Fighting Demons
Chapter 1 Fury of Night
Hello good people. How are you all? I am taking a break from writing my current major story "Darkness Falls on Mineral Town" (a Harvest Moon fanfic) to write this story, because I got this great idea, much like when I got the idea for my other Zelda fic "Light One, Dark One." And I just got writer's block in "Darkness Falls on Mineral Town." So I hop that this is satisfactory. Please read and review, I would appreciate it.
Pouring Rain streaked across his face as he rode across Hyrule Field. The Dark sky overhead announced its dark intentions long before it struck. Lighting flared, and thunder roared as the lone rider rode on. It was day, but a strange dark aurora had come upon the land, as if it was gripped in the very fist of evil. Some would say this was true. The rider's horse galloped quickly, for it did not want to be out there when night came. But where could they go? Both the horse and the rider trusted each other with their secrets. Both knew what would occur under the true cover of darkness.
The rider brushed his light blond hair out of his eyes as the rain came down all around him. In the darkness, his green cloak was hardly distinguishable as green.
The sky roared, and the wind howled, reminding the two of them that daylight was slowly ticking away. If the clouds had not been there, both would have seen the rim of the sun slowly moving down below the horizon. But they were far away from any source of habitation. They were currently riding near the ruins of Hyrule Castle, but it had long since been abandoned when the forces of darkness had taken it. Now it was the home of dark beings. Of redeads. Gruesome, zombie like figures. Like corpses they walked, searching for victims to destroy. Were they the living dead as they appeared? Or demons, as his fairy described.
Suddenly the rider knew where he could go. Lon Lon Ranch! But Lon Lon Ranch was a good ride away, and the sun would be down in a matter of minutes. The Rider immediately altered the horses course, and dug his heals into its sides, a plea for it to run faster. The horse's instinct told it to beware of the Darkness, so it obeyed its master. Faster, faster, and faster they rode, the rider all the time whipping the horse with the reigns, urging it to go faster and faster.
Everyone knew of the darkness. Even Malon, the farm girl. She never left her ranch anymore, but she still knew of what would happen. The world had become a dangerous place for girls like her. Even though she was seventeen. That was why she was closing the gates for the night. She walked to the entrance, and began drawing the two doors shut. She closed them against the night. She closed them against the darkness. But unknowingly, she had also closed them against a very dear friend of hers. The gates clanged shut, ringing like the dinner bell to certain dark creatures waiting for this opportunity.
The horse stopped at the closed gate. The rider just stared, dumbfounded. Now he was trapped out there. Now he would be forced to face the darkness, and he knew what would happen. The rider drew his sword, and turned his horse around. He stared out across the darkened plains, searching for an enemy. Searching for the ones who wished to destroy him.
A dark sensation ran down the rider's neck as the sun finally dipped below the horizon. They sky was now not only dark from the clouds, but also from the night. Hyrule Field had become a land of shadow. Then it happened. A low, mournful howl rose up above the fields, ringing in the rider's ears. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead.
"There must be somewhere we can go," he said, even though he knew it was hopeless.
In the darkness, the rider could see the lights of a village far off across Hyrule Field. It would be safe there. The rider sheathed his sword, and spoke to the horse.
"Ride Epona," he said, and the horse began trotting across the Field.
"Faster," the rider said, digging his heals into the sides of the horse.
The horse broke into a gallop. The howl sounded again, this time closer. The rider urged his horse to go even faster, pushing it to more than its limits. The hooves of the horse pounded against the cold ground as it ran, hoping to escape from the enveloping darkness. But the darkness pursued them.
Suddenly eyes began to appear in the darkness. Yellow, horrible eyes. Like ghosts from the dead they rose, and began floating towards the rider and his horse. The rider dug his heals in again. The horse ran faster. Suddenly the yellow eyes shot towards him.
The rider put his hand up against his forehead, feeling where they had struck him. Blood trickled down from an open wound on his head. Then they struck again. This time his shoulder was torn open. The rider roared in pain. They shot in and out, slashing at his unprotected body each time. His clothing and his skin were both ripped open each time a blow landed. There was no way he could possible survive this. The rider drew his sword. He turned, and looked at one of the pairs of eyes. It shot towards him, but this time he was ready. When it flew in to strike, the rider slashed it with his sword. A moan issued from the mouth of the creature, and the eyes blinked out. The flesh of whatever being had attacked him could be heard burning and dissolving. But there were more creatures waiting. The rider stopped his horse.
More bright lights appeared all around the rider. Whether they were eyes of dark creatures, or the lights of the dead, it was unknown. The rider, now swordsman, held his sword out towards the lights. The lights surrounded him. Eerie calls, and cries echoed out of the darkness, as if issuing from the lights themselves.
