FicWad

The full moon rose in the flawless winter sky, bathing Castle Town in a white glow. Looming above the squat stone buildings was Hyrule Castle itself, a structure so massive that it could be viewed for miles in any direction. Windows blazed while servants prepared for the coming dawn. Gusts of icy wind moaned between cramped alleys and sent people seeking warmer havens. In less than a minute, only a few brave souls remained to wander aimlessly.

Clouds suddenly materialized overhead, obscuring both the moon and stars. Patrolling footmen paused, gazes directed upward to regard the spectacle suspiciously, pikes gripped tightly. Slowly, the clouds began to rotate clockwise, drawing closer to the castle, which lit more lamps to stave off the gathering gloom. Heavy crates flipped onto their sides as the wind's velocity increased monumentally to the point where those outside struggled to stay balanced. Flickers of lightning stitched the sky, followed immediately by cracks of thunder, unusual for this time of year.

A group of five men huddled near Castle Town's western entrance jumped when a hollow bang rent the air. The large wooden door creaked open to reveal a cowled figure with luminous golden eyes. Sprawled on the ground, his neck bent unnaturally, was the soldier who guarded the gate. One of the men started to speak, but faltered as he was pinned by the stranger's glare. Apprehensive, he looked away at the instant the figure uttered a single word in a voice that was clearly a man's: "Zelda."

Nine Royal Family protectors hurried to block the path leading to Hyrule Castle, weapons trained on the foreigner. Their captain stepped forward, studying the cloaked man in front of him. "Who are you, and why do you not show your face? Answer me!" Instead of giving a verbal response, the stranger lowered his hood, oblivious of the gasps around him. Even in the semi-darkness, he was recognizable to everyone present. Stumbling back, the soldiers' commanding officer let out a terrified squeak, spear wavering. "Quick, somebody go warn the castle! Tell them the sorcerer has escaped the Sacred Realm!"

"I'm afraid none of you are going anywhere," Ganondorf drawled, a strobe of lightning haloing his features: the ruby adorning his forehead; his flaming red hair and sideburns. Tossing aside his cape, the sorcerer retrieved a slender sword, its edges trailing streaks of black. "Not alive, that is. Who will volunteer to die first? Very well, I'll come to you!" He launched among the stunned soldiers, swinging his blade expertly. Despite their frantic attempts to dodge his attacks, they ultimately fell victim to his onslaught. Pulling the sword from a footman's chest, Ganondorf shifted his attention to the cowering cluster of men. "If you value your lives, you will return to you homes and not breath a word of my presence to anyone. Understood?" Nodding hastily, they bolted for their houses, too scared to glance over their shoulders. Sheathing his sword, the sorcerer raced toward the bridge connecting to the castle and halted abruptly, snarling. "You fools are seriously testing my patience!"

"Princess Zelda had ordered us to prevent you from entering the palace!" a guard yelled, brandishing his pike. The other three dozen armed men barricaded the doorway, expressions grim. "She realized it was you when the back of her hand--" He broke off, aware that he was addressing empty space--Ganondorf had vanished. Cursing softly, the soldier spun, orders drowned out by a deafening boom of thunder. As soon as he could hear again, he issued his commands. "Find him, hunt him down! Under no circumstances is the sorcerer to gain access to the castle!"

"Do I look like an animal to you?" Ganondorf demanded, unexpectedly appearing where he had been. All the footmen could do was gape in disbelief, weapons slack. Blood-red eyes locked on them, the sorcerer smiled wickedly, displaying razor fangs. Hooked talons lazily tracing patterns in the air. "Are you still going to deny me admittance to meet Princess Zelda? She and I have much to catch up on. Now, kindly clear the way or suffer my wrath." Defiantly, the soldiers narrowed their ranks, a wall of spears hindering Ganondorf's advance. "It's your funerals. Mere stell can't damage me, as you will discover." Roaring, the sorcerer crashed into the men, claws tearing through their armor effortlessly. Any wounds he received healed automatically, much to the footmens' horror. Two minutes later, the thirty-seven soldiers were discarded bodies on the ground. Panting, Ganondorf reverted to his human form, senses heightened due to the scent of blood. He barreled up the sloping incline and crossed the bridge, throwing the pair of doors wide to behold a sight that made him stop in his tracks. This must be a trap.

