Servants ran by her, guards too as she moved quick down the stairs, taking them two at a time. She tried to find the council members that were missing from the chambers. Pulling her skirt up as she descended the stairs she rapped her arm against one of the bedroom doors, moving across the hall and continued. "Meeting!" She called, continuing down the hall waking the council men from their sleep.

Time was of the essence. She could feel something happening and she needed the council to convene. Racing down another set of stairs she was followed by half asleep council members, servants were rounding up the others as they started pouring into the room as she headed up to the throne, looking down at the men half asleep, some alert as they piled into the their seats.

Murmurs went out around the crowd. As Zelda turned to face them. She cleared her throat, "Now, you all settle down, we have something important to discuss." She called looking around at the group. "Someone is trying to do something to the Sacred Realm, the other Sages and myself can feel the push against the spell."

More murmurs continued whispering among themselves. No one spoke out at first, letting Zelda continue.

"I am not sure who is behind this but someone may be trying to access the Sacred Realm. We need to figure out how to handle this." She looked around but almost as she predicted the room was silent. These men were never any help, even when Ganondorf had wormed his way into the council before, no one knew he was evil but here.

"Anyone have any ideas?"

He could hear it again, that awful sound; the sound of dripping water and flowing currents, the rise and fall of distant tides. The smell of the murky lake and lonely island upon which, so long ago, he had been imprisoned. The being of darkness opened his eyes, crimson hues staring off into the vast darkness of Hyrule field at night. His last memories were of his prison in the water temple and his duel against the Hero of Time, a duel he'd lost. After materializing back into the swirling void of evil magic from which he'd been created, his mind was set adrift, lost to the nothingness of the ether until the current time.

The dark lord was returning, of this much the warrior could be sure. How else could his current revival be explained? From the extreme distance of the Sacred Realm itself Dark Link could feel the tug of his former master, beckoning his once loyal servant to expedite the process of his revival. But no, things were different now; the once unbreakable hold the sorcerer had held on him had waned over these past few years, the warrior of evil no longer hearkened to his master's call. This life, this body, molded of sinister magic, was now his and his alone to command, he would determine the course of his own destiny. A smile spread across the shade's dark lips, body slowly melting into the swirling cess of dark energy that pooled at his feet. He knew now what had to be done to ensure his continued freedom; he would slay the dark lord.

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As the council of nobles drew together in the secrecy of the throne room, a pair of beady red eyes waited in the shadows of a nearby corner. He heard their words and concerns, chuckled silently at their innate weakness. These men of power knew nothing of the ways of sword and magic, they would be useless in combating the rising threat; only the power of the sages stood in the way of Ganon's revival. And so, when the princess, the head of the sages, relinquished the floor to open debate it was at that moment the wraith made his presence know.

From the shadows he slithered, body veiled in swirling mist of dark energy. The eyes of nearby councilmen were drawn towards his imposing form, a warped image of their one-time savior. The sound of boots clapping evenly against the stone floor broke the silence of the room, the shade approaching his soon-to-be ally. "Dear princess Zelda, you do seem to have found yourself in quite a predicament." Vile lips curved into the shape of a sinister smile, narrowed eyes revealing the simple truth of their situation: He held the answers's she sought, the answers to Ganon's revival.

Zelda paused, looking down at the dark version of the Hero of Time. Her stomach dropped and she had to stopped herself for a moment thinking that he might have returned to them. But she knew in her mind that she had given him back his childhood, though at this point she was unsure whether that was the best idea or not. Her eyes focused on the stranger, his face familiar but he was definitely not the Hero of Time.

Stepping down the steps towards him, the guards moved to intervene but she waved a hand to stay them. "What do you mean?" She asked, standing in front of him, she was not enjoying how similar he looked to Link. She had cared very much for that man but this one just stole his appearance. His voice however, the tenor of it was too low for him. There were distinct differences, but there were also so many things similar.

"Princess do not listen to that man, he is darkness himself." One of the council men spoke up, stepping down from his seat looking at Dark Link. "He has to be a creation of Ganondorf!"

She glanced at the council man, "What clued you in? This is another reason that makes me know that someone is trying to get to Ganondorf." She put a hand on her hip, before turning back to Dark Link, guards behind her were ready to swoop in if something were to happen. "What information do you have? Speak up."

The wraith watched first as the princess deflected the attempts of her guards to protect her, then the attempts of her councilors to inform her. Surely this princess was one of a kind, fool-hardy enough to jump straight into the den of danger and strong enough to survive through to the other end. "What information do you have? Speak up." Dark's words came quickly, but with controlled emotion, the shade leaving only subtle hints of his dislike for his former master. He didn't particularly care if the Hylian's trusted him, he only needed them to cooperate with him. "Seven powerful sorcerers stand in opposition to the sages, combating their power as they seek to release Ganon from his imprisonment. Already the gates are opened, no doubt you've noticed the reappearance of monsters of Hyrule's horizons? Each day they grow stronger and each day Ganon draws closer to escape, if you wish to stop his revival then you must begin now."

