Link bounded down the nearest hall, Zelda beside him, her dress swishing as it came in contact with the floor beneath them. Up ahead a contingent of Guards ran by, swords at the ready, Link and Zelda turned, following the group closely.
"What's happening?" Zelda questioned as soon as the Guards stopped.
"We have him right behind this door, my Lady." the Guard replied, eyeing the door cautiously.
Link readied his sword, as did the other Guards after a shuffling noise was heard from behind it, behind them, Zelda's hands glowed brightly, preparing to defend Link and her Guards if necessary. Suddenly the door burst open, there was a clang of swords, and much shuffling of feet against the stone floor. Link looked up and found himself locking blades with Audrik, while the Guards to his right were apologizing profusely to Oren.
"Audrik? What are you doing here? We heard that Minister Ryos was behind this door." Link asked, the curious tone in his voice strong.
"We were in pursuit of him, and he seemingly vanished, even with the eyes of a Sheikah I couldn't discover his whereabouts." Oren said, a very uncharacteristically annoyed tone to his usually emotionless voice.
"Well, give up we shall not." Zelda said glancing at Link, her brother, and Oren, "Minister Ryos has some very sensitive information that he may have not conveyed to his Master yet, we must find him before he gets too far."
The Guards nodded in agreement, fanning out through the corridors, while Link, Audrik, Oren and Zelda stood, gathered close together.
"You're right sister." Audrik stated, glancing at Zelda, "I should have acted on my suspicions sooner, that way we wouldn't be in our current predicament."
"Afterthoughts are worthless ones." Zelda replied, the seriousness in her tone reflecting the severity of the situation.
Link looked around puzzled, the Minister could be anywhere in the Castle by now, and even with all of the Guards searching for him, who knew what tricks Ryos may have up his sleeve.
Oren narrowed his eyes, their deep red beginning to glow slightly, any movement and he would see it, it wasn't long before his eyes were caught by something at the end of the corridor they stood in. "There." Oren stated quietly and calmly, nodding at the end of the hall. The group approached slowly, with Link and Zelda both attempting to take point. Soon they were but a mere arms length from the corner, and without warning, Link sprang around it, coming face to face with Minister Ryos, the Minister made a startled noise, and grabbed a sack he had tied to his belt. Link ran out him, sword pointing at the Minister's chest, when suddenly, after throwing the sack to the ground, an enormous cloud of smoke burst forth and filled the hallway, with Link swinging his blade madly.
"Link!" Zelda called, running through the smoke, coughing every few steps, when suddenly someone pressed a piece of cloth over her moth from behind, she knocked the individual's hands away, whirling around to see her brother, offering her the cloth.
"Sister, it's dangerous to breathe this smoke, please take the cloth!" he said, voiced raised, placing a piece of cloth over his mouth.
A clash of swords was heard up ahead, with Audrik and Zelda making their way towards the sound, their vision becoming blurry, the smoke irritating their eyes. Off to the side Zelda noticed movement, seeing the silhouette of Oren dashing through the smoke, his eyesight almost completely unhindered. Zelda noticed three other forms following, more than likely belonging to Impa and whichever two Sheikah she chose to follow her.
Link's blade was intercepted by that Ryos, the Minister raised his sword, slashing downward at Link, with Link blocking, replying with a horizontal slash to the right. Minister Ryos avoided the slash, pulling back, he readied a stab, Link faked to the left, then faded to the right as the Minister made his move, Link slashed diagonally downwards toward the left, the tip of his blade catching the Minister on his shoulder. Minister Ryos lost his concentration for a moment, looking at the tear in his clothing and skin, Link took the opening and slammed his shoulder into Minister Ryos, the two careening through an open doorway. Finding themselves in an office chamber, Link closed the door behind him, readying his sword, standing guard as the injured man, lay on the floor clutching at his shoulder.
"If I were you, I'd surrender now." Link said, looking down on Ryos.
"Really? And why's that?" the Minister asked, a tone of condescension to his voice.
Link was starting to become annoyed with the man. "Because you're injured, and you're trapped, are you not?" Link asked, agitated.
"Actually, Hero of Legend, it is you who's trapped." the Minister said, a smile working it's way across his face. The Minister muttered an incantation in Old Hylian, and threw up his hands, light flowing forth from them, strange glowing walls of orange light encasing the room.
"This changes nothing." Link said, marching towards Ryos, sword pointed at him.
Suddenly the Minister was back on his feet, slashing quickly at Link, and due to his sword's magically induced weightlessness, Link caught each and every one of the strikes, deflecting them with ease, retaliating quickly. The Minister was driven back, his upwards strike having been knocked aside by a horizontal slash from Link, the two ran forward, locking blades once more. Link locked eyes withe the Minister, with something striking him about them, not knowing what, Link broke from their stand-off, slashing downwards, his slash being blocked by Ryos. The Minister made to stab Link, with Link leaping out of the way, and with a strong swing of his sword, Link knocked the Minister's arm far off to the right, then took advantage of the opening, pushing his blade through the Minister's chest.
