The morning was refreshing. It was quiet with a light breeze blowing across the ranch. Inside was a different story as the party from the night before had everyone sleeping under one roof. Link was the first awake followed by Navi. Link got dressed, grabbed his gear, and they both attempted to sneak out as to not worry anyone. Though he faced many strong enemies in the past, this task proved difficult. Nearly everyone was clogging up the whole of the main floor. With every step, he watched as the noise echoed and nearly woke them up. 
 

He eventually made it out but found Zelda, Saria, and Nabooru standing at the entrance to the ranch. They had bags packed and each had a horse.
 

"What are you all doing out here?"

All three had slept together in the same room as Malon and he didn't think to see if they hadn't already woken up.
 

"They were waiting for you."
 

Link stood there confused. He knew they didn't want to come along. Could they? He shook his head and started to walk past them. It was then that he was pulled back with a strong grip.
 

"We are here to aid it. It was upon the Goddess's request."

Nabooru looked into Link's eyes, her intimidation forcing him to stay where he was currently standing.
 

"Now, you may not agree with us going but we will helo you no matter the risks. This is our home too."
 

"Nabooru is right. We are all connected in some way. Please do not deny the help from others. Zelda, Saria, and Nabooru have gifts that can aid not only you but anyone that asks for their help. I may just be a farm girl but I know that friends are important."
 

Everyone stood there awaiting Link's response. With Link being a stubborn person, no one knew what answer to expect.
 

"I don't agree with the help but if you were told by a Goddess, then I have no choice. There is one condition, however. Nabooru will escort Zad back to Zora's domain and help if she can. I need you, Saria, to go to Kakariko village and see if Impa knows anything about a book to release the powers contained in the rings. Navi and I will head back to Kokiri forest and take the challenge in the Sacred Meadow. Zelda, I need you to head back to Hyrule Castle and inform the King and the townspeople about what has happened."

Everyone was shocked. After everything Link went through on his own, everyone had expected him to resist. Instead, he had given everyone but Malon specific instructions. They all agreed to these terms and after saying their goodbyes and agreeing to meet back at the ranch afterward, all but Nabooru headed out in their given direction. She had to wait until Zad had awoken before she could start her task. Though she had patience with Link, anyone else was a different story. Nonetheless, she didn't want to cause any more trouble so she sucked it up and waited inside for the fish man to awaken.

Though the Darkness was slowing, the forest in which Link had called home looked as if it came from a nightmare. With everything that had happened, he had no time to take in all the damage. All that mattered now was that the Kokiri were safe and no one, besides the Deku tree had died. He vowed to keep it that way.

Link looked around as he walked through up the path to Lost Woods. He remembered feeling useless the last time they were all there. If not for his friends, he would have died before being reawakened.

"Link"

Navi had perched herself on Link's shoulder the whole way back.

"What are you going to do about Dark Link? He vanished again. With him still around, things will be more difficult."

"I know. I now know how to defeat him but the last battle left us with no chance. We just need to let him find us. It won't be long. Trust me."

"I know. I'm still worried about what he could be doing."

The little fairy was restless as she sat atop his shoulder. The trip to the Sanctuary was now short but that didn't help her worries and fears.

Everything was quiet. Not even the animals were there to make a sound. To Link, it felt a little ominous. It was then that the familiar light shone brightly and Nayru appeared.

"I see that it is time to take the challenges I have set for you Hero. Now step forth and do not falter."

Just ahead of Link, a large set of steps rose from the ground to connect the path just above to the ground in which he now stood. From what he could see, the path led to nothingness. Not so strange considering the way he was taken to his first trial.

Knowing what he must now do, he set forth with his new determination and vowed to do whatever it took to obtain the ring and become one more step closer to stopping the Phantom.

At the end of the path, a sight all too familiar lay just ahead of him, the eerie entrance to the temple that held his first encounter with Phantom Ganon.

Thinking that this trial was going to be easy, he walked up to the door and opened it. However, behind the door lay a wall and a seemingly bottomless pit. With the courage of a true hero, he jumped down.

After a small fall, and picking himself up, he heard a faint cry in the distance. Pulling out his sword, he drew power to the blade. This illuminated just a few feet ahead of him and revealed a long hallway. Not wanting to waste any time thinking, he pushed on. The closer he got the louder the crying became. He was even able to tell that it was of a child.

