Chapter Eight: Gerudo Fortress

Title: LoZ: The Time Keeper

Chapter: 8

Author: Hikari no Vikki

Genre: Romance/Adventure

Parings: Link x Zelda / OC x Shadow

Disclaimer: (holds up several video games) I own these and not much else.

Description: Previously known as Divine Impurity. Following the events of Ocarina of Time, a girl with a legacy she knows nothing about joins the fight against Ganon. She falls in love with the Hero's shadow, and finds herself caught up in a war that seems impossible to win.

Author's Notes-

I thought perhaps changing the name might help get some more reviews. I've been pretty much going on my own steam here, so… yeah. I mean, one review is better than none, but… I'd like to know if you like it or not. Well, I hope you like the next installment anyway.

EDIT: Grammar and whatnot.

The next morning brought a sunshine the likes the townspeople hadn't seen since the Royal Family still ruled.

"It's so beautiful!" Anju exclaimed. Victoria smiled to herself as she watched. Din, she loved this town. She'd grown up (not in the past seven years, but it felt like it nonetheless) in this town and since Impa was gone and her father was missing, she was its leader now.

Link and Shadow were rebinding their wounds back at her father's house, so she just stood behind Anju and overlooked her work from afar. She sensed someone behind her and turned to find Sheik.

Her eyes narrowed.

"Sheik. Good morning." She had changed into a clean set of Shiekah garments, editing the suit to her pleasure. Still, it wasn't that much different than Sheik's garb, but the colors were a little more solid, the breast band around her chest nice and tight. Hair free flowing, not bound and stuffed into her clothing like it had been in the Shadow Temple, she looked more like a warrior missing her armor instead of a proper Sheikah.

"Good morning, Princess." Victoria frowned. She wasn't fond of her title – either of them – as much as Link wasn't fond of being called Hero. "Which one are you referring to?" she asked quietly, the sun filtering through her hair.

"Whichever you are more partial to." The frown morphed into a scowl.

"Neither, really, but if I had to answer I would say my mother's former title." Sheik's eyes flashed; a sign of recognition. "Time Keeper, isn't it, Princess?" She nodded slowly. "Yes. You know, I can't figure you out. I could order you to remove your cowl, but…" she shook her head. "It wouldn't seem right."

"That's right," said Sheik calmly, "you could. But you won't. Your curiosity wants to believe in the illusion that you know I am." Victoria sighed. "But you're real. I can feel your sun and moon energy shining in your core. It's just… the balance is strange."

She looked up at the sky and then turned around. "If you would leave me to my thoughts, please. We should be leaving for the desert soon."

She could practically hear Sheik smile through his cowl. "Of course. I'll see you there." And then the snap of a Deku Nut pierced the air and then Sheik's aura vanished from of her immediate range. "Damn Sheikah…why do we have to be so mysterious?"

"Cursing your heritage?" Victoria gave a start. "Oh, Shadow, it's just you… don't do that. You seem to be the only one who can..." Shadow walked up and put his hands on her shoulders. "Relax. You don't have to be alert constantly."

She frowned, her lips pursing.

"But what if it's Ganon sneaking up on me? Or one of his creatures?" Shadow shook his head. "No. Even though your magical senses are still developing, you would know if it were Ganon or one of his brainwashed creatures. There's a certain darkness about them you can't ignore…" Now it was Shadow's turn to frown. "Like mine."

Before Victoria could say anything, Link arrived.

"Hey! You two lovebirds ready to go yet?" There was this silly grin on his face that Victoria couldn't tell whether it was from red potion endorphins or simply just Link being his over optimistic self. "Hmm. Perhaps," Victoria quipped slyly, turning around, "or perhaps not."

"Ahh! Not those riddles again!" Link folded his arms, looking very annoying. Victoria couldn't help but laugh.

They left the town with the people cheering them on.

"I'll try to keep them quiet," said Anju as they left, "so we don't attract any attention. It's just… this village has had hard times since the leader went missing." Victoria nodded. She knew what they meant.

"The desert is northwest of Lake Hylia," Shadow informed them, "but that's a long way from here. If we can get some horses at Lon Lon Ranch we might be able to make it to the Fortress by dark." They were now walking along the path to the ranch. "How do you know so much, Shadow?" Victoria asked, "You said Ganondorf never let you out of the castle."

Shadow grimaced.

"He didn't. I snuck out. That's what started the beatings in the first place. Perhaps if I hadn't been so stubborn…" He shook his head. "Whatever. It can't be changed now. Let's just keep going."

Shadow's mind was thinking ahead, remembering things from his past when they still lived in the desert.

"At night, this is what we do to travelers that just so happen to pass through our part of Hyrule." Nabooru was his favorite out of all the Gerudo Thieves. She always made the gruesome things that they did fun.