Link turned around, hearing a thud behind him as he did, he started to wonder what Zelda would say, it wasn't often he killed other Hylians, he couldn't quite remember if they had wanted him alive or- Link whirled around, seeing a stain of blood expanding through the sleeve of his shirt, he made for his sword, which he had sheathed, but was knocked over onto the nearby desk. Link tried to right himself, an was met with an enormous pain in his right shoulder, he looked over and noted that the Minister had stabbed his blade straight through his shoulder, in order to secure him to the table.
"Sorry about that, just wanted to make sure you didn't go anywhere, or attack me, that is. I need to get this trans-location spell ready without any distractions." the Minister said in a matter of fact manner.
Link looked up, fighting through the pain in his shoulder, he looked upon the Minister, being able to look straight through the sizable chest wound Link had inflicted upon him. "H..how are you..alive?" Link asked through gritted teeth.
The Minister stood up, looking Link in the eyes, a serious expression on his face, with Link noting that none of his wounds were even bleeding. "That, Mr. Hero, is something for me to know, and you to ponder while I finish this trans-location spell." the Minister said with a smile, returning to scrawling sigils on the room's floor. Link fought against the pain, managing to prop himself up on his elbows, his blood running down the sword that impaled him onto the desk. The Minister turned around, his face at first forming a stunned expression, which quickly faded to annoyance. "Hero, I must ask you to stop that at once, the Master would be quite displeased if I brought you to him in sorry condition, he is quite excited to meet you." Minister Ryos said, returning to his knees, writing out more sigils. Link was shaking with the effort it took to stay upright, but after a few more moments, fell back to the desk, he noted a wet sensation underneath him, slowly coming to realize how much blood he had lost. He glanced over at the Minister, who was distracted by a seemingly distant banging on the door. "You stay right there." the Minister said sarcastically as he ignored the banging. Then he heard it, a female voice, Zelda's voice, calling to him, her tone frantic. Link was snapped back into full consciousness, he looked over towards the corner of the room and spotted his sword, still sheathed, Link recalled the Minister knocking it off during their struggle, before pinning him to the table, Link called upon his Triforce of Courage, remembering how it reacted with the blade, he extended his fingers as his Triforce mark began to glow brightly, his sword slowly beginning to draw near.
oOo
"He must have some manner of warding spell active, we can't break through." Impa said, she and the other Sheikah had been attacking the door with their Great Swords, but to no avail, the door not budging.
Zelda rushed to the door, hitting her fist against it, tearing the lavender silken gloves she wore. "Link! Link!" she called as she continued battering the door. It was obvious something was amiss, a strange orange glow had appeared from under the door, with the sounds of the struggle between Link and the Minister ceasing.
Audrik ran up to his sister and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Calm yourself, sister, this barrier shall be felled soon, and Minister Ryos brought to justice!" he exclaimed, a look of conviction upon his face.
Zelda cast her gaze downwards, her worry turning to anger, she felt a rage growing inside of her, the likes of which she hadn't felt in ages, she moved forward, coming close to the door, she shifted her feet into a fighting stance, with Impa, Oren, and the two other Sheikah, Ara, and Trokon, looking on curiously. Audrik had never seen his sister in a state like this before, and moved to approach her when he was nearly blinded by a bright flash from the back of her hand, her Triforce of Wisdom roaring to life, surrounding her body in a golden aura, letting out a scream she pulled back her hand, and after a moment, flung it at the door.
oOo
Link held out his hand, his sword levitated slowly, with the Minister taking notice.
"No!" he yelled, racing to take hold of the blade, but before he could make it, it flew handle first into Link's grasp. He ran at the desk Link was on, making to remove the sword from his grasp when suddenly the door behind him blew open, his warding spell falling apart around them, he whirled to find the Princess herself, drawing on her Triforce's power.
Link moved as much as he could, the sword still pinning him to the table, Minister Ryos moved backwards, Zelda's golden aura surging around her, her eyes settling on him. Link readied his sword, and as soon as the Minister was close, slashed at his left arm, his blade moving straight through. The Minister screamed as he watched his severed limb fall to the ground, and then curiously disappear in a puff of black smoke. Link fell back against the desk, letting out a yelp of pain as he moved against the blade in his shoulder.
The Minister looked around panicked, there was no way to get the Hero into the trans-location circle now, he had to go himself before he was caught. Minister Ryos dashed towards the circle, hearing the Prince yell "Stop him!" from behind. He looked back, seeing the Princess fall to her knees, her golden aura diminishing.
