LINK AND TETRA were shoved, prodded, and kicked into moving with their captors towards the tower. As they approached the army, Link's ears pounded more and more with the cacophonous noise.
It was a scene of terror. One not witnessed in a thousand years. Monster pounded the butt of spears against stone. Others rang swords against shields. It became a hypnotic, terrible chant.
Link could sense a thirst for blood.
They marched ever closer to the tower. Having seen great heights like the summit of Dragon Roost or the tower of the Gods, Link had become a bit more accustomed to the sight. But it's dark bricks, it's sheer, unornamented exterior, all made for a monolithic, imposing sight.
This was not the humble hut he had found Ganondorf in before. This was a fortress. It was a seat of a evil.
And he could feel it. He felt a an oppressive force emanating from it. Never had Link been in a place that seemed so profane, so lacking in the presence of the goddesses.
He focused on the triforce of courage, and felt it strengthen his resolve somewhat. He continued to walk, resolute.
When they entered the tower, it was dark, lit only by dim candles placed about the chamber.
And they began to climb. Up expansive, wide stairways, circling the tower higher and higher. It was like the hero of time's climb up to fight Ganondorf.
What surprised Link was how relatively lavish it all was. The stairs were draped with thick red cloth, which gold embroidered designs on the edges.
Ornate pillars passed beside them, also accented with gold.
Tension mounted within Link, until finally, the crested the top of the stairs. A dark room, lit only by a fireplace.
A featureless shadow stared back at them.
To his surprise, Link no longer felt a spear staff poking in his back, and he heard the creatures depart down the stairs, leaving him and Tetra alone.
Link stared at his foe. He couldn't make out much of his features.
The shadow extended a hand. Tetra suddenly began to shake, and wince in apparent pain.
"What are you doing to her?" Link demanded.
The room was suddenly brightly illuminated. As it faded, and Link blinked away the afterimage, he saw a different girl in front of him.
Tetra, once again, was finely dressed, her hair well kept and golden.
"There you are...," Ganondorf said, "Princess Zelda. I will not have you hiding from me in such an important moment."
"That's Princess Tetra to you," she said.
And Link noticed a difference from before. She really wasn't Princess Zelda. Her skin looked less rough, but it was still darkened by the sun. The makeup was lighter than it had been before. She also was wearing almost more of a skirt than a dress. Really, it looked much more like Tetra. Maybe even more than she usually let others see.
Ganondorf looked out upon them, not saying anything for a time.
"I will speak with you later hero of winds," Ganondorf said. His mention of Link's title had no trace of contempt, of ridicule.
Link felt large, monstrous hands grab his arms, and they dragged him away from Tetra down a corridor.
"No!" he yelled.
Despite his struggling, he was unable to reach into his satchel.
Link was tossed into a prison cell, undoubtedly bruising him. He was so focused on Tetra though that he barely even registered pain.
The door clanged shut, and his guards grabbed his satchel. Then they stood silently near his cell.
What would Ganondorf do to her? Link was confident that she could handle herself, but that was when she had a weapon. She was also alone. Alone with the physical embodiment of evil.
Link brought to mind when he had last spoken to Ganondorf. The ancient Gerudo had tried to convince Link to join him. Link had read enough stories to know that joining the villain was not something a hero did.
But Ganondorf had also sounded frighteningly convincing. He'd preyed on Link's fears and anxieties. Tried to strike at painful areas, and then, take advantage of that to convince Link to join him.
How would Tetra fare? Would he wrack her with guilt for her past? Wear her down until she no longer stood strong? Would Tetra be able to resist his dark powers?
Link bellowed in defiance. He felt that burning fire within him.
No, not fire. A slightly chilly feeling. Like a crisp wind.
The triforce emblem, ever present on the back of his hand, ignited into light once again. It startled his guards, and when they approached to investigate, he punched one hard in its snout, and Link grabbed his satchel from it, right before its companion stuck a spear in him.
He brought the master sword forth from his satchel, and slid it through the bars, taking out one. The other didn't take much longer.
As they staggered to the ground, and began to dust away into smoke, Link grabbed the keys from them, and escaped.
He made for the room he had been in, but found it vacant. All there was, were a set of final stairs, leading higher.
And so Link ran up them. To Tetra, to Ganondorf, and to destiny.
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