FicWad

Unlike usual, I wasn’t teleported back to the entrance of the current temple after leaving the sacred realm. I was actually taken to the Temple of Time. I landed right in front of the entrance on a big Triforce that was engraved on the ground.
“Ashley,” I heard a voice say enthusiastically. I immediately recognized it as Link’s voice and felt my heart jump. I turned around to see him sitting on the pedestal where we sat the three Spiritual Stones. He hopped off it and ran towards me right away. With open arms, he embraced me and I put my arms around him. It had only been two days, but I felt that I was away from him for a month. I missed his warm hugs and the way he held the back of my head.
“I missed you,” I said quietly. I just couldn’t help it; I had to say it.
He let go of me and looked at me face to face. “I missed you too,” he said with an affectionate smile that made my heart melt. I then noticed that he had a gash on his cheek.
“Are you okay?” I asked and I touched it. “What happened?”
“I had a pretty heated battle with Dark Link,” he said and grabbed my hand. “Don’t worry because you seemed to suffer more physical damage than I did.” He pointed to several cuts and bruises on my arm and a couple of tears in my clothes which had cuts under them. He kissed me softly and smiled. “Did you get the Spirit Medallion?”
“Yeah,” I said and reach for my tunic’s pocket. I held out the dark orange circle and Link took it.
“We finally have them all,” he said and then let out a sigh of relief. “It’s almost over. Now all we have to do is defeat Ganondorf.”
“That will not be an easy task,” I heard a voice say. Link let go of my hand quickly and I turned around to see Sheik standing before us. “You have both done very well for the people of Hyrule. The power of the Sages now belongs to both of you, but you will need more power than that to defeat the Evil King.”
“What else could we possibly need?” I asked.
“I will get to that later,” Sheik said. “First, I need to tell you both something. As Ganondorf’s reign begins to end, he will be scrambling to try and capture both of you. You see, though Ganondorf has the power of the King of Hyrule, he is missing one thing that he really wants. Being the king of this golden kingdom is not enough for him. He wants to be able to rule the universe and every dimension it includes. Just being the king of Hyrule and having the Triforce of Power isn’t enough. He needs all pieces of the Triforce.”
“Like the Triforce of Wisdom and Courage?” Link asked.
“Exactly,” Sheik said, “but you have forgotten one piece.”
There was silence but then I remembered what the Deku Sprout told me. “Do you mean the Triforce of Balance?” I said faintly.
“Yes, the Triforce of Balance. The goddesses of Hyrule gave out each piece of the Triforce to individuals that they saw fit to hold the different pieces. The Triforce of Power was given to none other than a magician who, in the beginning had pure intentions. However, their hunger for power overtook their sanity. The Triforce of Wisdom was given to one of royalty, who knew what was best for the kingdom and upheld justice to the people. The Triforce of Courage was given to a sole hero who used his bravery to save the people of the golden land. The Triforce of Balance would be given to one that held the characteristics of the other three Triforce holders. That individual would uphold justice, save the people, but also be powerful and hungry for more.
“All one would have to do is bring each of these individuals together and either ask for the pieces or take them by force. The only person that could take these pieces by force would be a powerful magician, which is what Ganondorf is. He, if you’re unaware, is the holder of the Triforce of Power. Unlike regular people who seek the each piece of the Triforce, the holders have a huge advantage. If a chosen holder is close to another whom also carries a piece, a mark on the back of their hand will begin to glow. That mark is the Triforce itself recognizing another piece. If all four holders are together and someone takes their pieces by force, that person will be granted the ultimate power. They will be in front of the Triforce itself and, when they touch it, they shall be granted a wish. Ganondorf will do whatever it takes to get every holder of the Triforce pieces together, so that he will have ultimate control.”
“But, who holds the other pieces?” Link asked.
He seemed to be focused on Sheik and what he had to say. While he wasn’t looking, I removed the glove from my right hand and saw that it had the marking of the Triforce. The middle was glowing brightly.
“The holder of the Triforce of Power is, as I stated, Ganondorf,” Sheik said. “The owner of the Triforce of Courage is none other than you, Link.”
“Me?” he said and seemed to be a bit surprised.
