The Legend of
Zelda
Fury of the Goddesses
A fan fiction by Joshua A. “J.D.” DeLung
Introduction
The Legend of Zelda has become a largely known and highly marketed franchise in the past
roughly twenty years. The Legend of Zelda began as a video game for the original Nintendo
Entertainment System (NES). Without going into great detail and re-telling the whole story, I will
give you a basic background about The Legend of Zelda in order to help you understand the
telling of the story you are about to read.
The first thing that you must understand is that The Legend of Zelda has perhaps the most
misunderstood and vague chronology between its stories than any story in history. Nintendo has
left many plot holes, which accidentally make sense. Well, sometimes it all makes sense. There
have been roughly nine games in this series released in the U.S. by Nintendo. However, there
were three games released in trilogy format for another game system that was never successful
and the games were very poor quality and contribute very little to the actual storyline. One Zelda
game was released in Japan that never saw the U.S., and some add-on games were created for
other games that were unofficial and had very small circulation. In The Legend of Zelda’s early
popularity, there was a short-lived cartoon series featuring the characters from this video game
along with a few comic books. Now that you know the origin of The Legend of Zelda, I will tell
you a little about its unique characters.
The Legend of Zelda has been the home to many innovative characters, the names and
profiles of which would take a novel in itself to review. The main character of The Legend of
Zelda is, in fact, not Princess Zelda. The main character is a young (well, sometimes young) boy
named Link. It is believed that Link was a Hylian boy. Before I go any further, you should know
that most of the stories in the Legend of Zelda take place in the land of Hyrule, a land once home
to humans and Hylians. The Hylians are an Elvin-like race who eventually became the dominant
race in the land of Hyrule. Now: we return to the discussion of characters. Link is thought to be a
Hylian boy, left as a child in the Lost Woods of the Kokiri Forest and raised by the Kokiri as one of
their own. These forest people all have a guardian fairy when they come of age. Link is the hero
of Hyrule, the hero of legend, and he is almost always the playable character in the games. The
next most-important character is Zelda, the princess of Hyrule. She is the damsel in distress at
times, the helpful ally at times, and even poses as a character called Sheik at times. Lastly, you
should know about Ganondorf Dragmire, also known as Ganon. Ganon is an evil wizard-like
man, the only male in the tribe of Gerudo, a tribe of thieves. Ganon wreaks havoc throughout the
timeline of The Legend of Zelda and is the arch-enemy of Link. Ganon is, in almost all the
games, the final boss.
The Legend of Zelda is hopefully becoming a little clearer to you by now, and if you’re familiar
with the series, I would say that this little review would be good for you before undertaking the
reading of this story. You might want to know a little about the races of The Legend of Zelda.
Most people in Hyrule are Hylian, that is, humanoid elf-like creatures. However, there are others.
For example, you have the Zoras. The Zoras are a people who live in areas where there is a lot
of water. The men of this race look like large fish-men, while the women look more like blueskinned aliens and are considered to be quite beautiful. The Gorons are another race featured at
times in the story arc. Gorons are large, strong, dark-skinned, rounded creatures. They look sort
of like teddy-bears without visible ears. The Goron people live in caves and on mountains and
have even been seen eating rocks. The Kokiri are very similar in appearance to the Hylians;
however they are a forest-people and are usually shorter and adorned in green. There is also a
race, perhaps more accurately described as creatures, called the Deku. Deku people are
sometimes helpful and sometimes enemies and are plant-like creatures. The Great Deku Tree is
the giver of life to all the forest and he is one of the oldest entities in Hyrule. The last group that
I’d like to highlight, while this definitely does not complete an overview of all types of characters in
the Legend of Zelda, is the fairies. Fairies are led by the Great Fairy who resides at random
Great Fairy Fountains. The Great Fairy presides over lesser fairy queens who preside over
common fairies. The Great Fairy and her queens can bestow powers to heroes, while the
common fairies restore health to fallen warriors.
Now, just when you may be beginning to understand this whole concept, I’m going to confuse
you. Remember how I mentioned that the chronology, or timeline, of The Legend of Zelda is one
of the most misunderstood in history? I wasn’t lying. Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of The
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Legend of Zelda (along with Mario, Donkey Kong, and many of Nintendo’s original characters)
has said before that none of his games are necessarily linked and that each can be considered in
its own alternate realm or timeline. Of course, this doesn’t help fans of the game at all. The
games themselves often mention things that have happened in other games, things that have
never happened and then happen in a game years down the road, and things that probably will
never happen. It is very hard to devise a timeline from these games. Many in the gaming
industry, including game-reviewers, developers, fans, and webmasters, have created their own
timeline and consider it to be the best. I’ve researched the web and found about three timelines
that actually make sense, and many which I don’t agree with. Some that make the most sense
have the video game that I think obviously takes place far into the future place in the middle of the
timeline, but are understandable otherwise. The timeline of The Legend of Zelda will probably be
debated about forever. Now comes the hard part to understand: there is no way to tie the stories
that have been told about The Legend of Zelda together without there being more than one Link
and more than one Princess Zelda. Does this mean that there are alternate realms and
timelines? Most fans of The Legend of Zelda don’t think so; they all just agree that all the stories
take place in the same timeline, but that the same characters aren’t always present. Yes, Link
travels time in some games, but only a handful of fans argue that by doing so Link created an
alternate timeline that ran parallel with the actual timeline. Confused yet? You will be. So what
does this all mean? It means that there have been about three to four heroes named Link, all
descendants of the original, and maybe as many as five young princesses named Zelda. Okay,
so people, especially heroes are named after their descendents all the time, so the Link theory
works. Now, when I tell you that Zelda I and Zelda V exist at the same time, you wonder what I’m
thinking, right? Well, Nintendo writers accidentally made this work. In one Zelda game, they
made it so that Princess Zelda was put under a sleeping spell by an evil wizard (not Ganon) and
then things happen in the storylines of other games that make us think that a lot happened before
Link rescued her. Perhaps even, that Link I was alive when Zelda I was put to sleep and that Link
III was alive when Zelda V was born but that he awakened Zelda I at this time as well. I’m going
to include a timeline, the one that I think works best, at the end of this introduction, and you will
understand everything just fine. I promise.
Okay, almost finished with the intro folks. You still need to know a little more. The Legend of
Zelda has a strong focus on gods, goddesses, sages, elders, etc. Also, a main focus is in the
items and weapons that Link uses throughout his quests. The Master Sword is the final sword
that Link always acquires, because it has the power to repel evil, and it can only be wielded by
the legendary hero. Link also uses boomerangs, bombs, bow and arrows, hook shots/grappling
hooks, magic shields and armor, and things of this nature. However, the most important item,
and the main focus of many of the story arcs, is the Triforce. The Triforce is a three-piece item,
consisting of three golden triangles. Each piece of the Triforce has a designation: wisdom,
courage and power. Zelda, Link, and Ganon each end up with a piece that resides within them,
respectively. When all three pieces are brought together to form the Triforce, the one who holds
the Triforce may be granted every wish in his heart. Assembling and using this item is always
Ganon’s focus and primary goal.
Right, well now we are ready to take a look at the timeline. This timeline was one that I at first
did not agree with, because it places The Legend of Zelda: The Windwaker in the middle of the
timeline. This game was about a boy who was not Link, but a descendant, and a pirate named
Tetra, who turned out to be a descendant of Zelda. The story arc also told of how the land you
adventure in is not Hyrule, but that the goddesses flooded the land and that Hyrule is beneath the
land you adventure in. This made me believe immediately that the events in Windwaker take
place in the most recent part of the timeline. However, the timeline you are about to see does not
show this as being so. This timeline does make sense, so perhaps the land was drained
somehow. There is a theory as to what happened, and it is mentioned below. One thing I forgot
to mention that you should keep in mind: Ganon is considered the same man throughout the
timeline, due to his evil powers and time-traveling abilities. Some even argue that Ganon is no
longer truly human…
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The Legend of Zelda Timeline (courtesy of www.zeldauniverse.net)
It has been confirmed by the man behind the Legend of Zelda series that for every time evil is
at work in Hyrule, a hero name Link is destined to appear to protect the land. This confirms the
multiple-Link theory Zelda Universe has supported for a long, long time. Still, there is no official
order in which the games should be placed in, but this is our theory none the less.
The release of The Windwaker gave new life to the Timeline debate, and while it also cleared
up many things, it certainly made other things unclear. Many have tried to explain these events
with a so-called "multiple timeline theory", meaning that when Link went back in time after
defeating Ganondorf in Ocarina of Time, he actually created another timeline. We here at Zelda
Universe do not support this, as we believe that since he is in fact the Hero of Time, that gives
him the ability to manipulate time -- in other words go back to his childhood after defeating
Ganondorf, and at the same time keep the King of Evil locked up in the Sacred Realm.
-0 H.C. (Hyrulian Chronology)
The three goddesses Din (Power), Narayu (Wisdom), and Farore (Courage) descend from a
distant nebula and create the world of Hyrule.
-5 H.C.
The goddesses finish their work and leave the Triforce behind, hiding it in the Sacred Realm, also
called the Golden Land. Humans and Hylians are created at this time as well.
-1100 H.C.
Hylians arise as the dominant race. Cities are built, including the Temple of Time and Hyrule
Castle.
-1450 H.C.
The Book of Mudora is written—a book of Hylian legends and lore. Link will later need this book
to find a special pendant.
-1800 H.C.
The Black Tower’s construction begins in Labrynna.
-2250 H.C.
Ganondorf Dragmire is born, the only male in the Gerudo tribe. He quickly becomes a powerful
leader.
-2270 H.C.
Link I and Zelda I are born.
-2280 H.C.
Link I is called by the Deku Tree to undertake a great quest. Link travels from the Kokiri Forest to
Hyrule, where he meets Princess Zelda I. She asks him to retrieve 3 magical stones, which will
open the gateway to the Secret Realm. Meanwhile, Ganondorf Dragmire plots to enter the Sacred
Realm to take the Triforce for himself. He attempts to kidnap Zelda, but her nursemaid Impa
hides her away. Link collects the 3 stones and places them in the Temple. The doors open, and
he takes the Master Sword, but Ganondorf steps through the gateway to take the Triforce, and
Link is frozen in time.
-2287 H.C.
Link I is awakened, older and stronger. He finds a different Hyrule, bleak and desolate, due to
Ganondorf's evil wishes. With the help of Zelda I, he finds six medallions of the six sages. Link,
Zelda and the Sages use their power to overthrow Ganondorf. They manage to seal him in the
Sacred Realm (Which would turn into the Evil Realm because of Ganondorf's coming), after a
long, hard battle. (ZHQ's timeline theory claims that there are only six sages which is wrong,
because Zelda was the last Sage. This confirms that the Hylians did not forget their own history
as suggested in ZHQ's original timeline theory.)
-2281 H.C. (Note: this is a flashback in the timeline, because the event that occurs making
Link return to the past happens after the 2287 entry, but takes link back immediately where
he was at the end of the 2280 entry.)
After the Imprisoning War was over, Link was send back to the year he was frozen in time (2280
Hyrulian Chronology). A few months later, Link was summoned to the land of Termina (Believed
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to be some sort of parallel world of Hyrule), where he had to awaken the four gods and with their
help defeat the Mask of Majora and prevent the moon from crashing into the land of Termina.
-2387 H.C.
Somehow the seal of the Sages is broken, and Ganondorf manages to escape from the Sacred
Realm. No tale is told of how the seal was broken, and that remains a mystery... However, with
evil at work again, the people of Hyrule awaited the return of the Hero, the Hero of Time, but the
wait was in vain, for the Hero did not return.
-2390 H.C.
Without a Hero to save them from Ganondorf, the people turned to the Goddesses in a last act of
hope. The Goddesses responded. They poured water over the land... Endless throngs of rains
washed down over Hyrule... soon there was no more Hyrule, only a great sea known as, yes, the
Great Sea.
-2800 H.C.
Sealed away with the kingdom of Hyrule he desired so much, was the evil that once had posed
such a giant threat to all life upon these lands. With evil out of the picture once more, the
inhabitants swiftly adapted to their new lives on the mountain-tops above the sea, and through
the centuries they forgot all about the kingdom of the past which was hidden deep below the
surface.
-2801 H.C.
Somehow Ganondorf manages to create a portal from Hyrule and up to the waves of the Great
Sea, and he once again eyes the opportunity to take control over Hyrule, but to do this he needs
to reassemble the three pieces of the Triforce.
