The last thing Vaati wanted to do was get inside a carriage with these two people. Curse him and his curiosity for getting him into this situation. "I suppose I don't have much of a choice, do I?" Vaati could sense the power inside each of these two people. It seemed the shadowy one was working for the supposed king, but the king didn't know about the shadowy one. If that was the case, it was two powerful evil beings against a simple mage who's best magic was sensing and shielding. A mage who had been wondering the desert for a couple of days and was understandably tired. So as much as he didn't want to, he slipped inside the carriage. Squeezing next to the shadowy one.

The supposed king seemed a lot friendly now. Considering he could probably kill them both if he wanted to and they couldn't escape. The man introduced himself as Ganondorf. A familiar, and unsettling name. Any mage worth their salt had read up on the previous heroes and evils of the land. So they could better fight any evil forces that came along. Or any heroes, depending on the side a mage choose when graduating the academy. Which Vaati hadn't done, because he didn't want to choose a side before he truly knew what those sides were. So he had been kicked out days before graduating. "As I said earlier, I am Vaati." He said after Ganondorf introduced himself. "I don't really have any titles. I'm just a simple mage."

Fi apparently had no knowledge of Navi's fall from grace in the eyes of the Deku Tree and the Fairy Realm, or if she did she was polite enough not to mention it to Link. Navi was glad. Over her many years there was only one thing that she truly regretted and it was not something that she preferred to announce to anyone upon first contact.

"I meant no offence to you Mistress Fi, your blade is the model of perfection forged and truly one of a kind." Well two of a kind but its twin had not been seen since so said the legend Skyloft descended to the earth. "Even you yourself must admit that on actuation Ganondorf has succeeded in dispelling the divine protection on your blade, the Power to Repel Evil. I am here to ensure the success of the Hero not to insult you or the Sword of Hylia."

Navi's meal arrived and though she appeared to eat slowly and delicately the mortal food was gone in minutes, she had indeed been in need of sustenance. She listened to Fi and Link's conversation for several minutes before interjecting.

"Kakariko is often a site necessary for the Hero but I do not think it wise to venture there without first knowing what it is that Link must accomplish. I should again remind you of the possibility that his trial will not abound for years to come." If only they were ever that lucky. "Link is perhaps right, Zelda in many of her incarnations is a seer, she may know the future of Hyrule and how you factor into it. Do you know how to get into the Castle undetected Master Link?"

As the hero and his Sword prepared to leave Navi stood clearing anything from immediately around her. "You may want to shield your eyes." Navi snapped her fingers and a blue light surrounded her blinding anyone looking straight at it. The light as before folded in on itself until she was merely a shimmering ball of energy floating in the room.

"Thank you Master Link." Navi said as she alighted on his shoulder. In years past she may have traveled like this with another man clad in green. It brought back so many fond memories, and here they were sneaking into the palace again. How stories told did tell themselves again.

As Link walked with a majestic air surrounding him Navi caught something from the corner of her vision. A piece of paper had become stuck just barely between two brick of a wall. Protected for the most part from the downpour by an overhang. The majority of it fluttering violently in the wind so that it was a wonder it didn't tear itself apart. This was not an unusual sight in Caste Town. It was of course full of refuse and litter especially in the alleys but this one stuck out to Navi because it was Parchment. Heavy set and expensive writing stock that would not be simply discarded. It also appeared very old, Navi flew to it and snapped back into her human form momentarily. She snatched the paper. It appeared as if it had been sliced very cleanly from a book with the sharpest of blades and again cut. The cut marks were flawless but angled. "Master Link is it alright if I place this in your pouch? I have no pockets of my own while I fly." She would read it later when they were in a dryer area and the parchment had a chance to become less damp.

The tree carriage riders sat in silence as the desert passed by. It seemed endless. Ganondorf, having spent his whole life here, had lost all interest in the sparkling sand and undying heat of the sun. He stared distantly, not really thinking about the desert. Instead, his mind was humming with plans and ideas.

He thought that, with the confusion he was sure Midna was causing, now might be a good time to try to take hold of Hyrule. He figured he would use her distraction to his advantage. Perhaps he would talk to her. She would be more useful if she joined forces with him.

After several long hours passed with little conversation, Castle Town came into view. It was still very far away. He could almost immediately feel the difference between the desert and Hyrule Field. It was considerably cooler as there was no longer sand reflecting the sun into the carriage.

The sun was starting to set. They'd just barely make it before the gate was closed. He smirked a little. It was sooner than he had been expecting.

