Phew! Here's the next chapter, and I promise at least some more questions will be answered. And more questions will come into the world. It's a vicious cycle.

Once again, I give thanks to Seldavia for being intelligent conversation and tolerable of a little whippersnapper like myself.

Oh, and by the way, the cake is a lie. Just saying.

DISCLAIMER: The inherent properties of a disclaimer are outwardly very obvious. It DIS-CLAIMS something. Thus, having added a DISCLAIMER to this story, it brings about the effect of stating that I do not claim something within. The thing that I disclaim is the Zelda series. I do not own it. Duh.

CHAPTER SIX: OF BEING USEFUL

--

It was some time before Link came around. Stiffly, he stirred and clutched the pebbled ground in slight pain. His mind hurt, he despaired. He had not practiced Naryu's Love in what had felt like an eternity of cold, dead sleep, and he had paid the price. Magic was only as useful as the strength of one's mind. And after being risen from death, his mind was more than a little rusty.

But it had served well in their hour of need, he reflected. He was alive, and from the slightly throbbing power inside of him he could sense that others were too.

He had been told many times that Courage was initially the weakest of the three Triforce pieces. It granted no physical power. It granted no arcane knowledge. It did little, at the first pass over its strengths. Link laughed weakly to himself as he struggled upright. Oh, they were wrong, he chuckled. Courage was not weak, for it carried a different sort of magic.

It was a hidden magic that Courage possessed. There were many elemental trinities, bound up with the Triforce: that, any scholar could tell you. Seasons, Ages, and Secrets, were one trinity. Link felt a slight tug in the back of his mind as dim memories that may or may not have been his own danced beyond his reach: the insubstantial shadows of what might have been another him, in some other time.

But there were two trinities that he felt were the most potent and fundamental, directing the blessings granted by the goddesses.

First was the Trinity of Magic. Din carried the Eternal Magic: the unyielding strength of the earth against all disasters, mountains building and crumbling in an endless cycle of death and rebirth. Naryu carried the Hidden Magic: the calmness of the depths of the ocean, containing all the secrets of the heavens and the true paths of destiny. Faore carried the Secret Magic: the silent life that courses all about the earth, building it's strength until simple tree roots gathered a greatness that crumbled even the hardest boulders.

Also was the Trinity of Drive. Unlike the first set of three, this was what opened the heart to the magic of the Sacred Realm and fueled the untold mysteries of the Triforce. Power was driven by emotion: passion and desire to follow a path, be it ruin or redemption. Wisdom was driven by reason: the clairvoyance needed to see the threads of fate as they truly lie. Courage was driven by will: the resolve to set out on the path and grow beyond what could be thought possible.

It was these two trinities that Link thanked individually and by name for his great blessings. He was alive. Yet, as he looked before him, one thought pierced his mind.

"Zelda," he cursed as he fumbled in the darkness for a light. Idiot, he cursed himself. It would have been smart to bring along at least a lantern. Now he had nothing. "Oof!"

"Damnitall- what the?"

He had tripped over something. Something that had cursed rather loudly as he stumbled.

"Oh! Lady Morrigan! I'm sorry," he apologized. "I didn't see you there. It's a little too dark here."

"You think?" the girl snapped in the blackness. Link was aware of a presence straightening up to his left, dusting herself off. "You seen Dizzy or Zel' around, hero boy?"

Link cocked an eyebrow at the show of casualness in the face of danger, but he could not find it within himself to chide Morrigan for simply having a strange evaluation of the threat. "I would, if I could see. You don't have a light?"

"Not me. I can see in the dark just as well as any kid, but this pushes it a little. I'm used to at least having the stars and moon to see by, if not the lights in windows. No sign of even Ganny?"

"No, not Ganondorf. I feel that he's left… but Zelda's very near. We simply can't see her," Link said, frowning at what the little power inside him could sense. "Is seeing in the dark common in this world?"

"It is when you grow up as far north as I do," said Morrigan. "Wait, wait, I found something. I just hit it with my foot…"

"…Ow!"

"Dizzy? Is that you?"

"Ow! Huh? wha… who's kicking me?"

"Ah! It is you, Dizzy! Get up- we're underground!"

Link carefully edged over to where the voices were coming from, and felt someone grab the hem of his tunic in an effort to straighten up. "Oof!"

"Nng, Link? Morrigan… where's Zelda and Ganondorf?"

"No clue. Zelda's somewhere at our feet in this dark. As for the creep, I have no clue where he's run off to."

"Hold on! I think I still have my keys in my pocket. There's a flashlight attached… it's little, but man, is it bright…"

A small moment of fumbling around was finished by a stabbing pierce of sudden light, a tiny pinpoint that illuminated the whole area.

