For the first time in a few months, the wind was not as brutally fierce, the sky not as grey. The snow was starting to melt, and water drops shone like diamonds as they dripped from the icicles that hung from the rooftops. The sound of birds as they sang their songs floated from the forests instead of the silence and stillness there had been. This was early spring in Hyrule, a time of regrowth and new life. People began to venture outside into the now warm sunshine, and the villiage of Kakariko was alive again with talk and activity. Link, Zelda, and Anna all noticed this as they walked through the crowds of people to Sasharala’s house. Ever since their encounter with Agahnim, all of them had been curious, and had wanted to learn more about the Triforce Pendant. Sasharala was the wisest person in Kakariko, and everyone seeking wisdom went to him. As Link pushed open the door to Sasharala’s house, they could make out the huddled figure of the wise man in his chair at the back of the room. “Why, Link, it has been quite some time. You look as if you want to talk about something. I see you’ve brought Princess Zelda with you too. But, who is this third person you have brought with you?” “ This is my younger sister, Anna. I was hunting in the Lost Woods late last summer when I found her. Ganon returned not long after, and it was Anna who defeated him,” Link explained. “ Ah, yes, the sister of the Legendary Hero has come forth at last. The latter chapters of the Book of Mudora have foretold all about her, and the artifact she wears,” Sasharala said. He questioned Link, “Have you brought the Book of Mudora with you?” “Yes,” Link answered, producing the book from the pouch on his belt. As Link, Zelda, and Anna pulled up some of the wooden chairs to sit on, Sasharala flipped through the pages, trying to find the right chapter. “Ah, yes, here it is. The chapter about the sister of the Legendary Hero. ‘The sister of the Legendary Hero will step forward in a time of great need. The pendant she wears is actually a piece of jewelry made from a piece of the Fourth Triforce itself. It has been handed down for generations, and not too much is known about its powers.’” Sasharala looked up from the Book of Mudora. “ Link, you say that Anna defeated Ganon not long after you met her for the first time in years. What exactly happened to you that you were unable to defeat him yourself?” “Well......” Link began. “When we were fighting, I tried to hit him, only, he hit me with his trident. I was knocked out. Later, Zelda told me that while I lay there, Ganon tried to destroy me. Yet Anna stopped him with her pendant. Later, during the winter, the spirit of Agahnim appeared and told us he wanted Anna’s pendant, which he called the Triforce Pendant. He said he needed it to live again. We defeated him, but ever since then, we’ve all been wondering about the Triforce Pendant: its origin, its power....” “Well, my boy, let me tell you what I was told on the subject. It all began several centuries ago, when the three goddesses first created the Triforce. The Triforce is divided into three parts: The Triforce of Wisdom, Triforce of Power, and Triforce of Courage. There is rumored to be a fourth part to it, but it was lost very early on in history. The way it was lost is not all too clear, however. It was shattered into many small pieces. One piece was found by a Hylian, who is your ancestor, Link, Anna. He handed it down to his youngest child, who handed it down to their youngest child, et cetera. Years later, during the time period of the ImprisioningWar, there were the knights of Hyrule that protected the king and the Seven Wise Men when Ganon’s evil soldiers flooded out of the former Golden Land to prevent the Wise Men from creating their seal. Many, monster and knight, died that day, but those that survived were grateful. The Captain of the knights, another ancestor of Link’s and Anna’s, now had the piece from the shattered Fourth Triforce. He was going to be married, so he took the piece and had it made into jewelry for his future wife. And so, it continued to be passed down,” Sasharala said, ending his story. “ There is a fourth part to the Triforce?” Zelda exclaimed incredulously. “No one knows for sure, but