She let him watch as her battalion attacked a caravan and took the men and precious goods. If there were any females, they were killed on the spot unless they could prove themselves worthy. "Hey, what do they take the men for?" Shadow asked her once.

She just chuckled and waved the question away. "I won't tell 'till you're older, kid. Sorry. I don't want to scar you for life."

He didn't learn until much later exactly what they did with the men – used them in that particular way and then killed them – and even now it seemed the furthest thing from his mind.

'I hope they remember me,' he thought as they entered the ranch, 'otherwise… I don't even want to think about it.' He shuddered. "Something wrong, Shadow?" Victoria looked back, seeing the look on his face. He shook his head. "Not really. We just have to be careful going into the Fortress at night. The Gerudo… don't take kindly to strangers."

Victoria turned away, knowing more or less what he was thinking of.

"So we can have Epona and Midnight?" Malon nodded. "You don't even have to use the rent-a-service! It seems a shame giving away part of my dowry, but…" She winked at Shadow and Victoria. "I think my father will manage. They never really fit in with the other horses anyway."

Link smiled. "Thanks, it means a lot to me." Pause. "What's a dowry again?"

Malon waved a finger. "It's the inheritance a girl gets from her mother when she marries." Link went red in the face. "W-Well you're cute and all…" She nodded. "Yeah. Same here. You're rugged and handsome, but every time someone mentions the Princess you get those googly eyes. Yes! Those!"

Link blushed. "But I only saw her a couple times… when we were little."

Malon laughed uproariously. "Sometimes that's all it may take, fairy boy!" He gulped and then scowled at her childhood name for him. Navi fluttered out of his hat, bouncing up and down in her mirth. "Does everyone else see it besides me?" Victoria tilted her head with a clueless smile. "See what?"

Then she laughed.

"We should get moving soon. The day's already half done!"

So, grumbling and snickering, Link hopped on Epona and Shadow took Midnight with Victoria sitting behind him in the saddle. Midnight was a strong horse and could carry them easily, though the trek still took good while. It was twilight when they arrived at the entrance to the valley.

"I think we should stay here tonight," Shadow said hesitantly, "proceeding further might only result in us getting caught and thrown in the Gerudo jail…" In truth, though, they only put men in the Gerudo jail in the day. They waited until night to do their bidding with their spoils. If they were caught now, they wouldn't even have the option of jail.

"There's enough light to see by. We can sneak past them at the gate. You said there was a gate, right?" Shadow stopped the horse momentarily. "What's wrong?" Victoria asked, looking past his left shoulder.

"We may be walking into a trap, just so he knows…" Victoria smiled, clearly embarrassed if you could see it. "He never listens when he's hot on the trail. I should have told you that." Shadow face palmed himself for his ignorance. "We're connected, magically; I should have known otherwise…" There was silence.

"Damn."

He spurred the horse on across the little wooden bridge and over the gap in the river. Victoria, clinging to Shadow's middle, let out a shaky breath, her left eye twitching.

"Don't do that again… without telling me, at least." He managed a bitter smile before guiding Midnight near Epona, where Link sat talking to a man standing in front of a tent.

"…would you mind finding out what my workers are doing over there?"

Link nodded, turning to Shadow.

"This man says that his workers left him to join the Gerudo thieves. They were carpenters, but they didn't like it so…" he looked warily at the deeper end of the valley. "They left, apparently." Shadow's face twisted in restrained anger. "We'll be lucky to find them alive by morning. If they were, ah, considered at all."

Shadow cleared his throat and Victoria blushed hotly. "So that's what they do to the men they capture?" she asked him quietly. He nodded. "And then they kill them afterwards. There's a reason they're a group of female thieves."

They chose to proceed, if only for the sake of saving the carpenters. Shadow went ahead of Link, listening intently for any sign of the Gerudo. He stopped suddenly, and Link stopped shortly after. "Why are we stopping?" Link whispered. "Shh!" Shadow hissed. "Quiet!" They trotted just a little further, and then Shadow met the sparkling eyes of a thief.

"Get them!" "Dammit…"

Light surrounded them, and Link drew his sword. "Put it down, idiot. We're only going to kill you after we're done with you. Same as the carpenters."

The voice came from beyond the flame-bringers who were behind the archers with flaming arrows. How had they mobilized so quickly? "Please," Shadow pleaded hotly, desperately trying to keep the anger out of his voice, "we need to see Nabooru." The voice from before scoffed.

Then a figure came out of the darkness. She wasn't masked like the others, and she wore white clothing instead of purple. Shadow recognized her as Nabooru's second.

"Namali!" he exclaimed, "You must remember me!"

She studied at him skeptically, and then blinked, backing away in surprise. "You! Ganon's boy!" She looked around at the poised warriors, waving her hand. "It's all right. I give them a full pass. This is Shadow; I think some of you might remember him from a few years back."