“Remove the gauntlet from your hand, and you shall see.”
So, he did as he was told and removed the gauntlet from his right hand. The bottom right Triforce piece was glowing on his hand. He looked down in awe.
“And, Ashley, as you already know, you own the Triforce of Balance,” Sheik said to me.
“But, uh, what about the Triforce of Wisdom?” I asked him.
Sheik was silent and stepped back for some reason. He unwrapped his right and held the back up for Link and I to see. A sudden burst of bright, yellow light filled blinded my eyes and slowly faded away to reveal to us the holder of the Triforce of Wisdom.
“Princess Zelda?” Link said breathlessly and he walked up to her looking mesmerized. I stayed back awkwardly feeling uneasy. Though I should have felt more focused on the task at hand, I felt my heart break in two as Link walked up to the Princess.
Zelda put her hand down to her side and said, “Yes, I am Princess Zelda, the holder of the Triforce of Wisdom and the Seventh Sage of the Sacred Realm.”
“You were Sheik all along then?” I said. Maybe saying something would make Link realize that I was still there.
“Yes,” Zelda said and she grabbed her arm and looked a little upset. “I apologize for having to stay in disguise the whole time. I had to stay away from the King of Evil. If he knew that I was Sheik all along, you two would have had no guidance.”
“That’s completely fine,” Link said and he was very close to Zelda. I sort of just looked away.
“So, you will still help me destroy Ganondorf then?”
“As you wish, Princess,” Link said and he grabbed her hand.
Oh, come the hell on, I thought. What was Link doing? “So, what do we need to do next?” I asked Zelda and she actually looked at me and spoke directly to me.
“The three of us will enter the castle and stand up to Ganondorf,” Zelda said. “We cannot let him take our power, but fighting him together should make us strong enough as one. There is one thing that I need to give the both of you.”
Link turned to her and asked, “What would that be, Princess?”
“I will bestow upon you both the power of Light Arrows,” Princess Zelda said and she held her hands up high. In a flash of light, two quivers lined in gold appeared. They each came to Link and I. “Switch them out with your regular quivers and, when your arrows come from them, they will be enchanted. These arrows will attack the dark energy surrounding the Evil King and will weaken him, thus making it easier for you two to defeat him once and for all.”
I quickly switched my quiver out, but Link was still mesmerized by the Princess and held it to his side. “It’s almost over then?” Link said. “Don’t worry.” He then grabbed her hands and cupped them, staring right at her. “I’ll defeat Ganon and restore your throne.”
“Yeah, I will too,” I snapped. This was getting ridiculous.
A second passed and I heard Lux begin to growl at my feet. Before I could ask him what was wrong, the ground began to shake violently. It was so bad that dust started to come off the walls and some stones began to break apart.
“What the hell?” I said aloud and, before I knew it, Link and Zelda were both enclosed in a pink crystal. The ground quit shaking and the crystal remained, so I went up to it and began banging on it, but the crystal was too hard to break. It was practically stone.
“Well, would you look at that?” I heard a voice echo through the temple. It came from behind me, so I quickly turned around to see Ganondorf, Shannon, and Leon standing together. Ganondorf had his arms crossed.
“Let them go!” I shouted.
“Why,” Ganondorf said with a nasty sneer, “they’ll look nice in my music room, right above the organ. I can picture it now.” He held his hands up and made a square with them, like the crystal was in a picture frame. “I’ll call it Beauty and the Twat.”
“I’m not playing games, Ganondorf,” I shouted sternly. “Let them go right now.”
“And you think I’m playing games, Ms. Brandt?” Ganondorf said with a harsh tone.
I said nothing and withdrew my Master Sword. I felt a tingling sensation in my palm as I charged towards the King of Evil, but I came to a complete stop when he charged at me and grabbed me by the throat. I looked into his eyes as he tightened his grip. I had no choice but to drop my sword and try to grab his hand to ease his grip.
He tightened it yet again and put on an even sinister face. Lux came to my rescue however, and covered Ganondorf in his electricity. Ganondorf dropped me and retreated backwards. I sat on the ground and tried to recover the lost breath but I was extremely light headed. I looked up to see Leon and Shannon coming towards me with their rapiers drawn.