At this moment the shade paused, searching his memory for the relevant information; he and the hero were link, twin souls existing as mirrors of one another. He could see into the Hylian's mind, even though they were separated by vast distances of space and time. He could remember everything as clear as day, the moment Zelda returned the hero to the past, the emotions Link felt as the teleportation took place. Finally, the wraith spoke up again, articulating knowledge he, by all means, had no right accessing. "Too bad the hero no longer exists in this dimension. . ." The room fell silent, various nobles shutting their previously murmuring mouths. They had all assumed Link was still in Hyrule somewhere, off in some far off field or lake, somewhere they could reach him, a place from which he could be recalled. They had no way of knowing Zelda had transported him to the past, at least, not until this moment.

". . . your fateful decision to send him back now has dire consequences. Hyrule is without a hero. Therefore, princess, I'll extend to you an offer? I'll take the place of the Hero of Time, journey to the temples and eliminate the sorcerers, however, I do expect something in return. I desire a spot on the throne, control of Hyrule and all its peoples." An evil smirk was growing on the lips of the shade, a diabolical grin that could no longer be controlled. Although he opposed Ganon, in many ways he retained the evil of his originating magic. "I'd say you don't have much of a choice? Hand over the kingdom and all of you will survive, roll the dice on your own and Ganon slaughters the lot of you. What's it going to be?"

Zelda's face was controlled as she stared up at the man, but on the inside she was a frenzy of emotions. First and foremost among them was rage, tightening her hands into fists she tried to keep herself calm, her fingernails digging into the skin of her palms to steady herself. She looked away from the man as the entire council chamber remained silent, all of them waiting for her to speak. She lowered her head, frantically trying to think of any other solution to this predicament.

If only she had not sent Link back through time. If only she had not wanted to give him the childhood he missed out on. They would not be in this situation. But now that they were, she was unsure how to proceed. She could not -- give this apparition the throne. Her father would be rolling in his grave if that was the case. Giving it to someone not of the royal family.

She concentrated her eyes on the guards in the back, all of them were tense, her back was to the dark man. Breathing through her teeth, she closed her eyes trying to release the tension from her pounding head as she turned back. "On one condition."

The entire council chamber erupted into shouting at her words, all of them advising her against speaking, all of them telling the man to leave. She waved her hand but when that would not stop them talking. "Silence!" She shouted, looking around, locking eyes with every one of the council members before turning back to the man/monster in front of her. Whatever he was.

"I have one condition for this. I see that we are in a dire situation but do not trust you completely. I will accompany--"

Another round of protesting shouts started around her and she turned glaring at them all. "I said Silence! We have little choice. I shall accompany this man to take care of this. If we are lucky, we will stop them from bringing down the apocalypse on our heads! You all do not understand the dangers Ganon brings with him. We CANNOT let him be free." She took another breath, turning to Dark Link. "What do you say? I will help where I can. I fight better than you would think."

"What do you say? I will help where I can. I fight better than you would think." The shadow figure let out a gleeful chuckle, delighting in his coercion. When Ganon was stopped the whole kingdom would be his to command! Then he'd have the princess all to himself, he just had to make sure she didn't double cross him. In a mocking tone the shade made his reply, right arm sweeping wide as he brought himself into a low, low bow. "Why, t'would be an honor to have mi'lady accompany." The sarcasm evident was proof enough. It wasn't that he doubted her skills or her usefulness, no, he simply didn't like the possibility of being banished in his sleep. Rising from his bow, the shadow smiled. "Well then, since I'm your new hero, I suppose a new name is in order. I am no longer Dark Link, call me Nova."

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What supplies that were required for their journey were requisitioned with all due speed, after all they were racing against the clock. The seven sorcerers had established themselves in those places in which magic flowed most freely and the most damage could be done against Ganon's seal. They'd each set up their respective bases in the homes of the Sages, the seven temples. Some had fought against them, some were still fighting; the land of Hyrule was vast and its people varied, not all had rolled over for the magical invasion. In the west the Gerudo tribes held their ground at the spirit temple, in the north the Gorons fended off Death Mountain. Frozen as they were in the domain the Zoras were unable to protect the temple of water and it, along with the rest of the temples, had fallen under the hands of evil.

