Hey again all. To my loyal fans, I AM working on the Elemental Trilogy's final installment (my Tales of Symphonia GenisXPresea stories). For now, here's chapter two of this tale.

Disclaimer: I don't own it. Goodbye.

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CHAPTER 2

"With that guard there, we won't be able to get past the hallway."

"Did you have a plan for getting out of the castle?"

"I didn't think much farther than finding the dungeon."

"Then let me try something."

"Wait, Zelda, what are you doing?"

"Hey! What are you doing out of your cell? Prison break-grrAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhh……"

"Holy crap…"

THUNK

"Uh…maybe shoving him over the edge wasn't such a good idea?"

"Why? It was a successful attempt wasn't it?"

"Yeah, but it was kinda loud…"

"Intruders!"

"Crap, come on Zelda, run!"

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"Grrr…rrmmm…Are you sure there's anything behind this statue Princess?"

"Nnnnghh…yes, the passage leads to the sanctuary."

The decorative statue slowly slid across the rug, groaning as it was shoved by the two, and Link saw a small line of darkness.

"I can see it, but…it's really dark."

"Do you have a lamp?"

"Yeah, but its not that bright. Better stay close."

As the statue touched the far wall and the passage was fully revealed, Link lit his lamp and stepped into the darkness, feeling Zelda very close behind him. As strong as she had acted up to this point, he could tell she was afraid of the darkness in front of them. They walked forward, the light from the castle room slowly disappearing behind them as they pressed on. Link felt Zelda moving herself closer to him, until she was practically pressing herself against him. This was fine for Link, as her young but curvy form was soft and comforting. Unfortunately, it also put her mouth right next to his ear.

"EEUUAAAAAAAAAGH!"

Link jumped as she screamed in his ear and spun, looking for an enemy. Zelda was hopping up and down in a frenzy.

"It's in my dress! It's in my dress!"

"What! What's in your dress?!"

"I don't know but its all squirmy!"

Before Link could react, the princess had grabbed his sword and sliced off a sizeable part of her dress, stuffing her hand inside and pulling out a protesting rat by it's tail, hurtling it away. Link just stared, partly because he was stunned at her reaction, and partly because he could now see more leg than he had ever seen, even on the barmaid at Kakariko, even though he could only see up to Zelda's lower thigh on one side. Zelda looked up at him, handing back his sword.

"Uhm…sorry…I just…don't like crawly things…"

"Uh…okay then…"

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"Once we pass through these sewers, we should be near the sanctuary. The old man there was a friend of my father's, I'm sure he'll help us."

"Alright. Watch your step Zelda."

Link held out his hand, pulling Zelda across the small river onto the platform on the other side. As she reached his side, she stumbled slightly, and he instinctively caught her as she bumped into his chest. Face's inches apart, they looked at each other for several seconds before quickly parting.

"Sorry-look out!"

Before Zelda could react, Link had grabbed her and roughly moved her aside. She began to protest, until she heard a 'chink' and saw Link's sword locked against a large row of teeth jutting from a man-sized creature that had just emerged from the sewer. Link swung the sword back, its blade meeting teeth again as the green and red scaled creature growled, it's mouth seeming to heat suddenly with an orange glow. Zelda suddenly spoke.

"Stop! By order of the Princess of Hyrule, desist!"

Link thought she was speaking to him, and was about to protest, when he saw that it was the creature that was standing down. The creature looked at Zelda, it's eyes growing wide, and moved into an unmistakable bow, despite the fact that it was floating in the sewage.

"Prrrrrincesssssss…"

Zelda stepped forward.

"You are of the Zora-clan, correct?"

"Yesssssss, yourrrrrrr highnessssssss."

"I have need of you to bring a message to King Zora. Tell him the wizard Agunim has killed my father, Daphnes, and has declared a coup and war on the country of Hyrule. I am escaping with one of the last of the good knights to sanctuary. Tell King Zora to spread the word to the fairy queen and to any of the other creatures of old, especially the dwarves if they still live, and to prepare his troops should need be for them, as Hyrule's soldiers are under Agunim's control."

"Aguuuuunimmm? Hooowwwww cannnit be, he saved ourrrrr domain frommmm the drrrrrought…but I willlll carrrrry the messsssage. Ifff warrrr sssshould come, the proud racssse of the Zorrrra will be rrrready forrr it. I live, lisssssten, and obey, yourrrrrr highnessssss."

The zora spawn bowed again, and vanished into the sewer. Link merely stared after it, then up at Zelda.

"You really think this will become a war?"

"Yes."

"Then I won't question you. Let's go, before the soldiers find out where we've disappeared to."

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CHINKCHINKCHINK

"They went this way, hurry!"

