This is a story that I'm currently working on. It is Marth/Link, Ike/Pit, and perhaps Roy/Zelda. Well, Roy/someone, I'm sure XD I'd put this in the SSB archive but it only has FE, LoZ, and KI characters, so I'm sticking it in the X overs of Zelda and Fire Emblem. Based off of Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, and Super Smash Brothers Brawl. Ah, here's the author's note I posted on dA...
HOLY CRAP. That took foreverrrrr to type. And it's only part one |D but I believe that this will probably be the longest chapter. If you don't know who anyone is, google them or wikipedia them XD All characters in Shadow Dragon Well. I have no idea what surged this on XD Bitch to write, though. I think it was because I that that if Link could go to Hyrule to deliver a gift to the princess, couldn't he deliver one to royalty of a different country, like a tribute or a peace gift? About 21 pages in MS word, size 11 font, single spaced! I guess this could be seen as a very close Marth/Link friendship, but it will evolve into a slash. This is based on TP Link and SD (Shadow Dragon) Marth and Brawl Ike and Melee Roy. It won't have all Brawl characters, so this is practically a crossover. I've done my research, so I know that it's impossible for Roy, Ike, AND Marth to exist at the same time, since I think that they're born a few centuries apart from each other, but guess what? It's the power of fanfiction But I think that it's logical for Marth and Link to be about the same age because OoT happened at least 100 years before TP and Anri, the hero of Altea, existed 100 years bfore Marth, sooo...they coulda met? (Shut up, let me have my moment!) Pit MAY come into the picture; if he does, it's gonna be an Ike/Pit, most likely. And I'm thinking on a Roy/Zelda, I Roy/Ellis or something. Maybe Merric or one of the other princesses? I dunno, you decide.
Oh yeah, Marth is wearing his SSBB outfit, Ike and Roy are wearing their SSBB/SSBM outfits without the armor, and Link is wearing his Ordon outfit. I'll try to post a picture of Falcon and the shield if I can. Long description is loooooooong |D Me tired. All I want is to know what you think. Oh yeah, sorry if the inscription on the sword is too weird. I couldn't think of anything at the time, I was brain dead XD
Basically: Rusl took Link to Hyrule for the celebration of the 10-year anniversity of the treaty of peace signed between many of the great kingdoms. He meets Marth and his two friends, Roy and Ike. He later meets Pit, an adorable angel from Angel Land. But Link gets attacked by a mysterious beast...awhile later, he has to leave. Will he ever be reuinted with his best friends?
orz I suck at summaries XD Just rad the story, please!
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
The young Prince Marth groaned in exasperation. He was so bored! There was nothing, absolutely nothing to do at this blasted party! Honestly, he still couldn't figure out why Altea and the other nations needed to celebrate a decade's worth of peace. Ten years since all of the alliances have been made, so what? The boy's thirteen-year-old mind just didn't get the big deal. The prince eyed the representatives from each kingdom from his balcony, which overlooked the courtyard, where almost all of the representatives were (some had still yet to come).
He could see his elder sister, Princess Ellis, speaking to some other girls; Marth could recognize Linde and Princesses Caeda, little Maria, Minerva, Tiki, and Nyna. The others, he assumed, were females from countries he did not know, or whose parents were high-ranking nobles. All of the other people there were mostly old, stern-looking officials. Bleck. Immediately King Cornelius' words came to his son's mind: "Even if they do not look amiable, my son, you shall still be pleasant and courteous. A prince is always to be considerate and kind, especially to his guests, least he shall be mocked and ridiculed as rude and ill-hearted..." The princeling gave the garden one more sweep with his eyes. No Roy, no Ike, no Merric…no boys at his age whatsoever. How infuriating! he berated silently.
"Fine then," he huffed to himself, stalking off the balcony and into his room, "I shall just go to the stables and fetch Tornac! I'll just ride the remainder of the night so I won't have to talk to anyone!" Marth checked his appearance and, once deemed fit to go outside, left his elegant blue room and marched off to the horse stables. The blue-haired lad took a moment to peer around.