"My good sirs, that castle there is our destination... in case you have never been there, of course." He smiled at the other two.

Though Midna and the Happy Mask Salesman took their time vacating the building, Zant practically rushed from it. He barged through the main door, stopping on the damp horsehair mat outside the door, and furtively glanced around lest any snippet of paper be fluttering about. Instead of fragments of the destroyed story, however, he beheld movement across the street. A split second later, the shadowy figure was gone and Zant was left with suspicions. "My princess," he said in a low tone as Midna stepped out into the elements. "I have reason to believe that someone has been watching us. I am going to detain them. Please excuse me." With that, he was off, moving quickly and surely over the soaked cobblestones.

Midna fluttered a hand in a gesture of exasperation. The very Hylian expression seemed out of place on her, but at least she was trying. "It is always something. Do not worry about my friend finding this perpetrator, by the way. He has... 'friends' that he calls upon when he needs help." Clearly tiring of so much standing around and walking, she shifted her weight onto her other hip. "Meanwhile, I expect that the time is drawing near that we must part ways until my speech this evening. No doubt you have duties to attend to. It has, however, been a very Happy hour," she punned, sporting a slightly mischievous grin. "See you later?"

When Zant turned on to the next street, he noted with satisfaction its vacancy. A green glow began to emanate from his body until it split away from him, forming into two transparent, holographic copies. Zant reached around to the back of his robe using his telekinesis and pulled up a series of metal plates, all of which slid upward, one after another, until they were stacked like a totem pole. Finally, a tall, pointed metal cap appeared, and from beneath this extension fell a mask and tonguelike mouthguard, completely hiding his face. Immediately, Zant's phantoms followed suit, donning their masks, before they ran in opposite directions. One darted down a nearby side street, too small for horses but fine for pedestrians, while its double floated up onto a nearby roof. Smiling invisibly to see his magic at work, Zant began to run once again.

A few minutes later, his search had failed to turn up a result. Fortunately, a familiar, spectral noise along the lines of 'Bwaaaaaaaaaa' heralded the success of one of his phantoms. "There is nowhere you can hide," Zant smirked as he looked skyward. After about ten seconds of scanning, he spotted the beacon: a continuous upward draft of black particles, much like a signal fire. The next moment, Zant melted away into dark specks himself, which shot up into the air.

He materialized atop a house that overlooked the scene. One of his phantoms had cornered a young man in strange clothes. This man, whose face was hidden by a green bandanna and whose hair was an ash-gray ponytail, seemed to be taunting the projection. Zant cocked his head in curiosity. As he watched, the phantom grew closer, menacing the man with scimitars, but as the projection grew close enough to strike the Hylian reared back with his muscular arm and delivered a powerful left hook to the phantom's body, instantly dispelling it. "Not bad," mused Zant, and he stepped off the roof.

Upon hearing him land, the man turned to face him. "Another one!" he growled through the bandanna. "Looks like you might be the real deal. Zant, was it? Hope you're not planning on attacking me. I've got powerful friends."
Zant approached, paying him no heed. "Who are you working for?"
'I'm not...!"

Whiffs of a malignant dark fog eked from Zant's sleeves. "I am not renowned for my patience!" His voice when shouting contained an unnatural anger. "Lie to me again and I shall sting you. Who?"

A matching wrath had entered the man's eyes. Launching himself forward, he forcibly grabbed Zant's robe and twisted it. "Look, pal, I don't think you know who you're dealing with. You lay a finger on me, and you'll get butchered by Impa herself. Your whore princess might be able to fool some of the sheep around here with her magic tricks, but trust me, you mess with us and you're goin' down. Get it?"

For a moment, Zant was silent. Then he reached up and firmly clasped his right hand around Byrne's left. For a moment Byrne only snickered, but he soon became aware of a pain in his arm that was quickly growing. In the space of a few seconds, it reached a crescendo. Bellowing in agony, he released Zant, grabbing at his hand. It was covered in blackness and dark crystals that gave off a foul, dark smoke. Zant watched impassively as the curse spread up to Byrne's elbow but went no farther before it contorted the hand into a larger, more brutal, mechanical form. With tears leaking from his eyes, Byrne gaped at Zant with newfound, terrified wonder and stumbled back. Zant's voice reached out to him. "That hand is a powerful weapon and one of two gifts I give to you. The other is your life. You will not do or say anything that will incriminate my lady; indeed, if you do not cast us in a favorable light, the shadow will consume you. If anyone else comes snooping I will not be so lenient. Get it?"

