Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda Series or its characters. I also do not own "Beauty and the Beast", "Les Miserables", "Wicked", "The Greatest Showman", or any other musical or piece of music mentioned in this story. This story is purely for entertainment purposes only.

Hello, everyone! Thank you again for your continued support! As always, please leave a review! I'd love to hear what you think! Enjoy chapter 44! ~Opal

Chapter 44: Opening Night

?'s POV

5 hours prior to opening night of "Wicked"

I woke up in a prison cell and rubbed my eyes. Sheesh, what cruel treatment! I rolled my eyes. That guy at Telma's Bar had it coming to him! That's why I followed him home just to murder him in his sleep! Had it only been the Hero of Twilight; I would have relished in that much more! The light coming through a very small barred window towards the ceiling of the cell no bigger than my hand told me it was finally morning. I did not expect to get caught and end up in the dungeon underneath Hyrule Castle, but here we are! Luckily the royal guards hadn't found my trusted rat Chernobog when they apprehended me. He shivered in my pocket, also dissatisfied with the cold and damp surroundings. I am a sorcerer, well, at least I was before I was arrested. A guard had a hold of the ring that holds my powers down at the end of the corridor. When they're least expecting it, I'll send Chernobog to retrieve it! Some may ask why I hold a grudge against someone as wonderful as the hero, but my answer is simple; he killed my father Ganondorf. He was all I had left! He and my mother divorced many years ago and I haven't seen my mother or sister since. I only know they're alive because of their failed attempt to kill the hero late last summer.

"Dorian, is that you?!" A woman's voice quivered.

I walked up to the bars and looked for the voice. Far over to my left across the corridor was a woman who looked very familiar. "Mother!" I said almost breathlessly.

"My son!" She called out. "How nice it is to see you after so long! Eleanor!" She called behind her and my sister came up to the bars.

"Brother Dorian!" She said happily. "What brings you here?"

"I was arrested for murder." I smirked.

"You talk like that's a good thing." Mother said. "We are locked up and have nothing here. I was forced to relinquish the magical abilities your father gave me."

I smiled wider. "You'll see, mother." I looked in my pocket at Chernobog, his beady little eyes staring back. "Things are looking up!"

She didn't believe me, rolling her eyes. "Eleanor and I have been here for months. We were spared the death sentence for attempting to kill Link, but we're doomed to a life sentence."

"Be patient, ladies." I whispered. "I have a few tricks up my sleeve." The guard was fast asleep within the next half hour and I knew it was time to send Chernobog. I took out a small piece of cheese out of my other pocket that I had saved for him prior to being apprehended. He is indeed a very well-trained little rodent thanks to me! I held the morsel in front of him and whispered, "fetch, Chernobog." He slipped between the bars and went right up to the guard's desk and put the ring around his neck, running back in my direction. He slipped through the bars once more and crawled to my feet, allowing me to take the ring from his neck and slip it on my middle finger. I felt a rush of power coursing through my veins. Chernobog ran up my leg and into my pocket before I snapped my fingers and teleported out of my cell. I walked to Mother and Eleanor and put my finger to my lips as they stared in shock. With a wave of my hand, they were also out of their cell. We snuck around the corner on the other end of the corridor and I held up my hand towards the back of an unsuspecting guard, my palm facing him. He slumped over and was in a deep sleep, completely unaware of our presence. Mother and Eleanor grinned excitedly as we walked out of the dungeons and into the open air at the back of Hyrule Castle. I pressed my hands tightly together and flipped my fingertips down towards the ground, then slowly brought them apart. A purple-hued light flashed between my hands and I knew I was successful with the conjuring. Three mysterious masks appeared out of thin air and floated into mine, mother's, and Eleanor's hands. "These will help us stay in disguise." I looked at them both. "Put them on and we can execute our revenge!" One-by-one we put on the masks and were transformed, the masks fusing with our faces. We looked completely unrecognizable.

"You're brilliant, Dorian!" My mother beamed, her new red hair and blue eyes shimmering in the sunlight. "Simply brilliant!"

"A devilish genius, indeed!" Eleanor said with a sinister grin, her green hair and green eyes a striking contrast to her pale complexion.

Sally's POV

Around 2:30pm we went outside and mounted Epona's Saddle. Link took hold of the reins and off we went towards Castle Town. As we rode I hugged him tightly from behind and laid my head on his back, turning to look at the surroundings as they flew by, thinking about the show and how much fun it was going to be. As always, my thoughts went to Link. I blushed when thinking of the kissing scene that we'll do in front of the entire audience as 'Elphaba' and 'Fiyero'. It made me nervous but giddy, too. There is actually a scene earlier in the musical where 'Fiyero' is supposed to kiss 'Glinda' too, but Link refused, saying that he would only kiss me and insisted on a workaround. Miss Petersen wanted us to stay in the show, so 'Fiyero' is going to refuse 'Glinda's' advances in the scene. How incredibly steadfast and true he is…he's so much more than I deserve! I'll just bask in the light that is him, feeling forever thankful. I squeezed him tighter as we rode and felt him grab my hand and kiss it while steering Epona with the other. Oh, how I love him!