Prince Audrik and the Sheikah were in one stride's length of the Minister before he yelled a word of old Hylian, the circle he stood in suddenly erupting in a green light, leaving only a glowing mark on the floor, the Minister having vanished. Audrik turned his attention to the desk, seeing Link laying upon it, sword through his shoulder, blood dripping over the edge of the desk. "Good Goddesses! Someone help Mr. Link!" he shouted, clearly overwhelmed by the day's events.
"Link!" Zelda exclaimed as she ran to his side, she held his head in one arm, resting the other on his chest, he met her gaze, watching a tear run down her cheek.
"I'm...I'm alright..I've been though worse." Link said quietly, sounding as if he were out of breath, his senses were dulling, the blood loss becoming quite severe. Impa and Oren ran over as a group of Guards entered the room.
"A little late aren't we?!" the Princess shot at them, causing them to stumble back, her infuriated gaze falling on them.
"Princess, there's nothing they could have done." Impa said, resting her hand on the Princesses's shoulder.
"I know..I just...don't want to lose him again." the Princess said, Impa nodding, understanding. Zelda slowly released Link, placing a hand over her eyes as he yelled out in pain as Oren carefully removed the sword from his shoulder, so as to lift him onto a stretcher, brought to them by the Guards.
Zelda ran along with the Guards as they rushed to the infirmary, knowing Link needed immediate medical attention. she placed a hand on his forehead, looking into his eyes, "I love you." she said, a small smile forming through her concern as smile formed on Link's face, his eyes settling on her.
oOo
Audrik walked around the circumference of the trans-location circle, looking up at Oren, "Is there any way we can find out where he went by what he wrote here?" he asked, a hint of concern in his voice.
The Sheikah Trokon looked upon it, "Only if we knew what he said before he vanished, the circle generates the energy needed for the trans-location, you have to verbally state where you want it to send you." he said, joining Oren, Ara, and the Prince.
"I'd trust his word." Oren stated, "Of all of our number, Trokon is the most magically versed.
"Great." Audrik said sarcastically, looking out the window onto the grounds below, he watched as the crowds of people flowed through the courtyard, the games continuing as usual, the festival attendees not even being aware of what had just transpired, for all the Prince knew the Minister could have merely warped himself into the middle of the crowd, blending in with them in order to slip away. "So, for all we know some of our most valuable information is being handed straight to an unknown enemy of our Kingdom." Audrik stated, casting his gaze downward.
"I assure you, we will find him soon, we Sheikah always do." Oren assured the Prince, with Ara and Trokon nodding in agreement.
The Prince pondered what he had seen, the Minister was obviously wounded, but did not bleed, his arm was severed, but no where to be found...Audrik grew more concerned, what in Hyrule is Minister Ryos?
oOo
Zelda sat by Link's bedside, with the help of a red potion he healed quickly, and to Zelda's amusement, he was quite ready to get out of the Castle's infirmary and back to his own devices, which of course included her.
"Calm yourself, my love." Zelda said with a smile, placing a hand on Link's forearm.
"Easy for you to say, you weren't pinned onto a table with a sword." Link said, looking over the room.
"True, but you were" Zelda answered, Link was always so foolish and stubborn, she wished he would just rest once in a while.
"It's healed, gone completely." Link answered, wincing as he moved his arm back and forth as proof he was alright.
"The wound may be gone on the outside, but is still healing inside." Zelda said sternly, placing her hand on Link's opposite shoulder.
"Point taken." Link said with a sigh, "My apologies for being rude, you know I love you." he said, a small smile forming on his face.
Zelda leaned in, kissing him on the cheek, "I know." she said cheerily, a joyful smile on her face, the stage had been set for her coronation as Queen, and whether or not she chose to go through with it, she'd make sure she'd have Link by her side.
Link sat up, turning so his legs hung over the bed, he pushed himself off, standing up, he put on another shirt which had been supplied by a Guard, as his was heavily stained with his own blood, a small shiver traversing his spine as he recalled the strange fact that Minister Ryos seemingly didn't bleed, nor did a grievous chest wound have any effect on him. Link pondered this shortly, staring at the ground, until his attention was grabbed by Zelda returning, having left to fetch them water.
"Link! You need to rest!" she exclaimed, a look on her face akin to what a parent would give an unruly child.
"I will rest, in our bed chamber." Link said, a wide grin on his face, as he bolted from the infirmary.
"Ugh." Zelda groaned as she gave chase.