that is what the stories say,” Sasharala said. For the rest of the time, Link, Zelda, and Anna chatted with Sasharala about the latest village happenings. Finally, Link rose and told Sasharala that they had to be going. “All right,” the old man answered, “but be warned. The Book of Mudora foretells of a time when the sister of the Legendary Hero will be corrupted with evil magic.” *** Later, as Link, Zelda, and Anna walked back to Hyrule castle, Link said thoughtfully, “ I wonder about if there was any truth to Sasharala’s statement about Anna becoming evil one day.” “Of course not,” Anna scoffed, “why would I ever turn against you and Zelda?” Link replied with, “Yeah, I guess you’re right, Anna,” although he was still troubled. *** The next day was a beautiful day, sunny, warm, and a perfect day for a walk. Link went hunting with their uncle early, and Zelda had business to attend to in another country with her father for the day, and wouldn’t be home until late that night. So it was Anna who left the cottage early to go for a walk. She was walking amongst the trees near the Waterfall of Wishing when she discovered a dark hole in the ground. Bending down, she leaned over the hole. Cool air rushed up to hit her face, and she could hear water gurgling down below. So, Anna thought, this is a faerie pond.. Curious, she leaned in a little farther. Suddenly, she was tumbling downward into the hole. Screaming, she shut her eyes and prepared to make contact with the water down below her. Moments later, she did. Dripping wet and shaken, she stood up and waded foward. There was an underground passageway, and Anna followed it, hoping to find a way out. Anna suddenly sensed evil vibes not too far where she was standing. She froze, heart pounding. Was it Ganon again? Or perhaps Agahnim? She held her breath. Suddenly, a shimmering black sphere of energy appeared and hovered in front of her. It flew back, trailing dark sparkles behind it. This was a faerie, but unlike others she had encountered, Anna sensed this one was evil. The faerie grew in size, took on a shape. Anna could see the outline of her body and wings. Suddenly, a faerie stood in front of her. She was taller than Anna, wore a long, dark dress, and had long black hair. Her skin was very pale, and her dark, narrowed eyes peered straight through Anna. Her wings were also a very dark color, stretched out on either side of her body. “ I am the Dark Faerie. You have disturbed my hidden home. I, the sister of the Queen of Faeries, Venus, was banished here long ago. You will be severely punished for this.” “Try it!” Anna said defiantly. Her pendant burst with energy, lighting the whole chamber. The Dark Faerie shielded her eyes. “Enough!” the Dark Faerie boomed. Anna, momentarily startled, forgot her anger. The pendant stopped glowing. “Such power,” the Dark Faerie marveled. “Such a shame I must destroy it.....Wait a minute, I have another idea. Instead of destroying you, I will turn you to my side. Yes! What a perfect idea.” “No, it’s a horrible idea. I’ll never be on your side!” Anna shouted. “ That’s where you’re wrong. I’ll force you!” the Dark Faerie said. With that, she stared deeply into Anna’s eyes, probing her mind, seeing into her thoughts. “Ah, you are Anna,the sister of the Legendary Hero of Hyrule, Link. All the better! You will be a perfect companion, doing whatever I say.” With this, she pointed at Anna’s pendant. The chain snapped, and it fell into the water. “ First, I will make you a new pendant with my dark magic. Then, you will be on my side!” With this, the Dark Faerie snapped her fingers. Anna closed her eyes, body going completely limp. The Dark Faerie picked her up, flying with her into the next part of the chamber. Here was where the Dark Faerie cast all her spells. There was a large, shallow pond in the center of the room. The Dark Faerie lay Anna here, then spread some magic powder on her from a bag she carried. Next, after muttering a spell, the Dark Faerie formed a black magic sphere in her hands. This slowly became as hard as glass. The Dark Faerie attached a chain to it, then put it around Anna’s neck. The Dark Faerie muttered another spell. Wings grew from Anna’s back. She was now a faerie like the