Just about all of the fine stalls were full, of course filled with the Altean's guest's horses. They were all very fine beasts. War horses, quarter horses, pegasi, and sprinters were varying in many colors; black, white, gray, silver, chestnut, bay, yellow, and even some blue and red-tinted ones. The pegasi were of the purest white. Marth strode over to Tornac's stall and stroked the black's nose caringly, eliciting a whinny. "Good boy," he murmured to the mere one-year-old purebred. Just then, he heard two horses' footsteps and the softer sound of human footsteps, one pair barely even audible. Turning around, he saw two people leading a duo of horses; a tough but kind swordsman with dirty blonde hair, looking around his mid forties, and a boy shorter than the prince, who was also a blonde, about a year or so younger than Marth. Both were wearing commoner clothing, farm wear. Normal people. But there was one thing off.
The boy had pointed ears. Marth gasped. Wh-what?! Marth thought, stunned. He can't be…is that blonde boy of the elusive race I've heard stories about? Is he…an elf?! Maybe he's a Manakete…He's certainly beautiful enough to be an elf, though… And indeed he was. Soft, slightly tanned skin, shining blonde hair, and gorgeous ocean-blue eyes. On his back was a wooden sparring sword with curious designs painted and engraved on it, and on his left hand was an odd insignia; three triangles composed to form one. The Triforce! the prince remembered. The symbol of the proud kingdom of Hyrule, home of the strong Gorons, the graceful Zora, the humble Hylians… Oh yes, Marth remembered Hyrule well—his history tutor made him read quite a few thick tomes and heavy volumes about the country and its provinces. Apparently, ages ago, the kingdom of Hyrule once gave the Hero Anri refuge in an extreme time of need. Hyrule's own hero, the Hero of Time, and its princess, the Princess Zelda, nursed him and his party of comrades back to health and showed them new tactics in battle, and also new ways to use magic. As a result, the two kingdoms have always been on good terms, but never really communicated with each other unless the need was dire, for the distance was vast. Marth's revelation was interrupted by a deep chuckle.
"Hello, prince of Altea," the gruff-looking swordsman spoke warmly. "I am Rusl Gornsson, and my horse is Timble. We hail from the village of Ordon, which lies in the heart of the province Ordonna. We are here to represent both Hyrule, all of its races, and Ordonna, for Princess Zelda is caught up in official business. She sends her most sincere apologies. Very pleased to meet you, m'lord." He gave the Hylian boy a nudge.
"I-I'm Link, Son of N-None, and this i-is Epona," the blonde stammered, shy. A light blush coated his high cheekbones. "It's an h-honor to meet you, sire!" The man, Rusl, bowed, and Link followed his lead, albeit a little more clumsily. An orphan, eh…?
Marth smiled humbly. "My name is Marth, and I welcome you to Altea, a kingdom of the noblest knights. Please, put your horses in a stall and make them as comfortable as you want." The foreigners did so, and the prince took this opportunity to take a closer look at the horses. Timble was clearly older than Epona; he was much taller and had gray streaks in his mane and tail. He was a dark sable. Epona, on the other hand, was small but built a bit stocky—one day she would make a fine war horse. The mare was pretty and young, not a day over a year with a shiny chestnut pelt. Her mane was an off-white silvery color, for it seemed to glow in the ill-lit stable.
Rusl saw the appreciation in the boy's gaze and smiled. Yes, he could tell the prince had the makings in him to become a great swordsman, and later a great king. He shot a sideways glance to his charge, whose eyes were fixed on Epona, rubbing her down after taking off her saddle and bridle. The man internally sighed. Being around all of these nobles and high-ranking officers made Link even more shy and bashful than ever before. But then he noticed the blue-haired lad's gaze drift towards the Hylian's form, obviously curious, and smiled. Perhaps if they were to become friends…? Yes, it would do them both good, Rusl decided. Maybe a talk with the king should be arranged as well. He grabbed Hyrule's gifts for King Cornelius and got out of Timble's stall just as Epona nickered happily, nudging her nose against a handsome black stallion's whose stall was right next to hers. The stallion eagerly rubbed his nose back against the mare's.
Marth grinned. "It seems Epona has taken a liking to my Tornac!"
Link smiled softly. "Likewise for Tornac t-towards my dear Epona," he commented back, amused.
Marth's grin widened at the response. "Now, where are my manners? Come, I'll show you to the other representatives." He led the Hylian and Hyrulian to the courtyard, and made small talk with Link on the way.