"Do you need help?"

Link shouted just loud enough for his voice to reach. The crying had then stopped as his echoes had subsided.

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

Sniffles could be heard between each sentence.

"My mommy is trapped and I can't get her out."

As Link finally got close enough, he could see that the child crying was neither Kokiri nor Hylian. Not even Gerudo. The child was that of a Lizalfos. Knowing the exact point of this test, he calmly walked up to it and placed a hand over its head.

"It will be okay child. Though you may be of a species the overworld sees as hostile, I, however, have seen that there is more to the darkness than hatred."

The child's weeping instantly stopped and looked up at Link. They wiped their eyes to get a better look only to cower in fear of knowing who he was.

"No, please. I didn't do anything."

"It's okay child. In no way do I intend to harm you. Now, can you tell me what happened? I would be more than happy to help."

The child wiped its tears and looked up at Link.

"My father told me to stay here while he went inside. He has not come out yet. Please find out where he is. Tell him to return."

Link smiled and set off through the door. What he saw on the other side, however, made him rethink if this was part of the test. The walls immediately changed from rock to brick, a long hallway leading to a familiar setting. Link looked in shock as he saw himself back in the village just before his meeting with the Phantom. Only this time, everything was bright. A fire raged through the homes as if they were nothing. It seemed as though most of the villagers had fled but he knew one or a few had to remain. He needed to search for the child's father.

If not for the collapsing buildings, the search would be simple. Then again, everything up to that point, he had realized was far from that. He took quick peeks into each home but no one could be found. He searched on until he vaguely made out a body lying up against the path he had taken up to the tower. He ran over to find a Moblin that was barely alive.

"What happened here? Who or what did this?"

Link waited for an answer but the Moblin stayed silent.

"I want to help. I need to know what happened first. Are you able to speak?"

The Moblin lightly shook his head no and attempted to point up the hill leading to the tower. Reassuring the creature that he will be back to take care of his wounds, Link set off again to the place where everything changed.

The place was just the same as he left it. Rather, the battle from the phantom's chamber had not damaged anything. Having a hunch where the culprit might be, he rushed through the halls and up the secret passage like before. What waited for him was no surprise to him. His shadow, the other half of him was patiently waiting for battle.

"The more light you provide in your world; the stronger I become. My master wished your destruction and I shall obey."

Link readied his sword without saying a word and prepared to end this battle for good. The two matched sword strike blow for blow. Not one was gaining an advantage. Unlike the last two times, there was no reason for the shadow to run. Link watched his evil self and took notes of his stance, the way he defended, and how he would attack. With each attack, Link thought that the battle would rage forever. That facing a mirrored image of him was pointless. Then it hit him. Unlike the first two battles, Dark Link wasn't attacking with magic or trying to hide in wait. He realized that ever since he gained the ability to bring light to his blade, Dark Link has been scared. It seemed like he was even too scared to fight. Think that the light was the key; Link drew power to his sword and watched his other half back away.

"I was wondering when you would get serious, chosen hero of the gods. The warm up is over. It's time to show you my true power."

The room, though already pretty dark, became enshrouded in a darkness that could only be spawned from the deepest depths of the underworld. He was instantly blind. Not even the Master Sword could shine bright enough to reveal where he or his enemy were.

"Your time as a hero is up. The world will be ruled by the creation of the once Demon King. Light shall fall and Darkness will rise."

Link was knocked back by a heavy blow. Fortunately, it wasn't enough to injure him. He tried to listen for his enemy but the darkness was disorienting. He tried to keep his focus as he kept being hit. Rather he allowed himself to be hit as to obtain a general idea where most of the blows were coming from. He then remembered when he obtained the ring of Courage. He tried to use what he learned. To feel what was around you, to see nothing but the enemy. He cleared his mind of the darkness that surrounded him and focused on the punches and kicks that connected. Getting a feel for the enemy, his position became as clear as day. Dark Link came in for another attack and Link quickly blocked with his shield. Without hesitation, Link put all he had into the sword and sung with all his might. The shroud of darkness fell and Dark Link could be seen laying on the ground, sliced clean in half.

"You can't truly defeat me. So long as you exist, I will always be at your feet."

