Author's Note: The chapter title is a phrase spoken by the audience in Kabuki theater, when a much-anticipated actor finally steps on stage. Loosely translated, it means, "That's what we've been waiting for!"
One year later…
Link wiped the sweat from his forehead after defeating another dark knight. He had been at this for hours, and still he stood near the bottom of the tower that Zelda had specified. He had a strange feeling that circumstances had changed since she left him to return to her body, but there was no way of contacting her to make sure. The thanked the Goddesses he had the foresight to stock up on as much healing potion as he did. Considering what he had learned from the castle town's browbeaten inhabitants, the usurper king had a way of pulling twisted tricks.
Making his way slowly up the stairs, he paused for breath near the top. Gaining his second wind, he fought straight through until he reached the door of the top room and yanked it open.
"Zelda, I made it! Come on, let's get out of…" His eager voice trailed off as his eyes scanned the deserted room, the torches out, the fire long dead in the grate. The little bed and table stood as if they had not been touched for ages.
The hair on the back of his neck stood up; he whirled around and raised his shield just in time to block an elbow-shattering blow. Leaping back, he raised is sword against this new threat, and gasped in surprise; for just in the doorway stood not a dark knight or goblin, but a Hylian woman.
She stood dressed in light black armor, etchings of silver around the edges. Her hair was short and black, and she carried a sword and shield of the type used by the upper Hylian guards. Link remembered something Zelda had mentioned. "Are you Zelda's bodyguard, Chusai Ordana?" he asked.
She replied in a voice devoid of all emotion. "I am the bodyguard of the Ruler of Hyrule." With a lightning-quick step forward, she thrust her sword and him and he blocked it just in time.
Feeling chilled despite his exertion, Link sidestepped her and demanded, "Are you Chusai Ordana? Zelda brought me here. She told me to release her and her people from the usurper king."
"Then you will not leave this room." The woman rushed him again, so fast that her blade nicked his shoulder.
Link finally realized that he was dealing with an enemy, and a strong one at that. He stood his ground and deflected her attacks, jumping in with a few of his own, but her strange skill unnerved him. She fought like an automaton, blocking and slashing with solid, clipped control and nearly throwing him backward several times. His spirit quailed as he met her eyes, dark dead things sunken in their sockets, as if he were fighting a Stalfos and not a living human being. Has she been cursed? Hypnotized?
He stared a little too long at her mesmerizing gaze and felt her slip her sword behind his shield, using it as a lever and wrenching the shield out of his hand. She kicked him in the stomach and he fell back on his knees against the wall, instinctively raising his arm as she brought her sword down hard. The blade sliced through his wrist guard and bit into his arm, and he flinched his hand back as the wrist guard fell to the floor.
He raised his sword to counter her attack, then stopped as he saw her staring openly at his wounded hand. The mark of the Triforce shone brightly now that the wrist guard was gone, and he could see it reflected in her dark eyes. Her eyes widened, and he saw a slight flicker of a human soul move beneath them.
Suddenly she fell to her knees, head bowed, and offered him her sword with both hands. "Forgive me," she said to him in a very different voice, soft and much too sad. "Her Highness told me you would come. But after a while…I gave up hope…"
He sheathed his own sword, then took hers from her and offered her the hilt back. "Are you Chusai Ordana?"
She took it, then looked up at him with an expression of such wretched suffering that he put his hand on her shoulder. "I am."
He kneeled and asked softly, "Can you tell me where to find Princess Zelda?"
Chusai looked away. "Ganondorf holds her in the throne room. He knew you were coming. He knew the Third would arrive all along…"
"I'm going to help her. Will you be all right? Do you need to lie down?"
Chusai shook her head, her desolate expression replaced with one of bitter resolve. "I can help you. There are many secret ways through the castle that Ganondorf does not know about. If you approach him head-on at the throne room doors, you will be at a disadvantage." She stood, then stepped in front of him toward the door and beckoned him to follow.
Link hesitated. Just a few moments ago this woman had been about to kill him, presumably on Ganondorf's orders. He doubted simply seeing his mark had completely jerked her out of her trance. And yet, her voice and demeanor had changed entirely…
"All right." He followed her out of the room and down the stairs. As they ran, a dark knight loomed up in front of him. Link drew his sword, but Chusai motioned him back and made a short gesture toward the evil creature. To Link's surprise, it moved aside, allowing them to pass, without making so much as a swipe at him.