Whether it was arranged by the gentle hands of destiny, or pure simply a pure a series of co
incidents it up to each and every person to figure out what they believe, but somehow a young
boy named Link comes in contact with the King of Hyrule, Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, and after
going through many hardships to be recognized as a true hero by the Gods, and collecting the
shattered pieces of the Triforce of Courage, he together with Princess Zelda faces Ganondorf and
together they manage to defeat him.. The boy then took place among legends and became
known as the Hero of Winds, because of his ability to control and manipulate the wind.
-3200 H.C.
How the Great Sea was drained and how Ganon was once again sealed in the Sacred Realm
will, at least until we see a true sequel to The Wind Waker, not be known. However it is believed
that the sea was possibly drained by the trees that the Koroks planted with the seeds of the Great
Deku Tree. At this Hyrule has been re-built and it is about as peaceful and prosperous as ever. It
is then Link III and Zelda III are born, and they are without doubt connected to the original Hero
and Princess, as they are of the same bloodline.
-3214 H.C.
The Wizard Agahnim appears in Hyrule and solves current disasters of the time. He is declared
the people's hero and made Chief Advisor but then secretly overthrows the King and destroys the
seal that imprisons Ganondorf in the Dark World. Princess Zelda contacts Link telepathically,
pleading for him to help. Link manages to defeat Agahnim and Ganondorf, using the power of the
Master Sword, and brings the Triforce to Hyrule.
-3216 H.C.
Ganon is trying to expand his powers by taking over the lands of Labrynna and Holodrum. The
Triforce calls for Link, who has to save both lands and the Oracles of Season and Ages, Din and
Nayru. It is believed that these two were named after the goddesses, but there was no further
connection between them. While saving Labrynna, Link travels many thousand years back in time
a swell. After Link completes his quest, he goes back to Hyrule.
On his way back to Hyrule, Link gets shipwrecked on the mysterious Koholint Island. To get off,
he has to awaken the Windfish. He eventually does, but the Island is destroyed in the process.
Others say it was simply a dream...
-3456 H.C.
Hyrule Castle and Kakariko Village are attacked by an army from the neighboring land of Sosaria.
They are left in ruins and the villagers and the Royal Family flee to the North. However, the
Sosarians fail to invade further. The land becomes a wasteland, left to the monsters, which
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destroy any remaining buildings. The Master Sword goes missing, presumably stolen by
monsters.
-3458 H.C.
North Castle is built on the Great Northwestern Plains. It is bigger, and far more magnificent than
Hyrule Castle.
-3937 H.C.
One of the Hyrulian Kings hides the Triforce of Courage. His son cannot find it, but a wizard tells
him that the Prince's younger sister, Zelda IV knows of it's whereabouts. When Zelda refuses to
tell, the wizard puts her in a deep sleep from which she may never awaken. In his grief the Prince
places Zelda on an altar in North Castle and demands that every female child born in the castle
from then on must be named Zelda.
-4402 H.C.
King Harkinian is born in Hyrule.
-4520 H.C.
The evil wizard Ganon appears, and steals the Triforce of Power from North Castle. He makes
the Underworld his domain and uses Death Mountain as his main base, where monsters already
run riot on the waste wasteland of Southwest Hyrule.
-4525 H.C.
Link IV is born in Catalia. Zelda V is born in Hyrule.
-4540 H.C.
Zelda inherits the Triforce of Wisdom. However, she fears Ganon will steal it and so shatters it
into pieces and sends Impa to look for a hero. Ganon captures Zelda and imprisons her in Death
Mountain. Impa meets up with Link and asks him to rescue Zelda. Link recovers the Triforce of
Wisdom, defeats Ganon, recovers the Triforce of Power, and saves Zelda.
-4541 H.C.
Link discovers a strange mark on his hand. Impa tells him it means he is the one chosen to
recover the Triforce of Courage and awaken Zelda IV from a sleeping spell. Link successfully
completes the quest.
-4550 H.C.
Ganon is somehow resurrected and again steals the Triforce of Power. Link and Zelda go on
many adventures to recover it. The Day of Evil Power occurs, as well as a Day of the Triforce.
Well, I hope that you’ve got a background with The Legend of Zelda now, as well as a better
understanding of if not the timeline, at least the difficulty in deciphering the timeline. Now, where
does this story fit into the chronology of The Legend of Zelda? Well, it wouldn’t be traditional if I
told you, now would it?
Joshua A. DeLung
Author, the Legend of Zelda: Fury of the Goddesses
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Prelude of the Goddesses
The Legendary Hero…
…the Hero of Time…
…the Hero of the Winds…
…the one able to wield that which holds the power to repel evil…
…the one in which the Golden Power of Courage resides…
…the hero whose bloodline yields heroes, both young and mature…
…but always determined and courageous and heroic…
…that one called Link…
…has not been seen nor heard of for quite some time.
The evil was banished, sealed away with the Golden Power and the Master Sword, and Link
returned to his childhood…
…but an older version of course remained in existence in this future land of Hyrule…
…and this Link, though he wished to remain with Princess Zelda, thought it best to return to the
forest where he grew up, never to be seen again.
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I: Danole
Hyrule Castle is the most beautiful castle that a Hylian could probably ever hope to see in their
lifetime. The castle itself is extravagant and thoughtfully designed. Hyrule Castle is the oldest
known castle in all of Hyrule and the surrounding lands, and though its face has changed
throughout the decades due to war and necessary additions, the importance of the castle and its
surrounding area has always remained. The castle is where the royal family Hyrule resides and
the castle’s surrounding courtyards are filled year-round with beautiful artwork and flora. People
venture from all over Hyrule venture to the castle to walk in its vast gardens, though very few are
allowed by the guards to actually enter the castle or many of its restricted areas. Not only are the
castle and the royal family and the immediate areas well-known and important to life in Hyrule,
but the busy marketplace that lies inside the castle gates at the foothills of the castle is the only
place to find many things in Hyrule at a good price and at a convenient location.
The castle marketplace is a town in itself, ever alive with businessmen and peasants alike.
When you step on to the bridge at the entrance gate and begin crossing the moat surrounding the
area, the senses are awakened to their fullest extent. Vibrant colors are apparent as you observe
the flowers planted strategically throughout the stone walkways. Mouth-watering smells of
roasting forest creatures, tropical delicacies, sweet pastries and even rejuvenating potions fill the
air around the marketplace. The buzz of salespeople marketing their newest item, citizens
bargaining for the best possible deal, and gamblers enticing marksmen to bet on their skills of
archery begins to crowd a person’s eardrums. Citizens hustle along, brushing by you as you
slowly make your way to either you destination, or simply to just look around for something that
might suit you. Children play in the streets, citizens of Hyrule converse civilly with one another,
and no one seems frightened by the metropolis of Hyrule because the castle guards patrol the
marketplace too, keeping an ever-watching eye out for scoundrels and spies.
Another magnificent piece of architecture rests ever so somberly adjacent to the hill that is
home to Hyrule castle and the marketplace, but still inside the gates, is the revered Temple of
Time. The Temple of Time was built as the original resting place of the Master Sword, a parallel
to Excalibur in another dimension, a sword with the power to repel evil that can only be wielded
by the bloodline of the Legendary Hero. Hylians believe that this is also a place where the sages,
past and present can meet to appeal to the goddesses, and to travel to the Temple of Light. Only
royalty, heroes, and sages dare enter the Temple of Time.
Recently, Hyrule had been in chaos. The evil wizard and renowned thief Ganondorf Dragmire
had decided to try to make the Golden Power his own. The Golden Power is the Triforce, a
power that requires three pieces, each created by one of the three goddesses, and that power
can grant the desires of any who holds it. Luckily, a hero came to defeat Ganondorf, sealing him
away with the power which he so desired. Ganondorf was banished to the once Sacred Realm,
the Golden Land created to house the Triforce, now known as the Dark World. Since
Ganondorf’s defeat, and the cleansing of the land of Hyrule (which had begun to crawl with
strange monsters during Ganondorf’s rule), the Hylian people were again joyful and prosperous
and thanked the goddesses for the Hero of Time. Not all Hylians were as joyful though, for one
Hylian girl still felt emptiness within her soul. This young lady was none other than Princess
Zelda of Hyrule.
Zelda’s people were safe, and her land was free from the bondage of evil. Trading with the
Gorons, Zoras, Kokiri, and even the Gerudos was going more smoothly than ever. However,
Zelda’s heart was broken, for the one thing she wished for at the end of the great conflict was to
be with the young man who had aided her in defeating Ganondorf. Since she had met Link in
their youth in the courtyards of Castle Hyrule, Zelda knew that he was to be her prince. This was
not the way that things had turned out in the end, though. After returning the Master Sword to its
resting place, Link left Hyrule, returning to the Kokiri Forest where he was raised, though he was
a Hylian boy and not a Kokiri. Zelda had seen Link’s fairy companion, Navi, one day in Hyrule
Field and not even the fairy knew of his whereabouts. Link had journeyed deep into the Lost
Woods of the forest months ago, and had never returned.
*
*
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Zelda leaned down to smell the flower that had been grown in a town near the base of a
nearby mountain and purchased by the king for a specific area in one of the courtyard gardens.
She loved these new flowers, perhaps because they had a similar smell to those from the Kokiri
Forest which couldn’t be grown this time of year. Everything reminded her of Link. Just as Zelda
looked down to the cobble-stone sidewalk, a tear ran down her cheek and splashed off the petal
of a flower beneath her. Zelda watched as the teardrop rolled down the petal and landed on the
sidewalk. She thought to herself, that tear will dry ever so quickly in this warm sunlight.
However, just as Zelda watched the wetness begin to dry, a dark shade covered the area around
her. Her first response was to look up at the cloud that had just ruined her thought, but when she
brought her vision skyward, she saw that the sky was dark for as far as she could see.
A jolt of panic raced through Zelda’s body, wondering what mischievous power could be at
work. As if to answer her question, a bolt of lightning roared, striking the newly-constructed
southeastern tower of the Hyrule Castle. The lightning was more powerful in scale than any the
princess had ever witnessed, and it burst through the stone blocks of the tower, crumbling the
upper portion.
Hylians in the streets of the marketplace screamed and ran indoors, while some even
ventured outside the castle gates before the bridge could be raised. An earthquake shook the
area, splitting a seemingly infinitely deep trench through the center of the marketplace area that
ended near the steps to the Temple of Time. A strange, thick and musty air filled the courtyards
as many flowers sprouted into the feared Deku Baba plants that often bite strangers in the Lost
Woods. Surely Ganondorf has not broken his seal on the Sacred Realm, Zelda thought, it just
isn’t possible.
With no cause to this extreme weather event evident, Zelda thought it best to conceal her
identity just in case evil doers were closing in on Hyrule. Zelda’s handmaiden, Impa, had been
the last of a race called the Sheikah, an order of monks trained in the arts of dealing death and
meditation. Impa wished to carry on the tradition of her people, and taught Zelda the ways of the
Sheikah from her early childhood into her young adulthood. Zelda used her identity as “Sheik” to
hide herself from those who might wish to do her harm as Princess Zelda of Hyrule. Sheikah
fought only when necessary, but were formidable and deadly foes. Not many would even speak
to Sheik, and that was of course, during the rare occasions when she let herself be seen.
Casting aside her royal garb, Zelda made her transformation into Sheik, donning dark-colored
rags, a turban, and a mask. As Sheik hid her royal garments in the courtyard, a meteor of fire
and brimstone fell from the sky into Castle Hyrule, leveling most of the structure. There was now
no doubt in her mind that she needed to sneak to the castle, the area which seemed to be the
epicenter of this storm, and see what exactly was going on.
*
*
*
Sheikah needles are one of the most sought after weapons in all of Hyrule. The Sheikah have
passed down the art of creating the needles which can be used to win a battle in many different
ways. The needles are carefully tempered from materials that only the Sheikah know about, and
each one is perfectly identical to its predecessor. The needles are long and are disputably the
sharpest thing in the universe. The art of the needle is a tradition taught to only the best of
Sheikah warriors, because it requires patience and attention to detail to learn. Needle fighting is
a precise art, because the warrior can use the needles to kill, or merely to disable, an opponent,
depending on the spot of impact on the body. A Hylian guard was about to experience the
excruciating pain that surges through one’s body before a disabling hit leaves an enemy
unconscious. The guard collapsed as Sheik zipped a couple needles through the air with the flip
of a wrist. The fact that the guard was Hylian didn’t matter, because it seemed that all the guards
had been brainwashed and were not letting anyone by without facing their sword. However,
Sheik realized that the guard’s minds might be salvageable and decided to only leave them in a
temporary coma.
