Chapter 2 – The Choice

So many events have led up to this moment in time. After I managed to collect all the Spiritual Stones and return to Zelda, I recall having witnessed her fleeing the castle on horseback with Impa at the reins. The malevolent usurper known as Ganondorf was not far behind them on his own ebony horse. Zelda had known all along that he would lay siege to the castle and that it would be sooner rather than later. Yet the knowledge did her no good since her father, the king of Hyrule, apparently refused to believe her or take any action to prevent the calamity.

Using the stones and the Ocarina of Time that Zelda tossed to me during her escape, I opened the door to the Sacred Realm, not knowing what I would find. After pulling the legendary Master Sword from its pedestal, I was put to sleep for seven whole years! Naturally, I was floored to find that I had skipped so much of my childhood just like that, especially without being given a choice in the matter, but I was told that it was necessary—otherwise, I would not stand a chance against the fierce challenges that await me.

Upon awakening and being returned to the mortal realm, I met a mysterious figure wearing garments similar to Impa's who goes by the name of Sheik. He told me that I must awaken the sages in five temples spread across Hyrule before facing off against Ganondorf, who had managed to gain the Triforce of Power right after I opened up access to the Sacred Realm. What a terrible stroke of luck—my very own action is what allowed the King of Thieves to obtain untold power!

However, one power I have on my side is that of time travel, a feat that I had never even imagined possible until now. It turns out that by returning the Master Sword to its pedestal in the Temple of Time, I can travel seven years back to the past, although only as far back as the exact moment when I last pulled the sword from its pedestal. Thus, I can't go back far enough in time to prevent Ganondorf's siege on the castle or to protect the Sacred Realm. That would simply be too easy...

Now, here I am, entering Kakariko Village, fully prepared to enter the penultimate temple, the one of shadows. My bags are crammed with the plethora of tools and weapons I've acquired on my travels. Navi remains at my side, my steadfast companion.

As I make my way to the graveyard toward the temple entrance, I notice something out of the ordinary that draws my attention—an armored figure near the well. I stand behind a nearby building to observe the scene. Despite the darkness of the night and his back being all I can see from my position, I can tell that he's lashing someone in front of him with what appears to be a whip. From the sound of the cries of distress, it's apparent that the person being beaten is young and in dire need of assistance. This inevitably brings to mind the event from my youth involving the castle guard. Ever since that day, I've replayed that scenario over and over again in my head to the point where the best course of action is now ingrained in me.

I sneak up behind the figure and take him by surprise, using my diminutive Kokiri sword like a dagger, placing it against his throat and commanding him to cease his actions at once. Although I have absolutely no plans to ever kill or injure any living being that isn't a monster, I've found that as long as they don't know that, I can easily get what I need from them without resorting to bloodshed.

With some hesitation, the man bathed in shadows complies, letting his whip fall to the ground. The boy he was whipping, who couldn't have been older than sixteen, quickly ran away at the chance. I glance down at his belt and see a startling array of weapons, including two sheathed swords, a baton and several daggers. This person is clearly no stranger to combat. With my free hand, I disarm him for my own safety.

"What are you doing here?" I ask curtly.

"What's it to ya?" he retorts even more rudely.

"You got any good reason to be attacking that boy, or is this just something you do for kicks?"

"What, are you some vigilante bringer of justice or something?" he mocked.

"Could be," I offer vaguely. "So what's your story, anyway? Start talking. And no bullshit. I have a really good BS detector, you know." I press the blade even closer to his throat as coercion.

"Ah! All right, all right! I work for Ganondorf. I'm under orders to recruit young males for his cause by any means necessary."

"By any means necessary, huh? How long have you been working for him?"

"Since the coup on Hyrule Castle seven years ago."

I stay silent for several moments, contemplating how to deal with this scum in front of me. "Let this be a warning," I declare menacingly. "If you ever attack someone again and I catch wind of it...well, let's just say that answering to an angry Ganondorf will be the least of your worries."

Now that I'm sufficiently satisfied that I've scared him into submissive obedience, I remove the blade from his throat.

"I appreciate your mercy, stranger," he says somewhat sincerely. He turns to face me, allowing me the chance to identify him. I'm amazed by the incredible coincidence—this is the very same soldier who was stationed at the front gate of Hyrule Castle all those years ago! What did Zelda say his name again...? Ah, yes—Darius. Although he's apparently able to read my startled expression with ease, he seems not to recognize me, probably because of the significant changes I underwent during puberty, that volatile stage of life which I had simply slept through. I'll admit, even I was shocked by how much I had changed during those seven years.

"Wait a minute—what was your first job after Ganondorf recruited you?" I demand of him.

