Lanayru Province, several miles from Castle Town

Rain fell from the sky. Though it drenched the land in heavy torrents, it was still not enough to diminish the flames. The blaze lit up the angry sky, the black smoke swirling with the dark storm clouds. The hazy outline of the castle was barely visible from this distance.

Princess Zelda watched the fires continue to burn, destroying her childhood home. Raindrops hit her face, mingling with the tears there. Slowly, the horrible sight disappeared from her view as they galloped further and further away.

Zelda let out a sob, burying her face in Impa's chest. Her attendant held her close with one arm, the other holding the horse's reins. Impa continued to push the animal, riding hard to escape any pursuers. Zelda didn't worry about anyone following them; somehow she knew they had lost them. Her mind was instead consumed with the events of the night. Events she wished to forget, and yet events she had to remember.

Her father, dead or captured. The castle, destroyed. The townspeople, scattered, their homes burned to the ground. Link…

Zelda gritted her teeth to stop another sob from escaping. What had become of her friend? She prayed to the gods that he had escaped any harm. She prayed he had taken the ocarina to the Temple of Time…but there was no way of knowing. Her connection to him had been lost. He was gone. Where, she knew not.

Impa stroked her hair sympathetically. "Zelda," her voice was, even now, calm and collected.

Zelda sniffed. "Yes?"

"All is not lost, dear," Impa reassured her, holding the young princess tightly.

Zelda nodded. For her nursemaid's sake, she would try to be brave a little longer. Impa had been caring for her since she was born. She was more than her teacher and servant; she was the only mother she had known. And now, Impa was all she had.

~oOo~

Elsewhere, Dark and Sienna looked on from a hillside. After their encounter with Ganondorf, they had managed to escape Castle Town unscathed. By now the surviving townspeople had fled; a dark line across the valley stretched towards the northeast. The refugees were headed for Kakariko village, hoping to find shelter there.

Sienna watched with sorrowful eyes as the town continued to burn. Dark had long since turned away from the sight.

"Come on," he said impatiently, tugging on the girl's arm.

"Wait." She pulled back, wiping tears from her eyes.

Dark turned to her, surprised. "Why are you crying?"

"It was my home," she whispered. "And now it's gone. Everything."

Dark put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her away. He glared over his shoulder at the besieged town. "It was a prison," he said coldly. "We're finally free of that place. Let's go."

Sienna punched him in the arm weakly. "How can you say that!?"

Dark rubbed his arm, shooting her an annoyed glare. He noticed the tears still streaming down her cheeks and softened a bit. "Sienna," he said, trying to sound comforting. "We have to leave…we can start fresh, someplace new. Forget about that place."

Slowly, Sienna nodded, letting Dark lead her away from the scene.

The pair of them walked for days, all the way to the border, and out of Hyrule. The kingdom had fallen. A tyrant had taken the throne, and even now, dark clouds amassed to cover the land and bring evil into the land of the gods. There was nothing left for them here.

They kept moving eastwards, towards Termina. Towards something better.