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I do not own Nintendo or have any affiliation with them blah blah blah copyrighted characters used without permission blah blah blah may be unsuitable for children but I'm not too worried because statistically children don't read, only watch mind-numbing hours of pointless cartoons i.e. Pokemon. If you read this all the way though, boy will I be impressed! Happy reading don't try too hard.

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Rain splattered the cobblestone drives of Verendez, a crowded metropolis almost completely consisting of town houses, apartments, stables and a large market at the very core. The people were soaked to the bone by this down pore that robbed the steamy, mid-spring afternoon of its sunlight. As I walked through the Village Square, I saw a great deal of things, hardly any of them good. The homeless and their children lined the walls, squatting in filth in their mismatching rags. The pleaded in vain for a few coins when ever the rare soldier, knight or anyone well-to-do passed; who paid no more attention then they would a fly that zipped past their ear. The children cried out because of the sharp pangs of hunger while a mother tried to soothe them, even though they were racked with pain as well. Prostitutes stood in the doorways to some of the inns, who also bade to the passers by. There were a few stands opened, they sold spoiled meat and stale bread at prices that were no less then murderous. It was like this in almost every city of Guinness. One must wonder how the country had managed to survive through seventeen years of depression.

I was dressed in a simple felt, black tunic and gray leggings, both torn, heavily patched and soaked all the way though. Over them, I wore a black, travel- worn coat that ended at the tops of my tattered boots and had a hood that kept my face shadowed. I also had a leather shoulder bag, in which I kept everything I owned, which wasn't much. For I was just as poor as anyone else and--because the abbey had stopped handing out meager portions of food --equally famished. But whereas most would just starve to death, I had other ways of surviving. I immediately saw my target: a sleepy merchant not paying enough attention to his potato bread. The man scanned the crowd for potential customers. This as the sort of thing I thrived on.

As I walked by, I slid one of the loaves up my sleeve in one liquid, flawless movement. I continued to walk on down the street but the clerk must have done a quick inventory check…

"Guards! A thief!" He yelled. Immediately, the royal guards stopped what they were doing and began to close in on me. But I was all too familiar with the thievery trade, I knew how to deal with this situation: Run! I dodged between two slow-looking guards and ran flat-out down the drive, darting in and out of the crowds, trying to lose them. No such luck, they were like a team of disciplined hunting dogs. Some of the beggars cheered as I flew past.

But from out of nowhere, another guard stepped right in my path and grabbed me roughly by the arm.

"And where do you think you're going?" he sneered. But I wasn't exactly helpless ether. I drew the knife from my belt and stabbed him in the thigh, severing an artery. He screamed and recoiled, releasing me from his grasp. I recovered my speed and was out of the city and into the fields of the serfs. But still they pursued! Not for long. I headed into the woods and hid behind a tree. I heard the guards halt at once.

"Woah, we're not actually going to go in to the Black Forest, are we?" Asked one, sounding concerned.

"No, no…There would be no point in that, it's getting late. Besides, he won't be coming out alive anyway." Remarked another, "Let's go to the tavern and kick back a few."

"All right."

"Sounds good."

"Whatever."

I listened to them slosh up back to the town until their footsteps died away. I collapsed against the tree, breathing hard. All of this over bread! If I had been caught, I would have been hung or had wild dogs sent up against me in public at a fair for entertainment, not something to be looked forward to.

I looked around me. Unlike my fellow countrymen, I had no fear of the Black Forest; I actually found it almost enchanting. I liked the way that the silvery mist drifted around the gnarled, dark trees. The whole place seemed mysterious and forbidding. At least the rain was filtered through the leaves and blocked most of the rain. There were myths of demons and dragons living deep within the forest, but myths were all that they were. There were packs of wolfos, but they had moved on years before when livestock around the area became scarce. As far as I knew, there was nothing to even remotely fear in the Black Forest.

Taking the bread from my sleeve, I found that now it was slightly damp. I didn't care; I was hungry enough to eat the leather off my boots. I ripped off a hunk with my teeth and chewed it noisily. It tasted sweet and warm, not stale and hard which was what I was accustomed to. I would have eaten it all but stopped half way. I was never sure when my next meal was going to be so sometimes I hoarded food. Regretfully, I stowed away what remained in my bag.

Suddenly, there was a loud clank of metal behind me, I nearly wet myself. Turning around, I found myself face-to-face with a large--no, huge iron monster. I took a few steps back in surprise and feared for my life. But that all changed when I realized what it was. It was not a monster at all, but a horse clad in heavy armor of polished steel, no rider. It was a black stallion, the armor suggested that he belonged to a knight or someone of similar status. The horse simply looked at me, as if to ask what the problem was. Its eyes were strange, a sort of cobalt blue color, they seemed to see right into my soul. I stood there for a minute, wondering what to do. I would have probably been rewarded if I had returned him to his master.

