Rauru groaned softly, his ancient bones tingling as he eased himself down onto his worn bed. Another day gone forever, and he found it hard to believe that he could barely remember what he had done today. It was all a blur – waking up early, foraging for whatever he could find, praying to the Goddesses to look over his son. The last twenty years had been a blur, and Rauru suddenly found himself unable to remember what day it was.
It was an important day. He frowned in the darkness, as if the shadows were stifling his memory. It was important, he felt sure, but he couldn't recall why. Was it Viscen's birthday? No… his son had been born in the summer, and they were now in the dead of winter.
"Goddesses," the old man sighed, oddly haunted by the fact that he could not recall the importance of the day. Had anyone acted differently in the market today?
No, no, they had all been the same. They always were. Nothing was different, so why should the day be so important? It was just another day, another struggle for survival. Nothing else. Rauru sighed, content with that answer, and turned on his side to sleep.
To his annoyance, there came a firm knocking on the makeshift door of his hovel. The old man opened one eye, still remaining in bed. For the love of Nayru, who was poking around at midnight? Viscen wasn't due back from his patrol duties at the castle until the following morning. "Who is it?"
"Rauru," a voice hissed urgently from the darkness. Rauru sat up in his bed, frowning. He recognized that voice too.
"Link?"
"I didn't think you'd remember my name," came the voice, sounding relieved. "May I come in?"
"Of course," Rauru groaned, getting out of his bed to open the door. Link was standing framed in the doorway, completely armed and equipped.
"What're you up to, son?" Rauru asked, letting Link in before closing the door. The young knight, although he was doing his best to remain calm, had an aura of pent-up energy around him. Almost as if he was electrified. Rauru took a seat on the side of his bed, looking curiously at Link.
"Rauru," Link said quietly. "I need your help. Ganondorf… he's taken Zelda."
"Who?" Rauru asked.
"I don't think you've met her," Link said, "but she's a very close friend of mine. We grew up together as children and… well…" He coughed, before blurting: "She's the Crown Princess of Hyrule."
"What?" Rauru asked sharply. "Harkinian's daughter?"
Link nodded. "I know it sounds crazy, but hear me out. When Ganondorf took over this country, King Harkinian entrusted Zelda to my father, Aleron Hylia…"
"Spare me the details, son," Rauru chuckled. "I believe you."
Link looked shocked. "Yo… you do?"
"Why would you lie to me?" Rauru shrugged. "So… Zelda, is it? She's the Crown Princess?"
"Yes, and Ganondorf has her. His troops arrested her this morning, along with another friend of mine. I was barely able to escape."
"Hmm." Rauru sat on the edge of his bed, looking down into his old and withered hands. "And what, Sir Hylia, do you want me to do for you? I'm a bit old to go out fighting."
"You're a town Elder," Link said, evenly. "The people – they trust you, right?"
"Well enough," Rauru shrugged, "but I can't guarantee they'll listen to me." He fixed Link with an inquiring look. "Why do you ask?"
"Rauru," Link said, "I need to get Zelda back. She's the Crown Princess, and if Ganondorf finds out… I… I don't know what he'll do to her. Rauru, the rebellion: it needs to start tonight."
"Tonight?" Rauru blinked in surprise. "But…"
"I need you," Link interrupted, "to gather as many people as you can to the town square. It should be fairly empty, the guards are afraid to patrol at night. I need you to get as many people as you can, as fast as you can."
"How much time do I have?" Rauru asked, groaning as he got to his feet. Looked like it would be a sleepless night.
"How many people can you get in an hour?" Link asked, helping Rauru fetch a walking stick.
"Quite a few. But I can't say how many will come. After all, it's no guarantee they'll listen to me."
"That's okay," Link said. "They'll be listening to me."
"You?"
"Yeah," Link muttered distractedly. "The time has come to overthrow Ganondorf."
Rauru chuckled, walking towards his door. "Well, this'll draw a crowd, at least. Many people in Castle Town would love to hear a speech from the great Hero."