We arrived at Castle Town and got off Epona. Link hitched her at the stables and I kissed him lightly on the lips and took his hand. "Ready?"

"Ready." He smiled.

We walked inside and got ready for the show, anxious voices buzzing all about. When I was in my costume and full makeup, I walked out of the women's dressing room and saw Link, Nikolay, and Martha sitting and chatting by the rack of costumes. I sat down with them and we chatted with each other and our fellow cast members as we listened to the theatre start to fill with the chatter of audience members. This is it! I thought to myself. The show started and everything was going smoothly. Link looked so dashing as "Fiyero", a prince in the musical. He started to perform his solo number "Dancing Through Life" and I had to work extremely hard to focus on my role as "Elphaba". All those hours he and I spent rehearsing together paid off; he was doing an incredible job and I was falling for him even harder. He was so…dare I say it? Sexy… I took a deep breath as I blushed and pretended to study as my character was supposed to be doing during the scene. I shined during "Defying Gravity" and soon it was the scene I was most excited and nervous for. We were backstage waiting for our call to head out to perform "As Long as You're Mine" and Link looked around him and saw that no one was in eyesight at that moment. He took the opportunity to grab my rear with his hand and pull me in for a passionate kiss. I quietly giggled as he raised his hand to my back as we continued kissing. It was a good thing he raised his hand to my back, for we were interrupted by a makeup artist shortly after. "Okay, lovebirds!" She whispered with a wink as we pulled out of our embrace. "Gotta check 'Elphaba's' makeup!" She had an assistant hold up a lit candle near my face as she made adjustments. The lanterns lighting up the stage went dim and darkened it; we knew it was time to get into position. We held hands and ran out to our places as the intro played. We got to kiss with minor passion throughout the scene, which was lovely, but I definitely wanted more of him. We finished the rest of the show without a hitch and took our final bows as the audience stood up in ovation.

The whole cast went backstage to the dressing rooms to change out of our costumes. In the women's dressing room it was a whirlwind of ladies gathering around mirrors trying to share as others waited for curtained stalls to change clothes. I finally got the majority of the green paint off of the exposed parts of my body that weren't covered by the costume or wig. I opened the curtain to a stall to change and came out minutes after in a light blue sundress and went to a sink to start to wash my face with soap and water. I rinsed my face and wiped it gently with a washcloth. Martha giggled as she came up to me. "You still have a spot, 'Elphaba'."

I looked in the mirror and noticed a green streak still on my forehead and laughed. "I guess you're right, 'Glinda'." She took the washcloth from my hands and started to wipe up the remainder of my face paint. I took off my black wig and wig cap and finally became Sally again, grabbing a hairbrush and running it through my yellow tresses.

Martha gently held a few strands of my hair and admired them before releasing her hold. We smiled at each other. This show has really brought us closer as friends. She went over to my satchel and grabbed my hair ribbon for me, coming back and sitting next to me in front of the mirror. "So Sally, how are you going to style your hair for your wedding?"

I stopped brushing for a second and put my finger to my chin. "I've had a couple of ideas swirling around in my head for a while now, but I'm not sure which to pick."

"Well, I guess the first consideration would be if you're wearing a veil."

I shook my head. "I actually am not going to be wearing one." I took the hair brush and detangled the last bit of my hair and then took the bulk of it in my hands, getting ready to pull it back into my signature ponytail.

I went to reach for my hair ribbon when Martha grabbed it for me. "Somehow I figured you'd go for a simpler look." She smiled at me.

I smiled at her and took my hair ribbon from her hand, tying my long ponytail in the back. "Since we're getting married outside I thought it would be a little over the top to wear a veil. I think those are more well-suited for formal church weddings."

"I see." She paused for a moment and put her hands on my shoulders. "Would you like some help deciding? I'd be happy to help!"

"I really appreciate it." I replied as I looked behind me to see her. "It would be fun to have a girl's day to decide."

"Tilanya!" Martha called to my best friend, who was taking off the wig from her "Nessarose" costume.

"Hmmmm?" She walked up to us. "What did you need, Martha?"

"How about you and Sally come to my house one of these upcoming days and we can help her decide on her hair for the wedding?"

Tilyanya looked at me and saw my excited grin. "Yes! It's a plan!"

