FicWad

The Switch of Fate

By: USA Tiger

Disclaimer: The characters of The Legend of Zelda series belong to Nintendo.

Chapter 7

Link blinked sleepily as he woke up the next morning. Tired violet colored eyes looked around; the busy events from the day before came crashing down on him. He spied Navi sleeping in a makeshift nest made out of his hat on the low bedside table.

The small blond child slowly became aware that he wasn't in the bed alone. There was an arm draped across his waist, Link turning to look on his other side. Sheik was sleeping peacefully, the other child's face relax greatly in his sleep. Link wondered why Sheik was sleeping in the bed with him until he realized that this was likely Sheik's bed. He looked around again, spying Sheik's younger brother Kain asleep in a bed across the room.

After carefully removed Sheik's arm from across his waist, Link slowly sat up, gasping and moaning very softly as his abused and tired muscles screamed at him for moving. The Great Fairy of Power had been able to heal over his wounds and bruises from Dodongo Cave but not the soreness from all the fighting and moving he had been doing. Link swung his legs over the edge of the bed, slowly easing himself out onto the floor.

He slowly limped his way toward the door of the room, his form slowly becoming use to moving again. Looking out the door into the main room, Link didn't see anyone in the room before limping in and over to the table in the middle of the room. A soft sound of bleating caught his attention, Link turning and staring at the creature standing in a cage under the stairs. It was a little bit smaller than a cow, covered in blue fur with a large horn coming out of its head, making a circle above its body. Link had never seen an animal like it, walking closer to reach through the bars to softly pat its nose.

"It's called a goat," Link jumped a foot in the air before spinning and facing an amused Impa. "I did not mean to startle you."

"It... it's ok. I've never seen a goat before," Link said as his heart calmed in its racing.

"I'm sure there is a great deal you are seeing for the first time since you left your forest," Impa said, going over to the stove and began a fire within. "Goats are not common in this part of Hyrule, they hale from the Ordon region. Cows are much more common. But I prefer the milk goats produce."

"Isn't the cage a little small for it?" Link said as he reached in and patted the goat's nose again, the animal bleating again in happiness.

"It is taken out every day by one of my sons to graze and walk around," Impa assured him. "Link, please gather some water from the well near the center of town while I wake my sons," She requested, pointing toward the large bucket by the door. Link smile and nodded, picking up the bucket that was half his size and carried it outside toward the well.

After placing the bucket down beside him at the well, Link breathed deeply and started to look around, taking in the town in its early dawn state. He watched a cat creep along in the grasses and could hear the clucking of the Cuccos. Looking down, Link also saw a couple of tiny Minish walking along the edge of the well, gathering their own water from a tiny puddle of water. All in all, it was a peaceful looking town and Link liked it. It didn't have the busyness of Hyrule Castle Town but Link didn't mind, the city had been a little too busy for his liking and then there was the fact he had no love for the soldiers there. The Sheikah guards on the other hand seemed a lot nicer.

Link slowly filled the bucket with water from the well then started the slow journey back, trying not to spill any of the water. When he made it back inside, he saw Sheik at the table, head down on the surface, and Kain yawning softly as he followed his mother out of the room he shared with his brother.

"Thank you Link," Impa said as she easily picked up the bucket of water and carried it the rest of the way to the stove. Both of the Sheikah woman's sons gave Link a sleepily 'good morning' though Sheik's was muffled. Link noted that Navi wasn't there and could only hope the fairy was still sleeping.

"Impa, do you know if it's possible for me to somehow get some Cuccos and a cow or two to my village?" Link asked as he walked over to the stove; remember his plan on getting some of the animals to the Kokiri village to make their lives a little easier. Impa was surprised by the question, it had never accrued to her that the Kokiri wouldn't already have these things.

"I'm sure there is a way, there is a small village of Sheikah that lives in the forest near to yours, just outside of Kokiri lands," She said, turning away from the stove to look down at Link. "That guards that part of Hyrule. I'm sure they could arrange for a few animals to be delivered there."

"Thank you," Link said happily, grinning as Impa nodded her head and he went to join Sheik at the table who had lifted his head to listen to the others.

"Why do you want Cuccos and cows anyway?" He asked, turning to face Link.

