The New Chronicles of Hyrule: Shadows Joined

Elenna woke the next morning to find herself alone.

For what seemed an eternity, but was really only a few minutes, all she could do was stare at the empty spot beside her. It still bore the indentation of his body; she could still smell him.. a dark, sinfully delicious scent that teased her senses, and filled her mind with images of what had transpired the night before. When she finally managed to stir herself into movement, her hand came to lightly touch the rumpled bedding next to her. Cold to the touch. Which meant he'd been gone for quite some time.

The tears started falling before she even realized they were there. As she leaned over to bury her face in the thick blankets, her shoulders began shaking with uncontrollable sobs, and a low, keening wail of utter anguish fell from her lips. Curling into the cool material, she struggled to contain her emotions. What had she expected? That he would wake up next to her, realize that he loved her, and they would be together? That was foolishness, and she knew it. She'd asked for one night.. and that was exactly what she'd gotten.

That didn't mean it hurt any less, though.

The young Sheikah had no idea how long she laid there, but eventually her tears dried, and she fell into a state of fitful half-sleep. She was awakened by the sound of voices outside her door, and a frantic pounding against the thick stone. Sitting up and rubbing at bleary eyes, she stared at the door, wondering who it was. That was when she heard Nabooru's voice.

"Elenna?! Elenna, open the door!"

Pulling the silken sheet up over her bare torso, she gestured with one hand, watching as the door slid open. Nabooru toppled into the room, saved from falling on her face only by Link's arm quickly extending to wrap around her waist. Back on her feet, the Gerudo woman pulled out of his grasp and ran over to Elenna, prepared to pull the younger woman out of bed. What stopped her was noting the various marks on the girl's neck and shoulders, the disheveled state of her hair, and the fact that her eyes were red-rimmed. Golden eyes narrowed at the Sheikah, but it was Link, looking over her shoulder, that spoke. "..Elenna? What happened to you?"

"I..." Violet hues turned away from the couple as she swallowed, struggling with more tears. "Nothing. I got in a scuffle with a Stalfos yesterday. I've been sleeping. What's wrong?"

Link turned away and moved to guard the doorway as Elenna stood, letting the sheet fall from her body. Nabooru followed her as she moved to a screened-off portion of the room, standing in a large wooden tub as she dumped a bucket of water over her head and quickly scrubbed every trace of the past couple days from her hair and body. "There's this cloud of darkness over the Lake, and Zelda is summoning everyone to go check it out. Ruto's been missing for a while now, and the Water Temple is sealed." Nabooru looked grave, and as Elenna peeked around the screen at her godmother, the Sage of Spirit nodded. "This isn't looking good, Elenna. We could really use Sheik with us. Where is he?"

Elenna stiffened at Sheik's name, and quickly ducked behind the screen again, quickly drying her hair and scrambling into clothing. The snug ensemble was identical to that which her mother had worn - save the entirety of Elenna's legs were covered by dark blue material. As she wove her hair into a braid, her gaze wandered to the sword Sheik had given her. Tying off the end of the intricate plait, she responded to Nabooru's question with as nonchalant a tone as she could manage, and attached the blade to the belt around her hips. "I don't know."

"What do you mean, you don't know? I thought he was supposed to be teaching you!" Nabooru was flabbergasted. Sheik hadn't abandoned Elenna.. had he?

"..I meant exactly what I said, Nabooru... I don't know where he is. He said he had nothing more to teach me, and left. I haven't seen him since." Elenna shrugged, and looked at Nabooru. Despite the fact that her face was blank, Nabooru saw an overwhelming sorrow in Elenna's amethyst eyes, and opened her mouth to ask what was wrong. However, her mouth snapped shut when Elenna shook her head, and turned away. "Let's go find out what this darkness is.. I bet Princess Fishface has something to do with it."

Link moved aside as Elenna came to the doorway, and his eyes widened when he caught a glimpse of that endless despair in her own, immediately looking at Nabooru, who simply shrugged. Though concerned, if Elenna wasn't going to tell them what was wrong of her own volition.. they knew no amount of badgering would get her to open up.

--

"Zelda."

Hearing her brother's voice, Zelda looked over her shoulder to find him walking next to Nabooru, with Elenna just behind the duo. Sapphire eyes narrowed at the young Sage, her gaze darting past the grey-haired girl, seemingly searching for something, only to return to Link. "Where is Sheik?"

"He told me he had nothing more to teach me and left." Zelda blinked at the slightly irritated tone she heard in Elenna's voice, but said nothing of it. She simply sighed and turned back to the others. Rauru, Saria, and Darunia were already standing nearby, just inside the gate to the Lake.