Nova opened his eyes slowly, withdrawing his psychic presence from the realm, his survey complete. He'd informed the princess of these things previously, she knew there situation. In addition to their supplies of food and water, a single horse had been given to the two, the rest deployed along with the Hylian knights to Kakariko to try and hold off the monsters. As for Zelda and Nova, their first target was the Forest Temple, still under the protection of the Deku Tree. While the temple had been lost, the forest still remained free of monsters and their relief of the tree would greatly strengthen their cause. Turning to face the princess, the shade motioned with his hand, urging her haste. "It's time to depart, lets get under way." In a single, fluid motion the darkling mounted, hand extended out to the princess to help her on as well. They were burning day-light as it was.

The next few days after the council meeting flew by Zelda, answering questions from concerned council members, packing her things and over all preparing for the trials that were to come. She decided to leave it up to the dark shade where they would be heading first, she did not rightly care, there were seven sages that needed their help and whatever order they did them in was no matter.

As she packed, she dressed in a loose fitted tunic with a belt strapped around her waist holstering two short swords. She concealed daggers in her boots and pulled her hair up and out of her face. The servants confessed they barely recognized her after she dressed and took her bag.

Once outside, she locked eyes with Nova, as he pulled himself up. Looking at his hand, she was begrudged to take it, but pulled herself up behind him. Nodding to the council members and members of the castle that came to see them off. She waved to them as they started towards the town gates. The Kokiri Forest and the Deku tree. The journey would take them all day and part of the night to arrive at the forest.

The ride was grueling for the Princess, having to sit behind the shade, her arms loose around him but tensed every time that some move was made that she might fall off. She did not want to be touching him, but she could not fall off the horse. She concentrated on the road ahead of them and kept an eye out for the monsters. The ride could have been nothing but silence but curiosity got the better of her.

"Why did you come to us?" She asked, "Why did you not just what for the destruction and stop it yourself?"

The ride had been thus far silent, silent enough that the shade could relax and enjoy the aspect of riding. There was simple pleasure implicit in the act of guiding a horse, something that felt strange and at the same time calming to him; perhaps it was a bit of that hero's memory leaking through? For the greater part of the day things went on in that manner, but as the sun began to set and the two beheld the edges of the forest as it rose against the horizon the princess broke their comfortable silence. When she was done speaking, Nova considered her questions for a time, calculating the amount of information he really wanted to give her. It would be unwise, after so recently coercing her, to reveal his fear of Ganondorf's power, the very real possibility that he was simply not up to the challenge of killing the dark lord. No, he would tell her only enough to satisfy her current curiosity.

"Why not wait you ask? What gain could be had of saving the kingdom in it's most dire hour? No, this way is better; when the dark lord is re-sealed I'll be the ruler of Hyrule, besides, if the sages were to fall there'd be no way to reseal the dark lord." Nudging at the sides of the mount, the horse began to slow its pace to a trot, the two approaching the edges of the forest. "But what of your motivations? I must confess I was surprised you accepted my offer so quickly, even if you had no other choice. You must know that once this journey is over, that you will be mine and mine alone." Another quick nudge and the horse came to a stop just at the edges of the forest. "The sun grows dim, best to make camp for the night and progress into the forest tomorrow."

In a single quick motion, the shade dismounted, boots digging into the soft dirt of the forest's edge. Turning, his hands rose upwards, fingers resting upon Zelda's hips as he helped ease her from the saddle to the ground. At once, the shade found himself second-guessing this action, why was he being so courteous? As soon as the princess as secure, the Nova withdrew his hands, almost too quickly, as if the thought of niceties repulsed him. He'd have to work harder next time to repress his heroic impulses, he was finding the Hero of Time was affecting him in more ways than he liked, not least of all his growing interest in the Hylian Princess herself.

Zelda's stomach churned as the shade spoke, she had no choice yes, but how he spoke worried her. She had mildly hoped to talk him out of taking everything over. But at this point, she was not so sure. As they slowed to a stop, she was surprised when he helped her down. Looking up at him, she tilted her head. "We had no choice as you elegantly put." Moving she grabbed her bag from the back of the horse, preparing to make camp. "I was a fool to send the Hero of Time back. I thought that once sealed Ganon would stay as such."

She sighed, lowering the bag to the ground and riffling through it's contents for her water skin. Kneeling down, she sipped at the water, having rode for most of the day she was worn out. Since the kingdom was at peace, she had done little riding and was not use to it anymore. Though, she made sure to keep her skills with swords sharp in case of other invasions, she never guessed that the Dark Lord would be breaking free.

"As to once this journey is over, I pray that my judgement is not terrible." Lowering the water skin, she lifted it offering it to the shade. "Fire or no?" She asked, "If we are stopping for the night, we should keep our energy up." Zelda looked up at him, attempting to at least study his face, it was eerily so alike the Hero's face. it was unnerving to be looking up at him from time to time because she just remembered his face when she sent him back through time. The serene look that he would actually be at peace. That peace however did not last long for her.