Wordless but for gasps and groans, Byrne wormed his way around Zant and ran for the street, vanishing into the rain. Zant dispelled his other phantom and started his walk back to Midna. "Oh, the things I do for a friend."

Impa walked down the stone halls towards the king's chamber. A red carpet lined the the cobbled floor, it still looked the deep shade of rich red. Even after so many years. As she made her way down her feet made no noise upon the carpet. She saw guards walking back and forth. Impa took a quick glance out one of the windows, instantly recalling it was time for guard rotations. As she made her way towards the king's chamber there were fewer and fewer people. When she made it before the doors, Impa paused, listening closely. She took two steps back, and watched a man gently open and close the doors to the king's chamber.

This was the main doctor.
"Is the king's health well?" Questioned Impa. The man was slightly startled. He cleared his throat hastily and said,
"His majesty is doing much, much better," The doctor paused to clear his throat again, "But I am afraid that he won't be able to manage any strenuous tasks for a while." The doctor shrank a little in the silence as Impa thought to herself. She wished that the king could recover swiftly; she was unsure if the princess could continue substituting him in his draining line of work. Then Impa, returning to the present situation, dismissed the man and thanked him for his service to the royal family. The doctor walked down the hallway and eventually disappeared around the corner.

But Impa lingered in front of the doors. She was waiting until she could no longer hear the man's step.
"What have you heard?" Impa asked, as if to the air. Then a shadowy object dropped from the ceiling in a graceful manner. Impa knew her to be Dawn, a fresh recruit who had proved her worth countless times over. She was glad to have someone of that expertise and eagerness on her side. Dawn pulled off her hood, relaxing her body.
"Someone has used the back entrance," Dawn reported, watching for Impa's reaction.
Impa paused. Few people knew the secret way in and out of the castle.
"Have any of the others seen the princess?" Impa asked.
"Mikhael and Rolan haven't seen her. I haven't heard from Byrne yet." Dawn reported.
Impa paused, and smiled to herself. She had some idea of what was going on.
"Then I'm sure she's safe," Impa replied, "You've done well Dawn; go make a final check in the dungeons and take the day off."
Dawn hesitated for a second, bowed, and melted into the same shadows that had hid her a moment ago.
Impa stood there, thinking to herself. If no one has seen the princess, and someone has used the secret entrance, surely Sheik must be accompanying her. Impa, while afraid for the princess' safety, knew that Sheik was capable of defending himself. But just in case, she planned in her mind, I'll send Byrne out to follow the princess. It can't be too hard to find a royal girl and a curious boy wandering around the streets.

Then Impa left, making her way to the main hall.

The carriage ride was long, awkward, and silent. Vaati wasn't sure how he had gotten in this situation. Being trapped in a small space with two people who's auras were evil. All he had wanted to know was what sort of power would be in a desert that people knew hardly anything about. He had been expecting some ancient artifact or something, not a person. An artifact he could study and figure out how it worked. A person he couldn't. Things just hadn't been going well for him in the past few days.

Vaati was tired, but he refused to let himself put his guard down, let alone try and nap in front of these people. So he endured silently, forcing himself to stay awake the entire ride. When they made it out of the desert, he put down his temperature regulation spell. Though he could use it all the time, he liked actually feeling the weather. It made him feel more alive.

Vaati's nodded when Ganondorf mentioned Castle Town being their destination. "Of course I've been to Castle Town before. Practically everybody in Hyrule goes there at least once in their life." That was probably different for those who lived in desert though. It seemed like a long journey that just wasn't worth the time. If the people in the desert knew as much about the rest of Hyrule as they did to the desert people, then it was practically a separate kingdom. No wonder it had its own king.

Link nodded to the fairy as he left town, quietly he began to make his way up to castle walls he smiled as he spotted the small hole where the water follow into moat grinning he looked at the fairy "might want to hold on tight... and hold your breath." Link took a deep breath and dove in to the freezing water swimming quickly through the gap he gasp as he came up out of the water. Crawling out of the water he crouched behind a hedge, he was in the castle garden, grinning now came the hard part.

Dark link stared out the window, bored the master and the strange mage did not interest him, instead he searched using his shadow powers. Two beings that seemed like him, of darkness or akin to it at least were in the town, that was interesting he could sense the overwhelming light in the town the hero and his princess were no doubt there. This would be fun, a sickening happy smile formed on his face.

