Chapter 1:
(Link's PoV)
A mere century ago, the evil Wind Sorcerer known only as Vaati escaped for the third time since his original imprisonment within the Four Sword Shrine. Before he could begin to wreak havoc, he was quickly confronted by a brave soul. The Princess of the era immediately sent her Hero after him, armed with the legendary Four Sword. While the sorcerer was still getting used to his body, the hero- who had been split into four- attacked. The four easily defeated him before any damage was done. Strangely enough, the hero reported that the notorious villain did not put up much of a fight, even in the end...
And now Vaati has escaped once more. I know not how this can possibly have occurred, as my predecessor took care to strengthen the seal holding him, but I need you to stop him. Link, you are the next Hero. The Goddesses have chosen you; they have shown us the signs, as they always have, and guided us to you. It is your destiny to save the land of Hyrule.
Do not fail me Hero, without you there is no hope. As Vaati is already free, you may claim the Four Sword without fear of releasing any sealed evil. Hurry to the castle once you have done so. Please help us, you are our only chance.
-Princess Zelda Nohansen Hyrule VI-
I read the letter to myself for what must have been the tenth time, thinking hard. I'm some kind of hero? How am I supposed to be a HERO? I'm no one special, but now the Princess of all people is telling me that I'm some legendary warrior who's destined to save Hyrule! Sure, I'm pretty good with a sword, but... Is this really my destiny? Well, whether it's true or not, I'll do my best, for my friends, for my home, and for the Princess, though I've never met her before. Guess it's time to head out, huh?
I put on the hat and tunic that had been sent to me along with the letter, feeling a bit uncomfortable. Why does the fabric have to be so thick? I'm sweating already... Anyway, I can't really complain, can I? If this letter's true, then the Princess of Hyrule herself sent me these clothes. I should be honored, not worrying about the material! I'll just have to learn to deal with these things if I ever want to be at all like the Heroes from the legends.
I strap my simple short sword to my back with a resigned sigh. I guess there aren't any other preparations to make, time to say goodbye. My aunt and uncle are waiting for me outside. I hug them both and accept their praise, repeatedly assuring them that I'll be fine. Everyone was so surprised when I told them that I'm going to be the new Hero. The other boys seemed a bit jealous, but I don't see why they should be.
I mean, even in the legends heroes faced a lot of danger. Some of them even gave up their lives... It's not all fun and games, and I'd be stupid to think that. After all, our village guards the shrine for a reason. We keep Hyrule safe in our own little way. That's a big responsibility in itself, but because of it, this village is all I know. The idea of leaving scares me, but at the same time I feel... excited. I don't really understand it, but that's how I feel. Maybe it's because I'm this "hero" person?
I give the only family I knew one last wave and start to jog down the path to the forest. I had never been allowed into the sanctuary grove before, so I'm not quite sure how to get there in the first place. We only guard the entrance to the forest; we never venture too far into the woods. After all, there are supposed to be monsters in here. I nod to the guards stationed at the entrance and head on through, into the unknown. The worn dirt path is very faint now, leaving only an endless sea of trees stretching out all around me as far as the eye can see. I'd better be careful not to stray from it.
It's so quiet here... I feel like I shouldn't make a sound, as if it would be disrespectful somehow. This forest is ancient, and the shrine has been here for countless centuries. One story my grandma told me a long time ago even said that there used to be two shrines held within these woods, and a village of forest spirits... I never believed it then, but now, being here, I think I'm starting to. This place just gives off that kind of feeling.
After following the path for a while I run into a massive stone door covered in vines. The building stands alone, surrounded by trees taller than any I had ever seen in my life. I look around, trying to see how big this place is, but the forest has taken over much of the clearing, blocking my view. This place obviously hasn't been disturbed in a long time... The building, though covered in vines, seems completely undamaged. I push the door open and step inside. The room I entered is made of plain stone, nothing remarkable about it at all; just a simply entryway. I start to walk towards the door on the opposite side. As soon as I had taken a step away from the entrance, I hear a click. I spin around in surprise. Great. Just my luck. The building just locked me in, impossible as that seems.