"When's the best day for the bride?" Martha looked back at me from behind my shoulder, walking to the front of me. "Well?"

I thought for a moment, my cheeks going pink. It's no use…I still blush at the word "bride". "Well, tomorrow Link has a mission to help the Gorons. They asked him to help mine some hard-to-reach gems using his iron boots, so I'll be on my own. I'm teaching some voice lessons to three students here at the House of the Arts in the morning, but I'll be free the rest of the day."

"Then tomorrow it is!" Martha chirped.

We came out of the dressing room after we finished getting ready and saw Link and Nikolay waiting for us backstage. "Are you gals ready for the after party?" Nikolay grinned. "I took a peek and saw tons of hors d' oeuvres, roast beef and even some chocolate cake!" He pumped his fist. "Good eats tonight, all catered by the royal family's chefs!"

My eyes enlarged as I smiled widely. What an honor! Link took my hand as we walked out from behind the curtains and saw all of the audience members that decided to stay behind. There was my father, Princess Zelda and her fiance Anton, Ilia and her Boyfriend Evan, Talo, Malo, Colin, and Beth, Rusl, Uli, Amy and Fado, Martha's boyfriend David, Goron Patriarch Darbus (whom I haven't yet met); so many of our friends gathered to support us. It warmed my heart as they all took turns waving to us.

Link's POV

We came down from the stage and visited with everyone for a while, eating from the expansive buffet provided. I went to finally introduce Sally to Darbus. She and I walked up to him, his large, boulder-like appearance towering above us both. "Hey, Darbus." I looked up at him and then gestured to Sally. "This is my–"

"BRUDDA!" The Goron bellowed loudly, picking me up into a smothering bear-hug. "What a good show! You little humans do great things with music!"

"Ow! Ow! Darbus!" I shouted.

Sally tittered as she looked up at us.

Darbus noticed her and grinned with his lips, setting me down. "Is this the little lady that captured Brudda's heart?"

"Yes, she most certainly is." I took Sally's hand and kissed it and looked back at Darbus. "This is my fiance Sally."

"D'awwww!" He took us both into another bear-hug, lifting us high above the ground.

"Goodness!" Sally laughed.

He set us both down. "I am happy to finally meet the love of my Brudda!" He grinned. He took both of our hands and held them in his. "If you wish, we welcome you both to enjoy Goron Hot Springs! A very romantic place!" He let go of our hands as we both blushed.

"Thank you, Darbus." I said shyly.

"Yes. Thank you." Sally turned her face away as she reddened and held onto my arm.

"Now to honor a longtime tradition of the Hyrule House of the Arts…" Mr. Cathbird smiled as we all looked up to the stage. "Great job, cast and crew! This was an incredible opening night! So…is this 'The Greatest Show'?"

People from the cast cheered and started to come up on stage while spectators sat back down. Sally took my hand, intense glee on her face as she led me up to the stage. "What's happening? I haven't rehearsed!" I laughed, looking back to Darbus and waving goodbye.

He waved with a smirk in return. "See you on your wedding day!"

I turned back to her, waiting for her answer. "You don't have to rehearse!" She giggled, pulling both of my hands to bring me forward as she walked backward up the stairs.

I grinned at her. Has she gone nuts? I watched as she tilted her head behind her shoulder and laughed with another female cast member, saying "he's got to join in on the fun!" Maybe she has…but I don't care; I'll follow her anywhere. We all stood in a semicircle towards the middle of the stage as Mr. Cathbird faced us. "I won't be singing my part tonight. That honor will go to our guest singer."

I gulped. Me? I looked at Sally with fear. She shook her head, knowing what I had assumed. I let out a relieved sigh. Just then Purlo started walking up the stairs to the stage. He turned to face the audience and put both hands to his mouth and extended his arms outward to send a kiss to the crowd. The audience applauded. I smiled half-heartedly as my brow twitched in irritation. That con artist?! When he saw me, he smirked. "You again…" He mumbled.

"Is everything alright, Link?" Sally looked at me with confusion.

Purlo turned to Sally. "Ah, yes!" He grabbed her hand and kissed it, continuing to hold her hand and shamelessly flirt. "What a ravishing 'Elphaba' you were, my dear!"

She yanked her hand back in disgust and was quite befuddled, grabbing my hand for comfort. I continued to hold her hand and protectively drew her close to me as she stared back at him in shock, one brow raised. "Thank…you…?"

"I would appreciate it if you'd BACK AWAY from my fiance, thank you!" I gritted my teeth. "She's obviously troubled by you, and so am I!"

He raised his hands up in jest. "Oh dear! I must have forgotten!" He taunted. He turned once more to Sally. "I didn't mean anything by it. Honest!"

