Authors note. Hello people. Just thought i'd point out a few things. One. I sadly don't own this game or anything involved with it. Two, yeah if you notice i messed with a few small things like the location of the tent. I just mess with the little details to make it flow better so don't mind that. Oh, and three. You'll notice this is part one. Turns out, this chapter was going to be much longer then i'd anticipated,so to keep the same general chapter length througout, i'm splitting it in half. I'll get the other half done ASAP. In the mean time, R&R while you R&R and thanks for sticking with me ~

Storming the Fortress (Part 1)

Because of what had happened during the night, the cautious part of Link's mind told him it was possible more Stalchildren could pop up, so while he did sleep, he slept lightly, subconsciously listening for any sounds of danger. However, having been brutally slaughtered at the hands of the magic swordsman and his shadowy counterpart, the magically resurrected skeletons did not return. That didn't keep Link from expecting it. His sleeping form was still tense, knowing it was in danger, so when he detected movement Link was already instantly in alert mode and reaching for his sword to combat whatever hideous fiend was coming to ambush him.

Sadly though, there was no hideous fiend, magically constructed monster or anything of the sort. No, what had triggered his sudden rapid awake was Dark, (who'd adamantly insisted on sleeping with and/or on the Hero,) rolling around in his sleep. Now Link was awake and panting from the false monster attack while Dark was still sleeping and lightly snoring at that. Yes, Dark definitely wasn't a light sleeper. This was further demonstrated as Link slid out from under the boy's loose one-armed embrace without rousing him. The shadow continued snoring away, even going so far as to drool a little.

Link stared for a minute, thinking. Since he was already up, he wanted to eat and get moving and his first instinct was to kick Dark awake. Not a hard kick, just nudge him a bit, but Dark was still shirtless and the giant mass of bruises he'd sustained the night before in his valiant slaying of a colossal undead skeleton had turned a large portion of his chest and stomach nearly purple. As frustrating as it was dealing with Dark, he'd still more then earned his keep, holding on in spite of being smashed again and again against the unforgiving bone creature like a boat in a hailstorm. That killed the notion of kicking right where it stood, for Link was not the vengeful type.

Besides, he was reluctant to hold onto his first impressions of Dark after their first opportunity to actually have any sort of "bond." He'd learned things that made him question who Dark really was as a person. It made him wonder, not for the first time of the black-haired boy sleeping at his feet wasn't just putting on a show to keep Link from worrying about him. The blond hugged his knees to his chest with a sigh. Why did Dark have to be so complicated? It almost had Link wishing for the days when he still thought of Dark as a shallow, one-track mind pervert. That was it though. He wouldn't wish for the days when Dark was an enemy. Much as it was easier traveling alone, having a companion was nice in its own way. After all, sometimes Dark would do something sweet or endearing seemingly just to throw the Hero off balance.

There is more to him then meets the eye, Link reflected pensively. He shut his eyes to take a deep breath and when he opened them again, he was staring into the shadowy depths of Dark's crimson eyes. Funny…Dark wasn't really a morning person, but he didn't seem like he'd just woken up in that instant…

"What? You were staring at me weren't you? You like what you see?" Dark asked, flashing that taunting grin of his.

"The sun is up. We should keep moving," Link said, completely ignoring the question, all business once again, striding off to find his horse and get some breakfast.

"You do, don't you? That's why you didn't answer me! Well you better not like what you see, cause if you like seeing me all banged up like this then that makes you a sadist! You hear me! A sadist!" Dark yelled playfully at the retreating Hero's back as he sat up, crossing his legs. He didn't expect Link to turn around and come back over.

He crouched down next to Dark, looking down the bruised torso of his partner with a worried expression.

"Does it still hurt?" Link asked quietly, gently tracing his fingers down Dark's chest. His quiet, submissive voice and worried gaze had Dark just itching to play it off and try to impress he blond, so he grinned and just shrugged it off.

"Nah. I never really felt it to begin with so it's fine."

That was a lie. In truth, Dark ached all over from the massive strain he'd put himself under. But it wasn't as though he'd spent the entire night being beaten around by giant skeletons or anything like that. But of course pride and the desire to impress the object of his affection forbid him from saying so. Link's fingers stopped about halfway down Dark's chest. He curled back one finger and flicked into the bruised flesh.

