Chapter One: Sacrifices, Betrayal, and Hope Reborn Rain in the desert is rare. But rarer still is the fact of a tribesman leaving his tribe to warn people he has never seen of impending danger. This held true for one loner, an Oni named Yasha. Riding upon an aging black stallion, he bends over to try to conserve what little warmth he could for two children who rode with him, who now huddle together for warmth under Yasha’s sodden mantle. Listless golden eyes show his exhaustion and suffering from being so violently thrown out of his tribe. One child sobs for her parents, and the other looks up with concern on his childish face for their rescuer. Thunder rumbles overhead and lightning flashes across the sky as the three weary wanderers enter Hyrule, their destination. Finally they stop at an inn. "I should take it that you two are hungry?" Yasha asked, his voice gruff and gravelly, but nonetheless gentle. "Yes sir." The little girl says, her voice very soft. "I am, certainly!" the boy says, enthusiastic about getting something to eat. "Then we shall stop for the night here, since we are all weary from riding." Yasha said, as he dismounted and got the children down from the horse. Yasha then handed the horse over to a stable boy then went inside to get a room for himself and the two children. The innkeeper looked up when three rain-soaked figures entered his establishment and approached the registration desk. "We need a room for the night." Yasha said, not really caring when people stopped to stare at him and the two youths that stood with him. "I should say you do! And some dry clothes and food you could do with, as well!" the innkeeper said, then noticed that Yasha was leaning on the desk with one hand and had his other hand under his cloak, gripping his left side. "Are you hurt?" the innkeeper asked, with concern in his voice. Yasha shook his head. "I’m just very tired. We have ridden a long way." Yasha replied. The innkeeper nodded, then handed Yasha an iron key for the room he and the children would be staying in. "My wife will bring some food and dry clothing up to your room. You needn’t worry about paying, since you all are not from this part of Hyrule." The innkeeper said, kindly. "I thank you for your kindness." Yasha said, with a polite nod before leading his two charges to the room he had gotten for the night. When they had gotten to the room, Yasha tiredly removed his cloak, wincing when a fresh stab of pain traveled up from his side. "Are you all right, Yasha-san? Does it still hurt?" the little girl asked, worriedly. "I will be fine, Kara. It will take more than an arrow shaft to kill an Oni." Yasha replied, trying to comfort the girl somewhat. "But what if the arrow was poisoned?" the boy asked, lifting the tunic and taking a look at the bloodied bandages that adorned the Oni’s waist. That thought had crossed Yasha’s mind, but he didn’t want to frighten the children any more than they had already been by admitting it. "You needn’t worry, Miroru. I will go to see a healer in the morning, I promise." Yasha said, standing up when he heard a knock at the door. "Are you the one that my husband wanted me to bring food and clothes to?" the woman asked, acting remarkably calm, despite Yasha’s appearance. "Yes. Thank you." Yasha replied, as the woman brought the mentioned items in and noticed that the two children were each from a different race. "Why is it that you have a Sheikah child and a Shadow Elf child?" the woman asked, with curiosity in her eyes, as she gave some clothes to the two children then ushered them off to get changed. "They are orphans, the last of their tribes. Is that…………………?" Yasha trailed off when dizziness overcame him, forcing him to his knees. "Are you all right?! What is wrong with you? What ails you?" the woman asked putting the tray of food down immediately and coming to Yasha’s side. "Arrow wound………………" Yasha managed to say, before he blacked out. "Yasha-san!" Kara and Miroru shouted, as they dashed back into the room, having just changed into their dry clothes. "By Nayru! He’s burning up! You two stay with him, I am going to send for a healer!" the woman said, as she rushed out the door to tell her husband what had just happened. Within moments, there was a rider on the way to Hyrule Castle, with an urgent message: ‘Man poisoned by arrow wound. Unknown poison! Send Princess Ruto at once!’ Link sighed as he lay back on his bed. He hated to admit it, but he was bored. He almost missed the scrapes he and Kage had gotten into before they had faced Ganondorf and Ganon. Below him, he knew the Sages and Zelda were in a conference that did not concern the two Heroes or the male Sheikah known as Sheik. "You look bored, Hero of Time." Sheik said, as he emerged from the wall. "I wish you wouldn’t do that." Link muttered, not even looking at the Sheikah when he sat down in the chair nearest the window. "I apologize, but it is easier to do that than walk down the hall and risk getting yelled at by the Sages for being too loud." Sheik said, as he watched the rain hit the window. "Good point." Link said, as he looked out the window as well. Things had really changed in the course of a year. Link had no doubt that the Princess was probably making plans for a big one- year anniversary celebration of the defeat of Ganondorf and Ganon. Someone knocking on his bedroom door shook him from his thoughts. "Hero of Time! You’re needed in the throne room!" a knight shouted from the hallway. "Okay! I’m on my way! C’mon Sheik." Link said, as he picked up the Master Sword and slung it