A/N: I'd like to apolgize for the short length of this chapter. I probably should have just mixed this and chapter seven together, but oh well. Also, I'd like to thank everyone for the awesome reviews. You guys are a great audience!

Chapter 8: Calm Before the Storm

The voice commanding Vandril was growing impatient. Its constant call for the death of Zelda and Hyrule was starting to grow and consume the shadow's thoughts. He must obey what his master said. Gathering his forces, he forsook the Arbiters grounds and departed for Hyrule Castle, determined to please his master so he would stop. So he could stop. So when Zelda and Hyrule was in ruin and chaos, Vandril could finally rest, a shadow no more.

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"Aye, Ganondorf." The King of Twilight stood up, prepared to explain what had been a long story.

"Long ago, the Gerudo thief Ganondorf manipulated the twili, and used their pain and sorrow to revive him. His power was so great, he turned a simple weak minded pawn into a terrible destructive force."

"Zant," Link thought silently as he listened to the Twili King go on.

"He placed a powerful curse on my mother," he said angrily, "transforming her into a small imp. He used the pawn to gain entry back into the world of light and attempted to make shadow and light mix." He paused, a smile on his face.

"But then, came the hero. The Hero of Twilight, my mother always called him. He fought through the Dark Lord's forces and brought them to their knees. He saved both realms from a grim fate, and returned order to the Twilight." Link was having a hard time not blushing. Just like Zelda had done at the festival, the Twili King had unknowingly made Link feel more important then he really felt he was.

"My mother's curse was removed when the hero beat Ganondorf. But it came at a price. The worlds may have been saved, but at great catastrophe and loss on both ends. It was then that she knew that shadow and light could not mix, and destroyed the one link between the worlds."

Silence pervaded the throne room, as neither Link nor Erandur would want to interrupt the King if he was to continue.

"It seems however, that Hyrule met a grim fate three years later. A dark and evil force swept the land, and the hero never appeared. The light realm was cast into darkness, as the Princess and royal family fought the darkness in secret for the next 100 years. It still continues today…"

Link merely had to ponder the words for a few seconds before it hit him.

"The rebels in the forest… their leader is a descendant of Princess Zelda."

"Correct," the Twili King said, "They were apparently gaining some upper hand against this force, until the disturbance appeared. Until our realm started to fuse with the land of light. Until he showed up…" The King gritted his teeth in frustration. "And when our worlds collided, they took us for the enemy and attacked us. We have tried to settle things peacefully, but they attack us on sight." Link realized that was probably what Erandur and his men were trying to do when they went to enter the camp and tried to capture Thornir's men. Not a great plan, but using a hostage would allow them to talk peacefully to the rebels for fear of anything happening to the hostage.

"I wonder how things are going with them?" Link thought.

"Link," the twili King said, "It's my request to you that you and some of my men go to the rebel's hiding spot and negotiate peacefully with them when night comes. Can you do this?" Link frowned.

"And what of Ganondorf?" he questioned.

"Before he is dealt with, we must deal with his army."

"Army?" Link asked perplexed.

"Yes, thanks to Ganondorf's attempt at fusing both realms, I and my brother have adapted some strange powers, like the one to read minds and foresee into the future. We cannot explain why this happens, but the info we have found out has never been wrong so far." he stopped and look at Link with a grim expression on his face.

"And thanks to this, we have discovered that Ganondorf has sent a large army to finish off the weakened rebels. That is why it is off the utmost importance that we establish ourselves as allies and stand against this threat. Once we establish peace between both sides, it is my wish that you fight along side the army to stave off his forces."

"But you still didn't answer my question," Link said. "What of Ganondorf?"

The King and Erandur both looked at each other, faces grim.

"We feel the need to fight him ourselves. He is the same man who brought pain and suffering to our mother. We would not bestow such an unfathomable and undoable task upon anyone else."

Link decided to make a bold move. He knew that his talent would be wasted talking for peace amongst the rebel groups and fighting in an army environment, where he would not be effective.

"Let me fight Ganondorf," Link said with steel in his voice.

"No," said the King, "It would be suicidal; the man is a legend for his power and evil."

"I know full well what I am up against," Link said with fire and rage in his eyes, "He's been beaten before, and I can do it."

