Every Legend must start, simply, at its beginning.
Prologue:
There are those who are destined for greatness.
Those who are born under a certain star, fated to become something incredible. Those whom the Goddesses themselves have chosen for some higher purpose.
Then; there are those who arise to greatness.
Those who rise to meet every challenge that stands before their path, those who continue unflinchingly along the way in the face of something incredible. Those ordinary few whom the Goddesses themselves are forced to acknowledge.
And then; there are those who become something even more.
At long last, he stood before it. After all his searching, after all he had done, the item of his desires was set before him, floating, defying the very gravity with its presence. His hand reached out, not caring to savor the victory any longer.
Strength…I want strength…Power! Power beyond what anyone has ever imagined before!
He felt a pulse run through his right hand and up into his arm. A cursory glance revealed something new, something that made his already rapidly beating heart still with wonder. Where there had been only bare flesh, now was emblazoned with a glowing gold symbol identical to the item that hovered only inches from his outstretched fingertips. He paid little further notice to the blood of his companions that stained his clothes, lips curling into a devious grin at his continued fortunes. "The Goddesses bless me…" it was a voice as dark as the soul that peered out from behind those blood red eyes, "It's as good as destiny! Yes! It was meant to be mine! So come, and grant my wish, Triforce of Power!" Bloody fingers grasped the sacred item, and there was a blinding flash accompanied by a howl of pain. Moments later, the sacred ruins, littered with the bodies of several women, echoed with a vile laughter.
Chapter 1: At Start, There Was-
The Legend of Zelda- Impetus of Beginning
Long before time was measured, the world was made by the Goddesses. Din, Goddess of Power, shaped the earth with her fiery hands. Nayru, Goddess of Wisdom, instilled justice and law to the land with rivers and oceans. And Farore, Goddess of Courage, created all the souls of those that would live. That is how this world came to be.
Hyrule was a land like any other. It went through times of peace and war, prosperity and poverty. It had a royal family that governed the land, and an army that enforced its laws. It was a land of diversity, full of many different peoples and cultures. It was a grand kingdom, with wonderful citizens, and a princess who was not above taking a rather bold stroll through the streets of the capital city, simply dubbed Castle Town. Though she was the only one in town flanked by guards and accompanied by a very fierce looking woman.
But no display of force could ever dissuade the people from speaking to their princess, "Ah, your Highness! Good day to you!"
The Princess Zelda bowed her head and offered a gentle smile to the kindly older woman who had greeted her, "Good day." The woman at Zelda's side straightened up, cropped white hair pulled tightly behind her head, curious blue marks decorating the corner of either eye.
"Princess…" the bodyguard spoke lowly as the gleeful citizen waved a warm goodbye, "Do you not have other matters that require your attention? This little distraction has dragged on long enough."
"But Impa, a good Queen must have a good relationship with her people. Consider it practice for my future." The princess' crystal blue eyes stared playfully up at the woman whom had so long been her nanny; a thought that would be laughable if one just looked at the imposing Impa. She in no way betrayed her occupation as a nursemaid by looks alone, but had proven over the nineteen years of Zelda's life that no one could ever have been more capable.
Impa's eyes narrowed softly, and if that look had been trained at anyone other than Zelda, it would have proven paralyzing, "Do not try to be clever, young lady. One hour longer, then you are returning to the castle." The young princess let out an amused hum; Impa may have sounded threatening, but she was relenting another whole hour. As far as Zelda was concerned, she had won. Without further complaint, she and her entourage continued walking.
The princess herself was something to behold. She was beautiful in every classic sense, right down to the long, flowing golden-blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She had the same elongated ears that all Hylians possessed, each inset with a small golden earring bearing the symbol of the Triforce. That flawless hair trailed in two ear-tails that were both carefully wrapped in white silk, and a handful from either side of her head was pulled back, the rest falling down and ending in a loose braid. Her bangs were eternally hidden beneath a tiara of solid gold leaves and precious gems. Her dress, while simple and white by appearance, was of the finest fabrics, or so she had been continuously assured, as well as the magenta vest that she wore along with it. An ornament of thin gold metal enveloped her shoulders, and about her waist hug a strip of fabric that also bore the three golden triangles of the Triforce. It was a sacred symbol as well as the symbol of the royal family.
More than her looks, her presence was what would strike someone. Her general demeanor was kind, caring, and very approachable- the last being a trait that many would never expect to see in a princess. But, Zelda also had her more dignified state, in which she did her best to remove all emotion from her expressions and speech, and stood very straight and very rigid. This was mostly used in matters of politics and national affairs; the sort of things that are discussed with a lot of stuffy dignitaries. As well as that, the princess could be cold, her eyes piercing and threatening, but that attitude was reserved specifically for anyone or anything that would dare threaten her nation. The princess of Hyrule had many faces to wear.
