CHAPTER 1
The sun beamed down on Hyrule Field. The land was still slowly healing from the years of abuse under the reign of the evil king, Ganon. But now, Ganon was sealed away in the Sacred Realm, hopefully for good.
It had been a year since Ganon was first defeated. In the past year, villains had arisen and had tried to resurrect the monstrous wizard, but all have failed. Ganon remained imprisoned.
This was thanks to heroes, such as Wynn, Tane, Fami, Nerah, Jier, and Shezarah, and Link and Zelda. They triumphed over foes such as the near-invincible Silver Knuckle, the insane sorcerer Icarnos, the marauder king Deihawk, and the apprentice wizard, Seron. Now, none remained to oppress the freedom of Hyrule...or is that so?
******
Deep in the heart of the mountain ranges to Hyrule's north, a monster was oblivious to the brilliant sun. It scrambled over rocks and climbed crumbling stairs, intent on its purpose. A single eye looked about, searching the rubble decorating the interior of the cave.
The monster clutched a dim torch. It chirped quietly to itself, almost in a matter that resembled grumbling. It tripped several times, as if it was not used to walking. After each fall, the grumbling would grow more intense as the creature grew more and more angry.
The monster was spidery in nature. Two thin legs ended in claws that gripped the loose stones uncertainly. A red rounded hexagon formed the body, and two arms nearly identical to the legs were spread out wide, as if it were trying to keep its balance on the graveled floor. A yellow eye was a slit in disgust. It was a Tekiton, a monster created as a servant to the wizard Seron. This one, however, had a different goal.
The monster crossed a narrow stone bridge, looking into the deep darkness off the sides with apprehension. One slip, and it was dead. It proceeded, focused on its task. It stepped off the bridge, and proceeded into a dark tunnel.
It followed the tunnel down, deep into the earth. It seemed to be far, far below the mountain. The torch flickered, nearly out. The monster finally reached its goal. A door many times larger than the monster loomed in front of it. The door had once been decorated with gold and jewels, but was on the verge of collapse, dirty and rusted.
The monster stepped forward, kicking the door down with all its power, which wasn't much. It was fortunate the door was already weakened, or it never would have fallen to such a weak attempt. It slammed down with a reverberating crash, deafening the Tekiton.
The monster seemed to chuckle. It strutted forward, victory at hand. It walked up to a lone pedestal, where a small white crystal was resting. It held it above its head with trembling claws, its task complete.
Seron would be reborn!
******
The sun drifted to the horizon. The day was done, and it was time for rest. Soon, the night would cover Hyrule like a blanket. Once, the night brought terror. But, that was Ganon's evil, and Ganon was gone.
A man began to set up camp for the night. It was warm out, being the dead of summer. He sighed, looking at the setting sun. He felt as if it was a symbol, of his own journeys. His adventures were over.
Wynn did not like that thought.
The hero sat on the ground, memories of his past quests coming to him. He missed the battles, the thrills. He missed his friends. If he only could have it again...
The hero was in his late teens. His brown eyes were pointed to the sky from his rounded face, and his brown hair blew with the wind. His blue tunic was battle scarred, as was his light-colored armor. His huge Biggoron Sword and chained mace lay off to the side, but near enough in case of danger. He was muscular in build.
As Wynn watched the stars come out, he again thought of his friends. Fami, the impish girl that held his heart. Nerah, the witty Zora that had finally found what she had been searching for. Jier, the dark protector, at peace. Shezarah, the warrior that had found her match. Tane, the rogue that had won over Shezarah.
He missed them. It was time to visit one of them, he concluded. But who? He looked around. He was in the east of Hyrule Field. He smiled as he realized he was less than half a day's walk from Kokiri Village, home of Fami. Tomorrow, he would pay her a visit.
As he closed his eyes and drifted to sleep, again he thought of his lost adventures. He would love to be back in action. He felt as if something was missing from him.
Little did he know, he would soon regain that part. Another adventure awaited, right around the corner.
But would he survive it?
******
Seron yawned. Or, at least the thing occupying his body yawned.
It leaned back in its chair, examining the liquid in its mug. Life was good. It was alone in the tavern. It had scared everyone else off with its magic, a pitiful trick in comparison to the former Seron's magic, but enough. It leaned back, gulping the rest of the liquid. It let out a high-pitched moan of approval.
It came as a total surprise when the door burst open. The terrified ex-Tekiton fell back, toppling out of the chair. It climbed to its feet, remembering its power.
"You!" accused the squeaky voice.
Staring at him was the body of the last Tekiton. And in that body was the spirit of Seron, magician. They had switched bodies due to the destruction of Seron's enchanted armor. Now, Seron was trapped in the body of his weakest monster.