"I'm counting on it," Link said, tensely. "I've got some other business to do. I'll meet you in an hour at the town square?"
"Count me in," Rauru wheezed, opening the door and shuddering as the chill night wind settled into his frail bones. "I wouldn't miss this for the world."
Link smiled, giving Rauru a soft embrace. "Thanks a lot."
The old man sighed, gazing at the full moon hovering luminously in the sky. "You know," Rauru said, snapping his fingers excitedly, "I just remembered!"
Link was already on the rooftop of the house; how he got there so quickly was anyone's guess. The young knight turned around, his eyes shining with anticipation, eagerness, anxiety, and a thousand other emotions. "What is it, Rauru?"
"It's Goddess Day Eve," the old man muttered softly. "Tomorrow will be the start of a new year."
"You're right," Link replied, sounding startled. "I'd forgotten as well. There's just been so much going on."
"How interesting," Rauru murmured. "You and the Crown Princess growing up as children… and now this! The Goddesses certainly do like to tantalize us mortals with the trappings of fate, don't they?"
"We'll see," Link said, disappearing into the darkness without a sound. Rauru sighed, leaning on his walking stick for a second.
Curious. He had forgotten all about Goddess Day, the most important holiday in Hyrule. And it seemed that no one else had remembered, either. Such an important day – it marked the start of a new year, symbolizing a time of new beginnings for the country.
Well, Rauru thought, we haven't had a new beginning for twenty years. Here's to hoping that tomorrow might be different.
The old man groaned, his feet feeling heavy as he forced himself to trudge forward. One hour to incite a rebellion in Castle Town.
He had a feeling it would be a very, very long night.
The castle dungeons stank of human filth and rotten decay, and despite wallowing in there for several hours, Zelda still had not grown used to the horrid smell. It sank into her clothing, settling itself into her nose, making her head swim and ache. She wondered vaguely how the other prisoners could stand the stench – then, she wondered if there were any other prisoners, or if they were all just rotten corpses. That would certainly explain the stench.
The journey from the Dotour manor to the Royal Castle had been a nerve-wracking experience. She had half expected Link to rescue her: a part of her would have welcomed such an attempt, but she knew that such an attempt would have been futile. Even Link would have been hard-pressed to rescue her from an army of guards. The barred windows of her carriage had allowed little light, and she had spent the majority of the journey in complete darkness, awaiting her fate.
Yet, she had not been tortured or killed – yet. As soon as she had reached the castle, her guards had escorted her to the dungeons and promptly locked her in without another word. She wondered what Ganondorf's ultimate plans for her were – she recalled Vaati as saying that the king had a "special interest" in her. Zelda shivered. Her mind was plenty capable of imagining the horrors Ganondorf had in store, and none of them comforted her.
Idly, she blindly felt her way around the walls in which she was imprisoned, for there was no light to actually see anything. Rough, hewn stone, slimy to the touch, comprised the walls of her chamber, which was barely larger than a small closet. Not even big enough to lie down – not that she would have. The floor was slick with muck and only Goddesses knew what else. She sighed, leaning against the wall, wondering how long she would have to wait for Ganondorf to kill her.
Not long, apparently. Only a few seconds later, she heard a series of footsteps echoing outside of her cell, and low, hurried voices. Then, there was a click, followed by a tortured groan as he rusted cell door opened. A torch – the first light she had seen in hours – shone brightly in her face, and Zelda shielded her eyes in the sudden brightness.
"Don't act so shy, dear," came a cackling voice. Zelda squinted through the blinding light, making out a pair of bulbous yellow eyes staring at her from the darkness. Hesitantly, she walked forward. Those bulbous eyes were part of a face, made of mottled green skin stretched over a leering skull. The other woman, whom Zelda could best describe as a witch, cackled.
"Who are you?" Zelda asked warily.
"Kotake, chief advisor to our king, Lord Ganondorf," the other woman said. There came a guffaw of laughter from behind her.
"Chief advisor? Sorry, sister, but I believe that title belongs to me!"