"Argh!" Morrigan startled, shielding her eyes for a moment. "Ouch! Give me some warning next time, sheesh!

"It's not that bright," protested Dizene. "Link seems fine. And I gave you plenty of warning."

"Agh, whatever," Morrigan frowned. "Hey, the princess is over ther… What the-?"

Upon looking up, Dizene startled. Rocks were held up by little more than a faint shimmer. They were in what felt like a giant soap bubble. Dizene's skin prickled as a sensation washed over her that she had never felt before. There was definite magic swirling around here. The heap of stone rested mostly on top, threatening to crush them.

"Zelda!" Link cursed and rushed over with a speed that Dizene was sure indicated deep concern, if not affection. He laid a hand upon her forehead, staring bleakly at her unconscious form. "Thank the goddesses, she's fine."

"She doesn't look fine to me," Dizene said, coming over with the light. "She looks pale, compared to you at least."

Link shook his head. "Just sleeping. She's put all of her magic on hand into maintaining this barrier… she has more magic power than you can fathom. A stunt like this would never do so much as kill. She just couldn't hold the strain of maintaining it when we fell, so she lost consciousness. Come on, let's move her out of here."

As Dizene handed the light to Morrigan, she picked up Zelda's lower end while Link handled her shoulders. Awkwardly they managed out of the giant shield spell, fumbling all the way.

As soon as they left it's confines, the shimmer disappeared, the boulders collapsed in a rumble, and the princess gave a harsh gasp. Her eyes snapped open. "Hah…huh? What…?"

"Relax, will you?" Morrigan scolded as Zelda blinked in confusion, all her wisdom unable to help in a moment of disorder. "You're fine. We all are fine. Except for maybe the big guy, but I doubt he'd be done in by a fall like that."

"Speaking of falls," frowned Zelda, getting to her feet. "Where have we ended up? There are caverns under the city?"

Dizene lifted the light and illuminated a great pile of stone and rubble in the middle of a flooded tunnel, awash with ankle-deep water. "Not caverns. It's the underground transit system."

"The what?"

"High-speed trolleys run down here. The water doesn't bother them; it's tidal, but never gets higher than this," Dizene explained. "There used to be underground railways, but they became outdated, so a better transit system was set up below even those. No wonder we fell so far- we must have blasted right through three floors of train tracks!"

Morrigan looked into the dark, the stone pylons and metal walls reflecting the hand-light, soon joined from a small ball of radiance from Zelda's rapidly returning magic pool. "You know, I've never been down here," she said. "Then again, I've had no reason to jump a trolley to the next port down the coast."

"But… where does it lead us?" Link asked, looking at the crumbling hole in the ceiling. "We have no more a path than before."

Dizene shrugged, looking disillusioned. "Well, I don't know. We should try and find Ganondorf… hey! The kitchen knives! They're here in the water!"

She picked the pair up, somewhat banged from the melee they had endured. Distantly, she hoped to whatever god lurked in the heavens above that she would not have to use them again. Though, she doubted that. Danger seemed to follow these Hylians, and for some reason, she could not bring herself to leave them.

She turned them over in her hands, and then looked to the gaping maw of the tunnels before her. "Well, it all comes down to me, I guess," she said. "I'm the only one who knows a way down here."
"Then what do you say, oh fearless one?" Morrigan laughed. "Ready for a little adventure?"

The answering merriment echoed down the empty blackness, filling it with warmth and dispelling the anxiety to a certain degree. They started down the water, shoes sodden and eyes to their front.

Vaguely, Link wondered how much longer the two girls would take an 'adventure' with such light humor. In his experience, it was only sheer willpower that had afforded him success in his ventures, especially his earliest ones.

It was all a game to them, he realized. Hope was a game, and this was like Hope to them. It dulled the sting, like extra practice before a harsh academic test. The pair was truly numb to their danger, oblivious and hopeful of their situation.

Please, he prayed to whatever protected the young and the inexperienced, let them be Important. Let them have some sort of greater purpose, or they will surely be slain. Let them improve, and let them learn quickly.

They had no sacred power to protect them. And while they laughed now, Link could not help but feel unrest.

--

Ganondorf needed no light to see by. The dark was his element, and within this rolling fog of shadows he was quite at home. His eyes pierced the gloom like fire, searing the path before him through the quiet stillness.

It had been nearly half an hour by his reckoning, since he had awoken again, alive and well. And yet, he had found nothing in the tunnels.

He was not afraid for anything, or even himself. But he was… concerned.

He was concerned, primarily, with two things. First, was the fact of the strange, repressive effect on magic that the tunnels had. While the Triforce set in him did not decrease in strength, it's capacity to deliver seemed… strained. Like trying to force too much water through too narrow a flue. His inherent magic was bound down, a blanket of lead pressing it to a tiresome low.