Not for long.
The monster strode up to the one that owned its former body. The one that had once been Seron glared at his opponent.
"S...Stay away! I'll...I'll blast you!" squeaked the former Tekiton, raising a gauntleted hand.
The other advanced, a cold gleam in his one eye. The former Tekiton retreated, looking around desperately. It had noticed the white stone in the hand of the other, and didn't like the looks of it.
"Go away!" screamed the desperate coward, calling on his magic. A bolt of lightning shot from his hand, but fizzled, and died before it even neared the other. If it was possible, Seron in the Tekiton form seemed to be smiling.
The dark monster leaped at his former body, stone held high. The thing in Seron's body backpedaled, but tripped over a chair, and landed in a heap. The last thing he saw was the white stone arcing towards his forehead, and all went dark.
******
Wynn stood on a hill overlooking the entrance of Kokiri Forest. A confident smile came over him as he looked down towards a place that was the home to one of the most important people in his life. He would be reunited with Fami, if only for a short while. He started forward, going into the forest.
He proceeded across a bridge, and came to a hollowed-out log that was the opening to Kokiri Village. He smiled as he ran a hand across it, memories surging over him. He started forward, into the village.
He was only two steps into the village when he was attacked.
"WYNN!"
Wynn laughed from his position on the ground. His attacker, the girl that had knocked him down and was now hugging him with surprising strength, was a girl a year or so younger than he. She had shoulder-length brown hair, and chocolate brown eyes. She was clad in a green Kokiri tunic, and on her wrist was a wooden bracelet with three semi-precious stones imbedded in it.
Wynn hugged the girl back. "It's good to see you too, Fami."
She laughed. "It has been so long! I've missed you! Why haven't you visited?"
Wynn shook his head, grinning. "Just been busy, I guess." His smile slipped as she hugged him again, and she pressed against a recently earned wound. He gasped in pain, and she let go.
"Wynn, you're hurt!" she cried, rolling up his sleeve. The jagged gash that ran down his arm came into view, and she paled. Wynn gently pushed her away, recovering the injury.
"It's nothing, just a little reminder of why I should avoid Lizalfos. Especially packs of the dratted things. They can get a little mean when you're trying to chase them away from a village they intend to attack."
Fami grew paler. "Wynn! Why, you shouldn't-"
Wynn shushed her, and came to his feet. "It was nothing I couldn't handle. And the wound isn't that bad at all; it's already healing. And I needed something to do. Since I'm not on a journey anymore...it was getting too boring."
Fami nodded, and Wynn could sense in her eyes a bit of the same emotions that haunted him. She lowered her head, and said, "Yeah...I almost miss the old days. Fighting, on the run from this villain or that...I even miss Nerah!"
Wynn acted mock shocked, and covered his mouth. "No way!"
Fami laughed. "O.K., that's pushing it. But I do wonder about her, and poor, poor Jaco..."
Wynn smiled. "For better or worse, he got what he wanted."
Fami looked him in the eyes. "And so did I..."
The two moved closer, Fami's chin tilting up as Wynn's face lowered. Their lips had nearly met when a loud cough interrupted them. Wynn whirled, spying the peering eyes of a Kokiri. It was the leader of the children race, Mido. His hands were placed cockily on his hips, and an arrogant smile was on his youthful face, which was topped with carrot-colored hair. "What do you two think you are doing?" he demanded.
Wynn sighed. "Kid, mind your own business." Fami looked at Wynn sharply, her eyes telling him he had just made a very foolish move.
"Kid?!? KID!?! Why I aughta-!" spouted the boy, who came up to Wynn's waist. He rushed at the adventurer, who merely held him away by planting a hand on Mido's forehead.
"Wynn, let's go somewhere else. Mido, I'll talk to you later," Fami said, the tone in her voice more a threat to the boy than anything.
Wynn and Fami left the fuming boy behind, walking together into the forest. There, they would reminisce, and catch up on each other's lives. They were again where they belonged: together. And they would stay that way, though neither knew it, for quite a while.
******
A man walked through the streets of Hyrule Marketplace, whistling as he went. He had just made a huge sale, and he was on his way home to show his wife the new dress he had bought her. Wouldn't she be surprised! Why, -
Crash! The glass of the window of a nearby tavern shattered outward as a red shape flew out and slammed into the ground. The man dropped his purchase, screamed "Monster!", turned, and ran.