Zelda gave her brother an annoyed huff as he toyed with her hair. She knew that Sheik often hid information from her and the princess didn't like it. Zelda wanted to raise her hand in protest and request that she be present when he delivered the news to father, but she knew that her brother thought he was protecting her by not telling her whatever it is that he had learned. There was that, and the fact she and her brother were still situated in a crowded bar where she could easily give herself away with that kind discussion. As the holder of the Triforce of Wisdom, she felt like she needed to know whatever it was that had been putting her at unease.

Even if it meant going in behind her brother's back.

"We should return home. Impa probably already knows where we are." Zelda said with a playful smile, "That woman always seems to find us out."
Zelda walked out of the bar as boldly as she walked in, not paying particular mind if her brother was following her or not. Behind the surface she was trying to figure out how she could eaves drop on their meeting without being caught. Zelda couldn't hide outside of her father's door, that would be obvious. She mulled over the problem as she ducked into a hidden corner where the secret entrance they had used earlier was hidden. She approached the entrance, somewhat apprehensive about things happening in castle town. Zelda felt like there were forces out there out of her control, and the more she waited the more powerful these feelings became.

Was she in over her head?

Happy looked at the odd princess and smiled big. He had caught her joke and chuckled in response. "Of course! It would be educational as well as an honor." He nodded his head respectfully as his heavy pack preventing him from offering a full bow. "I will see you and your friend this evening. I hope I was of help to you. Please don't hesitate if you need any more services."

With another large grin and head-bow, he turned to head home. He had a lot of thinking to do. He still had the basket from the market with him and that needed attention as soon as possible. Meanwhile, he ventured out into the rain, thankful that it had let up enough that the blanket was able to protect his merchandise.

When he arrived home, he promptly pulled the basket out of his pack and a stack of scrap paper. He quickly sketched the faces of the odd pair on the paper as best he could with having only been with them a short time. Beside each face, he drew humorous cartoon forms. Next to those, scary versions. He reached into the basket and pulled out a few little jars of paint and decided which ones he liked best. He went into the basket again and pulled out a few chunks of wood and used a knife to mark out the contour of the drawn faces he liked best.

He did all of this effortlessly. He wasn't even thinking about it. His mind was focused on the coming speech. His curiosity was endless. What were these people? Where were they from? How can one get there. He wanted to go there. He wanted to learn. He supposed that he had inherited the potentially deadly curiosity that had killed his ancestors. It just manifested itself in a different form.

The first piece of wood was ready for proper carving. It held the contours of a cartoonified Zant. It was almost unrecognizable. It took the strangest parts of his face and amplified them so that they were scary. This was a mask that was not intended for children.

Though the way back to the museum was short, it was quiet enough so that Zant could think. He trudged along, contemplating the man he had just cursed. At first he was pleased with himself, sure that his demonstration of power would induce Byrne to obey. A seed of doubt crept into his mind, however. It was the look in Byrne's eyes—no respect dwelt there, not even out of fear. Only terror and hatred lurked behind those eyes when they had looked at Zant, and as he considered this, his earlier elation quickly melted. Nobody against him or Midna would respect his authority; there was precious little of it even among those neutral to his cause. For certain, Byrne would be enraged rather than intimidated when he recovered, guaranteeing that he would blabber to the individual he had called...who? Zant stamped his foot crabbily as he realized that he hadn't bothered to take in the name that Byrne had slipped. This, combined with the definite possibility of antagonism toward his cause, put Zant in an incredibly sour mood. I should have silenced him.

It didn't take Midna two seconds to sense this when he approached her back on the main street. A few genial words had been on the tip of her tongue, but when she saw the familiar yet alien visage of Zant's chameleon mask, they spirited away to be replaced by worry. “Zant,” she hailed tonelessly. “Why are you wearing your mask.”

A hand flew up to Zant's face, almost as surprised as Midna was. He had quite forgotten that it was on. Once this became apparent, it was the work of a moment to collapse it once again. The rain pattered against his smooth, pale features. A look of childish unhappiness inhabited his face as he responded, knowing that he couldn't hide the truth. “Found the fool spying on us. I...tried to persuade him to leave us alone, but he won't take the hint.”

Midna rested her face in a hand despairingly. She did not need to guess how Zant had tried to 'persuade' the poor person. “That was a very rash decision on your part. If this spy incriminates us, we could be finished. I thought I could trust you to control yourself.”
“I can!” Zant's voice was now a shrill shout.
“You can't solve every problem with force.”
“I know! I'll be more discreet in the future! Stop throwing axioms at me.”
“I'm keeping a perfectly normal voice, Zant.”

All of a sudden, Zant became lucid to what he was doing: making a spectacle of himself. The chaotic energy left his sunset-colored eyes, and he hung his head. When Midna began to walk off, her headdress, cloak, and body getting damp in the rain, he followed suit.