“Stop you two,” Ganondorf said. “Leave her alone. She’s mine.” He snapped his fingers and I heard Zelda yell.
I quickly turned to see the crystal float up towards the ceiling and disappear right before it hit the temple ceiling. When I turned to Ganondorf, he was already close to me. I looked up and saw his huge nostrils and his stupid smile.
“Unlike Link and the Princess,” he started to say, “you’re completely worthless to keep around. I will kill you here and now and take that little Triforce.”
I said nothing and released my electricity power from my hand, but Ganondorf shielded himself with his cape and it completely absorbed my power. The next thing I knew, I had a punch to the face which knocked me back a couple of feet. I heard Lux release some power, but he was immediately thrown back to where I was.
My face felt swollen and my heart ached with pain. I felt like giving up and, reader, I basically already did. As I heard Ganondorf’s heavy boots approach me I also heard him unsheathe his long sword. The blade was right over my head as tears began to roll down my eyes. I couldn’t believe how rotten that day had become. I prepared for the worst when I heard a bunch of shouts and saw spears fly over my head and hit Ganondorf. Of course, the ass still managed to stab me like he planned but rather than doing so in the head, he stabbed me almost clean through my thigh.
I yelled in pain and began to lose consciousness as a lady came to aid me. I saw many feet run towards Ganondorf but heard them stop instantly. “He got away,” I heard a woman yell.
The lady that was standing over me was none other than Malon. “It’ll all be okay Ashley. Just close your eyes for a little while.”
I closed my eyes and drifted into a heavy sleep.

When I woke up, I was in a nice, comfy bed. I sat up quickly and saw that I was in the Lon Lon Ranch house’s guest room. Lux was at my feet, sleeping soundly. The sun shone in the window and warmed me up, so I moved my leg out from under the covers. That’s when I noticed the huge, bloody bandage on my thigh and remembered that Ganondorf had Princess Zelda and Link. I stood up hastily, but ended up falling right back down on the floor.
“Ashley?” I heard someone say after they opened the bedroom door. I heard quick footsteps and saw Malon help me up with Link the Goron aiding her. “You shouldn’t stand up yet, your leg is still sore.”
They sat me down on the bed and Malon rushed over to a bucket of ice water and put it right on my leg. My neck, face, and thigh hurt so badly.
“You took quite the beating,” Link the Goron said to me. “You should keep calm.”
“But what about Link and Zelda?” I asked. “Ganondorf has them both. He’ll kill them if he wants to.”
“As long as he doesn’t have you, the Triforce will be safe,” Link said. “Anyway, we’re already working on the rebellion. We have troops and everything waiting for your command, Ashley.”
“What do you mean a rebellion?” I asked him.
“I may sound crazy, but I had this dream. My father told me to gather all races of Hyrule and prepare them to battle. He then told me to save you in the Temple of Time. I don’t know why he told me all of this, but when I got to the Temple of Time with a small group, you were getting beaten, so I believe my dream was real.”
“Link the Goron came to me and asked to use the ranch as a headquarters,” Malon said while pressing cold water on my sore face. “When I heard his story, I went to the temple with him, just to see if he was right. I was surprised that even the Gerudos came with us to save you.”
“Did they agree to help?” I asked Link the Goron.
“Yes, they were absolutely eager to help,” he said. “They talked about how Ganondorf treated them unfairly and that they have waited ages for this day. We have all the races here. The Zoras have even been thawed out from under the ice and hey, they’re still alive!”
“Even the Kokiri children?” I asked.
“Actually yes,” Link the Goron said. “They insisted, even after I tried to get them to stay behind. Of course, we keep them in the back lines with their slingshots and what not.”
Malon put away the bucket and grabbed two crutches in the corner and my boots. “Here, you can observe the training grounds with Link here,” she said while putting on my boots. Then she helped me up. “Just try not to put too much pressure on your leg.” I put each arm over the crutch and made sure to keep my left leg off the ground.
“You ready?” Link the Goron asked me.
“Yeah,” I said and I whistled for Lux to follow. Before I walked out, I picked my hat up off a coat rack and slowly ventured down the stairs with some aid from Link the Goron. Once I got outside, I was hit by the bright, hot sun above.