"We don't have any in our village. We set traps for small animals and fish for meat," Link explained. "Otherwise, we have to have small gardens and look for berries and nuts in the woods for our food. You got to remember we do not have... parents?... like your do. We only have our fairies, the Great Deku tree and sometimes the Minish to look out for us; otherwise we must take care of ourselves. Sometimes we trade with the Kikwis but they don't leave their part of the forest very often."

"...oh," Sheik said, blinking red eyes at Link as he took in what the other boy told him. Never once had it accrued to him just how the Kokiri lived, only tales that they were the eternal children that lived in the forest. Something that a great many kids in the village wanted, to never grow up, but it seemed that there was more to that.

"Sheik, the Kokiri do not physically age past their per-teen years," Impa explained as she placed plates in front of the boys. "But that does not make them children the same way you are a child."

"Oh... so how old are you then Link," Sheik asked, wondering just how old Link was then if the Kokiri didn't age past a certain period.

"I'm only 10, not as old as the rest of the other's my village, I'm the child along with one or two others among my people," Link explained. "It will be a few years before I'm no longer considered just a child; finally having a fairy partner is a step in the right direction for that"

"So it always takes a long time for a fairy to partner up with a Kokiri?" Kain asked, getting into the conversation.

"Well... no, not really," Link said, shaking his head. "As far as I know, it's a rare thing."

"Enough talk, eat up you three," Impa said as she placed goblets of goat milk in front of the three boys. As she listened to Link, she was becoming more and more sure that the boy was in no way a true Kokiri. She wondered, just for a second as she sat down to her own breakfast, just what the Great Deku Tree had planned on doing when Link continued to age when the others of his village did not. She also wondered just who were in fact Link's parents. He did not resemble any Hylain that she had even met, and with his eye color, she believed that he may have some Sheikah blood as well.

Impa shook herself out of her thoughts, for now there was nothing to do about it other than inform the Sheikah in the village in the forest to keep an eye out for the young blond and to take him away when it came to light that he was in fact not a Kokiri.

***

"Awww, why can't I go too?" Kain whined up at his mother as he watched Sheik pack a small bag to take with him as he traveled with Link and Navi to Zora's domain. He was to be their guide into the Zora's land.

"You are too young, my son," Impa said, she had trust in Sheik to keep out of trouble. "And your brother is at an age where he is starting to grow into a fine young Sheikah. Soon your time will come." Sheik blushed but felt a burst of happiness as he listened to his mother as he finished packing. Standing, he grabbed the throwing needles his mother taught him how to use. He was still too young to go out with the whip he was currently learning to use.

"Be careful Sheik, I except your return within the next couple of days," Impa said.

"I will Mom," Sheik said, kissing her cheek then pressed his forehead against Kain's. "Don't drive Mom nuts while I'm gone,” he said softly before running out of the door.

Sheik grinned as he saw Link waiting by the front gate of the village.

"Finally, we're wasting time waiting on you," Navi said as Sheik came to a stop by Link.

"Oh shut it bug, no one asked for your opinion," The boy said with a glare in the fairy's direction. "Let’s go Link; we have to walk up the length of Zora River to reached one of the entrances to Zora's Domain."

"One of them? There's more than one?" Link asked as he followed Sheik down the stairs that lead to Hylain Field.

"There are about 3 or 4 I think, but a couple of them are really far off. This one is sort of like a back entrance, it leads into inner caverns. It's also the one the Royal Family uses but since you have the song, you can use it too," Sheik explained. "There's also a visitors entrance that's near the throne room, but it would take a couple of days to reach that entrance on foot."

"We don't have time for that," Navi said. "So I suppose we will have to use your way."

***

"Now, if I remember correctly, that fork in the river leads up to Lake Zora and that one leads to the city," Sheik said while pointing to the fork in the river.

"Lake Zora?" Link repeated. "Do any of the Zora live there?"

"Yeah, it's where most of the Zora live, they have a village down at the bottom," Sheik said as he led the way toward Zora domain. "The Zora are the ones that keep the rivers and the lakes clean."