"You're making me very uncomfortable." Sally said plainly, a scowl forming on her face. "And I will NOT stand to have my fiance ridiculed."

He was astonished, standing there with his mouth wide open. "Why, Miss Sally! I clearly am not making advances towards you! You are mistaken!"

"Quit gaslighting me!" Sally bit back.

He ignored her and looked at me. I was ready to beat the hell out of him! "Pur–" I began.

He interjected. "I mean, really, Sir Link! How on earth did you score such an exquisite, doe-eyed beauty?"

"That's more than enough, Purlo!" Mr. Cathbird shouted, pointing at him. "You wanted to have a chance to perform! Leave them alone and perform!"

"You're ruining all my fun…" He uttered, placing an open hand over his eye. "Very well!" He back-flipped away from us and jogged to face the entire semicircle. "Let's get started!"

"The nerve of that brute!" Sally said angrily as she looked in Purlo's direction. She turned to me and her look softened. "No wonder you tensed up when he came onstage." She used her free hand to give my arm an encouraging rub. "Nevermind that, though." She looked in my eyes with her lips upturned. "Let's have some fun!"

I smiled back at her and rubbed her hand with my thumb. "Yes!"

"Follow my lead." She instructed. I watched her as she stomped once with one foot, paused on a beat, and then used the same foot to stomp twice to the beat. Stomp…stomp stomp. "You try."

Stomp…stomp stomp. I repeated.

"Woah…" She said melodically.

"Woah…" I mimicked.

"There you go!" She said with a twinkle in her eyes.

Soon the intro to "The Greatest Show" from the musical "The Greatest Showman began and we started singing and stomping to the beat. Purlo started to sing the lead part, loving being the center of attention. We joined in with our own parts and I looked to Sally to lead me. Everyone started dancing and singing without a care all throughout the stage, their faces jubilant. I smiled widely and took Sally's hand again, leading her to spin into my arms and then letting her out to whirl. She laughed with the sweetest open-mouthed smile as we all continued singing. We were having such a blast! And then the song was done and our performance was over. The crowd cheered and clapped, having reduced to not much more than friends and family of cast members now. Darbus had already left to go home and Purlo left without another word. Mr. Cathbird and Miss Petersen walked to their office at the foyer by the entrance of the theatre.

Zelda and Anton came up towards the stage. "That was simply delightful!" She said. "You both did a wonderful job!"

We walked down the stairs and walked up to them. "Thank you." I smiled.

"Thank you, Princess Zelda." Sally awkwardly tried to curtsy.

Zelda chuckled. "No need to do that, Sally."

Sally giggled with embarrassment. "Right. Sorry, Princess Zelda."

"You can call me Zelda." She remarked. They beamed at each other.

"That was such a fun show to watch!" Anton exclaimed excitedly, lacing his hands behind his head. "And a good feast to celebrate, too!"

"Thank you for catering food to the theatre. That was incredibly kind of you both." Sally said in acknowledgement.

"It was our pleasure!" Zelda looked at Sally and I. "It was also to congratulate you two on your upcoming wedding. Congratulations again."

We both blushed. Anton tucked Zelda's arm under his. "We had better take our leave. I wish a pleasant evening to this lovely couple!" We waved goodbye as they strolled out of the theatre. I heard the door shut and we continued to visit.

About an hour later Sally and Martha were talking with each other and Martha stood up to talk to Mr. Cathbird and Miss Petersen about an upcoming show she was going to be part of. I was talking to Ilia, Colin, Rusl, Uli, and others from the village. Martha walked to their office door and opened it, getting ready to step inside. The happy chatter around us was deafened by a blood-curdling scream coming from the office. Evan hugged Ilia close and Rusl hugged Amy, Colin, and Uli. I turned around and sprinted to Sally, who was running in my direction as well. We embraced for a second. "What was that?!" She rubbed my arms with worry, her eyes on the verge of tears.

"I don't know." I took Sally's hand and led her to where my sword and shield was in a seat at the back of the theatre. "Sit here, my love." I quickly kissed her on the cheek.

"No! I'm coming with you!" She protested, gripping my hand.

I reluctantly accepted her plea and swung my sword and shield over my back. I looked at her with unease and frowned. "You don't have a weapon."

"I'll be okay. Please…" She interlaced her fingers and begged.

I took out my communication orb and enlarged my bow and quiver of arrows. "Use my bow and arrow." She nodded and swung the quiver over her shoulders as she followed me. We hurried to the office, my bow in her right hand.