Second, was the lack of monsters. They marched overhead, that he could feel through the pebbles that dropped into the water with an unnaturalplip every now and again. Surely, they were connected to the anti-magic aura? If they were, why weren't they here?"

"This is idiotic," he grumbled distantly, a soft echo of his dissatisfaction bouncing among the slick, wet walls. "Those fools had better hurry, or they'll miss everything."

Not that he had any problems with going through the whole ordeal himself. In fact, he would much prefer it if the wretches were never with him to begin with. But… an annoying thought buzzed like a bee in his head, despite it all.

You won't kill them if somebody else does.

Quickly it was silenced. What did he care? The hero, yes, he would kill. The princess he was content to watch as she died slowly. The two idiot girls he could not care less about. He had no use for them, beyond that of a way to get a bed at night free of personal expense.

The dark pressed in all around him tightly as his foot stepped down a little further. The water deepened slightly as he came to this new area, and he could clearly smell something stagnant rising from the surface. As he adjusted to the new depth, he splashed a little in the shallow flood.

A pair of segmented eyes flickered open in the dark, rearing high above. One leg was lit by a firefly-glow. Then another. Then another. Then, he could see pinching mandibles that stank of gore from previous victims; a sweet and foul scent that he was intimately familiar with.

And as his hand moved to the great-sword upon his back, Ganondorf could not help but grin in pleasure.

"Hello, you hideous waste of space."

--

"You are amazing, 'fearless leader,'" Morrigan grumbled. "amazingly lost."

"Hey! It's not like I know where we fell down from!"

The cold, damp dark stretched on for seemingly forever. It was not a comforting thing. There was something wrong, Zelda sensed. Something extremely wrong, like a heaviness falling down and deadening the air about them. It seemed hard to focus- magic was difficult to summon. Their lights flickered under the odd tension, dim and futile against the enveloping murk. A strange scent wafted through the air that Zelda could not identify precisely. Link was reminded of the charred vapors from a bomb explosion. It smelled like the Dodongo Caverns… yet, it was clammy and not at all pleasant.

It was then that Zelda mustered enough of her magic in the strange depressive zone, after nearly an hour of blind struggle. "It's not a fault on your part, Dizene," she whispered. "There's something… off here. It's a labyrinth curse, intended to doom wanderers such as us. There is no sense of direction. We'll get nowhere by following these tunnels."

"What would you suggest we do?" Link frowned. "There's not much else to do but go forward and hope we reach somewhere."

"I would say we head for the surface, or at least find some sort of landmark," advised Zelda. "Surely this place cannot look exactly the same everywhere, can it?"

Dizene splashed the shallow water a little, spitting in dismay. "It can. Or, at least until we get to a station. And there's only two in the city: we could be far beyond the limits by now. Or worse, offshore in the undersea tunnel to the island port… Why would the transit system be cursed, anyway?"

"There's only one thing to do, then."

Morrigan cracked her knuckles with a resolute face, stretching her shoulder a little bit.

"Uh… Morri…"

"Can't find a way, so we make our own," she said, and walked over to a rusty metal sheet wall, kicking it lightly at the bottom. "It wobbles- there's something on the other side. I bet the pylons support all the weight- these walls just make it look pretty."

"But still-"

An echoing crash vibrated through the whole section of wall as with a single, calculated kick, the thinly rolled, corroded pane punched clean through in a spray of rust. Morrigan continued, delivering a second blow that left the hole big enough for even Ganondorf to squeeze through. The water ran tarnish-red with debris, grit falling from the black hole in the wall in a fine sheet.

"What did I tell you?" Morrigan said. "Can't you smell it? It reeks of explosives even now. I know enough to guess that whoever built this was stupid- used too much powder and made too big a cavern. They had to box it in."

Dizene wrinkled her nose, frowning at the cheaply-made wall. "Who put untreated steel in a tidal zone, anyway? It rusts!"

"Eclipse," Morrigan suggested, walking into the new opening. "Explains everything, right?"

"Not everything," Zelda muttered, thinking to herself. Wisdom was not a blessing, she felt. When she needed to know something, it would not comply. It reminded her that the power was a gift, not a tool.

There are an awful lot of tools on this stage, she reflected. I wonder who truly pulls the strings…?

The light panned out in the new cavern. Zelda mustered yet more focus and flared her light a bit larger, straining to see in the dark.

"This doesn't seem a railway," Link said out loud, gazing up at the great spears of stone hanging high above their heads. A steady drip and flow of water caressed their ankles, sweet salt scent kissing the air in the place of the black-powder fumes. "It seems unworked."