"So, how was the journey?"
"Ah, it was rather…long. It took Rusl and me near two weeks to get to Altea's borders. I've never been so far away from home before for so long, but it's well worth it. All of these lands are so beautiful! It must be wonderful to live here…" The blonde looked around as he spoke, intrigued by the tall, majestic trees surrounding the castle.
Marth laughed lightly, secretly pleased the stammer was all but gone. "Aye, 'tis wonderful to live here, but it must be quite a thrill to live in Hyrule!"
A smile. "That it is, milord. I live by a great forest, and it is most gorgeous. We go there every day to load up hay on the horses for them and the goats."
Marth rolled his eyes at the "milord." "Please," he groaned. "Just call me Marth! Unless you wish for me to call you Sir Link," he said slyly.
Link wrinkled his nose in distaste. "'Sir Link'? Ha! I think not! Might as well call me Lady Link!"
Marth snorted. "If you insist, milady." They looked at each other and busted out laughing, Rusl just chuckling amusedly. Finally, they had made it to the garden with the rest of the representatives. When they walked in, some of the nobles gave Rusl and Link dirty looks, but when they saw Link's ears and faintly exotic features, excited whispers broke out.
"—beautiful—"
"—an elf?! Or Manakete—"
"—suppose he's…slave?"
"—gorgeous—"
"—nah…bet he's…pet—"
"—suppose…toy for the prince?" Link flushed beat red at the last comment, and Marth shot the offending noble a faint glare. The usually cool and collected Rusl had to hide his astonishment at the accusations. The prince then tugged Link towards his father, a now befuddled Rusl following.
"Father," Marth announced, "this is Link and Rusl from Ordon, and they're here representing Ordonna and Hyrule, for Princess Zelda couldn't make it."
A delighted twinkle found its way into King Cornelius' eyes. "Is that so?" he chuckled. "Well, it's a pleasure to see that our resident Hylians could make it." He held out his hand to Rusl, who shook it, and also to Link, who shook it as well. Rusl smiled.
"Actually, Your Majesty, Link here is the true Hylian. I'm just a human living in Hyrule, which therefore makes me Hyrulian," the swordsman corrected.
"Ah! I'm terribly sorry," the king apologized. "It's been quite some time since my studies of other nations; I really must go through my textbooks again. But, if you don't mind, could you perhaps tell me the difference between a Hylian and a Hyrulian?" By now, a few of the other representatives were listening in on their conversation, genuinely interested as well. This time, Link answered.
"Well," he began, "Hylians mainly look different because of our ears. They are elongated so we can hear any messages the three great Goddesses wish to pass on to us." He stopped at the confused looks he received. "Ah, well, I suppose we do have a different religion than the people of Archanea. I'll give you the short version: The kingdom of Hyrule was created by the three Goddesses. Din, the Goddess of Power, Farore, the Goddess of Courage, and Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom. Din shaped the earth, Farore gave it life, and Nayru gave it balance and justice. When the Goddesses left, they also left behind the Triforce, which was sealed away in the Sacred Realm. The rest is…difficult to explain.
"Anyways, we Hylians have magic in our blood, which is a gift from the Goddesses. But, over the years, Hylians married regular humans, so most of the magic has faded away, except for the bloodlines of the Royal Family and that of the Hero. Um, I think that's pretty much the basics," Link concluded, sounding a little unsure. The small crowd that had gathered broke apart, whispering to one another yet again.
The king gave the out of breath boy an appreciative look. "Thank you for clearing that up," he thanked.
Link grinned weakly in response. "No problem, Your Highness."
"Ah!" Rusl suddenly exclaimed. "I almost forgot! Please, it would honor Hyrule and me greatly if you were to take this sword and shield I forged. The princess dubbed the rapier Falcon, for it delivers a quick and vicious death." He offered out his arms, in which lay the aforementioned sword and shield. Cornelius was awed and Marth was dumbstruck. They were beautiful, almost too gorgeous to even think of using in battle.