Sheik continued sneaking her way along the shadows of the courtyards, hiding from guards
when possible and disabling them when necessary. The occasional Deku Baba plant would
spring to life, threatening to give away her position, but the chain which she carried with her put a
quick end to their chattering noises. A wrap of the chain and a quick jerk would wilt the strongest
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of Deku Baba, sometimes even leaving a rupee (the treasured gems used for currency in Hyrule)
behind that had been buried under the ground and grown into the Deku Baba as it sprouted. The
way of the Sheikah was perhaps not as glamorous as a valiant knight storming the strongholds of
evil, but it was helpful in these situations in which knowledge of your presence could mean that
you wouldn’t find the intelligence you were seeking.
The earth rumbled again, and a courtyard wall crumbled above Sheik. She barely dodged the
rubble in time, diving into a castle guard’s view. This final guard, the captain of the guard, Sheik
realizes is the only thing standing between her and what seems to be the source of the
phenomena occurring in Hyrule. Sheik knows this man, or what used to be man. Much like
Ganondorf Dragmire, as he was consumed with evil and became only the creature known as
“Ganon,” this captain of the guard had become only a dark minion of some higher force.
Realizing this, Sheik decides that this one she will kill. This one: his will would be too strong to
send into shock and unconsciousness with a few needles. This one: he will fight to the death.
Sheik gathered a handful of needles from her sheath, and held them in a fan-like pattern. The
captain of the guard, knowing his strength and trusting his armor, charged at her. Sheik flipped a
fanned pattern of needles at the captain, all of which simply stuck in his armor, save one, which
punctured his shield hand. The captain roared a roar that was not that of a man, and his shield
fell to the ground, its loud, metallic clang drowned out by a perfectly timed thunderclap. Sheik
than ran at the captain and jumped, using the cat-like reflexes taught by the Sheikah, finding
herself behind the captain. It took all of her strength, but Sheik raised the large Hylian shield
dropped by the captain and swung it up into the captain’s head. The impact knocked the guard’s
helmet clean off his head, and it landed a few feet away and rolled into a sinkhole created by one
of the earthquakes. The captain swung around, sword flailing, and sliced Sheik across her left
side, crushing at least one rib. Sheik cried out in surprise, but used Sheikah meditation
techniques quickly to shield her mind from the pulsating pain. Thinking quickly, Sheik back
flipped out of the guard’s range and pulled out a needle. Now was her chance to win this fight,
and she maximized on the situation, hurling the needle between the guard’s eyes. The needle
stuck deep, and the guard stared blankly as he died, then fell to the ground.
Finally, Sheik was able to crawl to the remainder of the front wall of the castle. Leaning
against the wall, which stood very low now, Sheik bandaged her wounds with a temporary
dressing. Then, she peeked over the wall, and saw the source of the storms and catastrophes in
Hyrule. In the midst of the howling winds that swirled through what was left of the castle
hallways, a man stood chanting incantations and moving his hands in strange motions. Sheik
sneaked closer, hiding behind a column in the main corridor where the man stood.
“I call upon you, Triforce of Courage, devastate this land! Empower me to control the
inhabitants and the winds of Hyrule! Reveal to me the locations of the other Triforce pieces!
Show me the ways to the seven sages! Teach me to revive the master… Master Ganon! I,
Donale, chief wizard of all Hyrule, demand it!” the man called out to the skies, too engaged in
putting all his strength out to see what extent his powers had developed into to notice Sheik.
Sheik was immediately scared at the mention of Ganon, but even more scared that this wizard
had acquired the Triforce of Courage. How could he have gotten it from Link? Unless… no! She
thought. She had never heard of Donale before, but he was obviously one of Ganondorf’s lower
wizard bosses. His power would be no match for Hyrule’s finest, but now he had a piece of the
Triforce lending him power. Though Zelda still held the Triforce of Wisdom, she dared not
engage Donale in combat, for fear he may defeat her and take it. Sheik decided that she must
find Link, and she must find him quickly.
Outside the castle, in front of the marketplace, at the gate, a lone guard stood by the wheel
that lowers and raises the bridge. This guard did not have the same look of rage in his eyes as
the others, so Sheik decided to approach him.
“Lower the gate, soldier,” she ordered him.
9
“I’m sorry sir. I can’t do that. I have held off the brain-washed guards from entering the
marketplace where all of the people are hiding in the various shops, and if I lower this bridge,
there will be a worse fate for us all.”
Pleased at being referred to as sir, for it reassured her that her disguise worked, Sheik replied,
“What worse fate do you speak of?”
“There are monsters on the other side of the moat, just waiting to get in. I’ve never seen any
like these, not even during the war against Ganondorf. I just hope that the royal family escaped
the castle before it was overrun,” he said.
Sheik did not want to make her identity known, just to order the guard to lower the bridge. She
also made a mental note, that if he did indeed survive, to promote him to captain later.
“Good thinking, soldier. I guess I’d better go hide somewhere,” she said.
“Hey man, be careful. Oh, and hey, you look strong. You wouldn’t mind checking on my
family in the cottage on the west end of the marketplace would you?” the guard asked.
“Of course not,” she answered, and set off to the cottage, thinking all the way how she was
going to deal with the monster horde that had gathered at the gate and make her way to Kokiri
Forest to look for Link.
*
*
*
*
Sheik burst into the cottage, senses heightened, because of the screams echoing from the
gathering room. Some dark guards had made it past the guards that had not been turned to evil
in the marketplace and had come to terrorize the citizens. Sheik used a needle to cut a dangling
chandelier with flaming candles from the ceiling, and it crashed down on one of the two guards,
killing him. The other guard spun around, but by the time he did, Sheik had already dove
between his legs and gotten behind him. She pulled out her chain and quickly wedged it under
the guard’s helmet and around his throat, tightening the chain snug. The guard quickly passed
out, and Sheik grabbed his heavy sword and plunged it into his torso.
“Oh thank you so much!” a woman who had been hiding in the corner of the room yelled to
Sheik, “I know it’s not much but this is all I have to repay you with,” the woman said, handing
Sheik a sack full with a few bombs.
Another woman walked over, hands outstretched with a sack of food, “Here, please take this
to my husband at the gate, would you?”
Sheik thanked everyone for their kindness, and agreed to take the soldier at the gate some
food. Now, with her newly-acquired bombs, she had a way to clear the monster horde away from
the gate.
*
*
*
*
*
As she arrived at the gate, Sheik pulled out the food for the guard. She gave it to him, and
explained what had happened at the cottage. The guard thanked her for the food and agreed to
lower the bridge, if she promised to use her bombs to defeat the monsters before they ran into
the marketplace. However, as he started to turn the wheel to lower the bridge, the rope frayed
and became stuck in the pulleys.
“Guess all the harsh weather has frayed the ropes. If you can find a way to get the bridge
down, I’ll let you do it, though,” the guard said.
10
Sheik pulled out a couple of needles and threw them at each thick, braided rope holding the
bridge up. The needles easily sliced the ropes, and the bridge fell quickly, parts of it splintering
as it crashed down. The monster hordes on the other side of the moat hissed in excitement and
began to rush the castle gates, but Sheik hurled bombs at them, which put a damper on their
excitement.
As explosions lit up the dark sky, monsters died in groups, and Sheik’s fast reflexes were able
to help her make some kills with needles as well. When the monsters were clear, she crossed
the bridge to the other side of the moat, signaled for the guard to blow the bridge with a bomb she
had left behind for him, and then turned in the direction of Kokiri Forest. If there were more
monsters out there of this nature, it wasn’t going to be an easy journey. If only her harp had not
been in the castle during its destruction, Sheik could play melodies that would easily use the
powers of the goddesses to transport her throughout Hyrule. In this case, she would have to
walk, and try to remain unnoticed by enemies. Sheik’s only fear was that Link would not be in
Kokiri forest, or that he was not even alive at all.
11
II: Kokiri Forest
The scope of Danole’s powers could not reach throughout Hyrule. The necromancer did not
have the means by which to extend his dark control any farther than the middle point of Hyrule
Field. Soon, without proper action to circumvent it, he would start ordering his minions to patrol
new areas, and though he only had one piece of Triforce, his powers still had room to grow
remarkably as he continued to learn to control the Golden Power. Sheik, the lovely Princess
Zelda in disguise, was lighthearted and confident by the time she reached the cavern that led into
the Kokiri Forest. She had not encountered a monster for many miles, and she had convinced
herself that Link would be there, in Kokiri, waiting to save Hyrule once again.
Sheik entered Kokiri Cavern, and she could hear the gurgling of the stream that ran below her.
This stream eventually emptied into a nearby river, near the entrance to the land of the Zoras.
The rock composite beneath her feet was slippery and slimy, with patches of blue-green moss
growing sporadically around the echoing chamber. Glowing lizards of assorted colors played,
napped and mated in the beds of soft plant life. Fireflies danced above the stream below, their
illumination reflecting off the water. This effect made the flowing water seem to sparkle and
dance as it made its way downstream. Around the bases of the various stalagmites that lined the
path to the swinging bridge on the far end of the cavern, strange toadstools grew in clustered
groups. These toadstools weren’t like the mushrooms found in the Lost Woods or the swamps,
they reminded Sheik of something she’d seen before, but couldn’t quite remember where. She
could’ve sworn that one of the red toadstools, polka-dotted white, was alive and moving, until a
small cave mouse darted from beneath it. The obviously frightened creature froze in fear and
looked up at Sheik, squeaking.
“There, there, little one. I’m not going to hurt you,” she whispered, and leaned down to give
the mouse some crumbs from the rest of her lunch.
The tiny urchin stared in protest, not trusting a stranger to the cave. Sheik gave a concerned
look in return, and convinced the mouse to grab the crumbs before scampering away to its nest.
Sheik then turned, facing the ragged swinging bridge that crossed the deep canyon that lay
before her. On the other end, the exit to the cavern lay, and Kokiri Forest would be in sight. As
she stepped onto the old bridge, she looked down at the stream again, and noticed a large
shadow swimming beneath the waters. The bridge swayed and creaked with each step, but
Sheik pressed onward, not wanting to find out what was waiting below. Finally, after many
careful paces, she reached the far side.
On the ledge above her, Sheik saw light bathing the rocks, and she climbed up in order to exit
the cave into the beginnings of the Kokiri Forest.
*
*
As she hoisted herself up to the final ledge that led to the cavern exit, the unstable rock
crumbled beneath the pressure of her weight. Sheik held on tightly, sliding back down the ledges
she had just come up, fearing for her life. The princess landed on the cavern floor with a solid
‘thud’ that echoed throughout the structure. Sheik’s ribs jarred with pain, and the air in her lungs
rushed out in a hurry, leaving her breathless. She rolled over, only to notice that she lie at the
edge of the cliff above the cavern-cutting stream that was the home of that shadowy creature she
had noticed before while crossing the bridge. As the pain faded, and she regained her breath,
Sheik realized that she had not broken any ribs. It seemed, though scraped and bruised, that she
had not endured many injuries at all. Just when she was beginning to think of a way to get back
to the top of the wall of ledges she had just climbed, Sheik heard someone coming from the other
side of the ravine. Wasting no time, Sheik hid herself behind a large rock formation.
The racket she had heard was not someone though, but a group of individuals. Perhaps some
Kokiri are returning to the forest and can show me another way into it, Sheik thought. Once she
recognized the gibberish emanating from the creatures entering the cavern, she knew that her
original thought was not the case. The new arrivals to the Kokiri Cavern were a group of
Donale’s goons, a reconnaissance group sent to scout out the areas surrounding main Hyrule.
12
Sheik moved as silently as possible into an even darker area of the cavern, knowing that if the
monsters got close enough to her, they would smell her and she would have a fight on her hands.
This advance party of monsters was motioning toward the cavern exit above Sheik, the one in
which she had tried reaching. They were going to try to get to Kokiri Forest. The group began
making their way to the swinging rope bridge, and Sheik started to panic. They’ll find me if they
make it across, she thought. Sheik reached into her needle sheath, only to find it empty. No, I
can’t take on this many monsters using hand-to-hand techniques. There must be another way.
Then, as the group approached the middle of the bridge, they looked down and began to
converse about the creature inhabiting the cavern stream. Sheik reached down and grabbed
some rubble, then threw it to the other side of the cavern. This move was only supposed to
distract the monsters momentarily with noise from behind them, but Sheik noticed that when the
rock landed, there was a small flash. She reached down and grabbed some more of the rock,
and rubbed two pieces together vigorously. The spark created by the flint shards also sparked an
idea in Sheik’s mind. The old, swinging rope bridge in the middle of the cavern was dry and
seasoned, and may just make for good kindling. Before thinking her plan out fully, Sheik dashed
to the bridge from her hiding spot and began creating sparks at the rope knots on her end of the
bridge. The enemy creatures began rushing her, while some tried running back the way that they
came. Sheik has caught the bridge on fire in no time, causing the bridge to fall in flames. The
monsters did not burn found death in the jaws of the strange creature below. Sheik heard the
voice of a young girl beckon to her from behind.
