The Legend of the Gerudo Heir
                                         by Xerjester

        chapter 1

        It was a cold night, and the fire in it's hearth gave
        little warmth to the
        child as he sat on that chilly floor, waiting for the old
        woman to speak.
        She shifted in her chair, and pulled the quilt closer to
        her as she collected
        herthoughts.
        "It was long ago," she began.
        "It was shortly after the great fall of Ganondorf, or
        should I say
        Ganon?"
        The boy felt an uneasy chill run up his spine.
        "The fates play cruel tricks, but sometimes they work in
        favor. It is
        well known that the gerudo have one male every hundred
        years, and such male
        is crowned king. But with the fall of Gannon, the last male
        of that era,
        the Gerudo found themselves without a king, and therefor
        poised on the
        brink of terrible dischord. The fates, seeing this, chose
        to bend the rules
        slightly,
        and thus a male was born only after 60 years. It was
        shortly after the
        Imprisoning war, and the evnts that transpired there fueled
        not only
        the descision of the fates, but everything that would
        happen afterward. The sages knew of this, and as such
        recorded the prophecies in the book of
        mudora,in the Temple of Time, where Hyrule Castle used to
        stand."
        The boy knew this well, and leaned forward, waiting to hear
        more.
        "Another problem facing the Sages was the imbalence of
        forces, caused by
        the seperation of the triforce, and the fact that one was
        still in
        Ganon's control in the Dark world."
        The boy gasped- he knew well the word, but he was forbidden
        to even speak of
        the ancient relic. In fact he had been completely shielded
        from all things of
        the outer world, even books. One day, he snuck off, running
        through the
        twisting stone corridors of the house, until he came upon
        the expanse of a
        great library, where he saw a book, and on the book, he
        read the word
        'triforce'.
        "The Gerudo hurried the newborn child away, for fear that
        he would
        follow in his predescessor's footsteps. The child was
        delivered to the
        Gorons, where at first Darunia turned the infant away, but
        was warmed to the mewling babe soon after. The child grew
        up among the Gorons,
        learning their ways, and all the secrets of that forbidden
        summit."
        "Death Mountain..."the boy chimed in.
        The woman looked at the boy for a moment.
        "Yes, Death Mountain. But Darunia knew well of the boy's
        line, and
        thought it best, on his eighteenth birthday to turn the boy
        away. So
        there, on his deahtbed, Darunia handed down his final
        decree, he begged for
        the boy's forgiveness, and it was granted, but as the boy,
        nay, man turned
        to walk away, Darunia breathed his last..."
        The boy listened intently, hanging on every word. The Old
        woman looked up, and
        brushed the fading red hair from her eyes.
        "The gerudo then left for the ruins of Hyrule castle. The
        only thing
        that still echoed it's greatness was the Temple of time,
        now in
        disrepair. He entered it's hallow halls and therein found
        the Ancient book
        of Mudora, who told, to his suprise, all the events of his
        life up until
        the moment he picked up the book, and then, nothing. The
        book went on to
        tell the prophecy of
        another, a dark future that would descend on Hyrule, one
        that would
        consume
        it. The book of Mudora called it the "Obsidian Spring". The
        man stayed
        there for two years, reading all he could, trying to
        channel his powers of
        telepathy resonate in most creatures in Hyrule. It was then
        he knew that he
        had to return to the Gerudo. The ones there now were not of
        the generation
        that sent him away, and excepted him for what he was- the
        sorely needed
        king of the Gerudo. His powers of prophecy grew, and he
        became reknowed
        for it, untill one day when he called his council in to
        speak with him. The
        council, consisting of the bravest Gerudo warriors, all
        female, listened to
        his every word. He said 'Know ye who sit with me this day,
        that I am not
        long for this world, and shall leave thee soon, so that it
        has come to
        pass down what I have forseen.
        There will come one last gerudo male, an heir unlike any
        other, and
        much like evil skips a generation, know now that he shall
        be unto Hyrule
        it's ultimate demise- the child brings the Obsidian spring,
        unless he
        comes to conquer himself in the dark world, but such may be
        nigh to
        impossible...he....will...be....of...Ganon's...bloodline...
        And with that, the Gerudo King died, and panic swept the
        Gerudo
        fortress.They burned all the books, destroyed all the
        records, and
        abandoned the city, scattering to the four corners of
        Hyrule, all
        vowing to kill any male gerudo child born to them. But it
        was not to be,
        one child was born, and left alive, for the mother could
        not bring herself
        to kill the child.
        That child...is you."
        The boy gasped.
        "You will bring destruction on us all, unless you follow
        the true path,
        and not let your power consume you. You will discover that
        you have
        frightening power, that unlike Ganon ever achieved so
        early, and it will
        consume you completely unless you find your path..."
        The woman clutched the boy's shoulder's.
        "You...must...go...temple...of time. Your ..
        path..lies-gasp-
        ..therrrrrreeeee...."
        And with that, the old woman slumped down in her chair. The
        boy touched her
        forehead, half expecting her to wake, half knowing she
        would never.
        The boy opened the door to the outside, the desert was
        calm, the night was
        chill, and he took one last look at her, his mother, before
        leaving into the
        dark, and leaving the fire to burn itself cold...