Martha was slowly backing away from the door, trembling in fear. David held her in his arms as she started sobbing. Sally and I went to look and were horrified. There were Mr. Cathbird and Miss Petersen, brutally slain, red-hot blood splattered all over the desk and the walls of the room. Sally dropped my bow and brought her hands to her face in fright, covering her mouth to stifle a shriek. She turned around, her body shaking as I caught her from falling to the ground. She was so traumatized, burying her face into my chest and crying as I placed my hand on her head and gently rubbed her scalp, holding her close.

The rest of the group caught up to us and were equally petrified. I had a terrible feeling about all of this. I stopped holding Sally and she peered up at me as I cupped her face in my hands and pressed her lips to mine. I pulled away and rubbed her arms. "Get out of here!" I demanded.

She shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "No! I'm not leaving you!"

We then heard a man's cry of torment from the stage. It was Nikolay. He had grabbed a sword to investigate a sound from backstage and was mercilessly put to the sword, blood beginning to pool. Sally dropped to her knees, tears still falling down her cheeks. I picked her up in my arms and pecked her lips once again. "Please!" I implored as I set her down. I was desperate to keep her out of harm's way.

She clutched my shirt and put her face close to it, moving her head side-to-side as the storm continued in her eyes. The rain fell from her eyes and onto my shirt, her heart full of sorrow. I rubbed her back as my eyes began to well up too, devastated by the catastrophic scene around us and worried sick for her.

Uli and Ilia were up at the front door trying to open it, but no such luck. "It's locked!" Uli cried. "What will we do?!"

I stopped holding Sally. "You're all going to stay here. I'll investigate the stage."

I started to run in that direction and Rusl followed. I got up the stairs to the stage first and ran to check if Nikolay was still alive. He was unfortunately dead as well, his sword lying on the stage next to him. Suddenly a purple forcefield magically appeared, separating the stage from the rest of the theatre. Rusl didn't make it in time as the force field transformed into a tall metal fence with stakes at the top. Everyone else gathered near Rusl, unsure of what to do but to stay together. Beth, Amy, and Ilia were weeping as Evan and Uli tried to console them, and Fado was holding his wife close. We were trapped, and everyone was fraught with consternation. Sally clutched the bars by the stairs and I ran up to her, placing my hands over hers. "You're being reckless again." She said, a fretful look in her eyes.

"I'll be alright." I said as I reached through the bar to caress her cheek. "I'm going to marry you, no matter what."

She smiled bittersweetly, squeezing my hand and then kissing my knuckles as I held onto the bar. She let go of my hands and let out a squall of despair as she wrapped her arms around herself. "Why didn't you let me follow you?"

"Because I love you, and this was the only way to keep you safe." I looked at her earnestly. "I hope you understand."

"You're wrong." A voice from backstage boomed. I turned around and drew out the master sword. All I could see was a hand with the palm facing my direction. I looked at Sally and saw her faint and collapse to the floor, Curtis speeding to her aid. All I could do was stare in alarm. "Sally…" I whispered, wanting to cry. I turned around and tore up the stairs to the stage. "SHOW YOUR FACE, YOU GODDAMN BASTARD!" I roared.

"Does that upset you, Hero of Twilight?!" A familiar woman's voice sneered.

The voice was familiar, but the look of the woman as she stepped out of the shadows was not. Her red hair and blue eyes didn't remind me of anyone. She suddenly reached for her face and began to peel at her jawline. Purple magic flashed as she transformed. My mouth dropped when I realized the woman was really Jenna in disguise. "What are you doing here, bitch?!"

"I see you still have a sailor's mouth." She snickered. "You should know what I'm doing here!"

"You're still hellbent on murdering me, aren't you?!"

"She's not the only one." Another familiar woman's voice rang out. Again, purple magic flashed in the darkness and out walked Eleanor, grinning diabolically.

"I'm guessing the man got your guilty asses out of the dungeon, then!" I yelled. "I'm still waiting for you to SHOW YOUR FACE!"

"I'll humor you first." The man held out his hand again, this time more towards the direction of Sally. I looked as she was surrounded with the same purple magic, suddenly being lifted out of Curtis' arms and levitating over the fence. She floated down to the floor near me and I ran to check on her. He let out a demonic chuckle. "I figured as much."

I felt her pulse and put my ear to her mouth, hearing her breathing normally. I heaved a sigh of relief and turned back to them. "What are you trying to pull, Jenna!?"

"Just precious!" Jenna rolled her eyes and cackled. "It appears the love you have for her has blossomed even more since our last encounter!" She spat at the ground. "Disgusting!"

I started to charge at her with my sword, but out of thin air the man teleported in front of me and revealed himself. He looked awfully like Jenna, the same dark eyes full of hate.

"You wouldn't attack a woman who's had her powers relinquished, now would you?" He glared at me. "Especially not my own mother!"

I wasn't expecting that bombshell! My jaw dropped, but I recovered quickly and stared down the man. "Who are you?!"

