NOTES: Man, I'm so glad that the last chapter was well-received! Thanks to all my reviewers and readers for their continued support. It just makes me want to update even faster! And maybe if I did, I would get even more reviews…ah, it doesn't matter. I would have had this up faster, but I had another drama production to do, and for some reason ever since I started the new trimester all my teachers think that it's okay to give five hours of homework every night along with five tests a week. Argh! Okay, well all I'm gonna say about the beginning of this chapter is that readers who have played Twilight Princess may recognize some things, but remember that I'm not including that game in this story. I told you all that it gave me some ideas, though. Now that that's out of the way, without further ado on with the story!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Legend of Zelda, Super Smash Bros. Melee, or any other games that I have used in this story. All of these series belong to Nintendo and other companies that helped make these games, and HAL Laboratories owns part of the Super Smash Bros. series. If I owned these companies, I would probably have lots of money right now, not have to go to school, and would have more time to write stories!

Chapter 21: When the Shadows Attack

Three days later…

With twenty Stalfos, forty Moblins, and ten Lizardfols coming at him, Link readied the Master Sword as he faced their combined onslaught. Just as they reached him and started to attack, the Hero of Time unleashed a devastating spin attack, killing at least half their numbers and injuring the others. As soon as he finished, Link broke into a roll as a Stalfos swung his jagged sword horizontally where the Hylian's head was a moment earlier. He stood back up and sliced through two Lizardfols and a Stalfos.

As they disappeared in clouds of black smoke, Link spun around on his heels while bringing out his Hero's Bow and retrieving an arrow with a bomb attached to it. He quickly ignited it and aimed as the rest of the monsters ran at him, weapons raised to kill. He carefully closed one eye and aimed for the center of the group. He fired, and the bomb arrow exploded, taking out all the remaining Moblins and Lizardfols and all but one Stalfos.

He brought out his Hylian Shield and Master Sword again as the Stalfos did the same.

They moved in a circle, both having their shields raised against the other's attacks. Neither one made a gesture to attack as they continued to circle.

'Come on, attack me…' thought Link as he continued to keep his shield raised, Master Sword at the ready.

Just as it seemed neither one would attack, the Stalfos launched in the air, attempting a jumping strike as he raised his sword. Reacting quickly, Link rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the hit. While it recovered, Link did a front flip in the air above the Stalfos, bringing his sword down at its head as he did so in a new move he called the "helm splitter". When he landed behind it, the Stalfos fell on its back, and struggled to get up. Before it could, Link leaped into the air and implanted his sword into its chest, spilling green blood. The skewered monster quickly disappeared in black smoke.

Pulling the Master Sword out of the ground, Link sheathed it and put away his Hylian Shield as he looked around the open field he was currently standing in. Strangely enough, he was in Hyrule Field, with its lush green grass, flowing rivers, tall trees, wooden fences, and dirt roads. He even saw Hyrule Castle and the surrounding Castle Town in the distance, connected by a large retractable bridge over the castle moat.

After dusting off his Kokiri tunic he sat down on a tree stump and enjoyed the scenery in front of him. Digging into one of his many hidden pockets, he took out the Ocarina of Time and put the mouthpiece to his lips.

'Goddesses, it's been ages since I've played this…' he thought joyfully as he played.

He played Saria's Song in its entirety and then the Minute of Forest, letting the sweet music fill his ears while refusing the option of warping to the Sacred Forest Meadow. After playing through the Prelude of Light and the Nocturne of Shadow, he was startled by a sudden flash of lightning. Dark clouds started to fill the once clear blue sky, and it started to pour, covering the once clear view of the castle in a dense fog.

'That's strange…I don't remember playing the Song of Storms…' thought Link as he put away the Ocarina of Time.

The fog lifted as quickly as it had come, and he was shocked to see the bridge to Castle Town in the distance, completely destroyed and in ruins along with the town, the painful screams of all the townspeople echoing across the plains. Quickly after the screaming stopped, he could have sworn he heard the moaning sounds of ReDead in the distance.