"I've never seen a Zora before, are they like the Parella?" Link asked. It was rare for any of the Kokiri to venture as far as Lake Floria; he had only been twice with Saria as it was. He didn't remember seeing anything other than Parellas in the lake but that didn't mean that the Zora did go there.

"I don't know, I've never heard of the Parella," Sheik confessed as they continued up the river, passing by a large log in the water that was surrounded by large frogs that were each a different color.

"They kinda look like a jellyfish-seahorse... thing..." Link tried to describe. "They live in Lake Floria as the guardians. I think they also use to be servants to an old dragon that use to live in Faron woods but the dragon died a long time ago."

"Wow," Sheik said. "I've didn't know there was another lake in Hyrule. Anyway, we should see the waterfall that blocks the entrance here pretty soon," He said as they rounded the bend. Link made a noise of awe as he saw the water fall that flowed from the cliff. It wasn't as big as the water fall at Lake Floria but it was still quite a sight to see.

The two boys and fairy walked up the natural land bridges to the stone placard in front of the water fall.

"This is where you play the song of the royal family," Sheik said, standing to the side. Link took out the ocarina that Saria gave him and started to play Zelda's Lullaby. As the last notes played out, the waterfall slowed to a light trickle and revealed the entrance behind it. "Come on, the waterfall won't stay like this very long," Sheik said as he jumped across the gap into the tunnel. Link quickly followed him and as he landed, the waterfall came roaring back to life.

The light Navi gave off lit up the tunnel as the two boys walked down it until they came out in a large cavern that had a smaller waterfall flowing on the other side.

"Wow... are those the Zora?" Link asked, pointing at one of the fish people that was swimming around in the water and standing at the edge. They were nothing like the Parella and Link thought that they were very beautiful to look at.

"Yeah, that's them," Sheik confirmed. "There's another Zora village at the bottom of the cavern and an audience chamber at the top of the water fall." Sheik pointed at the waterfall on the other side of the chamber.

"How do we get up there?" Link said, he didn't think they could swim up it.

"There should be a set of stairs leading up." Sheik said. The pair explored the chamber, finally asking a Zora where they could find the king.

"Just head that way and you'll see the steps that leads up to King Zora," The Zora told them, pointing them in the right direction. Link thanked him then ran after Sheik to the stairs. Up at the up, sitting on top of a small water fall sat the fattest Zora either boy had ever seen.

Link stood up on the small stage across from King Zora, clearing his throat.

"Excuse me," He said, trying to get the Zora monarch's attention. King Zora ignored the boy, looking out above his head.

"Oh, my dear, sweet Princess Ruto. Where has she gone? I'm so worried," He murmured. Link and even Navi tried to get his attention, but the Zora continued to ignore him. Link turned and looked down at Sheik.

"I don't think he's going to listen until he hears from Princess Ruto," The other blond said with a shrug.

"Well, we should see if anyone knows where she is," Navi suggested.

***

An hour later, all the two boys and fairy found out that no one knew where their princess was. One Zora even mentioned they searched as far as Lake Hyila. They even sent a messenger to Lake Floria to ask the Parella if the willful Zora princess had run away to their lake.

In that time, Link and Sheik had also played a diving game with a Zora who was standing at the top of the large waterfall in the cavern. Navi's complaints about Link taking time out of his quest to play a silly game died when the offered prize was a Silver Zora scale, a type of scale that would allow Link to hold his breath longer under water. The fairy decided it would be useful on their quest in the end.

After Link won his scale, he explored an underwater tunnel that took him to Lake Hyila. It was there he and Navi finally found a clue to where Princess Ruto might be.

"Look what I found at the lake," Link said when he returned to Zora's Domain, showing Sheik the bottle. Inside was a note supposedly written by the Zora princess that read:

`Help me. I'm waiting for you inside Lore Jabu-Jabu's belly.... PS: Don't tell my father! `

"We have to show this to King Zora. Maybe he'll finally talk to us," Sheik said. The boys raced back to the audience chamber and after telling King Zora they had found a clue to Ruto's whereabouts, finally got his attention. Link handed the bottle to King Zora who took the letter out.

