1. Start your journey A blonde haired young man with slightly pointed ears slumbered under the shade of a tree. An ocarina lay at his side. He wore a green tunic and brown hose, and a butterfly sat on his nose, completely unnoticed by him. His sleep - and the butterfly's peaceful repose - were disturbed by a shout.
"Link! Link, wake up already!"
He opened his eyes to gaze on the floating blue light hovering over him, his oldest friend.
"Navi...I was having such a good dream..."
"I don't care what you were dreaming about! Have you forgotten why we're out here already?"
He smiled as he thought of a way to distract her. "It was about you."
The blue light suddenly took on a pinkish cast. "Wh-what do you mean?"
He chuckled to himself. He knew the light wasn't her true form. She'd explained it to him a long time ago - how fairy's were to small for humans to see, but those bonded to one could see the light of their magic, and that's what he saw of her. Even so, he found it amusing how the light reflected her mood. "What do you think I meant?" he asked as he sat up.
She floated there, bright pink, then asked, "What was it about?"
He smirked. "I thought you didn't care?"
She flew around his head in irritation. "Tell me already!"
He got a thoughtful expression, then shrugged his shoulders. "I forgot."
She smacked him in the back of the head. "Won't you take anything seriously? You bear the mark of the chosen! You carry the hope of the people! When are you going to act your age and station! Everyone in Hyrule is counting on you, you know that!"
He glared at her slightly. "It's just a stupid superstition." He glanced at the back of his right hand, where three black triangles arranged in a larger triangle were plainly visible. A birthmark. He hated when Navi got on about that. It hadn't mattered when they were younger, but now it seemed to be all anyone cared about.
"It is not a stupid superstition. It is-"
"I know, I know." He began mimicing his teacher's voice. "It ist an impohtant paht of Hyrule's past, present, and future that the one who bears the mark of ze chosen journey to the Temple ohf Time shud ze Master Sword need a wielder against ze powahs of Dahkness, in case zey return." He returned to his normal voice. "After as many times as we heard that lecture, I've got it memorized."
"Then why don't you care?" Navi was incensed.
"Because I'm not a hero!" Link shouted finally, unwilling to control himself with only his oldest friend to hear. "The wielder's of the Master Sword in the past have all been great men, heroes who guarded us against the darkness, many of them with their lives. I know: most of them came from my bloodline. But I'm not like them!" He slumped into his arms. "But I'm not like them. I can't dedicate myself to others. I...I just want to live my own life. Is that so much to ask?"
Navi was quiet for a while, then settled on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Link. I...I had no idea how much this was weighing on you. I haven't really been helping, pushing you so hard, have I?"
"Not your fault, Navi..." He was sorry he had yelled. He hated to worry her.
She suddenly perked up. "Well, we might as well get to the Temple sooner rather than later, right? The sooner you get there, the sooner you try to draw it. If it doesn't come out, you aren't needed, and you get to live your own life! How does that sound?"
Link smiled. "I never looked at it that way." Grabbing his sword and shield up from the ground, he strapped them to his back and leapt to his feet. He let out a piercing whistle.
From across the field, his horse came charging up to him, skidding to a halt in front of him, snorting into his hair, happy to see his improved mood.
"Hey Epona! Easy, easy!" He laughed at her easy affection. Quickly saddling her, he leaped onto her back and they took off for the Temple.
Reaching the Temple, he walked inside with Navi, feeling much better about himself. Smiling, he walked into the inner sanctum. Now came the ritual.
"Hear me, oh Gods of Hyrule!" He knew this part by heart. He had to. "Mighty Din! Wise Nayru! Courageous Farore! I who bare the mark of the Chosen offer myself for your service, to guard the land against darkness." Reaching forth, he touched the three gems. They glowed, and the door opened. Stepping through, he walked up to the sword embeded in the pedastel.
"Moment of truth," he mumbled to himself as he seized the hilt. It seemed made for his hand.
"Careful," Navi cautioned him.
There was the sound of scraping metal, followed by a snap. Link stood staring down at the half of the Master Sword in his hand. The blade had broken in the middle, and the other half lay on the pedastel, dull and grey.