I cautiously came back to the horse's saddle; there was a sword strapped to the side. I untied the shoulder strap and held the sword in its scabbard. I marveled at the lightness of the broad sword. Without even thinking about it, I drew the sword out, dropping the scabbard to the grass. It was a beautiful thing, it seemed to be unused, no rust or stains.

There was an odd round disk of what seemed to be oynx with a blueish flaw in it where the hilt meet the blade. The swirls of blue seemed to form a symbol that I had never seen before, it apeared to be some sort of rune.

I admired it for a few seconds then took it by the handle and made a clumsy swipe through the air. There was no way I was going to give this thing back or even sell it, it gave me a feeling of power when I wheedled it. Somehow, I felt more confident when the steel rested in the palm of my hand. I really didn't have a use for a sword; I didn't know how to use it and had no desire to do so before. I guess I will now…

I replaced the fine piece of steel in its scabbard and then returned my attention back to the horse. I fiddled with a few straps, messed around with a few buckles and with a bit of effort, soon the crupper (hindpiece) slipped off with another clank. Next was the flankplate that was under the saddle then the breastplate, the neckpiece and the headpiece. I realized soon that the horse was as beautiful as the horse. His flanks were glossy and the legs were slender and clean. The horse had a distinctive and refined head. This stallion was not the typical war-horse but a finely made animal built for speed and endurance rather then to be rode into battle. I was no expert, but I knew this breed was not from around the area. I stepped to the head and held out my hand. The five-year-old lowered his head and stretched his nose forward in response. The large, intelligent blue eyes seemed to signal acceptance as I touched his face. More at ease, I stroked the velvet-like skin of his nose.

"You're more of a baby then a monster, aren’t you?" I said, chuckling to myself. The stallion nicked. I reached back down to my shoulder bag and fished out the potato bread. I held it out for him, which he ate greedily. I looked him over a bit more carefully; there were small cuts on his shoulders, belly, neck, hindquarters and legs. Whip marks, someone had been abusing him, some of the cuts were still fresh and looked as if they had dried recently. "And I thought I had it rough," I muttered.

I was faced with a tough decision. I certainly couldn't return him to his master, who would surely beat him again. But I couldn't keep him for myself. Sure, I knew how to ride bareback and take care of a horse (I had worked in a stable for a year before the owner decided to fire me), but keeping him meant money, something I didn't have. He dropped to the ground and rolled on his back, happy to be free of his heavy armor, saddle and bridal. I wondered how long he had been wandering around in the forest. I decided to leave him and hope he'd find his way to someone that knew how to properly handle a horse, and had the money to keep him. I strapped the scabbard to my belt and started to walk away, beginning my search for an ideal place to spend the night. The stallion got up and started to follow me, like an overgrown dog. I turned around.

"Go on! Go away. Find someone else, someone who can take care of you!" I said loudly, my voice projecting off the trees. The horse looked at me as if to say he would do no such thing. I threw up my hands. "All right, fine. You can stay with me for now but in the morning I'm finding you an owner."

I walked over to a tree and sat down against it. I wrapped my arms around myself and drew my knees up to my chest. Damn it's cold! I shivered as the hair on my arms rose up. But the horse found a solution. He lay down beside me, offering me his flank. Reluctantly, I leaned against it. He was warm soft and had a nice aroma to him. I soon found myself curled up with his head resting on my back and drifting off to sleep as the sun's light faded completely.

Black Pond

It was that dream again. The one I had every night; it was always the same, never changing in all these years. I could see no faces. I could hear him speak but it was…as if it was another language, the words held no meaning. But sometimes I understood, and I wished that I couldn't understand them at all…

A sharp pain on the side of my neck, a knife carved into the soft skin.

"No! Stop it! You're hurting me!" I heard myself yell, but something held me back; I couldn't move my arms to fight it off.

A dark voice chuckled mirthlessly and then whispered softly into my ear.

A sharp bite to the rear awoke me. The nightmare faded away for the moment. I shot up and cursed at the horse but then stopped immediately. The sound of snapping twigs, though they tried to keep quiet. There were others in the forest; they stomped though the underbrush a mere fifty yards away. There were only four, illuminated by a single torch, barely visible though the silvery mist. I could tell these were not men at all, for they were all around six and seven feet tall.

The stallion had woken me to show me the monstrous things. For those of you who have never seen an orc, I will describe them to you. Orcs are truly horrible looking creatures. They vary from 6'10 to 8'5 in height; all are inhumanly strong and rippling with muscles. They have relatively small heads along with flat noses; two tusk-like teeth that protrude from the lower jaw like a bulldog, heavy brows and waxy, green skin. Orcs used battle-axes, swords and maces on the battlefield and were deadly; no knight stood a chance against them one-on-one. From what I could tell, orcs were merciless killers. They had begun to appear seemingly out of nowhere a few years before and had been plundering towns and burning farms ever since. My heart burned with sudden hatred. But they weren't usually found so far south…I wondered what they were up to. For some reason, my curiosity always got the best of me.

