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In hindsight Tokoyami could admit that his decision was an unwise one, however his pride as a rito and his desire to ascertain the safety of his people blinded him to the danger that he would soon face.

For generations the world of Hyrule had quietly suffered underneath the glaring visage of the one known as Ganon, the beast of calamity, and while the creature was held captive within the royal palace of the lost hylian monarchy his minions terrorized the valleys and plains of the surrounding countryside with bloodshed and conquest. Many good rito had been lost in their attempts to try and repel the various bokoblin and mokoblin hordes which marched underneath the moonlight towards the rito valley, Tokoyami's father and mother having been two such avians. The loss of his parents was something that the chick couldn't comprehend at the time when he had been told the news by the elders, as Tokoyami was of too young a mind to understand what had been stolen from him, however as he grew older a deep bitterness had crept into his heart like a thorny weed, bringing with it a deep sense of pain and lonesomeness that often left him in tears growing up. Thankfully for the black avian the lonesomeness had receded, as he, like so many chicks his age, had subconsciously come together in order to make something of a pseudo-family with one another, the likes of which had given Tokoyami the strength to endure the harsh trials ahead of him. However, the pain has sadly not diminished with time, ironically it had grown with him as he lost friends, teachers, companions, and even lovers to the monsters which willfully served the creature while howled in fury within the corrupted palace walls.

Ironically enough it was these losses which had hardened him into becoming the warrior he was today; Tokoyami had studied the ways of the bow to the level at which he was considered by many to be a master, even though he was still a youngling by most of his clan. He had never thought to try and take on Ganon while training though, as a deep fear had been instilled within him by the various rito warriors who had passed down the tale of the defeat of the Hero of Time and the avian champion with a desperate fervor, the likes of which still made Tokoyami shudder whenever he saw the blood moon rise within the midnight sky. And yet as the years passed into decades the terror that had blossomed within his mind mutated into a black desire for vengeance, so much so that some swore that his crimson eyes almost glittered whenever mention of Ganon's hordes came up in conversation. Killing the ugly piggish creatures was easy enough for Tokoyami given that his flying prowess allowed him to snipe down many a monster with precision accuracy while soaring high within the azure skies, and yet no matter how many he slayed more would march towards the lake where the rito nested after the blood moon rose.

It would only be a matter of time before a large enough ensemble of the beasts would storm their lake home...once that happened it would be over for them, as the Divine Beast Vah Medoh would give them nowhere to fly off to seeing as it constantly hovered above them like an ever present curse. Both Teba and Harth had learned this the hard way after the two rito warriors had attempted to storm the beast upon it drawing uncomfortably close to the rito haven; the injuries the pair had received following their attempts had been disturbing for everyone to bear witness to once they had returned, given that very few had ever seen such grisly, smoldering marks made upon feather or flesh before then.

Why the ancient machine had roused itself was a mystery to everyone, seeing as the fallen hero Revali had died within the massive creature, thus causing it to crash down into the ground and lay silent for nearly a century. By order of the wisdom given to the rito by the princes of the hylian monarch there should have been no one left to control the technology of the lost Sheika, and yet there was no denying the ruby red hue of evil which burned brightly along the 'flesh' of the stone machine after it rose up into the air once again several years ago. Despite Teba and Harth's earlier failure a few good rito had attempted to once again try and infiltrate the divine beast in order to subdue it following its launch of a powerful beam attack onto the surrounding valley and yet not one of them had returned. Tokoyami, desperate to try and stop the creature, had just barely survived flying up to the monstrous device to learn what had happened to his fellow avians, the burns he had suffered from the laser mounted defense system had scarred him deep enough to where he dared not even dream of trying to make another attempt on the mechanical creature. Though all was not lost, as from his defeat came a deeper sense of anger, the heat of which branded his mind with a need to try and put a stop to the horrors for which the rito were forced to endure; Tokoyami would never say it in front of the elders but it felt as though the goddesses themselves were punishing his people for even daring to look up at the sky, that was something could not be allowed to continue!

He wouldn't stand for it!

