There was no moon, no
stars to light her way through the inky blackness. The
water reflected no light, making it as black as the
expanse above. Yet, the young woman in the wooden boat in
the middle of the Hyrulian Sea needed no light. Evil
thoughts are black as a night sky. After all these years,
she was finally returning to the land where it had all
began. She would be able to seek and find what was
supposed to be hers. All those years ago, I could have
had it all....she thought, her slender, pale hand
tightening around the midnight colored prism around her
neck. As the water lapped quietly against the sides of
the boat, memories of times long gone began to come to
her, allowing her to look back to events she wished she
could forget. Her name was Tempest, and she had been born
into extreme poverty on a remote island, several miles
from Hyrule. This island was so secluded, no name had
been attached to it. Upon this island, there had been a
tiny village, her village. From the time she was very
young, she had been forced to steal to survive. Her
childhood was made unbearable by poverty, as well as
shame. Shame had been in the early years, however. As
time wore on, she became hardened, not thinking about how
her theft affected others. Everyone else in her village
had been poor as well, making it so that villager was
pitted against fellow villager in a fierce need to
survive. Even in her earliest days, Tempest constantly
witnessed what such a fierce need can do to people.
Fights broke out almost every day over food, no matter
how meager the portion. The fights grew in number and
ferocity as the years passed. Killing soon followed. She,
just a young child, cowered in fear in her small dwelling
as the battles raged just outside her doorway. Her
parents, too, participated in such fights. Many were
unwilling to fight; yet it became a necessity if one
wished to simply eat. Those that were weak were the first
to lose the battle for food, even for life. The strong
engaged one another in bloody fights that raged in the
village’s dirt walkways. Even passerby weren’t
safe, often getting dragged into frays. The children
watched it all, either shrinking back in fear or
participating in battles of their own. As she grew older,
she found herself in a few such battles. It was here that
she learned just how ruthless another person can be, just
how far a need for food and rupees can transform a person
into a monster. Through it all, her thieving skills
became better, more crafty. She was just a young girl at
this point, but was just as merciless as the murderers
that stalked the paths at night. She too, often ventured
out at night to plunder. It was easier then, with most
people in their homes, to steal food or to filch a few
rupees here and there from markets, unnoticed. With what
she stole, Tempest managed to make a simple living. Her
parents, by this time, were no longer around. They had
abandoned their own child to escape the fights and
squalor of the ruined village. The girl they had left
behind now found herself struggling to hold on to what
little she possessed.. Others would come to her dwelling
when darkness fell, trying to take what she had for their
own. She carried a dagger at all times, even when at
rest. A few times, she had to resort to using it. She
wounded many a thief this way. After a time, the number
of attempted thefts on her food and rupees eased, but did
not stop. People were like animals, such was the state of
poverty on the small island. Those that no longer wished
to fight left the island, leaving in boatfulls for a
better existence. Soon, the small population of the
village was even smaller. This did not deter the fights
and killings from taking place, though. They grew in
number and intensity. And she had seen it all. Too young
to leave the island on her own, she stayed in her
dwelling by day and only ventured out at night, when less
squabbling was occurring. The poverty had become worse as
well, leaving little even for the thieves, and she now
found herself coming back with increasingly less each
night. It went on this way for the next several years.
One evening, while walking the dirt paths that
crisscrossed the village, she overheard two people
discussing something. Hiding herself behind the nearest
building so as not to be seen, she eavesdropped on the
conversation. A man spoke. “Can’t believe what’s
goin’ on in Hyrule. Heard tale that a Gerudo by name
of Ganondorf’s gonna be a’goin’ to the
Sacred Realm ta git the Triforce. Wants other people ta
git involved, too. Insane, I tell ya.” Tempest did
not hear what the other villager said in response; she
was no longer listening. It seemed too good to be true.
People were actually going to try and get the Triforce?
She felt her heart leap, and she trembled with
excitement. Wild thoughts began to flit through her head
like birds in a spring sky. If she found this Ganondorf,
perhaps she could have a chance at touching the sacred
Triforce, gaining some of its power. Then, she’d no
longer be tired, hungry, every day. No longer would she
cry the bitter tears of disappointment and anger as she
tried to sleep at night. It was then and there that she
decided to travel to the land of Hyrule, to meet this
Ganondorf and find the Triforce.************ Over the
next few days, gossip and talk of all sorts spread
through the village like a fire in a dry forest. Talk of
the Gerudo, Ganondorf, and of the Triforce was on the
lips of everyone, thoughts of the same subject in their
brains. Many thought the undertaking was insane. In these
circles, the name Ganondorf was synonymous with the term
‘crazy’. Yet, for all those that condemned him,
there were those that saw only a need for power.