His dark counterpart disappeared and the room fell silent. All that remained was the other half of the Master Sword that he had actually forgotten all about and the rift the phantom had emerged from before getting away. With the battle done, Link grabbed the Shadow Sword and took it with him. On his way out, he realized that he had forgotten to ask why he had destroyed the village. Too late to ask now, he took the defeat of the enemy as a sign that things were starting to look up.

After keeping his promise to the wounded Moblin and carrying him back to where he entered, Link looked back down the hall and thought hard about what was going on. Something didn't feel right. He knew that if something was too easy, then something terrible was close behind. Before leaving, the child came up to Link and thanked him for saving his father. Link knelt down and patted the child on the head.

"I know the difference between a kind soul and a soul that fights for the darkness. I promise to take down the cause of your despair child and one day, you will be able to walk free amongst the rest of the races."

The Moblin child watched as Link disappeared into the dark hall back the way he came. As for Link, he pondered his situation as more questions were becoming known, than answers. Hoping that Nayru could help, he pushed his way back.

In the overworld, Link walked back out to find that the Goddess was not waiting for him. His original hunch was right. Knowing that he had to go back into the temple, he hurried to the door he had just come through. Before turning the knob, he thought about how he was going to find Nayru. There were only a wall and a hole waiting on the other hand. Pushing ahead and trying to take things one-step at a time, he opened the door. This time, the wall was gone and the familiar hall was waiting for him. He opened the next door and found that large hub with the elevator waiting for him. He took it with no hesitation and soon found himself in the room that Ganon had banished him, or rather, the same room in a different timeline.

On the floor, the whole Triforce lit up. He stepped into the light. He was instantly transported to Nayru's sanctuary. With beaming eyes, Nayru looked quite happy to see Link.

"We need to talk. I was unable to take your test. I was somehow transported to the underworld."

His smile quickly faded. She got up and floated around Link all while singing an incantation.

"Go ahead, child. No form of darkness can spy on us now. Tell me what had transpired."

"I face Dark Link. I don't know how or why, but I was lured into the dark realm to find him high above a burning city."

"That's impossible. No magic can be used around my sanctuary without my knowledge."

"It's as Link said."

Navi popped out of Link's pocket and told her what she had witnessed as well.

"I doubt you have seen the last of your shadow child. For now, we need to get you back on track. From what the fairy has said, you pretty much have shown what my test was going to be. You have shown kindness from one born from the dark. The ring of Love is yours. No more tests from me are needed. I have complete faith in you and your friends. Go. Your journey is still long and your friends may need help. Part of the power that rests within me is now yours."

Link reappeared just outside the Temple and rushed back to Hyrule without hesitation. The sooner he found the book and the last ring, then the sooner he could get rid of the Phantom.

A Town built on peace and pride, a place where all are equally welcome. Castle Town is the main hub for all the races of Hyrule. You need something; you can most likely find it in Castle Town market. Just above the lively market sat the home of a dreaming princess and a King who is losing hope in his kingdom. Zelda rushed passed her people with urgency. If not for what she was wearing, she would have easily been noticed. She had on farmer clothes and her long blond hair had been tucked under a straw hat.

Making sure she was undetected, she made her way to the gates just below the castle and finally revealed herself.

"I need to speak to my father. It is of the utmost importance."

The guards, though looking as if they had seen a ghost, let her through. They were unsure what to make of the situation. Instead of pondering the situation too much, they went on with their work.

Zelda, now out of anyone but the guard's view, screamed for the castle gate itself to be opened. As with the guards below, the one in charge looked surprised. He tripped over himself a few times before finally releasing the gate. As soon as it was completely down, she quickly made her way to the throne chamber, where the King, Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule sat. Though seeing his daughter again after some time apart, he seemed to have no reaction.

"Come to my side, my daughter. There are important matters that need attending to."

"But father, I myself need to speak about the situation at hand. The fabled Hero of Time and his companions saved me. But at a cost."

"Later, for now, there is trouble in Castle Town. I'm sure you saw it on the way in. The streets are much more crowded than they were before the lands began to decay."

Puzzled as to why this could be bad she put her situation aside and asked the trouble was.

"If we have people coming back to the town I would take that as good news."

"Normally yes, but did you not see what was missing?"

She shook her head not understanding what her father had meant.