I'm about to run across the room and check the other door when two ugly pig-like things suddenly appear in a puff of acrid black smoke. Each of them holds a spear in its grubby hands, swinging it back and forth a bit clumsily. A single word suddenly pops into my head as they stand there scowling at me from the center of the room: "bokoblins". Is that what these creatures are? I review all of my swordsmanship lessons for a moment, smiling a little in anticipation as I quickly go over each move in my mind. Time to put all I've learned to good use.
First things first, divide and conquer. I shouldn't let any enemy surround me, not if I want to live. These guys seem pretty stupid to me, so that should be easy enough. All I need to do is annoy them a bit. "Hey, pig-face! Come and get me!", I taunt one of them with a rude smirk, my sword drawn. It runs at me right away, proving its obvious stupidity. "Lesson one: horizontal slash!"
I swing my sword as I recite the name of the move I'm using, knocking the startled creature back. One more hit should do it. "Lesson two: vertical slash!" It screams as my sword rips into its shoulder, exploding in a puff of black dust and acrid smoke as it dies.
The second bokoblin comes at me after a minute, having only just now realized that its companion was defeated. These things definitely don't have much brains. Time to take down the second one... I'll use my favorite attack. Might as well end this quickly. I haven't been injured so far, but there's no need to push my luck. Let's see if I can time this right... "Spin attack!" It falls with a yelp of pain and disappears just like the first one did. A green rupee shows up in its place. Okay, that's just a little bit weird. Well, more like a heck of a lot, but maybe this is just how being a hero works? For all I know, maybe all monsters randomly drop things when you kill them. It's not like I have a lot of experience with monsters in the first place, after all.
The doors click, unlocking themselves. I have no clue how they just did that, but I guess there's no point in questioning dungeon logic at this point. As hero, I'm sure I'll be dealing with this kind of thing often. I open the door on the far side and step into the forest again. The path continues on this side of the building. It must have been a gatehouse a long time ago. The road ahead of me is littered with little red monsters wandering about aimlessly. Another name shows up in my mind, "octoroks." How do I know what these creatures are called after seeing them...? No, this is no time to space out! I need to stay focused. I can see another door off in the distance. This little journey is going to be longer than I thought...
-Four Sword Sanctuary-
The first thing I see as I step into the cool, shaded chamber is a sword, gleaming gently in the early morning light shining in through the open ceiling and stained glass windows depicting Hyrule's history. I've entered the Four Sword Shrine, then? This place is so overwhelming, so, so important... Am I seriously doing this? No, I have to calm down. But... What if I do something wrong? What if this only makes things worse? What if... What if they've got it wrong, and I'm not this "Hero of Destiny" they think I am? I shake my head to clear these disturbing thoughts from my mind and take a deep breath.
I step forward and grasp the sword's spiraling hilt in both hands. Even though most of the actual blade is sheathed in stone, I can still tell that it's beautiful. The hilt fits perfectly in my grip, as if it was made for me. The pommel gem is a clear, flawless crystal disk that shimmers in the light, almost seeming to possess a glow of its own. Said gem, shaped like a smooth, slightly flattened egg, is held securely to the hilt within a loop of golden metal. As I look down at the sword, I notice a stylized eye carved into the pedestal in which it rests. I wrench my gaze away with a small shudder and murmur a quiet prayer to the Goddesses. That eye looks like it was taken straight from one of the books of legends I read when I was little... It's Vaati's symbol.
I take another look at the carving and suddenly it doesn't seem so scary anymore. It's almost as if it's trying to tell me something... No, that's crazy. I'm just imagining things, trying to put this off because I'm nervous. Vaati's not here, he escaped already. Taking the sword won't let anything loose, there's nothing here to release in the first place. I'm not a little kid anymore, I need to be brave.