"This letter! It's from Princess Ruto!" The king said in happy shock as he studied the hand writing. "Let's see....She's inside Lore Jabu-Jabu? That's not possible. Our guardian god, Lord Jabu-Jabu, would never eat my daughter!" the Zora proclaimed loudly. He then got a thoughtful look on his face."But... since those two strange women, Kotake and Koume, came here, Lord Jabu-Jabu has been a little green around the gills."

That struck a chord in Link; it was something important he knew. He vaguely remembered the Great Deku Tree mentioning that two witches from the desert had cursed him. Link couldn't remember if Darunia had mentioned anything about anybody from the desert but he was seeing a pattern. Whoever these two women where, this Kotake and Koume, were after the Spiritual stones he was collecting. Which made in his mind Zelda and Navi wrong, it wasn't Ganondorf after the stones, it was these witches!

"The evidence seems clear," King Zora continued speaking. "Of course, you'll go find Ruto. You can pass through here to the altar of Lord Jabu-Jabu inside Zora's Fountain." The far Zora started to butt-scoot over, making room for the boys to enter the fountain, grunting with each inch he moved. "Now, you keep the bottle the letter was in. Take it respectfully! Please find my dear Princess Ruto immediately."

Sheik and Link ran up to the entrance of the Zora Fountain area, dashing passed King Zora.

"Lord Jabu-Jabu enjoys fresh fish," King Zora called after them.

***

"Oh Farore... I have to go in that thing!?" Link said, pointing to the giant whale-like creature that was in front of them.

"I... think so. The letter said Princess Ruto is inside," Sheik said.

"Of course you have to go," Navi said. "You have to get the last Spiritual Stone." The fairy flew in the direction of Jabu-Jabu, thinking Link was right behind her.

"Sheik, I need you to go back to your mom and tell her it's these Kotake and Koume people who are trying to take over," Link whispered to Sheik. "They're the ones who cursed and killed the Great Deku Tree and I bet they are the ones who caused all the trouble for the Gorons."

"Are you sure?" Sheik asked, he had been prepared to enter the Demi-god with Link. The other boy nodded, he could rescue Ruto by himself, and someone had to stop the witches. "Alright, just be careful."

"I will," Link promised. He watched Sheik teleport away then scooped up a fish into his new bottle.

"What took you so long?" Navi asked when Link finally joined her.

"I just asked Sheik to go back home," Link said. He wasn't about to tell her what he said to Sheik, the fairy still believed it was Ganondorf behind everything. "And to get a fish like King Zora said."

"Well good, we don't need Sheik here. This is your quest," Navi said, her whole body dipping in midair as if she was nodding. Link scowled at Navi, he hated how single-minded she was, and opened the bottle. The fish fell out as he turned the bottle over and as it flopped on the ground, Jabu-Jabu's bulbous eyes zeroed in on it. The guardian god suddenly opened its mouth and started to suck in air the get the tiny fish.

Not only did the fish fly in, but so did Navi and Link with a yell.

***

Sheik did as Link asked and teleported home to his mother where he quickly told Impa what was going on. The Sheikah leader cursed and headed toward her room, the door slamming. She returned a few minutes later, wearing a tight, form fitting Sheikah female armor.

"Stay here and look after your brother," Impa ordered Sheik. "I have to go warn the King." She drew a Deku nut from her pouch and threw it to the ground, teleporting out to the castle. Sheik bit his lip, there was something big going on, he had never seen his mother so worried. And he knew Link was worried about was going on at the castle.

"Kain, go stay with Anju," Sheik said to his little brother.

"But Sheik, Mom told us to stay here," Kain said, looking up at the older boy. Sheik gently clasped the back of Kain's neck and leaned his forehead against his brothers.

"I have to help Link," Sheik said softly, ruby red eyes staring into Kain's matching ones.

"Just... just be careful big brother," Kain whispered, pulling away and running out of the house to hide with Anju. Sheik took a deep breath and took out a Deku nut from the pouch on his hip. He had only been to Hyrule Castle once and he hoped he was still able to teleport there. The nut hit the floor and caused a bright flash and when the light cleared, Sheik was gone.

***

Link threaded in the water as he watched Ruto swim away, heading out of the fountain area back to her father. He had done as King Zora had asked and saved the Princess of the Zoras. And boy wasn't she an annoying, spoiled brat! Still, she had been worried about her mother's stone, which had been the last spiritual stone he had been looking for.