Link had been acting so gentle and so worried so the sudden burst of pain had Dark practically howling as he slapped the blond's hand away to rub at the afflicted area, desperate for some kind of alleviation. "What the hell was that for! I knew it, you are a sadist!" he whined, mostly in self pity as he clambered to his feet to go pick up his tunic off the ground.

Though he kept his tone offhand, Link was watching intently for a reaction. "I was merely testing something. It makes me wonder just how much pain you are actually hiding from me beneath that smile of yours."

Dark froze, if only for an instant and when he turned back around with tunic in hand, he looked decidedly irate. "Hiding? What do I need to hide any pain for when you just waltz up and inflict it on me yourself! And after all the work I do, I get no kiss and no thank-yous, no nothing. You'd think you people had never heard of gratitude before," he grumbled, pulling his tunic on but even as he tried he realized that his attempt to change the subject sounded half-hearted.

For breakfast, they had strips of dried beef and while Dark did enjoy the food, he found himself thinking wistfully of the hot, juicy rabbit all covered in grease and deliciousness. That in turn made him feel guilty, for in order to enjoy the delicacy, they would not only need to end some poor critter's life, but go through the work of removing its skin. Dark remembered his lessons in skinning with a sigh. He truly felt horrible about doing that to the rabbit and the entire time while Link had been instructing him in the fine art of skinning, Dark had a few errant tears welling in his eyes the entire time.

He sighed, tearing into the dried beef strip trying to decide whether he could justify asking Link to go kill more animals for him…maybe he'd ask later. They did need to get moving, after all. And cooking, while amazing, was also time consuming and time was a luxury they did not have to waste. When Link brought the horse over, he insisted that Dark ride alone that day, which was also strange. Maybe he felt bad about the injuries…

Link walked alongside of Epona as they trotted up the trail. Up out of the shadow of the cliff, the earth was parched and cracked underfoot. Natural stone archways bridged the two sides of the cliffs edging the path, though some had broken of over the years and fallen, leaving the path through the gorge littered with boulders. It was a somewhat slow walk but at least the path was more or less straight and not going uphill, which would have exhausted Epona fairly quickly.

As it was, they made it through the rock corridor fairly quickly, or at least to a spot where it widened out a bit more. There was a slight incline with a pool full of water running down out of a hole in the right side of the cliff, which would have made it hard to cross had it not been for the narrow wooden bridge across. It wasn't even a bridge; just half a log placed over the pool so one could walk up it and get to the higher end.

Up on the ridge across the pool, the road opened onto a larger plateau, though still visibly enclosed by rock walls. The area was roughly circular and would have been a nice place to go jogging had it not been for the deep chasm that split the plateau neatly in two. Off to the right a tent indicated that someone might be living here, and perhaps he would know what happened to the bridge, which, as they approached, Link noted the absence of. The path lead straight up to the ravine, dropped off into it and picked up on the other side. Link jogged over to the cliff and peered down over the edge. It looked like a fairly long drop down into a river below that would probably feed out into Lake Hylia.

A ways down the ravine, Link also spotted with some curiosity a ledge, jutting mysteriously out of the side of the cliff with a single abnormally round boulder resting on it. How did that manage to happen? The ledge was only barely bigger then the boulder itself. Curious.

"Don't fall in," he heard Dark chide from somewhere behind him. Link couldn't help but snort and roll his eyes at that. He wasn't that clumsy after all. Standing, Link headed for the tent, as Dark hopped down and followed.

The first thing Link saw as he ducked into the tent was the image of the Triforce, proudly displayed against the back wall. It put him at ease, knowing that these would be righteous, upstanding people. The very next things he saw was a pair of yellow bunny ears atop a man in a white running suit.

Familiarity stirred in Link's mind as he saw the Bunny Hood. He remembered selling that exact same hood to the exact same guy all those years ago. "I cannot believe you still have that thing," Link murmured, slightly impressed. It wasn't as though a Bunny Hood were the sort of respectable hat a person would want to hang on to but here it was, slightly faded and still in the possession of the postman. The memory, the nostalgia had him back in a different time, a time when he had chased after the postman for hours, trying to catch the famous running man;

A tap on his shoulder snapped him back to the present.