Ganondorf was hailed as a genius by such people, one of
whom being Tempest. There were many rumors that Ganondorf
had tried to get the Triforce and failed; yet others
swore that he had gained terrifying power from it. And
there was another group that firmly believed that
Ganondorf still had to enter the Sacred Realm and get the
Triforce. Many people talked of going to Hyrule to join
him. Within a few days, many began to launch their boats
out on the Hyrulian Sea, often going in large groups.
Gathering her scant belongings, Tempest left her dwelling
with one of these groups. They traveled over the ocean
for many days, surviving through hunger, seasickness, and
temperamental water. The Triforce grew closer with every
stroke of the paddle, with each breath they drew. With
people being as close together as they were, and with
hopes mounting, arguments about petty things would have
broken out, if by this time they had grown too weary to
argue. Finally, the lookout gave the cry that land had
been spotted. The people in the boat, who had been
lifeless with exhaustion, began to come to life, cheering
and screaming as they began to come closer to the land
that had been seen. From the moment that the boat’s
front hit the shore of Hyrule, the occupants of the boat
were frantic in finding Ganondorf. They poured out over
the land in droves, searching out people who might know
where Ganondorf was. Finally, someone gave a member of
the group a correct location. Heading west, they found
themselves in a fortress full of Gerudo women. Their
leader was the great Ganondorf, the one who would lead
them all to the Sacred Realm to find the Triforce. From
the moment they saw their leader for the first time, they
knew their quest for the Sacred Triangles would be
successful. Ganondorf was the only male in his village,
which, Tempest learned, was customary. He led everyone in
his village as well as they. He was tall, strong, red
haired and yellow eyed, and his skin was golden brown. He
was clad in black armor. His horse was a Gerudo stallion,
black as pitch. He was an impressive figure that spoke to
his followers of high hopes, and of the bitterness of
unfulfilled dreams.. Everyone hung onto his every word.
Ganondorf also told them that their quest for the
Triforce would not be easy. The gate to the Sacred Realm
was located in a temple, and was guarded by a stone door.
The door could only be opened by a certain person
carrying certain stones, along with a special ocarina. As
everyone began to despair at these words, Ganondorf said
he knew who this person was, and would do anything
necessary to get into the Sacred Realm.. He departed that
night. A few days passed, all of which Tempest and the
rest of Ganondorf’s followers spent within the
Gerudo camp. Finally, in the middle of the night,
Ganondorf returned, shouting for everyone to mount their
horses and follow him. Confusion broke out for a few
minutes while everyone scrambled for their weapons. Then,
everyone began to mount their horses and take off after
the dim form of the galloping black stallion and its
rider. There was much talk as they rode. Apparently,
Ganondorf had found the way into the Sacred Realm. The
Triforce would soon be theirs. Finally, they came into
view of a drawbridge. It was down, and Tempest could make
out a small town just behind it. Ganondorf led them right
in, galloping down the cobblestone walkway that ran
through the center of the town. People were out of their
houses and screaming, “Look, Ganondorf returns!”
There were other shouts of, “He was responsible for
Princess Zelda’s exile, the dog!” Ganondorf
slapped his horse and shouted, making it run faster. The
rest of the people followed. People who stood shouting in
the middle of the walkway either got out of the way or
had a close encounter with death by the multitude of
hooves that stampeded through the town. Many others ran
inside their houses or trembled alongside the walkways
with fright. Ganondorf paid them all no notice, and led
his followers right to a large temple, situated near the
town. There were gasps of awe and murmurs from the crowd
rallied behind Ganondorf. Dismounting, Ganondorf led them
all inside. Tempest admired the red carpet she walked on,
edged in gold, and the large windows. The ceiling was so
high, it vanished into nothingness above their heads. The
carpet led up to a black marble altar. Three stones, one
red, one blue, and the other green, shone from three
hollows in it. An inscription was beneath it. Beyond
that, there was a large doorway. A symbol of the Triforce
glowed above it. Beyond, there were many steps. And in
the center of these steps was a beam of light, the very
one that would lead them to the Sacred Realm. Ganondorf
stood before the altar, holding up his hands for his
followers to halt and listen. “My loyal followers,
our toil has been justly rewarded. Just a mere hour ago,
the boy that held all the keys to the Sacred Realm
removed the Master Sword from the stone. He is gone, and
will not trouble us. The meddlesome Princess Zelda is
gone as well. I made sure to ‘escort’ the
princess and her nursemaid out of town. After she had
gone, I came to this temple, the Temple of Time, and saw
the boy open the door with my own eyes. I watched as he
was sealed away in the realm. After that, I came for all
of you. Hurry, the portal will not last long!”