"The night watch at Castle Town. Well, the former Castle Town, that is...hey, why do you wanna know, anyway?"

I don't bother to answer him. Instead, I make haste in the opposite direction, leaving Kakariko Village.

Once far from Kakariko, Navi questions me. "Why are we going this way?"

"I've had enough of seeing that guy abusing defenseless people," I respond through gritted teeth. "I'm going back in time to take care of that guy before he can harm anyone else. I could prevent so much pain and tragedy just by doing something about it in the past."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Link," she cautions, her voice dripping with concern. "Messing with the past could cause unexpected results in the future which might be irreversible. I think it would be best to just let things be."

"But we're constantly having to change events in the past so we can continue onward, Navi. What's the big deal if we change one more thing?"

"But you can't fix everything, no matter how much you want to, Link! It's sad but inevitable that we can't save everyone or prevent every tragedy. That's just the way the world is...hatred and suffering can never be completely eliminated."

"No...it doesn't have to be that way forever," I protest. "I refuse to believe that the goddesses would have created a world where hatred and suffering are inescapable. I've already decided to dedicate my life to doing whatever I can to rid the evil and hatred from this world no matter what form it comes in, whether Ganondorf, stalfos, or corrupt castle guards. So this is something that I have to do, Navi, and you can either come with me or stay here. Your choice."

"That's quite honorable of you, Link. As expected from the Hero of Time." Navi lets out a loud, prolonged sigh of defeat. "If you say so..."

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

I find a good perch on the side of a building in Castle Town late in the evening where I await the arrival of Darius on his patrol. Earlier in the day, I borrowed the skull mask from the Happy Mask shop so I could conceal my identity for this very purpose. I know that Darius would never cower in fear at the sight of the kid he had easily tossed from the castle earlier in the month, but by wearing a fearsome mask and staying in the shadows, I'm confident that I can fool him well enough to get the job done. I told Navi to wait for me in a safe location since the light she emits would ruin my effort to remain undetected.

It's quite the struggle for me to avoid nodding off out of boredom and I have to invent creative ways of staying alert. Thankfully, I don't have to wait too long—I hear the steadily intensifying clanking of a patrol's plates of armor as he approaches my position. That telltale sound is one of the main reasons that I personally don't wear heavy armor—I prefer to move swiftly and silently, maintaining the element of surprise for as long as possible and evading attacks rather than absorbing them.

I can't tell for sure if it's Darius from my position and the poor lighting, so I decide to take a chance and hope for the best. I lightly tap the wall I'm leaning against in an effort to lure him into a vacant, heavily shaded alley. In my experience, it's never been too difficult to outsmart one of Ganondorf's minions, and as I watch the patrol walking right into my trap, things are clearly no different here. I jump down from my perch and time it so that I land directly behind him, crouching as I land to absorb the shock. I immediately whip out my Kokiri sword and place it against his throat, hoping he won't notice that I have to tiptoe to do this comfortably.

"Don't even think about calling for help," I rasp, attempting to mask my voice. As before, I make sure to disarm him first and foremost.

The patrol utters a single, simple question. "Who...who are you?" Hearing his voice, tinged with fear although still recognizable, allows me to identify him with certainty as Darius.

"Your worst nightmare," I answer without missing a beat. Intimidation is the name of the game and I'm playing it like a fiddle. I know that if he fears me enough, he will be willing to forswear allegiance to Ganondorf. When it comes down to it, most of Ganondorf's accomplices are cowards hiding behind a tough exterior and are not truly loyal to him no matter how vehemently they claim otherwise.

"I know all about the despicable things you've done," I say under my breath as menacingly as possible. "Others may not know what you've done, but I do. No matter where you are, I'll be watching you. I'm your judge, jury and executioner. For your crimes, I want you to make yourself scarce and never return to Hyrule. If you haven't done so by the end of tonight, I'll find you...and let me assure you that next time, my knife will be extra sharp, and my hand just my slip. Is that understood?"

Thoroughly terrified and shaking with fear, he cautiously nods his head up and down in a mute sign of agreement. Satisfied with this response, I remove my claim on Darius' neck and make my escape by way of an adjacent alley, rapidly putting distance between us.

I climb to the roof of a tall building using balconies and precarious ledges as steps. My years of living in a forest are the reason why I'm adept at climbing and have no fear of heights. I'm glad to see that Darius is indeed making haste to the south toward Lake Hylia and, hopefully, to the land beyond.

I'm proud of myself for managing to do away with the tormentor of so many innocent people in a nonviolent way. But at that same time...why do I feel a sudden chill run down my spine?