"Link, we have work to do," Dark hissed in his ear, breaking the blond out of his reverie. The other person in the tent, a large balding man, was watching them warily.

"What do you want?" the man asked gruffly, clearly suspicious of outsiders. It was understandable, considering the times they lived in.

Dark gave a casual shrug and pointed at Link. "I'unno. Ask him. I'm just along for the ride." Somehow or another Dark managed not to succumb to the urge to tack on something suggestive at the end which would undoubtedly have made the blond blush horribly. It might interfere with their "mission" though, so publicly embarrassing the Hero of Time would have to wait.

Link's head snapped up as he looked to Dark, completely lost.

"What we're doing here?" Dark supplied helpfully.

"Ah, yes. We were wondering if you know what happened to the bridge and if it will be fixed anytime soon."

"Haaa! I am a master carpenter, and I want to repair the bridge, but all my workers ran off to join that band of thieves, the Gerudo. They said being carpenters wasn't cool enough, so they all ran off to become thieves! I wonder what my boys are doing right now. I hear that the Gerudo is an all-female band…"

"I see. I will cross then and if I see your carpenters I will tell them you are looking for them. In exchange, however, will you let my friend stay here? He is injured and in no condition to travel."

Dark's heart gave a happy little flutter. Link had just publicly acknowledged them friends? This was definite progress! Sure, Dark already knew they were friends, but they'd never verbalized it before. Dark had a friend. It was just a nice thing to hear… so nice that he almost missed what came after that. That part was a problem.

"Huh! What the hell is this? You're not leaving me behind!" Dark growled, suddenly angry. How could Link go and pull a stunt like this? Knocking him off guard so he'd want to stay behind and let Link just take a casual stroll into danger while he sat back and took a nap? No way in hell.

"Peace, Dark. You're in no shape to be fighting. Just relax for a while. You've earned it," Link replied, trying to pacify the angry Dark. When he didn't say anything for several minutes, Link trudged out into the arid mountain heat again but Dark followed.

"No! You're just trying to get rid of me, and I won't have it! There's no way I'm letting you get into trouble if I'm not there to bail you out. I'm coming with!" Dark yelled, daring Link to try challenging him on it.

Rather then be drawn into an argument though, Link just sighed, scrubbing a hand thought his thick golden hair. "Dark, why are you being so difficult? I am only looking out for your well being. I do not want to see you get hurt and believe it or not, I did manage quite well on my own. I am not defenseless Dark," the blond added with a frown.

How could he not see how important this was, and after Dark had gone to such lengths to explain exactly why just the night before. Was Link really that insensitive? The casual way he just brushed it off as unimportant made Dark absolutely furious. Just who did Link think he was anyways, the Goddess-Blessed Hero of Time?

Okay, fine, maybe he was. But that still didn't give him any right to just go around and make all the decisions without so much as consulting his partner, especially about said partner's doings.

Link walked down to stand on the edge of the cliff, facing the path on the other side when Dark grabbed his wrist. "Weren't you listening to me last night? I meant what I said. I won't leave you for anything. You may think that just because you're the Hero of Time that you have to do everything yourself, well you're wrong!"

Link sighed, turning to stare into the fiery depths of Dark's eyes. He saw nothing but sincerity in those ruby pools and that's why it hurt all the more, because he really did know how important this was. He knew Dark was willing to do anything for him, and to Link, that fact was the most terrifying of them all. "Listen Dark…there are people out there counting on me. I have a duty to fulfill and I am the only on that can do this. I am the one the Goddesses meant to protect this land and everyone in it. That includes you Dark, and that is why you are staying here."

"Yeah, everyone else out there is relying on you. Remember what you told me? You're just a kid! You shouldn't have to carry all that weight by yourself…and that's why I have to be there to protect you because no one else will!" By this time, Dark couldn't even look Link in the eye anymore, instead bowing his head to use the black curtain of his bangs to hide the tears of frustration running down his face. Still, Link could see the wet spots in the dirt where they'd fallen.