That was why he had made the decision to learn as much as he could about the ancient evil known as Ganon, the hylian castle where he lay trapped, the lost tribe known as the Sheikah, and the sacred skills passed down from those chosen by rito in order to put an end to this waking nightmare he called a life. How he would have loved to have been chosen by one of the three golden goddesses to bear the mark of courage or strength or wisdom in order to assure his victory, but it was not to be. Bathing within the sacred springs and failing to save Lord Naydra from the blighted calamity which trapped him upon the mountain he called his protectorate had proven this harsh truth to the young riot. The sight of the proud blue dragon laying trapped upon his mountain while being covered within the oozing puss of crimson and black malice sicked Tokoyami to a degree that had made hate bubble within his heart, and yet his own powerlessness molded that chaotic feeling into a proud sense of righteous anger, the likes of which now burned within his chest as he felt forward towards the shadowed castle standing before him.

The sound of his flapping wings echoed within his earholes loud enough to drown out the rushing winds surrounding him, yet they could not stop the thrumming pulse of vengeance which roared within his mind.

He had to accomplish his mission!

Not just for himself and his wounded pride, but for everyone who suffered at the hands of the madness that was Ganon's curse. The warmth of the midday sun seemed to spur him on as the glittering golden orb radiated a pure sense of reassurance across the black feathers which danced underneath the long cowl he had slung across his backside; Tokoyami shifting his shoulder blades when he felt the case of arrows he had brought with him slide in the right wrong manner, his bow, an heirloom of his lost family, remained steady though. The young rito found himself scowling as he flew closer and closer to the corrupted castle resting within the shrinking distance. The stench of evil grew ever more present as he drew closer to the stone building, a deafening roar of the beastly creature that was known as Ganon shook the air, forcing the black avian to curl his wings about in order to slow his forward motions. When the boarish face of the dark entity manifested into existence Tokoyami's crimson eyes widened in shock, while, yes, he had seen the creature numerous times throughout his life it had always been from a safe distance away, now as he circled the air about its prison the young rito could not only tell the difference between their respective height and stature, he could also feel the malice which radiated all throughout Ganon's being.

While many had called the monster evil in the sense that it was a thing that existed to be a source of malcontent from those who lived underneath its shadow, being as close as he was to the other made Tokoyami painfully aware that the word didn't do justice to what Ganon was.

It was nearly impossible to explain just exactly what he felt: his stomach felt queasy, like he wanted to throw up the little he had eaten before making his journey to the region in question, and yet his throat had locked upon itself as fear ate away at his resolve. Sweat poured out beneath his feathers as his skin became cold and clammy with terror; a sense of madness slowly began to creep within his mind like a pervading weed seeking to root itself within his soul as the avian warrior gazed upon the glittering eyes which filled the hollow cave that was the boar-like monster's gnarled face. When the creature turned to roar within his direction Tokoyami nearly fell out of the sky as his entire body froze up on him.

Did it seem him?

What would it attack him?

Tokoyami didn't know, but he didn't have the time to care as he had to catch an updraft otherwise his journey would end with his lithe form breaking upon the malice stained stones resting below his taloned feet. Summoning his courage the black avian scowled and then forced his body to throw his wings back onto his side. Warm air rushed underneath him, filling his feathers with the force needed to send the young rito back into the sky, however Tokoyami wisely decided not to try and move back up to where Ganon's face hovered about the skyline. Instead, he drifted over and then around the castle, crimson eyes searching for an easy entrance into the surprisingly well guarded fortress that had once been the home of the hylian royal family. Because of his elevation the black avian was well out of the range of the various flying guardians which he had been warned about; crimson eyes watched as the mechanical deviants moved within a set pattern around the ruined palace, their electronic eyes seeming to scan for all threats below the ground, consequently leaving them vulnerable to possible assault from above, something for which the young rito planned to take full advantage of.

"Turn back."

The sudden echo of a voice within his head nearly made Tokoyami drop from the sky once again.

Flipping his windswept head back and forth the black avian sought out whoever had just spoken to him with a desperate eagerness. Surely no one from the village could have come after him, as he had told the elders that he would be going on a journey of reflection in order to keep prying eyes away from the truth of his actions. The thought that Teba might have chased him down gnawed at Tokoyami's heart as the rito warrior had made it quite clear earlier on that he suspected the young avian of trying something foolish as he 'had seen the spark of bloodlust' within his eyes on more than one occasion. The white rito had never attempted to physically sway him from any action he had decided to take though, in fact the other had personally trained him in the ways of the bow after the black avian had made it clear that he wanted to become a warrior, yet had he sensed that something might go wrong and thus come to pull Tokoyami back before he could see to his goal?

