Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda Series or its characters. I also do not own "Beauty and the Beast", "Les Miserables", 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 26! ~Opal

Chapter 26: The Man Behind the Cape

"Why do you want to kill me?!" I said angrily, gripping my sword. "What have I ever done to you?!"

"You fool." He removed his hood to reveal pale skin, white hair, and a white beard. His eyes were a cold black and his hair was cut very short. "It isn't that you did anything to me. This is just how it has to be. You and I were not meant to associate peacefully with one another." He grinned. "Allow me to fill you in, since you obviously still don't follow me...many years ago your ancestor and my ancestor quarreled with one another. So I believe that I must quarrel with you!" He raised his hands up and laughed maniacally. "Behold! I am Vlad! Descendant of Ghirahim!" He drew out his sword again and we began to fight. He was quick on his feet, and not soon after we started I lost sight of him momentarily, long enough for him to take his sheath and drive it into my stomach, making me cough up blood and pass out. "Not even a challenge..." Is the last thing I heard him say before everything went black.

Sally's POV

The next day my sister went out again for the day, which made me happy, because that gave Link and I an opportunity to see each other. I went into Ordon Village and looked for him, but he wasn't anywhere to be found! Feeling defeated, I began to walk out of the village when I saw Link's friend Ilia sitting in the grass and talking with another girl, concern clearly written on her face. She and the other members of Ordon Village knew that we were still in a relationship, but promised to keep it a secret for us, so I knew she'd be okay to talk to. "Ilia?"

She turned towards me. "Oh. Sally." She looked hopeful. "Have you seen Link?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing." I said.

"He never returned to the village last night like he was supposed to..." She said with worry. "I think something may have happened to him."

I put my hand to my mouth and couldn't say anything. Is he alright?! "I promise you, Ilia! I'll find out what happened!" I said with determination. "I have to leave now!" I ran out of the village and to my own, hoping that maybe I could find something out at home while Eleanor was gone.

Link's POV

Vlad spat at the ground. "Don't tell me I've already managed to defeat the hero?! You're weaker than I thought!" He laughed evilly as I lay there, struggling to get up, although I had regained consciousness. "I have been watching you for a while now, Sir Link." I managed to pick up my head and stare at him. "You're an incredibly skilled swordsman, that is for certain...but..." He threw a dagger to the ground, the tip of its blade piercing the ground near me. "Just as quickly as that dagger fell to the ground you've allowed yourself to become distracted because of your feelings for Miss Sally!"

"Leave her out of this!" I yelled.

"Hmph!" He grunted. "You think I'm going to listen to you?! Listen to yourself speak, boy! She is not here and yet you still think of her and allow those thoughts to cloud up your mind! It's pathetic! Now, stand up!" He looked down at me struggling, kicking me multiple times in the side and then the stomach. "I SAID STAND UP!" He screamed.

I stood up and drew my sword. "I SAID LEAVE HER OUT OF THIS!" I ran after him. He took another dagger and drove it into my shoulder.

I winced in pain as he punched me and cut my arm with the same dagger, clutching my left hand tightly and knocking my sword out of my hand with another punch. "What use would your sword-wielding hand be if I happened to break it? HA! I could finish you off now as we speak!"

"Why..." I spoke hoarsely. "...Why do you insist on killing me?"

"Is it not already plain as day?" He sneered. "Yes, Sally's stepmother is not a good woman, let's just say that. May she have been involved in the issues with the monsters? Perhaps, but I wouldn't let you know for certain!" He punched me again in the stomach and I collapsed, my body motionless and surging with pain as it lay on the ground. "I'll spare your sword-wielding hand, I suppose you'll need it for the battle ahead." He looked at me and kicked me once more. "I must admit, Sally is quite beautiful." He smiled as I looked up at him.

"What do you mean by saying that?!" I replied angrily.

"Maybe I ought to take her? Would that be alright with you, hero!? Ha!" He laughed again. "If she refuses to be my lady and slave then I guess I may just have to take her life." He shrugged.

"YOU WOULDN'T DARE!" I screamed.

"Oh, I would, and I will!" He cackled maniacally. "And I have the satisfaction of knowing you are in no condition to stop me! AHAHAHAHAHA! SO LONG, HERO!"

He mounted his horse once again and was headed in the direction of Eldinaire Village. I felt hopeless...pathetic, weak, and hopeless. I put out my arm, unable to stand up. "...Sally..." I mumbled, dropping my hand as I shut my eyes and lost consciousness again.

Sally's POV

At first I didn't know that Ilia had followed me out of Ordon Village and to Eldinaire Village. I realized it when I went towards the door of my house. I looked behind me to make sure no one was with me before I opened the door and saw Ilia running towards me. "Ilia..." I said. "...Why did you follow me here?"

"I wanted to see why you felt the need to head home." She explained.