"..I cannot say I like hearing that, but, there is nothing more to be done. Let us get to the bottom of this." All eyes turned to the mass of roiling blackness that hovered over the Lake, before the group moved onward. As they neared the waters, there was a chorus of mutterings and grumbles, and many confused, worried looks all around.

The Lake was gone. A massive stone wall at the mouth of the river that fed the Lake halted the waters, and another barred the passage from Zora's Domain. Where there had once been water, there was now a multitude of spikes, circling the circumference of the dry lakebed, all pointing outwards to prevent entrance. A number of hulking creatures patrolled the interior of the barrier of spikes. Easily seven feet tall, their humanoid forms bore black armor that looked quite formidable, adorned with spikes and what appeared to be runes painted in some vibrant red substance. And their heads were covered by large helms, with facebars that hid their appearance.. yet that did nothing to hide their eerily glowing yellow eyes. Elenna shuddered, reminded of the Darkness she'd fought in the Shadow Temple.

As the group of Sages and their Hero stopped yards from the spikes, they glanced around warily, trying not to look at the roiling black cloud directly above the Water Temple. A thick pillar of darkness appeared between them and the spikes, and when it faded away, everyone gaped. Zelda was the one that hissed the name, which no one wanted to speak, despite the proof that stood directly in front of the youthful queen.

"Ganondorf!"

It appeared to be true. Clad in black armor with his cape flaring behind him, the King of Evil stood tall and proud, and very much alive. Though Zelda couldn't help noticing a few differences; his hair was longer, and he appeared more.. physically impressive. His features more aristocratic, his body taller and more lithe than simply muscular. So shocked by the sight of him, it took everyone several moments to realize Ganondorf wasn't alone. At his side stood a slender, curvaceous woman, with skin as white as snow that bore a faint teal-colored, scale-like pattern that extended from her temples, along the curve of her jaw, down the sides of her neck, along her shoulders, and down the outsides of her arms. Her long, teal hair fell to her lower back, and her body was covered by a clinging sleeveless dress of sapphire silk that matched the teardrop-shaped sapphires in her ears. However it was her amethyst eyes, set in a beautiful face, that seemed most familiar to the Sages gathered. Link was the one that recognized those eyes.

"..Ruto?"

"Very good, Link. I didn't think any of you would recognize me." The Zora princess laughed softly, hooking her arm through Ganondorf's as she leaned into him, sneering maliciously at the gathered forces of light. "However, I'm afraid your identification of my companion is incorrect. Gandondorf is still sealed away in the Sacred Realm. This.." Her free hand lifted to pat the arm of the looming Gerudo-esque male to which she was clinging. "..is Zyrix, the King of Darkness."

"It's rather ironic that your Ganondorf appeared quite similar to myself. Your Goddesses played a cruel trick on you in that respect, Sages." That deep voice was most decidedly not Ganondorf's, and it made even Link step back. It sounded as though a number of voices, different in pitch, echoed from a distance within his voice. Amber eyes glinted malevolently, crossing over the assembled Sages, before coming to a stop on Zelda. "Queen Zelda.. we meet at last. I apologize for commandeering your Water Temple before meeting you, but my lovely bride offered its usage, and I couldn't bring myself to decline."

"Your bride... Ruto.. how could you do this? How could you betray us like this?" Though her voice was calm, the icy rage that filled Zelda's eyes made Ruto grimace, turning her gaze away from the Hylian queen to instead look up at her male companion.

"It was very simple, Zelda. Zyrix offered me everything I ever wanted. Power.. love..." Those amethyst eyes darted to Nabooru, who stood next to Link, his arm curled protectively around her. The Sage of Water bared her teeth at the couple in what could've been taken for a smile, were it not so utterly hateful, and paired with a low hiss to match. "...vengeance."

"Silence, traitor." Zelda's sharp tone made Ruto jump slightly, though she didn't speak. The queen's eyes were fixated on Zyrix, her body still and face calm, though inside, she was ready to do murder. Betrayed by one of her own Sages.. unthinkable! "Why are you here? What do you want with Hyrule?"

"Tut tut.. I'm surprised you haven't figured it out yourself." Zyrix smiled, and the cloud of darkness overhead grew. "I want your realm. You can either hand it over to me peacefully, save the lives of your people, and live as my guest... Or, you can fight me, and you, and your people, will die."

Link and Elenna both freed their swords from sheaths with a rasp of metal against leather, and took up fighting stances to either side of Zelda, with the other Sages arrayed behind and to either side of them. All eyes were hard and determined, fixated on the King of Darkness and his traitorous woman. Zelda looked to either side of her, then back at Zyrix and Ruto, her voice low yet hard as steel. "..You have your answer."

"..So be it." Zyrix chuckled, and with a wave of his hand, he and Ruto disappeared. The darkness overhead roiled menacingly, before bolts of black lightning arced downwards, striking at the earth around the Sages and Hero. The dark creatures that had been patrolling the spikes poised with their weapons in hand, everything from swords to spears, and made to attack.

