The Prelude to Prologue

Hello dear readers! I wrote this mostly to just get it out of my head... and to procrastinate college homework that I SHOULD be doing, but I'm almost done anyways, so why not, eh?

This fanfic is inspired by many writers in the Zelda fanbase. I do love DarkxLink, but I wanted to add Sheik into the twist, with some actual plot of the story. Something a little more serious. Or at least try to make it serious! I notice the trend that Ganon isn't important until the end of the story, and the whole thing is just romancy goodness. Now don't get me wrong! I loved the shit out of those stories! This isn't me trying to one-up somebody, but just my own version of it. My own hand at playing the cards, as it were. To be honest, and fair with you guys, I might quit. I will say that now. This story is pure muse, and can easily escape me.

To my followers of my Secret of NIMH story, I apologize, but something has occurred. I had the chapter halfway done, in preparation during December, and I knew I wouldn't have time for fanfiction until January... the problem? The chapter got lost. I tried looking for it, but I cannot find it. I -admittedly- have a short fuse when I lose things, since it means I have to write it again, and it never turns out as good as the first try. I am trying to find my muse for the story again, but I just don't remember what I wrote! I have not given up, but be patient with me on that one.

One Last Important Thing Before You Start Reading; Yes. I like yaoi, and there will be swearing and suggestive material. To avoid the ignorant asshats that only want to be homophobic around people who aren't, and want to express their opinion in the worst way possible, this will be rated M for that reason. You have been warned now. And only now. I am a no-nonsense/strict person that doesn't take kindly to rudeness. You will be blocked on sight, no questions asked or even a warning comment. You hate gays? Then either keep it too yourself, or leave... simple as that...

NOW you may read.

DISCLAIMER: If I owned the series, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction, now would I?

It was cold. So cold. Stepping out of the Temple of Time was a mistake. He didn't want to see this... not any of this. It was awful. Dreadful. Castle Town was completely destroyed! How could he forgive himself for letting this happen? He had opened the door to the Sacred Realm... and that Gerudo-Man-Monster took advantage of it! Ganondorf had waltzed in just before his body left into an eternal slumber and stole the piece of the triforce.

Or so he had wished it was eternal. He would have loved to sleep through this...

"Dreadful, isn't it."

Link whipped around quickly, blade-of-evils-bane shimmering in his left hand. "Wh-who are you!" He shouted, his adult voice coming out a bit shaky. He still wasn't used to his new deeper voice.

A young man. A handsome young man at that! He was wrapped entirely in bandages, which looked much more for ornamental purposes than him actually being injured in any form. He wore a black-and-blue spandex that covered his entire body, besides from the neck up. On top of it was a tattered tabard that pridefully bore the Sheikah embroidery on the front. Under his bandage-cap was long, golden hair. It was so pure, and it seemed to shine and glow in the reflected lights, as if each strand was actually just gold pouring out of his head and into the beautiful braid behind him. His skin was a light mocha color, from what he could see, but... his eyes... were something else...

Link wasn't sure what to think, as his mind was still quite young and immature in comparison to his body. He didn't have the judgement to make sure this person wasn't... bad? He had red eyes. Piercing red eyes. Monsters had red eyes. So was he a monster? But he looked like a person! Was he just a monster in the shape of a person?

"I am Sheik. Last of the Sheikah." He stood proudly and tall. He seemed to be about Link's height, maybe a tad shorter, but barely noticeable. "I am not your enemy, but an ally on your quest. You do not need to fear me." He claimed in a feather-light tone.

Just like a naive puppy, Link trusted him. He sheathed his sword and eagerly waited for the young man to continue talking in that soothing voice.

Sheik eyed the hero for a moment, taking in his form. "Yes. You now look like the hero of time. But are you the hero mentally?" He took a step closer to the grown kokiri.

Link took a step back, unsure. Should he trust him? He had gained knowledge after touching the Master Sword, but knowledge was nothing without experience, and Link had none. How did he know this Sheikah was going to help him? How would he know he was a friend? Why was he getting so close!?

"Please. Do not fear me." He said gently. "I fight the same battle as you, Hero. The battle of saving Hyrule." He bowed swiftly. "I will aid you as I can, Hero."

Link felt flustered at the royal gesture. He was not used to such flattery. He could feel his cheeks bloom with roses of modesty. "P-please stop. I am no one special to bow too." He opposed abashedly.

Sheik lifted himself up. "Oh, but you are! More than you currently know, it seems." The young warrior started to gracefully back away. "We will meet again soon, I can promise you this."

"W-wait a minute! Can you tell me what has happened!" Link shouted.