"Link," Zelda said. "The girls said that the water in the railway was tidal. It has to come from somewhere… I would guess that 'somewhere' is here."

Faint rumbles caused a rain of brine to tumble from the ceiling, mounting as if approaching. "Trolley's going by outside," Dizene sighed dismissively. She relaxed the hold on her knives, convinced that there was nothing to fear.

SMASH

A great blast of rock exploded through the wall to the left of the great cavern, causing Dizene to scream. They all shielded their eyes: the rock and sand released arching out in a great spray that missed them all by a needle's breadth.

"Stand and face me, worthless beast!"

Ganondorf's bellow sounded clear and harsh in the dark… and he was suddenly lit. The huge creature that had blasted through the wall carried some external glow, like it was infested with some sort of luminous fungus.

It had six spiny legs, like a monstrous crab. Its body was segmented like an insect's, and upon a swollen, hideous head a great spike horn spiraled out. Its sickly-lit carapace was heavily dented, but mostly intact, and it bore an odd transparency like glass.

"Too much," Morrigan frowned in disbelief, seemingly oblivious to the fact that it was terrifying for any normal man to gaze upon. "It's got to be twenty feet tall. This is just too much."

Dizene cowered slightly, but stopped halfway between screaming and turning around. Coward, she thought. Coward! Coward! Morrigan was here, and so were these great and powerful people! What did she have to fear?

Without a word, Link sprang forth to battle. The Master Sword seemed to leap out of it's scabbard like a beast unbound, flashing silver in the dark. "HIIIYAHH!"

"You should stand aside!" Zelda advised the girls and readied the bow that Link had leant her. Gathering what little magic she could, the arrow glowed brightly as it sprang from the string, whistling through the gloom. Dizene ducked, but Morrigan only hissed in offense.

"No!" she growled, and set forth to strike the monster. "HAAAAAAH!"

With an echoing clang, the Master Sword connected, but did little on the creature's mirror-bright legs. The arrow bounced off, falling lamely to the ground. Ganondorf, who was hanging on to the creature's midsection and causing great dents, was flung off and into the air, falling into the water behind them all with a splash. Morrigan's own punch did absolutely nothing, and she was literally kicked away by the flashing legs of the beast.

"Where is the weak spot?" Link called, annoyed. He retreated slightly, cursing his luck. "I can't see it!"

"The horn!" cried Zelda, magic flaring quietly on the back of her hand and filling her eyes with realization. "But I can't hit it with an arrow- it keeps moving too much!"

"Boomerang?"

"No! It would just bounce off!"

"Hookshot?"

"Too far up!"

"Bombs?"

"The roof will fall in on us, Link!"

Dizene looked up at the thing and shut her eyes. This isn't Hope. This isn't Hope, she thought. She could die. They could all die. She had seen Morrigan die, once.

Don't think about that!

The thought seared her brain as she opened her eyes to see the thing roar in anger, raising cruel pincers. A crackle of static formed between them, like lightning out of a live wire.

"The water!" Zelda cried in horror, trying to dredge up the strength for a barrier. They were all ankle-deep in water. Electricity would kill them! But she could not. Link scrambled for dry land, but could find none. Morrigan began to rush, but too late. The bolt was approaching, faster, faster… too fast!

"STAND ASIDE!"

Ganondorf tore to the front of the group, rage in his eyes. He would not- he would never- yield to this… mindless THING! He knew his own attacks! He knew the ways of lighting, and he would not be defeated by it! These ingrates are MINE, he bellowed in his head. MINE, and MINE ALONE to rule over!

The bolt connected just as the triangle glowed a dull red on his hand, power crackling where he caught the lightning like a mere toy ball. With a roar, he threw it at the beast's eyes and out of the water's way, rage for once working in tandem with a clockwork mind. Anger often clouded him, but now he felt it only amplified his thoughts. Like a huge serpent, his off hand darted out…

"Argh! Put me down!"

He grabbed Morrigan around the middle and lifted her as if she weighed nothing. He raised her to eye level and hissed into her ear, "Fly straight and true like the dead weight you are."

And then, he threw her.

"WAAGH!"

The force with which his arms sent her away was enough to bring forth an image of the gods; it even graced her with a spin as she hurtled through the air. Her path did not slow as she neared the thing's head. Only when she collided with a dull smack with the long, protruding horn was she interrupted.

Morrigan yelled and held on for her life, grasping the cold horn like a madwoman. Remarkably, she did not seem injured by the collision: annoyed, but intact. The creature staggered around in confusion and alarm as it felt her clawing away to grip it, and it let out a series of screeches that immobilized the others completely.

"M… Morri!" Dizene called, glaring at Ganondorf. "What did you do that for?"

