The Legend of Zelda: Forgotten Goddess

notices the twinkle of deception in the Gerudo’s eyes. Her awe inspiring agility saves her life for the second time as she springs into a graceful gainer just as the blade returns to its owner. Landing on her wrapped knuckles directly in front of her enemy, the Sheikah pushes off the ground, spearing both heels deep into the Gerudo’s exposed stomach before she can attempt another attack. The air knocked from her lungs, she inadvertently tosses her only chakra over her shoulder as she lands harshly on her back, gasping for air. Rolling off her downed opponent’s chest, the ninja spins into a break-dancing maneuver, flipping back to her feet in an instant. Regaining her senses, the Gerudo summons her weapons, each of them embedded in the thick stone floor. Springing into the air, the assassin arcs her back with her dagger overhead, prepared to finish the fight once and for all. Both chakras leap up out of the floor simultaneously, taking an arching path through the air to return to the Gerudo’s grip. Realizing the timing is perfect for an effective counter attack against her, the Sheikah twists her body one hundred eighty degrees before spreading her legs and reaching her idle hand downward. Her midair splits defense proves effective as the Gerudo waiting upon her back realizes her predicament far too late. Each of the chakra bite into the Sheikah’s boots, but fail to return to their master’s hands. The ninja’s hand lands upon the Gerudo’s shoulder, pinning her to the floor as the dagger stabs between her breasts. The chakra dig back into the floor, vainly attempting to return to the defeated warrior, uttering her final raspy breath. Pressed against her slain opponent, the Sheikah steals a glance at the dark man battling her companion while she waits for the blades twitching against her soles to concede where they lie.

  The cloaked warrior knocks the man in green back a step with a powerful blow, earning himself a moment’s reprieve to spot the ninja absently lowering the eyelids of his comrade while plucking the knife from her chest. Behind her golden bangs, her red eyes begin to study her new prey, angrily slashing at her courageous hero in sudden bursts of speed. Dodging another onslaught, the hero spins to the side, slashing and stabbing without restraint. The cloaked warrior catches the man’s broadsword between his blades once again, thinking briefly of his fallen companions, then realizing the young man’s shield rests far below near a distant pillar. A kick finds the hero’s stomach, every bit as brutal as it is sudden. Wincing from the unpredictable attack, he strains to shield himself from the coming blow when his ally appears from nowhere, joining the fight from above. Her reflexes significantly more honed than her companions, the Sheikah attacks and dodges with ease despite the man’s unorthodox style. Their strength combined, the duo quickly overpower their helmed antagonist, now finding himself permanently on the defensive.

  Throwing his large cloak into the air, the man eludes a wayward stab from the ninja while parrying a heavy swing from her ally. The critical second of weakness allows only for a blunt strike to the hero’s temple, knocking him to the ground with a grunt of pain. Wasting no time, the Sheikah takes full advantage of the man’s overzealous attack, whipping her legs into a triangle lock around his forearm. Forced to use her entire body to generate enough momentum, she twists the man’s entire arm just enough to force the blade from his grasp, the short sword thrown further up the staircase, and landing with a series of clangs. Instantly enraged, the man grabs hold of her vulnerable ankle as she attempts to disengage the leg lock. Able to maintain her balance, the Sheikah is still unable to pull her leg free of the man’s powerful grip, catching her in a desperate position. Winding up for an amputating chop, a painful slash hacks across his back, almost able to penetrate his armor. Knocked forward, the man’s balance is thrown when the woman backflip kicks his helm with her available leg, the momentum carrying her overhead and tearing her ankle free. Finishing the somersault she lands an additional back kick to the man’s wobbling head before dropping down next to her determined ally, ready to finish the outnumbered warlord.