“Hey, mister, you probably just saved our forest! Here, I’ll throw a rope down for you so you
can come tell the Deku Tree what’s happening!” the little elf said.
*
*
*
Sheik felt so alive in the Kokiri Forest. She sucked the sweet forest air in through her nostrils,
and breathed long breaths of relief. Finally, she had arrived at the Kokiri Forest. As she made
her way through the tall, dancing grass that grew around the oasis where the Great Deku Tree
grew, she saw fairies playing in the wind. The Great Deku Tree was one of the oldest known
entities in Hyrule. Ganon had tried destroying the Deku Tree once, and if not for Link, the old tree
would not have survived. Ganon’s plague inhabited the tree, and monsters made the insides of
the gigantic tree their home. The Great Deku Tree’s seed had successfully re-spawned him,
though. If anyone in the forest knew Link’s whereabouts, it would most likely be the Great Deku
Tree. The Great Deku Tree is the source from which all life in the forest flows. Everything
depends on the power of the great ancient tree in the forest, and the tree also is the “wise man” of
the Kokiri people. The small, green-garbed elves known as the Kokiri were a peaceful group.
When a Kokiri becomes a certain age, the Great Fairy sends a guardian fairy out to be that elf’s
companion for the rest of their life. Sheik wondered if Navi, Link’s guardian fairy, was
accompanying him.
The newly grown Great Deku Tree looked more vibrant and alive than the last time Sheik had
visited him. Before she could speak to him, the tree waved its branches at her. Of course, she
thought, he’s known I was coming all along. Ever since I stepped on a blade of grass in this
forest, he’s been expecting me.
“Oh Great Deku Tree, I come inquiring of you the location of the Legendary Hero, for Hyrule is
once again in peril.”
“Princess Zelda, our hero, Link, he has not been seen for many weeks. He went to the Lost
Woods, into their deepest parts, where even my influence is not possible on nature there. Tell
me, has the evil one somehow returned from his dark prison?” the Great Deku Tree asked.
“No, fortunately, but it seems that this wizard, Donale, is one of his followers. If he is allowed
to break the seal on the Sacred Realm, Ganon shall return and make Hyrule his own kingdom of
darkness,” Sheik explained.
13
“Your majesty, listen to me carefully,” the Great Deku Tree instructed, his branches wrapped
closely inward so that only he and Sheik could hear what he was saying, “The seal can only be
broken with the full extent of the Golden Power. The Triforce piece of wisdom which dwells inside
you and the power of courage that dwells within the Hero of Time are the key to breaking that
seal. It would seem that the Triforce of Power has already been recovered from Ganon through
some type of black magic. You must not let yourself become a victim of this wizard. If Link has
ventured this deep into the Lost Woods, he must be at the Forest Temple, searching for the new
resting place of the Master Sword. You have to find him and warn him that he should not face
Donale until he is sure that he can defeat him.”
“You think that Link already knows about the wizard and is searching for the sword with the
power to repel evil?” Sheik asked.
“The Hero of Time knows many things, little one. However, he may not understand that if you
and he can be gathered at the Hyrule Castle, completing the Triforce, that the kingdom is
doomed. Hurry, Zelda!”
“Thank you, Great Deku Tree. I must warn you that the monster scout patrols have reached
Kokiri Cavern,” Sheik warned.
“I am well aware. The Great Fairy has bestowed her power upon this place. No monsters can
survive on the ground of the Kokiri Forest. This will change if Donale is allowed to acquire
another piece of the Triforce, though. Be careful, the Great Fairy’s magic could not guarantee the
serenity of the Lost Woods.”
With that, Sheik bowed to the Great Deku Tree and turned to leave. Before she could take
another step, though, she remembered that she had no weapon, and she had no clue as to what
she would face in the Lost Woods.
“Great Deku Tree, where can I find a weapon in the forest?” she asked.
The Great Deku Tree lowered a limb to her, and she saw that he wanted her to break it off.
Sheik did so, and held the heavy, strong limb in her hands.
“This staff will do nicely,” she said, as she sprinted away from the oasis, into the village of the
Kokiri. The Kokiri people stared in awe as Sheik dashed up the hill behind the village into the
Lost Woods portion of the Kokiri Forest. From beneath the giant leaves of a Mambu-mambu
bush, the little Kokiri that had helped Sheik out of the cavern looked to her fairy.
“Jaley, go and watch after that mysterious warrior,” the young elf said to her fairy, “protect him,
I think something important is happening.”
After a bit of hesitation, the fairy called Jaley agreed and flitted away into the Lost Woods.
*
*
*
*
Sheik stood at a crossroads of the paths in the Lost Woods. She thought hard, trying to
remember the way to the Forest Temple. The flow of the wind around her changed, and Sheik’s
senses heightened.
Thwip!
Sheik reached her hand up beside her ear in one snappy motion and clasp her hand around
something that kept bouncing around inside, tickling her palm. Stupid bugs, she thought. Just as
Sheik was about to crush the insect in her fist, she could have sworn that she heard a muffled
voice pleading for mercy from within it. Could it be?
14
Sheik slowly released her grip, and watched as a glowing, sparkling light began to flicker back
into view in her hand. This insect wasn’t an insect at all, it was a forest fairy. Sheik suddenly felt
sorry for being so suspicious of her surroundings, but also realized that it was necessary.
“Where did you come from, fairy?” Sheik asked.
“I am Jaley, the companion of Naria, a young Kokiri related to the sage, Saria. She insisted
that I accompany you. I was under the impression that you were a heroic knight. You’re no
knight at all now that I see you up close and sense your being. Why, you’re not even a man!”
“Shhhh!” Sheik whispered, “I, as a matter of fact, just happen to be the princess of Hyrule!”
“P-p-p-princess Zelda?” the fairy questioned.
“Yes, now if you’re going to accompany me, lead the way to the Forest Temple. We must find
Link. Do you know Navi’s whereabouts?” Sheik asked.
“Navi has been promoted to Great Fairy of Arrows. Link realized her talents in fairy magic,
told her that he wasn’t really a Kokiri and therefore wasn’t really entitled necessarily to a fairy
companion, and sent her away. Not even the Great Fairy knows of Link’s current location,” Jaley
explained.
“Just great,” Sheik muttered, and continued on through the lost woods with the help of Jaley,
her new fairy companion.
*
*
*
*
*
The Lost Woods is a very different part of the Kokiri Forest when compared to other areas.
The rest of the Kokiri Forest is a mixture of Kokiri villages, with their decorative huts and dimly lit
windows, and every tree imaginable. Large cedars, small bushes and many plants that don’t
exist in any other realm litter the forest. Wildlife abounds in the Kokiri Forest. At any given
moment, one can witness squirrels and rabbits playing together in the open fields of clover
surrounded by oaks. Deer come and lick the gleaming droplets of dew from the grass in the
evening, often too lazy to go drink from one of the sparkling streams that run like veins through
the forest. There is no spot that is all shade in the forest. Sunshine always bathes patches of the
forest ground, meaning that one can often find fungi and fruit growing side by side. No outsiders
dare enter the forest, because the Kokiri, while peaceful, are fierce warriors and accurate archers.
Only once have the Kokiri fought a war, and their legendary victory wards off all intruders. The
Great Fairy and her subordinates lend their guidance and magic to the Kokiri, and they often use
this magic to enchant areas of the forest and make them even more unthinkably beautiful. There
are areas of the forest that no Hylian has ever seen, and they are often described by the Kokiri in
the same manner that the third heavens are described by the Hylians as mentioned in the
Righteous Book of the Goddesses and the Book of Mudora. The overall keeper of the forest is
the Great Deku Tree. This tree’s memory goes back to the creation of Hyrule, and the Great
Deku Tree is one of, if not the oldest, creature in all of Hyrule. His roots span the entire forest,
except the Lost Woods, and he can feel and see through every living plant, animal, fairy, Hylian
and Kokiri in the forest. Many times the destruction of the Great Deku Tree had been attempted
by those wishing to enter the forest and use it for their own desires. Every time, the Legendary
Hero has saved at least a seedling from the tree, allowing it to re-spawn and continue guarding
the forest.
The Lost Woods, however, does not share the beauty and wonder of the surrounding parts of
Kokiri Forest. The Lost Woods actually make up for the largest part of the forest, and are located
right in the center of it. The Great Deku Tree has no jurisdiction, and many wild, savage animals
inhabit the woods. The Lost Woods are also home to the Deku Scrubs and the Skull Kids, evil
creatures that don’t have a big enough control over dark magic to be much of a threat to a skilled
warrior. These groups usually seem more mischievous than anything, but will attack those daring
15
enough to adventure into the Lost Woods. They have sometimes been known to accept goods in
exchange for ignorance to one’s presence and some even leave the Lost Woods and become
good citizens of Hyrule. Deku Baba plants and even some remnants of Ganon’s empire of
monsters litter the Lost Woods. Monsters that abide in the Lost Woods wonder the woods with a
sense of not having any purpose in life, for if they leave the Lost Woods they will slowly and
painfully die under the light magic that surrounds the Kokiri Forest. These monsters are some of
the nastiest fighters, always training and hoping for a chance to engage someone in combat. The
Lost Woods are not easy to navigate like its surrounding forest areas. The woods have many
similar-looking paths and mazes of shrubbery. In the woods, the overhead canopy drops the
temperature and keeps it chilly during all seasons. This thick overhead canopy of foliage also
remains green during all seasons, resulting in an eternal shadow over the woods. No beautiful
trees or flowers grow here, only thick, itchy grass and large, knobby trees. The Great Deku Tree
cannot see or control anything in the Lost Woods, but there is an oasis of light in the woods. The
Forest Temple is in the center of the Lost Woods, and though monsters guard its entrance and
once roamed its halls, the Forest Sage now prays in the temple, making it a safe haven and a
way to keep the Lost Woods from being entirely overcome with darkness. The Forest Temple
also became the resting place of the Master Sword, the sword with the power to repel evil. Only
the Legendary Hero can wield the Master Sword, according to legend, and Sheik knew that Link
must be already in the process of retrieving it.
“Your majesty, I’ve completed my reconnaissance.”
Sheik stirred awake. She must have fallen asleep against the boulder she was leaning on
while she had sent Jaley to look ahead.
“What did you see, Jaley?” she asked.
“We’re here. Beyond that line of shrubbery, the monster guard posts begin. The posts end a
little farther, maybe a mile, at the gates to the temple stairway.”
“I want you to sneak ahead to the temple. If I don’t make it by nightfall, go inside and look for
the Forest Sage and explain her all I told you earlier about Donale and Link. Got it?” Sheik
asked.
“Are you sure you’ll be fine, Zelda?” Jaley questioned.
“I’ve told you, it’s Sheik. And Sheik will be just fine.”
*
*
*
*
*
*
Stealth would be the key to making it inside the gates of the Forest Temple. Even with
lightning-fast reflexes, excellent fighting techniques, and unusually princess-like strength, Sheik
could not handle fighting the monsters surrounding the temple alone. If one of the outer guards
spotted her, she could be sure not to make it to the temple. So along she sneaked, carefully
pressing herself against the shadows, quickly dashing from one point to the next, and using
feline-like acrobatics to move over and around obstacles with ease.
The walls that had been constructed centuries ago around the Forest Temple were taller than
anyone could climb over. The one and only way into the temple was through the front gate,
which led to an enclosed stairway. At the top of the tall stairway made of ancient stone slabs was
a beautiful garden courtyard where the actual door to the inside of the temple was located. Sheik
knew her objective, but the large guards at the front gate were preventing her from achieving
success. Shadowy tactics were not going to help her now. Sheik had no choice other than to
face the two armored dark knights head on. Pulling the staff that once grew as a limb of the
Great Deku Tree out of the sheath on her back she had designed for it, Sheik climbed atop a tree
nearby the gate.
16
There were two Hinox guards below her, each patrolling half of the gateway area. Sheik
hadn’t seen a Hinox before, only heard of them. The Hinox guards were some of Ganon’s
toughest warriors. Rumored to be straight from Ganon’s Dark World, the Hinox were Cyclops
giants recruited by Ganon for his dark army. The Hinox wore the toughest armor available, and
not even the Master Sword could penetrate it with ease. The best way to take down a Hinox was
to shoot an arrow into its huge eye which was the only exposed part on its body. These warriors
were strong and surprisingly agile for their size. Sheik sensed a challenge.
