Within a week Zelda was gone for the Shrine of Wisdom. If she was to have the Triforce of Wisdom, Shadow Link would likely to be the first to know. The Triforce of Power would shine to tell him of its return. It would still be a drear couple of days before anything would be made definite, since it takes a few days to get from Hyrule Castle to the Shrine of Wisdom and another couple of days to get back.

Shadow Link ate and slept more then he had been so he could have as much energy as he could to prepare Ganondorf's return to the living and begin Hyrule's conquest. I mean, he technically didn't need to since he's made of darkness, or at least that's what most think. His body has since become quite physical and just as real as any man's. Of course the legends of old speak of terrible things of Shadow Link's existence, but then that's one of the prices to be paid when you are made from dark magic. It didn't bother Shadow Link too much, though he wished people would stop assuming he was pure evil and even demonic in nature.

The sun was beginning to set in Hyrule, the sky just beginning to turn purple and orange. Shadow Link was at the edges of sleep...

But then he saw a light through his eye lids. He looked around annoyed trying to find the source, but he almost jumped upon seeing where the light was coming from.

From within the coffin in front of the fireplace...

Could today be...?

Shadow Link cautiously and slowly approached the coffin. He placed his hands upon the large wooden box and held his pointed ear against the lid of the coffin.

There was a light humming sound from... inside...

Shadow Link was somewhat terrified. But he eventually found himself very carefully and slowly opening the lid. Just enough to see if... IT was there... The thing he had been waiting for these last two centuries...

The Triforce of Power, shining brightly like the sun.

Shadow Link immediately shut the lid, somehow making a loud thud despite the small opening Shadow Link had made. He stood there silently in shock.

This was it.

The time... has come.

The Gerudos working inside the massive castle they had spent ages to build were very shocked to hear the sound of huge metal doors slamming against the walls, and were equally shocked when they saw Shadow Link's figure leaning against the rail, high above the bottom floor of the castle. Shadow Link took many deep breaths in before finally raising his head with a wide smile on his darkened face, his eyes shining bright red in the dim lighting of the main hall. His voice echoed and boomed in the otherwise quiet halls of the dark castle.

Shadow Link: Gerudos, proud servants of the King of Evil, hear me! I, Shadow Link, the king's general, have received a message from the Gods! Tonight is the night... that we take Hyrule at last! We shall find and retrieve the Triforce of Wisdom, and use it to revive our long lost king! Prepare the undead armies! Prepare our weapons! Tonight... WE TAKE HYRULE!

All was prepared long before this moment. The undead hiding in the dungeons and the lower, darker areas of the castle have been so impatiently awaiting this great day, and now the Gerudos let them free as they began to swarm within the castles' halls to the outside desert sands. The Gerudo all grabbed their spears and daggers hurriedly as they saddled and armored their horses for the fight- No, the war ahead.

Shadow Link grinned sinisterly as the grand night was unfolding at last. Years he had been waiting for this. And soon... The Triforce of Wisdom will be his masters' at last...

Shadow Link summoned his dark horse and lead his undead army to the rocky terrain that led to Hyrule Field. The sun was halfway set and the sky burned a glorious orange. Shadow Link almost flinched from the pain in his eyes as he looked to the skies. He had locked himself in that old room for far too long. But he adjusted as the thought of his king returning crossed his mind again. The years spend in that old room were all practically forgotten by the time the army caught sight of Hyrule Castle Town in the distance.

Shadow Link: Oh, looks peaceful, doesn't it?
Twilight Skull Kid: Not for long! (Laughs) So how do we play this boss?
Shadow Link: Take a squadron towards the Shrine of Wisdom and intercept Princess Zelda. We'll handle the king and all his soldiers.
Twilight Skull Kid: You got it boss! Alright, let's move it! Hyah!

The Twilight Skull Kid drove his horse and signaled his squadron to follow close behind, in which they obeyed.

Shadow Link glared at the town and castle in the distance with his blazing red eyes. He knew there were going to be Gerudos fighting for the Hylians instead of the King of Darkness. He honestly dreaded the thought of having to kill members of Gerudo blood, but so be it if it meant the end of the generations long cycle at last...