"Fall back! Return to the Castle!" Zelda's firm voice echoed above the turmoil, and under the cover of the lightning strikes, the forces of light retreated from the Lake Hylia area. Zelda gave a final sad glance to what had once been the beautiful lake, before she too fled.

--

The Sages, Link included, assembled in Zelda's library, waiting for the young queen. Everyone was silent, despite the fact that they all stood close together. Except Elenna. she stood off by herself, staring out the window at the courtyard. To think.. this was where she'd met him. A ghost of a smile quirked the corners of her lips, but it faded when she heard the doors open, and turned to see Zelda entering. Everyone took their seats at the round table embossed with the symbols of their respective stations, trying to ignore the empty seat where the Water Medallion lay. Zelda stared at the Triforce before her, then sighed. "..Never in all the history of Hyrule has a denizen of this realm so thoroughly betrayed the land itself.. let alone a Sage. I feel.. sickened, but more than that, I feel guilty. Was there anything we could have done to prevent this? Any way we could have kept Princess Ruto from turning to this.. Zyrix?"

"Ruto has always been ambitious. Likely she was jealous of many things.. your power, the love of Link and Nabooru, the friendship that we all share. The only way we could have stopped this before it began was to yield to Ruto's every wish, and even then.. I do not doubt she would have yearned for more, and gone to him to achieve it." Rauru's soothing voice drew Zelda from her reverie, looking up at the Sage of Light with a very faint, thankful smile.

"So.. what are we going to do?" All eyes turned to Elenna at that simple question, and everyone noticed how grown up she looked. Like she'd fully come into her position as Sage. However.. they also noticed the aura of sadness that lingered around her.

"There's really only one thing we can do. We have to fight." As always, Link was the voice of reason. It was agreed that a barricade would be put up between Lon Lon Ranch and the Dark Fortress as they were calling it, and the denizens of the Ranch would be persuaded to relocate to Kakariko Village for their safety, so the Ranch could be used as a watchpost by the Hylian Guard. The Gerudo would closely monitor the river to Lake Hylia, as well as working with the Guard. With promises to see to everything as quickly as possible, everyone made to leave. Except Zelda.

"Elenna." Hearing her name, the young Sheikah stopped, looking over her shoulder at the blonde queen. "I would like to speak with you for a few moments, if I may."

"Of course." Looking back to Nabooru and Link, who had paused to wait for her, she gave them a small smile. "You two go ahead. I'll catch up." As they nodded and left, closing the large double doors behind them, she turned and moved back to Zelda. Much to her surprise, the young queen opened the window into the gardens and pulled herself up into it, then dropped down to land in the gardens. Rising to her feet and brushing blades of grass from her skirts, she turned and looked back into the library, beckoning Elenna to join her with a smile. After thinking it over, the Sage nodded, and followed her friend, standing next to the Hylian. Zelda looped her arm through Elenna's, and the duo began walking through the gardens, as they had often done through the years when they were younger.

For a time, Zelda was silent. When she spoke, she was examining a rose, so it took Elenna a few moments to realize the Queen was in fact talking to her. "You say Sheik told you he had nothing more to teach you, and left. Yet I cannot help noticing the sadness in your eyes.. and the mark on your neck."

Elenna jumped, and unconsciously lifted her free hand to touch the mark on her neck, barely covered by the collar of her top. A blush rose in her cheeks as she looked at Zelda, contemplating what she could honestly say in response to that. There was really only one thing to say. As they came to a small stone bench, she sat down next to Zelda.. and told her everything that had happened.

By the time she finished telling her tale, there were tears on her cheeks, not to mention Zelda's. Smiling weakly, the Sheikah wiped her tears away, looking at Zelda with a vaguely hopeless expression. "So, now you know. I guess I should've known better.. I'm not his Zhera, I had no reason to expect he'd love me back. It still hurts, though."

"..That son of a bitch. I'll kill him."

The two women whipped around to see who spoke, only to find Link and Nabooru emerging from behind a nearby hedge. Link was silent, obviously not the one that had spoken, though there was sadness in his eyes as he looked at Elenna. Nabooru, however, was livid, and murderous rage was apparent in her eyes. Zelda and Elenna stood, and before the young Sheikah could leave as she intended, she found herself enveloped in three sets of arms. The tears fell anew, face hidden in the warmth of Link's tunic, as she reveled in the comfort provided by her friends. Her crying died off into sniffles after a few minutes, and she found herself looking up into Zelda's kind face.

"I guess there's nothing to do but suck it up and move on. We've got a bad guy to fight."

