A/N:OK everybody, to avoid confusion, this story takes place at the very end of Twilight Princess, during the Final Battle with Ganondorf. And, without further ado, The Legend of Hearts
Chapter 1: The Hero
The rain was pouring down on the expanse that was Hyrule field, turning the beautiful grass to mud under the unyielding torrent. In the middle of the great expanse that made up the field, there was a strange gold-glowing circle, empty save for the two men inside. Outside the ring of gold was a regal figure perched atop an auburn horse. Princess Zelda, her long wet brown hair hanging limply down her back, and her face full of concern as she watched the two men in their ever changing dance of the blades. One of the men wore a green tunic over a long-sleeved white shirt and chain-mail armor his blonde hair soaked and hanging about his fierce azure eyes, his shield was lying, forgotten on the ground as he fought with all his might to defeat his opponent. The sword in the young mans hands was adorned with a deep blue handle and a gem set in the hilt, the blade itself was gleaming silver and had three connected triangles etched into it. The other man was fighting just as fiercely as he struggled to kill the man before him, Link, The Hero of Time and wielder of the Master Sword.
At least, that's how HE remembered him, the olive-green skinned man was hundreds, perhaps thousands of years old. His name was Ganondorf. The man had a full mane of deep red hair, cut short to support a golden chain with a same-colored jewel set into a base at his forehead, that jewel was with him nearly his entire life, just as ancient as he. The man's short red beard was matted with the rain and his own sweat, his hair just the same. Ganondorf was wearing black armor adorned with ornate silver patterns, and in his hands was a pure-white sword, glowing with the power of the six sages. The sword had been used in an attempt on his life hundreds, of years before thousands maybe, but he was not thinking about that, all his attention was on the mystical sword before him, it's blade shining with the power to destroy evil and it's handle not slipping from it's masters hands as it turned and flew with him, dancing through poses and stances from all times, most of the techniques he used were lost to the ages.
The two men fought every blow perfectly executed and each met with an equally flawless defense. Link was deeply concerned, and yet, he felt as though he had been fighting this man for years, Link knew and understood his opponents tactics. Only Ganondorf knew that they had been fighting for years, ever since both of their first lifetimes. The Princess could only watch, her face only growing more and more distraught as they fought, it was more than a fight, really, the way they danced through well practiced attacks and defences, it was like the fight had been rehearsed, like it was merely a play. Neither of the men had any advantage over the other. The two men, ancient enemies across time were fighting with all the weight, and experience of those years, they were equally matched, both of them were true blade-masters.
"Die Hero Of Time!"Ganon screamed with all his hatred focused into that title. Link was just about to ask him if he had gone mad when he realised he was no longer in control of his body, and another was fighting and speaking for him. "You know how this will end Ganon!" he shouted "The same way it has always ended!" Ganondorf only laughed and said confidently "I have a new power this time" Link grinned, and said cockily "Because your new powers have always helped before, of course" he said before moving into a shove match with his quarry. The princess did not understand what was going on, nor what they were talking about, it didn't make any sense.
Link eventually shoved Ganondorf back startling him enough for link to throw his strength at the evil man knocking him on his back. Link lept into the air, knowing this was his one and only chance, he plunged the sword into Ganondorfs heart. Ganondorf gasped at the pain, pain he hadn't felt for ages, and he let loose a shriek that shook the heavens. "Now" Link began "I will end your life, no more prisons, no sages, no light spirits, no evil realm," he said with a sense of finality "I came back, to train the young hero in the bladed arts, but he could not wield the other powers I obtained in my travels." At his words a red crystal appeared, only a ghost- image, but the power of Dins fire still shone through. Link stood up and put his right hand into the ghost-image, and directed the power with his left, sending a burning column of fire at the paralyzed Ganondorf.
But he only laughed. "What?" Link asked, but he was only pushed away by a beam of darkness erupting from the burning figure. "This is not over hero" he said, his cackling only growing in strength. "This! is my new power" he said as the force-field dissipated allowing Zelda to rush toward Link "Are you alright?" she asked, concern deep in her voice, as the figure burning in now dark flames rose from the ground. "I'm alright" Link said in a near-monotone voice as he stood up slowly, ignoring his wounds and turning slightly to face Ganondorf. The Master Sword still stuck out from his chest and he was surrounded by shadows, his skin and hair near-black and his armor now a deep onyx, glinting in the rising sun.
"What does this mean?" Link asked, worry touching his tone.
"Now, Link, you will learn the true meaning of Darkness!" He replied.
"Stop right there!" a young mans voice called, as all three of people at the bottom of the hill turned to look.
The figure was mostly hidden by the rising sun but he appeared to have some sort of sword, which he was pointing directly at Ganondorf.
"hn, stupid kid" the man muttered "Take THIS!" He screamed pointing towards the figure just as two others appeared by his side, but before anyone got a good look at them the three on top of the hill were blasted away by the same energy as before erupting from Ganons hand. Link and Zelda both gasped, seeing the true extent of his "new power"
"Now then" Ganondorf said "I have no time to deal with you two, so I'll leave it to the Heartless." Just then six dark beings appeared each wielding a longsword and they each had a strange symbol adorning their chest the symbol was red and black, and showed something broken into four pieces, but neither Link nor Zelda had seen a symbol like it before. Ganondorf disappeared without a word, and the Heartless moved into a ready stance. "Zelda" Link said to her, giving her a meaningful look, Zelda nodded and summoned a bow made of Golden light and fired off a light arrow, disintegrating the Heartless that she hit, only for it to be replaced by another, her distraction was enough for link to grab his shield and get back to Zelda's side.