Visions of the alternate Hyrule that he had encountered in that alternate seven year timeline came flooding back into his mind as he started running towards the town. He looked up at Hyrule Castle as he ran, wondering if Zelda was okay, but was surprised to see lightning abruptly hit the castle, causing it to explode. He stopped in his tracks, yelling out Zelda's name as he saw the smoke and rubble of the castle subside. He was even more stunned to see Ganon's Castle slowly rising out of the ground, shaking the earth below his feet.

After the rumbling stopped, a loud neighing was heard in the distance as a flash of lightning grazed the sky. Link turned to see a dreadful sight by the bridge.

Ganondorf, the King of Evil, was mounted on one of his faithful black steeds, its head and body covered with thick black armor and its hooves bleeding darkened blood. The Gerudo reared his horse up as another lightning bolt illuminated the sky, fully exposing him with a long blade in his left hand, the Triforce of Power glimmering off his fist.

Link drew the Master Sword and his Hylian Shield, but knew that he was at a strong disadvantage in the open field. He looked around for any kind of cover, but couldn't find any. He reached for his Hero's Bow, but discovered to his astonishment that he had no arrows left in his quiver. He also felt that he was running low on magic power, which meant that he couldn't use any magical attacks to protect himself. He looked for any remaining green potion he had on him, but found that all his bottles were empty.

He started to panic as Ganondorf urged his horse into a charge, raising his sword above his head and letting out a Gerudo war cry, while he summoned ghost riders with blades of their own to ride beside and around him. Soon he had summoned a large army of the dead to follow him in his charge.

All Link could do was stand there, too horrified to move as Ganondorf and his army got closer and closer to him, lowering his sword down so that it was aligned to decapitate any unfortunate being in its path. Link started to scream and the Triforce of Courage on his left fist started to glow brightly as the blade's surface approached his head, focused on cutting though his neck.

Everything went black around the hero all of a sudden, and the faces of all his friends and fellow Smashers flashed before his eyes.

'Marth…Samus…Roy…Peach…Mario…Fox…' he thought as more and more faces flashed before him, each one disappearing as fast as he could recognize them. However, there was one face that stayed the longest, and had the hardest impact on Link.

'Zelda…'

That was his last thought as a giant blade cut through Zelda's face and the surrounding darkness, splitting open his throat…

The Hero of Time shrieked in fear as he rose up in his bed, breathing heavily and sweating as he looked around his small guest room aboard the Great Fox. As he realized where he was, he fell back on his pillow again and started to slow his breathing with a calming exercise he had been taught long ago. The Triforce of Courage was shining brightly on his left hand as he brought his hands to his face, letting out a relieved sigh.

'It was that same dream...ever since I left Smash Mansion on the Great Fox I've been having this same dream over and over again. Is it a sign of the future? Like the dream I had of Ganondorf back in the Kokiri Forest before I met Navi so long ago? Or is it something else…'

He was starting to breath normally again, so he looked at the digital clock on the dresser across the room, which read 8:17. He slowly started to rise as a knock came to his door.

"Hey Link, you up? We reached Venom about two hours ago, and the match begins around noon. While you're getting ready, I'm going down to Venomian City to pick up some supplies with the rest of the team. I'll be back in an hour and a half, okay?" said the voice of Fox McCloud from the opposite side of the door.

"Thanks for letting me know Fox. I'll be on the bridge soon for the match."

"Yup, just stop by the kitchen and help yourself to some breakfast before you come on the bridge. I don't wanna fight you if you're not at your best!"

"You don't have to worry about that, Fox," said Link with a small smile as he got out of bed, and started to do some stretches. After that he did a few sets of push-ups and sit-ups before taking a quick shower. The technology aboard the ship was still somewhat new, but after hanging around Samus for so long he knew what most of the controls did.

After putting on his sweats, chain mail, Kokiri tunic minus his hat, and Kokiri boots, he quickly assembled the equipment he would need for the upcoming match, mainly consisting of his Hero's Bow and arrows, bombs, Hookshot, and his boomerang. While searching through his travel knapsack, he came across a recent pictograph of Zelda and himself in the gardens outside Smash Mansion, which he had packed away secretly. He sat down on his bed and stared at it, focusing on Zelda's smiling face.