"Zelda, down!"

At the sudden shout of the soldiers, there was a slight splash and then no more sound, until the group of armored men rushed into the room.

"They've got to be here somewhere, search the area!"

"You two go that way, and you two come with me! The rest of you, take the right hall!

The soldiers exited the room in all directions, searching for any trace of Link and Zelda.

It was lucky they did not think to look down.

Link took in a deep breath as he burst from the water, Zelda lurching upwards a second later. Both dripped in the water, soaked, but it was better than being dead or whatever else Agunim's soldiers had in store for them. Link looked at Zelda, who was coughing, trying to take in breaths, her hair completely plastered to her face. Link brushed the hair aside.

"Are you alright?"

Zelda looked up at him, a slight glare in her eyes.

"That was not a very dignified way to treat a princess."

"Well, there wasn't any more dignified way to hide fast enough."

The two climbed up onto the stone bank of the sewer, Link removing his hat and wringing out the cloth, then slapping it back on his head.

"Well, now what? We can't go that way, and the soldiers went that way and that way, and we came from that way, so-huh?"

He cut himself off in surprise as Zelda moved to the stone-brick wall and began counting bricks until she pushed on one. Instantly, a distinctly door-shaped section of wall slid back and away into an opening.

"This way should get us to the sanctuary."

"Uh…okay then, let's go."

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"If you pull that switch, it should open the door to the sanctuary."

"Okay…so which switch?"

"Umm…I'm…not certain…"

"Okay then, lets give this one a try."

SHINK

SSSSssssSSSSssssssssssss…

"Eeek! Snakes!"

"Okay…wrong switch…"

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Sitting in a front pew of the small church, the pastor found his prayer interrupted by a loud creaking. His old eyes opened, to find the old ornamental statue at the back of the room sliding to one side.

The ancient passageway of the royal family!

The man stood, preparing himself. As he did, he found, to his surprise, that a familiar boy stepped out of the passage.

"My, it's young Link! And how have you stumbled on the ancient passage?"

"Hey Pastor Fahl. Oh, watch your step Zelda."

The old man found his eyes drawn to Link's hand, which reached back through the passage and connected with a daintily held hand, allowing the young Princess of Hyrule to step out into the room. The pastor rushed forward.

"Your highness! What has befallen Hyrule that you should have need of the ancient passage of the Royal Family?"

"It is Agunim. He has declared a coup, and war on Hyrule."

"And…Daphnes?"

"…he was the first to fall to Agunim."

The pastor hung his head.

"I hoped I should never see the day that King Daphnes Nohasen Hyrule fell. Now that day is upon us all."

He looked back up.

"As pastor of the church of Hyrule, it is my sworn duty to aid the Royal Family should they have a great enough need to use the ancient passageway of the Royal Family."

He looked to Link.

"And you, young Link. I see a pain in your eyes. What terrible fate has befallen you?"

"Fahl…it's uncle. He heard Zelda's call first. And he rushed to help her…"

"…I see…so Jacob is dead. Well, you may take heart in one thing Link; your uncle was widely known for his kindness, compassion, and his farm. The people will hold a grand ceremony in his honor-"

"Pastor!"

Link and the pastor turned towards Zelda, who was looking out a window into the storm. She looked back at them.

"There is a fire not far off! Soldiers with torches are leaving the site!"

Link rushed to the window, and his heart nearly stopped.

"No!"

Without a second thought, the boy had dashed for the sanctuary doors and flung them open, rushing out into the lashing rain.

"Link, wait!"

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The morning broke with a deep red sky, the rain still falling. It was as if the sky had caught and reflected the flames of the night. Link fell to his knees as he neared his farm.

What remained of it that was.

The land was scorched, apple trees burned and mangled, and his house was simply a gutted ruin. What had become of the horses, he did not know. All he knew was sadness.

And hate.

Link heard a steady clopping of hooves behind him and spun, hand going for his sword to face the soldier no doubt bearing down on him.

But it was no soldier. Zelda, wrapped in a dark brown cloak, slid from the horse, moving to Link's side. She gasped as she took in the damage.

"Link…I'm so sorry…"

Link looked out at the land again, then stood.

"No, there's nothing you could have done Zelda."

There was a long silence.

"The pastor believes he has found a way to seal Agunim's power in some of the old texts. Will you come back to the Sanctuary with me?"

"Yes. There is nothing for me here now. Whatever you ask me to do, I will do."

END OF CHAPTER 2

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Hey, the hero has to have a good reason to fight, right? Besides avenging his uncle and saving the country and all that. Agunim just burned his APPLES, DAMMIT! THIS MEANS WAAAAAAR!

Leave a review at the door pwease. ZK