They backed off, some exclaiming in recognition.

Namali waved them forward. "Please, dismount your horses, we'll take them to the stables and take very good care of them this night." She paused. "Unless you've come for some reason other than to play catch-up with Nabooru."

Shadow nodded after they'd dismounted. "Yes. We've come to enter the desert. We need to get to the Colossus." Namali frowned. "Well you won't be going there in the night; the river of sand is far too dangerous in the day! And I doubt you would be able to see the extra outposts we've had to put up in the sand to get to the third trial…"

Shadow seemed uneasy. "Well come on boy, we don't have all night. There are some things you need to know anyway; things about the desert."

They came to a cozy section of the Fortress, and sat down around the table Namali had set. Now it was Link's turn for unease. "Why are you being so… accommodating?" He asked hesitantly. "Because you're with Shadow. And even that may not be enough if you keep asking such things. Anything else?" Victoria sat straighter and cleared her throat softly.

"If you could free the carpenters, that would be nice, too."

Namali blinked. "Now who are you?" She narrowed her eyes dangerously. "You've got some nerve asking me to give up prisoners. Whiny prisoners, but prisoners nonetheless." Victoria frowned, her body instinctively leaning into Shadow's.

"She's with us. And please, if you would. Your soldiers destroyed the bridge, and I'd like to walk across the ravine instead of jumping it with the horse."

Namali studied the way Shadow leaned over the girl protectively and how the girl, fiercely quiet and determined but unafraid, clung to him. When it clicked, she shook her head, smiling. "Very well, boy. You know, I never thought you the type to fall for anyone. You're Ganon's boy after all."

At this, Shadow's expression changed in a way she didn't think it ever could.

"Hurry back, Namali. There are some things we need to tell you as well." When she left, Link started talking. "Why didn't you warn me we were going to get caught?" Shadow rolled his eyes. "I did." Link, feeling rather sheepish, blinked. "Oh."

Namali returned.

"The carpenters will be released in the morning." She sat down, crossing her legs. "So, what is it you have to tell me, hmm?" Shadow's eyes narrowed.

"I'm not Ganon's son. I never was, by blood at least."

If this surprised Namali, she didn't show it. "I had expected as such. Even though you've darkened considerably from your years here, that old legend always held true for me in the back of my mind. You know, that Gerudo males are only born once every hundred years thing? That. You never seemed to fit the bill."

Shadow nodded. He launched into the story of how Ganon wanted power, the power of the triforce for himself and not just the whole of Hyrule.

"I see. So you seek Nabooru for the simple thought of the possibility she might be the Spirit Sage?" Shadow scoffed. "Can you think of anyone else with more spirit than she?"

Namali sighed. "Well, even if you could get across the desert to the Colossus, you won't find her."

"What's in the desert? It's always been easy for me to get across the river of sand, and I've never needed the outposts to get there. I always went to the Colossus to escape Ganon when he was angry with me. He never thought to look for me there."

Namali shook her head, folding her arms.

"The river grows ever stronger each day. None of us can cross it now. You wouldn't make it past to solid ground, if you can call the sands of the Haunted Wasteland solid."

Shadow huffed cockily. "But suppose we do cross?"

"It doesn't matter. My point is that Nabooru's gone. Not too long after you and Lord Ganondorf left for the castle, she disappeared. Something tells me it was his doing. He never liked her. I've been in command ever since, operating under her name, using her face."

This was news to Shadow.

"She may still be alive. Held captive in the Colossus, probably."

Namali shook her head. "I can see I won't be able to talk you out of this." He nodded, smirking. "I doubt it. You knew that whenever I put myself to something I wouldn't back down."

"Even as a child. You were a stubborn little cuss. You still are; just bigger and older."

Shadow laughed. "I think you can rest here for the night. If you need anything, let me know; I'll be at the gate's guard post." And so they were left alone, not sure what to do with themselves.

"I suppose we should rest?" Victoria suggested.

"It seems the only thing we can do," Link said, looking out the window he sat by. He moved to the bed behind him, as did Victoria and Shadow. "Goodnight Link," she whispered as he covered himself in blankets.

"Night," he whispered back.

"Looks like we have to share," Shadow chuckled softly. "I don't mind," she said, lying against him, her back to his chest. "We do it often enough." He smiled into her hair. "I hope we live through this. Sometimes those trials were difficult. And if the river has been widening like she said…"

"Hush." She whispered sharply. "Don't entertain yourself with such notions. We'll be fine." She brushed a hand over the dagger and felt and energy within it pulse. She held her surprise behind her tongue.

"Don't worry. Just sleep and it'll work out in the morning."

Shadow could only hope she was right.

Eh… not much there. I was hoping to write more but I'm losing patience and time. It's a school night so I have to post this quick. Sorry for any errors that occur.