'It's only been three days since I last saw her and already I miss her. I never could communicate telepathically with her over long distances, but still I wish I could hear her voice right now…to at least know that she's okay…'

He thought briefly about the communicator watch Samus gave to him before he left, but decided that he would use it for emergencies only since it had only a small power cell from what he had seen. Instead he got up and stared out the window of his room, looking up at the dismal sky of Venom while still clutching the pictograph in his hand.

'Zelda…I swear to you I'll be back soon. I just can't stand leaving you at Smash Mansion with Ganondorf on the loose again, but I have to do this so we can defeat him and revive Hyrule…'

'Link…' thought Zelda as she stared up at the fading night sky, wondering where he was now. She had tried to communicate telepathically to him numerous times in the last two days, but for some reason she couldn't get through to him. Samus had told her Fox had sent an e-mail, saying that he had made it to Venom and that both him and Link were fine, but she still missed him. His messy blond hair, his oceanic blue eyes, his loving touch…

"Hey Zel, you ready to go watch the match?" asked Samus as she walked up behind the princess, after completing an adjustment to her Power Suit's internal heating systems. She spun around to face her friend, a sad smile on her face.

"Still thinking about him, huh?" asked Samus.

"Yeah…" said Zelda, a distant look on her eyes.

"Ah don't worry, you'll see him tomorrow, not to mention on the live broadcast of the match. Fox tells me that since Corneria has colonized Venom now and finally set up a government there, they now possess a warp gate. That means that the Great Fox will be back first thing tomorrow morning! Now come on, Marth said he'd meet us in the lounge!"

Zelda nodded, looked up at the fading stars once more as the sun started to rise, and then followed Samus out of their room, her mind still dwelling on her hero.

'Please be careful, Link…I promise I'll stay safe here.'

Link finished equipping his gear and tightened the straps for his belt and scabbard before finally putting on his floppy hat. But just as he started to leave, a familiar voice echoed in his mind, stopping him in his tracks.

'I've seen that you've refined your techniques since the last time we met…'

Sensing a presence behind him the Hylian spun around. He was surprised to find himself face-to-face with Mewtwo. The Pokemon nodded, continuing to stare at him with his arms crossed and his feet floating off the ground via his psychic powers.

"What do you want, Mewtwo?" Link asked in a neutral tone, careful not to let his guard down, as he still was unsure about the Pokemon, despite what Roy had said and the "dream" he had experienced.

'I only came to warn you, Hero of Time. Ganondorf seeks the enchanted mask of the Fierce Deity you possess and he may try something today during or after your match to get it.'

"He can't get to me here, though. He's still at Smash Mansion, right? And for one thing, how does he even know that I have the Fierce Deity's Mask, or even how does he know about it?" he asked, confused.

'I cannot reveal to you how he knows of it; it would compromise my position as a spy in his ranks. I can only give you this warning, so heed my words. Be on the lookout for anything unusual…until we meet again, Link.'

"But wait! I still have some questions!" yelled the Hylian, but Mewtwo was already gone in a brilliant flash of light.

He stood there, staring at the place where Mewtwo had teleported. He let out a slow sigh.

Checking his equipment one last time, he shut off the light and closed the door, locking it behind him. As he walked down the hall he realized that he was still holding the pictograph of himself and Zelda. Smiling to himself as he looked at the picture once more, he placed it inside a hidden pocket on the inside of his tunic and made his way through the futuristic hallways of the Great Fox towards the kitchen.

The night before…

The moonlight was the only source of illumination in Link and Marth's room, yet it was sufficient for Dark Link as he rummaged through Link's closet, tossing clothes and equipment behind him as he continued searching.