"There are no means of transportation. Think. How could anyone travel these now deadly lands without a horse or the skin of an underworld creature?"

"How can you be sure that they don't have skins? After all, we do have a vendor that makes and sells them. Maybe you missed something yourself."

"The vendor has been too ill to even run his shop. His illness began not too long after your disappearance."

The King, not able to hold back anymore, leaned over, cupped his face and began to cry.

"Where did I go wrong? This land was once peaceful. For me to watch the lands the Goddesses created fall so easily in my reign. Not even the Hero has made any difference. I am a terrible King and father. What am I to do?"

"You don't need to do anything. Like I wanted to tell you, Link has been working on stopping this threat and it shouldn't be much longer until he passes the tests given to him by the Goddesses and obtains a new power to banish the evil that plagues our lands."

The King sat there in thought. His daughter's words sat heavily on his mind and he eventually came to a decision. He motioned for the nearest guard and whispered something in his ear. The guard then walked off.

"Dear daughter of mine. Your father has failed but maybe you can be of help. I was eventually going to send a single guard to take care of the infestation but since you have shown how much you have grown and that you can take care of yourself far better than the royal guards as a whole, I think it's time to entrust you with a gift."

As the King finished his words, the guard had returned with a small chest held up by a small golden pillow.

"What you are about to receive was once a sacred treasure crafted by the sheikah tribe. The Lens of Truth, only two are in existence as its abilities can be misused quite easily. This one is not as powerful as theirs is but it was a gift nonetheless. With it, you should be able to see the fake villagers."

"Thank you father and I hope that as you watch the lands bloom once again, you will bloom yourself. To see you this way is beginning to bring me down as well."

Zelda proceeded to open the chest. Once she obtained the item, she walked up to her father and gave him a small kiss on the forehead and began heading back out.

"Don't worry father. As long as Link is around, the Kingdom will stand strong."

Once back outside, the knowledge of her father feeling so low had finally sunk in. She knew she was just a princess and couldn't do much right now but she also knew that the Hero of Time had returned. She also knew that once Link had defeated the evil that plagued their land, everything would go back to the way it was and she had a part to play in his journey. She looked ahead as she made her way back in town to help rule out the fake townsfolk. She held the lens up to one eye and to her surprise, not some but all the people in the village were Moblins. Now that she knew the situation, she had no idea how to take care of the problem. Regardless, she had to show her father that there was still hope. She asked one of the guards for their sword. She may have been outnumbered but she was willing to put up as much of a fight as possible. She walked up to the closest enemy, made sure it was a Moblin; she then drew the sword high. As she brought it down to smite the first enemy, she was stopped by a familiar hand.

"All of this is not what you think. Put down the blade and I will tell you what is happening."

Link, battered and burned, looked deep into the Princess's eyes to reassure her that everything he was about to tell her was true. She lowered the sword and they both headed back to the castle where they could chat in private.

The room they were in was small considering the size of the castle. However, that didn't matter as the information Link was about to reveal would turn heads. Once they were both seated, Link immediately started his tale.

"The creatures that are hiding as humans escaped their world."

"What do you mean?"

"Instead of the trial, I was somehow transported back to the Moblin village that you were held captive in. They aren't all bad. As I looked around, everything was burning. If those that had escaped wanted to, they could attack. Think about it."

Zelda saw some truth to his words but she had a hard time believing how creatures from the underworld could coexist so peacefully with them.

"If they are so peaceful then why do they serve a self-proclaimed King whose only goal is the destruction of our world?"

"You don't see it? They are forced into battle. I met a child before entering the village and there was no anger or hostility towards me. In fact, they wanted my help."

"Okay, so who could have done all this? I doubt the Ganon that was freed would do something that crazy."

"Are you sure? Because last time I checked, we have no information on this guy. I mean I know he is a part of the Ganon of today but, that's all that even I know."

Giving in, Zelda decided to believe that they meant no harm. With this new information, it was going to be hard to convince her father. The two talked out a plan that even the King couldn't refuse. It was a plan that would give every peaceful Moblin temporary amnesty until Hyrule was cleansed of evil once again. Leaving that task to Zelda, Link decided to head to Kakariko to check up on Saria. He also wanted to see if he could get a few new questions answered. It seemed that things were about to get much more complicated. Unfortunately, to Link, he knew this was eventually going to happen.