Dora walked swiftly along the road to her next destination. She carried with her, in a large bag, two small bottles she found after rummaging around Drake's office to hide the bodies behind his desk. She dumped the liquor out of them into a toilet and used the running water for the basins to clean the bottles. It seemed like the best way to hold the blood of her victims until she returned to the temple. Her walk was consumed with thoughts of how exactly she could drain enough blood without being caught.
Link's house was easy enough to find, since it was the only house on the block with the Hylian Crest marked on the door. All the lights were out, so everyone was asleep. Dora ascended the three wooden steps on her toes and reached the front door silently. She twisted the knob, and was not surprised to find it locked. The window to the left and right did not budge. Forced entry was too noisy. She leaned far over the railing of the porch and found second story windows. The chances of them being locked were slim enough that she took the risk. Dora stepped up onto the railing and gripped the edge of the roof over the porch. She prepared herself, because one false move meant she tumbled all the way to the ground just to wake everyone with a bang. She exhaled a deep breath and pulled herself up with her arms until she could swing her leg to roll onto the roof. Her muscles slightly trembled, but her breathing was well under control. She slid over to the first window, and was rewarded when she cracked it open with ease.
Away from all the street lights and porch lamps, Dora feared seeing her surroundings would prove difficult. However, it seemed part of her vixen attributes were still with her, as the moonlight shining in the window was enough for her to see the cluttered floor, the posters of Zelda on the wall, and the half-naked youth sprawled out over his bed. He wore only a pair of shorts, so Dora could easily see the defined muscles of his exposed torso and arms that indicated he was well trained. Was this him?
She crept around the side of the bed that his left arm and leg dangled from, and found the mark of the hero on his hand. She turned her eyes to his face and messy hair. Resisting the urge to kill him, even if he was not the same hero who slaughtered them in the past, was difficult. The essence of the hero was always passed down through the bloodline, so she could justify her vengeance, just like the reincarnation of Hylia was always the same, even if the princess that embodied her was not.
No, there was much more at risk than being caught. They would lose their chance to conquer Hyrule in one fell swoop if Dora could not resist her urge to kill the enemy of her king. All she needed was blood, his death would come later.
Taking Link's blood was a big enough risk. With his arm hanging over the edge of the bed, she decided the slightest cut should bleed a plentiful amount. She used the sharp point of her sword to slice a paper thin line in Link's skin across the underside of his arm. Blood trickled out and dripped into the open bottle she firmly held.
At first, he barely even twitched. Blood bubbled out of the deep part of the wound, which would cause the cut to sting. This pain would no doubt rouse him from sleep and she would have to make a break for it out the window she left open. Dora breathed as softly as possible and remained as still as a statue. Link shifted more violently, so she slipped into the darkness to wait for him to rest.
The bottle was only filled with a thin layer of blood. If she was not able to collect enough, the resurrection might not be complete. She needed to catch just a bit more to be sure her mission did not fail. After a few minutes, Link rested peacefully again, so she returned to find his left hand and reopen the wound.
In her panic to finish quickly, she deepened the wound, causing him to bleed more quickly, but the cut was so thin it would clot in minutes. With the small bottle a quarter of the way full, and Link starting to fully awaken, she hurried out the window. Dora hid just around the corner, in front of the shutters, and slowly eased the window shut. Link's curse about a cut on his arm was muffled. He moved around his room, probably to find something to press against the wound to help it stop bleeding. "What could I have possibly done this on?" she heard him yell.
Dora was definitely going to have a problem with the princess. Link was clearly a heavy sleeper, but Zelda would be disturbed more easily. From the roof, she could see the castle farther to the north, so she hopped down and ran as fast as she could to claim her last prize.
On the eve of such an anticipated day, Dora found the castle was guarded well. Perhaps not all people were trusting. Then again, this was the royal family, and protecting Hyrule was their main priority.
The guards were not impossible to bypass. Dora's stealth, with keen hearing and vision, helped her sneak into the castle without having to quickly end the lives of any guards. The less attention she could draw to herself, the better. The overwhelming instinct to slay Ganondorf's enemies was woven into her blood, and fighting against that felt like treason. Would he say she should have done it while the opportunity was present, or be grateful that she could guide him in this new world, that she aided in his return, and that she left them to kill himself?