Indeed, it was a monster. The last Tekiton sat up groggily, holding its head. Its eye blinked, then shot open as the creature turned and ran for its life. Behind it, the door to the tavern exploded outward with a flash of dark magic. Seron came out, taking long, stalking steps as the Tekiton fled. "Oh, no you don't! Get back here!" Seron yelled, raising his gloved hand. A tendril of dark lightning arced towards the Tekiton, and dragged it back to where Seron was. The monster hadn't realized the lightning was holding it off the ground, and its thin legs were pumping for all they were worth. It stopped, realizing its fate, and its shoulders slumped.
"This will teach you to disobey me!" shouted Seron, pulling his arm back. The Tekiton whimpered pitifully as it saw Seron's fist hurtle towards it. The punch connected, sending it sprawling away.
Seron smiled evilly as he walked up to the prone form of his creation. "Farewell!" he shouted, his gloved hand gathering his dark powers for the killing blow. The Tekiton could only watch, and then closed its eyes, awaiting its fate.
******
Kiara sighed as she mopped the floor of the small shop that her father owned. "It is so boring in here!" she quietly complained, resisting the desire to throw the mop down. She hated being cooped up in the tiny shop. She hated the city life. And most of all, she hated it when people made so much racket she couldn't even think! She glared towards the source of the commotion outside. Whoever it was, even the Princess herself, would be getting a piece of her mind! She stormed out of the shop, and stopped, looking on in shock.
There, only a short distance away, was a man fighting a monster. She started forward. He was so brave, taking on that monster all by himself! And handsome, too...She stopped as she realized what was really happening. The poor thing was defenseless! It looked like it couldn't hurt a soul if it tried! And the man was just going to slaughter it? Why, what kind of person was he?
Seron laughed triumphantly as he prepared to finish the cowering beast in front of him. As he began to release his powers, he sensed someone behind him. He stopped, and began to turn, but before he could, the wooden handle of a mop cracked across the back of his head.
Seron slowly turned, stunned but not hurt. Before him was an attractive young woman, near his age. She had dark blond hair, and was slightly tanned. She wore a loose white shirt, and an unbuttoned blue vest over it. In her hands was a cracked mop.
Seron snarled at her, and sent a tendril of his lightning her way. It sliced through the mop handle, dropping the mop end to the ground and leaving the girl with half the handle in her hand. "Bug off, pest, I'm busy," he growled.
"No! Leave it alone, creep!" she shouted, but with a tad less bravado than before.
Seron waved a hand. The girl was lifted into the air by an invisible hand, and moved farther away. "I'll take care of you in a second," he threatened.
"Take this!" she yelled, tossing the remaining half of the mop handle. It was a remarkably precise throw, and it smacked Seron right on the middle of his forehead. The villain's smoldering eyes rolled up into his head, and he passed out onto the ground.
The Tekiton climbed to its feet, sent the girl a nod and chirp of gratitude before it dashed away. Kiara sniffed at the motionless body of Seron. If he wasn't so evil looking, he'd be cute, she thought. Nevertheless, when she was finished mopping a short while later, she didn't hesitate to dump the dirty water on his face. Seron was so shocked, groggy, and confused that she was gone before he regained his senses.
******
"Hey! You cheated!" shouted a voice from around a corner. The man the comment was directed at smiled, and ran faster. He had almost reached his goal. And then...
"Oh, no you don't!" came the voice again, much closer. He frowned. She had almost caught him. Just a little farther...He lunged for the door, and his hand touched it just as his foe tackled him in mid-air, sending both to the ground.
"Ha! I win!" he gloated, sending the other a roguish smile. His response was to get his hair ruffled.
He pushed himself up on his shoulders, mock-glaring at the girl who was sitting on him. "You sure are a sore loser," he sniffed. The girl was his age, in her early twenties. She had red hair hanging down to her waist, and was tanned. She wore dark blue clothing, with about as much modesty as any Gerudo, although he didn't complain. Her emerald eyes were lit up with mischief.
"At least I don't cheat!" Shezarah protested. She pushed herself off the man, and frowned at him. He was her age, muscular and slightly husky. He wore a light-colored tunic that had probably begun as white but was a dingy tan. His hair was a dirty red.
"I didn't cheat! I won the race fair and square!" Tane yelled.
"You call running, and then saying 'go', fair?"
"Yeah!"
Shezarah smirked at him. "Well, I'll remember that the next time we have dinner and you want what I don't eat."
"Hey! Now that isn't fair!"
Shezarah calmly walked past the indignant hero. "Live with it."
Tane smiled at the retreating figure of the Gerudo. He stood up, and reminded himself how lucky he was. He followed her into the building, and through the corridors to her quarters. Her room was nearly barren, with just a bed and a few scattered weapons lying about. He smiled as he saw the helmet of an Iron Knuckle sitting in a corner, a trophy from one of their earlier clashes with the various monsters of Hyrule.
She turned, and looked at the same helmet. "It seems like forever, doesn't it, Tane?"
