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In the Gerudo Desert, a large tornado had formed. The Tornado was compsed of Sand, but a sand that was not native to Hyrule. The Sand was black as the night and was heading towards the village. Malkaia had appeared on the village grounds once again, as his liutenants prepared for battle. The villagers were all taking shelter inside of the buildings as the tornado neared the village. Malkaia stood atop another building as he watched the tornado. It moved unusually, and there was a strange glow within the sands. He could not make out what it was exactly, until it finally touched down within the village.

The Tornado, upon making contact with the gate, disbursed throughout the village. The villagers themselves were overtaken by the black sands of the tornado, their bodies mutating unusually. Their skin darkened, and their eye became as red as blood. Malkaia watched in disbelief as this change took over his village. He had never before seen such magic. He did not catch onto what exactly was going on, until he was attacked by one of his own liutenants. Her blade piercing through his back, and exitting through his abdomen. It was Syra. She had been affected by this magic along with the other villagers, and set her sights on her own Lord and Master.

"Death to Ryomoku." She said in what seemed to be a hypnotic trance.

"Syra..." He said weakly. "What are...you doing...."

"Death to Ryomoku."

Malkaia's voice could not reach Syra. He was unsure why one of his most trusted liutenants would suddenyl betray him. She removed hier blade from his body, and he slumped down to one knee, his blood leaving his mouth and spilling on the ground in front of him. When she attempted to stike him down once again, he was able to avoid her attack by raising his gauntlets above his head, stopping her blade in motion. The wound she inflicted on him was deep, but he was losing blood quickly. He did not expect to be betrayed by his own Kinsmen, but the Darkness has ways of subduing those sensitive to its influence. He pushed away from Syra, and brought his leg up to strike her in the abdomen. The wind was knocked out of her, and she fell to the ground unconscious. He could feel his strength fading quickly, and that blow took more out of him than he expected. As he backed away from the woman, his back was peirced by three arrows...Gerudo arrows.

Syra was not the only one who had been overcome by the Darkness. Vitalani had fired three of her arrow into Malkaia's torso. She was repeating the same phrase that Syra had been speaking. It was obvious that his village was under some type of spell. It had affected just about everyone in the village, and those who were not turned were being executed one by one. As Malkaia turned to face her, Vitalani took aim with her bow once again, and released three additional arrows, which this time pierced his chest, but somehow she avoided his heart. When he looked into her eyes, he noticed that they were full of tears. It seemed that Vitanani was conscious ov all that she had been doing, but her body was not coperating with her will. As she holstered another arrow, Malkaia stood once again. He did not have the strength to wield his blade, but he could avoid another attack, should she make it. With his village in chaos, and himself powerless to counter the spell, he was ready to meet an end at one of his own. Another arrow had been holstered, and Malkaia had begun to walk toward her. When the arrow was released, Malkaia's eyes widened, as it pierced his leg, halting his movements. His facial expression changed to that of a light smile, as she holstered yet another arrow. He did not want her last view of him to be that of him sufferring. Just when it seemed like it would end, her arrow was sent astray by another.

It was Malon. She had somehow survived the spell and saved her lord form utter destruction. She quickly drew her scimitar and lifted her lord off of the ground. She helped him make his way out of the village, cutting down her former allies as they came. She wanted to protect her lord, and she would go to any lengths to garantee his safety, even if it meant the deaths of her comrades.

"Malon..." Malkaia said painfully. "Please....Escape..."

"Save your strength." Malon replied. "You will not die here. I won't allow it."

"Malon...don't..." He argued.

"I told you." She said as she began to guide him toward the entrance to the village. "I will protect you no mater what. You must live on, you have to. If you die here, so shall the Gerudo."

Malon helped her lord out of the village, and they were now on the bridge, leading to Hyrule field. The mutated gerudo were giving chase, and they did not seem to show any hint of falter. Their target was their lord and Master, and they would not stop until they were sure he was dead. Upon reaching the bridge, another arrow was shot at Malkaia, this time piercing his other knee. He quickly dropped to his knees, and looked back at his attacker. Vitalani had followed them, and was taking aim once again. Malon stood in front of her lord, determined to protect him from any threat that would come his way. As she stepped in front of him, she could feel an odd heat emmitting from his body. When she turned back toward him, she noticed that his body had begun to burn with red flame once again. He then stood as though he had not sufferend the wounds which were clearly affecting his body. He turned back toward the village, and raised his hand, pointing it toward the villagers. The red flame had moved along his arm as his eyes began to glow once again.

