Saving A Lost Kingdom

To Be Continued: (Aryll)

I'm headed to Hyrule castle for the week to enjoy some time with Link, Zelda, my niece, and my nephew. When I arrived, it looked as if the castle had been deserted. The inside seemed to resemble the haunting emptiness. As I walked through the halls, trying to find any sign of life, I noticed a huge ring of malice not too far away. There seemed to be someone or something in the middle. Once I was close enough, I realized that it was Link.  What in the name of Hylia is going on here?  He was surrounded by a pool of blood and trapped as a prisoner of the malice. His bow, arrows, and shield lay outside the ring while the Master Sword rested in his hands. I tried to find a way to get to him but it was no use. So, I began calling his name. After the third or fourth time, I finally got an inaudible response. He seemed groggy and in immense pain as he uttered three words. "Protect....the.....twins." Without even a second to process his words, the malice closed in on him, keeping him connected to the floor. Link said one final word before the malice completely covered him. "Run."

    As I ran through the castle, trying to find Zelda, my head was overwhelmed with questions. Why did the malice return? Was Ganon back? How was Link defeated so easily?  I began to think of logical places that Zelda would be.  In her room? No. In her study? Nope. Library? Kitchen? Nada, nothing. What about the sanctum? As I approached the entrance to the sanctum, I noticed the Sheikah slate laying on the ground. I picked it up only to discover that the screen was cracked and its picture was frozen. It was locked onto the shrine closest to Kakariko Village.  That's strange. Why was Zelda trying to go there? She always prefers to travel by horseback.  I looked up to see Zelda being held back by the malice that was slowly overtaking her. She looked like she was on the verge of giving up. "Zelda!" She looked up at me and seemed relieved. "Aryll?" Then her relief turned into fear and panic. "You shouldn't be here." I completely ignored her statement. I wanted to know what was going on so that maybe I could end it. "What happened?" Zelda's stern voice returned. "Aryll, I need you to listen to me. Take the twins and leave. Forget about me and Link. We'll figure this out just please protect them no matter what." "Wha- No, I can't leav-" Her voice became stern and commanding, something I wasn't used to. "Aryll, Go!" I remained quiet for a few seconds. "I will come back for you and Link. I promise." Then I left the sanctum and searched for the twins. I opened the door to their shared room and saw malice slowly headed towards them. Before I could even think, I ran in and grabbed the twins. As we fled the castle, the reality of the situation hit me.  If only I had come sooner, then, maybe, none of this would've happened.