Suddenly a bright light shot out from the rider's hat. It was a fairy. His fairy to be exact. She was his guardian fairy, Navi.
"Link," Navi said. "You can't fight these things like that. Don't you know what you are facing?"
"Give me another method, and I'll take it," Link said dismissing his fairies advice.
She often spoke of certain enemies which could not be defeated by physical attacks, but Link, the rider, had never listened to her. He had seen numerous enemies fall with a chunk of metal through their hearts, and would not believe that any could survive such a thing.
"They will not perish under physical attacks!" Navi said.
"They will all perish under my attacks," he said, annoyed at Navi's warnings. "This is the Master Sword. It strikes down all evil."
"It will not strike down this evil," Navi said calmly.
"You want to bet on it?" Link challenged.
"What?" Navi said indignantly. "I'm just trying to help you Link! Honestly! I'm not preaching something impossible to you!"
"Yeah Navi," Link said coldly, "sure. Just like what you said about Phantom Ganon."
"You never killed him," Navi said. "Ganondorf banished him from the earth after you destroyed his physical body."
"And his Spirit was still there Navi. Sure, that's real accurate. Stop preaching your beliefs to me Navi! I don't believe in souls."
"They exist whether you choose to believe in them or not!"
Link drew his sword, and faced the lights. One of the creatures shot towards him, and he struck it down again. Three more shot out from the darkness, cutting his back. Link struck down one as it passed overhead.
"Yeah Navi," he said sarcastically, "I really can't fight them like this."
"You don't believe me just wait," she said angrily. "The more you strike down, the more will appear."
"Yeah, and I thought I didn't believe in spontaneous creation either."
Link swung his sword as the dark shapes began shooting out of the darkness towards him, their yellow eyes glowing. The rider hacked at their cold skin as they shot by, cutting deep through their flesh. Each one fell, and burned away when they were struck down. But they did not leave. More and more shadowy creatures began to appear, and all began to strike Link. He was overwhelmed. They were everywhere. The horse reared up, and neighed. Link now knew that there was no way he could survive this. He ran to his horse, and leapt up into the saddle. Without command, the horse began to gallop for the village lights. But the dark creatures chased after him. As he rode, he felt sharp blades cut into his sides, as well as dark fires burn his skin. The rider urged his horse onward.
"Link!" Navi shouted, "get to the town! These creatures cannot pass through the gates of it!"
Link, for once, headed her warnings. As he approached the entrance to the village, he saw a torch shining in the darkness, leading the way to the entrance. As the horse galloped on, he was finally able to make out the man holding the torch above his head. The pouring rain lashed all around him, almost darkening the light which he held. The man was dressed in a hooded cloak, which held off the torrent of rain.
"Come on!" the man shouted. "Through the gate!"
The man held the gate open to the rider and his horse, even though the gate should have been closed a while ago. But the man held it open anyways. The creatures cackled and shrieked as they attacked the rider from both sides, viciously slashing and burning his flesh. The horse leaped, and shot through the gate. The man quickly followed behind them, slamming the gate shut against the dark beings of the field. The horse and the rider kept running until they came to the entrance to the village. Then the rider stopped his horse, and turned around to the man who had helped them. Link climbed down from his horses back, and held its reigns tightly.
"You are very lucky," the man said, his face glowing in the torch light. "Not many have managed to survive out there during the night."
Link smirked at Navi, but the man did not see that.
"Its even luckier that I happened to be there when it happened. That gate was shut and locked until I came. You would never have gotten in."
"Thanks a lot," Link said.
The man smiled. "Come with me. You wouldn't mind having a hot drink after all that, now would you?"
Link followed the man into the village, noting how old the buildings looked. A splintered, wooden sign had the words: "Kakariko Village" written on it in aged letters. Link had been to this town seven years ago, but it had looked so much younger then. The sign had been newly painted, and the metal pole which it was attached to had been well shined. Now it was rusty, and old. The man lead Link to an old run down building. The pain was peeling, and the wood was cracked, but the man just smiled as he looked at his humble home. The man took hold of Link's horses reigns, and lead it over into some sort of stable next to the house. He then opened the door to his house, and beckoned for Link to enter.
"I am the gatekeeper," he said, as he ushered Link into his home. "I am in charge of opening the gate in the mornings, and closing it at night. Dark creatures never make it into this village. The rest of the world has fallen to the evil, but we have managed to keep it out. No one enters this town without first passing examination."
"You only let in people who pass your exams?" Link said, skeptical at the morality of this.