-=-=-

After a little while, the parchment in Link's pouch had sufficiently dried out to become crisp and, more importantly, readable once more. When examined, the scrap of paper could be seen to contain an illustration rather than writing, though a fragment of a sentence at the top of the illustration compounded the notion that it had been severed from the rest of the text. This sentence read, [i]”ished into a dark void as punishment for their crimes using an artifact called the Mirror of Twilight. This fabled Mirror has since been lost to time, though some still tell of a curious looking-glass resting atop a grand mausoleum in the Gerudo Desert.”[/b] The illustration depicted a glowing golden figure, clearly feminine, in the foreground, and three dark figures attempting to resist being pulled into a tunnel composed of concentric white magic circles.

Dark Link groaned and looked over at Ganondorf. "Master, I will goscout castle town, I believe I can locate the hero and then report back. I can sense his presence in the area." With that Dark Link dissipated into shadow as the passed under a tree, gone from sight having melted in to shadow, no trace remained of the warrior.

Dark Link smiled as he made his way through back alleys and deserted street's, he spotted what he was after, the two beings that seemed if nothing else, similar to him. Approaching them he spoke cautiously he spoke to the female. "Hello, I can sense that the two of you are not of this world... Strangely enough, neither am I." He smiled deviously at the women, she had strange markings and red hair, unlike him a solid black shadow of the original. The male was strangely dressed, through perhaps not in this age, fashion along with many other things escaped him. Looking over the to he could sense both of them stood somewhere between dark and light, he hoped they would towards dark.

Sheik was the first to become aware of the heavy, erratic footfalls. While not particularly significant in themselves, the fact that he heard them at all revealed that someone else had found the hidden corner where the castle's secret entrance lay. A few seconds later, Zelda heard them too, and both turned to face the incoming noise with varying degrees of apprehension.

The face that appeared was known to Sheik but not to the princess. Gray hair tied in a ponytail, stocky build, green scarf, reddish bags under eyes—it was undoubtedly Byrne. One thing, however, was different: in place of a left forearm, he now appeared to have a enlarged, weaponized gauntlet constituted of some unknown black alloy that failed to gleam in the pittance of light that permeated the hidden alley. Most distressing of all was his state. When seen under normal circumstances, Byrne was a quiet, surly individual, but now he seemed to be in uncharacteristic distress. In fact, he almost collapsed upon seeing Zelda, though whether it was because of relief or pain wasn't immediately obvious..

“Take me...” he wheezed, “To Impa!”

Saria sat on a branch high on the Deku Trees trunk playing music from a very old Ocarina. From this high up Saria had a good view of Hyrule, she could see the forest stretched out beneath her, in the distance she could see Hyrule Fields and at the edge of it Castle Town itself. She of course had never been there. But she'd heard stories about it from Link when he came to visit her some millennia ago. The only time she had left the forest was to dwell in the Sacred Realm as the sage of Forest, though in all fairest did that really count since it was another plane separate from Hyrule.

The Deku Tree didn't mind it when she played in his branches like this. Being a tree he was ground in one stop and even if his roots reached far through the land he had only the Kokiri to talk too, he always said her music soothed him. This high up the wind wiped through her hair. It was another thing she like about this spot. Down on the ground there were too many trees for the wind to ever get this wild.

Since she'd returned after being awakened at the Sage of Forest Saria had grown her hair out some. In the old days her hairband fashioned from bark was merely decorative but now she actually needed it to keep the wind from her eyes. She wasn't wearing it at the moment and her hair whipped around her face as if was tossed and blown.

Suddenly something changed somewhere inside her. It was not sudden, more akin to a silent wave that grows to massive peak. As it hit Saria her music faltered and she slipped from her seat on the branch in shock. As she fell she was buffeted by branches, she blinked twice and a voice came into focus. "Saria, grab something you're going to kill yourself." Saria was awakened from her daze and latched onto a branch as she fell. It bowed under her weight but held. It was lucky too, she was feet from the ground.

If there was one thing the Kokiri could always count on it was there climbing abilities, if Saria had been anyone else she may well have died. As it was she was covered in scraps and bruises from the leaves and branches as she fell. She looked up into the little light that have saved her life. "Thank you Laila," she said to her fairy. "You save me."

"Saria, you need to be more carful, what happened, I've never seen you lose concentration like that before." said the little ball of light. She was not yet old enough to exist in any other form. She had not been with Saria very long. The fairy that had chosen Saria had been called back by the Great Fairy, Laila was her replacement.