        chapter 2

        He stepped out into the night air, now alone,
        lost form any semblance of
        family ties, loyalty, or even love. It was the
        first true feeling he had =
        ever expirienced. It was hate. Hate of his
        situation and the life he left
        behind.
        Slowly, he made his way across the desert, the
        wind driven sand tore at his
        grey tunic, filled his boots, and stung his eyes,
        caking them with
        dirt-infused tears.
        He didn't know where he was going, not that he
        cared. The only company the
        kept him were the images of wars he'd never
        fought in, lands he'd never seen,
        and the face of his protector, his mother, and
        now in a way, his tormentor.
        The squall that had kicked up the sandstorm had
        passed, and the millions of
        stars peeked out of the azure sky, taunting him
        with each step he took.
        Suddenly, in the distance, he spied the remains
        of avilage. A vast gate laid
        in shambles where once it stood tll, guarding the
        esablishment against the
        cruel desert, and the evils therein.
        He stood motionless at he city gate, seeing the
        once proud village now
        decrepit with age and in disrepair from
        abandonment. =
        He had never been o this village before, but
        somehow he knew that this was the
        birthplace of his anscestors, the Gerudo. the
        proud, shodowy theives of
        Hyrule, who used to populate this fortress, now
        empty and silent save for the
        howling wind...
        A glimer of light sparkled fom one of the
        windows. He ran towords
        it, not knowing what else to do. He clambered up
        the aging stone stairs, =
        and reached the door, which fell of it's rusted
        hinges when he tried to open
        it.
        He found himself in a great library, but the
        shelves had no books. They were
        all burned in the frantic exhile of the Gerudo
        race. But there, on the table,
        was one book that had escaped the fires.
        He picked up the dusty tome, and, wiping away the
        sand, found a three-triangle
        insignia. The word triforce flashed through his
        mind, he stiffend, dropped the
        book onto the floor. He could not move...a voice
        rang out in his head.
        "Ye who hold this book, I have been waiting for
        you- the last male
        Gerudo"
        He looked up in amazement, still not able to
        move- not even sure that he was
        breathing.
        "You are the one foretold by the ancients- the
        book of Mudora in the
        temple of time, and foretold by me, your
        predecessor. I was the Gerudo
        prophet one hundred years before you, and the
        reason you now find this
        Fortress empty. You have a heavy burden upon you,
        tis true. But don't let
        it consume you less all the world be consumed.
        You will discover in the
        coming weeks that you have
        powers from the dark- powers fueled by evil,
        however, these powers
        themselves do not an evil person make, only the
        actions entailed to
        them. One such is the power you have now, which
        is alowing me this to
        communticate with you from beyond. Such will be
        the powers you wield,
        which means you must act quickly.
        You must travel to Kakariko town at the base for
        the sacred mountain.
        There you will find out more. The future of the
        world depends on
        you...and...history...shall...be
        writen....by...your...hand...."
        The voice seemed to circle around him, echoing
        the words throughout the room.
        He found that he could move again, and looked
        down t the strange book, which
        to his amazement was now open. =
        He picked up the booked, and read the text on the
        faded page.
        "Thou art the dark light...Thou art Mandrag
        Daaku."
        "So that's my name..." he whispered.
        He looked out the window to see Death Mountain in
        the distance, and steadied
        himself for what lied ahead...