"If this is my fate...so be it." Malkaia said darkly.

"My Lord...you can't..." Malon pleaded.

"Stand aside." Malkaia commanded. "I would rather they died at my hand, than by some coward's spell."

"No." Malon said.

"Malon...Syra...Vitalani...forgive me...."

Before Malkaia could release his attack, another arrow was shot into his chest. In that brief second that seemed like an hour, Malkaia fell from the bridge, into the canyon and the river below. His blood stained the waters, as the current carried him away. Malon's voice echoed throughout his mind, calling his name as he plunged into the depths of the river. He had not the strength to fight the current. Somewhere after sinking into the watery darkness, he lost consciousness. The image of Malon's face forever imprinted in his mind.

"Against the dangers of disease, he conceived of the idea of night guards and watchmen. The disease worsens with the treatment, and the remedy is worse than the disease. It is said that for a sick man, there is hope as long as there is life. A sick man dreams to either conquer or die. The die has been cast. He holds the wolf by the ears, and flies by his own wings. He bid them look at the sky and lift their faces to the stars. Seize the day, trust as little as possible in tomorrow, for there is no easy way to reach the stars."



Makaia suddenly found himself trapped in some kind of void. He was looking around when he noticed that his wounds were gone. Stood up and almost out of nowhere, there was a river. On running through what seemed to be a jungle of some sort. He thought that he was in the Kokiri Forest, but since when were the trees so small? Since when was there a river in the forest? He knew that he was not in Hyrule, but did not know exactly where he was. He looked down at the water, the current running past him as he looked down at his feet. The fish did not seem bothered at all by his presence. He reached down to grab one of them, and raised an eyebrow at the event that just transpired. The fish suddenly rotted in the water, leaving nothing but a skeleton. As he looked down at the water, he noticed that it was changing color. The scent of blood suddenly filled his senses as the river began to run red with blood. He had never seen such events, but what's worse, it seemed that he was the cause of these events. Just before he could say a word, an odd voice filled his ears. The voice of a woman...

"Malkaia Ryomoku....You are worthy...."

When Malkaia responded to the voice, his eyes suddenly shot open. The images he now seen were nothing of the voice he had just been in. The smell of fresh water could be detected. The pain had returned to his body, and once again he could not move. His skin was pale from a loss of blood, and he found himself floating on his back in the water. He could hear voices, and with a splash from his left, a Zora appeared and grabbed hold of him. It made its way back to shore, dragging Malkaia along with him. Once to shore, he quickly ran towards the Laboratory at the lake. Within a few moments, a few people had returned and lifted him. They were moving him towards the lab. He did not know why, but he could not remain conscious long enough to find out.

When Malkaia finally regained consciousness, he rolled out of the bed quickly, and landed on the floor in a kneeling position. His torso and his left leg was bandaged. The pain from the wounds were no longer present. He looked around at his surroundings to find himself in a room with a large tank. He could smell an aroma similar to that of burning wood, and noticed a small staircase within the chamber. He heard an unknown voice as he slowly stood to his feet. When the person entered, he went on his guard. It was the same Zora that found him in the lake. This Zora was different from the others however, she seemed...foreign.

"You should be resting." She said to him. "Your wounds were quite severe."

"Where is my gear?" He asked her, the slightest hint of venom present in his voice.

"Do you have some kind of death wish?" She countered. "I don't know how you eneded up in the lake, but you are in no position to..."

"Where is my gear, Zola?" He repated. "I shall not ask you again."

"Downstairs." She asnwered. "But I suggest waiting until your wounds heal before you go set out."

"I'll manage."

Malkaia removed the bandages from his body, slowly, only to reveal that the wounds he suffered in the heat of the battle had healed completely. There was no hint of scarring. The only proof that he was ever injured was the stains of blood left on his skin. It was as if he had not been injured at all.

".....Impossible." She uttered to herself in disbelief.

"Do you plan to get out of my way?" He said.

"You were unconscious for a ten day." She said. "There is no way....It's just not possible."