"I felt something strong, and strange. What about you Great Deku Tree? Do you know what this power was?"

The bark seemed to shift below Saria's fingers as if in a huge groan or yawn. she quickly let go dropping to the ground. Saria circled the great tree till she faced his front. There three knotholes had grown out of proportion forming eyes and a nose while the bark had bulged and darkened somewhat to form a truly impressive mustache.

"I felt it Saria," said the Great Deku Tree "Something is brewing. The Blade of Evil's Bane is unsheathed. But more than the cycle beginning again I feel another power, darker than that of the Demon King. It by no means matches his but it exists in the shadows, the gap where light does not reach. Alas the source of this power is in a land devoid of life, a place where my roots wither and die. I cannot be sure of what this is but it has plagued Hyrule before in ages past that I am certain."

Saria contemplated what the Deku Tree said. She had been alive long enough that little shocked her now but it did trouble her, this was information the Hero of this era could use. Saria could not be the messenger, she could not leave the forest, the source of life or the years she had lived would catch up with a body unable to process them. "What is to be done."

"That I cannot say Saria but I believe it would be prudent to consult Faron. I believe he will have more answers."

"But," Said Saria surprised, " Faron's spring is at the very outskirts of the Kokiri Forest Past the Lost Woods, and into the Faron Woods where the humans tread, these Ordonians. Is it truly wise to go so near there territory."

"Wise." the Tree contemplated "Perhaps it is not but it is necessary, there is much more to this story than any realize and if they are informed too late it may spell disaster for the Hero."

"Very well," the Sage mused more to herself than the Tree. " Come Laila, we have a long trek ahead of us."

Ganondorf looked at Vaati for a second, his comment sounding almost insulting. Most Gerudo never had the chance to even leave the desert. It was dangerous and not nearly close to worth the risk. He looked to Dark Link who had offered to scout Castle City for the Hero of Legend.

"That sounds like a great plan. Let's all meet up at the front gate at nightfall." He gave the shadow and the mage a greasy smile. "I have some scouting of my own to do. Vaati, would you do me the honor of escorting me? A mage who could sense my presence from so far away is surely a talented one."

He knew that Vaati was uncomfortable, but he wanted to keep an eye on him. He still knew so little of either person. If Dark Link was truly here for Ganondorf, then he would return with some information at least. Vaati, on the other hand, claimed only to be curious. Ganondorf was interested to know more of how the boy had sensed him.

Zelda gasped as a man she had never seen before entered the alleyway, a strange gauntlet of a dark alloy attached to his arm. He appeared to be in a great deal of pain, knelt over on the ground. She wasn't sure if she should feel concerned... or threatened. She stepped back in surprise as the man mentioned Impa's name. Only the royal family and Impa's own servants would know of her existence. Would a servant of Impa ever turn their back on the royal family? Servants of Impa were considered more loyal then any of Zelda's regular guards, so the idea that the Sheika had turned to the forces of darkness seemed unlikely. She eyed the gauntlet of darkness he was wearing, and decided that however he had gotten this, it was a burden on him. He needed help, and she decided that kindness and trust was what he needed. But she wasn't going to take any unnecessary risks.

"I don't know who you are," Zelda said with a conviction in her voice that would have surprised anyone with her ordinarily kind demeanor. "But you have to realize that I am risking a lot if I take you to Impa. The power of darkness on you is strong. If you didn't know of Impa's name I would have struck you down where you stood. So here's how we're going to do this." Zelda used her foot push in a lone brick, and the secret entrance in the alleyway revealed itself. As she done this the power of light shone in her hands, and soon she was holding a bow made of golden light. A light arrow formed in her hand and she pulled back on the string. Zelda used her head to signal to the entrance.
"You go in first. You don't want to know what will happen if you try anything stupid, understand?" It pained her to have to be so tough on this man. She truly believed him to be innocent, with the pained expression on his face. But she had to take responsibility for the safety of the Royal Family. She was doing what her father, her mother and all of their ancestors would have been expected to do in such a similar situation. She would tend to his apparent suffering as soon as he explained himself to Impa.

Zelda kept the bow trained on Byrne as he entered the secret passage. After a few seconds she followed, the power of her light magic lighting up the cave. Soon the entrance sealed itself and left not a single trace of the two of them ever being there. The two of them continued this way in complete silence until they reached the Castle.

