Hey peeps! If you are one of my amazing peeps on Wattpad, you would have already read this chapter because I posted it on Wattpad on Friday. Yay for you! See! My Wattpad peeps really do get some extra perks. :D Anyways, love you all, enjoy, and see you at the end…
Nabooru and I walked to the main Fortress night silently, consumed by our individual thoughts. As the cool Desert wind whipped around me, I realized that I hadn't seen the stars yet because Nabs had called me before I had the opportunity to see some of the most beautiful, in my opinion at least, sights in the world.
We entered the main building reluctantly and were met by Aziz. He wrapped an arm around Nabs, squeezing her shoulders. "Everything will work out fine, Nabooru," he assured her.
"LINK! NABOORU!" we heard our "father" bellow.
"Somehow I highly doubt that," I stated, my unique blue eyes flashing with both fear and determination.
Aziz made a feeble attempt at a joke, smiling weakly. "How could you think that?"
"We are going to die!" Nabooru exclaimed dramatically. However, in the case of our "father," her exclamation may not have been that much of an exaggeration.
We all walked to Ganondorf's throne room and peeked into the room from behind the large door tentatively. "GET IN HERE!" my father yelled, causing us all to jump slightly.
Nabooru kissed Aziz softly, and he gave her a careful hug. "See you two when you guys get out of there," Aziz nodded at me.
So much for all that dinner preparation Aziz and the other servants had gone to all that trouble to prepare. I knew that both Nabs and I had missed it, as did Zelda, meaning the only one that ate tonight was my father. Wait a second – Where was Zelda anyways?
"If we get out of there," Nabs grumbled, her amber eyes flashing in annoyance. She hated it when Ganondorf got upset because it only meant more work for us.
Nabs and I entered the room, wincing when our "father" began throwing random projectiles at us that had been in the room beforehand, just minding their businesses; poor objects. Included in our father's barrage were heavy objects, such as chairs – Did I mention that Ganondorf was extremely strong?
We had to duck and dodge the thrown items as Ganondorf threw his head back in rage. I almost completely stopped in shock when I saw someone beside him – Ren.
What was he doing here? He simply smirked at me, eyeing me and Nabs evenly in turn. He had an air of arrogant victory about him – something I didn't like; it was something that made me hope this wasn't what I thought it was.
"Link," my father hissed angrily. His amber eyes narrowed at me and burned with hatred. This was something I had never seen directed to me before, at least not by anyone except for Ren. His arms were folded over his chest, and he took on a commanding stance.
The throne room was completely destroyed. Tapestries that had hung on these walls for years were shredded as though they were inexpensive and non-important. Even though I wasn't a Gerudo by birth, the Gerudo culture was still my own, so the thought of those historic, irreplaceable tapestries being ruined like that was infuriating.
Ancient vases lay on the floor, smashed and shattered into millions of tiny pieces. Tables were overturned, and the once tidy throne room looked as though a sandstorm had ripped through it, destroying everything in its path, which I suppose, if you view my father as a sandstorm, that was exactly what happened.
I ducked as a precious, rare book was thrown at my head by Ren. I furrowed my brows. "Father – What are you doing?" I questioned, feeling betrayed, although I had honestly been the one to leave him first.
Nabs shoved me out of the way of another projectile that I hadn't seen. We both tumbled to the floor, glaring at my "father" and Ren.
"I am taking back what is rightfully mine and giving it to someone who deserves it," Ganondorf snarled, his amber eyes piercing my own.
"Oh, really? So you suddenly just start throwing random objects from around the room at your own son? Not cool, Dad," I scoffed, helping Nabs stand. We stood defiantly in front of our "father" and my rival.
"Oh, you know you aren't really my son," Ganondorf laughed in my face hollowly. "You know that you aren't a Gerudo. You know that you're not the Prince of the Gerudo – the Prince of Thieves. I am prepared to take back that title and give it to someone that truly deserves it," he repeated.
"Ren?" I questioned. "You're letting Ren take my place?" I was appalled at the idea, yet slightly satisfied. Maybe I would have the opportunity to get out of the Desert and away from the sand, leaving with everyone I ever cared about and heading toward a new future.