The rapier was forged of silver, and looked eerily similar to the Falchion blade, but the guard was somewhat more graceful, slightly resembling the Master Sword's guard; a bit like the outstretched wings of a great bird. At the pommel lay a bright forest-green emerald, and on one side connecting the blade to the hilt was a blood-red ruby, and on the other side was an ocean-blue sapphire. Along the flat of the blade, on both sides, there was script engraved in some sort of elegant, beautiful language. The hilt itself was made of the strongest goat horn, with veins of gold running through it. The sheath was a deep royal blue with the same script on the side, only this time in pure gold stitching (Altea's main colors). The shield was crafted with silver and steel and inlaid with gold, with both Altea's emblem and the Royal Family crest engraved on it and had various decorations. It looked like it could take many blows.
"This…is the best weaponry I have ever seen in my entire life," the king was finally able to say. He accepted the offered gift with a great bow, causing Rusl to radiate pride.
"Thank you very much, King Cornelius, I am deeply humbled," the swordsman breathed out, euphoric at the praise. Link felt greatly happy for the man who practically raised him.
Cornelius shook his head, smiling. "No, 'tis I who is humbled. Almost none of the sword smiths in Altea—the land of knights, nonetheless—have such great a skill as yours. May I inquire what the scripture reads?"
"Ah," Rusl began, "it is in Hylian, which is our native language, but just about everyone knows your tongue as well, and it reads: Thou only thy finest of thine noble House of Altea shalt be allowed to wield thee sword. The princess and her father, King Dante, put an incantation on the blade to ensure only someone from your House shall ever be allowed to wield it, unless they have your verbal assent. Link and I both were in a loophole, since we were the ones carrying it at the time, and therefore can wield it as well. But, we would never think of wielding it without either of your permission, sires," he concluded happily. "However, if you wish to praise the writing, please thank Link. He did the engraving and the stitching; he has the most elegant Hylian handwriting in the whole village, plus he has a way with needles." He winked at Link, which caused him to flush lightly at the praise.
"I must say," said Marth's father, "I am rather surprised. It would normally take one many years to achieve such neatness with the pen, let alone embroidering or engraving. Isn't that correct, Marth?"
The blue-haired boy nodded. "Hai," he agreed, looking at Link, "'tis most impressive. It took me many years to achieve the grace of the strokes you accomplished on the engraving. Most beautiful." Link, in response, beamed widely at Marth.
"Thank you, Marth," the Hylian said gratefully, looking pleased. A gentle smile was still etched on his face. Cornelius was a bit surprised. No "prince" or "milord"? The little lad doesn't seem to be one to be disrespectful, unless…did Marth request for the Hylian boy to call him by his name only? Odd…perhaps…they are already friends? Yes, that would explain it. Well, maybe I should offer an extended stay for the two.
"Perhaps, dear son of mine, you should go along and introduce Link to your friends, whilst Rusl and I talk, eh?" Marth nodded and grabbed Link's hand, leading him towards the girls.
"Now, the girls can be quite scary, but I've got your back, alright?" Link nodded, faintly confused. Sure, girls can be weird, but scary? he thought. Ilia and Beth can be little terrors sometimes, wanting to play house and dress-up, (somehow, Link always got stuck as the "mommy"), and the older women of the village can be right-down perverts, but they are all sane enough. His eyes widened considerably after they made their way to the girls. They were all so pretty, just as pretty as Princess Zelda! But then again, most of them probably are princesses.
"Everyone, this is Link from Hyrule," Marth announced. Then, in quieter voice, he whispered to Link. "Say hello, no need to be afraid or anything."
Link huffed. Afraid? He wasn't afraid of anything! ...Okay, that was a lie. But that's beside the point!
"H-Hi," he muttered, nervous again. "I'm very pleased to m-meet you all." Silence. Then—
"KAWAII DEEEEEEEEEEESU!!!"
—the poor blonde was glomped to the ground by a blur of pink and purple. Link groaned. "Say wha'?" he grumbled.
Princess Tiki giggled. "It means cute! As in, you're so cute you could be a girl, cute! Hiya, I'm Tiki, princess of the dragon clan! I'm a Manakete. Are you a Manakete? You look like you could be a Manakete. You're pretty, did you know that? Am I hyper? I get hyper when I eat sugar—" Marth cleared his throat, amused.
"Tiki," the prince drawled, "I don't think he can breathe." The Manakete eeped and jumped off Link, helping him up. The others were soon introduced to the Hylian, and, just like he guessed, they were all princesses (with the exception of Linde).