I got up as quietly as possible, as did the horse. We started to follow them, keeping our distance to about thirty feet behind them. The tallest one led the way and carried a torch, the others followed behind him. They were talking among themselves in their deep, rumbling voices.

"I just don't understand…He is only human. Why can't we just get rid of him? It wouldn't be too hard." said one.

"Yeah, we could…uh, toss him back into the water." Suggested a second uncertainly; a third nodded his head vigorously.

"Or run him through with our swords!" he said enthusiastically, the forth sighed in agitation.

"You are all fools if you really believe in that nonsense." He stated plainly, he sounded exhausted.

"Well if you're so damn smart, Fenter, then what do you think?" said the third in a sarcastic tone.

The forth whirled around to confront him, making the others stop dead in their tracks. His face was deeply scarred from battle, was the tallest I had ever seen and had wild black hair that was misty silver at the temples--he was obviously much older then the others. He glared coldly at the orc; he seemed to shrink under his murderous gaze.

"I think rookies should keep their mouths shut and not speak in such a vulgar manner to their elders! I taught you all better then that." He growled.

"But, sir…" spoke the second one quietly. "Jarvan and Weveren do have a point. So he has magic? Surly he can't be that powerful for any one of us to kill." This orc had the most peculiar eyes I had ever seen. Instead of the usual black or even the rare red, his were a steel gray and seemed almost holographic when the light from the torch hit them. It also made him seem…I don't know, wiser than his brethren, save the old one.

"Testen, of what age are you?"

"One hundred and twenty five, sir."

I was not surprised to hear this. I heard that orcs had a life span of over a thousand years.

"And what do you know of magic?"

The orc looked down and drew his boot in the dirt. I realized that this must be an older orc training others that were considered teenagers by the rest of their people, if I was their age equivalent I would only be slightly younger.

"Just as I thought." He grumbled, turning around and walking through the brush. His apprentices followed.

"But there must be something we can do to stop him!" he blurted out one they had started moving again. "We can't just let him take over this land. I love this place, so full of light--have you ever seen so many different plants and animals? I don't want it to be reduced to dust like our world."

The old orc sighed heavily. "Yes, I love this land as dearly as you do. But, there is nothing we can do at the moment; he is far too powerful to be annihilated without the use of magic. All we can do now is hope that his mad quest for power brings him to his own demise. We shall see if he actually gets through the passage, there is a chance he won't, but if he does, I shall see when it is best to make our escape to Hyrule."

Hyrule? I had heard very little about Hyrule. All I knew was that it was a small yet prosperous country far to the east. I was greatly puzzled over this conversation. Who was this person they were talking about? Why did they want to kill this one in particular? Did he have magic? But most of all, I wondered where they were going…

"But…What of the words from the Oracle?" asked Testen in a rather hushed tone, I had to strain to hear him.

"You spoke to the Oracle?"

"Yes-"

"No, " interrupted the forth orc who I could only assume was Weveren, "the Oracle sent for him. He wouldn't talk to anyone else. Tell 'em Testen."

"He says that a child with great power will be born. He can't see the outcome though, but he knows that the fate of the world rests upon its shoulders." This seemed to make him uneasy, he traveled in silence the rest of the way.

"Heavy stuff, man." Muttered Jarvan, shaking his head. "The question is if he'll turn to good or evil."

I could hear other orcs. Some were speaking in English and some were speaking in Onatin, the orc language but I couldn't make out what they were saying. The voices came from ahead of us. I could see the shafts of torch light through the trees and could hear the grunts of Washita, the heavy breed of war-horses that the orcs used to ride into battle. They seemed to be at Black Pond…

Fenter, Jarvan, Testen Weveren headed towards the light as I held back, unsure of what to do. I was terrified by then. I should have been smart and turned back to report that I had seen orcs, four was enough of a concern for them to send in troops. But my curiosity was getting the best of me, as always. Besides, no one would listen if I had told them, no one would believe a beggar.

Aww, hell, why not take a look? I asked myself, hand resting on the hilt of 'my' new sword.

I bravely started forward towards the light. But then I realized the horse was still behind me. I turned around, he was giving me a what-do-you-think-you're-doing look with his large, expressive eyes.

"It's all right, I just want to see what's going on. You stay here, we'd be seen if you followed me." I whispered and held his nose. Then it struck me that I was talking to a horse. If anyone had heard that, they would have thought I was loosing my mind. Talking to animals…honestly…

But to my surprise, when I started forward, he stayed still. I marveled at this for a second, no horse I had ever heard of responded to human words. Then I remembered what I had followed the orcs for and continued on towards the light. I crouched down low so as not to be seen as I pressed on.