"Well, we have the last one, let’s start headed back to Hyrule Castle and give the stones to Princess Zelda," Navi said, satisfied that their work was almost done.

"Navi.... what did she mean by 'engaged'?" Link asked as he swam for the shallow water.

"Err... just never mind that," Navi said with a slight nervous laugh. "It's nothing important." Link looked up confused at Navi but let the subject dropped, they had a long way to go to get out of Zora's Domain and then back to the castle. The blond boy had a bad feeling about giving the stones to Zelda, something telling him that he shouldn't...

***

Ganondorf growled as he brought his sword up to block the spear of one of the Hyrule Castle guards, covering the backs of his Gerudos as they tried to get the castle servants out.

The last treaty meeting with King Dhanphos had been going well, Ganondorf had been setting up a trading route so his people could get fresh food and other comforts from outside the desert in exchange for guarding the desert boarders and more importantly, allowing his girls to become guards in a prison deep in the desert.

That was until all hell broke loose, the two witches known as Kotake and Koume had teleported into the throne room in a flash of fire and ice, cackling loudly. Ganondorf recognized the two; long ago they were two Gerudo that had learned the secrets of magic. They turned against the tribe and were exiled when they tried to kill one of his ancestors.

The two witch sisters had cast a spell throughout the room that hit every guard and knight within the castle, bringing them under their control and had their new minions start attacking. King Dhanphos would have been killed if it wasn't for the timely intervention of a Sheikah woman who teleported into the room and saved the king's life. Ganondorf had lost track of them some time ago, busy trying to defend himself from the possessed guards.

"I think that's all of them Ganny," Nabooru said, standing back to back with her cousin. "The Sheikah guards managed to save a good bit."

"We need to retreat then, the Sheikah woman who saved the king should have gotten him and the princess out," Ganondorf said, holding up a hand and shooting a bolt of lightning into the guard's chest, knocking the man back several feet. The two desert dwellers turned and ran out of the destroyed throne room, hurrying down hallways toward the front gate. The pair came halting to a stop as they saw the Sheikah woman from before with a small child who was holding a harp and an ocarina.

"Wait, you’re the Sheikah woman from before, where is Dhanphos?" Ganondorf asked, noticing the blood on the woman's hands.

Impa looked up at the Gerudo king with a grimace.

"He's dead, Zelda turned on her father and killed him," She said. "I didn't suspect her to be a part of this and I allowed her to get close to her father."

"Zelda.... is a part of his madness?" Ganondorf asked in surprise. Impa nodded and pulled Sheik closer to her.

"We need to flee," She said, kicking open the lever that kept the gate closed and running toward the stables. Ganondorf and Nabooru looked at each other then ran out, Ganon whistling loudly. A moment later, a large black stead came crashing out of the stables and raced to his master. Ganondorf climbed onto his back and Nabooru climbed up behind him. He trusted his girls to escape from the castle and did the same, riding off with his cousin to safety.

***

Link became very uneasy the closer they got to Hyrule Castle Town. Despite it being the middle of the day, he could see that the drawbridge was up like it was at night. On top of that, storm clouds were building up above them looking ready to burst with rain.

"I wonder why the bridge is up," Navi said as they finally came to a stop. "Hey! Let us in!" At Navi's yell, the bridge started to lower, making the fairy think that whoever was controlling it heard her. As it finished lowering, the sound of running horses came. First came Ganondorf and Nabooru on a black horse that raced by quickly without stopping as Link dove to the side to keep from being run over. "Wait! Wasn't that Ganondorf?!" Navi asked as she flew straight up.

Link got up from off the ground and turned as he heard another horse coming. His eyes widen as this time a white horse rode past with Impa on its back and Sheik sitting in front of her on it. Sheik had a terrified look on his face and he suddenly tossed something in Link's direction. The object, whatever it was, flew over Link and Navi, landing in the moat. As the two horses disappeared out of sight, a group of Hyrule castle guards and knights rode past on horses giving chase.

'Wait! This is just like my dream!' Link thought in alarm.