"Yes, he is," Ren butted in, speaking in a proud tone. "I am now to take your place as the son of Lord Ganondorf as the Prince of the Gerudo and the Prince of the Thieves, heir to the throne."
"You heartless jerk," Nabooru growled. If looks could kill, we would probably all be dead now because eyes conveyed hate, and daggers were very present in everyone's expressions. "All you care about is that stupid title – You only want more power."
"So what if I do? How do you think Ganondorf became king in the first place," Ren laughed Nabs's comment off.
"You are lusting for power, Ren. That isn't healthy – And it's not right," I stated firmly.
Everything had come to a standstill with both Ren and Ganondorf holding fire. Their hands were poised in the air with two heavy books ready. Because of my internal struggle, I hardly had time to question the fact that they were able to hold tomes of such weight with only one arm. Regardless, Nabs and I still held our ground, refusing to give in to their "superiority."
"Stop!" exclaimed a commanding feminine voice. We all turned to face Zelda, and my heart stopped in complete shock, as it had become prone to do with all of Zelda's unique antics. She stood with her hands on her hips, with Aziz by her side.
"Who are you to defy me, girl?" Ren snarled. He grabbed her wrist unceremoniously, and I felt a wave of anger wash over me.
"Don't touch her!" I commanded; my voice was surprisingly strong and unwavering, considering the situation at hand.
Ren scoffed. "And why should I?"
Aziz stepped in bravely. "Because our Prince says so!"
I shot Aziz a grateful look before approaching them cautiously, wary of Ren's many tricks. Zelda maintained an impassive expression; I knew that she was used to this type of pain, but I didn't want her to have to go through that ever again.
"He's no Prince! He's not even a Gerudo!" Ren retorted, still keeping hold of Zelda's wrist.
"He's more of a Gerudo than you could ever dream of being, Ren! You're a monster!" Nabooru jumped in fearlessly. She drew her twin scimitars and readied herself for an attack.
Ganondorf simply chuckled. "To think that I raised you two – Now you betray me? – all because of this one girl?" he made us sound foolish and naïve.
"She's not just any girl," I stated, locking eyes with Zelda.
"Let her go, Ren," Aziz commanded, and I looked at him with shock – This was not the Aziz I once knew… This Aziz was brave.
"And you – a servant?" Ganondorf chuckled hollowly. "Since when did you become this brave? You're a nobody – You're not worth anything. You don't even deserve to be alive…"
At this statement, Nabooru lunged Ganondorf, her scimitars ready for attack. "Don't ever speak about him like that, Ganondorf," her amber eyes blazed with a fire and passion I had never seen before.
And, just like that, my whole world went black…
"Zelda – We need to leave. We don't have time to keep waiting for him to wake up," a masculine voice stated. It sounded very similar to another voice I had heard recently, but I couldn't place it.
My head was aching with a throbbing pain, and I opened my eyes blearily, squinting at a bright lantern light.
"No – Let's wait a little bit longer. He'll wake up soon – I know he will. Besides, he would never have left me," another voice answered – Zelda. She and another figure stood, conversing, unaware of the fact that I had "come around."
I noticed rows of thick, steel bars aligned behind them, and I furrowed my brow. Where were we? "Zelda?" I questioned, trying to make out the identity of the other hooded figure.
Zelda and the man turned to face me, suddenly aware of my presence. "Link?" Zelda's voice echoed through the dark room.
"Where are we?" I asked, hoping I didn't sound foolish.
Zelda sighed sadly, and her blue eyes flickered with pain, hurt, and sorrow. "We're in the dungeons."
"The dungeons?" I repeated; even the word sounded unappealing to me. I had never had the opportunity or the time to come down here, though I was not oblivious to the sounds and cries of torture I would sometimes hear coming from underground when walking around the Fortress.
Zelda nodded. "Yes," she confirmed.
"Zelda – We need to get out of here. The guard will be coming here on her rounds any second," the hooded man stated urgently.
I saw that my wrists were chaffed and looked at Zelda questioningly.
"Chains," Zelda answered simply, offering me her hand.