        chapter 3

        Mandrag spent little time reminiscing over his
        ancient home, there wasn't
        much to look at anyways, so he spent just enough
        time there to empty the sand
        from his boots, and move on.
        Mandrag came to a narrow pass that opened up to a
        great valley. He could hear
        the murmur of voices and music playing over the
        sound of a running river. The
        glows of fires made him squint as he walked into
        the valley clearing. It was a
        town. A live town. It was quite a change from the
        scenery he'd just passed
        through.
        Mandrag made his way through the bustling
        marketplace of the small villiage,
        catching the sideways glances from a few
        villiagers who were otherwise to
        riled up in the festivities to notice the
        stranger among them. He entered a
        small modest tavern away from the more raccous
        displays of the fest. It was a
        dark, hazy place, save for the one or two
        lanterns that adorned the walls,
        which were nothing more the uneven planks of
        unfinished wood hastily nailed
        together.
        He sat down next to an older patron. The keep
        promptly asked what he would
        drink.
        "Just water".
        "Heh, you must've blown in from the desert..."the
        old man chimed.
        Mandrag didn't even raise his eyes. The thought
        of conversation just seemd
        annoying now.
        "Yeah. Bad place that desert. Then again, the
        frotress ain't in that great of
        shape either. Yeah, been that way even since I
        was a baby. Must've been a
        grand place when they were there."
        "The Gerudo." Mandrag growled.
        "Ah, so's you're not so silent after all. Good.
        Yeah, the fortress was the
        only thing really keepin the troubles of the
        desert seperate from Hyrule. Look
        at this place, stranger- by the way, wha's you're
        name?"
        "Mandrag Daaku."
        "That's funny...I thought you said Mandrag for a
        second there..."
        Mandrag took a sip of his drink.
        "Anywho, this place used to be nothing more than
        a camp for workers. Heh, and
        now it's a budding town-and growing too. Yeah,
        reminds me of the old stories
        of when Kakariko started up. Yeah it was pretty
        rickety to...And now, heh,
        I'll be if the Queen herself doesn't live there!"
        "Zelda..." Mandrag gasped.
        "Yeah- say, you might not be such a stranger
        after all. How'd you know her
        name?"
        "I don't know..." Mandrag sighed.
        The old man was starting to get suspiscious of
        the stranger, and left the
        tavern quickly. Mandrag got up from the stool and
        walked outside. He had not
        gotten even three steps into the music-filled air
        when he felt a sharp blow to
        his head which knocked him down.
        Mandrag reeled in pain, and looked up to see a
        figure in a white outfit
        standing over him. His face was covered witha
        black mask that seem to shimmer
        when he talked.
        "You..." he began. "You are the scourge of
        Hyrule, and will be stopped."
        "But I-" Mandrag's words were cut short by the
        stranger's kick.
        Mandrag landed on his back, and quickly got to
        his feet. The figure had not
        even moved from his original spot. Mandrag ran
        his fingers through his bright
        red hair and began to yell.
        "I don't know who you are or where you come fr-"
        In a blinding move, the attacker silenced mandrag
        with a viscious kick to his
        stomach, knocking the wind out of him.
        The stranger grabbed Mandrag by the scruff of his
        tunic, and lifted him up to
        look into his eyes.
        "Your journey ends here, vile creature. I am
        Shima, reel on this, the last
        name you'll ever hear..." Shima raised a knife to
        finish Mandrag off.
        Suddenly, Mandrag felt his body surge with power.
        It felt like every part of
        him was being torn apart and crushed together at
        the same time. His hand
        raised up without him moving it, and there was a
        blinding flash of white
        light.
        When he came to, seconds later, he saw Shima
        lying against the wall of one of
        the houses, several feet away. The front of his
        white tunic was still smoking
        from the blast, as was Mandrag's hand.
        "What- what was that? what did I do?" Mandrag
        stuttered.
        There were several murmurs and heated whispers
        running through the dumb-struck
        crowd. The old man from the tavern pushed his way
        through, followed by several
        villagers with torches.
        "That's him- he calls himself Mandrag."
        "The ancient name of Ganon!" screamed one
        villager.
        "Out, out with him- pure evil!"
        Mandrag dodged the stones hurled at him by the
        villagers. He quickly made his
        way across the ravene bridge, the torches and
        angry shouts fast on his heels.
        He managed to out run them, the shouts, the
        flames, and finally, even the
        sound of the river faded off into the darkness...