"Koume, you hag!" Kotake shot back, swatting someone behind her. There was a muffled yelp and then another woman, a virtual clone of Kotake, appeared.
"My sister, Koume," Kotake grumbled, introducing the other witch to Zelda. Koume stared at Zelda intently, her large hooked nose bobbing seemingly with a life of its own.
"My, my, what a darling!" Koume cackled heinously. "I can see why Hylia holds you so dear in his heart."
The two witches laughed sardonically. Zelda held her ground.
"What do you want from me?" she asked, bluntly. Kotake grinned, displaying a full set of rotten, yellowing teeth.
"It's not what we want from you, dear. It's what Ganondorf wants. And right now, he wishes for your presence in his throne room."
"I don't suppose I have a choice in the matter?"
"Smart girl," Koume snickered. "Guards, if you would."
Two other guards, whom Zelda had not seen, emerged from the shadows behind the witches. One of the guards produced a thin cord of rope while his comrade watched Zelda carefully for any signs of escape.
Zelda sighed, resigned to the fact that she was unable to escape her predicament… yet. She held out her hands to the guard, allowing him to bind her easier. Then, the two guards carefully took her out of the cell and out into the dungeon halls, which were, if possible, even grimier than the cell floor.
"Well, get a move on!" Koume, or Kotake (Zelda couldn't tell which), declared, leading the guards forward with her torch brandished as a beacon. Even with the torchlight, the complete darkness of the dungeon was stifling, and Zelda felt herself trip on a hidden step or crack more than once.
At least they were getting away from the oppressive atmosphere of the dungeon. The two witches and guards led Zelda up a flight of spiraling stairs, out of the dungeon, which emerged into a small hall that was dimly lit by torch brackets on the stone walls. Outside of the windows, Zelda could see that night had fallen. Had the day really passed so quickly? She had lost all sense of time trapped in her cell, and for all Zelda knew, it might have been a week after her arrest. But that was absurd: she had seen Kafei's death this very morning...
Without respite, the witches marched up the hall, past countless doors and through several winding corridors. Then, up another flight of stairs. The castle was oddly empty, devoid of all life, which only added to Zelda's sense of foreboding. And – could she hear organ music playing in the background? It was faint, but growing louder with every step she took! Yes, that was organ music. Zelda's mind reeled in confusion.
Finally, the group stopped in front of a pair of magnificent oak doors, which were engraved in gilded sigils and adorned with a massive brass knocker. Kotake reached up, the short and stubby witch struggling to reach the knocker. One of the guards stepped forward and rang it for her.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Three times the knocker rang, and then fell silent, as the guard quickly stepped back. The gong-like booms echoed around the hall, reverberating in Zelda's head, and then, the organ stopped.
"Come in," replied a deep, baritone voice, and Koume complied, pushing open the double doors with all of her might.
The new room was blazing with light, a sharp contrast to the darkened and shadowy corridors of the castle, and Zelda found herself behind shoved forward by her two guards. The room was lavishly decorated: suits of steel armor lined the walls like impassive guards, and a plush velvety rug ran from the doorway to a massive golden throne, which was currently vacant. To the left of the throne was a huge, baroque organ, and its player…
"King Ganondorf!" Koume and Kotake saluted simultaneously. The king, dressed in plate mail and sporting a red cape with furred trimmings, stood from his chair, leaving the organ at rest.
"You may leave us now," the king said, quietly, and the two guards by Zelda's side quickly retreated, closing the door behind them.
To Zelda, the sound of the doors shutting behind her were like a death sentence. She was now trapped in the throne room of King Ganondorf, hands bound and completely at his mercy. She struggled to control her heart, which was practically ready to burst from her chest.
"So," Ganondorf said, turning to face Zelda. "This is the Crown Princess of Hyrule. Harkinian's daughter."
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Zelda said boldly. The king sneered.
"There's no need to lie, Princess. I am not some dumb barbarian. I know about your true lineage, as I'm sure you do as well. So please, do not insult my intelligence."