I accepted and stood up carefully, taking notice of my surroundings in a new light. My legs wobbled slightly, having fallen asleep along with me. "What happened?" I questioned, my brow furrowing.
Zelda opened her mouth to respond but was cut off by the hooded figure. "Later," he commanded. "C'mon; we have to go."
"Who are you?" I asked as the man unlocked the cell door.
It swung precariously and creaked loudly. I cringed and hoped no one had heard that. The man sighed. "Later," he repeated.
I growled at the back of my throat, becoming frustrated. "Why later?"
"Because," a familiar voice cut in, "If this conversation had been heard by anyone besides a friend, you would be sent to Ganondorf now."
"Relena!" I exclaimed.
Relena gave me a weak smile; she looked extremely tired and tense. She wore her flaming red hair in a messy braid, and she had her twin scimitars strapped to her back, as always. "Hi, Link. Look, we need to get you all out of here. I just barely was able to receive this shift in order to help you all escape. We need to move – now."
"Where are Nabs and Aziz?" I questioned, not willing to move an inch before I knew what happened to my sister and her fiancé.
"They're safe, waiting for you outside. Now, c'mon," Relena commanded, gesturing at us to follow her.
I fell in step besides Zelda, while Relena led the way. The hooded figure followed closely behind us, as our rearguard. The dungeons were connected to several crudely constructed underground corridors that connected the area to the outside. These corridors were the only ways in and out of the dungeons.
The corridors were dimly lit by torches in their sconces, and the whole area smelled disgusting. It was dank and wet – not exactly where I wanted to be right about now.
We continued down the underground halls until we arrived outside where I was greeted with a fresh whiff of cool Desert air. I noticed the sky was still dark and wondered what time it was. "Zelda – What time is it?" I asked.
"It's 3:00 AM," Zelda responded. "You've been out for at least six and a half hours now," she answered the question I was about to ask.
"What happened?" I questioned as we walked through the Fortress, carefully and stealthily avoiding any of the guards. I heard the hooded man mumble something to himself. I rolled my eyes. "It's later now!"
"Nabooru raised her scimitars against Ganondorf, Rab somehow was standing directly behind you, and, on Ren's word, he smashed a large book on top of your head. Chaos then ensued, and Nabs attempted to strike Ganondorf, but he had hidden, turncoat guards capture her. Aziz tried to rescue me from Ren's grasp, but Ren ended up letting go of me anyways – and Aziz and I were put under the watch of several male guards," Zelda began.
She continued, "We were all taken to the dungeons. The man standing behind you now released Nabs and Aziz. They're waiting for us now to make our escape. He then released me and you as well, although you were knocked out cold. I'm sure your head must hurt still from the blow."
I nodded; the throbbing pain in my head had grown immensely, and I attempted to rub my temples.
"We're leaving the Fortress," Zelda finished softly, knowing how much this hurt me. Although Ganondorf had hurt me immensely, this was still my home and held many happy memories. But we would be back; I knew that. We had to come back…
I nodded slowly, absorbing all the information Zelda had just told me. "Where are we going?" I questioned, looking at Zelda with new determination.
"The Castle," a new voice cut in – a voice I knew well.
"Nabs!" I exclaimed, flinging myself on my older sister.
Nabooru smiled back, hugging me as well. "Nice to see you too, Link," she chuckled.
"Run now, hug later," Aziz commanded, half-jokingly, half seriously.
We all nodded, knowing our time was short. "Wait – We need to get Nabila," Zelda spoke up.
The hooded man turned toward her. "We don't have time."
"You don't understand – I can't leave her here alone; it'd be like leaving a girl in a lion's den. Both Ren and Rab know that I care about her, so she'd automatically become their next target. We can't let that happen," Zelda responded urgently.
The hooded man sighed, as if used to her requests. "Fine. I'll go get her."
"No," Zelda answered quickly. "I have to go too. She doesn't know you."
"And neither do I, which is exactly why I'm coming too," I added, eyeing the man.
"Then you have to hurry. Nabooru, Aziz, and I will head over to the Armory and grab some weapons for you all to use on your journey," Relena agreed.
The hooded man nodded. "Let's go."
We split up, one group heading to the Fortress Orphanage, and the other heading to Armory. I slipped my hand into Zelda's, giving her a comforting smile.