"The name's Dorian. I trust you remember Vlad?" He smirked.

I looked at him with confusion. "You must be his 'master'."

"Correct." He continued to smirk and bragged. "I not only killed Mr. Nikolay here, but the two directors in the office as well! I needed the keys to the theatre, after all! They were just collateral damage." I stared angrily at him as he continued. "I guess Jenna didn't share that she also had a son who stayed with Ganon." He shrugged. "That is, before he was murdered by you!" He drew out a sword and our blades clashed. We both clenched our teeth and jumped back before we then lunged at the other to try and gain the upper hand.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Eleanor and Jenna grab Sally by the arms and begin to drag her across the stage. "What are you doing?!" I hollered angrily.

I could feel a new slice on my arm and squirmed at the sting. "You should be focusing on your battle! You're lucky that it wasn't a deep one!" He showed off his sword with my blood on it. "Your beloved will be fine, so long as we get what we want! Hahahaha!"

I continued to battle Dorian as Eleanor and Jenna shackled Sally's hands to a single large chain that they attached to the wall, suspending her unconscious body a couple of feet off the floor of the stage. Her head was slumped forward. "The bird's been caged." Eleanor called out.

"Good." Dorian said with a crooked smile. He snapped his fingers and teleported to our crowd of captive friends.

I watched Rusl, Curtis, Talo, Evan, and Colin try to charge at him with their weapons, but he clenched his fists and the purple-hued magic was surrounding his body as he lifted himself up into the air. They don't stand a chance! "Be careful, you guys! He isn't a pushover!" I shouted with my hand cupped over my mouth to project. I looked back to Eleanor and Jenna with Sally. They both appeared to bear no weapons, so I knew at least they weren't a threat; merely happy spectators to my demise. My head turned back to Dorian as he snapped his fingers and out of the ceiling appeared two of the same beasts that killed Marcus and injured me. They too had swords on their backs. They wasted no time when their feet touched the ground, drawing their swords and preparing to rumble. Rusl, Colin, Talo, Curtis, David, and Evan stood in front with their weapons drawn to protect everyone else. I hope they can fight them off.

Dorian snapped his fingers and again appeared in front of me with his sword. I shot forward at him. CLANG! The sound of our swords meeting reverberated throughout the large space. CLANG! CLANG! I heard the clashing of my comrades' swords from beyond the stage; comrades of an unexpected and perilous mission.

Sally's POV

I woke up after suddenly passing out to see that I had somehow made it beyond the bars that separated Link and I. Now I'm onstage… My sight was still fuzzy when I gazed out to find the source of the sound of swords and saw Link sword fighting with a mysterious man. I tried to move towards him, but realized I had been chained to the wall, thrashing about. "Pathetic!" I heard a woman mutter with a cackle. I looked to my left and saw Jenna and Eleanor standing next to me, looking up with smug faces. This enraged me! I tried again to thrash and perhaps even kick them, but it was no use. They were far enough away to avoid my legs.

I looked again towards my love and saw that he already had a bleeding cut on his arm. Just then the man he was fighting knocked his sword out of his hand. It spun in the air above the stage and landed near my feet. With one hand clenched on his shield he turned to search for his sword when our eyes met. He looked reassured and scared at the same time. "Sally…" He whispered my name. The man swiftly kicked him in the back and he hit the floor.

"Link!" I cried out, tears surging down my face.

"Ah, the caged bird sings!" He chuckled maniacally, walking in my direction. Link stood up and got the ball and chain out and began to spin it low to the ground as he advanced towards the man, but the man held out his hand behind him and with a flash of magic knocked the ball and chain out of Link's grasp. It rolled down to the other end of the stage.

Link rushed to grab the master sword and stood between me and the man. "Don't lay ONE finger on her!" He screeched, his voice breaking. "Let her go!"

"Hmph!" He grunted. "Fine, I'll let her go from the chain." He snapped his fingers and I was released, dropping to the floor. I wanted to immediately run to Link's side, but the man held out his hand and I was stopped in my tracks. I felt an overwhelming sense of being constricted and suddenly I was gasping for air. He was using magic to choke me! I held my hands up to my neck in desperation.

"NO!" Link screamed, turning to face me.

"Hold up, Link!" He grinned as Link looked back at him. "I have all the power in this situation!" He began curling his fingers inward towards his palm and I continued choking.

"Please…stop!" I squeaked, unable to muster any more. "I…can't…breathe!" It began to hurt unbearably.

"I'M BEGGING YOU! SPARE HER!" Link screamed.

"You can make this stop, Link!" The man looked at him. "Just drop your weapons and give up!"

He conceded and dropped his sword and shield, then taking out his bag that holds the communication orb and his shrunken weapons and setting it on top.