“How long was I sleeping?” I asked Link as we walked.
“You were out for a day,” Link the Goron said. “We were scared that you weren’t going to make it. You had a huge, red rash around your neck, a bloody, swollen face, and that stab wound in your thigh. But, you woke up, obviously.”
We made it to the corral, but there weren’t horses in the middle. Instead there were people training and talking to each other. All of the races were mingling and helping each other with their crafts. Link the Goron led me over to a small group by the tree outside of the corral. This group included King Zora, Nabooru’s Second-In-Command, and Mido. They were sitting at a table made out of three crates which had some sort of paper on it.
“Oh, Brother Link,” King Zora said when he saw us, “I see that the Hero of Time has awaken yet again. It’s good to see you again, Ms. Brandt.”
“Good to see you too, King Zora,” I said with a small smile. The smile really hurt, but I was able to squeeze one out. “What’s going on here?”
“Well, ma’am,” said Mido, “we have here a map of Ganon’s Castle and the surrounding area. We’re trying to create battle plans. So far, that moat of lava will be a doozy for us to get over, but we can do it.”
“Well, I say that the Kokiri start to build a bridge and the Gorons will carry it over when we go to infiltrate the castle,” Link the Goron said. “That way we can at least get the thieves across so they can begin their part of the infiltration.”
“If we’re unable to get the bridge for my thieves,” said Nabooru’s Second-In-Command, “we can use this ledge on the side. One of them should be able to get an arrow with rope attached to it across the pit. Then everyone can use that to get across without causing too much of a distraction.”
“What are we doing before we actually get to the castle?” I asked.
“We will group up in lines,” Link the Goron said. “The front lines will be my men, and then there will be the Gerudos, then the Zoras, and then the Kokiri’s. However, Special Forces of each group may be mixed in other lines. Say for instance, the Gerudo Thieves will be in the back with the Kokiri’s and the Heavily Armored Zoras will be in the front with the Gorons.”
“Did we agree that the Catapulting Gorons will be in the back?” King Zora asked.
“Whoa, we’re not using Gorons as rocks, are we?” I asked. “That would be suicide.”
“No,” Link the Goron said, “we’re having some Gorons drag along a huge catapult. Some will also be carrying rocks for ammunition. Have we gotten the catapults going yet?”
“We do, sir,” said Nabooru’s Second-In-Command. “We have made sure that the rocks fly far enough to avoid our own front lines. The Gorons can also handle them completely.”
“Have all of my people been fitted for spears?” King Zora asked.
“You would have to ask Archibald about that one,” Link the Goron said and I suddenly remembered the Zora that guarded King Zora’s chamber.
With all of this talk about Special Forces and junk, I felt a bit left out. “So, will I be involved in any way, or…” And I let myself trail off from there.
“We were going to ask if you wanted to be involved,” Nabooru’s Second-In-Command said to me.
“But, in all honesty, we’d rather you not be,” King Zora said. “You seem to be very ill and low in strength. But, we all know too well that you won’t let us stop you.”
“We would like for you to choose where you would like to be on the field and what you would like to do,” Link the Goron said. “After all, if it wasn’t for you, none of the Hyrule races would have decided to come together and stop the King of Evil.”
“Well, who will most likely be in the castle first?” I asked.
“That would be my thieves,” Nabooru’s Second-In-Command. “However, I’m afraid that, with the state of your leg, you may not be able to join that group. You have to be light on your feet and stealthy, which your wound could keep you from doing.”
I turned to Link the Goron awkwardly. I just wasn’t use to crutches at all. Back at home, I had never needed them, so they were proving to be a challenge to walk and maneuver with. “When will we be attacking the castle?” I asked him.
“Later tonight,” Link said. “We will gather the troops up at sundown and send them out right before dark. Why?”
“I want to go with the thieves,” I said. “For the rest of the day, I will be walking on this damn leg.” I threw my crutches and put my left leg on the ground. It hurt like hell putting pressure on it, so I had a huge limp when I walked, but I would walk it off by nighttime. “I can handle it.”