Ruthlessly and without mercy, Link crushed his feelings of guilt, whispering a quiet apology, "I'm sorry Dark. I just…can't." Without any other explanation the chain of the Longshot hooked into a wooden post on the other side of the ravine, dragging the Hero across to continue down the path. Dark watched every step he took, but the Hero never once looked back.

As Link walked down the path, he could feel Dark's eyes on him, watching. It made every step feel heavier but he wouldn't turn back, he wouldn't give Dark false hope that anything or anyone could come before his mission, and if that promise had been true, he'd be forgiven…he hoped. And even if he wasn't, it wouldn't change anything. He'd still have a world to save and nothing could be allowed to get in the way of that.

Once he was safely around the corner, Link slumped against the wall suddenly exhausted. He felt horrible about tossing Dark to the dogs like that but he didn't really have any other choice. Sighing, Link pulled himself together and kept walking. At least navigating wasn't hard. While the natural stone corridor did twist and turn, there was only ever one way to go. After only a few more short sections of passage, the wall to the right suddenly split open, the gap having a full set of stairs going up to what it was probably safe to assume was the Gerudo Fortress; a giant building of sand-colored stone that somehow all seemed to be one piece, as though it were actually carved from the cliff side.

He stared up at the giant sandstone fortress for several minutes, trying to get some kind of idea of the layout from the placement of windows, but when he heard foorsteps crunching in the sand at the top of the stairs, he ducked back behind the rock wall that extended all the way back to the ravine with a few turns along the way. Fortunately the guard didn't go down the stairs but just kept walking as the footsteps faded away. .

One thing is for sure. A change of clothes is in order. I would hate to be spotted because of my outfit, Link thought to himself as he pulled the forest green tunic over his head in favor of the dark red of the Goron. Hopefully it would blend in more then his Kokiri tunic.

Once he was fully clothed in the less conspicuous red tunic, Link darted across the gap and kept going since it didn't seem like a wise idea to try the front door. It was only a short stretch after that before the rock wall on the right ended entirely. Staying cautious, Link got down on the ground and poked his head around the corner. The low hill led up to the far side of the fortress that was pressed up against the cliff and a door sat straight ahead. Slowly, he crawled around the corner to get a better look.

Turns out, it wasn't one guard, but three nearly identical women with dark red hair, dark skin and very skimpy outfits of filmy purple fabric that were practically see-through. Already he found himself thinking about Dark but that was mostly because he was the one who always made Link blush like that.

He had to wait for several minutes for all three guards to be facing away at the same time but when his chance came he darted across the gap and into the fortress. Inside, the arid heat suddenly dissipated, replaced by a odd chilly presence, as though some kind of malevolent being was somewhere, watching the intruder…

Link felt these invisible eyes on him as he walked down the hallway, taking slow tentative steps to muffle the sound of his boots ringing on the cool flagstones. Down he sidled through the empty hall to peer around another corner that opened out into a larger room. The furnishings here were sparse and practical; A wooden crate at in a corner and a few long handled spears hung from the walls. crossed to look decorative but sharp enough to use in real combat but the most noticeable thing was a jailcell set prominently along the left wall of the room and in it sat a single occupant peering hopefully through the bars at Link.

"Hey you! Boy! Over here!" the carpenter whispered loudly.

Link rolled his eyes and gave up on stealth. Way to blow my cover, he thought as he tried not to glare at the man for his lack of foresight.

"I don't know where you come from but you must have a lot of guts to make it past all the guards around here. We snuck in here to join their all-female band but they locked us up just because we're men. If you can get us out, we'll be sure to repay the favor somehow!"

Link remembered these carpenter guys. They were the same ones who worked on what would eventually be the shooting gallery in Kakariko Village seven years ago. As he recalled, they'd been lazy slobs back then and apparently not much had changed. The carpenter glanced around nervously but still didn't bother to keep his voice down. Link sighed, just waiting to be attacked. It was probably unavoidable so he pulled his sword and waited in mild irritation.

"But be careful! There're sure to be Gerudo guards somewhere...around...here...woo! Watch out!"

