Chapter 7: Heavy Burdens

Samus Aran's POV

I walked away after I finished my story. I had hoped by sharing this rather intimate piece of my past, that the princess would understand how important it was that I, Samus Aran, must be the one to kill Ridley.

"I see your emotional desire, but this is my kingdom after all. If my people see the dark god destroyed by an even more powerful outsider, they will live in fear. You must understand the politics of the matter from my view." She said.

"So what, you'd let your people die trying to kill a monster that I've spent years hunting just because it might mess up your primitive politics?" I snarled and turned on her.

"Samus, you must stop seeing the world in such a narrow view. For one moment try and think about the burdens I would have to deal with. If a god or beast of unknown origins landed in your kingdom and your armies could not defeat it, how do you think your people would feel?" I looked away and she continued, "They would be fearful. Now, imagine this, a sorcerer from the same regions as the beast appears and defeats it. Can you even comprehend the effects?"

"The kingdom is safe and there's nothing else to do with it." I said simply and stared at her. She shook her head as if she were speaking yet again to a child. It made my blood boil when she treated me as an ignorant fool. She paced away and stopped by a tree. As she placed her hand on it she released a deep sigh before turning around.

"If the governing power cannot solve it's own problems then it is perceived as weak. It would be seen as weak not only to it's people but to several other countries that would love to see the kingdom of Hyrule fall. These forces would find it a perfect time to test the current governing power. The races here have already picked sides and war has been declared. If a foreign force has to come in to solve the problems of Hyrule, the people will begin to question the power of the kingdom as well as it's government. Revolts, exoduses and mass hysteria would occur without fail. Now do you understand what is at risk if you, hailing from a foreign kingdom, defeats Ridley?"

"Your government must be pretty messed up if you can predict all of those as possible outcomes." I said, but grudgingly acknowledged politics were not my strong point. I never had a thing for politics and never felt like dealing with it if given the chance. I had to admit she had to think about her actions a lot more than I ever had to. She seemed to sense my revelation of her words because she did not press the matter.

"We should take shelter inside soon. It is not safe here at night." She said and walked back to the ship.

"What do you mean? I can't pick up any living creatures for miles around on my scanners."

"That is because the dangers come from the dead, not the living."

"Superstitions are rather ignorant for someone as intelligent as you. The dead do not walk with us... I know." I said as my face hardened.

"It is not superstitions, it is a curse placed by a dark prince many years ago. If you do not believe me then allow me to show you."

"Show me," I said and walked over to her. I could see a small vein in her eye twitch. I was obviously testing her patience. We stood not too far from the ship as I was not about to let Ridley slip away if I sighted him. I glanced over at her and observed her watching the slow path of the moon. She was very still. Not but a moment later her ears twitched and her eyes darted around fiercely. I looked at my scanners, there was still no life to be found.

"They've surrounded us." She closed her eyes for a moment as if focusing on something in the air. Her eyes flew open, "It's a horde of Redead, you must be very cautious Samus."

"What the hell? Re-Dead?" I said looking at her as I believed she must be joking. She looked at me in all seriousness.

"Be glad it isn't Poes." She grimaced. Suddenly two pairs of hands shot out of the ground and grabbed my ankles.

"What!" I exclaimed and tried to jump back, only to find what appeared to be rotting corpses surrounding me. I looked over to Zelda and saw her covering her ears. Before I had time to think about what she was doing a bone-chilling screech filled me. The horrid corpses managed to paralyze me with fear. I couldn't move as they slowly lurched forward, mouth agape in that wretched scream. One grabbed me from behind and began to sink it's stinking teeth into my shoulder. I suddenly felt weakened, as if the monster was sucking the life out of me.

"Do you see now what I warned you of?" Zelda said but a few feet away. Her ears were still covered and for some reason the Redead did no approach her. I became angry at this. Was this all a game to her? She began to walk away with a small smirk on her face. This was all an escape plan to her! How dare she trick me. No longer filled with fear but with rage I knocked the living corpse off of me and activated my suit. As soon as my cannon formed around my arm I began blasting away at the filthy Redead. Hundreds kept appearing to take the place of their fallen brethren though. I snarled and blasted a line through their ranks and sprinted in the direction I saw the princess flee. Where did she go?

Princess Zelda's POV

I knew that I left Samus in no real danger and decided to make my escape. I had to return to my people immediately. I knew full well that my absence would cause a full out panic as well as lose the confidence of my subjects. I sprinted through the forest hoping to find one of my secret bunkers manned by guards or anyone for that matter. My burdens weighed heavily on my shoulders. My people must have been in a panic at my kidnapping. As I sprinted passed empty tree by empty tree I had no resort left but to teleport. The use of such magic was a risky business for never fully knew what they would be appearing in. Many sorcerers had teleported into traps in time of war. It could very easily happen me. Plus this cursed suit might mess up my teleporting abilities. I should think through all of my options before turning to it.

I heard footsteps and I foolishly panicked. I spun around in a circle, while encasing myself in a diamond, and disappearing. Darkness surrounded me, then suddenly, light. It was a harsh red light. The light that comes from burning homes and fields. My eyes darted around quickly to see moblins ransacking the outpost. Unfortunately my teleportation right into the middle of their destruction did not go unnoticed. The closest one's jaw dropped and proceeded to blink rapidly before calling to the others.

Samus Aran's POV

"Damn princess!" I cursed as I ran through the forest after her. I checked my monitors to see she had stopped not too far off. "I've got her now..." I thought as I crept up on her. However the sound of my footsteps must have alerted her to my presence, for she took one look around before - a flash of light and she was gone! I ran into the clearing she was standing in but a moment ago. Nothing. I looked at my monitors again and was angered that she was not showing up. What the hell happened? First corpses then this. My monitors were about as helpful as being guided by a blind person. I shut them off and decided it would be best to return to my ship.