Ganondorf walked around her, observing her like an animal might hunt its prey, before returning to his throne. The usurper-king sighed in contentment as he rested his mighty frame on the golden throne.
"Are you hungry, Princess? Or thirsty?"
"No," Zelda replied coldly.
Ganondorf shrugged. "I offered such amenities to you. Don't let it be said that I lack civility."
"Civility?" Zelda spat. "Is that what you call your reign of Hyrule for the last two decades?"
He shrugged once more, unconcerned. "I care not for what you think is right and proper. Might makes right, and the fact that your father was too weak to oppose me… well, he deserved to be overthrown."
Ganondorf glanced to his side, out of the windows of his throne room and out onto the faint outline of Castle Town. "I can sense rebellion brewing," the king said shrewdly to Zelda. "You and your little Hero have ensured that."
"You will fall," Zelda replied through clenched teeth, secretly astounded at her own calm in the face of such evil. "Whether or not I live tonight matters not. Your reign is at an end."
"I will not relinquish my power so easily," Ganondorf shot back, "especially not to a pathetic rabble of peasants, led by some rogue noble who deems himself as the Hero reborn."
The usurper-king left his throne, pacing restlessly back and forth like some brooding god of war. His baleful eyes were flickering as if they were possessed with fire, and his huge, gauntleted hands continuously stroked the hilt of his massive warblade. Zelda hated to think what one swipe from that blade would do to a man.
"Your Hero will make his move soon," Ganondorf said, staring out onto castle town from his throne room windows. "Now that I have the Crown Princess in my grasp… he will surely come for you."
"He's not stupid," Zelda replied, trying to stay calm. "He won't walk into a trap with me as the bait." Even as she said it, she realized that Link would likely do anything to free her from Ganondorf. This realization of his loyalty to her both terrified and exhilarated Zelda.
Ganondorf seemed to realize this as well. "My dear Princess," he barked, laughing, "your Link has a penchant for heroism. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that he will come to me, now that I have you."
"Koume! Kotake!"
Both witches snapped to attention. Ganondorf vaguely waved at them.
"Ensure that our Princess is firmly secured and immobile. I wish for her to see the final confrontation between the rightful king… and the pathetic traitor she calls a Hero."
At once, both witches turned to Zelda, their bulbous eyes flashing with eerie light. They raised their mottled green hands, palms outstretched, towards Zelda, and began to chant in deep, bass voices – a complete change from their normal high-pitched cackle. Zelda felt her hair stand on end as her ropes withered away, falling to her feet, and an odd sensation began to prickle her skin.
"What… what are you doing to me?" she gasped, trying to remain calm, as she was lifted several feet into the air.
"Relax, Princess," Ganondorf drawled lazily, watching her with amusement. "This is not a form of torture. That will come later, once you see your Hero fall in battle."
Zelda blinked, and the witches' voices peaked in unison, completing their spell. There was a flash of light, and when Zelda recovered from the brightness, she found herself completely encased in a shining pink prison. The contours and texture of her new cell felt like glass, or gemstone; she futilely pounded on it, hoping to crack its surface, but to no avail.
"Don't tire yourself out with useless resistance," Ganondorf laughed. "We've got a long night ahead of us. I need you to stay awake and witness the ultimate triumph of my reign."
"You can't win," Zelda replied, glaring at him through her crystal prison. "Not even your witches' black magic will stop Link."
"We shall see about that, Princess," Ganondorf replied, settling back onto his throne with a smile. He glanced out of the windows once more, as if sensing the rebellion brewing in Castle Town. "We shall see."
The Town Square was filled with flickering lights, hundreds of tiny sparks in the sea of darkness that bathed the city. Link looked at them with satisfaction: Rauru had done a good job of rustling up the citizens in only an hour. Of course, there were only a couple hundred people gathered in the Town Square, but Link figured that was enough. Once everything came together, those hundreds would multiply into thousands.