"Now back away!" He yelled.

Link put up his hands and stepped backward from his weapons. The man lowered his hand and my windpipe was freed. I dropped to the ground, wheezing and coughing loudly as I caught my breath. Link whipped himself around and came darting towards me, but the man grabbed him from behind and Jenna grabbed me, keeping us apart. Link elbowed the man hard and he held out his hand towards me, curling his fingers again. "Don't make me kill her!" Link's eyes became round as I started to feel suffocated again. He quit fighting and I was again spared as Jenna tried to drag me away. I started to retaliate by stomping her foot, a wail of pain coming from her. Eleanor came to her aid and I yanked her hair. We continued punching, kicking, and biting at each other.

Link's POV

Dorian dragged me further from Sally and my sword and other weapons. I knew this wasn't looking good for me, but I couldn't resist; I didn't want her harmed. I had to be complacent. He turned so his back was to Sally and the wicked witches trying to immobilize her. I dropped to my knees and watched as they fought with each other. Dorian held his blade out, the tip raising below my chin and forcing me to lift my head up to look at him. "I could just kill you now." He snickered, putting his sword away. "But that would be too easy; what's the fun in that?!"

"It's clear that you want me dead." I replied with a huff. "You have me trapped…all that I ask is you leave Sally out of this. Get those bitches off of her and just put me out of my misery." I dropped my head as tears rolled from my eyes.

He grabbed my shirt collar and lifted me up to look me in the eye. "She'll move on without you." He punched me hard in the face and threw me to the floor.

Colin's POV

I drove my sword once more into the monster's weak spot and it roared in soreness, grabbing its head and flailing. It fell to the ground and disappeared into a cloud of black smoke. It was dead. "Good finishing blow, Colin!" Talo raised a fist and smiled, turning back to the remaining monster that Evan, Rusl, David, and Curtis were fighting with us. We were all cut up and bruised, but thankfully no major injuries. We have succeeded so far in keeping the ladies and a few innocent bystanders around us safe, so that was a relief. I focused my eyes to the stage as Link and Sally were being dragged away from each other. "Colin! Climb the fence and go to them!" Talo squawked. "We've got this!"

I ran and leapt up onto the bars of the fence, clambering up and hurtling over the top and coming crashing down to my feet. Link hadn't noticed me as he pleaded for Sally and was punched in the face. My eyes panned to Sally, who was clearly struggling in the two-against-one catfight. I hustled in her direction, pulling out my sword. I saw Eleanor reach for her own skirt, lifting it up to reveal a dagger that she drew out, her skirt falling after retrieving the weapon. She revealed it to Sally and cackled as she gasped. She gripped Sally's left hand and pulled her closer, preparing to stab her in the chest. I swooped in from the right of Sally and deflected Eleanor's blade with my sword. It flew out of her hand. "Let's even out this playing field, shall we?!" I yelled.

"Thank you, Colin." Sally said, letting out a breath of gratitude.

"Looks like I came in the knick of time!" We both looked at Eleanor and I put my sword away. "Let's settle this with a good old fashioned fist fight!" I held up my fists. Eleanor tried to punch at me as Jenna watched on with a scowl, but she was not a good fighter. I kicked her leg hard and tripped her. "Give it up already! I don't want to hurt a lady, even if you're evil!" She stood up and stomped her feet, screaming frustratedly as she retreated to a corner of the stage. Jenna smacked me in the cheek, my ears ringing.

"Colin!" Sally shouted, running to Jenna and punching her. Jenna punched her in the face and she instinctively rubbed her cheek. "Jenna, you're such a bitch!"

"It seems the hero's sailor mouth has rubbed off on you, my dear!" She glared at her. She turned to me and kicked me in the groin, making me fall down in pain.

"Leave Colin alone! He's just a kid!" Sally screamed as she lunged at her, digging her nails into her face. Sally managed a considerable scratch on Jenna, showing a crimson mark on her cheek.

Jenna kicked her to the ground as she moaned in pain.

I stood up, clenching my fists. "What did Sally ever do to you?! She's a kind person!"

"Naive child…" She pointed towards Link. "Her mistake was choosing to be with him!" I watched as Dorian kicked Link in the stomach with such great force that he was flown backwards a few feet, sputtering blood from his mouth.

"LINK!" Sally wailed.

"No!" I yelled. I drew out my sword and cut at Jenna's legs, intentionally using as little force as possible to prevent significant injury. I only wanted to keep her down so we could help Link. Her dress ripped from the knees down and bright red slash marks formed on her shins.