But she barely finished her sentence before something started to happen. Morrigan's left arm flashed out as she tore something small and unknown from the base of its horn. None of the others saw the object or piece of flesh fall but it seemed to be important, for at once the mirror sheen dulled from its carapace. The unnatural invulnerability was gone.

Morrigan screamed out something, but it was unheard under the ugly gravel-screeches of the great beast. Link began to smile, for he needed no words to understand.

However, he was cut off as Dizene sprang forward to his surprise, a new determination glowing in the reflection of her glasses. The thing's left claw rose to smash her, whistling down in a hellish splash. It missed and another scream was born as a kitchen knife stabbed deeply into it. The abomination reared, and the arm flailed, tossing Dizene in the air…

…Straight at it's neck. "Don't wreck my house!" Dizene cried and slashed it straight across the expanse of soft underbelly with all the skill that Hope had given her, sickly blood seeping from the wound. She collapsed into the water, somehow keeping hold of her glasses. She rolled out of the way of it's flailing, and got up to take another round of combat.

Yet, she didn't have to. Link's smile grew, pride blossoming in his heart for the once-meek Dizene. The Master Sword shone brighter than ever as the magic-suppressing force lifted somewhat, and as an arrow of bright light cascaded past his ear. He began to charge, determined to land the killing blow.

The arrow of magic hit its mark. A paralyzing light burned deep in its ugly flesh, and it writhed in pain. As a last resort, a slight reflective shimmer of fell design flickered back over the body, causing Link to hesitate slightly. He could not strike it, while it was down? Or…?

His apprehension was soon cured, for Ganondorf had roared in the background. A great destructive inferno of dark magic blossomed from his fingertips, tinged red by the force of the gods. Upon contact, the shield shattered like so much glass before a hurricane. The creature was heavily wounded now, barely clinging to life.

Link marveled at the thing's unnatural and fairly impossible resistance. If he had met this… construct (for that was all he could call it, noting it's artificial and jerking movement) alone, he surely would have perished. He understood the Goddesses's choice now. Even heroes needed help.

And with that, he thrust the Master sword into the tunnel-crawler's soft stomach. It let out an unearthly howl at being undone, and collapsed in a heap. Link rolled out of the way, but no impact came. It dissolved into electric sparks that scattered and clung to the ceiling, lighting the room in a more earnest way. Morrigan tumbled down to the water, making impact with a somewhat awkward splash.

"It's… it's dead?" Dizene marveled, observing the now-bright cavern. "Wow… that was definitely not as bad as I thought it would be…"

"Tell me about it," Morrigan frowned through a mouthful of sour saltwater. She spat it out, amazingly still sound of body, and marched straight up to Ganondorf, looking somewhat disgruntled. She crossed her arms and looked up at him with a slight glare. "That was the most insensitive, discourteous, brilliant plan I have ever seen in action."

He had little to say to her, for her tone did not indicate anger so much as grudging respect. Zelda laughed softly in the background. If Morrigan knew more about the King of Evil, she thought, she would be blessing her lucky day that it was only insensitive and discourteous.

"Well, nobody got hurt," Link pointed out. "So I suppose this is a success. Where are we, anyway?"

"Hey! Take a look at this!"

Dizene had called out from the back of the cavern, and the group turned to see her jumping, gesturing to a large slab of stone. "Hey!" she called. "Can't read this stuff! Need help!"

Needless to say, it was with great zeal that they approached the great carved walls and gazed upon characters that were familiar to some, and alien to others. "Heavens," Zelda marveled. "It's written… in Hylian. It's written in our language… but a strange derivative dialect. Can you read it, Link?"

"No," he frowned sadly. "Only a little. You have the Triforce of Wisdom, Zelda. Everything appears as plain as Hylian to you. Will you read it?"

"Of course," she said, squinting. "Oh dear, it's long. Where to begin?"

Ganondorf glared and lamented those he 'allied' with yet again. The monster was forgotten so soon, but he for once saw at their level. This could be… the Quest. An objective. Finally. "Try at the 'beginning.'"

"All right, then. Well… here goes…"

--

"I record this as my final will and confession. I cannot trust my children with the words that I inscribe here. They can no longer understand. The ages have run too far astray and concepts have dulled. Thus, I do write this here with the hopes that the right souls will stumble upon it one day.

In legends long lost, our world of Vesper was not called as such. It is not known where this name came about. It is rumored to be a name provided when the previous one was forgotten.

In the ancient past, the world was known as Hyrule. Within this land, there were many different territories and races, diverse and beautiful an evening sun flying across the sky opposite the rising blue moon. To the races, lordship over all worldly things was given. To the river-keepers, the Zora, went the pure waters that brought life to the land. To the mountain-keepers, the Goron, went the red earth and the fire within. To the forest-keepers, the Kokari, went the fertility and the blessing of the land. To the desert-keepers, the Gerudo, went the realm of spirits and judgment over the dead. To the night-keepers, the Shiekah, went the tranquility of the shadows. To the day-keepers, the Hylia, went the light and prosperity of the waking hours.