I gasped at what I saw. Stretched out below me was Black Pond, the land sloped down to it to create a sort of bowl-shaped theater. From the rocky outcropping that I stood on, I could see more than five thousand orcs, the muster of the entire clan. Most were tightly clustered together, shoulder to shoulder around the water. A few, like the four orcs that I had followed, stood farther away. Unlike the orcs at the pond, who seemed happy and excited the other orcs seemed sullen and exchanged dark looks among themselves. I noticed that Testen was sharpening a massive five-foot-long sword with a rock, testing it on the hair of his arm. Fenter paced restlessly, glancing over at the pond on occasion.

Well, now what? I thought to myself. I was scared out of my mind. If an orc discovered me, I would die by the Red Eagle--which meant that a cut was made right below your rib cage and your internal organs were pulled out while you were still alive, one by one--heh, heh, not a pleasant thing to watch or experience.

I noticed that my breath emerged from my nose as freezing vapor. It made me terribly uneasy. Was it this cold before? No, something is very, very wrong…

All of a sudden, the crowd hushed, all eyes turned to the pond.

"Ganondorf! He comes!" announced one to the mass of orcs.

I watched with grave interest. I should have turned around I guess but I was nailed to the ground, transfixed as the water began to boil at the center. There were few at first, then it seemed that the pond frothed black bubbles. The source of them seemed to move under the water, moving towards the bank in my direction. The orcs at the water's edge took a few steps back as the trail of bubbles drifted ever closer.

A head emerged from the water followed by shoulders and the rest as a man trudged up the bank to the orcs. He was a huge man in strange black and brown armor. His skin was dark and looked tough as leather on his face. I couldn't tell what ethnicity he was. He looked Arabic but his stiff red hair that was beginning to recede from his sloped forehead proved otherwise. It was also hard to guess his age. He could have been anywhere from late thirties to mid fifties for all I knew. He was also a massively built man, almost like an orc but lacking their height, I knew he couldn't be quite as strong.

In one swift movement, every orc went down on one knee and bowed their heads. He closed his eyes, tilted his head back and inhaled deeply, wide nostrils flaring. He then looked back to the orcs at his feet and spoke in a rough voice with a slight metallic note in it.

"Ahh…It is good to be back after these last few years. One does miss this place after being away in the realm for so long. But I am rather disappointed in you all." His voice cut though the air like a knife and demanded respect from the monsters around him. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath. His eyes rested upon one orc in particular who was directly in front of him. "Durran? Will you please stand up?"

The orc stood up. I recognized him as the warlord of the clan, a general of sorts and was a foot taller than the man that was probably around 6'7". But instead of appearing savage and brave as he did leading the hoards into battle, Durran was shaking violently. He's scared? Of what? Who is this guy?

"Y-Yes, my king?"

"Durran, why have you not managed to obtain a member of the royal family?"

"Well, sir, I think it's because--"

"I did not ask for your opinion, orc. What of the siege equipment that was sent to you? Why have you not managed to storm the castle with it?"

"They found out about the attack somehow. The royal family fled." The man they called Ganondorf scowled and he quickly added: "I'm sorry I failed you."

"You pitiful worm. You know the policy that I have for failures…"

The eyes of every orc widened in horror.

"NO! Please, have mercy!" He screamed, falling to his knees. The man smiled and held out his hand, palm facing the whimpering orc. The orc's soldiers scuttled away from him, knowing what would happen next. A horrific thing happened. The fingertips of the man's hand glowed purple, such a phenomena I had never seen before. A ball of purple flame flew from his hand and hit the orc in the face. Before my very eyes, the flesh began to slide off the bone like an overcooked chicken. Blood seeped from all visible openings in his body as his unearthly howls filled our ears. The screams were cut short when the rib cage fell out of the front of his chest. What was left of Durran slumped into his own puddle of blood and internal organs.

"Oh dear God!" I yelled without even thinking. All of a sudden, more than five thousand sets of eyes fell upon me including the yellow eyes of Durran's executioner. The man seemed fairly amused. His eyes seemed to burn with a light of their own as they met mine, but I couldn't be sure because of my hood. Oh shit, I am so screwed. I backed up a few steps at his cold, penetrating gaze. RUN!

I bolted into the forest, running as fast as my stiff, cold legs could carry me. I ran blindly through the forest, branches slapping at my face and thorns shredding my clothes even further. I had seen magicians before when they performed in the market for spare change but that was all just diversion and slight of hand, they didn't make people melt like candle wax. This was real. The only other people that I had heard of to be able to use magic were the members of the royal family, and even then it was said that their power was not all that strong--resulting in the current state of our land. This man they called Ganondorf was power. I was convinced that the he was pure evil, no doubt in my mind--if he was a man at all.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of light hoof beats at my side. I reached out a hand and touched the flank of the black stallion that trotted alongside me. I instinctively grabbed a hunk of his mane and swung up onto the horse's back. Before I was even properly seated, he hurtled forward. I flattened myself out, burying my face in the mane as we broke through the tree line and to the vast grasslands that were bathed in the glow of the full moon. He put on a tremendous burst of speed to a flat-out gallop along a dirt road. We left the forest far behind and the stallion slowed to a canter. But we were far from being out of danger as I soon learned.