As one of the guards walked under the tree in which Sheik lay hidden, she dropped straight
down on his head and jabbed her staff into his eye with one swift motion. The thwick! noise it
made was sickening to Sheik. Puss oozed from around the staff, and the Hinox roared in horror,
and reached up, wrapping his hand around Sheik’s whole body and heaving her off his head.
Sheik landed face first into the mud, feeling the bruises from her fall in the cavern send pain
throughout her body. Sheik moaned, and pushed her upper half up off the ground slightly,
looking in the direction of the Hinox that had sent her flying into the air only to land in the ground.
The Hinox guard’s eye was completely red with blood, and the guard fell to the ground, shaking
everything in the area quite vigorously. Just as Sheik felt relief, she heard the other gate guard
running in her direction. This time, she realized as she looked at her now splintered staff lying
around the dead Hinox head, she was unarmed in the fight.
This Hinox carried a large battle axe that gleamed as the guard raised the axe high and
jumped into the air, poised to come crashing down on top of Sheik. Sheik combat rolled to her
right, barely escaping death. The Hinox axe stuck deep into the ground, and as the guard
struggled to free its weapon, Sheik used the opportunity to run past and enter the temple gates,
inside which, no evil could enter.
Sheik took the stairs leading up to the garden courtyard two at a time, and she moved so fast
that it looked as though she were just floated up the stairs in a blur. Once at the top, she stopped
to catch her breath and saw Jaley waiting atop a flower in the garden.
“You made it!” Jaley exclaimed.
“Not easily, my friend. Tell me, have you ventured inside the temple?” Sheik asked.
“This isn’t good, Sheik. There’s no sign of the Forest Sage, and the Master Sword is still in its
resting place inside the temple.”
“This can’t be right. No one saw Link leave the forest. Why would he sneak out? If he’s not in
the forest he has to know about Donale by now,” Sheik reasoned.
“Perhaps we should see the Great Fairy,” Jaley suggested, “There is a fairy fountain in the far
corner of this garden.”
“I suppose it couldn’t hurt,” Sheik said, “Let’s go.”
17
III: The Great Fairy’s Quest
Sheik and Jaley wandered to the corner of the garden just outside the Forest Temple. There,
a large, cratered boulder sat surrounded by gleaming lilies.
“I don’t think I can move that boulder, Jaley,” Sheik said.
“No worries, your highness,” the fairy quipped, and then squeezed through a small crack
between the boulder and the ground.
Sheik noticed a hole in the ground that the rock seemed to be hiding. Within moments, the
rock began to reflect light and then that light shattered with a whisper into thousands of sparkling
white and yellow shards which quickly blew away with a gust of wind. The hole in the ground was
exposed, and Sheik saw a stairway of rock-strewn dirt leading into an underground cavern.
“C’mon!” Sheik heard Jaley’s voice echoing from deeper within the halls of the cave.
Sheik dashed inside and was met with an opening at the end of the corridor that contained a
room, carved by magic surely, made of bluish rock and free of stalactites and stalagmites.
Instead, the walls and floor and ceiling were smooth and shining, and beautiful geodes dotted
them. The center of the back wall was home to a pool of clear-blue water, where Jaley
disappeared in the fog of fairies that hovered above the pool.
Sheik stepped up to the pool, or fairy fountain, as Jaley described it. As Sheik reached the
water’s edge, she watched some of the fairies there begin to swirl in a brilliant pink and white
light, like a whirlwind on an ocean during a beautiful autumn sunset. The swirling fairies began to
take shape, and in the twinkling of an eye, the collage of light became the Great Fairy.
The Great Fairy giggled with a child-like look on her face, though her body seemed that of a
woman. Her words and actions confirmed that she was a mature being, but her beauty seemed
everlasting. Sheik felt a twinge of jealously, for she realized that the folklore was true—only one
being in Hyrule was more beautiful than the princess of the land.
“Zelda—,” the Great Fairy started.
“You majesty, there is a great—,“ Sheik blurted out.
“Your highness, Zelda, or Sheik as you have become; I know all that happens in the land of
Hyrule, much like yourself. The goddesses created me and my kind to be watchful eye over the
land, to aid the royal family, and the Hero of Time,” the Great Fairy explained.
“Then you know where Link is?” asked Sheik.
“I am afraid not, Princess, though I can speculate. Link would never normally have left the
forest without my knowledge. This means that Link purposefully made sure that no one saw him
depart or where he was going. I know not his reasoning, nor do I understand why he left without
the Master Sword. However, this means that Link must know of the threat that has arisen. He
must know more than we do, and he must believe that the danger is great. I imagine that Link
has determined he cannot handle this power alone and has gone in search of help.”
“But who would Link be able to find that could be powerful enough to defeat the evil that draws
its power from the Triforce?” Sheik inquired.
“The Gorons; No specie in Hyrule wields such strength or creates better weaponry. Hurry, you
must go to Death Mountain and speak with the King Goron there!” the Great Fairy exclaimed.
“Yes, I shall leave in the morning after I have rested in Kokiri Village,” Sheik said.
18
“Very well, rest up, Princess Zelda; your quest has just begun.”
*
*
Flicker. Flicker. Flicker. Sheik had awakened from her slumber on the floor of a Kokiri tree
house. The hut had been adorned with lavender flowers and jewels and reserved especially for
royalty. There was no ordinary bed in the quarters, but the floor had pillows arranged in the seal
of the royal family of Hyrule. Along with the pillows, furs of the rarest animals in Hyrule were
scattered across the floor, sprinkled with more flowers native to the Kokiri Forest.
Flicker. Flicker. Flicker. Sheik caught a glimpse of a fairy’s twinkle outside the doorway of
her royal Kokiri quarters. The tree house had only one opening—the doorway directly above the
ladder that led up to the quarters. The fairy that Sheik had seen was accompanied by six others.
The Kokiri had posted seven fairy sentinels outside the royal quarters. However, Sheik, in her
half-awake state, had seen some other source of light. There was something creating not a
sparkling twinkle, but a dull, reddish-orange, flickering, crackling light.
Flicker. Flicker. Flicker. Sheik rolled over, and had almost closed her eyes completely in
order to drift back into her deep sleep. Before she could lose grasp on her final shard of
consciousness, Sheik heard a scream of sheer horror. I need to get some sleep, Sheik thought,
why must I have these silly nightmares? The scream came again, and Sheik shot upright,
hearing more screams and the terrible sound of someone begging for their life to be spared.
Flicker. Flicker. Flicker. Sheik was wide awake by this time, and she scrambled down the
ladder of the royal quarters to the ground. Donale’s dark minions had entered the Kokiri village
area of the forest and were brutally slaughtering Kokiri and burning their village to the ground, hut
by hut. The Kokiri’s protectors, the fairies, were using their limited magical abilities and swarming
the attackers. While the fairies distracted and angered the forces of evil, the elf-like Kokiri fought
with their wooden weapons and stone projectiles. The flickering of light Sheik had saw, and the
crackling noises, she realized were the numerous village homes being set ablaze around her
quarters. The Kokiri were making their best effort to protect the princess. However, they were no
match for Donale’s trained warriors, many who were knights of Hyrule influenced by dark mindcontrol sorcery. Only with the combined efforts of the Kokiri, the fairies, and the legendary Great
Deku Tree were the enemy lines being repelled at all. The roots of the Great Deku Tree ran
throughout the forest, and he had the abilities to control many other natural fauna and flora in the
forest.
Sheik watched the battle raging, and then decided that she needed to find a decent weapon
and join the fight.
“Sheik, we must flee the forest now, while we have the cover of battle!” a tiny voice strained to
be heard over the noise. It was Jaley, the fairy who had unofficially become Sheik’s sidekick.
“I can’t leave these people to die!” Sheik screamed.
“I carry a message from the Great Deku Tree. The Great Fairy has called for reinforcements
and the Great Deku Tree’s power has not yet been fully felt by the enemy. The forest will survive
the attack, though not unblemished. The mystical great tree is wise, you know. He has
requested that you leave the forest now, so that Donale’s scouts do not see where you go to. We
do not wish for this same fate to befall the Gorons.”
“Then away we must go,” Sheik determined, “Where is the safest route?”
“I will be your guide,” said Jaley.
Thud! Sheik turned and looked behind her, and saw a young Kokiri boy slumped against a
rock, struggling to breathe. A dark knight trudged forward, obviously the soldier that had thrown
the Kokiri against the rock. The knight sheathed his own sword, and ripped the boy’s own
wooden sword from his clutches.
19
“No, please, no. Nooooo!” the boy screamed as the knight raised the sword, ready to swing
down in one swift motion.
The dark knight imagined the sword entering the boy’s skull and then shattering into a hundred
splinters. Sheik, of course, had other plans for the knight. She took three long steps toward the
hulking armored beast, jumped into the air beside him while simultaneously grabbing the sword
from his side that he had just sheathed, and then grabbing onto the knight’s right shoulder. She
used her momentum to swing around and have enough force to lift the large sword. As she spun
the sword around with her left arm, she continued to grasp onto the knight’s shoulder with her
right one. All of this happened in an instant, and then as the sword came around, Sheik let go of
the knight and the sword completed its rotation—right into the knight’s throat, severing his head
and pulling itself from Sheik’s hand. Sheik landed on one hand, performing a backward
handspring, and then landing upright. The large sword had eventually landed at the feet of
another knight, whose attention was aroused. The young Kokiri boy had already gotten up and
headed for the safety of the Forest Temple as the new enemy came for Sheik.
The ground shook and a tremor shot through the area. The forest’s dark green carpeting split
apart as a giant root reached out and grabbed the dark knight, crushing most of the bones in his
body before pulling him underground to his final resting place.
“Now is our opportunity your highness!” Jaley shouted.
“Indeed, lead the way, my friend,” Sheik agreed.
*
*
*
“This is it, Jaley. Well, way up there, that’s it,” Sheik said as she pointed to the peak of Death
Mountain.
“I have never left the forest, Sheik. I did not realize that Death Mountain was truly so tall. My
goodness, are those clouds surrounding the peak?” Jaley asked.
“Indeed they are, my friend. We must first pass through Kakariko Village to gain access to the
mountain. Even without the help of an evil sorcerer, Death Mountain is home to many dangerous
creatures. The Hylians of Kakariko Village have been charged with the responsibility of keeping
these fiends from entering the great field of Hyrule. This, of course, means that they have the
best militia in all the land, which means that their village will be the last place Donale’s forces
attack,” Sheik explained.
“Will they let you through to the mountain path if you do not reveal yourself as the princess?”
Jaley inquired.
“The mayor knows my identity. He will order the guards to let us pass through the gate in the
rear of the village and make our way to the mountain path so that we can begin our journey to the
peak where the Gorons reside,” Sheik said.
Sheik and Jaley made their way through the bend that led into the large draw where Kakariko
Village was. There were no guards at the front gate, which meant that they must have not heard
that the kingdom was in trouble.
“We must notify the leadership of this village immediately of the imminent threat at hand,
Jaley!” Sheik exclaimed.
“Your highness, look around. There seems to be no one to warn,” Jaley pointed out.
20
Jaley was right in her observation. The village was deserted, and Sheik feared the worst had
happened to the villagers. However, the buildings were all intact and there were no signs of a
battle.
“Check all the houses and shops, Jaley,” Sheik said, “I’ll wait for you at the rear gate. Come
let me know if you find anything. And do be careful, Jaley.”
“Yes, Princess,” she said.
Sheik walked quickly but cautiously to the rear of the village. She kept expecting someone or
something to pop out from an alley or a shadow. Nothing like that happened, only the whistling
and howling of the fierce winds rolling down from Death Mountain through the area could be
heard and only a few chickens remained in the village to be seen.
When Sheik arrived at the mountain pass gate, she found the rusted gate twisted in the center
where the gate locked, joining the two pieces. The right portion of the gate had been ripped from
its hinges on the brick pillar it was once attached to. It looked as though someone had only
wanted to destroy the gate and create a barrier, rather than pass through it. Beyond the gate a
few meters, this theory could have been further argued, because someone had obviously rolled
many large stones into the path. Sheik’s mind played through the many possible scenarios of
what could have happened here, and decided to wait for Jaley’s return before further speculation.
Before Sheik could think about anything else, the earth rumbled in the distance, and she
looked up in time to see smoke billowing from the peak of Death Mountain.