“If you say so, Ash,” Link the Goron said. “You will need to go with Sheila to receive some extra items used to break into the castle.” He pointed at Nabooru’s Second-In-Command, so I assumed her name was Sheila.
“Very well,” she said to me. “Follow me.”
I walked behind her as we passed many groups practicing with their weapons. We passed a small group of Kokiris using their slingshots on paper targets. There was a child instructing them and telling them how they needed to improve. They were cute, but extremely serious which surprised me.
Sheila took me to the back of the ranch by the stone building that held hay and cattle. There was a small group of Gerudo women with tight, black suits on. They still had a veil over their faces, but they had their hair cut short. They kept it messy but stylish.
“Thieves,” Sheila said, “Ashley here, the Hero of Time, would like to join you in invading the castle. This will give Ash upper hand to getting to Ganon without causing alarm to his daughter and that nasty husband of hers. It’s up to you, Ashley, with what you want to wear and lug around. Maria, set Ashley up and change your plans accordingly.”
Sheila left and Maria came to me. She looked like the other girls but had stunning yellowish green eyes. “Come with me,” she said and she took me over to the stone building. There was a tool shelf of some sort that was set up for the thieves. On it were various belts, lock picks, small daggers, tiny ball things, pouches, small bows with small arrows, and many other things.
“The standard suit for the Gerudo Special Thieves is the tight black clothes that my girls are wearing,” Maria said. “I expect that you will want to wear your ‘hero’ clothes instead. Correct?”
“Uh, yeah,” I said awkwardly, almost tumbling on a small rock as we moved.
“Good, because I don’t have any extra uniforms anyway,” she said and then went to the tool shelf. “Standard equipment can vary from person to person. I myself carry the small dagger, lock pick, smoke ball, and a pouch for extra things I may find. Others carry bows or ropes and the like. Seeing as you need that sword of yours to defeat Ganon, I suppose you won’t need a dagger.”
“No, I won’t,” I said. Then I thought of Leon and Shannon for some reason and said this: “Do your girls, by chance, sometimes carry a rapier?”
“Very rarely, but yes. They’re light and quiet, of course.” Maria walked over to the shelf and grabbed a rapier which was behind some daggers. She held it up to me. “The hilt protects the hand, of course, and has a Gerudo touch with the cloth around it. The blade is strong and thin for cutting away branches or stabbing an enemy. It’s not my weapon of choice, but it works. When I give you your thief belt, you can put it on that.”
She handed me the rapier which I took and clipped on the side of my regular belt.
“I suggest that you take the smoke ball for quick get-a-ways,” Maria said and she grabbed a couple of them. “Oh, and the lock pick is essential for any thief. Seeing as you may have to do some climbing, I think you will need some rope. I will also grab you some wire, which can also be used to choke a guard without much noise. Other than that, I believe you will be set.”
Sheila handed me a belt and the items I would need. She added an extra pouch to the side. “Now then,” she said, “make sure you continue to walk around on that leg. I do have some boots I can give you that will quiet your step. Would you like them?”
“Yes, please,” I said and she went inside the stone building. In a second she came back out with a pair of black, leather boots. “They have padding on the bottom that will quiet your steps significantly more than the boots you are now wearing. Break them in today while you build your leg back to strength. Now, go back to the others at the tree. I’m sure they will instruct you further.”
I took my new items back with me to the table. I was offered a small stool to sit on so I wouldn’t have to stand the whole time. I decided to switch my boots there.
“We have a new set of clothes waiting for you up in your room,” Link the Goron said to me while I tied new boots on. “The boys grabbed you a new Goron tunic, seeing as that is what you’re wearing right now.”
“That will be fine,” I said and didn’t speak again until I laced the last boot. “How big would you say this army is?”
“I would say that it has about two hundred,” King Zora said. “I mean, it’s not that much, but I think it will do.”
“Do you know if Ganondorf has an army waiting for us?” I asked.
“No,” Mido said. “Ganondorf may have a small group of enemies, but they don’t really have enough sense to really follow anyone.”
“You’re right about that,” I said, “but Ganondorf is extremely strong. I bet he could take out half of the small army we have on his own. That’s why I want you all to make sure that I am the only one to face him. I don’t want anything terrible to happen to anyone here.”