The other Heartlessbegan to move in, and Link was attempting to beat them off with his shield, but to no avail, they kept coming, and for every one Zelda destroyed, another appeared. It was at that moment Link knew that they couldn't win so he screamed to the Princess "Run! get out of here!" as he tried to hold them all off. "But Link" she began before he yelled at her while trying to keep them away from her with his shield and bare hands. "Hyrule needs you more than it needs me" he then chuckled and said "After all, a hero can be replaced" he thought as much as he could while keeping the Heartlessat bay then said "Go to Telma's bar in Castle Town, find help!" She gave him a worried look before saying "Okay" and running towards the town.
"Okay you heartless bastards, come and get me!" Link screamed at them mockingly. Just then more Heartless appeared all around him. "So this is how it is then" he whispered as the Heartlesscreeped closer to him "The end of a hero." Just then, the group of Heartless jumped at him pulling him to the ground. "GYAHHHH!" he screamed at the pain, worse than anything he had ever felt, his blood felt as if it were on fire, his entire body was throbbing with the intense pain, when suddenly, a light shone though the darkness and destroyed Links assailants. Link was on the ground, he could hear voices, but couldn't make out words, he saw a sword left behind by the Heartless, grabbing it he stumbled to his feet, looking around blearily for his rescuer, only to find a boy who looked to be a few years younger than link.
"OH! hey your awake!" the boy exclaimed, Link just stared stonily at his jubilant, boyish face framed by spiky brown hair and the Bright blue eyes shining at him. "Listen kid" he began, noticing the boys strange attire, the boy wore a black, short sleeved jacket over a black shirt and he had two red bags to either side of his hip, and he wore somewhat puffy black pants, he also had yellow and black shoes, and black gloves with a white X on the back of each.
"Hey what do ya mean 'kid'?" he asked before Link could finish, the man sighed, before saying "Well kid if you would be so kind as to tell me who you are?" "Oh, right" The boy said "I'm Sora, and those two behind you are Donald, and Goofy." he said gesturing his arm at each name.
Link turned around, and seeing what he was up against he back-flipped over Sora and yelled "Get out of here kid!" brandishing his sword, after all, if you saw an anthromorphic duck in a blue vest, would you say hello? no. Especially considering the anthromorphic dog in green standing beside it.
"I will not let you bring harm to anyone in this fair kingdom!" he screamed at the two, who in return raised, their weapons, the dog had a shield, and the duck a stick. at that Link began to chuckle. And when they exchanged confused looks he broke out in laughter. "Oh Din! are you seriously going to fight me with those?" He laughed some more and the duck grew irritable and screamed "What's so funny?" in a voice that just made Link laugh more. Then the dog spoke "Uh Donald" he directed towards the duck "What is it Goofy?" the duck, Donald asked, but before Goofy could reply Sora burst out "Well I didn't see you fare too well against those Heartless!"
In an instant, Link was standing before Sora, one second later he had grasped him by the throat with his right hand, holding the sword to his neck with his left and he said "Tell me everything you know about those goddesses-damned things"
Meanwhile, Zelda arrived at Telma's place to tell her of the news, to find the entire group waiting for news of Links victory. Shad, a bookwormish type with round glasses and a book in his arms rushed to see what was so important that the princess would come here, to the bar. Auru a man with white hair and a white beard helped the princess to a chair. Rusl, a friend of Links from Ordon, his birthplace, was in bronze-ish colored armor and had a similarly colored helmet resting on one of the tables, went to get Telma from the back room. Ashei, a dark-haired woman wearing silver armor over protective grey cloth got the princess a drink while Telma, the bar-owner came out into the main room of the bar. After she informed the group Ashei and Auru geared up and ran out after Link, meanwhile, Telma took out a gleaming black katana. No-one found it relevant to ask how she got ahold of it though.
When Ashei and Auru reached the place where Link had been fighting they saw Link fighting a boy who seemed to have some sort of sword, there were two figures Standing a little bit away.
Link was amazed at the kids abilities, as they twined in and out of stances and poses, Link could tell that he had learned his techniques from several differant teachers, and that he had never been to Hyrule. All his moves were foreign, but Link could see patterns as he moved from stance to stance. Just then, Link had a wild Idea, he waited until recognizing a pattern in his opponents moves and he copied them. Sora, not expecting this sudden change in tactics, flew into the air at Links strike.
And just then Sora yelled "Give me strength!" and a luminescence surrounded him as he changed, glowing gold, as Goofy and Donald, standing a little ways away disappeared and another sword appeared in Soras hands.
Link back-flipped away and appraised his opponent, in addition to the sword he already had, an ornate weapon made of multiple curving blades, another sword, simple, in comparison, a black, thin blade with a purple gem set above the handle, and an axe-like part at the tip, it was somewhat key-like in appearance, Link reflected.
.The dance of the blades started again, but Link knew he was outmatched, Links dark sword he got from the heartless was weighted similarly to the Master Sword, but it was still a little unwieldy.
Just then, more Heartless appeared, the two foes instantly stopped fighting, knowing that they were the true enemy. They quickly dispatched more of the Heartless from before, and then Link said "How about we stop trying to chop each others head off?" "Sounds good to me!" Sora said smiling at the hero.
"With this Blade of Evils Bane" Ganondorf said "I will recruit an army the likes of which has never been seen!" He then paused turning to the Black-cloaked man who stood with him in the Blackened and broken throne room. "All thanks to you of course, Xaldin." Never raising his hood, the man, Xaldin said "Now we must start the ritual"
A/N: I hope you enjoyed the first chapter, stay tuned for more.