"In these times," the man said, "you just can't let anyone in. The mayor of this town, my father," the gatekeeper's mouth moved into a grin at this, "has always kept this town safe. You know for twenty years there hasn't been a robbery in this town. Many agents of the Dark Lord come here, hoping to infiltrate our village, and open the doors to the evil which lurks outside. But none of them have ever succeeded. I have made sure of that."
As he spoke, Link looked around the room curiously. In a few places on the ceiling, drops of rain leaked in, plopping into cups set beneath them. The gatekeeper drew back his hood, revealing a pale but friendly face. By the looks of him Link guessed that he was middle aged man. The house was small, suggesting that the man lived alone in his hermitage. In the center of the room stood a wooden table with a thin, white tablecloth stretched out over it. The gatekeeper pulled two chairs up to the table, beckoning Link to sit down on one. Link sat down.
The gatekeeper walked to a wooden cabinet, and removed two clay mugs from inside it. He then placed them on the table, and grabbed a tea pot from the counter. He then poured tea into each of the mugs, and pushed one across the table to Link. Link took it, and drank. The tea was warm and delicious, with a perfect blend of apple and cinnamon. The gatekeeper raised his mug up as if proposing a toast, before drinking some of his own elixir. He then placed the cup back down on the table, and looked over at Link.
"Now tell me," he said with a friendly smile. "What's a young man like you doing out in the field at this time of night?"
"Me and my..." Link stopped, deciding not to tell the man about Navi. "I was riding through Hyrule Field when the sky began to darken. I tried to take refuge in Lon Lon Ranch, but the gates had already been shut. So I rode through the darkness until I arrived here."
"Them Poes gave you a bit of trouble I see," the man said.
"The what?"
"Poes," the man said again. "The creatures of the night. You know. The lights."
Link nodded. Silence followed, for neither of them knew what to say. Link took another drink from his cup.
"You can come out now," the man said, but not to Link, "I know you're here. I've known it since he came."
Navi the fairy popped out from Link's hat, and flew over to the man.
"Who are you?" she said, "how did you know I was there?"
"I'm the gatekeeper," the man said. "I can always tell when a fairy is present. Blessed creatures of light they are."
Navi smiled at the man's compliments, but said nothing.
"I've had my experience with fairies in the past," he said. "There was once an age when fairies were everywhere. But not anymore. Now they mostly live in the Lost Woods. One of the only places which welcomes them. And now that evil has taken the land, there are barely any fairies left."
"She can get a bit preachy at times," Link said, in an attempt to silence anymore comments about Navi.
"Son," the gatekeeper said. "You are ashamed of your fairy partner."
"She's not really my partner sir. She's just a fairy who was sent to accompany me on my quest."
"See?" the man said. "One must never be ashamed of there fairy. Not many of them left as I've said. Not many people have the privilege of having a guardian fairy anymore."
"Why do you speak so highly of fairies?" Link said, this time curiously, not scornfully.
"Fairies are creatures of light," the gatekeeper said. "Essentially the opposite of Poes as you have probably figured out. Many Poes were once fairies, or like fairies. But they fell to evil. Twisted they were by it. Ruined by the darkness. Now they are slaves to their own desires."
The man took a long drink from his mug.
"Maybe a day will come when fairies are common again. Maybe a day will come when fairies are accepted again."
"Poes," Link said thoughtfully. "I figured they were like dead people come back to haunt us or something."
"Why would the dead want to haunt you?" the man asked. "No. Dead people no longer play any part in the world of the living. They go on to the place of eternal rest. Unless they fall."
The man then noticed the cut on Link's forehead.
"Them Poes scratched you up a bit?" he asked.
"Uh, yeah," Link said looking at his tattered and singed clothing, soaked with blood in some places.
The gatekeeper stood up, and walked over to Link's side. He then placed his hand against Link's forehead, and closed his eyes. The man's mouth began moving, as if muttering something under his breath. Suddenly a feeling of warmth covered Link's flesh, and his wounds began to heal themselves. The gatekeeper opened his eyes, and removed his hand from Link's forehead before sitting back down in his chair. Link looked down at his healed body in amazement. There weren't even any scars.
"That's amazing!" he said. "How did... how did you do that?"
"Something you will come to learn," the man said, "is that there are other powers at work in this world besides the powers of darkness."
"So these... Poes," Link said quizzically. "They prey on anyone they find in the Field?"
"More or less," the man said. "Though sometimes they meet a man that they cannot touch."
"A man that they cannot touch?"
The man smiled at Link's question.
"Didn't you notice?" he asked. "They didn't attack your fairy?"
Link stopped. He had noticed that. They hadn't attacked Epona either, but that made sense, for she was only a horse.