'How much stuff does this guy have!?' Dark Link wondered as an annoyed expression crossed his face. He stopped for a moment to catch his breath and looked through the window at the glowing moon. Calculating its position from when he had covertly slipped through the cracks of the window, he estimated that he had been searching for at least five hours. The rest of the room was in shambles, as he had already searched everywhere else. The closet would be the place he would find what he was looking for, if it was even here to begin with.

'If I don't find that mask, Lord Ganondorf's going to have my head on a spike…' he thought as he resumed searching, picking up his pace in case Link's friend Marth came back.

'Why does he even need another mask anyways? He already has mask called Majora; shouldn't that be powerful enough for him? But wait, that mask said it needed its old minion back from the thief that had stolen it from him. The old man could've sent a squad of Moblins, or even one of those new Darknut creatures he keeps praising the Wizrobes for creating. But NO…he had to pick me of all his creations! Asshole…knows I can't stand work that requires actual work…damn, I have a really strong urge to shed blood right now! Oh that's it! When I get back there, I'm gonna take my sword and ram it so hard up his…'

He stopped his childish ranting as he came across a large box. He took it out of the darkened closet and opened it. Inside was what had to be at least twenty-five different masks.

'Finally!' he rejoiced in his mind as he grabbed the box, relieved that it wasn't too heavy for him to carry.

Before he could make his way out of the window, the doorknob started to turn. Surprised but still managing to keep his cool, he disappeared and blended with the many shadows cast down by the moonlight.

Marth Lowell walked in to the room, tired after a long night in town. But his adrenaline forced his senses to awaken as he saw the state of his dorm. Drawing his Falchion, he carefully walked through the room, his eyes scanning for any trace of the intruder. He noticed the crack in the window, but kept his senses honed for any signs of moment. For a moment he thought he saw a glowing pair of bright red eyes, yet when he blinked they disappeared.

He stood there, eyeing the corner for a moment, until a sharp pain suddenly erupted from the back side of his head. His world went dark as he fell forward on his face, dropping his Falchion as he faded into unconsciousness.

Dark Link stood above Marth, bringing the hilt of his sword back to his side as he watched the Altean lose consciousness. He turned his victim over to see his face, and for a moment he started to raise his sword above his head to finish him, but he stopped as he thought it through.

'No, if I kill him now it might cause an uproar. The Smashers would get suspicious and it would be much harder for the master to carry out his plans. Not that I would care much, but I honestly don't feel like enduring another torture session like the one I had when I lost to Link in the Water Temple…'

He gritted his teeth in anger at the thought while sheathing his sword and picking up the box of masks once again. There was no need to kill him anyways; he got what he came for. He smirked at Marth's unconscious figure.

"You're lucky I can't kill you yet…but soon you and all your friends will fall before my master's might, and that of his new allies. Mark my words; I'll kill you personally someday, you and your friend Link. It's the dawn of a new age, an age ruled by shadow!"

He took a moment to spit on Marth's face, and then proceeded to jump out the window, leaving the unconscious prince alone in the destroyed dorm.

'I hate the people of this world, can't wait to get rid of them all…' he thought bitterly as he rushed towards the Lost Woods, and ultimately making his way towards Ganondorf's hidden castle.

Whew, this one took me awhile due to some major writer's block on my part! I rewrote the last half of this chapter about three times until I came up with what you have just read. With any luck, the next chapter won't take as long as this one, but I don't think it will. But I wouldn't expect the next chapter until, at the earliest next week, as I have a few projects to work on before the start of my vacation! But if you're curious as to my status, check my author profile out once in awhile for the status of this story, as I try to update it regularly. Hopefully I'll be able to finally do that one shot I've been saying for ages that I would do. I thank my loyal readers and reviewers for their continuing support (especially BKP, Sage, crystalicios, and Royal Kenya), like always! Well tell me what you think about the story so far, things I could improve on, and what you think will happen later on in the story in a review. I'm always open to suggestions and constructive criticism, but please don't flame. Okay, well thanks like always for reading everyone and please review!

Author's Note 4/16: Finally! The document uploader is working again! Sorry for the delay in putting the chapter up guys, but the document manager was giving me a hard time.