Yet, not all was peaceful. It is told that throughout history, a great Demon rose again and again from the abyss, threatening the life of Hyrule. For, you see, the fate of Hyrule was laid on the safety of three sacred treasures from the heavens: the Triforce. Each time, the Demon claimed or used one of these to wreak catastrophe with a fell Power. And each time, the Demon was halted by a Wise princess and a Courageous hero in green…"

"Wait, wait. If Zelda's the princess, and Link is the hero, then what is Ganondorf?"

"The Demon, Dizzy. Ganondorf is the Demon."

"…Yes, that's correct. Anyhow, continuing… Again and again the Champions and the Demon clashed, until one point in time. The Demon had triumphed, having gathered power unimaginable from all its previous defeats. The Hero and the Princess lay broken, beaten, or so I surmise.

But the Triforce is a granter of wishes. And at that moment, the treasure of the Demon abandoned its master and joined the magic of the dying to unleash the power of heaven. With a last breath, the hero wished the demon's destruction. And so it was done.

But not without cost. Undoing a great and nightmarish beast that had ravaged time itself was no light task. The Triforce used it's magic, and was depleted. And so, it drew back into the heavens: to wait for the day that it gathered strength enough to be born anew."

"It's not possible. The Triforce is here, out of the goddesses' hands."

"… Thus an age of turmoil was born in Hyrule."

"What? How? Ganon- I mean… we- I mean, they killed…!"

"Without the divine power of the Triforce, all the greater and lesser apparitions of land, life, sky and sea were thrown into chaos. Spirits fought each other for the titles of gods, in such a conflict that we mortals can only dream about, so it's said.

By then, the divine races and their providence had dwindled and vanished. The people of Hyrule were deaf, blind, and unaware of the horrible conflict that was raging around them. Crops failed as harvest-protectors were slain. The sea grew cold and dead as the souls of the shores slowly killed one another. The days became dark as the sun was distracted from shining upon its people.

Then, upon that fell hour, He came out of the void. The flayer of hope. The Godslayer, and devourer of worlds.

Emagdne, Envoy of the End.

I, and I alone know this accursed name. For while it's said that the Demon of the past aimed to dominate the land of Hyrule, Emagdne aimed to consume it utterly. It cared for no divine power. It hungered for the life and light of all things, taking both the wicked and the just into it's hellish maw.

Like a shark to blood, He was drawn to the chaos of Hyrule. The carnage was swift- the spirits of all worldly things were too weary and few from their own wars to thwart the overwhelming hunger of the Godslayer. Their sparse number dwindled to nearly nothing in the effort to shield the mortal people. They succeeded, at least for a time. But I suspect that they knew their hopes of lasting were futile.

Their kin slain, the last of the spirits of nature enacted a last, desperate plan. I estimate about three were left, and it's my interpretation that they cared no longer for their own safety, if only to save what little they could.

Of these three, and variations appear in countless old tales, only one was tied to the heavens. In legend that's now almost been completely forgotten, the three spirits are as follows. They were the last, and among the greatest warriors of the realm beyond the veil. Greater still had fallen in battle, I suspect, but these three were the key players in this oldest legend.

The first was Ciela, spirit of Courage and the last messenger of heaven.

Next, was the Heart of the Dawn: a spirit that protected duty and hope after the battle. This spirit is named in all variations of the tale that I know, almost exclusively, but for some reason the next is not always present.

The last spirit is unnamed. It is known that it existed, for it appears at least in passing in all accounts, but little beyond that. Vaguely, I can guess that it was some sort of nature guardian, a protector of nightfall or the hunt, possibly. It is known only by various titles that it possesses for its deeds…"

"What's after that?"

"It lists some possible titles for this third spirit, but all of them are vague speculation. I'll read as it says after the list…

In the final dark of night, the Unnamed Spirit plucked the lives of Hyrule's people from their unknowing beds and stole away from the field of battle. The Heart of the Dawn gave Hyrule's people a blessing, and with the help of Ciela of Courage, fled Hyrule. The Unnamed Spirit is said to have carried on in tow, bearing the stolen souls of Hyrule with it. Sometimes the souls appear carried inside some sort of sack. Other times it's said that the Heart of the Dawn carried them itself, upon wings of some sort. But in all stories they attempted to escape Hyrule, seeking refuge.