Malkaia pushed passed the Zola and proceeded downstairs. He found his gear sitting on a table in the middle of the room, close to the fireplace. As he reached for his gear the flames burning on the logs seemed to rach out towad him. He brought his hand back a bit, starled slightly by this event. He then reached his hand out once more, the flames following the same pattern. In his curiosity, he moved his hand from side to side, and watched the flames sway back and forth following his motions as they danced upon the logs within the fireplace. He did not know what this meant, but he decided to discard it as he dawned his gear.

He noticed that someone had repaired his equipment, but he was un aware who. There were no blacksmiths in this area that he knew of, but with all the recent changes, he would not be surprised to find one. Without a further thought, he armed himself once again, and started to set out. before he reached for the door knob, his mind became overwhelmed with the last images of his battle at the Gerudo fortress. It was then that it had come back to him. his eyes widened as he realized the obvious, Malon had not escaped. She was the only one that had not been affected by the spell, and if she was still in the village, she would be in grave danger.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~Meanwhile....~~~~~~~~~~~~

Malon had been fighting with the tainted Gerudo for more than a week before she found herself cornered at the bridge. She barely had the strength to keep fighting, but she would if it meant that they would not pursue her Lord. She needed to find a way to see if he was safe, but at this point she was sure she would meet her end. When the creature wisped passed her, she did not know what to make of it.

"Get down!"

The woman's voice startled her a bit, but she obeyed none the less. She ducked out of the way only to see the holy hue of her arrows contend with that of the tainted gerudo women. After her pursuers had been dealt with, she stood once again, and sheathed her bow, turning to the woman but keeping a had on her scimitar.

"I thank you for that...but we should not linger here." She said. "No matter how many times I cut them down, they keep rising from the darkness. It'd be wiser to escape."

It had seemed that Malon's complexion was not enough to seperate her from the Gerudo line. Any Gerudo female woul dhave known that Malon was not of Gerudo blood, but in her current state, she bore their tribal tattoos, and fought with their weapons. She looked like a Gerudo, she walked, talked, and fought like a Gerudo, and no matter how much she could argue, he had become Gerudo.

"I hope YOU can keep up with ME, Stranger." Malon countered.

Without further words, Malon drew her bow and took atim at the bridge that led to the Village. With two of her own arrows, she severed the rope at the base of the other end, causing the bridge to collapse, cutting off their village from Hyrule, and any who attempt to wander into its borders. She then holstered her bow, and ran toward the cliff leaping from its edge into the canyon. She let herself freefall for the moment, and once she neared the waters of the river below, she performed a forward somersault and dove perfectly into the waters of the Hylia River.