CRACK!

The air around me was filled with electricity and I felt something hard hit me in the back. It was as if the blood in my veins was replaced with white-hot flames. I felt my whole body become rigid. My grip was released and I fell to the ground. I heard a sickening crunch as my leg broke under me. The horse realized that I had fallen and came back to where I lay. My eyes wouldn't focus right but I could feel the puffs of air as he checked me over by smell to see if I was all right--no, I was in great pain already, and I just knew there was more to come. I gritted my teeth from a mix of frustration, rage and pain. From farther away, I could hear the clank of armor as someone walked towards me. As the footsteps came closer, the horse came to the front of me, sheltering me from what was coming. I heard a voice.

"Away from him, horse." The voice commanded, cool as ice. The horse snorted in anger. "Very well."

There was a flash of light. The horse screamed and jerked out of the way. The steps halted inches away from me. My eyes came to focus on the evil man peering at me down the length of his obscenely long nose. How the hell did he get here so fast?

"A scout of Guinness, how amusing. Tell me, in what way would you prefer to perish this fine evening?" he chuckled like it was just a joke. I considered myself a true coward but seeing as to I couldn't run from this--but I wouldn't if given the chance. Better to die on my feet then at his. I wiggled the toes of my right leg; I had power to move again. With my good leg, I kicked out at the sand on the ground, spraying it in the man's eyes. With a growl he tried to rub out the sand, I staggered to my feet and drew out my newly acquired sword. When his eyes were free of the sand, he saw me twenty feet away from him, two-handed grip on the sword, shoulders hunched, all of my weight resting on one foot while only the toe of my other boot was on the ground. He glared at me darkly yet there was the hint of a bemused smile in those cold eyes. "Have you no honor?"

"You dealt the first blow, I'm only as ruthless as my enemy." I hissed. "Care to swap body fluids you murdering son of a bitch?"

He grinned broadly, was that the answer he had expected?

"A challenge! I gladly accept. I suppose I need some practice, I was aiming for your head. By the time I am through, you will be begging to die." He said, lazily outstretching his arm, the fingers glowing slightly once more but this time green.

It was a pitifully short-lived battle. A neon green beam lanced from his hand towards me. I tried to jump out of the way but for that I would need two good legs for that. Instead I just managed to stumble to the side; I inhaled sharply as I felt the bones in my leg grind against each other. He caught me off guard and shot at me again, hitting me directly in the chest. Another snap. The force sent me flying into the air and landing some eight feet away on my back, the sword fell from my hand a little ways off. The pain was incredible; wave over wave of it washed over me. The hood had fallen from my face. He gasped his eyes wide and surprised. When he spoke, it sounded oddly confused.

"A--A woman?"

 "A woman…" he repeated to himself, softer this time.

I tried to get up again but just slumped back down to the ground, face contorted in pain. I touched my chest lightly and found it sticky with a thick liquid. Blood had seeped through the tunic, the white shirt and the corset I used to conceal my identity as female. Men in my time were, well, less then gentleman. You didn't get hassled as much if they thought you were one of them. I tried to get up again but Ganondorf rushed forward, knelt down at my side and pushed me back down by my shoulder as gently as he could.

"No, no, no, darling. It would be best if you didn't get up. You're hurt." He said softly, using his most kindest and sincere voice. It was a disturbing change from what I had witnessed only seconds ago.

"I wonder whose--" I tried to yell but my voice was stifled by a cough. More blood, I spit it off to the side but more took its place. The snap that I had heard was a rib; it had punctured a lung. I'm dying! My mind screamed for oxygen, as did my aching muscles. The pain seemed very far away at that point. My vision began to cloud up from lack of blood. I felt the man's large hands take off my coat then sweep the long dirty hair from my forehead and then rest it there.

"You'll be fine, I can help you." His voice was extremely calm considering the situation

There was no doubt in my mind that if he wished, he could crush my skull as easily as he would an eggshell with that hand of his. But instead of causing any further damage, I felt a warm, comforting sensation starting from my head and then spreading all the way down to my toes. I closed my eyes as I felt strange things happening in my body like my bones knitting themselves back together and my lung repairing the tissue. I spat once more and then there was nothing. I looked over to the man; his copper eyes seemed to shine with a light of their own as they gazed into my own.

"Are you all right?"

I was speechless for a few moments, but then I just exploded.

"Get the hell away from me!"

Startled, he stepped back a little while I scrambled to my feet. I glared at him as he stared at me curiously, quickly regaining his composure.

"You don't express proper gratitude, considering the fact that I just saved your life."

"You mean nearly killed me!" I spat.

