Curse of Charanatos

Link was in Hyrule Castle in a special bed. His leg was feeling a little better; it was healing well, but he couldn’t walk on it without extrem pain.

"I can't believe that Impa would do something like that." Zelda said, apparently still having something in her heart, "If we hadn't stopped her, she would have killed Link just because Link returned and I disappeared."

"Anger is a powerful thing. You can say it's like a seed; it will grow as you nurture it with darkness until it will turn into a dark tree. When it reaches THAT stage, it will turn even the gentlest soul into a deadly adversary." Chakashi told them.

"Wait..." Link said, focusing on what Chakashi just said. "When anger turns into a tree, it will turn even the gentlest soul into a deadly adversary." He repeated in his head.

Just then, Link felt like someone was jabbing a toothpick into the spot Impa sunk that knife.

"Ow!" He exclaimed.

"Oh, hold still or it will never heal." Zelda commanded, as though a mother were speaking to a stubborn child.

"There. We've done all we can do, Link. It's time for you to get some sleep." Chakashi told him as he walked through the door.

He was in bed for at least 24 hours, but something would sink his emotions as low as the time Zelda disappeared.


One day, when Chakashi was coming to comfort him, Link heard a loud BANG like a bomb going off. Chakashi whirled around and saw one of the scimitar-wielding Gerudo. She was suffering from a large slash wound that went from her right thigh all the way to her left rib; a fatal wound. Link saw this woman and shot upright before limping over to her. The woman fell right into Link's arms as she began to cough blood.

“What happened?” Link asked.

“A woman…in red armor…she wants…you dead.” She choked, surely going to die in either one minute or just a few seconds.

“Malon!” Link realized, “Where is she?”

The Gerudo coughed blood again and, after a series of labored breathing, spoke again.

“She’s at the town…She’ll…Kill you. Nabooru…needs your help.”

Those were her last words before she fell limp and her breathing halted. Link was paralyzed and Chakashi was equally worried.

“Oh no! She’s coming for me when I'm injured!” Link said, out loud.

Link felt like he had come face-to-face with a man-eating tiger. He wanted to do something about her, but he couldn’t do anything about it. The sound of footsteps was getting closer; Malon had come much faster than they realized. Link tried to get up and tried to run, but his injured leg gave out, causing him to stumble and fall just half a meter from a window. Chakashi searched the room wildly and finally found Link's special cloak. He snatched it up, ran over to Link, and flung the shroud over him.

“Stay here, Link. Stay under the cloak and don’t move!” Chakashi ordered.

This was odd behavior, even on Chakashi's behalf and a curious look crossed Link's face.

“Chakashi, what are you doing?” Link asked.

Chakashi looked back at him with warm eyes that hinted the slightest amount of fear, sorrow, and duty.

“I WILL protect you at all costs as I swore to myself. I saved you from certain death once, and I will do it again.” Chakashi told him.

Link wanted to get out of there, but he couldn’t move as Chakashi leapt into the air and vanished without a trace. Before Link had time to realize that it had happened, Malon arrived.


Malon kicked open the door and almost instantly searched the whole place, here once-sparkling eyes now a furnace of blue flame. Just when Link thought it couldn't get any worse, he heard the familiar, grunt-like laugh of creatures he hadn't fought since Ganondorf's reign. Malon had brought two Stalfos behind her and they were searching the whole area like hyenas looking for scraps. Malon looked around and then began to walk right in front of him. Link began to sweat; the magical cloak did NOT prevent him from being solid. Just when Link was sure Malon would step on his face, she stopped and looked around. Link felt a wave of relief flow through his body, but that quickly changed when Malon took out a necklace of sorts and he caught just enough of a glance to see that it began to glow brightly. Link felt like an ice cube dropped down his throat and into his stomach. With that necklace, Malon could find him without using her eyes and the necklace eventually led her right to him.

For a minute, Malon just stood there, looking Link right in the eye, though she couldn't see him. Then, she lashed out with her foot and caught Link in the ribs, knocking the air out of his lungs. When it was confirmed that Link was invisible, she felt around with her hands in search of something and felt fabric. Her fingers seized as much of it as she could and swung the magical cloak off, revealing the hero of time. Link was then forced to look into her dull, blue eyes for the second time in his life.

“I’ve found you!” She exclaimed, causing the Stalfos to stir.

The skeletal soldiers gave their grunt-like laugh as they hurried over to him, their jagged swords drawn. Link was trapped and there was no way for him to escape this time.

“Malon, please! Stop now!” Link shouted, but Malon ignored him.

“Prepare to die!” She said as she swung up her sword.

“Stop right there!” Chakashi exclaimed as he jumped as if from nowhere.

Malon whirled around, seeing the old man with a sword seem to fall from thin air. She had little time for foolish old people like this and turned back to Link.

“Stalfos, please get rid of our unwanted guest.” Malon ordered, not even turning around to see him.

The two Stalfos charged with their swords drawn and so did Chakashi. Chakashi reached into his robes and pulled out two wooden carvings, each one made into a different animal.

“Spirits of nature, please protect Link!” Chakashi demanded as he threw the carvings.

The carvings flew at the Stalfos and they changed in a flash of light. One turned into a tiger with fur the color of snow and the other turned into a mighty grizzly bear, both with a snarl and a growl. The tiger slammed into one Stalfos and raked the skeleton with its claws, actually causing the armored bones to fall apart and disintegrate, while the bear smashed into its own Stalfos and it actually snapped the soldier in two. Link was safe...for now.