"Heeheehee. It seems they got away Koume," A crackling old voice said from behind Link, causing him to turn around. Hovering above him was a pair of old women on brooms, both with green skin and white hair.

"Heeheehee. That they did Kotake," The second old witch, Koume said. "Ho! You, boy! Which way did the Gerudo man and Sheikah woman go?" She asked, pointing at Link.

Link shook his head and reached behind him, taking his Kokiri sword and Deku shield in hand.

"Heeheehee," Both witches laughed, starting to circle around Link in the air.

"He has spunk sister," Kotake said, looking at the blond elf.

"He thinks he can defeat us but he's just a little boy," Koume said with amusement. She held up her hand and gathered fireball together in it. "HO!" Koume yelled as she threw it at Link, hitting him in the chest.

"Ahh," Link yelped in pain as he was knocked onto his back. The fireball only burnt him slightly but it had been enough to make him very wary.

Koume sniffed and looked at her sister. "He's no concern to us."

"We should get back. We've lost our prey... for now," Kotake said. "We have to crown the new... queen." The sister witches crackled loudly again and zoomed off quickly on their brooms toward the castle.

"New... queen?" Navi asked as they disappeared from sight, the sky clearing of the clouds from before. "Did... did they mean Zelda? That would make them on our side wouldn't it? Why did they attack you!?"

"I don't think they were good Navi," Link said as he got up off the ground, putting his sword and shield back into place. "Now will you believe me about Zelda? There is something... off about her. They were the ones who cursed the Great Deku Tree!"

"But... but..." Navi sputtered in shock, flying after Link as he ran over to the moat and looked in. There, at the bottom, was the object that Sheik threw to him. Link leapt into the cold waters and swam down, grabbing it and holding it up once he surfaced. It was a dark blue ocarina with a little tri-force symbol on the mouth piece. "That's the Ocarina of Time!"

Link didn't listen to Navi as his vision when white, both he and his fairy partner dragged into a vision.

***

`Link, if you have the Ocarina of Time now then everything has gone very wrong,' Link heard Sheik's voice in his head as he watched an image of Sheik standing in front of an alter/. 'After I told my mother about the witches, she left to warn the king... and I followed her. The Royal Family has two important instruments that the witches couldn't get their hands on.'/

In Sheik's hands were the ocarina and a golden harp.

'The Ocarina of Time is one of the keys to opening the Scared Realm. The Harp belonged to my people's goddess Hyila. Link... you were right about Zelda. Right after I found the instruments, my mother teleported into the room with the King. At the same time Zelda busted into the room and ran to her father... She killed him! While the king was holding her, she drew out a dagger and stabbed him in the heart.'

Sheik shook his head, tears in his eyes. 'Link, the laugh she gave was so cold... so evil. The witches appeared then, congratulating her on a good job and calling her the queen. Mother saw me by that time and grabbed me, running. It's up to you to keep the Tri-force from Zelda and the witches.'

Sheik took the harp and seemed to look at Link.

'This is the song you need to open the Door of Time,' Sheik played out the Song of Time on the Goddess Harp. As he finished, everything started to go white again. 'Please Link... be safe....'

***

Link came to again, standing on the shore of the moat.

"Oh goddess... she.... Zelda.... but she couldn't....." Navi said softly, shaking her head.

"She did... and now we have to make sure she doesn't do any more harm," Link said with determination, crossing over the bridge into the town. As he walked through, he could hear the people that lived there talking. They knew something had happen at the castle but wasn't sure what. Link found the path that lead to the Temple of time and entered its large doors. "Wow..."

Link looked around the large room, there were pillages at the edge and in the middle of the floor was a large raised platform that had a strange symbol on it. He could hear singing in the background; somewhere someone was singing the Song of Time. He saw the same alter from his vision/dream from Sheik and raced up to it.

"Ye who owns three spiritual stones, stand with the Ocarina of Time and play the Song of Time," Link read from the altar.

"Well, I guess we do as it's says," Navi said, her voice very quite. Link nodded and took out the blue ocarina, slowly playing the song he could hear behind him. As the last note played, there was a flash and suddenly Kokiri Emerald, the Goron Ruby and the Zora Sapphire was in the air, slowly floating down to hover above the indents that matched them on the altar. The blue door behind the altar started to glow and slowly parted, revealing the chamber behind it.