She smiled back slightly, and we crept into the Orphanage quietly. The hooded man followed us carefully, watching our backs. Zelda led the way, knowing exactly where Nabila's room was.
We sneaked into the room, cautious of any adults that would try to stop us, or worse – try to throw us back into the dungeons. Zelda knelt at Nabila's bedside and whispered into her ear softly, "Nabila – Please wake up, sweetie. It's Zelda."
Nabila stirred in her bed before sitting up, blinking sleepily. "Zelda?" she questioned. "Link?"
"Sweetie, remember when I said that I would take you with me if I ever had to go back to the Castle?" Zelda asked, smoothing Nabila's fiery red hair.
Nabila nodded blearily, still half asleep.
"I'm going back now, and I want to take you with me," Zelda whispered, drawing the girl close. They truly looked like sisters in that instance, regardless of their skin color or hair. They both had a similar vulnerability, which was what had brought them together.
"OK," Nabila whispered back. "Let's go." She got out of her bed and placed her hand in Zelda's free hand.
"You done?" the hooded man questioned.
Zelda nodded. "We can go now."
The four of us left the Orphanage without incident and went to the Fortress Armory in search of Nabs, Aziz, and Relena. They met us halfway, looking extremely urgent. Relena handed me my crossbow and a quiver full of arrows. "You guys have to leave now."
"Wait – You're not coming with us?" I questioned, my eyes narrowing at my friend.
Relena shook her head quickly. "No, I can't. Maybe I'll escape some other time, but the priority right now is to help you all escape. You are all so much more important than me."
"We'll come back for you; we promise," Zelda spoke up; her hands were still in mine and Nabila's.
"I won't hold you to that," Relena offered a small smile. "Don't worry about me. Now go!" she exclaimed, gesturing for us to make our escape.
We made no protest and took flight, running out to the Fortress gate. Nabs unlocked it, and we all took note of the guards at the top of the wall top. We escaped easily, and Nabs snorted. "If we ever come back, I'm gonna have to do some major work in the security department."
I rolled my eyes. "Agreed."
"C'mon, we don't have time for this!" the hooded man commanded.
We all nodded in agreement and began to run. Aziz and I took turns carrying Nabila because she couldn't run as quickly as us adults. It was also increasingly difficult to make our getaway with all our weapons.
We sprinted and walked through the cold Desert until around 10 in the morning. We had been walking for roughly seven hours and were all dead tired, but we pressed on and kept going, knowing that once Ganondorf and Ren found us missing, search parties would be sent out in pursuit of us.
Finally, at around noon, we stopped for a rest. We sat down in the sand, resting our sore limbs. Nabila immediately fell asleep in Zelda's arms, completely tired from our escape.
I narrowed my eyes at the hooded man. "I think we all deserve an introduction."
The hooded man chuckled huskily and fingered the material of his covering. "Oh, really?"
I nodded. "Uh, yeah…" I answered, as if stating the obvious.
I held my breath as the man began pulling down the hood that concealed his identity. "Because you so want to know, Link, I am –"
Wow – This chapter was so much fun to write… I felt kinda bad for the cliffhanger, but it was so much FUN to write! I am working on the next chapter and cracking up because I am such a dork. =D I am also SO bad at confrontations. I kinda used Zelda and Aziz to speed the whole thing up… Guilty as charged! =P
Also, I'm sorry for all the rampant OCs. I kinda can't help it because I need certain characters to fulfill certain roles, so I just create them. Plus, you gotta admit, my OCs are pretty lovable. – at least I hope they are… O.O
I was SO mad with FFN! It was making all my line breaks disappear, so I had to use smiley faces as line breaks! What has the world come to?! AAAAH! OK, I'm done with my rant on how I hate the way FFN works sometimes... :)
Anyways, thanks so much for reading! Please hit that subscribe button, and also, if you feel so inclined, drop a review down below. It makes my day. :) Anyways, I love you all so much! This story has gone pretty far, and I hope to see it continue to grow, with your help. Thanks again! See you Tuesday! :D *smiles*
Total Word Count (excluding Author's Notes):
3,022