Link noticed Marth peering around, as if searching for something. He approached his new friend and asked, "Marth, are you looking for something? If so, I'd be more than glad to assist…"
Marth looked at the blonde, a slight frown etched into his face. "Yes, I'm looking for my friend, Merric. He has green hair and is about our age…he should be here…" Link looked around. No one matched that description. Marth's frown deepened. "Ellis," he called out to his older sister, "have you seen Merric?"
The blue-haired beauty looked at her brother, eyebrows drawn together in concern. "No. The last I saw of him, he was heading out to the forest." Marth groaned.
"The fool! He's probably out looking for some flower that can expel fire or something. I'm going to go look for him." Marth started to walk off, when he was stopped. Someone was holding on to his cape. When he turned around, he saw it was Link.
"…I'm going with you." Even though his voice was gentle, there was a note of finality in it. There was no arguing with the other boy.
"Of course. Let's just go to tell my father where we're going." The prince was quick in decisions, but he wasn't stupid about it. They both went off to speak with King Cornelius, who was still conversing to Rusl.
"Father," said Marth, "Link and I are off to search the forest for Merric. The latest we shall be back is when the sun is at its highest on the 'morrow, and the soonest is when the sun is set today." Cornelius took a brief look upwards to check the position of the sun. It was around six at night, so the sun would be setting in two hours.
After a long while of mentally debating, the king gave his consent to the prince, as did the swordsman to his apprentice. "I only request that you take the sword and shield Hyrule has given us, to protect you two." Marth nodded, acknowledging his father. He quickly belted the sword to his waist, but gave the shield to Link.
"You have more need of it than I" was all he said. Link silently agreed. Whilst Marth was a prince, a king in training with a sword fit to be wielded by a great knight, Link was but a simple farm boy with a wooden sparring sword. He fit the shield on his right arm. Loose, but at least it didn't fall off. When the two boys were ready, they went to the stables to fetch Tornac, Epona, and Merric's fiery grey stallion, Brisingr. They fitted the horses with their bridles and saddles, tied Brisingr to Epona, and trotted silently off to the forest.
After a few hours of searching (after the sun went down, Link got out his lantern from his saddlebag) they finally found the shivering form of Merric huddled on the ground against a tree, pulling his thin blue cloak around him to keep warm.
"Marth! Am I ever glad to see you!" The student of magic stood up, and looked like he was about to hug his friend when he got smacked upside the head.
"Dolt!" Marth exclaimed. "You should never go in the forest alone!"
"But Maaaaaaaaarth," Merric whined, "there are some really amazing magical organisms out here!" Link giggled from behind his hands, which drew the green-haired boy's attention towards him.
"Whoa! Who are you? And what are you?" The latter question earned another smack.
"Don't be so rude!" the bluenette hissed. The blonde giggled again.
"It's quite alright, Marth," Link informed with a smile. He then turned on his saddle towards Merric. "I'm Link, and I'm a Hylian from, well, Hyrule." Merric's eyes shone with excitement.
"A Hylian! An honest-to-goodness Hylian! I've always wanted to meet a Hylian ever since I read about them!" Link let out a lilting, melodic laugh. The magic user's eyes widened. "Are you sure you aren't of any elven descent?" he pestered. "I mean, not to sound weird or anything, but you're gorgeous, like elves, and your laugh sounds like what theirs is described as." Marth internally sweat-dropped.
Link smiled, a dull blush spreading across his cheeks, cerulean eyes glowing in the light from the full moon. "I'm positive," he assured. "Plus, if I had any elf blood in me, I'd probably be able to use magic."
Marth looked at Link, confused. "I thought Hylians could use magic!"
The blonde looked down, faintly abashed. "Yes, but just like any other mage or sorcerer, we must be trained, or at the very least shown. Since there're no other Hylians in my village, there's no one to instruct me…most elves, from what I've heard, can use magic when they're around the age of ten, but they still seek out tutors to hone their skills." He quickly dismounted Epona and Marth followed his lead, but untied Brisingr from the other's mare.
Merric shivered again. "Perhaps we could start a fire since it's too late to go back?" he asked. A vein in Marth's forehead twitched.
"Can't you conjure up a fire?" he all but growled.