Seeing his puzzled look, she said, "The creatures only obey me and the usurper king. But you can be sure that once you encounter him, there will be very little I can do to help you."
Link nodded, still suspicious but increasingly curious about this strange woman. As they ran down the stairway, she blinked her eyes hard and shook her head, as if still waking from some terrible dream. She led him out of the tower and along the battlements, then motioned for him to stop. "The magic creatures can be convinced to stand aside," she said, "but the Gerudo warriors have their own minds and follow Ganondorf out of choice. The path I will show you shall take longer, but it will be safer in the end." Link could only nod his assent.
They crept along the hallways of the castle, a relatively easy task for Link, as Chusai would turn their enemies aside wherever they showed. As the elaborate tapestries and ornate suits of armor changed to simple paintings and a few decorative pots, he realized she had led them into the servants' quarters.
Reaching a set of large double doors, she pressed her ear against them, listening for anyone inside. Pulling one of them open, she waved him inside. Link took a quick look around him and saw huge pots on enormous shelves, dried meat hanging from the ceiling, and a huge wood-burning stove in the corner. Obviously a kitchen.
Chusai opened the door to a pantry, and weaving in between the barrels of butter and apples, made her way to the far side. She pressed her hand against three of the wall stones in a certain sequence, and a door rumbled back from the wall. Turning to Link, she said, "This passage leads to a small door under the dais of the throne room. I tried to bring Zelda through here when the castle was invaded, but I found out it had already been taken by the enemy, so we ended up trapped in the throne room." She looked away. "I'm sorry, but I can't go any further."
Once again Link's suspicions nagged at him, wondering if she was trying to lead him into a trap. Yet she'd had plenty of opportunities to do so, and at this point in his quest, he was going to end up facing Ganondorf one way or another. He held out his hand to her. "Thank you for your help."
She took it in a weak grip and released it quickly. "Good luck."
He turned and lit his lantern, following the narrow, winding, steep stairs. After what seemed like hours, the light fell upon a small door just large enough to squeeze through. He slid it slowly to the side, hoping no one heard the grinding sound.
Taking a deep breath, he poked his head cautiously out the door, and saw nothing but a wall in front of him. Craning his neck upward, he caught sight of the back of the dais and throne. He crawled out of the door and stood for a better look; his heart leaped as he saw Zelda standing above, her back to him. Of course, she could not be alone; he crept quietly around the dais and peeked around the side. A rush of adrenaline seared through him as he saw the back of the dark warlord standing just in front of the dais, watching the door.
He pulled his head back and made the softest hissing sound he could muster. Zelda didn't move. He hissed slightly louder this time, and she turned her head. He hissed once more, and she caught sight of him standing below. He hurriedly gestured for her to jump down, and she scrambled to the side of the dais to lower herself down. Just as she turned back, she jerked slightly and yelled, "Look out!"
A wall of flame rushed toward Link, and he leaped to the side and forward to the side of the dais to avoid it. "I thought I sensed the presence of the Third!" a powerful voice shouted. Link held up his shield and planted his feet in a guard position as Ganondorf, in full armor and carrying a sword as large as himself, rounded the corner.
The warlord's gaze raked him. "So this is the chosen one? You don't look like much…though I suppose looks can be deceiving. I see you sidestepped my Lieutenant by coming here instead of Zelda's tower, so I suppose I should give you credit for that…but one boy alone cannot dismantle the empire I have worked so hard to build." He raised his sword with a malicious smile. "Well, you came looking for a fight, and I'm more than happy to give it to you!"
He rushed Link and swung his sword in a wide arc, nearly ripping the shield from Link's arm. Link sidestepped him and thrust his own sword forward, but Ganondorf blocked him easily. Link put a little distance between him and the usurper king, running backwards and reaching for the bow over his shoulder. He drew a Lightning Arrow from his quiver, set it to his bow, and let it loose.
It wedged in between the folds in Ganondorf's armor, and he smirked as he gripped the shaft to pull it out. Immediately he roared in pain as a massive shock of electricity jolted through his hand and ripped through his body.
Just as he managed to pull it out, he felt the sharp bite of a blade pierce his side. He swung wildly with his left hand, felt it connect against something soft, and heard Link's body hit the ground. "It's been a while since anyone has been able to touch me," he muttered. "Well, I suppose I'll have to stop being easy on you." He opened his hand and unleashed a ball of fire.