Unfortunately, her little walk through the capital did not go much longer before two of the Castle's Knights came running up to her, frantically calling her name. She could not suppress a sigh quickly enough. Instantly, she straightened herself and adjusted her tone of voice, "Calm yourselves. You are likely to cause a panic."
"Ah…yes, your highness, forgive us." the first knight to catch his breath responded.
"What is it that has you both in such a state?"
They exchanged a nervous glance. The same man spoke, "Well…your Highness, something…of the utmost importance has come up. And we rushed to inform you of it."
"Have you spoken to my father?"
"…well…no, Highness." the second man admitted, "You see…well, you always were the better decision maker, Highness, if you'll pardon me saying so…"
One of Zelda's eyebrows arched. If it was so important, why would they not tell the king first and foremost? "…very well. What is it?"
The first knight's gaze went around the street where they had stopped her, "Not here, your Highness. It's something of…a delicate matter. We should not discuss it here. Please, hurry back to the castle with us." At his words, Zelda sent a look at Impa. The nanny made no indication that she even possessed a soul.
The princess obliged them, figuring that the subject had to be something weighty due to the men's reactions, and quickly returned to Hyrule castle along with them, Impa, and the few guards who had been walking along with her. The sight upon returning was even more puzzling; a group of about five royal knights was holding back one of their own as he kicked and thrashed wildly, "No! Give it back! It's mine, I found it! Give it to me!"
Impa was the first to voice the question, "What is going on here? What is he talking about?"
The two knights who had gone running to the princess now approached with a small item wrapped in cloth, "He's talking…about this, Highness."
Zelda's jaw fell open as they pulled back the fabric. Hidden underneath was a small, metallic looking golden triangle, an item that anyone in Hyrule or the surrounding kingdoms could recognize- the Triforce. The collective room closed in around it, save for those who now had to work doubly hard to restrain the manic knight. Princess Zelda stared at it for several silent minutes, analyzing it as she did with most things. The triangle on the bottom left seemed as if it were glowing brighter than the other two, "…the Triforce of Wisdom, then." Her voice, though hushed, echoed in the silence of the surrounding room.
The knight holding the Triforce nodded, trembling, "Yes, your Highness. It was found down a well, of all places, nearby an ancient estate that was being seized. We brought it back to you as soon as we could manage…"
Zelda nodded slowly, "…I see. You were right to do so." Another few moments passed by without breath.
"Princess…is it true?" a meek knight behind her drew her gaze away from the hypnotizing gold, "Is it true that…the Triforce will grant the wish of anyone who touches it?"
"I cannot answer that." she herself did not know. It was a well-known legend that the three Triforces; Courage, Power, and Wisdom, left in this word by the Goddesses, would grant the fondest desire of the first person to grasp them and make a wish. But the Triforces themselves were thought to be legend, so who really knew if there was credibility to that claim or not? Now Zelda understood why they had gone to her first. Her father, though a man of limitless good intentions, would never have been able to resist himself. He might have wishing for an eternal reign or a never ending supply of rupies, thinking that these things would assure a comfortable future for his daughter and never once thinking that greed had wasted a wish that would be better used to lessen the burdens of others. It would never be done out of malice, just out of misplaced judgment. The royal knights recognized this, and had so brought the matter to the attention of the princess, who was forever toted as the wiser of the two rulers. They were good and loyal men.
"So…?"
"Hm?" Another man spoke up, drawing her gaze again away from the item, thankfully, "Yes?"
"Are you…going to make a wish, Princess?"
She became suddenly aware that the entire room had trained their eyes on her.
"Yes, you should! Wish for everlasting peace! Or no more droughts!"
Quite a few men nodded in consensus. Zelda's eyes fell on the Triforce yet again. With all of her heart she would have liked to wish for something as noble as peace, but she just could not trust herself to do it. Fearing that at the last minute, some spike of greed might possess her, the princess made her decision, "No. Lock it away in the sturdiest safe we posses and let no one know of it."
"Princess?" the man holding the Triforce blinked rapidly at her, "Are you sure?"
"Yes." her voice was smooth and measured, "And send for a sage. Immediately." The knights, though hesitant, bowed and hurried off to do as they were told. The one who had apparently found the Triforce howled even louder as his fellow men pulled him away in the opposite direction.