Swallowing dryly in a fruitless attempt to calm myself, I tighten my grip on the blade's hilt. It's now or never... I silently count down from three and begin to pull. I thought it wouldn't come out without a bit of work, but the blade slides out of the stone as effortlessly as if the pedestal isn't even there, sending me flailing backwards with a startled yelp. Time slows to a crawl as I fall to the floor, sword in hand. The Four Sword is shining brightly, gleaming with a pure white light from blade-tip to pommel stone. A strange feeling floods my body, as if I was being ripped apart, though I don't feel any pain.
That same white light suddenly surrounds me, blinding me for a moment and leaving my vision blurry. The sword's glow dies down as I land, hitting the cold stone floor hard. I let out a small sound at the sudden impact, startled as time once again begins to flow normally. I hear a small chorus of groans and a single quiet shriek, coming from my right. Surprised, I look around as my vision clears a little. Sitting on the ground next to me are three boys, looking just like me but each sporting a different-colored hat and tunic.
"What the..." I blink once to clear my vision completely. The one in blue rubs his eyes and stares right back at me, the one in red looks at me and the other two doppelgangers in confusion, and the third one, wearing purple, seems calm and just a little bit bored. I stand quickly, holding the Four Sword in my left hand. I warily unsheathe my other blade, thinking this is another test. "You want a fight then, huh?" the blue "Link" yells, pulling a pair of blades out as well. We both pause for a moment, staring at each other's weapons. In his hands are an exact copy of my trusty old blade and what appears to be the Four Sword, though his bears a blue gem where mine now has a green one. I glance at the other two, noting that they each hold a copy of the Four Sword, too, the color of the pommel stone matching their tunics.
We're about to cross blades anyway when our red twin stands and jumps between us. "We don't need to fight! Please don't fight!" He whimpers a little towards the end, on the verge of tears. Maybe it's not a test, then? I decide to sheathe my swords first. The boy in blue mirrors my actions after a moment, though he still looks like he wants to fight.
The boy in purple stands up and calmly brushes himself off, looking at me. "It seems that the legend is true. "He who draws this blade shall split into four." Did you forget?" I feel really stupid all of a sudden; I did forget. "Just like it says, we've been split into four, each of us holding part of "Link's" original personality," he explains.
"Oh, right," I chorus along with the other two, this alone almost proving that we're all "Link." I sigh a little bit.
"Well, what am I supposed to call you three then? We can't all be "Link," right?" The "Link" in blue says huffily. I get the feeling he thinks he deserves to keep the name Link.
The red-clad boy speaks up suddenly, looking like he has an idea. "Hey, I know! We're all wearing different-colored clothes, right? So..." He points at each of us in turn with a big, innocent smile. "You're wearing green, so you can be Green! I'm wearing red, so I'm Red, and you're Blue-" He is cut off by the rudest among us.
"That's stupid," barks the newly-named "Blue."
"I-is not!" "Red" responds weakly, looking hurt.
The violet-clad boy taps one foot against the floor. "What about me, then?" he asks, ignoring Blue.
"Yeah what do we call him, Purple?" Blue asks scornfully, trying to prove that this is stupid. I have to admit he has a point; Purple is an awkward name. Maybe we could shorten it to Purp, but that still sounds weird.
"Are you trying to insult me?" the yet-unnamed boy asks quietly, though you can easily see the anger flashing in his eyes.
"Maybe I am. And so what? You tryin' to pick a fight, "Purple"?" Blue shouts back. This is going to be a long, long journey.
"As if. You're too stupid to warrant my time," the purple-clad boy responds in a bored tone, though it has an edge of anger to it.
"That's it, you're dead meat!" Blue is enraged by this and unsheathes one of his blades. Red gets in between them just like he did before with Blue and I, looking upset.
"Please don't fight!" he says in his innocent way again. "Please, please don't!"
I step forward to back him up, adding my voice to the conversation. "We don't need to fight amongst ourselves."
He continues once Blue reluctantly puts his blade away. "Anyway, I have an idea! The color purple can also be called "Violet," right? So," he says excitedly, pointing at the purple-clad boy. "You can be "Vio!"