"Why didn't they?" he asked. "I mean, if she truly is the opposite of what they are, then wouldn't they have attacked her. For if they are opposites, then aren't they enemies?"
"Of course," the gatekeeper said. "But Navi is a fairy. A symbol of what is good. A Poe can't stand to be around such a creature, for it shows them how evil they truly are."
Link took another sip of his warm tea.
"So," the gatekeeper said. "Where are you from? I imagine you don't live here in the village, since you were riding so far away from it so late in the day. You should know that it is quite foolish to be outside when it is so close to night time."
Link thought about telling the man the truth. About how he had just come from the water temple. How he had traveled across Hyrule Field to the Temple of Time to find Sheik, the strange man who had helped him numerous times in the past. But then he had not found him there. Then he had to stay, and face the night.
"I come from another country," Link lied. "I was traveling through Hyrule Field. I have been traveling for years. And then I came to the ruins of Hyrule castle. I didn't know that those creatures appeared at night."
The man said nothing for a while, clearly not believing Link's answer.
"How did you know the castle was known as Hyrule castle?" the gatekeeper asked.
"I..." Link said, trying to think of a reason why. "There was a sign on the wall."
"I have been to the ruins of the castle many times," the man said. "There is no sign on it. And how did you know about Lon Lon Ranch? And besides, the border of Hyrule is miles and miles away from the castle. It would take you more than one day to ride this far. You would have already have spent a night in Hyrule, and as such would be dead now."
Link said nothing. He knew he'd been caught.
"Care to tell me again," the man said, "except without the lies?"
Link didn't speak.
"That sword you carry," the man said, "I know what it is. The Master Sword. You pulled it out from the pedestal in the Temple of Time, and then you were transported into the future. It would have been about... seven years since you pulled the sword from the pedestal. Seven is a significant number you know."
"It is?" Link said in surprise.
"Yeah," the man said, "ever heard of a lamb with seven horns?"
"No."
"Anyways," the gatekeeper said, "you drew the sword from the pedestal, so that makes you the Hero of Time. Is what I say correct?"
Link was astonished. The man had just said Hero of Time as if it were unimportant. Link was used to everyone speaking of his title as so high and mighty, and expecting him to be a wonderful person because he was "chosen to take up the position."
"You speak of it as if it were unimportant," Link said. "People tell me I was chosen to take up this position. So does that make me like... pure of heart or something?"
The gatekeeper chuckled.
"My boy," he said, "you've been reading too many stories. You did not receive the sword because you entered the chamber and the sword deemed that you were pure of heart. No. People think of the Master Sword as alive. They think of it as a mighty creature which casts down evil in the form of a sword. But in truth, it is just a weapon. That is it. I'm not saying that it isn't special mind you. It is filled with a strong energy which can be accessed by the powers of light. But it is still just a bunch of metal that was forged together some time in the past."
The man finished his tea, pushing the mug aside.
"The door of time would have opened to anyone who had the three stones, and played the song of time. It didn't matter whether you were quote on quote, "pure of heart." But there's the question. What does pure of heart mean? Does it mean you are a good person? No. All men have their sins and their vices that they regularly fall to. But there is much to be said about the powers of forgiveness."
The gatekeeper smiled.
"So what exactly is your point," Link asked.
"You may very well have been the one to find the sword. You may very well have been the one to take the sword. But just because you have the sword doesn't mean you can control it. Only the powers of good can control the Master Sword."
"Are you saying I'm evil?" Link said, insulted.
"Oh no no no," the gatekeeper said. "But you fight the evil in the wrong way. You can not fight evil unless you ally yourself with good."
Link still didn't understand, but he let it pass. Link drank the rest of his tea before pushing the cup aside.
"Will Epona be okay?" he asked, remembering the building the gatekeeper had put her in.
"Your horse?" the man asked. "She'll be just fine. That's a nice dry stable with well stocked hay bales. No doubt she thinks she's in heaven."
The man stood, and picked up the two mugs. He then placed them on the counter, and sat back down.
"Look," he said, "I have an extra room here in my house. Your welcome to stay with me for the night. It's certainly better than sleeping out in the rain."
"Thank you," Link said yawning.
"Best get you to bed," the man said.
I'm pretty sure I will make a couple of more chapters in this book, so keep in touch with this one, cause it could turn out real cool. Inspirational quote from "Young Frankenstein" and I'm outa here.
Igor: "Dr. Frankenstein."
Dr. Fredrick Frankenstein: "Fronkensteen."
Igor: "You're putting me on."
Dr. Fredrick Frankenstein: "No, it's pronounced Fronkensteen."
Igor: "Do you also say Froaderick?"
Dr. Fredrick Frankenstein: "No... Fredrick."