--

Shadows writhed and twisted, seeming almost to caress his form. Crimson eyes slid slowly open as the wriggling tendrils of shadow fell away, leaving him to step forward into a land blanketed in the soft light of morning. People were already bustling around in the city, moving amidst the delicately carved stone buildings and passages. A hidden smile curved his lips as he moved forward, waving at the people that called greetings to him, pressing through the throng as he moved towards a massive building. Its front door carved with the Sheikah Eye, a large dome of stained glass bearing the image of the three Golden Goddesses filled the interior with a warm glow, bathing the seemingly endless rows of bookshelves in gold, green, blue, and violet. As he came to a stop beneath the center of the dome, and looked up into the warren of colored panes, a familiar voice spoke his name.

"Sheik?"

Lowering his eyes, Sheik turned to gaze at the person that spoke his name. Hair of pitch black color swayed around a petite frame clad in a simple dress of dark red material, silvery eyes peering at him curiously. When he pulled his facial covering down, revealing the smile that had appeared at the realization of her presence, the woman laughed and ran forward, throwing herself into his arms. He held her close, spinning around before he set her on her feet, and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Hello, Marin."

"What a surprise! I thought for sure you would be gone for years. Did you succeed in your task?" Marin blinked, her smile fading as Sheik's features grew hard, his visible eye darkening. "Sheik? What's the matter?"

"This.. is not the place to talk about this, Marin. Let us go for a walk." He stepped back a bit and released her from his grasp, only to offer one arm to the shorter individual. They moved out of the library, and began walking through the city, anonymous amidst the crowd. "How are Kelis and the children?"

"Oh, you know Kelis.. the only thing he loves more than the books is his family. Adele and Arkis are growing like weeds, constantly getting in trouble, and Shiori will be starting school soon." She glanced up at him out of the corner of her eye, arching a dark brow. "They are constantly asking when their uncle will be coming to see them again."

"Uncle.. how many generations removed?" Sheik smirked, looking down at Marin, only to grimace at the look in her eye. He knew he couldn't avoid the question she'd asked.. she had that stubborn gleam in her eyes. So as they walked, he told her everything that had transpired while he was in Hyrule. By the time he finished, morning was well on its way to afternoon, and they had come to one of the many gardens within the city. Sitting on a bench, Sheik stared at the stones beneath his booted feet, while Marin sat next to him, hands clasped in her lap and gazing thoughtfully at him.

He only had a moment to register movement in his peripheral vision, before her hand hit the back of his head with a smack. "You may be eons old, but you're really not very smart, are you?"

Sheik grimaced, rubbing the back of his head as he looked at Marin. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Sheik.. you know we've been tracing Zhera's bloodline, right?" At his nod, she frowned, shaking her head. "So you know her spirit is reborn in her family's bloodline every other generation."

"Yes, I know this..." Sheik stared at Marin, hoping the sinking feeling in his stomach was just paranoia and didn't have any substance to it.

"..You know what the last incarnation of her spirit was.. right?" Marin's hands clenched in her skirts. By Nayru.. Sheik hadn't miscounted, had he?

"Yes.. Impa. Before her was her grandmother." Sheik felt his heart stop as Marin covered her lips with one hand, her eyes going wide. His hands came to grab her shoulders, though he resisted the urge to shake her. "Marin, what are you not telling me?"

"Sheik.. you forgot about Inka." When he only looked confused, Marin shook her head, her hands coming to lightly rest on either side of his face. "Impa wasn't the first daughter after her grandmother's death. She had an older sister, Inka, who died when she was five. Impa was three."

The world stopped. Or at least that's how it felt to Sheik. His hands fell away from Marin's shoulders as he leaned back, staring blankly at his niece, countless generations removed. The blood of his sister, down the line through the years. His blood. His family. All he had, as he waited for Zhera. Zhera... Licking his lips, he had to take a deep breath before he could make himself speak. "..Which.. which means..."

"Impa wasn't Zhera's reincarnation. Inka was. And when she died.. Zhera's spirit waited for the next in the bloodline. The next in the bloodline was..." Marin's heart cried out for Sheik's pain as she saw anguish fill his features at the realization of his mistake.

"..Elenna. Goddesses.. what have I done? I have to go back. I have to get back to her!" Sheik was on his feet in a heartbeat, running back towards the portal that had carried him from Hyrule to the realm of his people. As he pushed through the crowd, not caring who he shoved aside or stepped on, he ignored Marin's voice calling for him to stop. The only thing in his vision was the looming doorway of shadows. His eyes widened in horror as a golden light blossomed in the middle of the portal, spreading outwards and completely enveloping the doorway. When it faded.. the portal was gone. Sheik finally skidded to a stop mere feet from where the portal had been, staring in disbelief as he sank to his knees.

The Goddesses had taken the doorway back to Hyrule.