No.

That didn't seem right. The voice in his head had spoken with a soft, feminine tone, meaning that it was most certainly not Teba who spoke to him, nor any other rito, given that none of the females would endanger themselves or the young they might carry within their bellies by coming so close to such obvious danger. But then who...

"Turn back. This is not your destiny." The voice spoke once again, inciting anger to burst out from Tokoyami's throat.

"If not me, then who?! Who will be the one to put an end to the terror for which the world has been forced to endure?!" His words came out in a sharp squawking cry.

"Link...he must..." The strain on whoever was speaking to him became quite evident as the woman in question tapered her words off to the point where they became a dull whisper that Tokoyami could no longer hear.

"Link?" That couldn't have been right. The champion of the hylians was dead, his defeat a testament to the might of Ganon and his armies. "This must be a trick." Tokoyami reaffirmed this stated ideal after attempting to call out to whomever had spoken to him only to find silence responding back to him. "Heh, I'm not that easy to break, Ganon." Crimson eyes looked upon the blighted castle with an incensed glare; the winking light of gold which shone from the center of the castle seemed to taunt the black avian as it glinted across his narrowed orbs.

Puffing up his plumage in righteous indignation Tokoyami angled himself up and then flying straight for the ridiculing illumination. He would show Ganon that he was no peon to toy with! The sounds of wailing arms screamed within the young rito's earholes as he drew closer to the source of the golden illumination, the sight of blue light streaming towards him made Tokoyami spin within the air in an effort to dodge the blinding beam. The feeling of electric heat rushing against his cape covered form forced a sharp chirp of surprise from Tokoyami's beak. The young rito took evasive action when he noticed several flying guardians advancing upon his position; diving down, Tokoyami swerved as best he could when an array of laser fire surrounded his agile form.

The black avian cursed when the tip of his tail was scorched by one particularly onpoint electromagnetic attack, the feeling of intense pain slowly began to radiate up the back of his spine causing Tokoyami to roll himself into the air in order to get out of the line of attack. Passing by a group of hovering machines floating about the castle's courtyard proved easy enough, as it barely had the time to lock its sensors onto the black blur that was his body, however the others which moved towards its position seemed to have no issue with targeting him, as could be seen by how half a dozen azure beams flew towards his sweat soaked body. Desperate action saved the young rito from a painful demise, Tokoyami unfurling his wings from where he had concealed them along his body in order to redirect his path down just as one particular targeting sigil fixed itself onto his armorless chest.

Fortune favored Tokoyami as he wove himself into one of the lower entrances of the castle seconds before he could be vaporized.

The sounds of angry sirens followed after him as he broke through a moss covered window yet the black avian ignored them in favor of pulling himself into position to land squarely onto his taloned feet. The sounds of his ivory claws scraping into stone forced a scowl to curl across Tokoyami's beak, he just knew that he had broken a claw; if there was one thing a rito prided themselves on beside keeping their feathers pristine it was making sure that their talons were left unblemished by the trials of life. Shifting his gaze downward after pulling himself to a stop, Tokoyami was unsurprised to see that his claws had been left cracked by the suddenness of his impromptu landing. Reaching down to caress his damaged toe the black avian cursed himself for not bringing any healing salves on his mission as he noticed a few drops of blood easing out of his yellow foot. Silently promising himself that he would file his talons to perfection before he returned home to his people Tokoyami ripped apart a piece of his cloak and then wrapped it around his injured appendage with hasty precision; he couldn't go back to the others looking like an uncouth vagabond upon slaying Ganon after all, he was better than that.

His earlier fear of the monstrous creature having faded away thanks to the rush of adrenaline which filled his veins following his desperate descent gave Tokoyami the strength of will needed to reaffirm his mission to slay the demon. Pride etched this truth deep within his heart to the point where his chest burned with the thought of piercing the massive creature's breast with one of the arrows lodged into the worn leather quiver still mounted securely onto his backside.