Hyrule Castle's expansive courtyard was completely devoid of further , the sorcerer crept ahead, scanning for movement in the immediate vicinity. A quarter of the way to the palace's entrance, he was pelted by a shower of arrows. Seething, Ganondorf snapped his firey gaze onto those of six guards perhaps forty feet above him, each equipped with a bow. Not granting them time to reload, he used his powers to summon a horde of creatures, including Aeralfos, winded lizards the size of a man. "Kill every man, woman, and child inside the castle, as well as those that escape. But leave the princess to me." Obeying eagerly, his minions swarmed the palace, ripping the doors off their hinges, howls mingling with the wind. Unable to maneuver properly, the soldiers fell beneath the coordinated assault of three Aeralfos. Relishing the piercing screams, the sorcerer became a cloud of twisting fog that defied the raging cyclone to angle toward the castle's tallest spire.



"Do not worry about me! Go, before it is too late for any of us! Please, keep Mirath safe. I shall join you shortly."

Nodding, the servant ducked into the cramped passage carved in the throne room's rear wall, bracing herself against the rough stone. Releasing the glossy tapestry, Princess Zelda arranged it to conceal the hole, then craned her neck to peer beyond the throne to make certain the doors were fastened. Feeling the castle shudder, she recklessly leapt the flight of stairs, staggering as a loud explosion rocked the floor. Desiring to see what was transpiring, the princess located an oak door, opened it, and ascended the seventy-odd steps to the topmost tower. Moving to the windows, Zelda searched the sprawling palace grounds, revolted by the countless fiends slaughtering her exposed subjects. Subtle motion drew her attention and when she investigated, her blood ran cold in her veins.

Coiling up the curvature of the spire was a black mist. Two pinpricks of crimson latched unerringly on Zelda, brimming with murderous intent. Gasping, she lurched away from the glass, tears of fear welling in her crystal blue eyes. Whirling, the princess hastened down the spiral staircase, careening painfully off the walls. Reaching the deserted throne room, she hurried for the tunnel. A gradual dimming of the light compelled her to hesitate, hand brushing the tapestry. Pivoting, Zelda whimpered, heart quailing in her breast. "No, don't! This will accomplish nothing, Ganondorf!"

"Oh, I disagree, Princess!" the sorcerer retorted, voice echoing as if he were everywhere at once. Bands of ebony wrapped around the eight granite columns supporting the chamber she had just vacated. Harsh pops reverberated in the silence, the shadows constricting the stone. Ganondorf resumed, tone like that of an anxious child's. "Are you afraid of death, Zelda? I find that ironic, considering the number of times you banished me to the Sacred Realm, which is a close comparison to death. Now, it is your turn to experience permanent oblivion! Farewell, Princess Zelda!" Cruel laughter punctuated the grinding cracks as the darkness shattered the pillars. With a wounded groan, the vaulted ceiling disintegrated, incapable of bearing the tremendous weight.

Zelda collapsed to her kness, staring at the plummeting debris. This is the end, I fear. Evil has finally triumphed.Shielding her head, she curled into a tight ball, listening to the boulders crash around her. Embracing the seemingly inevitable, Hyrule's princess lost consciousness, not feeling the multi-ton rocks pile on top of her, forming a dome. Nor was she awake to observe the symbol on the back of her right hand pulsate.

*

Allured by the racket of continuous fighting, the residents of Castle Town abandoned their homes to mass in the central square, eyes screwed against the fierce gale. Neglecting their parents' warnings, playing children ceased their activities as the castle's courtyard doors crashed aside, allowing droves of soldiers and servants to pound across the concrete bridge. Women snatched their offspring, wondering what circumstances had forced Princess Zelda to evacuate the palace's entire population--or mostof it. Of the fifteen-hundred inhabitants who had fled with their lives via escape tunnels, more than half had been killed. Shadowing the survivors were seven blood-splattered guards escorting a limping blonde boy. The instant the final people were accounted for, the steel gate was dropped in place.

Quiet blanketed the area as the earth began to tremble violently. Heads swiveled to scrutinize the imposing monolith, expecting the worst. Strident yells cleaved the air when the distant throne room's windows burst outward, fragments swept away by gusts of wind. Listing alarmingly, the tapering azure spire crumbled in slow-motion, pulverizing what lay under it before being stopped by the sturdy paltform of stairs. Rocks of various dimensions plunged to the ground, some landing in the moat circling the castle. Emitting shafts of crackling lightning, the roiling clouds sank and changed to an eerie olive color.

