“Easy there… try to hold still Link.”
        Link cried out in a sudden spasm of pain.
        He was in a private hospital bed in Hyrule Castle. Although he knew the importance of this operation, he wasn’t sure if he would have accepted it if he had known that the procedure was so painful.         It was a few months since his return to his timeline. After explaining to Zelda what had happened to Gannondorf, she agreed that he would be able to escape with his control over the Triforce of Power. After hours of pouring over dusty Triforce volumes with Impa, they discovered a way to neutralize his attempts. If they transferred the location of their Triforce pieces to the Sacred Realm, the power emitting from theirs would be able to subdue and control Gannondorf’s attempts with his Triforce. Their connection would still remain, only not nearly as effective and they could never obtain it’s full potential. Decide it was for the best, both Link and Zelda agreed to allow Impa to attempt the method of extraction on them. Zelda had gone first, and had no problems.
        His was turning horrendous.
        His vision suddenly exploded from Impa’s concerned face to fire, great waves pummelling into his mind. He was screaming, but the torrents of fires distinguished all sounds. Then out of the flames came Gannondorf, hands out stretched and flexing as if he was imaging crushing the boy’s skull.
        “FOOL BOY! YOU HAVE SOMETHING I WANT!” roared the evil abomination, his voice echoing through his mind, his Triforce blazing brighter then the flames. His arms widen out around him, threatening to engulf Link. Gannondorf roared in triumph, and Link was powerless to do anything.
        Just as is hands grasped Link, a blast of light struck out at him, pushing him back. Link watched amazed, as the Triforce of Courage materialized from him and constructed a cage around the Warlord. Gannondorf growled and intensified his power. But all was in vain when Zelda’s Triforce of Wisdom joined the battle. Together the two holy relics pushed Gannondorf farther away, only his cries of rage escaping his prison. Link began falling into darkness, conscience ebbing.
        “Zelda! Catch him!” Impa shouted.
        The Princess of Destiny dove under Link’ body from her chair he fell from his bed, her hand catching his head before it smashed against the stone
floor.
        “It’s okay now Link,” she said soothingly, cradling his limp body. “Its all over now.”
        Link’s vision returned to see her small face smiling back at him. He gave a final sigh, and let unconsciousness take him.

Only a week later, Link was finally ready to be up on his feet again. Ten year-olds recover fast, apparently, for Impa was certain most adults would have been out for at least a month, and continued bedding him.
        “I’m fine, let me stretch my legs for a bit. I’m not still sick!” Link complained as she fluffed his pillow. “You try staying in some small room for a week. I need fresh air, I need some sun, I need-”
        Links words were cut off as Impa picked him up by the back of the shirt and carried him off to the bathroom. She slammed the door shut and locked it.
        “Fine. Go out. Zelda will accompany you. But above all others, you really need a bath.” Ignoring Link’s wails of distress, she went off to file some important papers.

        “Don’t worry Link, that soap makes you smell, uh, good.” Zelda confirmed as she walked with Link in the Castle grounds, trying to hide her smirk of his herbal essence perfume soap smell. She almost fell as he adjusted his wait on her as he tried to look at her. A week in bed weakens the muscles quite a bit for a while, and he needed Zelda as a sort of crutch. He snarled.
        “Don’t try to fool me, this stuff makes me feel feminine. No hero should have to face this sort of ridicule!”
        She glanced around. There had been a storm during the past week, and much of the ground was still muddy. A sudden sinister idea crept into her mind.
        “Fine, have your way. If you don’t want to smell like a nice, normal, girl, you better smell like a normal, disgusting boy.” She heaved him off her
shoulder.
        Thunk. Splat. Link rolled onto his back, surveying the damage. He glared up at his mocker, spewing a fountain of mud from his mouth.
        “You want to play rough, huh? Well let this be a lesson; never try to beat a guy at his own game.” His arm swung up, firing a fist full of mud at her face. She shrieked, diving into the mud and picking up her own pile, splattering more at him.
        A near by guard watched their antics uneasily, wondering if he should arrest the boy on the charge of assaulting the princess. He relented, deciding that mud was a non-lethal weapon, and it was probably her idea anyway. He continued to watch none the less.
        After a while, the combatants both lade back, utterly exhausted. Resembling mud monsters more then children, they slowly peeled themselves up, mud still dripping off them. Link was already much stronger on his feet, but still excepted Zelda’s hand for support.
        “Oh, you can expect Impa will love this, huh?” said Zelda casually. Link groaned; he knew what that meant.
        Another bath.