She allowed herself to be swept away by the current, using its force to propell herself through the water, and soon surfaced on the opposite side of the river. He looked back at the woman one last time. Whether she followed or not was her own decision, malon was more concerned with finding her Master before the other Gerudo find a way to cross the canyon. She hastily began to follow the flow of the river, which she knew would lead to the lake, eventually. She had lost a grasp on the world, during her time spent at the Gerudo fortress, but she had hoped that whatever had claimed the Gerudo, did not find its way to the lake.

~~~~~~~~Meanwhile, at the lakeside laboratory....~~~~~~~~

Malkaia had found himself regaining consciousness once again. This time it was not the result of his wounds. Whatever visions had consumed his thoughts, his mind could not handle them all at once. He awoke not to the Zola this time, but to an elderly man, examining him closely. Once the man reached for his forehead, Malkaia grabbed his wrist and twisted it up a bit, as he sat up. The man jogged in place a bit, as he screamed from the pain, slapping Malkaia's hand, hoping that he would release him. Once Malkaia was convinced that he was no threat he let him go, and place a hand on his head...which was still hurting quite a bit.

"Could you be a little more gentle with a fragile old man?" The man said. "You could've ripped my arm off!"

"Perhaps I should next time." He warned him. "What were you doing to me?"

"Well, while you were on the deathbed, healing...I was the one that took care of your wounds." The man said. "Its amazing that you didn't die from the blood loss alone. And there is no hint of scarring either. Its just remarkable."

"I am not your experiment, old man." Malkaia stated with venom.

"Perhaps not, but I am curious about that remarkable eye of yours."

"Where is my blade?" Malkai aasked.

"I don't see how you cantote that thing around. It must weight a ton."

"I grow weary of this old man." Malkaia warned. "My blade."

"Its downstiars. I really suggest you let me run a few tests on you. There's something about you that seems to attract attention. It just begs to be studied."

"I have no time for this." Malkaia suggested.

With that Malkaia got off of the examination table and walked out of the laboratory. He proceeded down stairs once again, and found his blade laid flat on the table. To his misfortune, he was confronted by the Zola once again. This was a pattern that he did not enjoy, and his patience was wearing thin.

"Nice to see you up and around." She said.

"What do you want?" Malkaia asked. "My village is in danger, and I am hounded by a Zola."

"Well, you could call me by my name." She said. "Its Nagi."

"Fine....Nagi." Malkaia said as he places his blade back in the holster. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to."

"What would you say if I told you that the Gerudo have fallen?" nagi interrupted.

"I would say you are a liar." Malkaia countered.

"Yes you would, but I'm sure you know the truth...but wait...its not the gerudo you're concerned about...its more specific than that...not all of them...only one....Malon...isn't it?" She taunted him.

"Quiet!" He demanded. "How do you know of her?"

"The mind is like a book Malkaia Ryomoku." She explained. "It is easy to read, once you know how."

"What do you know?" He asked.

"I know that she is the sole survivor of the plague that has befallen your people. If you have a little patience, you will be reunited with her." She suggested. "Until then...we have much to discuss you and I."

"Fine. you have my attention."

Deep within Ganon's keep, the very area were the Sages were being held, something was taking place. Something that not even Zelda had predicted. Link was in his cell writhing in pain, holding his chest almost as if he was having some sort of heart attack. His screams echoed throughout the dungeon as he dropped to his knees trying to withstand the pain. Whatever this affliction that attacked his body, it became apparent that it was linked to the very darkness that consumed Hyrule.

"Link!!! What's wrong with you!?!" Darunia shouted.

"Don't touch me!" Link demanded.

"The great Darunia, shoved away by his sworn brother?" Darunia said to himself. "What is this world coming to?"

"He can feel it." Impa suggested. "The pain that Hyrule is feeling. The Darkness that has been unleashed upon its surface. There is something else at work here. Something more than we know."

"That was obvious the moment Ganon was freed from the Sacred Realm." Stated Nabooru.

"Well, either way. We need to find a way out of here. We cannot hope to restore the order if we remain prisoners." Ruto suggested.

"So what exactly do you suggest we do?" Darunia asked.

"You're the Goron. Can't you figure something out?" Ruto countered.

"This will not be easy in any case." Impa interrupted. "In case you didn't realize, Ganon's minions are everywhere. Not to mention that...that SON of his."

"He is the problem. Possibly more so than that of his father." Nabooru suggested.

"We..have to...try...." Link said painfully. "He must..be...stopped."

"Night does not show pause before anything but it's absolute counter-part...You just have to last till dawn." Andrea said with an almost cynical tone as she approached from the lake's edge.

There was a slight rush of wind and the light patter of feet as a startling white form appeared behind Andrea.

"You seem to have returned in one piece." she said with a slight smile as Arion came to sit at her side, his emerald gaze sharp and piercing as he looked at Malon, a quiet intelligence resting behind his eyes.

"No thanks are needed, I was merely passing through." Andrea replied as she gave a slight signal to Arion that they would be leaving. But oddly enough the beast did not move, he merely stood and looked at her critically. Though she had never forced any order upon him, Arion had never disobeyed her before, it was an odd streak of behavior to say the least.

With a slightly irritated glance at the creature she turned back to Malon and Malkaia.
"More to the point and pleasantries aside, why was your village attacked? I was there the night it transpired, I saw the beasts that besieged your home. What was their intent in doing so.?"

"I see..." Andrea replied, now slightly frustrated in being unable to pry any more information from him; probably due to the fact that he may know no more than they did.

Andrea then gave a slight nearly unnoticed bow to offer a small display of respect before turning to leave, she did not believe she had any reason to remain here. Besides she was not fond of staying in any place for to long.

"I will take my leave then." She said coolly. This time Arion made move to follow but his steps were reluctant, a behavior that continued to baffle his master.