Mirath, Zelda's twelve-year-old son, started to push through the throng, only to have a pair of strong arms grab his waist, immobilizing him. "Let me go, damn you! She still may be alive! Do you want my mother to suffer? Unhand me at once!" Fatigued,he sagged in the man's arms, body jerking spasmodically. His words were laden with mourning and anger. "She never hurt anyone in her life. Whoever did this is a coward!" Mirath raised his voice, crying into the whirlwind. "You hear me? A COWARD!" Peals of thunder answered the boy, causing him to cover his ears.

"I concur!" a stout, raven-haired man called, arm around his wife. Guards close to him directed incredulous glances toward him, shaking their heads frantically. "None but a coward would've dared destroy the castle and murder the princess! I'm not going to stand here going nothing while our great kingdom is threatened! All in favor of driving this coward back to the hole from which he came, say aye!" Throatly voices declared their consent , fists pumping.

"As general of the Royal Family Guard, I forbid you from entering Hyrule Castle!" a soldier bellowed, signaling his men to surround the onlookers. "Have you any idea of what you would be up against if you enter the palace courtyard? Fiends, dozens of fiends craving human flesh and blood!" The men of Castle Town scoffed. "All right, you want the truth? Some of you, I'm sure, recall the man seen earlier this evening, correct? Believe me if you wish, but that was the evil sorcerer, Ganondorf. Unless you want to die a horrible death, you'll stay here and heed my advice."

"General Chudley, I don't think we should wait in Castle Town," a second footman said, pointedly looking at the castle. "Years past have taught us to execute extreme caution when the sorcerer is involved. Therefore, I propose we desert this are and relocated elsewhere for the time being." He pitched his voice to a whisper. "We may be able to save a few of them if we leave in an hour."

"Fine with me," Chudley replied, consulting a mental census paper taken of Castle Town a month prior, then adding that to what was left of Hyrule Castle's occupants: roughly twelve hundred and fifty people, and scarcely five hundred soldiers to protect them. "Everyone, listen up! You've got one hour to pack what you can carry! We'll divide into four groups of one hundred twenty-five Castle Town residents, one hundred twenty guards, and sixty servants! Families are urged to stick together. Our destinations are: Kakariko Village, the Gorgon Mines of Death Mountain, and the Hidden Village in the Eldin Province. The last group will head for Ordon Village in the Ordona Province, led by me." Having issued his instructions, the general turned to Mirath, whose face was flushed. "Boy, are you going to mope forever or help these folks get ready? Princess Zelda's probably banging her head on a cloud pillar because of your lack of commitment!" Smiling weakly, the boy went to assist an elderly couple with a canvas bag.

One hour later, Castle Town was barren, the inhabitants departing swiftly. A large cluster marched east while a much smaller cluster shuffled south. Nearly one hundred fifty tired, yet alert, soldiers protected each of the four individual groups, willing to spring into action should the need arise.

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I'm...alive? Bless the goddesses, I'm alive!

Reciting this in her mind, Princess Zelda opened her eyes, coughing because of drifting dust motes. Gingerly, she inspected her body for any broken bones or gashes, and was relieved to discover nothing. Above her arched a faintly glowing barrier that had prevented the deadly boulders from crushing her. Perceiving the princess to be no longer in danger, the energy field dissolved, gently guiding the stones to cascade harmlessly around her. Blasts of frigid air hammering her, Zelda regained her footing and gaped at the devastation encompassing her. Suddenly, on the peripheral of her vision, she noticed swirls of black. Throat dry, she wheeled in time to witness Ganondorf coalesce into a solid form hardly five feet away. He lashed out and clamped a vice-like hand around her neck. Oxygen-deprived, the princess tried in vain to pry his fingers apart, darkness clouding her sight.

Molten eyes flashing, the sorcerer hoisted Zelda off the ground, increasing the pressure on her trachea. "It seems we both retain the powers of our respective Triforces, hence the reason you survived. However, you're at my mercy--" Checking himself, Ganondorf swore and relinquished his hold too late. Flaring, the Triforce pattern on the princess's hand expelled a beam of radiance that impaled her antagonist through the abdomen. Roaring in agony, he was hurled twenty feet from her to land in a heap, motionless.

Inhaling greedily, Zelda acquired her bearings and ran toward the pile of rubble obstructing the stairs leading to the lower levels of the castle. While hunting for a stable anchor, she grew aware that the wind had died to a mere whisper. Perhaps we all can return to our normal lives. Her musings were interrupted as a sphere of energy slammed into the mound, showering her with sharp shards of rocks. Jolted by the impact, the princess was thrown to the ground, arms bleeding. Dazed, Zelda shook her head--and froze, her face draining of color. "No! It can't be! The evil the goddesses sealed in the Sacred Realm...it is within you!"