        *                                        *                                        *

        The funny part was, he didn’t even like the reptilian creatures. But if his plan was to work, the Warlord knew he would need to rely on an outside force. This were the perfect specimen for the job; quick, agile, warlike and with enough anger and hate towards the Hyrule nations to do what ever it took to accomplish their goals. After weeks of bitter negotiations and forceful “persuasions”, Ignatius, King of Brakius and Warlord of the Living Scourge met face to face with the tyrannical last War-Chief, Rizakis of the Reptalfos in his shadowy throne room. He had the largest clan, and none of the other chieftains were willing to join without Rizakis’ support as well.
        He glared his contact right into the pair of flaming orange eyes. As if trying to taste the human’s fear, Rizakis’ tongue slowly slizered in and out of his mouth while lounging in his human skin laden throne. Ignatius was not impressed, but tried to stay courteous.
        “Hail, War-Chief Rizakis. I hope time has found you well.” Ignatius recited, giving a low bow. “For I call upon you for a grand act, a devious act, a heroic act.”
        “Do not takes me for a fool, sssilly humanzy,” the War-Chief growled in his thick reptilian tongue. “If it was anything left, I wouldz havse my sssoldiers eat you alivse on my doorstepze. I would of not have wazted my time hearingz a fool sspeak of war.” His face loomed eerily in the torchlight. “Why ssshould we helpze you?”
        Ignatius grew an equally large scowl on his face. “And I did not come here to listen to debates I have already discussed with dozens of your diplomats. As I have already said, you shall be able to live anywhere in my new lands under my rule so you can leave these vile mountain ranges of smog and famine, and sink your teeth into fresh, fertile soils. I only ask for your armies to aid me, and a small portion of about 10 percent of your mineral mines.”
        The Reptalfos had been living in a desolate land of dead rocky areas for centuries, digging into the voluptuous mountains in search of metals and engaging in constant warfare with each other limited resources. Some ventured out into the surrounding world as skilled mercenaries, but that was as far as their communication went.
        The Reptalfo’s eyes narrowed in consideration, as if this was the first time he had been told these terms. Ignatius waited patiently on his knee, knowing that if he got to impatient with their ruler, Rizakis’ guards would attempt to tear him to pieces. Attempt. But further more, this contract would be off forever and would still have to get out of the fortress. This had to be taken care of delicately and seriously.
        Finally, after what seemed to be eternity, Rizakis rose. He snapped his scaly claws in impatient orders.
        “Risk! Find me my swordz. Thenz clean it thzoughly. Hiache, find the Knife of Binding. Kiache! Assemblze my armour andz clean itz. Iz’fahn, bringz me thee Itemz of Rightz!” These servants quickly rose from their kneeling positions and hastened to their duties, not wanted to stretch their War-Chief’s temper. Unfortunately for one, he tripped upon getting up. Rizakis growled lowly in contempt, and faster then the eye could perceive, whipped out a throwing crescent, nailing the luckless servant fatally in the back. Several guards rose and carried the body to a compost centre. Nodding his head dismissively, the rest of the occupants quickly left.

        Soon, the dusky throne room was empty. Rizakis slowly stalked over to where Ignatius was still kneeling. A sharp claw rested on his shoulder.
        “Show me your planz, and the Alliance shall be madez. My troops canz be ready for extraction in the nextis few monthz.”
        “Months!” Ignatius said incredulously, a small, sinister, smile escaping. “No need to be hasty, my Lord. In fact I was thinking about years…” Slowly he slid his file of notes and preparations to the Reptalfo, stretching the brilliance of his ambitious mind to a psychotic maniac, and beginning one of the most great, but terrible events the world would ever encounter.