“Sheik! What is that?” Jaley flew in, shouting.
“Death Mountain has awakened! The mountain is a dormant volcano. It hasn’t been active for
centuries!” Sheik explained.
“Could Donale’s magic have something to do with this?” Jaley asked.
“I’m not sure. Whatever the cause, magic or sheer coincidence, we still must hurry. What did
you find in the village, Jaley?”
“It is as we thought,” she said, “No villagers remain, but there are no signs of a battle.
Except...”
“Except what, Jaley?” Sheik impatiently inquired.
“The weapons… they’re all gone. There’s no ammunition for the muskets left here, no swords,
and no armor. There is some food left, and most personal belongings, but it appears as though
some of it may be missing. I fear the people of Kakariko just up and left for some reason,” she
explained.
“The mountain pass is blockaded, so perhaps they felt that something was coming down from
Death Mountain that could harm them. Maybe the mountain creatures evolved under the
influence of dark magic, and they blocked them from coming down the mountain and then left to
assault the forces at the castle,” Sheik said.
“Impossible, your highness, they would know they are no match alone. They may have taken
the route into the forest that you originally used to come to Kokiri Village. Perhaps someone sent
word to them that the Kokiri were in trouble,” Jaley offered.
“Good thinking, Jaley,” Sheik said, “Let’s hope all is well there, then. Let’s go to that shop over
there and see if they left behind enough materials to make a bomb. We have to clear the path.”
“Y-y-you’re still going up there?” Jaley stuttered in fear.
21
“Yes, we have to find Link. If we don’t, I fear the worst for Hyrule. I just hope we aren’t too
late.”
22
IV: Death Mountain
“I still can’t believe we’re doing this, Sheik,” Jaley said.
“What’s that Jaley?” Sheik replied, “Afraid the volcano might erupt or that some grotesquelyevolved critters might come hunting us, or are you just afraid of heights?”
“Your highness, please, pardon me the sarcasm, these are serious times,” she responded.
“Jaley, my dear, you have to learn to keep your cool in the hottest of situations. That, my little
friend, is the key to survival.”
The banter between the two—princess and fairy guardian—had been going on for almost an
hour now. The pair had not even passed the first milestone on the way to the top of Death
Mountain where Goron City lay. Every twenty minutes or so, the mountain would quake
vigorously, sending boulders the size of King Goron himself rolling in the path of the two females.
At least, Sheik thought, they aren’t the size of the Big Goron.
The Gorons were a unique race, believed to have been created by the goddesses around the
same time as the other races in Hyrule. The Gorons didn’t possess the mystical power of the
Zoras or the Kokiri or the beauty or telepathy of the Hylians, nor the cunning of the Gerudo.
While the Kokiri and their fairy guardians kept a close eye on Hyrule in order to alert the royal
family in times of need, the Gorons were the battering ram that fought alongside Hylian knights in
dark conflicts versus the powers of evil. The Zoras, believed only to be a myth by many men,
would lend their technology or spiritual guidance, working behind the scenes, but it was the might
of the Gorons that had crushed many a foe.
Gorons, basically, are living, breathing, thinking rocks; upon their huge, solid bodies rest cute,
child-like smiles and deep, dark black eyes. The Gorons labor from dawn until dusk, never tiring,
mining ore and other valuable materials for a food source and a source of building weaponry.
The leftovers the Gorons shipped to their various merchants throughout Hyrule. Some materials
were even given to the Hylian people for exchange of other goods.
No weaponry in Hyrule could be proven superior to a Goron-crafted weapon. When Link
fought the forces of Ganondorf, he sometimes traded the mystical power of the legendary Master
Sword for the sheer might of the sword he called his “Big Goron Sword.” That colossal blade had
been tempered by the Big Goron, a creature many times the size of the Goron king. If Link was
to be found, and the Master Sword was still in its resting place, it was sure then that Link would
be seeking the mighty weapons of the Gorons to aid him in his newest quest.
Link seemed to be at home among all in the land of Hyrule. Though he was raised by the
Kokiri, and even assigned a fairy guardian, Link was a Hylian. This was realized when the Great
Deku Tree could not sense Link’s life force and also when Link began to reach adulthood. The
Kokiri could not leave the forest for very long at a time, or they would die, even with the aid of
their fairy guardians. Link had spent many hours away from the forest, and had befriended not
only his fellow Hylians, but the Gorons as well. The Gorons were impressed by Link’s might as a
warrior, and his unmatchable strength for someone his size. The Zoras were impressed by Link’s
ability to wield magic and by his deep spirituality and respect for life. Sheik had heard rumors that
King Zora even offered his daughter’s hand in marriage to Link. Sheik hoped that Link would be
at the peak of Death Mountain, fellowshipping with his Goron friends and preparing for a final
showdown with evil.
*
*
Halfway up the mountain, Sheik stopped in her tracks.
“Sheik, what is wrong?” Jaley asked.
23
“Look, ahead! Those are red tektites, some of the creatures I warned you about. They are the
primary inhabitants of the mountain trail, and the reason the militia at Kakariko Village guards the
foothills of Death Mountain,” she explained.
Sheik looked at the sheath on her side. A single scimitar had been left behind in the village.
Before leaving, she had taken the weapon with her, knowing of the danger presented by tektites.
Tektites were one of the strangest creatures in Hyrule. They had four legs, some more, that were
like springs. Though the legs of a tektites were insect-like and furry, they could contract and
release, springing a tektite a dozen feet into the air. The tektites were almost crab-like, and all of
their organs were enclosed within a shell that was softer on the bottom than the top. The top half
of a tektite was nearly indestructible, which protected them from falling rock from the summit of
Death Mountain. The villainous monsters had to usually be flipped on their backs to be defeated,
or have a projectile crammed into their one orange-red eye that rested directly front and center on
the seam of their two shell halves. Tektites would, if given the chance, land on prey from high
above, rendering them with broken bones or unconscious. The creatures would then feed on
their prey in groups of around three. Sheik unsheathed her scimitar.
“There’s no getting out of this fight, is there?” Jaley asked.
“Not if we want to reach the top of Death Mountain any time soon, Jaley.”
With that, Sheik raised her weapon to a ready position and charged at the three tektites. Jaley
decided to scout the trail ahead a little, remembering how well Sheik had handled herself in
previous battles.
The two flanking tektites leaped skyward as Sheik approached them. She kept a close eye on
the airborne enemies and rammed the side of the center tektite that was still grounded. The
enemy wobbled over, and Sheik rammed the scimitar in its center, twisted, and then withdrew.
One of the airborne tektites slammed into the rocky earth a few feet away as Sheik noticed she
was in the shadow of the second one. She flipped backward, and hurled her weapon as the
tektite landed directly in front of her. The eye-to-eye view was perfect, because the scimitar
stayed on course and landed in the Cyclops-like eye of the enemy. It made a high-pitched
squeal, and then collapsed, leaving Sheik unarmed. The remaining enemy again leapt into the
air. This gave Sheik enough time to grab her scimitar from the eye socket of the fallen tektite,
and anticipate the impact area of the final enemy. The tektite landed, and Sheik tried to hit it with
lots of momentum as she had the first one, because her strength alone could not flip the monster.
This creature was smarter than its brothers, and dodged Sheik’s maneuver. Then, the creature
counter attacked, and knocked Sheik flat on her back. She rose up and struck the creature on its
hard exoskeleton, only to have her blade repelled. This enemy kept its eye protected too well to
use that method of killing it, and Sheik was beginning to run out of ideas.
*
*
*
What the? Jaley thought to herself, what’s this crack? Could it be caused by the recent
tremors from the awakened volcano?
Jaley entered the small opening that led inside Death Mountain. The cavern within was not
filled with molten lava, because it was not deep enough inside the volcano. Remarkably, it was
even cool inside this opening. This… this… could it be? Here?
Jaley fluttered a little farther, and then she knew for sure. It is! A Great Fairy fountain! Here,
of all places!
Jaley flew up to the pool of water that was surrounded by monuments to the Great Fairy. The
Great Fairy, in her ability to see the world through her fountains, immediately recognized a
presence there. In seconds, the Great Fairy herself had materialized from the waters.
“Great one, the princess is in trouble! I trust her abilities, for Zelda is trained in the ways of the
Sheikah, but I fear these challenges are beginning to wear on her. This is a quest for the Hero of
Time, not his princess!” Jaley distressingly explained to the Great Fairy.
24
“Do not fret, Jaley. Though my powers are limited in matters such as these, I think I can help
you and the princess enough to help you find Link. I shall now bestow upon you the power
bestowed to me by the goddess Narayu. Because Zelda carries with her the Triforce of Wisdom,
the power of the goddess of wisdom can help her if channeled by the Great Fairy.”
“I am no Great Fairy, your majesty,” Jaley said.
“Go!” the Great Fairy shouted as she shot a beam of light to Jaley, leaving her feeling very
energized, “Take this power of Narayu to the princess!”
Upon the Great Fairy’s orders, Jaley rushed back to the mountain path, hoping that Sheik was
still in one piece.
*
*
*
*
“Sheik!”
Sheik turned to see Jaley, glowing brighter than ever, rushing her way. Before she could say
or do anything, Jaley began to appear as though she were on fire. A beam of light suddenly shot
from Jaley and into the scimitar that Sheik wielded.
“The power of Narayu has been added to your weapon, Sheik! It is a gift from the Great
Fairy!” Jaley explained.
Sheik glanced at her weapon, then at the final tektite, and then smirked.
“Ahhhhh!” Sheik let go of her frustration and charged the tektite, which thought it was safe
from a mere blade.
The blade Sheik now wielded, however, was no mere piece of metal. Now, endowed with the
power of wisdom, the weapon became a glowing piece of power. As Sheik bought the weapon
down on top of the tektite, it easily sliced through the creature, leaving it dead.
“Jaley, my deepest gratitude is directed to you for such a brave act,” Sheik said.
“Thank the Great Fairy, not I,” Jaley responded.
“Thank the goddesses,” Sheik said, sheathing her scimitar, feeling very relieved now that even
Death Mountain’s red tektites seemed harmless.
*
*
*
*
*
Hours later, Sheik and her fairy companion reached the end of the trail that curved its way to
the top of Death Mountain. A gate, like the one at Kakariko Village only many times as large,
stood in the way of any trespassers who wished to advance. The mountain path ended where
this gate began, and beyond the gate, the trail no longer led uphill, but inside of Death Mountain
itself. Inside the mountain, the Gorons lived in outcroppings in the walls of the volcano, layer by
layer, all the way down to the bottom. At the bottom of the somewhat hollow mountain, a large
vent had been placed over the point where the volcano used to expel its lava. The heat that still
seeped through the vent was used to generate energy for the entire Goron race. Sheik imagined
that the vent would have smoke bellowing from it now, as it seemed Death Mountain had
awakened. It was legend among the Gorons that Din, goddess of power, had placed a spell on
the mountain long ago to quell its volcanic state. Sheik was curious as to the reason for the
breakage of this spell and she also wondered what the Gorons would do if the volcano began to
erupt.
25
Sheik paced up to the large gong offset from the gate to Goron City. She grabbed the old
hammer that was on the ground beside it, and, hardly able to lift it, swung with all her might.
GOOONNGG! At first, nothing happened, but then Sheik felt the earth vibrate as two Goron
sentinels came dashing to the gate, eager to see who had ventured the dangerous mountain path
to Goron City.
“Who wishes to enter Goron City?” bellowed the taller of the two Gorons.
“It is I, Sheik, apprentice to Impa of the Sheikah tribe, of Kakariko Village,” Sheik responded.
The two creatures shook the ground as they fell to one knee, bowing their heads, “Your
highness, you may enter, we apologize for questioning you.”
“Nonsense sentinels. Rise, open the gate, and lead me to King Goron,” she replied.
The two Gorons opened the gate faster than they had ever done before, then the shorter one
spoke, “Your highness, I cannot take you to see King Goron, for his life has been taken.”
Sheik’s mouth gaped open, “What? How can this be? Explain yourself, Goron!”
“Much has happened, your highness. I imagine you noticed the blockade at the foothills,
yes?”
Sheik nodded an affirmative.
“The people of Kakariko Village were assaulted with no warning by royal knights. They did not
realize the influence of dark magic upon the knights until it was too late. The militia evacuated
the villagers, and then retreated to the mountain path. Then, they used bombs to make the
blockade and rushed to Goron City for refuge. The survivors of the village are here with us.
However, some dark knights made it through the blockade and followed them here. They
infiltrated the city, and assassinated King Goron before we were able to subdue them, your
highness.”
“Who is now in charge here?” Sheik asked.