Link spun around as right on cue a Gerudo dropped from the ceiling and landed with twin scimitars in hand, ready for battle.

Again the Hero felt himself blushing from the various states of undress the Gerudo women liked to walk around in. Her entire stomach was uncovered and a pair of white pants flared out at her legs while going up to cling to her hips…to which was attached a single key.

The Gerudo caught him staring and raised her eyebrows with a seductive cat-like smile before lunging forward. Link certainly had not been staring. He was noting the location of the key which just so happened to be inconveniently located by a large patch of exposed flesh on an incredibly tan, toned body that would have any normal guy drooling over himself.

Link however was not some normal guy so the Gerudo's charm had not effect upon him. This wasn't so much because as the Hero of Time he was resistant to all kinds of dark magic (which a woman's body may or may not qualify as.) Rather, it had more to do with the fact that mentally he was still a pre-teen at best and he had no desire to fall for something that was so obviously a trap.

Well…maybe not obvious, since all four carpenters had fallen for it.

He saw the slash coming down at him and parried but it was only a quick jump back that saved him from a slash across the ribs by her other sword. Link mentally kicked himself for forgetting about her other weapon as he stayed back, watching her movements. The Gerudo warrior circled around to the side, each step sinuous and carrying the lethal grace of a trained fighter. He had only an instant to react as she tensed up and jumped at him, spinning in a midair slash that would go around any guard he tried to make. Again, a jump back was all that saved him and as soon as he was safe from the spin attack, he lunged, slashing at her ankles, but with her two swords it wasn't hard for the woman to block and counter nearly simultaneously. It was only his innate paranoia that kept the scimitar blade from slicing along his cheek.

Link was already panting form having three near-injury experiences but the warrior watching him passively from behind a veil was just as calm and composed as ever. With two swords to his one, she could attack, defend and counter attack with twice the speed that he could. Her weapons were lighter, and so was her body but they all had the same lack of strength that Link possessed…but then, being light on her feet, Link knew it would be hard to get the Gerudo into a situation where he'd be able to use his strength to his advantage.

Thinking over different plans, he suddenly heard Dark's voice in his mind Your style is solid and powerful, but rigid. Sometimes, you need a little flexibility.

Yes…that's what had happened. Dark had disarmed him in under thirty seconds. Now how exactly had he done it?

Through all this, the Gerudo guard was watching him, studying him. He was probably trying to think of a plan and realizing it was hopeless. The kid had skill, she'd give him that, but not good enough to beat a Gerudo Warrior. She could just see it on his. He was giving up on himself, loosing the grip on his blade. The heavier sword dipped to the ground and he was barely holding on to it. Now was the time to strike…

Link saw it coming. Her body tensed like before. That spin attack was probably meant to be a finishing move and now that he'd seen it before, he could beat it. As soon as she jumped, his grip tightened on his blade. Link twisted his wrist, spinning the Master Sword up like a fan to block her blades from below. The sudden heavy impact from underneath sent the Gerudo staggering back, trying to regain her equilibrium, but Link was already there and attacked. Just as Dark had done to Link that night out in the fields, the guard had no possible chance to dodge or block. And just like how Dark had done to Link, he twisted his wrist at the last instant, smashing the flat of his blade into her exposed stomach. She doubled over, gasping as the unforgiving steel blade knocked the air from her lungs. Bringing his blade back, Link swung again, striking his blade across her shoulders and she collapsed against the cold flagstones, in a great deal of pain, but alive. She may have been an enemy, but it was Link's own personal rule that he would not kill a living person. There would be but one exception to that rule and that was Ganondorf himself.

Casually, Link stepped over the girls body and kicked her scimitars away just to be safe before flipping her body over and relieving her of the cell door key that hung from her belt. He'd just taken it off when her eyes flicked open, she rolled back, grabbed her swords and jumped up into the ceiling. Link waited a moment to see if she would attack again but the guard was gone.

"Wow! Thank you! We don't want to be thieves anymore. Those Gerudo are so rude! Three of my buddies are still being held! If you get them out too, we'll return the favor! Thanks, kid!"