...Huh?
"It's short for "Violet"," he explains sheepishly, realizing by our identical blank stares that the rest of us didn't understand the connection.
I step forward and throw my arm over the purple-clad "Link's" shoulders. "Welcome to the club then, Vio."
He thinks about it for a moment, then smiles a little. "...I like it. It has a nice ring to it."
"How come he gets a fancy name?" Blue yells, annoyed.
"Oh, will you give it a rest already?" I snap at him, my patience wearing thin. I don't know why, but everything about Blue makes me annoyed for some reason. Maybe because it shows me how irritatingying I- I mean "Link"- can be when he's being stubborn or angry... Blue just got the most annoying qualities, I guess.
An eerie, disembodied laugh echoes through the air and I look up. The gems in all four of the Four Swords' hilts have changed color to a shimmering, pure pitch black for a moment as an oddly familiar voice echoes through the air, that of a boy. I'm sure I've never heard it before, though, so why do I feel like I have? Vio looks a bit preoccupied, while Red and Blue don't even notice the voice.
"Heheheh, you four are JUST like them. And here I was hanging around this place waiting for ya to show up... Guess I was all worried for nothing. You'll do fine. Wish I could come along, but hey, you can't even see me! The "Darkness" isn't needed this time around... Well, actually, I hope it won't be. If it is, well... Nah, no need to get ya'll upset over nothing. Forget I said anything."
The voice trails off and I get the feeling its owner, whoever he is, is looking at Vio.
"...Never mind. Ya'll couldn't possibly remember me anyway. I'm the only one who didn't get to be reincarnated, after all. The Goddesses must've decided someone needed to remember the past..."
What's this guy saying? Reincarnated? Remember the past? Then again, his voice does sound familiar... Almost as if I've met him before. Vio is looking at a certain spot in midair, behind the pedestal. I notice with a little jolt that my vision is getting a little blurry. Wait, why am I spacing out like this all of a sudden? I just can't seem to focus... It looks like Red and Blue are a little dazed, too. What's going on...?
-...-
(Vio's PoV)
I stare at the translucent grey-clad boy in front of me, my eyes narrowing slightly. Red, Green and Blue all have a far-away look in their eyes, obviously dead to the world.
"What did you do to them? What are you after?"
"You... You can see me, can't ya? Heheh. Should've figured you'd remember me a bit more than the others would. After all, we... ...*sigh* Never mind. Anyway, I just wanted to, uh, talk to you in private for a sec."
"Huh?"
He's... confusing. I can't understand him at all, not like I can with the others. Blue, Red and Green are easy for me to figure out, but this boy... It's almost as if there's nothing there to read. ...No, more like I just can't see it. I feel like I should be able to, though, so why can't I? I can barely see him as is, and all I can really make out are those gray clothes... He chuckles quietly, looking almost a bit sad for a second.
"Look, I shouldn't even be doing this in the first place. But hey, that's never stopped me before, so why should it now? Anyway, this is what I'm "after," as you said."
A small flash of light gleams from the general area of where his hands most likely are, though it's not very strong. When it fades, a small, obviously solid book floats in the air before him.
"This belonged to the Vio I remember... I want you to have it."
The book gently floats into my hands and I look at it for a moment, and then return my gaze to him. "The Vio you remember?"
He laughs again. "You'll figure it out eventually. You always were the 'smart one,' after all. I'd better go, I don't want to get in trouble with the Goddesses."
"Are you some kind of spirit, then?"
"To tell ya the truth, I'm not really sure what I am at this point. See ya later, Vio."
He slowly fades out of view before I can say anything else and the others shake their heads, blinking dazedly.
"Wh-what just happened...?" Red asks a little sleepily, while Blue just looks grumpy as usual. Green is quiet. I think he may have been able to hear that boy like I could, but somehow I doubt that he could see him.
"He gave me a book."
