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"Come children, come and listen to a tale from history. A tale you will not believe, and is from your wildest imagination…" "Grandpa are you gonna tell us the story about the hero again?" "Yah! You told us that last time and the time before that!" " I am going to tell you a story about a hero. But it isn't one you have heard before…" " I highly doubt that." "SHHH! Be quiet he's starting."

"…You might have heard of a legend. A legend of one hero who became four, and then one again… listen to this tale of his sons and see for yourselves that even in the smallest person, there is a hero." "YAY! So, me too?" "Yes even you child."

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"Hey, Merally! Are you ready yet?"

"Yes, Link dear," Merally said, while coming around the corner of their house.

She had a two-year-old baby on her hip and a three year old trying to walk beside her. Link just stood there, taking in the beautiful sight of his wife and kids. Merally went up to his chin in height, and she had beautiful, shiny, raven black hair that goes down to her waist.

Her green eyes are just something you could get lost in by looking at them, and her face is neither round nor angular, but like a heart shape. She had a sweet and innocent air about her that threw you off to her sharp eyes and sharp mind. She was the perfect and the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, and was a wonderful mom to their kids.

Their kids, they were troublemakers. Rascals you could say. They were causing trouble left and right; the raven-haired boy especially.

Little Shadow looked a lot like his namesake, except he had golden-orange eyes, not red like the original Shadow. Little Hurk looked just like himself. He was blond haired and had sea blue eyes. Link laughed when he thought how their middle name is his first name. But Merally had insisted upon their middle names being that.

"Umm…Link? What are you staring at?" Merally asked Link.

"Oh, just the most beautiful sight I've ever seen," He replied with a sly grin.

"Link, stop that!" Meral stuck her tongue out at him like a kid.

"Meral! Now you're acting like a kid! That's my job!" Link said while snickering and putting on a fake stern attitude.

"DA!" Shadow yelled at the top of his lungs.

"See?" Link said, "Shad even agrees with me!"

"Me, Me!" Hurk joined in.

"Ha, ha! Hurk too, See! You're out matched! We win!" Link laughed out.

"Well, well… we'll just see about that! Hey who wants cookies!" Exclaimed Meral.

"That's no fair cheater! You know they will side with you if you give them cookies!" Link complained.

"Well, knowledge is power as they say!" Meral replied, and flashed him her winning smile.

"Now that's the smile that made me fall in love with you!" Teased Link.

"YOU always said it was my cooking…?" Meral raised an eyebrow at him.

"That too! I'm hungry can we eat before we go?" Link changed the subject, quickly became 'distracted' and walked into the kitchen, "HEY KIDS! WHO WANTS COOKIES?" Link yelled from the kitchen.

Hurk began to wriggle and try to get out of Meral's arms, and Shad waited for his brother…fidgeting. Meral giggled at the sight and put Hurk down. Both toddlers went as fast as they could to the kitchen to wait for their cookies, with Shad helping Hurk get there.

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Around afternoon Link and his family went for a walk in the forest around their home. Link was carrying Hurk along with a few picnic supplies, and Meral was caring Shad with the picnic basket. They were walking for around an hour when Link saw what he was looking for: the Four-sword ruins. They set up the picnic things in a little meadow just in front of the ruins. When Link sat down with Merally, the kids took off and began to explore a little of the area around their spot. Hurk was crawling around and Shad was beginning to walk around on his feet by using Hurk as a stabilizer.

"Are you even listening to me? HEY! LINK! HELLO?" Merally tried to get Link's attention.

"Huh? Oh yah, ummm, sorry… I wasn't paying attention," Link said off handedly, concentrating on something in the forest.

"I can tell…What has your attention so much?" Meral said, miffed but curious.

"Oh… I thought I heard… never mind it's not important," Link replied.

"If you heard something out in these woods you HAVE to tell me. Especially for our kids!" Meral stated, exasperated.

"Okay, okay! I just heard an animal or something!" Link defended himself.

Meral gave him the 'I know you are not telling me the truth' look. It was slightly unnerving to have someone know what you are thinking. Then again, Meral was a Mind Reader. She could know at any time what he was thinking, or what anyone was thinking for that matter! That was why she was such a good parent. She could always tell what her kids wanted even if they couldn't talk coherently. Merally had decided not to use it on people who don't want it used on them, because it made them REALLY uncomfortable around her.

The kids squeaked and tumbled to the ground in a heap. "DA, DA, DA!" They yelled, laughing.

Link turned towards where he heard Hurk's and Shad's laughing voices. When he saw where they were playing, he about had a heart attack. They were playing around the four-sword.

"OI! KIDS! Get back over here!" Link hollered over to them.

The boys were starting to stand up with the help of the sword pedestal. They were both up on their feet and Hurk was reaching for the sword because it shined.

"HURK! Hey! Get over here and come eat lunch! You too Shad!" Link called over to his boys, hoping they would be distracted and wonder away from the sword.

Unfortunately, they were not. Shad was standing up with Hurk helping him from behind. Shad reached up with his little hands and pushed the sword out of the pedestal as much as he can. It was nearly out but not all the way. Then Hurk decided to give it a try. Link was relieved the Four-sword didn't come out but got up to try and pull the boys away from it completely. Fortunately, he plucked Hurk up just as he was reaching for it. He had him in one arm and the picked up Shad in the other.

Merally was asleep on the grass under a tree peacefully enjoying herself in the shade. Link shook his head, surprised that she could fall asleep so fast. He set the boys down by the food, trusting that they would, hopefully, not get in a food fight with their lunch. Link walked over and sat by his wife, watching her take a nap. Her hair was spread around her head in a halo of beautiful shadows. His little dark angel, so innocent but when she opened her eyes, she was trouble.

"Hey I heard that Link. I would say that you are the one who is trouble." Merally sleepily said to her husband beside her.

Link teasingly poked her while he asked, "I know love, but who starts the 'fights' most of the time?"

"You," Meral stated. Not asked but stated.

"Hey! Well, I guess… but it's because you are cute when you are angry!" Then he continued in a softer voice, "but you're always cute…"

"Link," Merally said warningly, "I think you have problems with your eyes." She said with a playful twinkle in her eye, "How can I look cute if I'm covered in dirt from cleaning the house or when I just fed the boys and they decided to have a food fight when I would get in the cross fire?" She said skeptically.

"Yes even then." Link smiled as he said it.

"Sure, okay. Thanks. You didn't answer my question… " Meral didn't believe him, but smiled anyway.

The boys took that as an opportunity to pounce on them, the boys were crawling over to the adults while the couple was talking, and when their parents were done talking, the boys "caught" them by crawling on top and trying to tickle them. The parents laughed and both wondered what they would do if they lost anyone in their small family.

Link and Merally picked up the picnic supplies and started their trek home. Little Hurk and Shad were tired from the events during the hour and a half they were out. The little kids were half-asleep on the way home. Link ended up caring all the picnic things and Merally was carrying the boys, one on each side of her. All of them care free and happy…

But after everything that happened, Link forgot to replace the sword.

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Waiting, always waiting.

Waiting to be free at last.

The time has always felt far away,

But oh so close now.

Soon I'll no longer have to stay

In this prison of sacred metal

A Dark Magic mist slowly creeps out of the sword and pedestal, but couldn't go far because of the strong magic that held it. A low hiss escaped the sword. You could barely hear the words of the hiss, "Come my loyal servants, come and free your Master."

*&0oOo0oOo0oOo0 Chapter End 0oOo0oOo0oOo0&*