He looked almost thoughtful, "I suppose that is true. My apologies, if that helps at all." Like I said, truly disturbing. He continued, seeing as that I wasn't going to be won over with a simple apology. "Now, why would the country of Guinness risk one of its finest daughters, and especially one so attractive, to do men's work?" I glared at him darkly, but with a little confusion. What was he talking about? I was not by my standards very pretty at all and the way he said "finest daughters" gave me the impression that seeing the reaction, he continued once more. "Tell me, what is your name?"

I wasn't prepared for such questions. Finest daughters? What was my name? I didn't know. I was sure my parents had given me one, but assumed it had been lost long ago when I had been abandoned. I had been called 'Hey you', 'thief' and…well, names that were not so polite. Spill your guts or he might do it for you, I told myself. He did after all have the powers.

"Uh, Julia." I picked randomly. He raised his thick eyebrows in response.

"And a last name?"

"Salem. Julia Salem. Why?" I said quickly. Ganondorf narrowed his eyes in suspicion but then smirked.

"I know who you are, but do you know?" he answered. "When I attacked you, why didn't you just fire back?"

I took a few steps back towards the horse; there was something odd about how he said those words. There's no way he could know me, I've never met this guy in my life.

"So you don't know…Excellent. That should make things far easier for me." Suddenly, he lunged forward trying to take hold of my arms. But I wasn't crippled anymore. I jumped out of the way and snatched my sword from the ground where it had fallen. He paused, seemed amused as I stood before him, imitating the battle stance that I had seen knights use. "Do you really think you can face me and live to tell the tail? Put it down, 'Julia,' or I will introduce you to a world of pain."

"Bring it on." I hissed and brandished the sword and narrowed my eyes into slits. He smiled but not in the kind way he did before. It was cruel and sadistic; the sight of it made my hair prickle against my sleeves.

Some would later call challenging the mighty wizard a heroic and courageous deed. Others, myself included, would think it reckless and stupid. But all would agree it to be smarter than cooperating with him. I swear to the gods it was the damn sword. It made me feel recklessly brave. Ganondorf, taking on a leisurely stance, drew a scimitar out of his boot with a metallic SHING and pointed it at me.

"Are you going to make the first move or shall I?" He snickered, not taking the situation very seriously. He knew I was unskilled. I didn't move a muscle. "All right then."

With a loud war cry that echoed across the grassland, he leapt at me with his Arabic style sword arched high above his head. Instincts kicked in. I went forward at the same time, blocking the heavy blow that would have killed me. Steel clashed against steel, sending a shower of sparks to the ground. The power behind his sword nearly knocked me off my feet but I managed to hold my ground. With a grunt, he kicked out at me but I avoided it and flipped backwards. The moves came so naturally one would think I had been trained for years. Wow, I'm better then I thought! He came at me again and once more he was blocked. I felt sweat dripping down my back but my face was cold. He slashed out at me, I missed it narrowly by jumping back, I felt the tip of his sword graze my tunic and make a small tear it the mid-section. I knew he wasn't putting any effort into those heavy blows, he was just playing with me as a cat would a mouse.

There was a horrifying scream; it pierced though the air like a siren. The kind of sound that made your hair stand on end and blood run cold. There was a clatter of hooves as a black shadow charged past me straight for Ganondorf. He veered suddenly and missed the warrior by less then inches. While he was distracted I lashed out at him and came very close to my target, I nicked his ear and a bead of dark blood trickled down the side of his face, his eyes widened as he blocked another attack. We moved in a slow circle and kept our distance from each other, his steps heavy, mine nervous and quick, both playing our roles in the deadly dance of steel. The black horse passed restlessly around us, tossing his head and flaring his nostrils, not taking the risk of attempting the same thing again.

But then the rules changed. The man smiled even broader, his brilliant white teeth appearing in his dark face. My vision seemed to ripple like a wave of heat had passed over my eyes. I glanced around me in horror. He was gone!

Where the hell did he--there was a whistle of steel and then a searing pain shot through my shoulder, almost making me drop the sword. I gasped sharply; it was a sword wound. Not very deep but painful none the less. I slashed at the air around me recklessly, desperate to strike my invisible foe. His hoarse chuckle filled the air around me, seeming to come from all directions.

"What's wrong, Julia? Afraid of what you can't see?" he taunted. I gritted my teeth together.

"Afraid to face me?" I growled, heart pounding in my ears. The chuckle turned into mirthless laughter.

Suddenly, I was slammed into the ground on my back. He was on top of me, pinning me down. I could scarcely draw breath with the weight. He leaned so close; I could feel his hot, disgusting breath on my face.

"I win." He said, still grinning. "Now I can claim my prize."

The look in his eyes was that of pure unabashed lust. Two fingers hooked them self in the strap of my leggings and began to pull down slowly. NO. Not right, too much like the dreams!