They all look at me blankly, waiting for a better explanation. I laugh a little inside. "The voice we heard, he gave me a book." I don't know how I can possibly explain what happened, how I felt when I saw that boy... No, I don't want to explain it. Somehow, I just know, deep down, that they won't understand.
Blue scowls. "What in Hyrule are you talking about? What voice?"
"I didn't hear anything," adds Red, looking confused.
"Don't worry about it, guys. It was nothing," Green chimes in, sticking up for me. Looks like he understands... A little, at least.
"Thanks," I tell him quietly, strapping the book to my belt. The moment I do, I suddenly feel a lot less tense than I did before... Like it belongs there, somehow. Will I ever see that boy again? I hope so.
"...Shadow..." I whisper quietly to myself, my hand resting on the book's sturdy leather cover. I'm not even sure why I said it. It's so strange. Before that boy showed up, everything was clear and simple, but something felt wrong deep down, empty. Now I'm all flustered and confused, but... I feel... happy. Emotions are so hard to deal with. I sigh quietly and follow the others out of the sanctuary, keeping to myself.
"That purple-boy is weird," Blue mutters. Red hits him on the arm, muttering something I can't hear. We walk out of the Sacred Grove in single file, even Blue keeping quiet in respect for this place. The next destination is the Castle; I can't help but have butterflies in my stomach at the thought of meeting the Princess. I always wanted to- well, Link always wanted to. Somehow, I think the others are much more nervous than I am. It's weird thinking about this, that I'm no longer Link; I had always been Link. ...Or had I?
That boy... He said something about "the Vio he remembered." So maybe each of us is truly someone else? But that doesn't make any sense. Link drew the Four Sword and we appeared, just as the legend states. But then, how come I don't remember much about Link's life? Green obviously does, though I don't have a clue about Red's standpoint; and I doubt Blue even bothers to think about that kind of thing, if he even thinks much in the first place.
We must all remember his life, just in different ways. Green has the actual memories themselves, most likely. He seems the most like Link, after all. Maybe that was just at first glance, though. ...No, looking at him now, he's still the most like Link. But if we're all Link, then what part of him could Red have possibly come from? Okay, I need to stop thinking about this, NOW. I'm giving myself a headache-
"Hey, look! Is that the castle?"
Red's voice thankfully interrupts my thoughts as I look up. Just as he said, the castle can be seen far off in the distance. That was fast. I guess our steady pace of a simple brisk walk paid off.
"No, Red, it's a giant Rupee. Of COURSE it's the castle, you idiot!" Blue yells in his least endearing tone, smacking Red.
Green shakes his head and I just sigh. How are we possibly going to survive this adventure with him along?
"Knock it off, Blue. Let's just go," Green says in one of those voices that somehow instantly makes you feel like you should listen to him.
"Who made you leader?" Apparently, Blue is immune to such things. So much for giving myself a headache... I almost forgot that Blue is one. Letting out another sigh, I decide to intervene.
"Look, it doesn't matter. We all have our strengths. Yours is obviously combat, not leadership," I point out. "After all, you took out a lot more of those Octoroks than us and didn't even break a sweat earlier."
"Humph." Blue replies, crossing his arms and looking away. He doesn't argue with me, though he's too stubborn to actually admit he's wrong, of course.
"On to Hyrule Castle, then," Green says with a sigh. I can tell he hopes the meeting with Zelda will go without incident. Namely without us fighting amongst ourselves. And by fighting amongst ourselves, I mean Blue fighting with one of us or bullying Red. I honestly don't know if I'm going to be sane by the end of this journey.
A/N
Well first I think we both want to thank you guys for reading. And if you Review, we double-thank you.
I hope you guys enjoyed the beginning. This story is a collaboration made using the amazing-ness of Google docs. It has been written by i-wish-799 and Nira Rose. Who are very happy to be working together.
So you all know the next chapter will focus on the first of the mages(the favorite of your authoresses). It will be a little pity party for the imprisoned mage.
anyways please tell us what you think, We both love your opinions.