"...Okay." I opened the door and let her in with me. I noticed that no one was home. Good. I can do what I need to do. I turned towards Ilia. "The other day when I was cleaning my stepmother and father's bedroom, I came across a strange journal lying on a dresser that I had never seen before. It was black, and had a note on it, saying that it was my stepmother's private diary and to not read it. I obeyed, not wanting to get caught reading her diary, but as I moved away from the book and started to dust the end table next to the bed my stepmother came in and demanded that I leave the room. Her face was in a panic as she held the book and escorted me out of the room, like she was worried about me seeing the contents of it."

"Hmmmm..." Ilia hummed in thought.

"Her behavior was very strange, and I can't stop thinking about that diary. What could be in it that she's trying to hide?"

"Maybe proof that she is not a good person?" Ilia suggested.

"That's what I'm hoping for." I said. We both started digging through the drawers and finally found the book under some of my stepmother's clothes. I opened it and we began flipping through the pages together. One earlier entry in particular brought our attention. The title of the section was "My Wedding Day," but the date it was written was long before she and my father married. That wasn't the significant part at all; we already knew she was married once before. It was the details that were never told that were so intriguing.

Dear Diary,

Today I marry my true love. He may not look like a normal person, but that doesn't matter to me. He is everything to me, and I'm so happy to call him mine! Just think, in a few hours I'll be Mrs. Ganondorf!

Ilia and I just stared at the page for a minute...unable to express how we were feeling. My hands trembled as they held onto the book. I swallowed and began to speak. "She...she was married to..."

"Ganondorf?!" Ilia shuddered.

"I'm appalled! I never would have guessed..." We both looked at each other. "EEEEWWWW! We both shouted.

"So that makes Eleanor..." Ilia spoke quietly.

"Ganon's only daughter." I said breathily. "Well, this explains a lot. Only a woman with evil in her heart could possibly have loved Ganon."

"I agree." Ilia nodded.

"What would my father say to this?" I thought aloud. "No...I shouldn't tell him...not yet...that would hurt his feelings..."

"He needs to know, Sally." She insisted.

"You're right." I sighed. We looked some more through the pages until we found a more recent entry.

Dear Diary,

A young man by the name of Link took my husband from me. True, Ganon and I have not been getting along as well ever since he began his obsession with trying to take over Hyrule, but I will never forgive this young man for taking Ganon's life! I swear, one of these days I will kill the boy! To avenge my late husband! When I meet this "Hero" he will wish that he was never born, I will make sure of that!

I shook from fear. "No! She can't do that! She can't try to kill..."

"Don't worry." Ilia patted me on the shoulder. "Link wouldn't lose that easily."

"I know Link is strong, but I'm still worried about him...I can't help it..." I looked down at the diary with sadness.

Suddenly we were interrupted by shouting. "Sally! Come here! Aren't you going to welcome mother and father back from their trip?!"

I gasped. "That was Eleanor! She's home? And mother and father are home early?!"

"SALLY!" Eleanor yelled impatiently.

"You have to leave, Ilia!" I whispered, going over to the window in my bedroom and opening it. "You can escape through here! If they catch you here we'll both be in big trouble!"

"Right!" Ilia gave me a hug and climbed out the window and ran off.

"SALLY!?" Eleanor screeched.

"Coming, Eleanor!" I ran to the sound of her voice, which was coming from the living room. When I came into the living room I didn't see anybody...it was strange...Suddenly I felt someone grab my hands and grasp them tightly as they tied them together with a rope, and then a white bandana covered my mouth and was tied at the back of my head. I tried thrashing about, but to no avail. I looked behind me and saw a man with white hair and a white beard, but he wasn't incredibly old, he was fairly young. Perhaps only a few years older than me. Then I looked back in front of me and saw Eleanor and my stepmother, but my father was nowhere to be found!

"Fool!" My stepmother spat. "I knew you were seeing Link behind our backs! How dishonorable you are!" I shook my head at her and tried to say that it wasn't true, but it just came out as a muffle. She slapped me in the face, hard enough to make my head move to the side. "And just when I thought that was enough you looked through my personal diary! Have you no shame?!" I turned my face towards her and glared, shaking my head in defiance. She whined. "Ugh! What am I to do with you?!"

"This might work, mother...it may make your plan foolproof." Eleanor smiled.

"Hmmm? I'm listening!" Mother giggled.

"We could use her as bait to lure Link into our trap." She winked. "He wouldn't be able to bear knowing that his 'lady' is in danger!"

"Oooo! I like it!" She stared at me and the strange white-haired man that was holding me down. "Vlad! You are to take her to the lair. I will handle writing a ransom letter that I will hand to the postman, addressed to the Hero himself!"

"Yes, ma'am." He tried to grab me when I slipped from his grasp and tried running, but he grabbed the back of my dress and pulled me towards him, lifting me over his shoulder where I couldn't escape.

"This'll teach you to mess with mother!" Eleanor sneered as Vlad carried me out the door and mounted his horse. He sat me in front of him so his arms could keep me from trying to bail out the sides. He whipped the reins and we rode away to God-knows-where.