The young knight leapt down from his rooftop position, feeling the familiar excitement pumping through his veins. Except, this time, the stakes had changed. He was no longer fighting for just Hyrule – he was fighting to save Zelda. Her life was on the line, and his actions and words tonight would shape the combined fate of Hyrule and its Princess.
Rauru was waiting for Link on the ground, along with four other people, all of them Town Elders. To his surprise, Link recognized one of them aside from Rauru: his old friend and nursemaid, Impa.
"How are you, Master Link?" the old woman smiled, her bony hand feeling incredibly warm and comforting. For a second, he was lost for words, gaping stupidly at her.
"Impa! How… how did you escape Hylia manor? Are all the other servants alright?"
She waved away his concern with a smile. "Ganondorf's thugs weren't interested in small fish like us. They wanted you and Miss Zelda." Impa smiled, looking at Link approvingly. "Well, I guess I finally know what you've been doing all these months. It's a shame you didn't tell me, Master Link – I could've helped you out quite a bit."
"Well, I'll need your help tonight more than ever," Link said grimly, "and Zelda will also."
Impa bowed her head, and Rauru stepped forward. "Link, let me introduce you to some of the other Town Elders. This is Darunia."
An enormous man stepped forward, his beady eyes burning with fire. His huge muscles rippled with scars and tattoos, and Link felt privately glad that he had such a fearsome ally on his side. The man seemed more like a Goron than a man, and each step he took left a large imprint on the dusty ground.
"I'm glad to finally meet the famed Hero," Darunia said, crushing Link in a hug. "Well met, Brother! I am Darunia, one of the Town Elders. I'm glad that tonight, we shall regain our lost glory. I was a captain in King Harkinian's court, and I can still remember the splendor of Hyrule's Golden Age."
"We all do," Rauru said wryly. Darunia nodded.
"I hope this little Princess of yours can live up to her title," Darunia said, thumping Link hard on the back. "Although, if she is Harkinian's daughter, she'll be a quick learner…"
The massive man retreated, and up stepped another of the Elders, a petite woman with curled brown hair and a slightly earthy aura about her. "My name is Saria," she chirped, her voice warm and soothing. I'm the Town apothecary – I grow the herbs and plants needed to cure people of their ailments."
"She's been the head apothecary for years," Impa cut in, smiling at Link. "I remember when you were a little lad, I took you to her seemingly every other week. You were always sick with something."
Link grinned sheepishly, and Saria continued. "I'm not a proponent of violence or anarchy – I would much rather prefer to stay neutral in a conflict, and care for the needy. But, Sir Hylia, if you truly have it in your heart to overthrow Ganondorf and restore Hyrule to its former glory, I will add my support in this endeavor."
"Thank you," Link said sincerely, briefly embracing the tiny woman. She smiled at him and fell back into the shadows, allowing another one of her comrades to introduce themselves. A tall, olive-skinned woman stepped forward, her hooked nose and desert-clothing reminding Link forcibly of the…
"Gerudo?" he said blankly, staring at the woman and mentally checking for any weapons she possessed.
"Yes, I am Nabooru of the Gerudo," she replied, her voice throaty and rich, "but not a member of the Gerudo. You see, long before Ganondorf created his elite unit of assassins, the Gerudo were a people of desert-dwellers that lived in the deserts south-west of Hyrule. Ganondorf himself is a Gerudo, a member of our race – not to be confused with the Gerudo assassins. I am not proud to say that, in his original endeavor to conquer Hyrule, I supported him – after all, he was my king."
She frowned slightly, before shaking her head and continuing. "However, after it became clear that Ganondorf had no intention of ruling Hyrule for the good of our people, I became rather… disenchanted with his ideals. I've been hiding in Castle Town for the past twenty years, waging my own little war against our king."
Nabooru smiled, shifting the folds of her clothing to reveal a set of scimitars, razor sharp and ready for battle.
"It is a basic tenet of my people for everyone, men, women, and children, to believe in the martial code of honor. It is how we have survived in the unforgiving desert, and I believe that the ability to use a sword is the greatest skill a person can possess." She smirked at Link, before adding, "on another day, perhaps, I would like to test my skills against the famed Hero's."