  Tripping forward, the man’s cloak billows, revealing the large gash cut diagonally through it. Catching himself before he tumbles onto the stairs, he lifts a shoulder to glance back at the duo. Already moving in for the kill, both the Hylian and the Sheikah strive to land the final blow. Refusing to admit defeat, the man’s helm suddenly glows eerily, the symbols peeling outward as a dark aura emanates from its crevices. A sudden blast of invisible force pushes the duo back a step, giving the man a head start as he charges up the stairs. Their faces twitching with irritation in near unison, the pair quickly chase after him. Spotting his secondary blade resting upon a step, the man scoops it into his idle hand without losing an ounce of speed. The unintelligible glyphs and symbols continue to spread outward, projected into the open air around the helm, charging up for some unknown purpose. Sheathing his swords, the man has nearly reached the summit, moving with imposing speed toward his goal. Illuminated by the lone opening in the ceiling of the temple, the master sword, the blade of evil’s bane rests within the pedestal of time at the center of the platform. Finally finishing his ascent, the man stops short, straining to harness the power radiating from his helm. Quickly focusing the swirling darkness into a concentrated beam, he fires a colossal blast of energy from his palms, tearing open the dimensional doorway to the Sacred Realm.

  Kept at bay by the impressive power of the helm, the duo now continue their chase as the man sprints through the door, and into a dazzling golden light emanating from within. Eying the master sword with an impatient grimace, the young man decides there is no time, forcing his legs to carry him even faster as his blade wags in his wake like a metallic tail. The dark man’s boots hit the soft dirt with rapid crunching noises as his eyes become entranced with the intoxicating wonder of the Triforce. Moments from his grasp, the artifact erases the years of regret from his mind as the golden glow encompasses everything around him. The imprisonment, his botched execution, the accursed hero of time, all of it fades from his memory until an overwhelming pain drops him to his knees. He hadn’t heard the man in green catch up to him with a cry that echoed throughout the realm. Glancing down through the vertical slit of his helm, he finds the broadsword almost completely through his chest, the hilt pressed firmly against his back. With an assertive shove, the young man pushes him to his hands and knees, waiting for death to finally take him away forever. Everything was for naught. The years of struggle and planning. His resurrection and rise to power. Only to be stopped so close to his prize… No. As long as there is a breath in his lungs, he will not be stopped. He cannot be stopped.

  The primal roar of a beast tears out of his throat when he uppercuts the young man on the jaw unexpectedly, sending him sprawling into the approaching Sheikah. With the very last of his strength, he clumsily marches forward, his fingertip finding the glistening edge of the most sacred of relics before he collapses to the ground. As if the sun itself were blinked out of existence, the entire realm goes pitch black. The colossal pyramid the Triforce once rested upon ceases to be discernible, the only source of light twinkling from the dimensional doorway behind them. Unsure how to react, the duo duck for cover when the hero’s broadsword rockets between them like a whirling propeller. Spinning through the portal, and past the massive staircase, the sword spears deeply into the wall next to Rift’s hiding place. Gasping with shock, the terrified boy remains unable to move, aside from the endless shaking fits of adrenaline and fear. The forest will certainly kill him, but his chances of survival don’t seem any better in his current setting. So he does the only thing he knows how. He hides. Praying to the deity he was told would save him from any peril.

  The hero’s boots kick black dirt in his wake as he makes a run for the master sword. Following suit, the Sheikah nimbly bobs backward, expecting an attack at any moment. The most sinister laughter booms from every direction of the Sacred Realm. Moments from seizing the blade, the man in green is lifted off the ground by some unseen force, his flailing arms reaching for the blue grip of the sword’s handle. Kept just out
of reach, the young man sails over the pedestal completely, lifted high into the air before he is slammed to the ground brutally. The wind knocked out of him, he grabs at his chest, straining to catch his breath. Passing through the portal, the ninja dips off the side of the platform, vanishing into shadow while the dark man comes into view. An orb of powerful energy surrounds his form, the aura somehow glowing black and white at the same time. The glyphs and symbols from his helm begin to slowly spin about his head, his power continuing to grow exponentially. Stepping through the portal, the orb surrounding him wavers for a moment, the unbelievable strain to hold the might in balance beginning to take its toll. However, the cloaked man laughs again, exerting total control over the most potent power in existence just as the Sheikah descends upon him.

  Screaming in agony, the assassin is stopped moments from landing upon the man’s shoulders. The orb surrounding him assaults her with electricity, the buzzing and crackling light illuminating the