"Damn you and the whore that brought you screaming into this world!" I yelled, frantically twisting, trying to rid myself of him but to no avail.

"Come back to the forest with me." He said softly.

"NEVER!" I screamed. My fingers hooking into claws.

"That wasn't a question, it was an order--"

A large figure hurtled out of the darkness, slamming into Ganondorf from the side and knocking him off of me. I scrambled to my feet. And there was the man, struggling against the massive, battle-hardened orc. His eyes had turned from a yellow to a fiery red as he glared at Fenter who had neatly pinned him to the ground on his belly, hands behind his back. But Ganondorf was too strong, even for an orc, Fenter had difficulty holding him down. Ganondorf's hands, balled into fists, glowed with an eerie purple light.

"Run, human! Go and never look back! Find safety in Hyrule!" Fenter yelled to me.

"But--"

"Run damn you, human!" he sneered, "I can't hold him down much longer!" I picked up my sword and the black horse was at my side in an instant. I swung up onto his back and dug my heels into his side. He took off, swift as the wind. As we went by, I could feel Ganondorf's eyes following me.

Never had I felt a horse run so fast in my life, his tremendous speed made it hard to breath and the air whipping against my face stung my eyes, making them tear up. Blood was singing in my ears. I leaned forward as much as possible, became lost in the inky black mane. Thunder rolled from his hooves and cut away at the turf as we topped a grassy knoll just as a bright, purple flash in the sky signaled Fenter's death. I bowed my head and urged on the horse, fearing Ganondorf would hunt us down again.

He never came.

Sometime later after we had covered a lot of ground, we stopped at a small stream. By the light of a Poe lantern, I cleaned the wound on my shoulder. It hurt like hell but wasn't too bad. It probably wouldn't even get infected.

My mind drifted back to orc. He had given his life to save me, from what I could only guess. Why was beyond me…Hyrule…What was in Hyrule? Why did he say to go there? But…perhaps it was safe; otherwise he just would have said to get out of the county. Did Hyrule have some sort of defense against the dark sorcerer? I sighed deeply and continued to swab the cut. After wrapping my arm in some cloth, I sat there for a few moments just thinking. The horse never left me, I knew he wouldn't. He just stared at me with those intelligent blue eyes.

"Well, I guess I'm going to Hyrule..." I said to the horse. Yes, by god I was talking to animals again! But this was no ordinary animal; something set him beyond the reach of all others. When I looked in those eyes, I saw wisdom that no human could ever achieve. "You up for it?" The stallion grunted put his face close to mine. "I'll take that as a yes."

I got up and then we rode off to meet my fate.

The hinges groaned as my hands pushed on the rough wooden door, its surface scarred by time. The air inside was filled with the aroma of inscents and burning candles. A red runner divided the thirty long rows of pews down the center. My footsteps were muffled by the thick material as I stepped forward towards a marble alter toped with black granite. Behind the alter was an intricately carved slab of stone nearly fifteen feet high and crowed with the holy symbol, the Triforce itself.

Yes, the Temple of Time. My presence there brought back memories of the past. No, I reminded myself. Memories of a past that never occurred. I sighed and traced a finger along the edge of a hollow in the altar; the hole that had one kept the Goron ruby.

"Link?" a kind voice behind me inquired. I spun around to face a portly old man with whitened hair. He wore a simple brown robe with the sacred triangles embroidered on the chest with gold, the typical priest garb.

There were a few oddities after my quest had ended in the land of Hyrule--and undoubtedly other places as well. Only a very select few knew about the events that had occurred after I had pulled the Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time; the sages, myself, and a few others that just seemed to know. One of these oddities was that the man that stood before me was not only Sage of Light, but pastor of the temple.

"Oh, Father Rauru, it's only you…" I said, voice strained and tired. He smiled the skin at the corners of his eyes crinkling.

"Who did you expect," He chuckled slightly "Ganondorf?"

I said nothing, just stared back at him gravely. My current condition added to the effect. I must have looked dreadful; purple circles under my eyes, two days worth of stubble on my face, not to mention my tunic stained with moblin blood from the day before. Rauru's smile quickly faded into a thin line.

"Is there something I should know?"

"Well, I-I really can't say, it's hard to explain…" I stammered, every word seemed to be magnified ten fold as it echoed across the stone walls of the temple.

"Is it your dreams?" I was startled for a minute, surprised by his answer.

"Yes. How did you--" He cut me off with an impatient gesture towards a nearby pew. I followed him to a seat that would be occupied by a worshiper in a few hours for early Sunday services. We sat down facing the altar and the Door of Time. After a few moments, he spoke again.

"Princess Zelda has come to me often reporting what she thinks may be prophetic visions."