"That's not good..." Navi said worriedly.
"I didn't do it!" Link said hurriedly.
"Link! Link, wake up already!"
He opened his eyes to gaze on the floating blue light hovering over him, his oldest friend.
"Navi...I was having such a good dream..."
"I don't care what you were dreaming about! Have you forgotten why we're out here already?"
He smiled as he thought of a way to distract her. "It was about you."
The blue light suddenly took on a pinkish cast. "Wh-what do you mean?"
He chuckled to himself. He knew the light wasn't her true form. She'd explained it to him a long time ago - how fairy's were to small for humans to see, but those bonded to one could see the light of their magic, and that's what he saw of her. Even so, he found it amusing how the light reflected her mood. "What do you think I meant?" he asked as he sat up.
She floated there, bright pink, then asked, "What was it about?"
He smirked. "I thought you didn't care?"
She flew around his head in irritation. "Tell me already!"
He got a thoughtful expression, then shrugged his shoulders. "I forgot."
She smacked him in the back of the head. "Won't you take anything seriously? You bear the mark of the chosen! You carry the hope of the people! When are you going to act your age and station! Everyone in Hyrule is counting on you, you know that!"
He glared at her slightly. "It's just a stupid superstition." He glanced at the back of his right hand, where three black triangles arranged in a larger triangle were plainly visible. A birthmark. He hated when Navi got on about that. It hadn't mattered when they were younger, but now it seemed to be all anyone cared about.
"It is not a stupid superstition. It is-"
"I know, I know." He began mimicing his teacher's voice. "It ist an impohtant paht of Hyrule's past, present, and future that the one who bears the mark of ze chosen journey to the Temple ohf Time shud ze Master Sword need a wielder against ze powahs of Dahkness, in case zey return." He returned to his normal voice. "After as many times as we heard that lecture, I've got it memorized."
"Then why don't you care?" Navi was incensed.
"Because I'm not a hero!" Link shouted finally, unwilling to control himself with only his oldest friend to hear. "The wielder's of the Master Sword in the past have all been great men, heroes who guarded us against the darkness, many of them with their lives. I know: most of them came from my bloodline. But I'm not like them!" He slumped into his arms. "But I'm not like them. I can't dedicate myself to others. I...I just want to live my own life. Is that so much to ask?"
Navi was quiet for a while, then settled on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Link. I...I had no idea how much this was weighing on you. I haven't really been helping, pushing you so hard, have I?"
"Not your fault, Navi..." He was sorry he had yelled. He hated to worry her.
She suddenly perked up. "Well, we might as well get to the Temple sooner rather than later, right? The sooner you get there, the sooner you try to draw it. If it doesn't come out, you aren't needed, and you get to live your own life! How does that sound?"
Link smiled. "I never looked at it that way." Grabbing his sword and shield up from the ground, he strapped them to his back and leapt to his feet. He let out a piercing whistle.
From across the field, his horse came charging up to him, skidding to a halt in front of him, snorting into his hair, happy to see his improved mood.
"Hey Epona! Easy, easy!" He laughed at her easy affection. Quickly saddling her, he leaped onto her back and they took off for the Temple.
Reaching the Temple, he walked inside with Navi, feeling much better about himself. Smiling, he walked into the inner sanctum. Now came the ritual.
"Hear me, oh Gods of Hyrule!" He knew this part by heart. He had to. "Mighty Din! Wise Nayru! Courageous Farore! I who bare the mark of the Chosen offer myself for your service, to guard the land against darkness." Reaching forth, he touched the three gems. They glowed, and the door opened. Stepping through, he walked up to the sword embeded in the pedastel.
"Moment of truth," he mumbled to himself as he seized the hilt. It seemed made for his hand.
"Careful," Navi cautioned him.
There was the sound of scraping metal, followed by a snap. Link stood staring down at the half of the Master Sword in his hand. The blade had broken in the middle, and the other half lay on the pedastel, dull and grey.
"That's not good..." Navi said worriedly.
"I didn't do it!" Link said hurriedly.