When Zelda first responded, Byrne looked up at her with incredulity from his position on the ground, as if he couldn't believe that the princess hadn't already stooped to his aid. Pressing the hidden switch that opened the passage seemed to him to be a sign that she had decided to be helpful after all, and he was already clambering shakily to his feet when he found a brilliant, glowing bow drawn at him. He flinched beneath the glare, and it illuminated his hateful and confused expression. To see that he, an important agent and a strong warrior, would be threatened in such a manner by a person he served surprised him immensely. No matter how much he wanted to shield his eyes with his new hand or growl 'do you have any idea how dangerous that it?' to Zelda, he realized that if he did she could very well shoot. He endeavored to derive some sort of compassion from her face, but found it more hardened than sorrowful. Faced with the arrow's point, Byrne could only obey its wielder helplessly. It infuriated him, but, spurned on by the pain and confusion he felt, he did it all the same.

As he walked ahead of her through the tunnel, he rubbed his elbow woefully, not bending to the humiliation of raising his hands. There was no seam between flesh and steel, but he didn't feel the air on the limb either. It was as much weapon as body part. The only sound in the passage was the steady, light hum of the magic weapon, and its radiance shone upon the walls. He walked quietly, only grunting when he stumbled over the occasional stone, making sure to play up every little misstep in the hope of garnering some sympathy.

-=-=-

“Lady Midna! Lady Midna!”

The Twilight Princess turned to look, while Zant, who had succumbed to a bout of brooding, remained still. Hurrying toward them was the Goron Gorko, clad in his usual adventuring gear. Not only did it suit him better than the cheap cloak he had worn in the Magtail Fort, but it also helped differentiate him from the ruffian that had attacked Midna. In his hand he held a scroll of paper, white except for a few spots of rain, much unlike the rough, tan ones that he kept on his person. This did not go unnoticed.

“Back so soon? Wonderful! Have you found us a task...brother?” The melodic, lilting voice of Midna carried a definitive note of excitement.

“Yes ma'am!” Gorko exclaimed, shoving the paper toward her. With a delicateness that very much contrasted her companion's action, Midna plucked the scroll and began to read. Unbidden, Gorko spared her some time. “It's a beastie! Not too far away, maybe ten miles, there is a copse of woodland in the center of a prairie. Since it's the only source of lumber and water in the local area, some villagers are building a trading post there.” He paused, savoring the rapt attention paid to him by the Twili—event Zant, now. “In that little wood, however, there's the beastie they call Arrghus, a big, floating thing with a huge, bloodshot eye! It attacks anyone who comes close with magic. When will we go?”
Midna's brows furrowed. “Tomorrow, but...we?”
“Yep!” Gorko grinned. “Wouldn't want to miss out on this for the world!”
“I had planned for it to just be Zant and I. You are welcome, I suppose, but...”
At that moment, Zant cut in. His tone had regained its evenness. “Actually, why don't the two of us go? Just Gorko and I? It'll give you more time here.”
“You are being oddly chivalrous, Zant. I trust you haven't forgotten how much I enjoy using magic?”
“Of course not. It's just...I feel it would help me get some of my...frustration out of the way. Wipe clean the slate.”

Midna looked skyward. The rain had really loosened up; trickles of afternoon daylight were beginning to slip through the cloud cover. “...Very well, if you insist. I almost feel bad for this creature.”
“My thanks. We will go at once.”

At once, Zant sped away. Gorko spent a moment looking between the two Twili, then rolled up into a ball to pursue Zant.

"Why aren't I dead... I thought I fulfilled my destiny... Why have the goddesses forsaken me..." The ancient stafos said sitting up from the grass he doesn't know how much time has past but he knows it was alot. He get's up he feels a twinge of darkness at his soul. "I haven't felt this way since..." He stands up clutching his chest, where his heart would be. "I have to get out of these woods..." He says as he starts to walk, then jog, then run, he was in full sprint. He didn't know where he would end up but anywhere would be better then here, the lost woods. While running through the woods he gets stopped by a river. 'If I follow this river I should find my way out.' He thinks. Following the river was a good idea because soon, to him at least, it may have been afew days, he was at a wall of stone, but the river didn't end, it went under the wall. So Shade did the first thing that came to mind, he jumped in the water, a normal person couldn't hold there breath this long unless they were Zora, or Stalfos apparently. He finally made it to the other side of the wall, the river hand slowed enough for Shade to swim across and get out. It was night, he looked at the moon and let out a sigh of relief, 'No face... Thank goodness.' He was free, but what now?

As the day wore on, Midna spent her time alternatively sleeping and rehearsing. For lack of a better place to do so, she performed her resting and planning in shadowform; after taking off the warded hair clasp that allowed her to remain corporeal in the World of Light, she couldn't help but revert to a two-dimensional, transparent version of herself. In such a body, she was able to effectively disappear from questing eyes, and she could wander Castle Town freely and nap wherever she pleased.