"I feel that you have no idea what…"

"I can beat him," Link said defiantly, emphazing each word spoken. A pause broke out over the throne room, with no one saying a thing.

"At least let me do it for the same reasons as you!" Link shouted, "Let me do it for Midna."

"Let me do it because he took her away from me," Link thought, almost in tears.

It was then the twili King noticed it. The resolve and passion in the youth's sapphire eyes, they had all the makings of a hero. But there was something else. It was the small tears welling up in the youth's eyes at the mention at his mother. The twili King believed without a shadow of a doubt. He looked at his brother, who vehemently shook his head no, but it did not matter. His mind was concluded.

"Very well," the King said, "You and Erandur will reach peace with the rebels, and then we will us our magic to take you away from the battle, close to where Ganondorf is."

Link breathed a sigh of relief. He would fight the Evil King again.

"And this time," he thought, "he won't come back."

"Where is he?" Link asked.

"Hyrule Castle."

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Zelda was positioned close to the projected battle site in a tent. She decided to go against her advisors wishes; she would help fight the enemy to help spur her army to greater efforts.

"No," she thought, "Hyrule's army."

Down on the grassy plains outside of castle town was an army of Hylian, Zora, and Goron.

"The three major races of Hyrule… let's hope that we are stronger united."

She had wished that King Bulbin's Bulbin army would actually be present for this battle, but it was not to be. She really didn't expect him to stick around long after she got the info she needed from him. She sighed, and hoped to the goddesses that she and Hyrule would live to see another day.

"Wherever you are Link," she said aloud, "I hope your fairing better than us."

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Link and Erandur along with an army of twili were stationed outside in a remote forest area in the twilight realm. Link had never seen the true beauty of Twilight because of Zant's madness upon Midna's world. He wished he had seen it with her now.

"How can I possibly go on?" he would secretly think to himself occasionally, "when she is not in my shadow, or on my back, teasing me with her beautiful voice?" Link felt it again. The well of emotions coming to his surface. He grew tired of repressing them, but he willed himself to do so, something no man or beast should ever have to go through as many times as he did. Erandur watched as Link silently dreamed off into space.

"You know," Erandur said, "My brother may believe you, but I do not."

"Huh?" Link questioned.

"Do not play stupid Link," he said, "you know the effect your speech had on him. He foolishly believes that not only can you defeat the King of Evil, but that you are the ONE who originally beat him for the Twilight long ago."

Link looked at Erandur, understanding seeping across his face.

"So, you do not think…"

"No, I do not, although the time does fit."

Link looked at him, not knowing what to say. He didn't dare say that it was true, for it was truth that the claim was outrageous, in theory of course. He was the Hero of Twilight as they called him, but to them, he was a legend, a folktale, and no matter what he said, he could not sway them otherwise.

"Only my deeds will tell you who I am," said Link.

"That," Erandur said, "may be the only way you convince me."

"I knew your mother though," said Link, "Is that not enough?"

"I have no idea how Midna acted amongst the light dwellers such as your self, you could be just another face she ran across."

Link started to smile, as the sun could be seen setting and the twilight started to shrink around them.

"You don't know how many times she used to call us that," said Link.

The twilight was rapidly regressing now, almost gone completely. Erandur looked at him one last time as he tossed him a brown bag. Link looked at it and saw the pocket crystals still inside, fully recharged. He looked at him, slightly stunned, remembering how he said light blocked the way.

"I lied," said Erandur, as both of them were engulfed by the wave of shrinking twilight and sent into Hyrule.

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Othae sat outside, watching as the twilight yet again engulfed his world in darkness that could not be described. For some reason, he found it almost serene.

"It's beautifully deceptive," he thought. As Othae looked onwards, he could see the tress ahead of him rustling a bit. He squinted, unable to see what was coming through the curtain of twilight. He smiled. It was Link, he had returned somehow. Othae ran over to him.

"Link!" he shouted.

"Hello Othae," Link said, "I need to speak to your boss. You know, the Princess?"

"Why," asked Othae, surprised because no one ever called her by her royal title anymore. Suddenly Othae saw all the trees along the edge of the forest begin to move. He gasped. Link looked at Othae's shocked expression, smiling as he said.

"That's why."