Malon heard the scuffle and it was enough to actually turn her attention away from Link and to Chakashi.

“Your time has just run out, old man!” Malon growled.

Malon's scare tactics didn't exactly work, because Chakashi's face was as hard as stone and his sword was angled in front of him.

“Leave Link alone. Your fight is with me.” Chakashi calmly ordered, "I wil do my duty and the hero of time shall live.”

Malon scoffed as she took out her samurai sword and Chakashi took a defensive posture that Link had seen many times in Hylian guards. Then, before he even had time to register what happened, Malon couldn't wait anymore and sprang.

She made the first move and started with a jumping slash in an attempt to cleave Chakashi in half, but Chakashi put his sword in the way and struck Malon across the face with his fist. Malon grunted in pain, but wasn’t giving up anytime soon and landed just in front of him before performing a great array of complex sword maneuvers that Chakashi seemed to know rather well and block just as easily. Malon pulled away from Chakashi's blade and flipped right over him to try and attack him from the air. However, while she was in the air, Chakashi met her blade with his own and even blocked another attack that was made for him when she landed on her feet. Chakashi leapt away and bounced off a pillar only to have Malon clamber after him like an armor-clad primate. The two leapt across the room, using furniture as terrain for attack or jumping over them in escape. Link suddenly looked up and saw Malon coming down on him with her sword pointing down, ready to impale him. When death seemed near, Chakashi leapt up and caught her in the air with a flying kick and sent her careening to the floor, but she quickly regained her balance as though she had never been attacked. She charged with her sword out, but Chakashi simply sidestepped the attack as though it were in slow motion.

When the two were caught in a parry, Link noticed that something was fishy around here. Chakashi was normally a good fighter when he was protecting Link, but now he didn’t appear to fight in order to win. Chakashi seemed to know Malon's moves before she could make them and therefore knew how to block them, but he wasn't taking advantage of them as a true fighter usually did. He appeared to be buying some time, but he had to defend himself in order to do so. Could he be doing what Link thought he was?

After he parried a horizontal strike, Chakashi paused, looked at Link, smiled, and continued to fight. Then, Link noticed a barely noticeable glow in Chakashi's eyes and knew that something was going on. Chakashi KNEW what he was doing and he WAS going to do what Link thought.

Malon charged with her sword out and Chakashi met her with a strike of his own sword. Chakashi spun around and actually blocked a stab to his back. Malon paused for half a second too soon and ended up with Chakashi's leather boot in her midsection. Chakashi stood his ground and was about to perform a perfect vertical strike when Malon got up, leaned under the sword, and stabbed him with her sword. The blade went right through Chakashi's abdomen and went straight out his back, stained with blood.

“NOOOOOOOOOOO!” Link cried, but it was too late.

Chakashi fell to the ground and Malon approached Link with her sword drawn and Link was still in a state of shock; unable to react in time. Malon was about halfway through her vertical swing when Zelda appeared in a puff of red smoke and caught Malon in a shoulder tackle. As Malon scrambled to her feet, Zelda grabbed Link and Chakashi, as well as Link's sword and shield, and teleported to safety.

Malon saw that Link was nowhere in sight and stomped her foot in frustration.

"NO!"


Zelda reappeared at Lake Hylia and sat Link on the ground. Chakashi fell into Link's arms and the hylian hero couldn't help but let the tears flow down his cheek. Then, Chakashi opened up his eyes, but he looked as though he was barely keeping them open. He wasn't dead...yet.

“Link…before I pass away. I have one last thing to give you. I give you the ability to fight again and something that will help your friend’s heart.” Chakashi whispered.

He reached out his hand and touched Link’s injured leg, which stopped stinging. Link looked through the hole in his thigh and saw that his injury had healed; not even leaving a scar.

"T-thank...you. Thank you...Chakashi." Link choked out.

Chakashi grinned a weak smile as he produced a white sphere. Link took it and wasn't sure if he should cry or be dumbfounded.

“This is the Spell of Purification… It will be able to counter the Curse of Charanatos and defeat...Vaati. Use it well…Good…bye.” Chakashi whispered.

After Chakashi said his last two words, his eyes closed and his breathing halted before he vanished in a golden mist. Link sat there, his arms still acting like he was holding some kind of invisible person. Now his old friend was evil and his new friend was gone. Link, with a very determined look on his face, reached into his sack and pulled out the dragon mask.

“Get on, Zelda.” Link told her, “We have to save the sages on our own now that Chakashi’s gone.”

Link's voice had become as cold as ice and as hard as stone. It showed as Zelda winced in fear. She put a hand on his shoulder and Link was tempted to shake it off.

“Chakashi will always be with us.” Zelda told him, softly.

Link remained silent for a while, but slowly, his muscles relaxed and his eyes closed. He slowly opened them and then turned to her.

"Thanks." Link simply said as he took out the Dragon Mask. "And, don't get on my back yet. I don't want to fight evil with a crushed spine."

Link donned the mask and turned into the mighty dragon that defeated Vaati’s pet and Zelda hopped onto Link's back in five jumps, and with amazing speed, raced onto the top of his head. Then, Link spread his powerful wings and took flight toward the desert.

Down below, in Hyrule Field, Malon looked up in anger to see Link fly away and wanted to chase after them. However, she knew that a dragon would easily outpace her and slowly walked their direction.

Link and Zelda were on their own now. However, as long as Chakashi was in their heart, they would never be alone.

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