Link and Navi slowly went through the doors, looking around the new room.

"Link... isn't that?" Navi asked, stopping for a second then racing over to the sword that was in a pedestal in the middle of the chamber. "It's that legendary blade, the Master Sword!"

Link had never heard of the sword before but he felt... compelled to touch it... to pull it out. He wrapped his hands around the hilt and with a grunt, pulled it out of the pedestal a moment later. Link could have sworn he heard a voice in his head that said.

'Not yet Master, you are too young.' It was the last thing he heard before his world went black.

"Heeheehee," Kotake and Koume cackled as they appeared with Zelda between them. "I guess the boy was useful after all."

"I knew he would be able to get us into the chamber," Zelda said with a halty look. "It was only a matter of time," She said as they entered the Scared Realm now that the final key had been drawn. "There it is... the Tri-force."

In the middle of the room shone the gold relic of the goddess, drawing Zelda closer.

"After so long... it's finally mine," Zelda said in a dreamy voice, reaching up to touch it. "I wish to rule the world!" she said as she laid her hand on it. But Zelda’s wish was never granted as the Tri-force flashed and split into three separate pieces. The bottom left piece, the Tri-Force of Wisdom, flew into Zelda, making a mark appear on the back of her hand. At the same time, the Tri-force of Power and Courage disappeared, making Zelda scream loudly in anger.

***

Rauru, the Sage of Light, watched as Link floated in the middle of a crystal.

"Sleep well child... you will be need again once you are old enough to wield the Master Sword," He said as he turned away, he could already feel the Scared Realm changing into something dark and twisted, he had to make sure the Sage's chamber was secured.

"He'll do just find Rauru, the spirit inside the sword would not have let him draw the blade if he was not worthy," Fado the Sage of Wind said as Rauru walked toward the Kokiri and Zora standing in the chamber with him.

"Until then, we'll watch over him until he awakes," The Zora male beside Fado said. Mako the Sage of Earth, looked down at his fellow sage. "Won't we."

"Yes, and when he awakes, we'll continue to pray to the goddess to give the Master Sword its power," Fado agreed.

"Thank you my friends," Rauru said with a smile. "I must secure the chamber then do what I can to call the other sages to us."

As the three sages spoke, none of them noticed the glow on Link's hand as the Tri-force of courage bonded with him.

***

"Destroy the bridge," Ganondorf said as the last of his Gerudo’s appeared. "We don't want the Hylains to follow us into the desert."

"What are we going to do Ganon?" Nabooru asked, looking up at her cousin.

"For now, we'll have to go back to our old ways. Zelda is our enemy now, but only her and the witches Kotake and Koume. The rest of the people are innocent so we shall refrain from killing them," Ganondorf said tensely. "We will fight against them to regain Hyrule's freedom... but I see dark days head for everyone before then."

At that time, Ganondorf's hand started to glow as the last piece of the Tri-force, Power, came to rest with him.

**

Author note: First off, let me apologize for taking 4 years to get this chapter out. I don't have an good excuse other than I had a really bad case of writer's block for a long time and my life was really, really hectic for a while so writing wasn't on my mind. I was working at a place that I didn't enjoy anymore and it impacted my writing. But, I've gotten a new job in the last year and I've been working on and off on this and three other stories since then.

Another thing that happen was Skyward Sword came out. It added more background to the myth of the series and I had to rethink a few of my ideas. It didn't change too much on what I had planned and as you can see in this chapter, I built Hyrule up more on the new places and races that was introduced, much like I did with the Minish.

Any who, the first half of Link's adventure is over. And we've seen how Zelda and Ganon's fates had been switched, making her the bad guy and him the good. Now we're heading for the second half of the game.

And if anyone does wonder, no Fi is not going to come out of her sword. It's always been hinted that the Master Sword chooses its master which we now know it's Fi who does it. I figured that she would speak to Link just this one time to tell him he's not ready. Fado and Make won't really show up again either, they gotta fulfill their role in their temples once Link wakes up.

Edit 7-21-14: Just a lot of spelling and grammar fixed this time around.