Link was floating through empty space. It was black and he couldn't see a thing, but he could feel. Suspended in the air, he was aware he was not alone. It was a peculiar feeling, floating in nothingness, until finally he was thrust into the light. He shut his eyes against the brilliance as he fell from the portal in the sky and was spared a painful landing by Zanthos, who lowered the three of them slowly onto the sandy floor. It was a hot place; the air was extremely dry. Link didn't know where he was but the wind bit his skin cruelly as it blasted sand against his face. Taking a moment to look around, he noticed they were outside of some sort of temple. Here too the bulblins, bokoblins and dynalfos took residence. Link noticed they were in a circular clearing that had an enormous pillar at its center. In front of the pillar was a large circular, golden frame that was holding together what appeared to be a cracked, broken mirror. At the center of this broken mirror was a piece of glass that had the shape of a tear. Occasionally it sparkled with that same mysterious blue light.
"It was forbidden by Queen Midna centuries ago..." Zanthos murmured as he turned to face the broken mirror, giving his back to the children. "The Twili... my people... were never to return to Hyrule again… or so the Scrolls of History state. You see, this mirror is the link between your precious world of light... and my world of shadows. Only the true ruler of Twilight can completely destroy the mirror. Queen Midna destroyed it so the Twili could never return to the light. This is what has been written. This is what has been ordered by the Royal Twili Family. But I found a way. I found a way to travel to Hyrule. I will be the one to merge both shadow and light... I found it"
He turned to look at the children who were huddled together. "Why do you look so confused? Is there doubt in your mind that I am great? The Twili have magical powers far beyond anything you have ever seen… far greater than you can imagine. We possess the power of the Fused Shadow. But it was not this power that allowed me to cross the portal between our worlds even without the mirror. No it was not. It was something else entirely...far more powerful... I found it. Oh yes, I have access to such power" Zanthos said, walking back and forth. Link and Zelda looked at each other.
"How can you possess this supposed power?" Zelda asked.
"How, you ask? I am second in line for the throne. I am a descendant of Queen Midna herself. And it was I who found it... I alone knew her secret. That is why I have been able to reconstruct this mirror... the Mirror of Twilight. It is all thanks to her. Of course, if my dear sister hadn't caught me... she took the Fused Shadow from me, you know... but she knew not..." Zanthos trailed off. Link and Zelda looked at each other again, both thinking the same thing: this guy was insane.
"Yes," Zanthos began again, "Midona... she took the Fused Shadow and so I was unable to return to take my place as rightful King. But she knew not that I have that power and Midna's secret with me. You see, children, Queen Midna said this: The arrows of light from the true ruler of Hyrule, cast with the Bow of Destiny, will reopen the path to the Twilight Realm. Do you understand? If I open the path, then I can return home... that is really all I want: to return home." Zanthos summoned Zelda to him.
"Now... the arrows, my dear Princess" he crooned. Then Zelda did something that left Link speechless: she spat on Zanthos' face. The bokoblins surrounding them hissed in anger.
"I will never help you!" she said angrily as Zanthos wiped the spit from his pale face. He then summoned Link.
"Child, you will produce those arrows or I will make this boy suffer. He will go mad with the pain of it" Zanthos threatened.
"Don't do it!" Link shouted. Zanthos used his magic to cast a spell on Link, causing him to writhe and moan in pain. Zelda screamed, horrified.
"Stop it!" she cried, but Zanthos didn't stop. He intensified the pain so that Link was now screaming at the top of his lungs. "I'll do it! I'll give you the arrows! Just stop it!" Zelda wailed. Zanthos stopped. Link curled up into a ball, shaking and sweating. The young Princess stepped forward.
"Remove my ropes" she said quietly. A bokoblin stepped forward to cut her bindings. Once free, Zelda closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Out of thin air appeared an arrow made of bright light.
"Stand, boy" Zanthos commanded, and the ropes binding Link were cut by the same bokoblin. He shakily got to his feet. "Good. Now take your bow... and shoot this arrow at the mirror"
Link glared at the shadow being. He grabbed his bow and took the light arrow from Zelda.
"What if I don't want to?" he said.
"Then I will kill the Princess. She has served her purpose now. There is no reason for her to live" Zanthos said simply. Keep her safe... she is the key... those words echoed in Link's head. Everybody had gone through so much to protect her. Keep her safe, they had said. Link had no choice. He aimed for the mirror and pulled the string; the arrow shone brightly but didn't blind him. His aim was true. He expected the mirror to shatter, but instead, the light arrow was absorbed into it. The Mirror of Twilight lit up with a light so bright, Link had to cover his eyes. There was a loud humming noise that made Link look again. A few seconds later a portal opened. Zanthos laughed.
"Yes... at last. Now my foolish sister cannot keep the Fused Shadow from me any longer. And with the Power of Shadows combined with this magnificent power... I will bring forth an army of such power never before seen in the history of the Twilight Realm or your beloved Hyrule! And it is thanks to you, my dearest children!" Zanthos said triumphantly. He turned to a bokoblin and ordered him to grab the Princess. "You're coming with me" Zanthos said, walking up the stairs that had materialized with the portal.