I looked away for a moment. I had loved Zelda deeply and still did at the time. Almost two years to the day, I had asked for her hand in marriage. But she refused claiming that her father would never approve of his daughter marrying a peasant turned knight. She also stated that marriage would shatter the beautiful friendship we shared. Apparently, so did rejection. I was utterly heartbroken. We didn't see each other as often as we once had. Whenever I saw her, it was usually on business or across a crowded room at a ball. Even after a few years the mention of her name was like a stab in the chest.

"You've been speaking with her?"

"Only as often as her father permits." he answered with just a hint of disgust. It was common knowledge to everyone that the priest disliked the king of Hyrule. I'm sure the king would have removed Rauru from his position, if it were not for his popularity with the people. He shook his head and continued. "In these visions--though she could not remember in detail--Ganondorf escapes with an army of powerful demons. Is this similar to your dreams?"

"No…" I recalled what I had born witness to only an hour before as I gazed at the door. "It was like Hyrule Field, only it wasn't, I was somewhere different entirely. I felt weird, like it wasn't me--and I guess it was someone different. I felt shorter and I was dressed in rags. I was ridding a black horse and had a sword at my hip. It felt like I was hit in the back with lightning--then I woke up."

I looked back to the old Sage. He interlocked his gnarled fingers and sighed deeply. "And I suppose you think that this 'lightning' was caused by Ganondorf."

"Yes."

"And you came to check if the seal was broken."

"Yes."

"Very well."

With another heavy sigh, Rauru got to his feet and I followed him quietly up to the altar. His fingers pried where the granite and marble met. After struggling for a few moments, I stepped in.

"Here, let me help you with that." I said. With ease, I lifted the black stone top a few inches, a cloud of dust billowed out of the crevice; making me cough violently but I didn't loose my hold. After the dust had settled, Rauru reached in and pulled out a leather bag. I set the top back in place just as Rauru pulled open the drawstrings. He lifted out something and handed it to me. The Ocarina of Time. The small egg-shaped instrument was as perfect as I remembered. I ran a callused finger along the smooth surface that seemed to resemble a sky with wisps of clouds strung across it. The three golden triangles on the mouthpiece reflected back miniature versions of myself.

"Link?" My head jerked up. Rauru had set up the three spiritual stones in their corresponding hollows. "Do you still remember the song?"

"How could I forget?" I answered.

Standing on the red carpet, I faced the altar and put the ocarina to my lips. I blew into it softly and without even having to think, I began to play. The slow mournful melody of the Song of Time filled our ears. With a slight hum, the Spiritual Stones began to spin rapidly and reflected the golden light of the Triforce symbol above the carved slab. A rift down the center of the Door of Time appeared and widened even farther with every note. The pews shuddered and creaked as the door opened completely and went back into the walls. The way was cleared.

"Shall we proceed?" questioned Rauru, staring ahead into the gloom. I nodded and let down the ocarina to my side as we stepped behind the altar and through the door. Small clouds of dust rose up at our feet as we entered the hidden chamber. The huge room was displayed before us with a ceiling so high you couldn't see its end. The only source of light came from a window somewhere near the top. Its single shaft of golden light fell upon a sword unlike any other. Half embedded in a pedestal of solid stone, the Master Sword gleamed as brightly as the moon.

I could still remember so clearly how I had entered the same room so long ago, a kid filled with awe and scared out of my wits because of Ganondorf. Once again, I had to remind myself that it never happened. My guess was that its hilt of blue metal had not been touched in hundreds of years.

"Well, it's still in place," I said softly. "The seal's still strong--right?"

"Go and see…" murmured Rauru as I stepped up to the pedestal. There were no cracks in the stone or gaps revealing a ghastly under world, as I had feared. "Touch the sword, does it feel hot?"

I placed my hand on the hilt. It felt cool as ice. I felt a tingling sensation run through my arm that just seemed to beg me to yank the sword from the stone. "No." I answered and quickly removed my hand. Instinctively, I whipped my hand on the thigh of my leg like I had touched something nasty.

"Good. Then all is well, the seal shall hold for hundreds of years--but by then that vile creature will have died."

"But, could there be another exit from the realm?"

"Very unlikely, the very thought is almost laughable. This is the only way in and out of the Sacred Realm. Now, be troubled no more. I'll inform you if I feel that there is such a danger. Keep the ocarina. Would you like me to leave the door open for you so you can check for yourself from time to time?"

"Sure."

***

Soon after talking to Rauru and saying a few prayers, I exited the temple where my horse was waiting outside. I tucked away the ocarina in my pocket as I came up to her. The horse was a mare with a red coat and white mane and tail--blacker towards the roots. I came to the war-horse's head and untied her from the hitching post. I could hear the sound of pots and smell breakfast wafting from the nearby townhouses. The market would soon be bustling with activity; it was best if I left before hand.

I smiled as I lead Epona past the dwellings and wished that I shared in their blissfully simple lives. They were ignorant to the hell that I had gone though to restore order to their land. Even Rauru's assurance could not part the dark clouds of doubt and uncertainty that hung over me.