Impa and Zelda were left alone in the resonant room. The nursemaid spoke with an air of wonder in her voice that the princess had never heard from her before, "…is it really the Triforce of Wisdom? What a blessing…"
"…or a curse." Zelda was suddenly aware that she had been clenching a fist. "We will wait and see what the sages say about this. Then we can properly act."
Days passed on edge.
As few people as possible were informed of the golden Triforce that was hidden within Hyrule Castle, and even still there was a presence of nervousness around that would not dissipate. Several times, Zelda felt her heart second guessing itself. She should have made a wish, then perhaps the Triforce of Wisdom would vanish like smoke and this potential threat to her nation would be over. But again, fear that the wish would turn out to do more harm then good kept her from proceeding. So the princess of Hyrule waited for days, and then weeks, anxious for a sage's arrival. She was careful to hold her tongue in front of her father, who soon grew suspicious of her altered demeanor. At that point she would have settled for any sort of council, sage or otherwise, to have this ordeal over with.
Nearly a full month after the discovery, trumpets announced the arrival of the Sage Ruul to the castle. The princess felt tremendous relief at the sight of the elderly man shambling towards her throne, gnarled staff in hand, a hat hiding his eyes in shadow and a bristly beard concealing his mouth and chin. This was far from their first meeting; Zelda had known Ruul since she had been a small child. She was well acquainted with most of the great sages, as the royal family very often sought council from them, and on such occasions Ruul was always very kind to the young princess. Zelda rose to greet him, the whole of the room bowed doubly low as she lowered her head, "Welcome, Sage Ruul. I thank you for this conference."
The little old man had a small spot of difficulty straightening himself back up, "You are most welcome, your Highness. I must admit, your request was so sudden, it alarmed me. And…" Ruul's eyes fell on the much higher and noticeably empty throne at Zelda's right, "…I see the King is absent. Curiouser and curiouser."
"Yes." Zelda watched the sage as he rubbed at his scruffy beard, "The subject of discussion is not one that my father should be party to, I am afraid." She turned, nodding at a pair of guards who obediently marched off only to return a second later with an item wrapped in cloth. They handed this to the princess. She almost hesitated to accept it. "It appears, honorable sage, that my men had come across something truly unique. And I was hoping that someone as knowledgeable as yourself might help me."
"Help you?" his tone was bemused, "Whatever with, Princess?" She did not speak the answer, only pulled back the cloth as the knights had done the very first time the item was shown to her. The inhabitants of the room gave the same breathless reaction, even Ruul, who seemed to have frozen all of his movements. The elderly man shuffled forward, and no one made any motion to stop him. Zelda watched carefully as he approached, catching sight at last of his eyes from under the brim of his hat. Even if he was a trusted sage, wars had been waged over far less, and the princess was ready to pull the Triforce away at a moment's notice if anything seemed suspicious. Ruul kept himself in check, not even reaching for the sacred object as he drew near, "…my. A Triforce? Something unique indeed. Indeed." His weary gaze played over the item again and again, as if trying to discern if it were a fake of some kind, "…amazing. And tell me, you have made no wish on it?"
"No, I have not."
"Not one?"
"No, not one." Zelda felt herself frown. Ruul always did speak to her as if she were eternally ten years old.
"Curious." the sage mused, again stroking his whiskers, "You could have asked for the kingdom to flourish. Why did you not?"
She kept her voice even as she answered, "The path to ruination is lain with good intentions, Sage Ruul."
Ruul turned his grinning face up towards the princess, who was by now much taller than he was, both of his aged eyes glistening, "How very wise of you, my young princess. Fitting, that you would be the one holding that Triforce."
Only years of practice kept Zelda from blushing at the compliment, "You flatter me. But the fact remains that something must be done about this."
"Indeed, indeed." Ruul furrowed his brow, now beginning to think far more seriously about this.
The princess drew in a breath to speak, already having had thought up a thousand possible courses of action over the time she had spent waiting for the sage's arrival. Before she could voice her opinions, she became aware of a strange sound just beyond the castle walls. Several of her guards also took notice and lifted spears to go and investigate. Sage Ruul's train of thought was interrupted as the mysterious sounds grew louder, causing the old man to slowly draw away from the princess and face the large wooden doors that had been closed behind him only a short while ago. The guards reached for those doors, and in the shuffling, a sound among the disturbance became far more clearer- a blood-curdling scream. Zelda felt her heart still in her chest.