"LINK!" Zelda shrieked as the bokoblin pulled her along. Link ran up the stairs and threw himself in the air, grabbing her hand before she could be pushed through the portal. There was a sudden, blinding, white light and a loud, deep boom that caused a ripple in the air when their hands touched. Zanthos and his minions were thrown back by the ripple as Link and the Princess were lifted into the air by what Link could only think of as a mini, glowing, tornado. Their hair whipped around their face, and it was difficult to breathe. Zanthos was forced into the portal by the force of the wind and the bulblins and bokoblins were knocked back through the air, smashing into the dynalfos who roared in pain and panic. Link felt a searing, burning sensation on his hand and by the yelp Zelda let out, he knew she did too. Looking down at their joined hands Link saw the cause of the pain. His birthmark was glowing with a golden-white light, and to his utter amazement, Zelda had the exact, same birthmark he did, and hers was glowing too.
"The Triforce" she whispered, reaching out for Link's other hand. They joined hands and pulled each other close, still floating in the air inside the turbulent wind. Neither of them dared to break the connection. The enemies were screaming and shouting below, shooting arrows at the two children, but their arrows never reached them. Suddenly there were more people. Three or four figures, dressed in blue and sporting bandages with a mysterious-looking red eye emblazoned on their chest, began fighting the enemies. Link didn't know what was happening. He was beginning to feel light-headed and weak. He felt Zelda's hand slackening in his and he held on tighter. But it was getting harder and harder to breathe... to keep his grip on the Princess... and then there was nothing.
Link woke up to darkness. He didn't know where he was, or what had happened. He remembered Zelda and Zanthos... the mirror... and something about the triforce. His left hand throbbed. His head hurt, too. By the feel of it, he was on a bed... but where? Sitting up, he tried to adjust his eyes to the darkness.
"Link! You're awake" a familiar voice said. A lamp was lit and Zelda came into view. She looked tired, sitting by his bed.
"Where are we?" Link croaked. His throat was dry and he was thirsty.
"With the Sheikah; they saved us. We are in the Hidden Village" Zelda explained.
"What happened to Zanthos? And the mirror?" he asked worriedly.
Zelda shook her head. "I don't remember much either"
"How long was I out?" he asked, massaging his temples.
"Just a couple of hours" Zelda said.
The door to the room opened and someone came inside. She was a tall, slender woman with red eyes and long, bright, blond hair. She couldn't be more than thirty-five years old, if Link guessed correctly. The same curious red eye that adorned her chest was tattooed on her forehead.
"This is Impa, leader of the Sheikah" Zelda said. Impa smiled at Link. He was so confused. He vaguely remembered something his dad told him about a magical tribe from long ago.
"We were lucky to find you" Impa said, pouring water into a wooden cup. She added two drops of some strange, red liquid and handed the cup to Link. "Drink. This will make you feel better" she said. Link thirstily gulped down the water and immediately felt the pains subside.
"Wow... what was that?" he asked, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
"Red Potion. It is a healing potion sold throughout Hyrule, but only the best witches and sorcerers make it" Impa replied. "Come... let us venture outside, the cool breeze will do you both good."
They followed Impa outside. The Hidden Village was made up of no more than four or five buildings and about three houses. It was rundown and empty; old ruins... like it had been abandoned many, many centuries ago. He saw the other Sheikah then, all dressed similarly. There was a tiny old lady with fluffy white hair, a red-headed man, who seemed to be around Impa's age, who was tending (to Link's surprise and joy) to Epona and Fury. And there were two others, a boy and a girl. They were identical; same slender bodies and silvery-white hair. They couldn't be much older than Link; probably in their late teens. All of them had the same red eye tattooed on their body. And then Link noticed the sky. The sky was blue... but blackness was starting to bleed through like ink over part of it. It gave Link the shivers. He turned away.
"What is this place?" he asked curiously, looking around village.
"It's called the Hidden Village. Many, many years ago... almost six-hundred years ago, to be exact... a great woman built this place for her tribe, the Shadow Folk... also known as the Sheikah. I am named after her. Anyway, we served for many centuries as the Royal Family's personal guards. Throughout the years, as wars and strife claimed Hyrule, less and less of our people remained. There was a time when everybody thought the Sheikah to be long gone. But we were not. We merely spread out, blended in with other people, like the Hylians... the Gerudo. We are descendants of these great people. Five of us came to rebuild this village, in the hopes of bringing other Sheikahs back too" Impa explained.
Link didn't know what to say. He remembered now that he had heard about the Sheikah in the books his father had kept in his study. He never in his wildest dreams thought he would actually meet one, after all, he too had thought they were all gone. He turned to Zelda.
"Why did you mention the triforce?" he asked the Princess. Everybody knew about the Triforce, of course. It was the sacred relic left behind by the three goddesses of Hyrule: Din, the goddess of power, Nayru the goddess of wisdom, and Farore, the goddess of courage. But what did that have to do with him and Zelda? The Princess sighed.