Dora stepped lightly through the halls. The soft carpet under her feet cushioned her steps, but she was being cautious. The princess most likely slept in a room on one of the higher floors. It was just a matter of finding which one.
She checked several rooms on the ground floor and learned that all of the open doors were to empty guest rooms. The closed doors on the second floor were all occupied by servants. The third floor was more decorated with potted flowers, sword and shield crests, and historic artifacts. Dora even recognized some from her battles against Zelda in the past, such as Link's shields and the silver arrows. The center of the hall split in two directions, a closed door at the end of both corridors. She turned to the left and peeked in, to find a young girl resting in a bed too large for her.
Dora used calculated strides that were long but swift to take as few steps as possible. Fewer steps meant less noise and fewer chances to wake Zelda. She reached the bedside and peered down at the princess. Her complexion was flawless, not a clogged pore or mole in sight. She was pale, but not ghostly white, and her hair perfectly yellow like the sun. She seemed so innocent, but it was this girl's ancestors that Dora loathed the most. Her grudge against Link was only because Ganondorf focused his anger and hate on him for persistently thwarting his attempts at ultimate power and conquering Hyrule. Dora held a different view of the circumstances through her own experience.
Link was a pawn in the royal family's game. He was their dog, sent on crazy missions to test his courage and collect important tools or treasures that would aid them in slaying Ganon. Dora suffered directly at the hands of Zelda. It was her ancestors that helped the sages, and the seven wise men, seal Ganon away. During his time sealed in the Dark World, Dora lived constantly running for her life, avoiding capture, or being a prisoner. Years later, it was Zelda again who used Link to interfere with Ganon's resurrection, causing him to become just a beast that no longer recognized her.
Zelda caused her married life to be cut short, and forced them to be separated for long periods of time. The time lost, the lonely anniversaries, the intimacy she could only dream of, and hope to one day have again, was all the royal family's fault. Dora often encountered those who would tell her such affection in return was impossible from the King of Evil, but he always proved how wrong they were once reunited. Others did not need to see it for her to know the truth. Dora cherished their limited time together, and could not wait to embrace her husband.
Zelda already stirred with Dora looming over her, contemplating her demise, so she would need to be creative, and quickly. She tore the fabric case off one of the many pillows lining the head of the bed. She stepped back to the wall and emptied her voice of anger when she called, "Zelda, wake up." When the princess sat up groggily, Dora cupped her hand over Zelda's mouth and softly said, "Don't make a sound. You are in no danger."
Zelda whimpered, but seemed to understand the situation. Dora wrapped the pillow case over Zelda's eyes and then tied it into a knot in the back like a blind fold. "Who are you?" the princess wondered in a delicate voice.
In that moment, Dora invented what she thought was the perfect cover story. "Really? Your mother did not tell you?" she asked, while twisting open the cap to the empty bottle.
"Tell me what? Why are you here? Why must I be blind if I am not in danger?" Zelda questioned wisely.
Dora cleverly answered, "I am an ancient sage with one important duty. The goddess Hylia will awaken within you tomorrow, but only if I return a sample of your blood to a second goddess statue in a hidden temple."
Zelda gasped. "Wait, if Hylia is returning, does that mean...?"
Dora smiled evilly. She had chosen the perfect topic to distract the princess. This was going to be simple. "Rest easy, my lady." Rather than benefit from a long slice that might seem malevolent, Dora used the tip of her sword to cut only what was necessary to draw blood. Zelda emitted a soft grunt of pain at the initial break of her skin, but remained otherwise silent. "She returns only to continue the preservation of peace, not because Hyrule is in danger." Dora squeezed the wound so blood oozed directly into the bottle, and prevented the cut from clotting too soon.
After a minute she already collected an amount equal to what she managed to get from Link, and closed the bottle. "I am off to complete the ritual at the temple," Dora explained, and laughed at the irony. "It is important that no one know I was here," she warned.
"Yes ma'am," Zelda respectfully confirmed with a nod.
"Sweet dreams," Dora cooed, and swept out of the room before Zelda removed her blindfold. She escaped the third level to reach the second floor, and silently rejoiced in her success. Within hours, she had learned and accomplished great feats. Her objective completed, she set out to return to the desert.