A jolt of pain hit his shoulder every step he took, but it was nothing compared to what he had felt when the wound was fresh, over his many lifetimes he had become used to dealing with pain of all sorts, it was hard to avoid when one made a living of traversing monster laden temples and dungeons, besides, it was fun to have Zelda give chase for once, in the lifetimes they had met as children, they had put the rule in place that he'd always try to catch her, he was never one for rules. He soon came upon the bed chamber he shared with Zelda, darting into it after unlocking the door, he ran to his pack and pulled out the silver clamshell package, opening it to see the gold, sapphire adorned ring was still present, he was about to make his way back towards the door when the other, black clamshell package caught his attention, he didn't want to check it, the ring contained inside made him nervous, on his way back from Markus's Curiosities he had scrawled a rudimentary containment spell inside of the packaging, in order to keep whatever was inside the ring, inside the ring, as one of the few things that wards off evil spirits, is an even stronger evil spirit.
"Link! In every lifetime I think to myself, that just maybe you'll cease your immature ways, but I clearly must not get my expectations too...what is that?" Zelda said as she entered, noticing the object in Link's hand.
Link whirled around, taking his mind off the strange ring that remained in his pack, he walked over to Zelda, looking into her eyes, "I know you still have the engagement ring I gave you, from all those lifetime's ago, but I thought it was time I continued the tradition." he said, revealing the ring to her.
Zelda placed a hand on her chest, "Link, it's beautiful." she said softly, looking up at him, "My apologies...for calling you immature." she said.
Link slid the ring onto her finger, "It's okay, you're right, I can be quite childish sometimes." he said with a smile, "I just wanted you to catch me for once." he added, a smirk on his face.
Zelda smiled in return, reflecting on the first time he had chased her through the Castle's garden, trying to avoid the Guards, it must have been at the very least 700 years ago, at that time she and Link still had yet to regain their memories, but still recognized each other somehow, she and Link both thought he truly was a Kokiri then. She laughed about it, falling into Link's arms, resting her head against his chest. "Link, what is your family name in this life?" she asked curiously.
Link looked slightly confused, "Well my love, if you must know it's Arrethron." he said, "Why do you ask?"
"I've just recalled all the times you came to me, with no family and only one name, it's nice to know you have more in this life." she replied, looking at Link, a sweet smile on her face. "You must take me to your home village, and allow me to meet this family of yours." Zelda stated, her smile growing.
Link smiled, closing his eyes, "Yes of course, my sister will not be able to contain her excitement." Link answered, remembering his promise to Nika that he'd return safe. "By the way, when did the Nohansen name replace that of House Harkinian? Link asked curiously, in their last lifetime, Zelda had been "Zelda Harkinian Hyrule".
"I believe it was my grandmother's husband who introduced the Nohansen name." Zelda said placing her hand on her chin in thought. Suddenly she looked up at Link, a look of realization on her face, "When we marry the new family name will be yours!" she said excitedly. Link had always taken whatever her name at the time had been, due to a lack of his own, but in this era, it was different.
"Zelda Arrethron Hyrule...sounds nice." Link said with a smile, embracing Zelda, they looked into each other's eyes, their lives always brought trials and tribulations beyond compare, but the thought of their shared future always saw them through it.
oOo
Outside the Castle the crowd parted, townspeople scrambling to out of the way of an enormous black Carriage, being drawn by horses the size of which could not be found in Hyrule, they were covered in armor, and moved aggressively, pulling the imposing Carriage behind them, it was plated with Goron steel, spikes lining the top of it.
The festival's crowds looked on, captivated by the sight, flying on top, a black flag, in the center a gold circle containing a purple background, a gold sigil the shape of the sun in the middle, the crest of the Ambi family, the rulers of Labrynna. This was the first time the Labrynnians had been invited to the festival since the war, Princess Zelda making a point of doing what her father would not, forgive them.
Inside the Carriage, Prince Erris looked out across the masses of people, he had seen much of Hyrule on his way to the Castle, seeing for the first time what his father wanted so wholeheartedly to take. Prince Erris turned, his black hair cascading over his shoulders, he glanced up through the Carriage's skylight, looking at the Castle's various towers and turrets.
"Now I know what my father died for." He said to himself, a dark tone to his voice.
oOo
I hope you enjoyed Chapter 12! A lot of progress in this one!
Lady Kiridia: I'm glad you like how their interactions go, I wanted to fluff things up a bit as you can see. As for the flash back, in which Ganon and Link's battle ended in a "draw" so to speak, it took them some time to come to grips with it in their next incarnation, but as the ages progressed, it slowly became something that made them stronger as a couple, with Link and Zelda realizing how fragile their lives actually are, with Link's death forcing them to realize that one of them can be torn away from the other, and that they have to be careful, but unlike everyone else they know they'll always be reunited in their next life, which always does lead to risk taking. There are certain things that have hurt their relationship, like Link's feud with Jakob in their most recent former life, but they always come back from these things, no matter what. And as for the traitorous Minister Ryos, it's quite obvious he's not what he seems! Thanks for the review! =]
Thank you, and as always, best of luck!
-Prometheus17