Cheers of “All hail Ganondorf!” rose from the
assembly. Ganondorf grinned widely, then walked through
the door, up the steps, and toward the light. Here, he
paused and turned back to his followers. “Come, my
people, the Triforce awaits!” At the sound of these
words, the people who stood before the altar came running
forth at a flood. They all went to the light, ran right
through it, and simply vanished. The others watched in
astonishment before starting through themselves. Tempest
was one of the last people to walk up the steps. Her body
trembled with excitement and fear. What lay beyond? With
a shaking hand, Tempest reached out and touched the
light. To her surprise, it didn’t hurt. She could
feel a pull which tugged her, inviting her to come to the
world beyond. Closing her eyes tightly, Tempest walked
into the light. She could feel the pull again, sense the
light grow brighter outside her tightly closed eyelids.
It felt as if she were floating. Suddenly, the light
dimmed, and her feet touched solid ground. Opening her
eyes, Tempest found herself amid a paradise, a perfect
world. Here, the grass was green, the sky azure. The
flowers which grew were luminous. Ganondorf began to lead
them through this perfect land. Suddenly, the sky turned
bright gold. There were cries of surprise and fright from
the crowd. Squinting, Tempest looked up into the amber
sky. There, just slightly more golden then the sky around
it, was the Triforce itself. As everyone watched in awe,
a whispered voice reached their ears, a voice so
mysterious that it defied even the most vivid of
imaginations. “Make a wish; it shall be granted,”
the hypnotic voice of the Triforce whispered softly.
Ganondorf laughed evilly, holding his hands up to receive
the Triforce’s power. All the people behind him
pressed forward, shouting about their own need for power.
Ganondorf turned on them, snarling like a wild animal or
a creature possessed. A dagger was in his hand. With a
cry of rage, Ganondorf plunged forth, holding the dagger.
Even from where she was, Tempest could see the looks of
horror on the faces of the people, some from her own
village. These looks quickly turned to pain as the dagger
found its marks. With blood running out of them like
crimson waterfalls, the afflicted fell to the earth.
There were gasps and cries from the rest of the
followers, who quickly tried to back away from Ganondorf
and his slashing dagger. Many more fell, and pandemonium
broke out; it was clear that they had been betrayed. As
soon as Ganondorf knew his followers were far enough at
bay, he reached out for the Triforce again. Those that
were left standing watched as Ganondorf’s face
contorted into a mask of twisted victory, heard his laugh
that rang out and echoed in their ears like a nightmare.
There was a bright flash as Ganondorf’s hands,
tainted with the blood of those he had killed, made
contact with the Triforce. It was at this moment that
time seemed to stand still. Everyone watched with a mix
of awe and fear as the Triforce’s light engulfed the
figure of the Gerudo. Moments later, his laugh of triumph
turned to a scream of anger. When the light vanished,
they could all see the monstrous face of Ganondorf, see
him holding absolutely nothing.“The blasted Triforce
has separated itself!” Ganondorf shouted, his body
trembling with rage. As he shouted, an image of the
Triforce appeared on the back of his hand. He now held
the Essence of the Triforce of Power.The remaining people
backed away as he came toward them. The top triangle on
the image he carried on his hand glowed with a mystical
light. “The power of the Triforce of Power shall aid
me!” he cried. A blast of light came from the hand
he held out before him, striking the people in front of
him. The smell of burnt flesh filled the air. Tempest
tried to run but stumbled, falling to the ground. The
beam of light passed just over her head. The final cries
of those who had not escaped rang in her ears. She could
hear the lurid sound of blood sizzling. Panting and
shaking with fright, Tempest turned to where Ganondorf
stood. He grinned at her as he came, the image on his
hand still blazing with light. “Looks as if you’re
the only one left. I won’t need the sorcery of the
Triforce of Power to destroy you.” As Tempest lay,
stock still, he held his bloodstained dagger over her
head. His demonic laugh sent chills down her spine. As he
came closer, her paralyzed legs began to work again
without her conscious thought. She began to run,
Ganondorf’s shout following her. He cursed as he
tried in vain to build his power. Up ahead, she could see
the light, the portal that had led her here. Heart
hammering, Tempest ran into the portal. She could feel
herself being transported back to the Temple of Time.