Perhaps this was for the better. Without having to worry about the princess I would have all the time I needed to focus on Ridley. If she got in my way again, I would simply imprison her. Then again she did break the brig on my ship. I felt my jaw where her fist had collided with earlier. No, I couldn't let her go. I still had to impress upon her my dominance and superiority. She would be my prisoner and specimen to the Galactic Federation. Come to think of it where the hell were those bastards? I hadn't heard from them since I left. I shook this thought aside and headed back to the ship. Unfortunately for me a surprise was waiting for me there. A rather large army, that of the princess's I believe was surrounding my ship.

"It just keeps getting better doesn't it?" I growled and tried to hide before I was spotted. Luckily I was successful. No one seemed to notice, however they continued to hang around my ship for several hours. I crept closer to try and hear what they were discussing. It might have been a sort of battle strategy in a foolish attempt to fend off Ridley. Perhaps they were planning a way to rescue the princess. It could have easily been many things. As night turned to day they remained in camp around my ship. I considered blasting my way through them just so I could get back to hunting Ridley, however, I figured that would make me no better than him. After all, he was harming these people to hunt me, if I did the same... These damn humanoid aliens were stuck in the middle. As I looked closer I saw women, children and elders mixed in with the army.

"They must be refugees..." I whispered to myself, "I need to get closer, but how?" I looked at my armor and decided it wasn't exactly the best for blending in a primitive race. I deactivated it and it folded off of my body and into my zero suit. "Better, but still..." Suddenly an elderly lady wandered from the camp. I crouched behind a tree and watched her. She hobbled passed with little smile on her face. Some men from the camp called out to her.

"It's dangerous to go alone in the forest old woman, come back!" One of the guards shouted. She just waved at them and continued on her way. The men simple shook their heads and tended to the other people. I watched the old lady. She was being foolish but I admired her determination. I decided to follow her. What was so important that she would wander off into the forest alone? She walked towards the clearing that Zelda had vanished in. Did she know where the princess had disappeared too? My hopes vanished as she began picking the flowers under a nearby tree. Stupid old lady, risking the forest for flowers. I heard a rustling in the bushes and my eyes spotted those pig creatures. I believe Zelda called them bokoblins. I glanced back at the old lady, she hadn't noticed a thing. I looked back to see the bokoblins sneaking up on her. My eyes widened.

"Surrender old Hylian crone!" Gargled one of the creatures as it raised a club.

"You come with us now as hostage!" Another chimed in. She said nothing but smiled and turned her back on them to continue picking flowers. They had surrounded her with clubs raised!

"Stupid old woman!" I shouted as I burst from my hiding place and began beating the bokoblins with my bare hands. She ignored me and continued with her task as more bokoblins appeared. Snarling I beat back everyone one of them until the clearing was littered with unconscious pig creatures. Apparently finished picking flowers the lady proceeded back to the camp without a single word. Seething I followed.

"Do you understand the danger you were just in?" I growled, she continued being mute. My temper rose, "I just saved your wrinkly old hide you-" I stopped myself, "Had I not been there you would have been in a world of-"

"But you were there." She said and grinned, "I knew you would protect an elder. Even if you happened to be a foreigner, the respect of elders transcends all cultures."

"How did you know for sure? What made you so sure?" I said stopping in front of her.

"You have the eyes of a warrior." She said wisely. I blinked, "Plus you also have the body build of one. Do you always run around in the nude?"

"What!" I asked confused and affronted.

"Well, that blue body paint isn't covering much now is it?"

"This is a zero suit! It's a highly advanced-!" I began angrily and partially embarrassed.

"That's okay deary, I'll get you something to cover yourself up with. But first I must get these flowers to my daughter and grandchildren. It helps soothe the nerves. Goddesses knows we need something to calm the people down." She wandered back to the camp and after a long while or two wandered back with some Hylian clothes. I gladly accepted the disguise and followed the old lady back. Nightfall was already upon us once again. As I navigated my way through the crowd of people I watched as the old lady I saved earlier sat at the head of a group of children around a large fire. A few adults lingered in the background. Interested, I sat with the children.

"Even in the darkest of times there is always light." The old lady began, "For ever night there is a day and for every evil there is a hero." The children stared entranced, a few whispered quickly to one another. "In these dark times we must look for the coming of a hero. This hero of which I speak goes by many names and has always risen to defeat the evil devouring the land." I listened intently as the old woman wove a tale of a mythical hero traveling through time and possessing great magical abilities as well as a sword sworn to be the bane of evil itself. The children grew more and more excited with each tale. Even the adults seemed to enjoy the stories for more and more joined until it appeared the whole camp came to listen to the old woman's stories.

"When will the hero save us this time?" One of the children asked.

"We can't be certain when but we can be assured a hero will save us from this new evil god. The power of the goddesses combined with the new hero and the noble princess Zelda will banish this evil forever."

"How will we know who the hero is?" A little girl asked skeptically.

"The hero will be clad in a green tunic-"

"But anyone can wear a green tunic!" She complained.

"Allow me to finish little one," She smiled warmly, "The hero will be clad in a green tunic and carry an ultimate weapon-"

"You mean like a sword?" A boy asked quickly.

"But the most distinguishing mark will be the Triforce of Courage on the hero's right hand." She finished. At this everyone fell silent. There appeared to be no arguing with this identifying feature. I wondered why.

"Where could one find this Tri-Force of Courage?" I asked. The old lady looked at me with a strange look in her eyes. All eyes fell on the old woman. There was a long silence. She took a deep breath before answering.

"Only a true hero knows." Whispers broke out among the crowd of people. My eyes remained locked onto the old woman's.