        chapter 4

        Mandrag collapsed into the red dust. He had been
        running until his legs gave
        out beneath him. So many emotions ran through his
        mind. One that paticularly
        frightened him. He felt like getting up and
        laying waste to the town he just
        fled.
        Mandrag quickly shook those thoughts from his
        head and tried to catch his
        breath, which came in long, troubled gasps. He
        rolled onto his back and closed
        his eyes. A drop of water splashed on his
        forehead. Mandrag looked up to see
        the storm clouds accumulating, blocking out the
        clear starry sky.
        He could hear strong thunder in the distance, and
        thought it best to seek some
        shelter. Mandrag struggled to his feet. Before
        him, a great field stretched
        out, rimmed with mountains, and landscaped with
        tall hills. And on one of
        these hills he saw a town, lit brightly from the
        hearth fires of many houses.
        Mangrag made his way towords the town. It was a
        large town, well, larger than
        the valley town he'd left. In the center of the
        town, there was a High wall
        surrounding another structure, one that seemed
        older than the rest of the
        buildings. Mandrag made his way to one of the
        buildings, all the doors were
        closed to keep the approaching storm out.
        Mandrag's tunic and boots were fast
        filling with rainwater, and the brunt of the
        storm was now upon him,
        illuminating the town with eerie blue flashes of
        lightning. Mandrag saw an
        open door to a small house, and quickly went
        inside.
        "I'm sorry to just barge in like that I.."
        Mandrag looked up, the house was
        completly empty.
        "Hmph. Well, then I guess they won't mind after
        all."
        Mandrag walked into the unlit room. He heard
        footsteps behind him. Mandrag
        whirled around.
        "Who's there?!"
        "I was about to ask you the same thing,
        stranger," came a girl's voice.
        The girls struck her flint to light the lantern.
        A dull glow filled the room.
        "Who are you?" she asked.
        "I am Man...er....My name is Daaku." Mandrag
        remembered the trouble that his
        original alias brought him, and thought it best
        to use this name instead.
        "And whom might you be?" he asked.
        "I am Nissa- of Kakariko city..." she pulled out
        a short sword.
        "And you, Daaku, are trespassing."
        "I mean no harm. I only came here to escape the
        storm."
        "Me too." she sheathed the sword.
        "You mean you don't live here either? Then why
        did you say I was trespassing?"
        "I knew you were a stranger. I've been in this
        town for a couple of weeks and
        pretty much know everyone. I wanted to see what
        you were. Too many blasted
        thieves running around. Can't be too careful."
        Mandrag looked at the girl. she was a small girl,
        with black hair cut to
        shoulder length, bright green eyes, a
        form-fitting blue tunic and boots that
        reached up to her thighs. around one was a band
        that held a dagger in place.
        she wore a red cloak that concealed her sword.
        She was a beauty, but Mandrag
        could not help but laugh.
        "And what, pray tell, would you have done if I
        were a thief?"
        The girl spun around, Mandrag winced as the
        dagged flew right past his head,
        the blade cutting some of his hair before driving
        into the wall behind him.
        "Is that a good answer for you, Daaku-is it?
        Don't let my small size decieve
        you, I am a warrior of the finest skill."
        "Ah, very well met. So, warrior, I would ask of
        you to share this place with
        me for the night."
        "Very well, Daaku- I'll let you sleep on the
        floor." Nissa nimbly hopped into
        bed.
        Mandrag grumbled to himself. And then realized
        that this girl might just know
        about the temple.
        "You come from Kakariko city. Is there any
        structure ther called the Temple of
        Time?"
        Nissa sat up. "And what would you want in that
        place?"
        "I'm confused, what do you mean by that?"
        "The temple of time lies in the ruins of Hyrule
        town, former resting place of
        the castle. It was destroyed decades ago by
        Ganon, everyone knows that. The
        place where the final battle occured. What a true
        hero he must have been-
        Link. Ah to fight by his side. Yes that would be
        something!"
        "But the temple is there..."
        "Yes, but the place is evil, even from beyond,
        Ganon's spirit permeates there.
        I've seen strange rituals performed out there.
        Servants to the D'khal, dark
        priests, all followers of a king that died
        thankfully long ago. They were
        corrupted by that place. I would never even set
        foot there..."
        "Then that's where I have to go." Mandrag got to
        his feet and walked out into
        the storm.
        Nissa ran after him "Wait!"
        Mandrag turned around.
        "Are you insane? even if by some chance you don't
        get corrupted, the followers
        of D'khal will surely kill you. especially the
        leader, Frost. Stay here until
        morning. It is small, this Lon Lon town, but it
        is hospitable, which is more
        than I can say for the ruins!"
        "Lon Lon town? What kind of name is that?"
        "It's named for the original place, Lon Lon
        ranch- there in the center of the
        town. It was abandoned some while ago, but the
        town sprang up around it and
        thrived. It's a good place..."
        "Perhaps, but I musn't be delayed.." and with
        that, Mandrag ran into the
        darkness. Nissa could see him during the flashes
        of lightning.
        "May the goddesses go with you, Daaku- you
        foolish man..."