Link dodged it, but his tunic still caught fire from the sheer heat of the flame, and he rolled over to extinguish it. He jumped up out of the way as Ganondorf stabbed downward, right where he had been lying. He ran to the far side of the room, trying to get more distance so he could use another arrow.
Just as he ran past the dais, Zelda sprinted down the stairs and toward the door. Ganondorf extended his hand and a shimmering barrier appeared there, blocking her exit. As Link pulled back his bowstring for another strike, he heard Zelda cry out, "Chusai!"
All eyes went to the door as Chusai walked through the barrier, immune to her superior's magic, at least for this purpose. "Chusai! Get Zelda out of here if you can!" Link yelled, as Zelda ran up to Chusai and took her hand.
"Chusai." Ganondorf's voice rolled through the room in warning, and Link saw her visibly flinch. "Kill the boy." He yelled in agony as another arrow bit into his hand and sent more shafts of electricity through his body.
Link heard Zelda plead with Chusai as he ran to strike the dazed warlord. "Chusai, help Link and it will all be over soon!"
With a swing of his fist, Ganondorf knocked Link away from him, his mocking laughter filling the room. "Chusai, remember, Zelda has been asleep for over a year. She knows nothing of the events that have transpired since then. Do you really think she will take you back if she knows about all that you've done?"
To Link's surprise and horror, Chusai fell to her knees. Zelda knelt down beside her, one hand on her shoulder. He raised his shield as Ganondorf made another swing at him. "Chusai, it doesn't matter!" he yelled at the top of his voice, hearing Zelda do the same.
"Certainly, it matters." Ganondorf sidestepped Link's thrust and made one of his own. "Chusai has been my Lieutenant for over a year, my second-in-command. She's done a number of things that I'm sure the good Princess would consider unforgivable."
"You made her do them!" Link shouted, blocking another attack and slicing Ganondorf's arm in a rage. "She didn't have any choice!"
"Some yes, some no." He chuckled wickedly. "Chusai has been very dedicated."
Out of the corner of his eye he could see Zelda attempting to console the woman, who kneeled hunched over as if crushed by the burden she had to bear. Furious, he ripped one of the Lightning Arrows out of his quiver and shoved it right into the side of Ganondorf's face. As the usurper king clutched at his face, yowling out of pain, Link managed to make a few more hits.
"That's enough!" Ganondorf roared, and brought his sword down hard. Link blocked it with his own. As the two stood locked in combat, Ganondorf yelled, "Chusai! Do as you're ordered!"
"Chusai!" Link shouted over to her. "Help us and you'll finally be free of him!"
She kneeled for a few moments more, then suddenly clutched something at her chest and ripped it from her neck. She smashed it to the ground and leaped forward, clutching a fragment of whatever it was in her hand. They both turned toward her, unable to see whom she was about to strike.
She turned toward Link and he whirled round to meet her. Ganondorf raised his sword with a maniacal grin. Abruptly she turned on her heel and leaped on Ganondorf's back, drawing one hand up along his neck.
A maddened shriek bubbled from his throat, and as he clutched at his neck Link could see blood running down his hand. Ganondorf turned his bloodshot eyes on Chusai with a piercing stare. "Chusai…you betray me…?"
The second Ganondorf turned, Link thrust his sword forward with all his might. It buried itself in the usurper king's chest up to the hilt, and Ganondorf fell to his knees, clutching it and shrieking as the sacred weapon burned his hand.
His gaze fixed on Link, he sputtered in a thick voice, "You think you've won? The seed of destruction has been planted…I only have to wait…a few years…"
His words bubbled in his throat, his eyes rolled back in his head, and he fell to the ground, dead.
Link pulled his sword from the corpse, cleaned it, and stepped over to Zelda, who kneeled next to the sobbing Chusai. Zelda looked up at him with a troubled expression. "She's been through a great deal…only time will tell how much of an effect the past year has had on her."
Link kneeled down on Chusai's other side and placed a hand on her shoulder. "He's dead, Chusai. He can't hurt you any more. And if he were to find a way to come back, we'll be ready for him."
He turned to the bloody weapon on the ground, curious as to why Chusai had not used her sword. He picked it up and realized it was only a necklace with a sharp stone in the center. He turned back to Chusai as she strove to compose herself and wondered what it could mean.
Author's Note: I was originally going to have the story end with this chapter, but it continued anyway. I was going to make a sequel, but there are so many connecting themes that I decided to just continue with the story. I'll leave it up to you to decide what's best.