More of the guards rushed forward towards the racket, but no sooner had the large doors been pried open than a wave of beasts came pouring through like a horrible tidal wave. It was immediately obvious upon sight, sound, and smell that these creatures were moblin; wicked pig-men, stout and stocky, with sharp tusks and jagged teeth packed along a stubby snout, each covered in sorry armor and carrying a crude weapon. The moblin made short work of the first few guards that were utterly caught by surprise. On instinct, Zelda's hand flew to the sword at her side and unsheathed it. She quickly placed the precious Triforce on the throne behind her and moved to conceal it, praying that she was very wrong and this attack had nothing to do with the sacred item. More guards were felled, and Zelda herself prepared to fight.
"Princess! Stay back!" the commanding voice of course belonged to Impa, who now led in a fresh wave of Royal Knights to do battle with the seemingly endless stream of pig-men. Zelda stood her ground, keeping her sword ready incase the twin blades of her nursemaid accidentally let one of those monsters through. The clash of steel and thump of bodies went on for what seemed hours, staining the polished marble of Hyrule castle in thick blood.
When it seemed like the knights might actually triumph, a new voice, loud and booming, called out over the din, "What the hell is this? Did I tell you to stop at the gate? I said forward, you worthless slobs!" A moblin squealed as it was sliced clean in half from head to toe. The shock subdued the entire battlefield. Through the doors, stepping carelessly over the bodies of moblin and guard alike, strode a man at least three times as tall as the princess. He had a mane of firey orange hair and bronzed skin that gave him away as a Gerudo, one of the desert people, and judging from the crushed leather attire one could assume he was of nobility. Over his right shoulder he held a massive sword, nearly as large as he was, dripping with fresh blood from the moblin he had just slaughtered. A wicked smile curled his lips as he gazed around at the castle interior, "Ahhh. Hyrule Castle. Not too shabby, I'll admit." Soulless, red eyes then fell on the princess, and she did not break her stance, "Ah! And you must be the Princess Zelda! What a damn honor!" The man cackled, and gave a mock bow that had Impa seething in place.
Zelda kept a stern glare trained on him, "Who are you? Explain yourself!"
"Ah, my…heh, deepest apologies, princess." his voice was all venom and no sincerity, "You may call me Ganondorf." Ruul, who had been observing the whole thing without budging an inch, reacted to the name.
How dare you siege the Castle of Hyrule." the princess's voice dropped to a threatening level, and Impa tensed at the implication, "How dare you bring slaughter to my people."
"Yes, well." Ganondorf shrugged, either intentionally or unintentionally infuriating the princess further, "See, Princess Zelda, you have something I want. Something real valuable. So, the lives of a few miserable guards and a couple dozen Hylians really means nothing in comparison."
His lack of compassion had her so angry that she had to continually remind herself to breathe in, "…murderer…"
Ganondorf responded with a sneer, "In fact, the life of say…a princess…would be well worth-"
He did not have the opportunity to finish his threat. Impa sprang at him from where she stood, both blades reaching angrily for the larger man's throat; she would allow no threat against the princess to go unpunished. With the speed and accuracy of her strike, the nursemaid was certain she had claimed the man's life. But Ganondorf did not fall. He hefted his large weapon from his shoulder, and slammed the sturdy handle straight into the woman's abdomen with a satisfying crunch of bone. Seeing Impa thrown across the room to collide forcefully into a solid stone wall, Zelda very nearly broke her stance.
Ganondorf was quickly grinning again, "Well now, if we're done with the theatrics." He stepped closer, and it was the much smaller Ruul who stood between the monster and the princess. Ganondorf paid the sage no mind, simply pointing the end of his sword at Zelda as he hissed, "Hand over the Triforce to me."
Her blood ran cold. It was exactly as she had feared; someone had heard of the discovery and had come to forcefully claim the item. Already, lives had been lost. Zelda's hand gripped her sword ever tighter, "And if I do? Will you then leave without further bloodshed?"
"No, princess!" Ruul's voice broke out with all the force he could muster, "Do not dream of making deals with this man! If he is who I believe him to be, this Ganondorf is a thief and a murderer! The rumors abound about his treachery! He led his own people in a search for the Triforce of Power and then slaughtered them to claim the relic for his own! Handing the Triforce of Wisdom to a villain such as this would be devastating to our world!"
"Tch. My reputation proceeds me, huh?" sick as it was, the Gerudo seemed to take the statement as a compliment.
Zelda's mind raced. The remaining guards were swiftly being taken over by more and more approaching moblin. Impa was struggling against gravity and agony to right herself again. Ganondorf stood directly in front of the princess, already mentally celebrating a victory. It was clear to see that even if she said no, Zelda was horribly out-numbered. This murderer would get his hands on the Triforce anyway, and there was no telling what chaos a man like this could do with that much power. What then was left for her to do?
"Well, princess?" the title was half spoken and half spat at.