Dark Faerie. “Awaken, Anna, my servant!” the Dark Faerie cried. Anna slowly sat up. Her eyes smouldered with evil. “I will do your bidding, and yours only, Dark Faerie,” she said. “That is good. You now have the power to destroy whatever gets in our way,” the Dark Faerie cackled, and Anna cackled with her. *** It was late that night, and Link and his uncle had returned from their hunting trip several hours ago. They had already eaten, and Anna had not shown up. It was now pitch black outside, still no Anna. Link’s uncle had left Link in charge of the house while he went to look for Anna. His uncle had returned about an hour later. Anna could not be found, he had said. Now, a few hours later, Link’s uncle was asleep, and Link was in bed too. However, Link was unable to sleep. He didn’t see how his uncle managed to. Getting out of bed, he got dressed and lit a lantern. It threw an eerie glow on his empty bed, Anna’s empty bed, right next to his, and at the other side of the room, the bed where his uncle lay sleeping. Link knew he had to talk to Zelda. He left his cottage, went north along the dirt path, and came to the cobblestone walkway that went through the castle arches, through the rose hedges, and to the castle’s front doors. As he walked along it, he remembered Anna had been found on this very path. Shaking the thought away, he looked to the castle, where the lights were still on. Good. Everyone was still awake. He walked up to the front doors and pushed them open. Going up a few flights of stairs,he was soon in the throne room. Zelda was alone, sitting on her throne, reading an old book on Hylians. “Zelda?” Link asked. Zelda looked up. “Oh, hello, Link. What brings you to the castle so late?” she asked. “Well, when my uncle and I came home from our hunting trip, Anna wasn’t home.We had dinner, still no Anna. It started to get dark, so my uncle went looking for her. He came in and said he couldn’t find her. So, we both went to bed. My uncle’s asleep, but I couldn’t sleep, so I came here.....” “Oh, Link. I’m sorry you can’t find Anna. I’ll help you look for her if you want.” Zelda offered. “Thanks, Zelda. Let’s go out again. Bring a lantern, it’s pitch dark. We won’t be out too long, though.” “Oh, Link, don’t forget this,” Zelda said. Going to the corner of the room, she took the Master Sword out of the chest where it was now kept and presented it to him. He thanked her, and they started out. For about an hour, they held their lanterns in front of them, calling Anna’s name. There was never a response of any kind, and they both grew weary of searching for her. Finally, they both stood together near the Waterfall of Wishing, having second thoughts about continuing the search. “Well,” Zelda sighed, “I guess we won’t find her tonight.” “Yeah, I suppose we should go home and come back tomorrow,” Link yawned. Suddenly, a new voice cut in, “You won’t be going home.” Link and Zelda turned. Link clutched the Master Sword until his knuckles were white. The Dark Faerie appeared in front of them. “Who are you?” Link asked sharply. “ I am the Dark Faerie, sister of Venus, Queen of Faeries,” the Dark Faerie said. “ I am here to destroy you both, and win the Triforce for my own.” “ You won’t destroy us!” Zelda hissed. In answer, the Dark Faerie flung some magic spheres at them. Link deflected them. “Curse you, Hero,” the Dark Faerie snarled. “ I may not be able to beat you alone, but I have someone to help me.” With this, another form appeared beside the Dark Faerie. “ You called, Dark Faerie?” a new and familiar voice inquired. Link and Zelda gasped. It was Anna! They turned and looked at her in amazement. Her eyes burned with hate, her simple blue dress replaced with a long red one. Dark wings stretched out on either side of her. “Yes, Anna, indeed I did. Show these pathetic fools what your new pendant can do,” the Dark Faerie ordered. “Yes, Dark Faerie,” Anna said, floating closer. “Well, well. If it isn’t my brother and the Princess. You will never win against me and the Dark Faerie. We will destroy you both!” With this, Anna shot zaps of lightning from her pendant at them. They were nearly hit, but dodged out of the way. “Anna, listen! You were not meant to be evil! Don’t listen to this