed south-west toward the mountains that surrounded Gerudo desert, while the secondary team took the rafts on the canals headed west to Kara Kara. It was nearly noon, and as long as they made good time, Ino and Rin's team could reach their destination by nightfall.