Looking about the immediate area Tokoyami noticed that much like the outside of the castle the interior of the once beautifully decorated building was a mess of broken walls, trickling lakes of malice, and the bitter stench of rot which seemed to always permeate the air surrounding the minions of Ganon. From what he could see he seemed to have entered into some kind of dungeon area, an irony within itself as he moved forward to push aside the rusted iron gate whose lock had long since been broken. Once outside of the strawladden cage the young rito gazed about the hallway, his bearings completely off kilter given the barely lit gloom which permeated all throughout the area. Stepping forward into a small puddle of malice nearly made a squawk of pain shoot out from Tokoyami's beak yet he swallowed the forming burst of air before it could birth itself from his maw.

Hopping back onto one foot Tokoyami looked down at his naked foot, crimson eyes widened as they noticed how the trickling blackish red mass seemed to cloy onto the bottom of his clawed appendage as though it were viscous tar. Sweeping the mass away with the back of his wing sent shivered up throughout his body, his senses seemed to scream that he should not have touched the running goop far too late for him to do anything to prevent the action in question from taking place. A little voice in the back of his mind whispered to him about how far the world had fallen into darkness that his earlier prayers to the goddesses at the three holy springs had not bequeathed him with the protection his body needed to keep the painful effects of the inky ichor free from his being, though he viciously pushed down said voice.

Even still, a small sense of disgruntlement curled around his mind and yet the black avian viciously shook it away as it attempted to cling to his feathers like a desperate insect looking to use his body as its new home. Once done, Tokoyami sighed. He then let out an avian growl. He was not going to let such a small setback discourage him from continuing forward towards the seat of Ganon's prison, after all, what sort of tale would that be to tell after he returned home?

The sound of footsteps echoing about the open hallway made the young rito reach back for the bow of his father and grandfather. Tokoyami brought the weapon to the front of his face to check it over, the thought that it may have been damaged by the lasers during his plummet made his heart quake for a moment, however upon seeing that the polished wood was unblemished Tokoyami sighed in quiet relief. Pulling out one of the arrows on his back after unzipping the quiver holding onto them the black avian knocked one of the arrows into place and then cautiously stepped forward. While it might have seemed like a contradiction to his earlier sense of urgency to move with such care Tokoyami was no one's fool; this deep into the heart of literal evil meant that the ever present possibility of death was something for which he was keenly aware of thanks to Teba's tutelage.

By the time he reached the end of the hallway the black avian's feathers had completely puffed up, the sensation of danger having tickled the pale skin underneath with every step he took.

It was through the use of steady breathing that Tokoyami kept the whispers of panic creeping along the edge of his mind from overtaking his senses, yet he knew well enough that he would have to be quick to put an end to the nightmare he had willingly submerged himself into, otherwise the madness growing within would overtake his rationale. A strange smirk appeared along the rito's beak as he noticed the shadow of a gaunt figure marching forward towards his current location. Freezing into place Tokoyami waited for whatever was headed for him to come into his crosshairs. When the visage of a black lizafols waddled up to where he was hidden within the shadows of a fallen piece of the roof Tokoyami stilled his breathing while drawing the string of his bow back as far as it would allow.

The reptilian creature had but a second to sense that something was off before the melody of the rito made bow sung within its ears.

Tokoyami chuckled in predatory glee as he watched his arrow silently lodge itself deep within the beast's naked chest. The black scaled monster only had a moment to realize what had just happened before it fell forward into death's gentle embrace. Moving forward as fast as he could the black avian set placed himself next to the creature just as its body began to break apart at the seams. A moment after he knelt next to the other Tokoyami watched in gleeful fascination as the black lizalfos shattered like a hammer slamming into glass before dissipating into a thick purple smog of malice.

Such a sight never failed to fill the young rito with awe, as he still could not believe that such a thing could happen to a mortal creature, however as he had been taught by an odd fortune teller this was the price paid by those who severed the calamity. Their bodies, twisted with the corruption Ganon naturally produced, surged with the strength of his malice and yet it slowly rotted their bodies and soul to the point where they became nothing more than shells of what they once were. It was why they could fight without fear of their lives, unlike all other beings who lived within the world of Hyrule, after all how could one fear for that which they no longer possessed? The counterpoint to this truism was the fact that because they served Ganon with such unconditional impunity they would always rise whenever his power reached its peak following the reddening of the moon.