Chapter Two: Tremors and Shadow

        Link strolled through the Kokiri forest, the morning dew clinging to his boots. Walking hand in hand with him was his Kokirish friend Saria.
        He sighed. Everything was so wonderfully the same here. Even the Kokiri hadn’t changed; only he had. Oh well, it made no difference now. Link had a whole world to still explore, one where everything was always changing. He couldn’t care less if the others bugged him now, even though they never did anymore. They certainly were happy to see him come home again, especially once the Deku Sprout started growing that same day.
        Something wet and sticky dropped from the trees and landed on his head. Reflexively, his hand flew up there to brush of the tree sap or what ever it was off his head. He glanced at it. Suddenly, he knew something was wrong.
        It was blood.
        Another drop hit him. And then another. Torrents of this unholy rain began to fall down, transforming the forest’s beauty into something horrifying. Link, shaking with a look of horror on his face, looked up.
        The trees were bleeding, all of them. And they began to sway, and give unearthly moans that crept into his soul and bit at it. A strangling scream dribbling from his mouth, he turned to Saria, only to find a Lizalfo holding a jagged sword instead. Link suddenly noticed that many more seemed to materialize out of the forest behind the first. Moving as one they all started towards him.
        Link felt no fear, only a wretched sense of rage. His sword suddenly in his hand, he leapt at the nearest one swiftly decapitating it before it could move. His next blow was blocked by a sword, but then with a sudden charge of energy powered into his first like he had with his sword so many times, punched a hole right through the Lizalfo. It fell back with a keening scream, blood flowing from the hole onto the ground and some up on Link. He didn’t waver. He turned to the next combatent.
        Soon they were all dead, there remains strewn across the forest and covering Link, making him look like a Redead. But the most awful part was yet to come.
        The Kokiri were all dead. He hadn’t killed deadly enemies, but his friends and neighbours. The landscape dripping with their blood, he saw one’s head slowly roll towards him…

        Awaking suddenly sometime around midnight, Link rolled out of him bed, puking and hurling out all the food and guilt in his stomach. He gave a hysterical sob, crying out to the whole forest.

        “I DIDN’T MEAN TO KILL THEM! I LOVED THEM! WHY! WHY MUST I SUFFER SO! AND WHY THEM! THEY WERE ALL INNOCENT! WHY!” He broke of, giving another wretch and was over come with sobbing.
        Feet could be heard quickly clambering up his ladder. It was Saria.
        “Link! Its okay! It was just a dream! You didn’t hurt anyone.” Saria said softly, embracing his huddled, sobbing form. “It was only a bad dream, don’t worry about it.” With some difficultly, she hefted him up into his bed and replaced his covers. His sobbing stopped, but his whole body continued to shake and convulse. He slowly moved his head to look at Saria, who had started to clean up the mess on the floor with some rags from his dresser.
        “Sa-a-aria?” Link whispered, his voice stuttering from his shaking. His usually calm blue eyes were haunted with fear and despair. “You shou-ouldn’t be around me. No-oh bo-dy should. I-I’ll just hu-urt them.” Tears were welling up in his eyes.
        Saria looked up from her work. Compassionate pools of green stared back at him. She calmly lifted her hand and lightly brushed at his now sweaty locks. She spoke warmly and soothingly. The warm light of her fairy illuminated the room.
        “Don’t speak like that. I’ve known you longer then any one. You would never hurt any one you loved. Never. Including me.”
        “I ki-illed ev-er-y-one. All th-the Kokiri, even you and Mido. And th-he trees, they were all dy-ying, bleed-ding to death. I des-destroyed everything.”
        “Strange things happen in dreams, you know that. And I’m sure there’s more to it then you need to say. Dreams don’t mean anything.”
        “Bu-ut what if it’s ana-another premonition? Tha-at one was re-real.
        Saria smiled softly. The first thing Link had told her when he got home yesterday was the rest of his travels seven years in the future. Many extraordinary things had happened, but she deemed them all plausible. But this she knew was impossible.
        “Link, under the pain of death and eternal suffering, you would never, ever hurt someone you loved. I know this much is true.” * She gave him another warm hug. Link stopped shivering and gave his friend a weak smile amid his tears. “Now you just try to get some sleep. Don’t worry, I’ll stay right here and keep you safe. Her fairy rested on her shoulder and gave a small nod of agreement. Link finally closed his eyes and slumbered into a deeper, restful sleep.
        Saria pulled up a chair. There were still quite a few hours left until morning, and in the state he was in right now, nothing could pull her away from completely fulfilling her promise. Not for the entire world.