witch!” Link cried. “No, you listen, Link,” Anna growled, “ I am finally on the winning side. You must join me, and together, we will bring back the Dark World in all its glory!” “No, Anna, you’ve been brainwashed! Don’t listen to the Dark Faerie!” Zelda cried. “Silence!” the Dark Faerie shrieked. “Anna, you are my servant, you will listen to me and only me!” Anna nodded. “Now, turn your brother and the princess to our side!” ordered the Dark Faerie. “Yes, Dark Faerie,” Anna replied. she stared deeply into Link’s eyes. She would try to win him over first. Link tried to fight it, but she was slowly overwhelming him. His mind went blank. He began to feel dizzy. Zelda saw this, picked up a stone, and threw it at Anna. This made her break her concentration and thus the spell. Link, dazed, shook his head. “Thanks, Zelda,” he said. “ Curses!” the Dark Faerie cried. Link suddenly remembered the Triforce Pendant. Maybe if he used it, he could bring Anna back to their side. “Hey, Dark Faerie, where’s the Triforce Pendant?” he asked. “Right here,” the Dark Faerie said cooly, making it appear in front of her. She held it in her hand, then threw it at Link’s feet. “ Try it, it won’t work for you, only for Anna,” the Dark Faerie laughed. “ She’s right,” Zelda said. “ Just like the Master Sword only works for you, the Triforce Pendant works only for Anna.” Link thought quickly. All Hyrulians had magic power,all Hyrulians could use telepathy.....That’s it! he thought. Focusing, he thought, Anna, can you hear me? He directed this to Anna. “Yes, I can hear you,” Anna sneered. “ And after I’m through, I won’t be hearing you anymore!” Taking the pendant off, she held it up above her. Purple charges of electricity flowed and sparked around the pendant. “ Prepare to say goodbye!” she cried, then sent a shower of dark magic spheres down on Link and Zelda, which they ducked and dodged. Suddenly, getting another idea, Link took the Triforce Pendant and heaved it at the Dark Pendant as hard as he could. There was an explosion of light, so bright, it blinded them. Anna and the Dark Faerie let out cries of defeat and anger. The light grew brighter, brighter.... Then, suddenly, all was dark and silence. Link opened his eyes. He felt dizzy, and his head pounded. He was laying in the castle guest room. Impa was smiling down at him. “Link,” she said softly, “you’re the first to awaken.” “ Zelda, Anna....” he said weakly. “ Hush, they’re fine,” Impa soothed. She motioned to two seperate beds where Zelda and Anna lay sleeping. He smiled weakly, then sank back down. “What happened, Impa?” he asked. “Well, after you and the princess went out, I waited for you. When you didn’t come back, I went out looking for you. I found you all out cold. I also found Anna’s Pendant.” “ Well,” Link started to explain, but Impa quiteted him again. “ Explain it to me later,” she said, and Link fell asleep. *** Early the next afternoon, Link was walking around the courtyard. Zelda approached him. “ What happened last night, Link?” she asked. “All I remember is you throwing the Triforce Pendant at the Dark Pendant, and a bright flash of light. I don’t remember anything else.” “ Well, I got the idea that if I threw the good pendant at the bad pendant, the good one would destroy the bad one. I never figured that would happen. Impa found us, and got some gaurds to take us all to the castle.. She told me everything this morning.” “What about the Dark Faerie?” asked Anna, who had come up behind them. She remembered nothing of what happened until Link and Zelda had told her earlier that morning. “ She was destroyed. Right before I blacked out, I saw her being hit with the full effects of the Triforce Pendant.” “What a relief,” Anna said. “But it’s not over yet,” Link said. “What do you mean?” asked Zelda. “ I know that the war we fight against evil won’t be over for a long time. Especially now that they’re all after the Triforce Pendant. Ganon has been quiet for too long, and I expect he’ll be back soon....” Link finished. “ Oh, Link, you worry so much,” Zelda chided. “ You’re right,” Link said. Turning, he looked at the cloudless blue sky. Smiling to himself, he let his worries melt away. Everything, at least for now, would be all right.