over his shoulder, reassured by the familiar weight of the weapon. He heard Sheik move from his seat by the window and come along behind him, yet still his footsteps were quieter than his own were. When he and Sheik arrived in the throne room, they could see that all of the Sages were gathered around a rain-soaked messenger. "What’s wrong? What happened?" Link asked, as he stood beside Kage, who also had his sacred blade with him. "Dunno, but I think it’s pretty serious. Ruto’s been mentioned several times in conversation already." Kage said, as the Sages glanced at them and motioned for them to come. "What’s going on, Princess?" Link asked, immediately concerned when he saw the look on Zelda’s face. "Link, I don’t know how to explain this, but Ruto’s healing services have been urgently asked for! There’s an inn on the edge of Hyrule’s Territorial boundary and it took in a wounded Oni this evening. They think he’s been poisoned." Zelda said, worriedly. "Was there anyone else with him? Others of his own kind?" Kage asked, worried that an invasion of vengeful Oni were about to come upon Hyrule. Zelda shook her head. "The only other people who were with him were two children. One child is a Sheikah," Zelda said, then noticed Sheik stiffen and his eyes take on a hard look, "the other is a Shadow Elf, like Kage." Zelda said, completing her thought. Kage looked shocked, then sad. "Poor kid. I know how that feels." Kage said, understanding that the children’s tribes had been wiped out. "What do you plan to do, Princess?" Malon asked, concerned about the health of the Oni. "I plan to have Link, Sheik, and Kage accompany Ruto and me to that inn. If it is poison, then we are going to have to hurry and find an antidote." Zelda said, as she led them into the stable where the horses were housed. "Hello, Epona." Link said, as he walked into the stable, patting his steed’s nose as he moved to get her saddle. "Princess, maybe if this is a poison that is from the region the Oni is from, I would know it, since my clan traveled around quite a bit in regions beyond Hyrule Proper." Akisame said, speaking up for the first time that evening. "Yes, you probably would, Aki. Would you mind coming along with us?" Zelda asked, as she told the stable boy to saddle an extra horse for Akisame. The gypsy shook her head. "Not at all, your Highness. I have to see if I can still use my skills at antidote making. If this is what I think it is, then this Oni is our friend." Akisame said, as she led her horse out of the stall. Within moments, they were riding as fast as they dared to go in the tumultuous weather. "Please, Farore, don’t let this man die. Not until we learn why he is here!" Zelda thought, as they rode through the storm. Miroru watched from the corner that he and Kara had retreated into as Yasha fought to survive. He had a raging fever and groaned in pain, his face contorted into a grimace. But the innkeeper and his wife never left his side, despite the obvious difference this man was to them. "He is a strange looking fellow, with those red and blue tattoos on his face and those golden eyes, but he is obviously very kind, to bring these children with him after they had been orphaned. Why do people call them Oni, Karl?" the innkeeper’s wife asked, as her husband puffed on his pipe and settled back in his chair. "Supposedly they have fantastic powers. According to stories I have heard about this race of elves, they have the ability to fly and can use vast amounts of energy to take out enemies. They were called ‘Oni’ because their eyes go blank when they are in battle mode. At least, this is what I have heard." The innkeeper replied, as hoof beats and horse neighs resounded on the stony ground just outside. "They have arrived. I will bring them in." Karl the innkeeper said, as he rose to go and bring in the help he had sent for. "M-must……………..Must get to Hyrule………………warn them……………" Yasha gasped, tossing his head on the pillow, as sweat beaded on his brow. "Easy, child, you are where you want to be. Help is coming, you needn’t worry." The innkeeper’s wife said, as she bathed his brow with a cool, damp cloth. "Hurts…………..everything burns………….." Yasha moaned, shivering even though he was burning hot. "I know it hurts, just hang on for a little bit longer." The innkeeper’s wife said, as the two children huddled close to her for the comfort they desperately needed. They all looked up when the help that had been sent for appeared before them in the form of three women and three men. "Poor thing." Ruto said, her healer’s nature feeling sympathy for the suffering man. "Let’s get started. Akisame, how do you decipher which poison is at work?" a blond haired man asked, as he gently worked his way over to the bedside. "Well, first off I need a list of the symptoms to help me level it down." Akisame said, as she started getting her herbs and different things out of the deerskin pouch she wore around her waist. The blond turned to the innkeeper’s wife. "Well, he has had a high fever that has been climbing steadily for the past hour or so and he complains of pain, burning pain. His arrow wound is infected and still bleeds as though fresh." The innkeeper’s wife said, as Akisame’s statement showed triumph and a little fear. "Did you find out which poison it is?" a dark haired fellow asks, looking anxious about the Oni’s health. "Yes. The poison was directly tapped from the Burning Death root that only grows in the region he’s from. It was introduced through an arrow that had been dipped in the liquefied remains of the plant. The only