He laughed. "Not long enough for me!"
She looked at him curiously. "You don't miss it?"
He frowned. "I miss hanging out with Wynn and the rest, yeah. I miss the fighting a little, and the adventures. I don't miss the getting beat up part."
She sighed. "I understand. I almost wish that we could do it all again. I mean, there's nothing left for us! We're warriors, all of us. With peace," she shrugged her shoulders, "It gets too boring."
Tane shook his head. "I know what you mean. We beat everyone that we had to, and no one's left to fight now. I mean, Icarnos turned good, Ganon's sealed away in who-knows-where, Solan died, Seron took a swan dive out of Ganon's floating castle, Deihawk..." his voice caught on the name of his brother.
Shezarah quickly changed the subject. "It is too quiet. I almost miss Fami and Nerah bickering!" Seeing his eyebrow raise, she added, "I said 'almost'."
"Maybe we should pay one of them a visit?" Tane suggested.
"Who? Wynn's off adventuring, Jier is probably busy with taking care of Kakariko, Nerah is all the way in Zora's Domain, and do you really want to put up with the Kokiri?"
Tane shuddered. "On second thought..."
Shezarah smiled. "Something is going to happen soon, I can feel it." Her face fell a little. "I don't know if its good or bad...but maybe we won't have to go anywhere. Whatever it is...it's coming to us."
******
"Jaco, do we have to go over this again?" Nerah said exasperatedly, frowning at the Zora male. He grimaced. This was the third time they had had this argument, and both were getting tired of it.
"But, love, do you have to go? I am sure they could get someone else..." Jaco protested, staring into the green eyes of his girlfriend. She was standing a short distance away, hands on her hips. She was a Zora, a humanoid fish. She was nineteen, and was of medium height, taller than her rival Fami.
"Yes, I have to go! I need to get out of here, take a break, get some fresh air. For goodness sake, Jaco, I haven't left the Domain in months!"
Jaco frowned. "I suppose so. But how long will you be gone?"
"Well, the committee is meeting in Kakariko for a few days. But, I might be gone longer, if something holds me," Nerah explained, giving a sigh of relief as she sensed the argument was over.
"I will miss you, dear. Hurry home," Jaco said, encasing her in a hug, which she returned whole-heartedly. She gave him a quick kiss, and walked away. He watched her go.
A while later, Nerah smiled as she followed the group of delegates out of the Domain. They were going to a peace conference that was to be held in Kakariko, with representatives from each of the races. Who knew, maybe she would get to see a few of her friends? She scowled as she realized the she would more than likely run into Fami. It wouldn't be that bad, except for the fact that Wynn wouldn't be there.
Still, it would be fun to see Jier again. She started off, following behind the group of delegates. Kakariko, here I come, she thought, hefting her pack and walking on.
******
Wynn sighed as he stared up at the ceiling of the small house he had been allowed to use by the Kokiri. Fami was off talking to the Deku Sprout, and he, for what seemed like the first time in days, was alone with his thoughts. He yawned, and then rolled over in the under-sized bed. Being as most everyone in this town was a Kokiri, the beds were all child-sized, which meant Wynn spent the night on the floor or with his legs hanging off the end of the bed.
Wynn again sighed. It was so infernally boring here. He would love a bit of excitement, a bit of danger…Fat chance nowadays. But, still, he was sure there was something he could do to pass the time.
Suddenly, the door to the house opened, and in came a beaming Fami. She smiled at him, and said, "Wynn, good news! There is to be a conference in Kakariko, with people from every race attending, and the Deku Sprout has chosen me to go in the position as Kokiri representative!"
Wynn laughed. Things were looking up.
******
In the darkness surrounding the alleys of Hyrule Marketplace, a figure laughed triumphantly. It was time for him to finally achieve victory! It was time for him to claim his crown! It was time for Wynn to die!
The figure sneered as he walked forward, the darkness cloaking him. It was time, indeed. It was fortunate that he had heard of the summit in Kakariko. Doubtlessly, Wynn and his infernal friends would be there as well. It was time to strike them down!
He walked on, coming closer to the town gates. Behind him, a small monster cowered in his wake. Nothing would stop him this time! Nothing would deny what was rightfully his!
He stopped, raising his hands above his head and letting out another booming cackle. Seron would not fail this time.
******
Kiara moaned in her sleep. Who in the name of Farore was making all that noise outside? She growled menacingly, somehow spotting the figure far below her by the moonlight. She angrily groped around on the table next to her bed, and her hand found an old book. Hearing the man laughing madly, she chucked the book out her window. She smiled and hugged her pillow tightly as she heard a short, cut-off cry of protest, and a thump as he once again met the ground.