Sheik hesitated for just a moment. "Go to the castle and see for yourself." In a flash of light caused by the power of deku nuts, he was gone.

The hero garbed in green stared at the spot the golden-haired beauty stood only seconds ago. He didn't understand it, but he felt... familiar somehow. But he was quite sure they had never met before. Besides the kokiri race, Link never met a boy around his age like that! He would surely have remembered someone so... mystique and charming in such an odd light.

"I guess we should see the castle now."

Link had forgotten his blue, flying companion was still there. Sheik had somehow drowned her out. "Oh, uh. Yes. Let's go."

And with that, they went into town.

And Link regretted it.

"Youuuuuu did this to usssssss..."

"Youuuuuu never caaaaaaaamme..."

"Youuu are not a herooooo..."

"We died becausssse of youuuuu..."

"Now you willllll joiiiiiin usssssssss..."

The screams piercing the eternal night air chilled him to the very bone. He felt so lost and alone, as if there was no such thing as hope. The redeads had horrible magic. Magic that made you feel like killing yourself, so you didn't have to suffer anymore.

"Please... I will save you all... I promise..." He shivered, the redeads coming closer and closer and-

"Link! Snap out of it!" Navi rammed into his head a few times. "They are demons now, and have malicious attempt to stop you! There is no reasoning with them!"

"I-I can't hurt them Navi! I just can't!"

"Then play the sun song! NOW! Before they make you one of them!"

Link quickly jammed his hands into his many pockets, looking for the ocarina of time. He fumbled with his belt pouches, until he pulled out the blue instrument, but even then, he almost dropped it out of shot nerves.

Navi quickly flew behind her charge. "H-hurry!"

"Youuuu killlled uuuusssss..."

Link pressed his delicate, pink lips into the instrument and blew, filling the air with soft musical notes, addressing the sun. 'Ode to moon, ode to sun, the dead shall be undone'.

The redeads suddenly glowed white with heavenly light, completely frozen and unable to even speak of their evil. For just this moment, they were pure.

"Run Link!" Navi shouted. "Before the song wears off!"

Link did not need to be told twice. He was already hightailing it out of there! He was just a bit away from the drawbridge. Freedom!

"Stop right there..." Hissed a voice.

Link stumbled over his feet, seeing a clocked figure walk out of the deserted house and right in front of the only exit in town. He landed face-first into the ground at the bare feet of the stranger.

"You are clumsy, I see." The voiced drawled out. The voice sounded grating and nightmarish to the ears. "Perhaps you would not be such a good candidate as my hunter..."

Link coughed out the dirt that entered his mouth and lifted himself to his knees, he then looked up and wished he hadn't.

A big, large, red, lone eye was looking done at him. The person's face was covered in a body cloak, and was completely shrouded in darkness, save for the single, glowing, red eye. It blinked.

Link jumped, gracelessly bubbling himself back up to his feet and hurriedly backed away, unsheathing his magic sword. "S-stay away from me!"

It laughed. "I am no monster... or at least not one to concern yourself with. I merely ask a favor of you..."

Link narrowed his eyes. "What kind of favor..."

"Oh, I see I have stricken you with my looks. I am aware I am not the most beautiful of dames, but it is much rude to stare, young one." She tilted her head. "But from what I have noticed... you don't seem to like women... or maybe you do.. hyehehehehehe!"

"What the hell do you want!"

"My, my. What a temper. Tsk! Tsk! I only ask of you to listen, and this is my treatment? Some hero you are. And I was trying to help... hyehehe..." The scary women walked back into the deserted building, but not before saying one last thing. "If you need me, I will be in here..."

Link now felt awful. He felt he was too quick to judge. His conscious was now eating away at him. Maybe, just because she looked like a monster, she wasn't. Sheik looked scary to him, but wasn't a monster. Maybe... just maybe...

"Link, where are you going?" Navi asked.

Link gripped the doorknob. "I want to apologize. I think I judged to quickly. Maybe she was trying to help us."

Navi didn't say anything, and just silently followed her charge.

Link gulped, trying to swallow his fear. His left hand may have been branded the seal of Farore, the Goddess of Courage, but Link could still feel very true fear. What he saw made his spirit cold.

Just above her head, as she was sitting on a tattered bed, were cages. Cages of captured spirits.

"Hyehehe... why hello again. I did not expect to see you so soon... have you changed your mind about being my personal hunter..."

Link swallowed his heart back down. "Er... I came to apologize. I... acted very rude."

She tilted her head. "Oh, have you? Well then, I will consider forgiving you... if you do some work for me first."

"And what would that be?" Link asked.