cure for it is a type of flower that is fabled to grow in the Sacred Forest Meadow in the Lost Woods." Akisame said. "I think I know what flower that is! Hold on, I’ll be right back!" the blond said, as he pulled out an ocarina, played a tune on it, and disappeared in a flash of light. "That’s Link for ya." The dark haired one said, as the other people just sighed and shook their heads. Within seconds, ‘Link’ had returned, with Saria at his side. "Here’s the flower you needed. I take it that you are the one that stole Sheik’s heart." Saria said, with a smile when the Sheikah and gypsy both blushed. Then Akisame got back to the task at hand. She started using her hands to squeeze the juice, nectar and plant matter into the wound, that of which had been unwrapped by Ruto. Yasha let out a cry of pain, and had to be held down by Sheik and Kage. At first, the Oni’s struggling was violent; several times he’d come close to throwing Sheik and Kage off, but, after a while, the antidote started taking effect. "Hey, his skin’s cooling off!" Kage said, as the Oni started settling down again. "You’re right! His fever is coming down!" the innkeeper’s wife said, as the two men released the Oni and the two children got close. After a few more moments, Yasha opened his eyes and looked up at the people that had saved his life. At first he looked bewildered, then he came to his senses and looked at every face in turn, then looked at the children’s faces. Miroru looked frightened and Kara looked like she was going to cry. "Don’t worry………..I’m going to be all right………." Yasha said, as he tousled Miroru’s hair and wiped tears from Kara’s eyes. "Sir, may we have a word with you?" Zelda asked, as she approached the bedside. Yasha turned his weary eyes to her. "Who are you?" Yasha asked, his eyes showing Zelda the trials he and the children had been through. "I am Zelda, Princess of Hyrule." Zelda said, noticing when the wounded Oni registered that name and his eyes lit up with alarm. "Princess of Hyrule………………! Agh!" Yasha cried, when he tried to sit up and found out the hard way that his wound was not healed. "Slow down, painted one! You’re not fully healed yet!" Kage said, as he gently, yet firmly held the Oni down with his hands. "There is something I need to tell you, Princess of Hyrule, so please, hear me out." Yasha said, as he turned his amber-eyed gaze to Zelda. "Go ahead." Zelda said, giving the wounded man the permission to speak. "There is an invasion force heading this way. My tribe is coming to Hyrule with the intent to take over and destroy the Sacred Places, the Seven Temples. I am the last sane Oni and the only one to escape the Burning Waste alive. These two children, Miroru and Kara, are the only survivors of two tribes that lived near mine. Their people were brutally wiped out by my brother, Kisha, during one of his fanatical moments. I came here with this dire warning, hoping that you would listen to me and build up your defenses before the Oni get here. Your Heroes are needed to face evil once again." Yasha said, as he turned his gaze to each person in the room, finally stopping when he looked at Sheik. Sheik shifted uneasily when the Oni looked at him, the golden eyes seeming to peer deep into the recesses of his soul. "They still live, Sheikah." Yasha said, startling Sheik. "What do you mean?! Who’re you talking about, Oni?" Kage asked, out of curiosity. "His mother, sister and brother are still alive." Yasha said, getting a look of shock and outrage from the Sheikah. "How dare you give me that! After enduring seven years of pure hell of wondering what ever became of them, I have wanted them to be safe in a place where even the scent of evil cannot hurt them anymore!" Sheik shouted, in outrage. All those who knew the Sheikah well stood in complete and utter shock; they had never seen such an extreme show of emotion in the normally calm Sheik before. "He tells the truth! We met some more Sheikah on the very outskirts of Gerudo Valley! They told us which way to come!" Miroru piped up, meeting Sheik’s eyes with as much courage as he could muster. "Yes. This very nice lady told us which way to go." Kara said, softly. "Young one……Kara, is it? Tell me, please, did this woman have a gold headpiece on?" Sheik asked, as he kneeled in front of the shy Shadow Elf. The young girl fiddled with her new dress’ sleeves before giving the Sheikah a tiny nod. Sheik sat back, his astonishment readily seen on his face. Then, without another word, Sheik got up and walked out the door. "Sheik!" Zelda called, but was stopped from saying anything more by Link. "Don’t call him back, Princess. This might be his only chance to find his mother and siblings, whom he’d thought long dead." Link said, gently. Zelda stared at Link for a long moment, then nodded. "He will at last get the closure he so desperately wanted for so long." Zelda said, as tears of sympathy came to her eyes for her friend. "You have a gentle heart, Princess of Hyrule. I will do what I can to protect that, when I am able." Yasha said, with determination in his tone. "I am sure that you will. But I need to know your name, first." Zelda said, as she turned her attention back to Yasha. "My name is Yasha." Yasha replied, before drifting into a antidote induced slumber. "Things have just gotten even more difficult to understand." Kage muttered, under his breath, as they all watched the Oni sleep. "Yes. But things are going to get harder still when this new enemy comes into our horizon." Saria said, grimly, getting an all round agreement from those in the room.