She came down to the ground with her hands on her shins. "DAMN YOU!" She shouted. She got up and grabbed Eleanor's dagger, flying at me and stabbing me in the hand. She yanked the dagger out and I held my hand, trying to suppress the bleeding as Jenna hightailed it towards Eleanor and dejectedly sat on the floor with her.

Sally ran to me and ripped some of the fabric from the skirt of her dress, wrapping it around my hand. I sat and yelped loudly as I had never been in that much pain before. It was debilitating. Sally stood up, placing a hand at the side of her ribcage where she had been kicked. "It's time to end this!" She winced but pressed forward, going back to where she had been chained and struggling to lift the master sword. I looked at Link as he laid on the ground, Dorian towering above him with his sword out to strike.

Link's POV

I managed to open my eyes slightly as I watched Dorian raise his sword. "Have any last words, Hero of Twilight?!" He cackled.

Tears fell from my cheeks. "I love you, Sally…" I whispered.

He roared. "YOUR BLOODLINE ENDS HERE, HERO OF TWI—" Suddenly he seemed to choke on air.

I lifted my head and saw her holding onto the master sword with both hands, planting her feet firmly in the ground as she used all her strength to plunge the blade deeper into his back. "I love you too, Link!" She hollered. "It's about time I saved you again!"

"Sally!" I yelled out, attempting to stand, dropping back to my knees from weakness.

"Like I said before, Link…" She looked at me sweetly as Dorian fell to his knees, still gripping the sword. "I'm not going anywhere without you. I love you too much." I smiled with my mouth open as a tear fell from my cheek. When I need her; she's my hero! She always has been. She grunted as she tried to drive the blade further.

Blood began to flow from Dorian's mouth and my smile faded as he bellowed, "You detestable little BITCH!" He gripped his sword as he turned around with great force to face her, making her lose her grip on the master sword. She gasped. "Why I ought to–!"

I jumped up and drove the sword through until it came up and out of his chest by his heart. He fell to the ground and took his last breath, blood flowing out like a stream. With a purple flash the fence disappeared. A rat ran out of his pocket with the key to the theatre in its mouth. It squeaked in terror as I reached for it, dropping the keys and running for life. Sally bolted into my arms and trembled as her eyes overflowed with tears. I didn't care who was there; I was so overwhelmed that I passionately kissed her as I held her close. "Thank you for saving me, sweetheart." I said softly, stroking her hair.

"Thank you, Honey." She replied breathily.

I squeezed her tightly as we kissed passionately again. "Woah-ho!" Talo hollered flirtatiously.

We came out of our embrace as we both burned up. I rubbed the back of my neck as I looked to see they had already defeated the other monster as it was gone. Talo was the only one to say anything about our very public display of affection as the others were too busy crying and hugging one another, finally feeling a sense of solace. Curtis smiled warmly at us as he held a chain with Eleanor and Jenna attached, caught once again. The two evil souls said nothing.

We walked solemnly to the entrance of the theatre and I used the keys to unlock the front door. A steady current of royal guards raced into the theatre once I opened the door. I led the crowd to step back and let them in. Two of the guards grabbed Eleanor and Jenna and walked them back to Hyrule Castle to finish out their life sentences in the dungeons. Another guard came up to me. "Sir Link. We heard screams, but couldn't get inside. Are you all alright?!"

I hung my head. "Three innocent people lost their lives tonight. The one onstage with dark brown hair and blue eyes is one of them, while the man with black hair onstage was the other villain, the one who killed the guiltless man onstage and the two in the office."

"He's dead." Another guard ran up and joined the conversation. "He was our escaped convict Dorian."

"That settles that then…" The first guard said to him, turning back to me as other guards carried the dead bodies away. "Let's get you to the hospital. You look rough."

"I'm not the only one who needs it." I said. "Help get them there, too."

He saluted. "Yes sir, Sir Link!"

One by one guards tended to Rusl, Curtis, David, Evan, Colin, and Talo. Colin was rushed to the hospital for his hand.

Sally tried to stay strong, tears flowing steadily as she was still trying to grasp what went down in the theatre. She winced and reached for the side of her rib cage. I placed my hand there. "I'm sorry you're in pain. Were you kicked there?"

"Yes." She replied. I tried to lift her into my arms, but I groaned in agony. She looked at me and placed her hand on my shoulder. "You don't need to lift me." She kissed me on the cheek.

A couple of guards came up to me with a gurney and I laid on it. They tried to take me away from her. "Hey!" Ilia shouted to them. "Someone get Link's fiance to the hospital too, please."

"Thank you, Ilia." I said to her, then turned to the guards. "I think Sally's rib is sprained."

"Yes! Right away!" Another one saluted and took Sally into his arms and they ran us to the hospital. Thankfully the others didn't sustain significant injuries and were able to safely return home. Thank the Goddesses this nightmare is finally over.