"Yes, it is, Princess!" Ganondorf hissed, his wound shining a brilliant white. In every aspect, he lookedthe same as he had seven years ago, except for his lengthened canines and nails. Conjuring another energy orb, the sorcerer prepared to fling it, the dispersed of it, a thoughtful expression on his dark visage. "Employing this newfound power, I'll be able to control Hyrule. Yet, one thing stands in my way: you." His proclamation finished, Ganondorf disappeared, leaving a thoroughly baffled Zelda. Grumbles of thunder shocked her into action.

Scrambling up the uneven pile of wreckage, her fingers soon became raw and left smears of scarlet in her haste. One meter from the apex, a colossal thud made several medium-sized stones slither to the floor. Flipping onto her back, the princess gaze upon a spectacle she had hoped to never behold again. I lack the strength to combat the magic granted to him by the Triforce of Power and the great wickedness possessing him! Especially when he is in his beast form!

Crouched on all four massive paws, his serrated tusks twice as long as a grown man, was the Dark Beast, Ganon, a boar sixteen times Zelda's mass. Jet balck hair, excluding his red mane and tail, covered his powerful body. A jagged snowy section on his belly emphasized his darkness. Huffing, Ganon locked eyes with Zelda, talons gorging the tiles beneath him almost in anticipation. Look carefully, Princess, for this will be the last image you see before I kill you. Knotting his sinewy muscles, the sorcerer dashed his one-ton bulk against the base of the mound.

Zelda, still reeling after the mental assult, failed to react in time and started to slide on an avalanche of boulders. Wildly groping for purchase, she succeeded only in tearing her skin. Should Fate decide to intervene now, I shall cease doubting its existence. Light Spirits, the Sages, even the Triforce itself! Anything to stop his domination of Hyrule! Unexpectedly, a ball of golden light rose out of the rubble, halting the princess's descent. Before her eyes, it assumed a serpentine shape that she instantly recognized. "Lanayru, thank goodness you heard my plea! Hurry, you must use your light to exile this monster once more to the depths of the Sacred Realm!"

Rippling, the Light Spirit ensnared Ganon in its coils and brought it head inches from his stomach. Screeching, Lanayru unleashed a ray of pure energy which engulfed the sorcerer, robbing his gaze of its glow. He fell on his side, outline fluctuating ominously. The guardian of Lanayru Province turned to Zelda, a comforting presence. "Fret not, Princess. I have cast the sorcerer back where he belongs. My brethren are helping your people to their new homes. Your kingdom is--" Its speech became a gurgle as Ganon, fully recovered, seized the Light Spirit's orb in his paw. Wailing, Lanayru was split into dozens of light slivers.

Gulping, Zelda flinched when Ganon advanced, coarse hair bristling. Abruptly, he morphed to his human form, studying her critically, brow furrowed. Satisfied by his apparent conclusion, the sorcerer hauled her upright, keeping a close eye on her right hand. "Your pathetic subjects may be beyond my reach, but that'll soon change, Zelda. Every minute you waste contemplating ways to get rid of me, my power swells. Killing you outright won't serve my purpose." Ganondorf's face hardened in recollection. "That brat, he termed me a coward! Don't fear, Princess, for I plan to reunite you with your son so both of you can watch the balance shift in my favor! I shall return shortly, though you'll be stuck here. Oh, and in nine days, the Triforce will be in my hands!" Cackling insanely, the sorcerer vanished amid a cacophony of thunder and lightning.

"Mirath has nothing to do with this, Ganondorf!" Zelda cried, fists clenched. Her words echoed, masking an odd sound she could not identify. Walking to the edge of the platform, she observed a barrier encircle Hyrule Castle. Picking up a stone, the princess pitched it at the force field, which incinerated it on contact. Disheartened, she went to a relatively clear patch of floor and sat, arms around her knees. Nine days, then all of Hyrule will be slaves to the demon inside Ganondorf. Laying on her back, Zelda slipped into slumber, tears for her kingdom and son glistening on her cheeks.

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Sunrise the next morning found General Chudley's worn group of refugees traversing Faron Woods. Embarrassed, Mirath tugged on his sleeve and whispered privately in his ear. Nodding, the general called for a respite while the boy relieved himself. Fifteen minutes elapsed without any further sign of him. Worried, Chudley demanded if people had seen where Mirath had gone, but the answers were always negative. Terminating the break, he ordered the throng to press onward for Ordon Village, shouting the child's name, unaware true evil was prowling the land--and that it was on their trail