At length, the shadows grew long. Midna turned her eyes to the sky and saw the orange sun making a grand exit over the horizon. It was the hour at which day turned to night. Though this foreshadowed the special event that would formally introduce her to the world, Midna didn't feel at all happy. Instead, a strange sort of sadness took hold of her. She cast her mind back to the faces she had left behind, her father, her friends, and more. The Twilight Princess felt not any surges of excitement; she felt only a pervading loneliness at this fateful hour.

Nevertheless she began to move, turning back from the stables where she currently found herself and quickly heading to Castle Town Square.

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A small throng of people had already gathered, anticipatory of her arrival thanks to the spreading rumors. This instilled a mite of satisfaction in Midna as she floated invisibly up to the fountain at the square's center. Once hovering above it, she slipped her clasp back onto her hair, allowing her to regain form. Almost instantly a townsperson noticed her and released a startled exclamation, but Midna's charming smile dispelled any ideas of hostility. The attention of the rest of the townsfolk present took only another few moments to gather. Among the low-pitched chatter, Midna could make out a few statements like, “the rumors are true.” Truer than you know.

“Good evening!” she sang, silencing the Hylians' talk. “As you have undoubtedly heard by now, I am Princess Midna. I am here on behalf of the Twilight Realm to utter a grievance.” She allowed that to sink in for a moment, and marked the confusion etched onto a couple faces. “My complaint is this: the good people of Hyrule are governed by an inefficient and antiquated monarchy. What is monarchy, you may ask? It is the system of leadership in which a single person, the king, holds absolute power. The only things in the way of such a king -or princess- are the extent of her ambition and the strength of the people. This is not so where I come from, and after I explain, I am sure that we will all share the same resolve.”

Happy made way for Castle Town Square, leaving his over-sized pack at home but still bringing several mask. He didn't want to miss out on a potential sale.

He made it just in time. Midna had just begun her speech. Her voice was strong, but pleasant as it echoed off of the walls of the nearby buildings, carrying her words to everyone in the Square. He looked around for Zant, sure that he was there. He couldn't find the strange being anywhere so he refocused his attention on the Princess

***

Ganondorf walked the streets of Castle Town with Vaati walking unwillingly beside him. He noticed that there weren't as many people as there usually were. He saw a boy scurrying in the direction of the Town Square. As the boy passed him, he grabbed the back of his shirt and the boy was forced to stop.

"Where is everyone, boy?" He tried not to frighten him, but his patience with children was almost as low as that with the Hero of Legend... had he ever met the green-clad warrior.

"Let me go! Let me go!" The boy shouted. "I'm already late! You will be too if you don't let me go!"

"Late for what?" The gravelly consistency of his voice was turning into angry boulders quickly as the boy thrashed in his grip.

"To see Lady Midna! I have to go and tell my parents what she says, so let me go!"

Ganondorf cracked an evil smirk and released the boy's shirt. The boy bolted, leaving puffs of dust in his wake. How convenient. Midna was showing herself publicly tonight. He triumphantly made his way to the Town Square.

Dark Link smirked as he approached the crowd. He wanted to here the women speak, he could tell that like him she was not of this world. He did however have a few things he wish to voice on the subject of Hyrule and it's monarchy. Perhaps he could turn this around and her appear weak, he did so love tormenting the living. As he approached the crowd gave way to the shadow, a guard attempted to stop but he simply threw the poor fool into the wall. "You there." He called out to Midna

He spoke looking at Midna. His voice sounding just like Links "I must question who you could be to say that you know better than the goddess. I must say to the people here in town that there are three pieces to the Tri-force yes? They go to three people, one to the hero who has great courage, one to the Princess whom holds much wisdom, and the most powerful goes to the man whose ambition and strength know no end. The three great golden goddesses picked them ladies and gentle-men. So I have to ask is that women as wise as Nayru? No but Zelda was blessed by her! As brave as Farore? No she is not the hero clad in green, nor does she bare the power the of Din. So ask you good people will you follow this Harlot without a blessing from the goddess or trust in the judgement of those who made the land you dwell in!"

He smiled he had known exactly what to say. His plan was simple, he would get the people to agree against her and then Ganondorf could align with her and show them his piece of the Tri-force, then they would follow her words but be faithful to his master.If they could win Hyrules people it would surely mean the end for that pesky hero he had heard whispers about in town.