The Heroes United
"Finding good players is easy. Getting them to play as a team is another story."
-Casey Stengel
Chapter 1- Rendezvous
"But, how could we?" the green one asked.
"It's not possible. Stopping a manifestation of such pure... power..." the third sister somberly added.
Nayru was silent for a long time, "time and time again "he" has stopped him. What makes you doubt his abilities this time Farore?" Her sister responded quickly, "The spirit of courage can seal away one of his swine's no problem, with the help of Hylia's chosen of course, but this... this is something else entirely."
"Alone he would surely fall, but what if we could bring them together?" Din remarked, "All of them… together."
Farore turned to reply but Nayru stopped her. "Our last Hero fell when he fought alone. Only with the aid of the Royal sealing power could Calamity Ganon finally be stopped."
"But none of the heroes know there are others like him, the results of bringing such talented warriors together like that could be… catastrophic."
"Farore, did you forget where one of them learned how to truly master the blade, if not from another Hero long ago?"
Her eyes opened widely in realization as Din slowly smiled.
"Din, Farore… come. Our young Hero still sleeps…"
Hyrule Castle
Link yawned as he slowly opened his eyes. Looking to one side he saw the sky was still dark, peering over to the other, he smiled softly. He gazed on her rhythmic breaths, up and down, as his wife slept peacefully. He carefully wrapped his arms around her as she hummed softly in appreciation. He nuzzled his face next to her long brown hair and pointed ears. Gently, he lowered his right hand down to the bulge on her stomach and couldn't help feeling immense joy. Three years had passed since he freed Hyrule from the horrors of the twilight and this would be the second child awarded to him and Zelda. They were suddenly both startled by the sounds of their young one waking. Link leaned over to kiss his wife's cheek as he whispered, "I'll go get her." He strolled over to the small crib and held his infant daughter in his arms. Barely more than a year old, she had rich blonde hair, like her father, and stared back at him with her mother's stormy grey eyes. He silently thanked Hylia as he watched her fallback asleep and the room was quiet once more.
Somewhere in the Hebra Mountains
Wind howled by his face as he shouted up to her, "Just why do we need to climb to the top of some silly mountain just to see the stars?!"
"That Rito told us of how great the constellations looked from this angle!"
"Are they not just as gorgeous in Hyrule field?"
"Not even close, you know this better than anyone," she argued back.
She isn't wrong, he thought as he downed another bottle of spicy elixir.
By Din, she is quite adventurous…
But, the Hero of the Wild loved that about his princess, even if it did sometimes risk frostbite.
About forty miles Southwest of Outset Island
"Caw… caw…" another seagull flew by and dropped more fruit into his outstretched arms. As he bit into a particularly sweet mango he looked around to find himself back aboard the King of Red Lions.
How is this possible?
Suddenly, his old friend turned his wooden head around and opened his large mouth,
"WAKE UP LINK!"
The Hero of Winds opened his eyes to the familiar pirate girl, shaking him violently.
"I had a dream," she responded to his annoyed stare.
Well I had a dream too, and you better have a pretty darn good reason to interrupt me from it, he thought as that delicious mango crossed his mind again.
"What was your dream about Tetra?"
She continued, voice low and hushed,
"We need to turn this ship around…"
The Middle of New Hyrule
The heat of the engine forced beads of sweat down the young hero's neck. He grunted as he loaded another shovelful of coal. The ever-familiar hum of the Spirit Train's engine calmed him. He glanced up to see Princess Zelda, standing beautifully in her pink dress, her royal ornaments glistening in the sun. She placed a gloved hand on his dirty shoulder,
"We must return to the Sand Temple, Anjean has returned."
The Surface World
'Hey Link?"
"Yes?"
"Fetch the skylofts."
The Hero of the Skies turned around to his childhood friend,
"And why would I need to go through all the trouble when we only just landed?"
"I think… I think I just heard… Fi"
Her tone was much more serious now,
"We need to head back to where we left her."
Lake Hylia
He had just cast another line in the water when he noticed a figure running towards him in the distance. The Hero of Legend tensed only to recognize his princess fast approaching. Panting, she called out to him,
"You must come with me Link; the master sword calls out for you once more."