"... as you can see, I am a poe collector. I just love listening to their anguished screams. Serves them right, you know. The poe business is just wonderful, since that brute took over. Don't like him very much, but at least I can continue my hobby... hyehehehe..."

Link blinked. "Took over? I don't understand."

"Oh. I see you are not well informed." She snickered. "Well then, why don't you go to the castle... and find out for yourself, young man. Then... I will speak business with you.. hyehehe..."

Link shuddered. "I-I would... have to go through those redeads again?"

"Well, it's not like they can hurt you... hyehehe... pay those angry, lost souls no mind. Souls tend to expire like milk after they die. They have no clue what they are saying, only what they know how to do; be miserable and take the living with them. I just adore those hopeless little saps. Hyehehe!"

Navi floated out of her hiding in Link's shirt. "But aren't you scared of them? They could do horrible things to you!"

She cackled. "Oh, no, no! You have it wrong, dear messenger of Hylia. I do not fear them. They fear me... hyehehe... they think I will take their souls... and they would be right! Hyehehehe!"

Her laugh made Link feel like he was talking to death itself. It was worrying, yet comforting. Worried about facing death, but comforted in knowing she wasn't a malicious monster... as if she was meant to be here for some superior purpose.

"But enough of me. Go on... see how the world has changed around you... you will not relish it like I do, but I only speak terms to you, once you know what you are dealing with... hyehehe..."

Link bowed his head. "Yes... thank you miss..."

"I do not go by a name. That concept is lost to me as I am... not human... I am merely... a Poe Collector. Hyehehehe..."

Navi shivered and hid behind Link's shoulder. "Link... let's go..."

Link glanced at his friend and nodded. "O-okay." He looked at the collector. "Ah, thank you... Poe Collector..." He bowed slightly in respect, then turned to leave.

"Hyehehehe... be sure to come back soooon..." She chortled. "... hyehehe... what a silly boy..."

Link played the sun song, not wanting to take a chance at those redeads again. Once he was done, he made a mad dash through the town square and into the short road to the castle...

... but he did not see what he had hoped for... black walls... spiked doors... monstrous architecture... all floating over a pool of lava with evil magic...

Link shook his head. "No..." His knees trembled. "This... cannot be... Navi... what am I seeing!" He choked out those last words.

The blue fairy held back a cry. "... It's ugly... this future is hideous..." She sniffled.

Link fell, his knees giving out. "... I did this... It was all my fault..."

"No Link! Ganondorf was too powerful."

The green warrior shook his head pitifully. "No... I should have never opened that door... if I had just taken the ocarina and fled with it, that man would have never gotten into the Sacred Realm... I am a failure..."

Navi bumped his head. "No, Link! This is your chance! Ganondorf attacked the castle seven years ago, trying to capture Zelda and the ocarina! He would have stopped at nothing... but we have the ocarina! We still have a chance to change the future!"

Everything the fairy said so far made perfect sense. They did have a chance! But how much of a chance did he have?

'Do we truly have a chance to change things?'

Navi bumped his head again, dragging him out of his thoughts. "Come on, you lazy bum! We have a world to save!"

Link smiled at his partner. "You are right, Navi. We have a lot of work ahead of us, and no better time than the present to stop this madness." He turned and scowled at the castle housing the demonic King of Evil within its walls. "You hear that!? We're coming for you, Ganon! You may have won the fight for Hyrule! But you will not win its war!"

Navi wooted. "What he said, you big bully!"

With a firm, contented nod towards each other, the duo ran off, past the redead, past the Poe Collector, and into the open fields of Hyrule. They were ready to take on the world!

Red eyes watched from the rooftops of the dead village. "Go forth young Hero... go forth..."

And thanks for reading folks! Hope you enjoyed it! This chapter was quite fun in my opinion. Just toying around with the personalities of the characters and such.

As I mentioned, this is a muse talking. A plot bunny that can leave me behind at any moment. If you truly want me to continue, leave me some reviews. You can even go as far as to make a suggestion!

Something not happen in the game that you think should happen in this story? Fanfiction is all about twisting things in our own way! Just do know, I choose what goes into the story, but want a Fairy Fountain Wrestling Federation Throwdown? Then ask! I'll see what I can do for you guys! Sound like a deal? I keep a list of suggestions, but know I can twist it in my own way. I have my own ideas with how I can parody this fanfic... such as mentioned above! XD But do not swarm me with fifty ideas at once. Only so much can make it, since I have a plot planned here! But only small things. Do not suggest big, story altering things... like Killing Navi - i know you guys were thinking it!

Thats enough from me! Have a nice day you guys!