And with that, the carpenter ran… no…more like pranced off, leaving the Hero shaking his head in disbelief. There was something decidedly queer about those guys. Not to mention how amazingly anticlimactic the whole scenario turned out to be. Normally his battles ended with something bursting into a cloud of bright neon fire. Getting thanked by a prancing carpenter man while his opponent retreated, probably sulking, just didn't stack up in comparison.

The Gerudo wasn't sulking. She was knelt on the floor before their acting leader, up in the highest room of the fortress, calmly explaining what had happened.

"So you lost…"

"Yes. I accept full responsibility for my failure. This is what I've learned about the intruder's fighting abilities…"

The Gerudo Leader leaned back in her chair and crossed her ankles as she listened to her subordinates analysis of the intruder. "Interesting. I think I may have to see this for myself," she mused

Once the carpenter was gone out of sight, Link frowned. If the other three carpenters were guarded by warriors of equal caliber, it might be a good idea to have an ace in the hole as it were. Taking a deep breath, Link brought his hands together to windmill them out while chanting, ' Oh Goddess Farore, heed my call and send aid on swift wings to carry thy servant back to this haven in his time of need.'

A phantom breeze swirled around his ankles and an orb of green energy appeared, signifying that the Goddess had accepted. Though he was seldom in a situation to call upon Farore, she was the Goddess he felt most comfortable invoking. Perhaps it had something to do with his section of the Triforce being Courage, it made the Goddess of Courage like his patron or something…

Link was gone. He'd actually gone though with it and left Dark standing in the dust. No one treated Dark like that and for the first time since he'd hit the outside world, he was well and truly angry. No, worse. Dark was downright pissed and after his initial frustration screaming to the heavens what a bastard Link was, he stomped and fumed and planned his revenge.

"I am so going out there and kicking the crap out of him!" Dark yelled after circling the tent for the third time. The carpenter leaned up against the tent post, arms crossed as he watched Dark pace around wishing terrible fates on the boy who'd abandoned him.

"I thought you were supposed to help him out," the carpenter muttered.

Dark spun to glare. He wasn't sure if the man was being sarcastic or not but he answered anyways. "Of course! Im'ma make sure he's ok and if he is I'll kick his ass, nurse him back to health and the kick it again! How could the bastard just desert me like that!" Dark dropped to his knees, the familiar feelings of inferiority pushing to the surface. What if he just wasn't good enough and Link made all that stuff up to make him feel better. The thought of having Link pity him like that absolutely devastated Dark's confidence.

"I've gotta go after him," Dark said in an attempt to stay cheery and forget about the possibility that Link just might not need him. That reality would be too terrible to fathom, and so he eyed the cliff, contemplating if he could jump it or not.

The carpenter saw the speculative look in his eye and laughed. "Don't even try it. There is no way you could make a jump like that.

Dark blinked as the light slowly went off in his head. "No…I can't. But I know someone who can!"

With that he was running back down the path . As expected, Epona was waiting patiently at the bottom of the cliff. He walked up to her, still a little wary. "Hey, Epona? Listen...I know you probably don't really like me but…I need a favor," Dark said, gently laying a hand on her flank. The horse snorted and stamped a hoof , sending up a small cloud of dust. Dark went on hurriedly, "Link ran off ahead and left me behind and I'm worried about him. He could be getting into all kinds of trouble. He might need my help…so please, do it for him. Can you get me across the canyon?"

Dark bit his lip as Epona stared at him with liquid brown eyes. He didn't actually know for sure if the horse could understand him or not. He thought she might with how much Link talked to her and it didn't seem like a good idea to just mount up without asking. She stared at him for several minutes before snorting and lowering her head to lip at his fingers. Grinning at this small triumph, Dark patted her and climbed up into the saddle.

Back up at the top of the hill, the carpenter still sat outside when a sudden low thundering sound made him look down the path.. There was Dark, galloping up the trail breakneck speed, hunched low over his steed as then raced towards the ravine. The carpenter couldn't believe he was going to try that.

But they rode right up to edge of the ravine and leapt, sailing through the air to land on the other side. before racing off down the path towards the fortress.

"Goddess have mercy on you Link, you and anyone else who gets in my way because I will not," Dark murmured grimly, gripping his black blade to search for his lost Hero.