Link only smiled back politely, unsure of what to make of her rather… warlike countenance. He and Nabooru briefly exchanged embraces, and he uncomfortably noted that he could feel the blades of her scimitars through the fabric of her clothing.
"Well, that accounts for all of us…" Rauru said, smiling at Link. "You know Impa, of course, and I daresay you know me well enough. We are missing one of the Elders tonight – she has been dead for several years, and to honor her memory, her position of Town Elder has yet to be filled by another."
"Ruto," Impa muttered, and there were murmurs from the other Elders.
"Yes, Ruto," Rauru said. "The most active and vocal of all of us, and thus, a thorn in Ganondorf's side. We never discovered what happened to her – her home was ransacked and she herself missing."
"That quieted the rest of us down a bit," Darunia added, his voice rumbling. "I'm not proud to admit it, but Ruto's disappearance scared all of us quite a bit."
"Ganondorf depends on spreading fear," Nabooru replied contemptuously, as if unwilling to admit that Ruto's fate had dissuaded her from any seditious activities. "If we can overcome the terror he spreads, than he has nothing. Not even his Gerudo were capable of killing one man."
Nabooru nodded admiringly at Link, and he smiled, somewhat taken aback by her praise. Rauru shook them out of their reminiscing.
"We've sat here long enough talking. We've been doing that for the last twenty years. Now, it's time for action." Rauru nodded to Link, his graying eyes shining with youthful eagerness. "What's the plan, Link?"
"Right," Link said, feeling slightly self-conscious leading a group of Elders that were, for the most part, his seniors. "I'm not asking the people to fight. Too much bloodshed has been spilled, and many families have sons or fathers serving as soldiers."
Rauru, Saria, and Impa all nodded. Nabooru looked somewhat let-down, unconsciously feeling the hilts of her scimitars.
"But," Link said, "we need some direct action. A show of force, if you will. Ganondorf's troops are manning the castle battlements, but like I said, many of them owe their loyalties to their families in Castle Town rather than the king. If we can start a rebellion – a convincing one – in town…"
"Then the soldiers will mutiny?" Rauru finished, and Link nodded.
"Right. That's my hope, anyways. I need all of you to help organize the people and get them ready for a march to the castle."
"Where will you be in all of this, Master Link?" Impa asked, worriedly.
"I've got to reach Zelda," Link replied, calmly. "And wherever Zelda is, Ganondorf will be as well. He's going to use her as bait, to catch me."
"Master Link," Impa exclaimed, alarmed, "is it… wise to rush into such a trap?"
"No," Link replied, with a smile, "but I'm not leaving Zelda to die."
"So while you're rescuing the Princess," Nabooru said, rather bitingly, "we're just supposed to start a riot? To distract Ganondorf's troops?"
"Not a riot," Link said, quickly. "We don't want the city to be destroyed. An organized protest, I guess, is a better term."
"And do you think an 'organized protest' will work against someone like Ganondorf?" Nabooru shot back, disdainfully.
"If we can get his troops to rebel," Link replied, "then we can storm the castle and end Ganondorf's reign. He's only one man, after all. With his Gerudo gone, he has only a few truly loyal supporters to rely on."
"But how likely are the soldiers to rebel?" Darunia asked, worriedly.
Link looked at the moon, shining high in the sky. It was almost midnight, and the people in Town Square were growing restless. He needed to talk to them soon.
"Most of Ganondorf's soldiers are recruited from peasant families in Castle Town," Link answered evenly. "Only a small percentage of his army, mercenaries and members of the nobility, will likely side with him in the event of a true rebellion. But it needs to be a strong protest, one that will convince the citizen-soldiers to join our cause."
"Will this be enough?" Rauru asked, gesturing to the crowd of several hundred whom had gathered and were awaiting Link's speech.
"It's the spark that will ignite the flame," Link affirmed, looking upon the hundreds of shimmering torch lights held aloft in Town Square. "By the time this night is over, all of Castle Town will be up in arms."