In most tales, Ciela was not so lucky, for Emagdne had followed them into the void and attacked them on their way. Ciela fell, unable to defend against the Godslayer. It is then, in the stories, that the ethereal company lost their grip upon the Souls of Hyrule's people, and mortal men fell from benign hands back to the earth below.

I place my curse upon you, you who would defy me, Emagdne cried, and with the focus of his greatest general and his most loyal guard he prepared a curse the likes of which the world had never seen. For his power was not linked to that of nature, or even heaven. I suspect that Emagdne is more ancient than creation itself: a power older than even that of the heavens on high. This curse was to cripple all hope, to slay the powers of nature and bind away the goodness in the land; it was intended to aid in his final consumption of all things in Hyrule.

But, even then, the company did not submit under broken hope. The Unnamed Spirit struck in desperation, disrupting the great power gathered to end it. The Heart of the Dawn attempted to halt the foul will's weakened approach, but could not.

There is one version of this tale that I find particularly alarming. In this variation, the Heart of Dawn did not fail, but did not succeed. It is told, in this account, that it managed to give the curse a different focus, and sacrificed herself and her allies to place the curse upon Emagdne Himself, and upon their field of battle. The Heart of the Dawn and the Unnamed Spirit vanished, locked away forever with their captor.

At this point in time, the name Vesper becomes known. I have compared history and the oldest reaches of our known origin, and it is shortly after the fall of the ethereal company that history begins.

Henceforth, the story lies plain to see. I have spent my life in research, and I have come to the conclusion that it is from the great spires that the life of nature lies bound up, and the legend with it. Yet, as I carve this here, I know that there must be a tale left out of the old fables, for I know without a doubt that the legend wakes and walks still among the mortal world.

For I suspect with great fear as I work here in the twilight of my life, that I am a part of it.

It's signed with a name. Kasiel, Queen of the Island Kingdom."

--

"But… that's…!"

Dizene blew the dust off of the old stone, running her fingers over the carved runes that marked out the signed name.

"You know, I bet this was a sea cave, once," Morrigan said quietly. "I bet before it was enclosed in the trolley, and before Eclipse blasted the tunnel to the surface…"

But the other girl paid no heed to her friend's quiet reasoning. She only felt the cold stone even more, eyes wide. "Look, everybody," she said in naught more than a whisper. "There hasn't been an island kingdom for more than a thousand years. Kasiel is a famous queen… for disappearing. I wrote a whole report in history class about it, once. She just got up and left and her children nearly killed each other over how to split the kingdom."

"Became a republic," Morrigan added. "Actually, we had good trade with the islands, up north. Or, at least until Ciel conquered them in my great-grandmother's time. Now they're just states."

Link frowned. "Well," he said. "At least we know what we're looking for. We're looking for this 'Emagdne,' and for these 'spires.' We're going to have to save Vesper… and Hyrule, really."

"And now that we have a goal, we need not put our brave guides in danger," Zelda sighed with relief. "We'll embark, and you may return to your families. Rebuild your house. Live in peace knowing that we will take care of your-"

"ARE YOU COMPLETELY MENTAL?"

Morrigan whirled around, frowning angrily. Zelda startled with such surprise it took effort to restrain herself from blasting magic, as if the other girl was an attacker. Morrigan pointed an accusing finger and shook it in the princess's face, glaring daggers.

"Look, you," she said, paying no heed to Link that was quickly moving in alarm to 'rescue' the princess. "Wisdom, WHATEVER! Screw it! This Emagdne jerk has just moved to the top of my hit list for messing with my summer, destroying Dizene's house, and pissing me off! When I said that I would go along and make sure you guys didn't screw up, I meant it! You are going to have to find some hell to put me in before you tell me to not give this 'Godslayer' a piece of my mind! Crystal?"

Dizene placed a hand on Morrigan's shoulder, which seemed to have a slight calming effect. Her eyes darted from a mortified Zelda, to a concerned Link, and to a strangely amused Ganondorf. "Please," she said softly, both to them and to her friend. "I understand that isn't going to be safe. But… we know about it all now. We can't just sit and do nothing. You are amazing fighters, but that doesn't help you if you can't read modern script. I… It's hard for me to say it, but I have to say that we're still going with you."

"This isn't some sort of pretend-play fairytale," Link said critically. "It's likely that you won't survive it. Especially not as inexperienced as you are. I can't put you in that danger. Zelda?"

The princess turned her head to the ceiling with a slight sigh. "Dizene's reasoning does make sense. I may be able to read just about anything, but I'm only one woman. We'll be walking blindly into whatever trap is before our feet if we don't have some understanding of this world with us. I think, in retrospect, we should keep them a little farther. But, I agree, I can't send them to their deaths."