Zelda felt her body shiver from tension. She stood between this hulking monster and a holy relic, and if nothing was done soon, there would be nothing to defend her people and the world from the madness that emanated clearly from the man's eyes, "…no. I will never surrender the Triforce to the likes of you."
More moblin pressed passed the doors, converging around her, the last clear threat to their objective. Her eyed did not move from the man before her. "Heh." Ganondorf's smile seemed to double in wickedness, "Oh, well then. It was nice meeting you…princess." Again, he spoke with nothing but disdain, raising his massive weapon to strike. Several of his piggy followers mirrored the motion.
Zelda did not so much as flinch.
"Incartius Al'toom!" the incantation surprised everyone, mostly because so many of the attackers had disregarded the tiny sage as any kind of a threat. The loud roar of Ruul's voice was instantaneously followed by a brilliant flash of light and a sudden burst of wind. Only Ganondorf stood his ground, his moblin affiliates all thrown aside like dead leaves in a torrent. The brief distraction was perfect.
It was all that Zelda needed. She raised her slender blade, and Ganondorf instantly shifted to block whatever feeble attack she might have sent at him. Instead, the princess of Hyrule pivoted on her heels, spun around to the golden Triforce still seated safely on her throne, and brought down the hilt of her sword with all the force she had within her. By a miracle of the Goddesses, the Triforce shattered into eight fragments. Ruul and Impa stared in complete shock, Ganondorf in horror. The princess spoke her own incantation, calling upon the very winds of Farore. Before anyone could grasp what she was doing, the individual pieces of the Triforce were whisked away on some phantom breeze. Ganondorf, howling with rage, reached for one that shot closest to him, missing by mere inches as the tiny golden fragment was spirited away. He stared, enraged, until the princess's forceful voice broke him free of his stupor, "Now, no man can claim it. Especially not you, murdering tyrant."
He was stunned. Utterly stunned. So much so that he did not immediately slaughter the foul little slip of a girl who had just obliterated his carefully laid plans. When the princess did move to strike at him, it was a simple matter of grabbing her wrist and squeezing until the pain forced her to drop her weapon.
"Princess Zelda!" Impa again tried to rejoin the fight, only to find that more moblin were interested in ending her life.
Ruul began to chant again, but Ganondorf cut him short by cracking the man's skull with a large fist. With one hand he was able to hold the struggling princess, even pull her away to check and be sure that what he had seen wasn't some elaborate illusion. Seeing the spot where the Triforce had been, and taking note of its emptiness, Ganondorf's rage came back in triplicate, "You-! What have you done! You little, freaking, bitch!" His voice shook and rasped with force, but still the princess would not give him the satisfaction of seeing her flinch. Her crystal blue eyes were cold, calm, and unforgiving. Ganondorf released her just a moment to slam his knuckles into her cheek, instantly sending the young princess to the floor. Somewhere in the background, Impa roared. Ganondorf quickly reached down and seized the girl before she could even think of crawling away. "You…don't think you've stopped me just yet, princess! Oh, I'll have the Triforce of Wisdom! I'll find every last frigging piece, and when I do, you'll put it right the hell back together again with your own damn hands!" With that, he unceremoniously flung her over one of his broad shoulders and headed for the exit. Impa scrambled to follow, but was again stopped by more of Ganondorf's lackeys coming at her with weapons poised and waiting.
The monstrous Gerudo was stopped just at the threshold by the rough, guttural voice of one of his moblin, "Master Ganondorf, what of this city?"
Still fuming, the mad man took only a second to come up with an answer, "Burn it. Burn it straight to the goddamn ground. Kill everything. Man, woman, child, livestock- hell, anything breathing! Run the streets red with blood."
"No!" Zelda finally broke, panic overtaking her voice before she could prevent it, "You cannot! Please, no!"
"Shut up!" Ganondorf snarled at her, and proceeded outside with his now flailing captive. There were grunts and squeals of pleasure at the thought of mindless killing from the assembled mass of pigs.
Judging by how poorly she was breathing, Impa was certain that most of her ribs had been smashed from Ganondorf's attack, not including the gashes and bruises the woman had suffered while battling his multitude of pig-men. Wounds that would leave scars, no doubt. But she would rather die a thousand times then allow the princess to come to harm.
So Impa, with a battle cry that would have made her Sheikah ancestors proud, pulled her heavy body up for the second time that day, and charged at the thick of the moblin crowd, slashing as she went along. Who cared how many she killed or how many she would have to kill- she only cared about saving the princess.
A/N - So, uh….yeah. Just a simple story. This is only chapter 1. Enjoy!