“Well, you are, of course, my princess.”
*
*
*
*
*
*
After Sheik had sat down and had a meal prepared by the finest chefs in Kakariko Village, she
addressed the mayor of the village and Prince Goron, “My friends, this is a dark time for Hyrule. I
have come here seeking the Hero of Time. Has he not made a presence in the city?”
The people at the long table looked at each other in shock. “The hero is not engaged with the
evil forces as we speak? We have not seen him, princess,” Prince Goron answered.
The princess immediately felt disheartened. “I must speak with the Big Goron who abides
above the city on the peak immediately. And you, Prince Goron, must prepare yourself for your
coronation as king. Soon, you must lead your people away from this place. It seems Donale is
using the Triforce of Power to manipulate Din’s seal on Death Mountain. “
“Where shall we go, your highness?” the prince inquired.
“There is only one place I know of that Donale will not be able to infiltrate: the Kingdom of the
Zoras. Prepare, young prince, for when I return, we will begin our journey!” Sheik ordered.
26
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Sheik climbed the last ledge that led to the tip of Death Mountain. There, on top, she found
the Big Goron rolled in a sphere, sleeping. Half afraid to wake him, she carefully approached the
enormous being.
“Ahem!” she tried waking him the way she decided best.
Apparently, Big Goron was a light sleeper, because he shot straight up with a groan.
“Who has come to interrupt my slumber, hum?” he asked.
“It is I, Princess Zelda of Hyrule!” she yelled with authority.
“Ha, you rule the kingdom? How does someone so small rule such a large place, hum? Ha,
what do you want from me, your highness?” the Big Goron asked, almost sarcastically.
“I have come to warn you that, in case this smoke coming from your mountain didn’t warn you,
Death Mountain’s seal has been broken. The volcano is active, Big Goron. Also, I would like to
inquire if you know the whereabouts of Link, the Hero of Time you once crafted weaponry for,”
Sheik explained.
“I will not leave my mountain. I’m not afraid of a little lava, little one. You must help the rest of
the Gorons leave this place, though. I do not know where the Hero of Time is, but would he not
be there, hum?” Big Goron said, pointing far into the distance.
Sheik looked in the direction Big Goron had pointed, and saw a bright light beyond Hyrule
Field. Kokiri Forest was on fire, and it was a large enough one to be seen from a very long
distance. The sky had darkened, and the light around Kokiri Forest seemed to light up the world.
Sheik felt like crying, because she knew that if the fire were visible from so far away, that the
Kokiri, the fairies, and the Great Deku Tree had not been able to stop Donale’s dark knights.
However, contrary to Big Goron’s suggestion, Sheik knew that Link was not at the forest.
As if things weren’t already going downhill, Jaley appeared at Sheik’s side, and began
complaining of a weakness. Her self-illumination had faded a bit, and Sheik asked her what was
wrong.
“Sheik, I am afraid something very awful has happened. Though I cannot be sure, I think
something has happened to the Great Fairy. I can no longer feel her guidance and power
through the bond she shares with all lesser fairies. I must go to her aid!” Jaley exclaimed.
“Then on with it, I will be fine with the Gorons and the Hylians of Kakariko by my side. We will
shortly be on our way to the kingdom where the Zoras live in secret. Meet us there when you
have finished your business in the forest,” Sheik said.
“May the goddesses guide you, my friend,” Jaley said, and flew away, slower than usual, but
still with beautiful grace.
27
Interlude of the Goddesses
Din, goddess of power; Narayu, goddess of wisdom; Farore, goddess of courage—these
three: creators of Hyrule, creators of the Hylians and all the mystical races, creators of the Golden
Power, creators of good, and creators of evil. The Golden Power, the Triforce, is representative
of the goddesses. He who controls the Golden Power controls the goddesses with it. If a good
man controls the power, his generous wishes will be granted. However, if an evil man controls
the power—his dark wishes will also be granted. In times of darkness, the goddesses created a
counterbalance known as the Hero of Time. This one being was given the calling to protect
Hyrule and quell evil when it arose. However, the goddesses made all their creatures of a free
will, which explains the existence of evil in the first place. This also means that the Hero of Time
doesn’t always have to award Hyrule with a happy ending. The goddesses created the Triforce
as a means for their creation to ask them for guidance and help, but in doing so, they sealed their
own fate—for when man can control god, there becomes no god and no man. In this case, there
become only villains, heroes, and puppets.
Narayu and Farore, whose shares of the Golden Power had been entrusted to Zelda and Link,
respectively, looked at their sister Din in disgust. Donale had managed to obtain the Triforce of
Power from the evil Ganon by using his dark magic to momentarily pass into the area where there
exists no Light World and no Dark World, but the only existence is existence itself. Din, seeing
the disgusted looks of her sisters begged them not to hate her, and reminded them that if their
pieces of the Golden Power fell into the wrong hands, they could just as easily become victims of
the terrible fate that had befallen her.
None of the goddesses were evil creatures who wished to do harm to anyone, but Din was
helping Donale commit horrific acts against her own creations. With the Triforce of Power in
Donale’s hands, Din was no longer just a goddess, but the toy of a deranged wizard. However,
no piece of the Golden Power alone can grant all the wishes of its owner. It takes the complete
Triforce to make one all-powerful. And so Donale fought the creations of the goddesses the best
he could, hoping to lure the other two pieces of the Golden Power to him. So far, it had not
worked.
Narayu and Farore looked down on the Hero of Time from the heavens. There, Link sat, with
his cap off. Link had his head between his knees in sorrow, no sword in hand, and his shield that
carried the royal crest grounded beside him. The two goddesses overlooking their child smiled at
one another, glad that they could keep Din from knowing where Link was or what he was
planning. Farore blew a breeze by Link to cool him from the humid Hyrule night, and smiled
again. She was proud of the courage her son was displaying this day. She and Narayu sighed,
knowing what they would soon have to do if Link carried out his plan. Din continued crying out in
pain, unable to keep from empowering the evil forces of Donale.
28
V: Kingdom of the Zoras
The journey down Death Mountain and down the up the river had left the Hylians weary. The
Gorons, however, were enduring as well as ever, and many of them lifted the Hylians of Kakariko
Village onto their shoulders so that the group would not be slowed down. Sheik found herself
also becoming tired, but refused a Goron’s offer to carry her.
The way to the Zora kingdom was unknown to many, and still others denied the existence of
such a creature. Sheik knew, however, that the Zoras did exist. To find the Zoras, one had to
wade through the depths of the Zora River. Trudging through the Zora River was no easy task,
because the waters were swift, and contained whirlpools that would readily suck down any
unsuspecting being and spit them back out sometimes miles away if, of course, it didn’t kill them
first. The notorious octoroks were also present in the habitat of Zora River. Octoroks were large,
octopus-shaped monsters that could force projectiles skimmed from the river bed out of their long
snouts. The best way to defeat an octorok was to repel its projectiles, usually rocks, back at them
using a large shield. Some of the Gorons would jump into the water and tackle the creatures
when they attacked the group, and the militiamen of Kakariko Village would simply just reflect
their projectiles, killing them.
Eventually, after traveling all night, the group met a wall of water, and they were surrounded
by cliffs that began hundreds of feet above them. Dawn was in its earliest stages, and as the light
slowly came into the world, the group realized they had come to a dead end.
“Sheik, we must have went the wrong way, there’s nothing here but a waterfall!” exclaimed
Captain Johannesan, commander of the Kakariko militia.
“Did you navigate exactly with the coordinates I supplied?” Sheik asked.
“To the very last digit, Sheik,” he replied.
“Then we are exactly where we need to be,” she said, “everyone grab your gear and follow me
to the cavern that lies behind this waterfall.”
Many of the followers were amazed to hear of such a well-hidden cavern, and they
immediately knew that this must be the secret entrance to the Zora kingdom.
*
*
“The Great Fairy! Ha! She is not here! She is no doubt hiding from the power and fury of
Donale! You do not feel her presence because she has fled to one of her fountains that is out of
our grasp, but soon, mark my words, no place will be out of our grasp! Mwaha!”
Jaley felt pain jolt through her body as she struggled to free herself from the clutches of one
of Donale’s dark knights. He had her wings pinched tightly between his chain mail clad fingers,
explaining the demise of the Great Fairy and all of Hyrule to her.
“You will die in this place!” the knight said as he threw Jaley across the large, open foyer of the
Forest Temple.
The knight stormed out the temple, glaring jealously at the Master Sword he had tried to pull
from its pedestal. Before leaving, the dark knight rammed his sword into the supports at the
doorway of the temple, crumbling the ceiling and trapping Jaley inside.
Jaley heard the knight snicker one last time from outside as he said, “Say ‘hi’ to Kalle Demos
for me, little troublesome fairy!”
Jaley had no clue as to who Kalle Demos was, but she was more concerned with why the
Kokiri were not jailed up in the temple with her. When she had passed through the forest, The
29
Great Deku tree told her that Donale’s forces were coming to destroy him and that he had already
entrusted the Kokiri with planting his sprout in a safer location. However, Jaley saw the Kokiri’s
village decimated and controlled by dark knights who all seemed confused about the location of
the Kokiri. From what Jaley could gather, the Kokiri had suddenly vanished during the battle,
leaving the forest and its temple to be controlled by evil. Surely Jaley had not misunderstood the
Great Deku Tree when he said he had entrusted the Kokiri with the sprout, though she had
thought she heard him say “Korok” instead. Jaley would never know the difference between the
Kokiri and a Korok, or perhaps—more accurately said—the similarity. Jaley did, however, quickly
learn what Kalle Demos was when she heard a hissing sound and turned to see the most
spectacular flower growing from the ceiling she had ever seen.
I don’t remember that being there a second ago, she thought. Jaley flew up to the flower,
admiring its rarity, and then it reached out with one of its vines, crushing her dead, and then
swallowed her whole.
*
*
*
Jaley, Sheik’s mind erupted in thought. She reached up to her temple, trying to rub out the
twinge she had just felt.
“Headache, your highness?” The new King Goron whispered.
“My telepathic connection to Jaley has been severed; that can only mean… we must hurry!”
She replied.
As the group of Hylians and Gorons entered the world of the Zoras, they were in awe at the
mystical contraptions strewn about, all seemingly powered by water. The Zoras looked at them,
not frightened, but afraid that something bad had happened in the outside world. The sky-blue
crystals growing everywhere were gleaming beautifully, and many of the newcomers to the Zora
kingdom wondered how it could be so warm in a place covered by bodies of water and snow.
The place in which the Zoras lived was like a peace-filled, untouched paradise.
Sheik instructed the large group to camp on the shores of the lake that was the center of the
kingdom, and then she took up to a tunnel at the top of the cavern with King Goron and the mayor
of Kakariko Village behind her.
*
*
*
*
“This is dreadful news you bear, Princess Zelda,” King Zora said, “This explains why I have
not heard from the Zoras who dwell at Lake Hylia in days. If Donale’s power can reach the forest,
I’m sure the lake is also compromised.”
“You are right I’m sure, great one,” Sheik said, “but I must also assume that Link has not been
to see you?”
“No, I’m afraid not. Is it possible he has been slain?”
“King Zora, you know as well as I do that Link could not be defeated so easily,” Sheik said,
defensively.
“I meant no disrespect concerning the Hero of Time, but what has happened to him? Why has
he not come to the aid of Hyrule? It won’t be long before these forces reach the Kingdom of the
Zoras!” King Zora bellowed.
“I don’t know where else to look, great one. Link was not with his people, the Kokiri, not with
his biological people, the Hylians, not with his brothers-in-arms, the Gorons, and now he is not
with the Zoras seeking the aid of your mystical techniques. Where else could he be?” Sheik
said, becoming overwhelmed with tears.
30
“It is certain that Link is still alive, for if Donale had two pieces of the Golden Power, his evil
reach would have extended here by now. Where, princess, besides our kingdom would be out of
the reach of the Triforce of Power?” King Goron asked.
“There is only one other place I can imagine. The desert, the home of the Gerudo tribe, would
be the only place remote enough. What, though, could Link possibly find of value in defeating
Donale there?” Sheik asked.
“We only have one way of finding out, your highness,” King Zora said, “We must journey to
Gerudo Fortress!”
“Great Zora king, we will need more of an army than the Kakariko militia and even the Gorons
to journey that far in dark territory. I feel the evil forces amassed have reached the numbers
present during the Great War. I would ask the help of your people, but it would be impossible for
the Zoras to survive that long without water. Also, to make matters worse, we’re going to a
desert.” Sheik reasoned.