"Then, it's a tie," Morrigan said curtly. "I don't care about danger. Danger's a fact of life, and today proves it. So, it all comes down to the tiebreaker. We have one vote to keep us, and one vote to leave us. It comes down to you, Ganondorf. What's your vote?"

Link gulped a little, wishing that he had not spoken so quickly. Morrigan was at the very least clever, if not crafty. He had been sure that Morrigan had a dislike of the King of Evil, or at least enough of one not to bet upon him. But…?

"You can't- he…" frowned Zelda, looking at the closed eyes and devious musing look that the Gerudo bore upon the question's release.

"I believe I have as much right to an opinion as you, 'wise' princess," Ganondorf smirked. "And while frankly the safety of our guides means little to me, I do not think I will tolerate bearing dead weight."

Morrigan gave a low growl, looking up at the King of Evil with defiant eyes. "You're saying that we are useless, right?" she asked. "That we aren't strong enough to take this journey. I'm going to have to disagree with you, Demon, or whatever the hell you are."

"Oh? Feel free to correct me… I would have to say that you made a far more useful throwing stone than a combat asset today."

Link, Zelda, and Dizene could only look on as Morrigan and Ganondorf locked wits. Zelda feared for the girl, and was sure that she was digging herself into far too deep a hole. Dizene closed her eyes. She trusted her friend, and if anybody could convince a demon otherwise, it was Morrigan.

"Fine, I am not up to your par right now," continued Morrigan, "but how can you be so sure that I'll stay that way?"

"Hm. Explain."

"If you agree to take us along, I swear that I won't rest until you deem me acceptable. I give you full leave to run me through hell and back. I don't really care if it kills me. I won't be insulted like this. We'll see who's a good throwing stone in the end."

"Morri..."

Dizene's whisper went unheard. Link could feel his blood turn to ice as the silence pressed on, padding Ganondorf's verdict. Goddesses, he trembled. Didn't the girl know what she was doing? Didn't she have any idea what horrors she was putting herself up for? No, he realized, she didn't. Did she?

A slow smirk began to split Ganondorf's face, and it grew to a full-fledged grin of triumph as he gazed down at the girl with his absolute best. He saw her falter slightly, but only for a phantom of a moment. She was absolutely serious.

And then, he began to laugh.

"I accept!" he grinned, thoughts flickering behind beast-yellow eyes. "I accept your challenge! Boy, what do you say to these fine young fools that walk into open claws with words of defiance?"

Link sighed slowly, and then felt the comfort of his princess beside him. "Well, if they are that determined to come with us, I'll help them learn how to defend themselves. At the very least."

"Then, it's settled," Dizene nodded, the unreal electric light buzzing overhead. She then walked over to Morrigan and whispered in the other girl's ear, "Please don't get me into trouble."

"It's a little late for that," Morrigan replied, but then grasped Dizene's hand forcefully and dragged her to the floor. It was an awkward moment of confusion before Dizene realized that Morrigan had forced her down to her knees in a bow before the three champions of the long-past. It was an act similar to bowing to the master of a training hall upon entrance. It was something out of Karai etiquette the had little comparison to Dizene's world. But she understood all the same.

Morrigan said but two words more, bearing heavy gravity and a tone that unsettled the corners of Zelda's heart.

"Teach us."

-CHAPTER END-

WARNING: GAWD-AWFUL long author's notes ahead.

The thin metal walls in the tunnel are made of thinly-rolled steel, but have corroded beyond any sort of strength. Morrigan is not inhumanly strong. She can just punch rust apart.

'Seeing' in the dark is only an issue in Karai because it is above the Continental Daylight Line in Vesper. When one gets too far north, days and nights rapidly get 'longer.' There are no 'seasons' in the very northernmost parts of Karai. During the summer, it's night, and during the winter, it's day. Seeing in the dark is very important when it's dark for half they year.

Upon ending this chapter, I feel the need to illustrate some things about Vesperian and Hylian language. Both languages are spoken exactly the same (Vesperian is a derivative of Hylian) but Versperian characters have changed. The grammar and mechanics of the langauges are the same, but the letters and written words are different. This is reminiscent of the evolution of languages in real life. In the time of Queen Kasiel, the written language was not so removed from 'ancient' hylian. As time passes, the letters change shape. Thus, neither Link nor Ganondorf can read Vesperian. Zelda has 'help.'

This chapter reminds me how strangely I create characters. Dizene is a brave wallflower. She has a strong opinion but will not express it. Morrigan is a clever idiot. She is crafty beyond belief, but is encredibly stupid when it comes to what's sensible and what could get her in danger.

The 'legend' is based on my own experience researching many different versions of fables and myths. None of them say exactly the same thing. Characters appear in some that do not in others. It's very exhausting to piece them together.

And, yes. Ganondorf did throw Morrigan like a football.