“Unfortunately, this is war, Ashley,” Link the Goron said. “We’re willing to die for our kingdom. If someone gets hurt, they get hurt…”
“You’re right,” I said, “but no one touches Ganondorf. I can’t let anyone put themselves in that dangerous situation. I just want you guys to focus on getting inside the castle and keep any of Ganondorf’s followers away from me. I’m sure he has people protecting him. They are your army’s first priority. Make sure no one interferes.”
“If that is what you want,” King Zora said. “I just don’t feel safe letting you go alone. Ganondorf is a force to-“
“He’s a force to be reckoned with by Link and I,” I interrupted sternly. “Who will be leading the army?”
“Well, Ash,” Mido began, “we sort of wanted you to do it. If you don’t mind, of course. Seeing as you have saved all of us and have the most trust and fighting experience, we feel that you would be the best choice.”
“I would be glad to,” I said and smiled. I stood up and stretched a little; ignoring the pain in my thigh that came with it. I picked my tools off of the table. “Mido, at the first sign of sundown, get together the troops. I will go and train alone for the time being.”
“I will have you alerted when the time has come, Ms. Brandt,” Link the Goron said. “Go get some rest and work a little on your leg.”
I smiled and limped to my room in the ranch house. I wasn’t sure what I would be doing in the meantime, but I knew that I just needed time to think by myself before facing the King of Evil.

“God dammit,” I shouted and collapsed on the ground. I grasped my thigh and dropped my rapier to my side. I wanted to give up and take a nap or something, but I couldn’t do that. Instead, I got right back up and started to do fast footwork while practicing my fencing style all at the same time. I kept trying to picture Leon in my head and how he executed each and every slash perfectly. I just couldn’t seem to get it down.
Then, suddenly, I seemed to get it. I was able to do my footwork and my slashes all with no problem. I was doing it! Until, of course, I tired my thigh out and I fell over. I tripped on the table and let go of my rapier’s hilt. I felt the thin blade slide across my cheek. My body hit the wooden floor with a bang, but I didn’t feel like getting up. I just laid there and watched my blood go between the cracks of the floor board. I was pathetic.
“Raichu,” I heard Lux yell in desperation and he came to my side. His big, soft face was right beside mine and his eyes were full of worry.
“Lux,” I said and then let out a sigh. “I can’t do this…”
Lux looked at me with small tears in his eyes and shook his head. “Rai, Raichu,” he said and grabbed my hand with his paws. It seemed he was trying to make me get up. I decided to do as he said and slowly got up, putting my left hand on the bed for support. I picked up my rapier on the way up and looked at the blade. It had barely a scratch from the fall but some of my blood went down it. I touched the tip of the blade and tilted the sword to watch my blood travel faster. It was mesmerizing in some way.
I took the sheath from off the bed and put the blade safely inside. I looked down at Lux who was now looking straight up at me. I felt my heart sink and picked the little guy up. I have him a warm hug and then sat him on the bed. It was getting closer to the time of departure, so I walked to the other side of the room to grab my new, red tunic. I stopped to look at myself in a tall mirror.
My skin was pale, my eyes were baggy, and blood continued to fall from my cheek. I rubbed it, only to smear it. I decided to take a long hard look at myself at that moment. I stood up straight, held up my chin, and put on a stern face. There would be no funny business from them on. I had faced Ganondorf before, but never with the intent to kill him. But, just looking at my worn down body, I felt my heart sink for Hyrule. There was no way I could defeat Ganondorf, even if Link was by my side.
Ganondorf was a strong, evil king and I was a lowly nineteen year old. With my heart was still broken from how Link handled himself around, I felt doomed. However, I would not let that feeling stop me. Ganondorf had to be stopped.
With a rush of excitement, courage, confusion, and a frightening feeling, quickly changed my clothes and buckled my thief tools around my waist. I put the Master Sword on my back and buckled the sheath on the front. Finally, I put my Hylian Shield safely over the Master Sword’s sheath and then looked at myself in the mirror again.
I was one of the Heroes of Time. I was someone that everyone looked up to.
I would defeat Ganondorf.

I would be a legend.