Once there, she began to run. She ran through the people
of the town, over the fields and to the Hyrulian docks.
Jumping down into a boat, she loosened the rope that tied
it to one of the posts with her dagger. When the boat was
free, she began to paddle without stopping. Dawn had
begun to brake over the horizon when she finally reached
her village, now devoid of all people. ************ For a
few years afterward, Tempest remained in the ruins of her
village. The bitterness of being denied power as well as
her hatred for Ganondorf rankled within her soul, making
her want to seek revenge. She sought to become a potent
sourceress.Late at night, she would stay up, thinking of
ways to one day get the Triforce for her own. She read
many books on wizardry, some of her studies and spells
lasting up until morning’s first light. Finally, one
night, blinking into the fire she had made to warm
herself, Tempest came up with a phenomenal idea.
Immortality was the key to having the Triforce for
herself. Many times in her books of spells and
necromancy, she read how the energy of souls contained
enough power to sustain one for many years. Most of the
spells that involved taking such energy were time
consuming to perform, and drained the sorcerer. Tempest
rose from her fire, grabbing one of the books. Leafing
through it, she found the proper spell. Here was a spell
that could create a powerful prism, one that could drain
the energy necessary. Laying the book on the table, she
studied the words for the spell, eyes hard and cold.
Finally, she rose from her chair, retrieving her black
cauldron and bags of powder. Loosing the drawstring on
one such bag, she emptied its contents into the bottom of
the cauldron. She repeated this with another bag, then
another. Then, it was time to add the last ingredients to
the brew. Taking her dagger, Tempest slowly slit one of
her fingers open. Red beads of blood slowly dripped into
the cauldron below, gleaming like minute rubies in the
fire light. When enough of her blood had been added,
Tempest referred to the book alongside the black pot.
After reading the words carefully, she dragged the
cauldron to the fire. Lifting it with some difficulty,
she hung it over the burning flames. Finally, she knelt
before the fire, her pale face illuminated with the blaze’s
glow, beginning to chant the ancient words to a spell
long forgotten. Her eyes closed as a trance began to
overtake her. Stretching her hands out, she began to
concentrate. The fire swirled with violet, pink and
yellow colors, wavering and crackling as if being fanned
with a strong pair of bellows. The inside of the cauldron
glowed with a mystical light. Liquid, formed by the
magic, sloshed along the sides, rising up higher and
higher, churning and frothing. Finally, it began to
stretch upwards. Floating out of the cauldron and before
Tempest’s eyes, the liquid hung suspended for a few
moments, quickly turning black. It began to harden,
forming the uniform walls of a prism. The sorceress held
her hand out, catching the newly formed prism as it fell.
As she held it, light swirled within it like a violet
tornado. A small smile formed on Tempest’s lips as
she put it around her neck. Shortly thereafter, finding
no further use for them, she burned all the books on
sorcery. ********** That had all been a couple centuries
ago. Since then, her tale had become legendary. Now, as
she held her prism, the Prism of Souls, in her hand, she
could feel its power. Within the walls of the prism she
carried around her neck was the energy of a soul. Her
body fed off of it until it was gone, then it would be
time to search for another soul to usurp, preferably one
that belonged to a strong person. She had lived for all
those years in this way. However, it was not exactly
immortality. Without the energy of a soul, she would soon
die. She couldn’t perish, not after all she’d
been through. She’d heard of all the happenings with
Ganondorf becoming Ganon, of the boy that had defeated
him, and the Seven Sages. Years later, she heard of his
escape, of the Dark World, and of the one who had
defeated him. He, the holder of the Triforce, and the
current princess of Hyrule were descendants of the ones
who had originally defeated the King of Evil. She smirked
at the thought of Ganon’s numerous defeats. What an
imbecile, she thought, laughing. She felt a pang deep
within her, and knew that the energy of the soul trapped
within the prism was getting weaker. Soon, she knew, it
would be time to find a new soul. A new day was
beginning. In the dawn’s first rays of light, the
woman could discern land just ahead. It was Hyrule, the
place where it had all begun. She’d been biding her
time for centuries, but not anymore. A small smile tugged
at her lips as she eagerly began to paddle toward the
land mass ahead. A new soul and the Triforce would soon
be hers.....
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