“Fear not, Zelda! The Zoras happen to have a teleportation whirlpool here in our kingdom that
leads to an oasis in the desert. We shall infiltrate the Gerudos from the desert side, not from the
side of Hyrule Field. The Zoras can remain at the oasis should you need our help. I must warn
you, though Donale’s forces won’t be in the desert, it is hard to navigate its constant sandstorms
and it has its own unique breeds of evil.” King Zora explained.
“It is the only way, king. We must go now!” Sheik exclaimed.
*
*
*
*
*
The group came up, gasping for air, in a large pond of clear water located in an oasis that had
grown in the center of the desert.
31
VI: Gerudo Tribe
Sheik had decided that approaching the wall of Gerudo Fortress with a large army would not
be the best way to go about things. Therefore, Sheik chose the Goron’s most-skilled warrior, a
Goron named Firoka, to accompany her through the desert.
Firoka had been born as a half-brother to the Goron prince, now king; his mother had been
one of King Goron’s many mistresses. Firoka meant “fire rock” in the old tribal language once
used by the Gorons. The Goron had been born on the top of Death Mountain and a mighty
dragon called Valoo had appeared to visit the Gorons. Upon Firoka’s birth, Valoo had grasped
the young Goron in his talons for a “birth flight.” The birth flight was every Goron’s right of
passage that took place shortly after they were born. During Firoka’s flight, a mighty wind pulled
him from Valoo’s grasp and Firoka fell straight down inside a cavern leading to the center of the
volcanic mountain. Everyone thought the child was lost forever, victim to the extreme heat of the
magma inside, a heat that no young Goron could possibly survive. Firoka, however, managed to
survive and find his way out of the labyrinth within Death Mountain. When he emerged into
Goron City, his half-brother found him barely alive. Had Firoka been the son of the king and
queen rather than of the king and his concubine, he would probably have been the first choice to
become king rather than his brother.
Sheik had chosen Firoka to accompany her, because she knew that having him to help her
navigate the ferocious desert sandstorms would be very beneficial. The Gerudo Tribe had
originally mapped the desert many years ago, and their blood-red flags were scattered throughout
the desert marking the path from their temple to their fortress. The oasis where Sheik and her
party had emerged was about halfway between both points. Now, however, Sheik had spied the
final marker before they would reach Gerudo Fortress. As the sand bit at her face, Sheik pulled
her ragged garb up around her mouth a little more and trudged on to the final marker. When they
had arrived, the worst of the sandstorm was over.
“There it is, Sheik,” Firoka pointed at the castle-like buildings that were within the walls of the
Fortress. “Gerudo Fortress.”
“Yes, now, the Gerudo are very secretive and protective, so I’m not entirely sure that they will
cooperate with us. While I approach the gate to speak with them, I want you to begin infiltrating
and searching for information,” Sheik explained.
“What if I’m caught?” Firoka asked.
“Surely a bunch of girls won’t be able to subdue a Goron,” Sheik teased.
Firoka grunted and headed off to find a suitable spot to scale the great wall that surrounded
the small city that the Gerudo Tribe occupied.
The Gerudo Tribe was one of the most mysterious groups in Hyrule. Their entire city was a
fortress, surrounded by mountain and high walls. The desert guarded the fortress from the rear,
and a great river protected the front. The Gerudo are completely made up of women. These
women are all beautiful and fit and skilled warriors. There is only one male in the tribe at a time,
and the male must be the first-born of a Gerudo woman. This man becomes the leader of the
tribe. The Gerudo seek out the toughest warriors in Hyrule to seduce if only for a night to take
advantage of their reproductive capabilities. When a male is born to a tribeswoman, that boy is
raised up to be the leader of the tribe. The tribe had not yet had a man child since Ganondorf
Dragmire, the Gerudo man who abandoned his tribe to become the most powerful and evil
sorcerer in history.
Sheik approached the guards at the rear gate carefully and with her hands up.
“Great Gerudo, I wish to address your leader with an urgent message from the royal family,”
Sheik said.
32
“First of all, we don’t have a leader right now, only the matriarch. Second of all, since when do
the Gerudo recognize Hylian royalty?” One of the guards said.
“I assure you that your matriarch will want to hear this information,” Sheik insisted.
“Look, sir—“
Sheik removed her head dressing and let her long, blond hair flow in the desert wind, a
beautiful comparison to the dirty red hair that all the Gerudo had.
“Look, bitch—“ the guard now continued.
“Princess Zelda of Hyrule to you, kindly. Now I’m only going to ask you once more to take me
to the matriarch.”
“Look, unless you’ve brought some of your hot Hylian knights for us to play with, or if you’ve
resurrected Lord Dragmire—“
“Actually, this does involve Lord Dragmire…” Zelda said.
The guards instantly seemed curious and one of them agreed to escort Zelda to the matriarch.
*
*
“I’m sorry about the reception your received, your highness,” Matriarch Hannah said, “I’ve
been trying to encourage more cooperation with the royal family and the other races of Hyrule
since the catastrophe that was our Lord Dragmire. It’s just so hard for my girls to publicize
themselves when the kingdom looks at them as whores and killers.”
“Perhaps it is time to begin changing some ancient traditions, Matriarch?” Zelda suggested
boldly.
“So many of these women have been raised to be so fanatical about the Gerudo way that I’m
just not sure how to go about modernizations,” Hannah explained.
“If you lack the enthusiasm of the other Gerudos, how is it that you came to be matriarch?”
Zelda asked.
“I was the wife of Ganondorf,” she blankly stated.
Zelda was repulsed by this fact.
“I know what you immediately think, your highness,” Hannah said, “But before Ganondorf fell
victim to the darkness that swallowed his soul, he was a decent, loving man. He even fathered a
son, whom he loved very much until…”
“Ganon had a son?!” Zelda exclaimed.
“Yes, but he died of an unidentifiable disease. Ganondorf blamed the goddesses for our son’s
death, and it was then he began his search for the Golden Power in order to use it to resurrect
our son.”
“So Ganon… wanted to resurrect a deceased son?” Zelda was shocked at this news.
“Yes, but apparently the power consumed him and he forgot the one thing that he set out to
accomplish.”
33
Zelda suddenly felt horrible for the hatred she had felt toward Ganon, yet at the same time,
she knew that the man she hated was not Ganondorf Dragmire as he had once been… a loving
father and the leader of his people.
“Now, what is this news you bring, Princess Zelda?” Hannah inquired.
“I seek the Hero of Time. Has he been here?” she asked.
“No, I’m afraid not, Princess Zelda. Had he been here, half of these fanatics would probably
have tried to kill him. Is there trouble in the kingdom?”
“You have no idea, sister.” Zelda said.
As she began explaining the situation to the matriarch, the first drops of rain began to fall in
the desert that had fallen for years.
34
Conclude of the Goddesses
Farore, even being a goddess, was impressed by the courage that the Hero of Time was
displaying. Was he really willing to sacrifice himself and his entire kingdom so that evil might not
prevail and so that perhaps a few might survive to rebuild the great kingdom? It appeared so.
Narayu looked down in silence at Link, not quite as proud as Farore was. Can’t he find another
way? Narayu, being the goddess of wisdom, knew that Link was making the wisest possible
choice. Though Donale, as he had begun calling himself, was not more powerful than Link, he
had managed to pull Ganon from the Dark World. Ganon was materialized in an inanimate form,
but if Donale were to acquire one more piece of the Triforce, he could bring Ganon to life and
they could defeat Link together. Link knew that the consequences would be terrible and thought
long and hard before forming his plan. It was not worth the risk. There was but one way to save
Hyrule, and though no one would ever think that the Hero of Time had saved the kingdom once
again, he would have done so after all.
Farore looked down again and saw Link accosting a young Goron spy inside the Gerudo
Fortress. Link too had sneaked in, and the Goron immediately knew who he was. After a short
conversation, Link had convinced the Goron, Firoka, to steal Zelda’s piece of the Triforce—the
Triforce of Wisdom.
When Zelda met up with her Goron friend to see what he had discovered after her meeting
with the matriarch, Firoka, with tears in his eyes, stunned the princess with a blow to the back of
her skull. Her cradled her lovingly, and gave her Triforce piece to a stranger in the shadows—
Link.
With two Triforce pieces, Link could finally make the wish to the goddesses that he regretted
having to make. He yelled for the Goron to bring the body of his beloved princess to him. The
rain that had begun just moments before increased its downfall as the Triforce pieces glowed in
Link’s hands. Zelda awoke, staring into the eyes of her long lost love. She began to speak, and
Link silenced her with his fingertips, then he kissed her.
Link continued to kiss his true love, Princess “Sheik” Zelda, even as the water began to
accumulate around them. Quickly, the rain created waters up to their waists, and the Gerudos
began to migrate to their rooftops. Zelda was not worried, for she understood everything just by
looking into Link’s eyes. As their heads became consumed by the waters, they kissed until their
very last breath.
35
Fury of the Goddesses
King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, the King of Red Lions, the King of Hyrule, now called
Donale, stared in awe at the miserable storm flooding his castle. As the mystical waters from the
goddesses engulfed his kingdom, he began to regain some control over his thoughts. Only the
powers of Link and Zelda combined could possibly have caused this catastrophe in his evil plans.
He looked at the statue beside his throne in which Ganon was contained. Why had he wanted to
bring back the evil that almost destroyed his kingdom? Why had he himself become evil enough
to wield dark magic and cross into the Dark World to obtain the Triforce of Power?
Wait, of course, he remembered. If we obtained the third piece we could have the entire
Triforce. We could rid Hyrule of all bad things. How had this plan backfired? He remembered
now his fierce battle in the Dark World with Ganon, in which Ganon had managed to infuse some
of his own soul into that of King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule. Now, that power was finally wearing
off. However, it was too late. The power was only wearing off because of the rain from the
goddesses, and without this rain he could not have overcome the darkness in his soul. However,
because of this unstoppable power, all of Hyrule would be consumed. As the water lapped at his
chest, the king looked at the Triforce of Power. With his final wish, he wished imprisonment of
him own self for punishment of the deeds he had done in the name of evil. He wished to be
placed in a form in which he could do nothing more than to aid his people, a form in which he
would not be in flesh that could be influenced.
Din, goddess of power, looked at her sisters Farore and Narayu. The goddesses unleashed
their fury on Hyrule, and the kingdom quickly became blue with oceans. The sisters smiled at
each other though as they watched a tiny ship float up out of the waters, the seal of the royal
family of Hyrule, the Red Lion, etched in its side.
36
Epilogue
Hyrule lay flooded, and only the highest places were not covered in water. Those
descendants of the royal family that had wealth, and a few others, were able to set sail on the
new seas of Hyrule, some even becoming pirates. It is legend that many of Hyrule’s creatures
evolved with the great fury of the goddesses. Some even say that the heavy, rock-like Gorons
became light, feathered beings who got their lessons in flying from the dragon Valoo. Others
believe that the Kokiri even survived the massacre in their forest that dreaded day and that the
Great Deku Tree bestowed upon them the form of ‘Korok,’ a small, leaf-like creature. It is
believed by many that the Koroks sewed the seeds of the great tree throughout the newly
irrigated lands of Hyrule, and that the Kokiri prospered in this new form, as did their master, that
legendary deku tree.
Hyrule would live on, though now a series of islands, but at least it would live on. The Hero of
Time and his love were gone, but their bloodline would live on.
It is rumored that an island in Hyrule still ceremoniously dresses young boys in Kokiri garb
identical to Link’s when they come of age…
THE END
37
Acknowledgements
Once again, I would like to thank Nintendo, the house that Miyamoto built, for creating some of
the most memorable and legendary characters in history that an author could ever work with.
The Legend of Zelda and many of the characters in this story are property of Nintendo. Many of
the characters in this story are new, created by me, and many of the settings and things are true
to the original storylines in the games, but I have taken the liberty of expanding what they look
like and creating some of my own story about their cultures and things of that nature. I’d also like
to thank the creators of the Zelda game manuals and the many Zelda fan Web sites out there,
because without these people I would not have been able to do much of the research necessary
to complete this work. This story is not meant to be copied or sold for any reason, and is merely
a fan’s representation and new story twist on an old favorite. This story is simply for the fans, and
hopefully for those that are not fans but will be after reading this, and for my personal Web site,
J.D.’s Hasty (http://jdshasty.100freemb.com). If you would like to contact the author for any
reason, you can e-mail me at delung2@marshall.edu. Thanks most of all to those who endured
this story, and feel free to send any comments, complaints, or suggestions to me. I’d love to
know whether you liked the story or not. Signing off, Joshua A. DeLung.
38