So many had found this out the hard way in the earlier years following the defeat of the champions of the various tribes; going out at night was now almost completely forbidden by those clans which still remained following the loss of the war, Tokoyami himself had feared the setting of the sun for many a years until the need to go and save a foolish young rito had spurred him into action. It was also the reason as to why Tokoyami had chosen to strike so early within the day, as he did not want to take a chance of being caught unawares by the sudden birth of a blood moon. The fact that Ganon had been awake and raging was something he had been hoping to avoid, however such was not to be. Despite this setback he had to strike this preemptive blow upon the demon; the skills he had cultivated throughout his twenty-five summers of life demand that he succeed in defeating the bloated fiend.

He just had to. There were so many of his people unknowingly counting on him that he just could not afford to fail them.

He wouldn't fail them!

He would be victorious!

This silent vow beat within both Tokoyami's soul with the force of a war drum's echo as he picked up a few pieces of fruit which had fallen from the now dead lizalfos; he left the fragment of horn and talon that had once been a part of the monster since such items were worthless to him right now. Chewing upon the makeshift meal, the young rito continued on about his way, crimson eyes watching the movement of the various shadows to make sure that an adversary wasn't about to charge out at him. The sound of his clicking toe claws followed about his path, transforming his forward march into something of a portent of demise for those who could hear it.

Making his way through the castle hallway Tokoyami crossed paths with several more lizalfos, not to mention numerous moblins which stalked the various rooms, all of them met their ends upon the tips of his arrows, though a few were able to put the young rito into a precarious position following a plethora of bokoblins rushing towards him following the deathblow he dealt upon the leader of their specific horde. Tokoyami neatly evaded all of his adversaries, his polished steps coming off as something of a dance as he contorted his black feathered body down and around the lot of them, all the while knocking his bow with the arrows perched within the case bouncing along his backside. A few of the monsters did manage to rip into the ebony cloak that he wore but this was seen as a minor frustration considering the alternative outcome of one of their bladed weapons meeting with his fragile body.

By the time he had cleared out a significant section of the current area he was in Tokoyami found himself grunting in annoyance. His supply of arrows, which had numbered in the dozens upon him leaving from home, had quickly dwindled down to nearly half that amount. This was the epitome of a bad situation, as if he used up his supply of weapons before he could confront Ganon then he would not be able to defeat the evil one since he had no practical experience with any of the weapons which were currently strewn about around his feet. Luck favored him though, because after heading down into what he assumed was the basement area of the castle Tokoyami came across a cache of weapons and armor, the latter of which did not fit his tall yet slim figure in the slightest, however the arrows he found seated within a leather case bolted into the wall were just perfect for his bow. That some of the projectiles were enchanted with the power of frost and thunder sent a shiver of feral pleasure racing down the black avian's backside, these would most certainly be saved for the battle against Ganon.

The thought of exchanging his ancestral weapon for one of the metallic bows that were set about the various chests crossed Tokoyami's mind for a moment before the young rito expelled them with a quick shake of his head. He would not sully the death of his father by casually tossing aside the weapon carved by the wings of his father from a fallen branch of the great elder tree that guarded the slumbering sword of heroes. He would meet the calamity king head on with his family's pride set straight before Ganon's black heart, and thus when he felled the evil one he would do so while letting the weapon sing a rito's song of death. With this thought in mind Tokoyami continued about his path towards the heart of the castle, his body tingling with the anticipation of the battle which was soon to come to pass.

The hours it took to get to the where Ganon lay awaiting wore deeply upon the young rito's body and spirit as Tokoyami had found himself losing his way twice over upon fighting the various servants which haunted the hylian castle. He was ultimately forced to follow the path of the creeping malice in order to get his bearings, the trickling black liquid seemed to silently guide him forward as it crept along the floor and walls of the castle, some which having splattered onto his feathered head and cloth covered shoulders following him opening the various doors which lined the castle's walls. Tokoyami had hissed in disgust when the heated goop dripped along his body, he then snarled when some of the inky goo attempted to dribble down and then into his beak. The black avian quickly divested the thick liquid from himself before it could cause him injury, his previous encounter with the malice having left his mind well and truly flustered with regards to the damage it could do to him.