"Part of being a member of the Royal Family involves protecting this sacred relic" Zelda began. "For generations, the Royal Family has kept the Triforce safe, in a place called The Temple of Light. Somehow, I don't know how or why, it seems I hold a piece... and so do you Link. They activated when we held hands... it sensed we were in great danger"
Link remained silent. He held a piece of the Triforce? That was ridiculous. He was a lowly peasant. He was a nobody. He couldn't possibly hold a piece of such holy power...
"There is a legend passed down by the Shadow Folk" Impa said as she began to walk. The two children followed her. "The legend speaks of the Twili. These beings were cast into the Twilight Realm after trying to rule the Sacred Realm. Do you know what the Sacred Realm is?" she asked. Zelda nodded as Link shook his head.
"It's the place where the Triforce rested when the goddesses ascended once more to the heavens. It is the Temple of Light or the Golden Land" the Princess answered. Impa nodded.
"Yes, that is correct. Well... I am sure you know about the Twilight Take Over, yes?" Impa asked. Both children nodded. "Good. It was said that only the true ruler of the Twilight Realm could destroy the Mirror of Twilight—"
"Yeah, Zanthos told us" Link interrupted bitterly. He was angry at what he had helped that fiend do.
Impa looked at him for a couple of seconds before continuing. "The Twilight Princess did, indeed, destroy the mirror. I know so, because I have been to the place where it rested. And so have you. I saw it with my own eyes. Nothing remained. But this legend speaks of the return of the Twili to Hyrule. Now I know the legend is true. But this legend also spoke of a Hero who would arise and help restore Hyrule to its peacefulness, with the help of the Princess."
Zelda and Link stared wide-eyed at the Sheikah. She smiled softly, a look of sadness in her eyes. "It is a heavy burden that weighs your young shoulders down now" she said quietly.
"How do you know all this?" Link asked with his mouth agape.
Impa chuckled. "Why... we speak to the stones, of course" she said, and disappeared in a flash of bright light.
"They speak to the... what is that supposed to mean?!" he raged, rounding on Zelda. She shook her head and shrugged.
"Hi!" the white-haired girl said, as the twins sauntered over to Link and Zelda.
"Hello" Link and the Princess said in unison.
"My name is Ryder… my brother," she pointed with her thumb at her brother who was grinning, "is Stryker."
"Hey" he said, grinning.
"Those are some beautiful horses you guys have" Ryder said, looking over her shoulder at Fury and Epona.
"Thanks" Link said proudly.
"How old are you guys, anyway?" Ryder asked, draping her arm lazily around Stryker's shoulder.
"I'm twelve. Will turn thirteen next month" Link said.
"I'm eleven" the Princess said shyly. "How old are you?"
"We're sixteen" Ryder answered.
"Come now, children" a voice said, startling Link. It was the tiny old lady. He hadn't even heard her approach them. "You must be tired, and you need nourishment. I daresay you are much too thin" And with that, she grabbed Zelda's and Link's hand and pulled them along to one of the houses, Ryder and Stryker following behind. It was a warm, cozy home that reminded Link of his own house. He blinked back tears and swallowed the lump that had risen in his throat. "Sit, children. Dinner will be ready in a minute" the old lady said. At that moment, the door opened. The red-headed man came inside. He was much taller than Link had first thought, and strong too, it seemed. His broad shoulders were almost too large to fit through the door. He nodded at the children.
"What's for dinner tonight, Granny?" he asked, sitting beside Zelda.
"Beef stew, dear" said Granny, stirring the kettle that was bubbling over the fire. The door to the house opened once more and Impa came inside. She took some bowls from the cupboard and helped Granny serve dinner.
"Bad news, Fanaad" Impa said, taking her seat next to Stryker. Everyone looked at her. "Things aren't looking good for the people in Castle Town and the enemy is spreading quickly to the surrounding areas. The Zora's managed to keep them at bay, but it's only a matter of time before they are attacked again."
"It's all our fault" Zelda said quietly, looking down at her bowl. Link felt terrible.
"No" Fanaad said, placing a big hand on her shoulder. "Nothing is your fault, Princess. You and young Link are our only hope now. Without you, Hyrule has no hope. You are not responsible for the evil actions of others"
"But we helped him do it" Link said gloomily.
"What you did, Link, is save the Princess. You did what you had to… none of this is your fault" Impa said kindly.
Link remained quiet. No matter what they said, he knew it was his fault that Hyrule was in chaos. He had helped Zanthos. Suddenly he wasn't hungry anymore.
A/N: So Zanthos found a way back, but how?! And we finally find out Link and Zelda are wielders of their respective Triforce pieces! But of course they are... otherwise I'd have no story lol. In came the Sheikah, too! I promise the story Zanthos said and legend that Impa talks about will be expanded upon throughout the course of the story. It will make sense, I promise! Anyway, please review! See you next time! xoxo