Shadow Link: My soldiers... this is where it all goes down hill for the Royal Family of Hyrule... Charge!

At once, the army of phantoms and Stalchilds and other matter of undead covered the fields towards the castle.

And thus... the resulting bloodbath ensued...

The Hylians didn't see it coming. They never did until the army reached the walls.

The knights weren't ready for this. By the time they were ready, the army had invaded the town and were advancing to the castle. Shadow Link himself oversaw it all. Even ran a few knights through himself. He missed the feeling of brandishing his dark sword in the face of fearful Hylians. It was almost... refreshing. Especially after more then a century in a room by your lonesome.

It didn't take long for the castle to be invaded as well. Shadow Link himself stared the king down with his sword, forcing the king to surrender quietly if he wanted to even hope that his daughter, the princess, would be seen again alive. In mere hours, the whole of Hyrule Castle Town... was Shadow Link's to command.

This... This is how it should've went down the first few times Hyrule's peace had ended... And it only took a couple of centuries to plan and prepare and wait...

Stalmate General: The king and all of the castle's residents have been taken to the dungeons my commander.
Shadow Link: Good. I imagine there were some complaints, but tolerable nonetheless. Any word from Skull?
Stalmate General: Not yet my commander. It is a great distance from the shrine to here.
Shadow Link: True, true. We'll wait until tomorrow for them to return. If they're not back by then, we can only assume that Zelda managed to escape from them and they're still giving chase. Send the army out across Hyrule Field to prevent too much travel from anyone who escaped the town and the other tribes. We don't conquer the tribes until we have the Triforce of Wisdom, got it? So no bloodshed or too much pushing around until our king arises again.
Stalmate General: As you wish my commander.
Shadow Link: Any knights still alive Stalmate?
Stalmate General: A number of them yes. What are we to do with them?
Shadow Link: If any of them aren't severely injured, throw them into the dungeons as well. But if they are much too beyond healing then throw them into the river. At the very least it'll tell the Zoras that the age of Power is at hand. That is, if all the bodies don't end up in the Great Sea first. Oversee this order I carry out to you now, would you?
Stalmate General: Your wish is my command, Shadow Link.

The Stalmate left the throne room as Shadow Link looked over the entirety of the fields. Night had fallen by now, and the stars looked so bright tonight. Shadow Link smirked and chuckled to himself.

Shadow Link: Let's see the Hero come now.😈 You hear me up there Farore, oh Goddess of Courage? (Chuckles)

Later

A lone male stood in the night. He had seen the flames of fire in the faraway town. He had even seen the undead rise before the blood was spilled. He didn't care about it all. None of it mattered to him personally. Not even himself anymore. So what if darkness ruled? So be it.

He looked in the nearby river. He saw that the undead had thrown the wounded knights into the cold waters. Some were dragged off to the Zoras' Domain, others towards the waterfall that led into the Great Sea. He saw that many of the knights were already dead, or at least had given up on it all. Like the boy cared.😒

Then he saw that one knight managed to grab the edge of the river, the side that the male was on specifically. The blond knight managed to drag himself to the land's edge, despite his whole body being stained in his own blood. Or undead blood perhaps. Whichever. The knight was still bleeding visibly and was greatly wounded, but alive from the looks of things. Or at least he was before he passed out.

The male that watched this unfold was curious. Just curious enough to check to see if the knight was still alive. The boy placed two fingers along the knight's neck to feel the beats of his heart. Slow, but continuous beating. Wow, what a trooper. Took a licking and is still kicking. Suddenly the male saw a bright light in the corner of his eye. He turned to look at the source, and at first it blinded him, but his eyesight adjusted to see what was glowing.

And it shocked him. Truly shocked him.

Glowing on the back of the knight's left hand was... the Triforce... Particularly the part of the Triforce that represented Courage.

Could it be...? Gods and Goddesses of Hyrule, it had to be! The Hero of Courage...

Link...