Making his way towards the throne room, Tokoyami found himself turning to see the light of the sun fading into the clouded horizon. A touch of fear crept within his heart, since the moon would surely be rising before long, yet the black avian forced the cowardly feelings down into the depths of his heart. He had come too far to turn away now. He had to finish this. Reaching back to measure the number of arrows sealed within his quiver, Tokoyami felt a sense of undaunting courage flow within his being when he mentally counted the nearly hundred projectiles for which he had collected during his journey within the blighted castle. Pulling his wing back and then pressing it forward into the wooden doors set before him, Tokoyami prepared himself to shove forward with all of his strength.

"STOP!!"

The voice from before called out with a cry harsh enough to freeze the young rito in place.

"You are not the one who can defeat the evil within."

"I have to be, because there's no one else who can do it!" Tokoyami roared back at the bodiless voice.

"There is one who has been already chosen to slay Ganon. You must not interfere with his destiny."

"Then tell me, where is this chosen one?" When silence met him the black avian squawked in anger. "Is that the best you can do, Ganon?! Cheap lies! Hah, I would have thought that the king of evil would have more pride than to try and fool a warrior such as myself with baseless truths!" Tokoyami said in a voice bleeding with mockery.

"Please...do not go forward. I...can just barely..." The strain within the feminine vocal made a worm of doubt eat away at the young rito's resolve.

"Who are you?" He called out curiously.

"My name is Zelda. Princess Zelda." Tokoyami froze upon hearing this answer.

"You are the..." The words could barely leave his beak, that was just how awestruck the black avian was at the moment.

"Yes." The confirmation's sincerity more than its proclamation made Tokoyami pull his wing away from the malice streaked door.

"If you are who you say you are, and I do believe you to be telling the truth, tell me, where is this chosen one who must fight in my stead?" Tokoyami hated himself for even asking such a question after coming this far towards his goal, however his warrior honor would not allow him to so easily disregard the warning of the princess who suffered for the world.

"He slumbers within a skyloft palace, dreaming dreams of the battle which is to come."

Tokoyami growled deep within his throat. "Then he's useless to those of us who are suffering here and now under the hand of this evil!"

"No. He is only recovering his strength." The princess whispered patiently. "You must give him the time needed to regain his will to fight."

"And how long must I wait? A season? Two? A year? A decade more!?" Tokoyami bellowed in unrepressed anger. "Must more of my people die before this chosen one is awakened!? Must we continue to suffer the loss of what we once called the freedom to fly while this chosen one dreams empty dreams?!" Tokoyami found himself panting as the dark emotions within his heart ate away at his mind. "Must I see another rito fall from the clouds before the one you deem worthy appears?"

"Please...I know your pain all too well...but you must not go forward..."

"Why?! Why can I not be the one to do this deed!!" The echo of silence brought fury into Tokoyami's voice. "Tell me!!" Tokoyami bellowed!

"My powers wane with each passing day...if you go forward now then ganon may break free from my hold. Should that happen it would doom the world to utter destruction as you have neither the power nor the ability to defeat the calamity."

Tokoyami black fist flew into the wood set in front of him hard enough to crack the material. "So I must choose between two arduous paths, one of which will force me to watch that which I want to protect be brought to ruin?! The other a pointless death?" Crimson eyes sewed shut as the thought of such a cruel truth played out within his mind; to think that victory would be pulled from his grasp because he lacked what was needed in terms of skills and abilities infuriated the young rito to no end.

"No." Tokoyami cawed. "I did not come this far just to turn away so easily." Snapping his crimson eyes open the black avian threw both of his wings into the door in front of him. "I will slay Ganon. I will become the hero the world needs!" Pressing forward with all of his might Tokoyami grunted as he kicked his talons against the cold stone in an effort to get the leverage needed to open the throne room's gates.

"Please...don't...!!"

This time he chose not to listen to the voice of the princess.

He would do what needed to be done.

Nothing would stop him.

The sound of Zelda's sudden scream shook the entirety of the castle just as the sound of the doors opening echoed within the young rito's ears. Tokoyami was prepared to ignore the hylian's cry in favor of pressing onwards but he was forced to relent when the ground beneath his feet was literally ripped asunder. The suddenness of the old stones parting prevented the black avian from jumping back, and thus the young rito was sent plummeting down into the darkness below. Snapping out his wings failed to do anything to slow his descent seeing as the walls around him proved to be tight enough to constrict his twin appendages from gaining the traction needed to send him flying upwards, thus Tokoyami fell...and fell...and fell...