The Lost Woods
"So why are we out here looking for the master sword again?" he complained to his princess.
"I only know that all will be revealed at the pedestal of the sacred sword."
The New Hero of Hyrule hadn't been back since he returned the sword. Since he left Lorule and said goodbye to…
I do hope you are still safe Hilda.
"We're getting close Link," interrupted Zelda.
He stared back at her, she looked remarkably like the Loruleian.
I hope so princess, I really do.
Hyrule Field
"Hey, stop for a second little Hero."
"What is it now Ezlo?" the boy muttered back.
"We must return to the four sword, something big is about to transpire."
The Forests surrounding Hyrule Castle
Though out of breath, the young hero kept jogging quickly. Not wanted to lose the fairy who had called to him hours before, he stumbled upon a familiar clearing. Bittersweet memories flooded his heart as the fairy stopped in front of the sword he'd carried for so long.
Oh, how I miss them so. Red's sweet innocence, Vio's sound reasoning, and even…
A smile crossed the adventurous face,
I'd even like to see Blue again, that pain in the butt, hot-headed,
He stopped…
Hero. In the end we all were…
Near Death Mountain
"Hyrule is truly beautiful Link."
He smiled back at her,
"You know this is right by where we first met? This is where I went after collecting all eight pieces of the Triforce."
"Link about that… Nayru spoke to me."
The Hero of Hyrule stared at her, obviously concerned,
"What did she say Zelda?"
"We have to return to the graveyard where you laid the magical sword to rest."
"Must I wield it once more?"
She hesitated, not wanting things to change once again,
"Link, Hyrule's Hero… my Hero, I'm afraid you'll have to embark on one last fateful adventure."
Lon Lon Ranch
"So, you're telling me I have to go back? Now, after all this time?"
"Yes," she pleaded with her husband,
"Link, Hylia needs the heroes gathered."
"There's more than me and that "Link" I trained from the Twilight Realm?!"
"Again yes," she went on,
"But we won't be using the ocarina this time dear."
"Zelda are you telling me I'll stay a normal Hylian, and won't be bound to that long dead "Hero's Shade" thing?"
"For the final time, YES. Now we must make haste so that you and the other Hero can go to where he left the Master Sword."
Hyrule Castle Town
Riding hastily through the cramped town, the two green-clad men were debating back and forth.
"So, exactly how many of us "Heroes" are there?!" the younger one asked.
"Eleven," he responded before adding,
"By the way, congrats on the second kid on the way. Just wait till your third…"
The boy laughed,
"That sounds intense, I hope she's up for it."
The older hero looked back at his friend,
"Speaking of the wives, I sure hope they know what they're talking about with this whole thing."
"Well they don't call them "Princess Zelda; Blessed by the Goddess" for nothing now."
"Ha-ha, you're right my lad."
I hope the other heroes take it as well as us…
Korok Forest
They had finally made it through the awful fog. Link remembered how just hours ago, they were sitting peacefully upon that snowy peak when Zelda suddenly grabbed her paraglider and shouted for the Hero to follow her.
"Okay Princess, we made it the Korok Forest. Now what in Hylia's name are we doing here?"
Through pursed lips she simply responded with,
"That."
His eyes followed her outstretched arm as he saw the swirling ebony circle in front of them. It laid directly where he had returned the Master Sword, just months ago.
The Forests surrounding Hyrule Castle
Link stared dumbfounded at the fairy,
"You want me to…uhm…pick the sword up? And release Vaati all over again?!"
After a short pause he heard,
Vaati is no longer here little one. Now go, wield the legendary four-sword once more…
He slowly walked up to the pedestal and gingerly extended out his hand.
Okay… You got this Link.
The moment his palm grazed the handle, the sword melted away and darkness closed around the young hero.
One by one the various heroes returned to the ancient sword they all once wielded. The Hero of Winds called upon the various sages to raise the sacred pedestal once more. The Hero of Trains found the spirit Anjean, who opened a portal where the Lokomo Sword rested.
One by one they entered the swirling darkness. Some unintentional like the Hero of the Four-Sword, while most were "persuaded" by their Zelda's. All in all, eleven heroes jumped into the black portal, unaware of what lies beyond...