The other shivered, but this time not from the cold. "Uh, that's battle magic only. I can't use it unless it's on an enemy. Sorry," he squeaked out. Link rolled his eyes, gathering some leaves and small, dead branches.
"Honestly, Marth, there isn't anything he can do about it. Quit scaring him." Merric sent the Hylian an appreciative look. Link only shrugged and got out his lantern, sticking a twig in to set the kindling he gathered on fire. He poured some lantern oil on it to get it going. A few minutes later, the boys had a roaring fire to keep themselves warm. Marth and Link left their weapons against the tree, not wanting to sleep with them on. Link snuggled up to Epona after unsaddling her, for she was lying on the ground. The others did the same, and bid each other goodnight.
At around one a.m. (the moon was still full and high), Link was woken by the three horses whinnying uneasily. He groaned and stood up, brushing the dirt of his clothes. "What's the matter, girl?" he asked Epona, concerned. She never acted up, unless monsters were near. But Marth or the king would have warned him of that, right? The blonde approached the mare and stilled her, but the two stallions were still prancing around, skittish. He frowned. "Tornac, Brisingr, what's wrong?" But then Epona suddenly reared, neighing loudly in warning, causing Link to fall over. He was surprised his companions hadn't woken up yet. The Hylian looked up and froze, finally seeing what the horses were spooked about.
It was a gigantic wolf with great big blood red eyes. But somehow, it wasn't entirely animal. It could walk on two legs, like a human, but had the viciousness of a rabid beast.
"Werewolf," Link breathed out. The thing grinned, its monstrously large teeth glinting in the moonlight. The boy could tell its teeth were meant for ripping, shredding…killing.
"Very good, child," the thing growled. "Mm, you look very tasty. Young ones always have the firmest flesh, but something's off about your scent, hrm…" It stalked closer, this time on all four legs, and took a few long, deep sniffs. Only inches away from his face, Link didn't dare move, for fear it would snap his neck in two. "Ah, you have magic in you! Hylian, no doubt from the sacred kingdom. Haven't had one of your kind in a long, long time, but…" It paused. "There's something…animalistic about you, boy. Something feral. It lies dormant, deep inside you, for now, at least. Better watch out during mating season; something might just devour you and eat you all up, hurr hurr…"
"Wh-what do you w-want?" Link asked, deeply afraid. His eyes flashed towards to the tree, were their weapons were. Too far away… "Animalistic? M-mating season? What are you talking about?" The werewolf let out a "hyuk" sound, and the blonde realized it was laughing.
"Ah, you know not of your heritage! Shame. As for mating season, dear pup, you are quite the beautiful morsel. Not many of my species would pass up the opportunity to pounce on you." It chuckled, amused by the boy's fear.
"B-but why m-mate," here he flushed a dull red, "with me? I-it's not like I can carry any offspring, I'm n-not a g-girl."
The beast grinned maliciously. "Now now, Hylian, don't be so quick on the draw. Magic can work mysterious wonders, you know. Almost anything is possible with a sorcerer or two." It moved closer. "Plus, you have magic in you. Pure, clean, white magic." The hot breath against Link's elongated ear made him shudder. "As do I. Dark magic, but magic nonetheless. I wonder what would happen if the two combined, eh?" The werewolf suddenly grabbed the boy's shoulders, claws digging in, preventing him from escaping, and viciously bit into the left side of his neck, drawing out crimson blood. Link couldn't help but utter a sharp cry of pain. "You're mine, child," the thing snarled against his neck.
"No," a cold, harsh voice said. "He isn't." Both Link and the werewolf looked up to see a furious Marth glaring at the beast, a defiant Merric at his side. Hate and malice radiated from his body, as did an icy aura. In his right hand was Falcon, the blade gleaming threateningly in the moonlight. The monster growled.
"Little humans can never stop meddling!" it roared. Then, as if to taunt the other two, it licked The Hylian boy's tender, bloodied neck, eliciting a whimper.
"M-make it stop," he whispered hoarsely, pain laced in his feeble voice. S-so…blurry… "M-Marth…pl-please…help me…" Link's soft plea for help made the prince snap. With a loud yell, he leaped and brought his blade down on the werewolf's left shoulder brutally.
"Take that, monster!" he shouted. Merric was stunned. The mage had never seen the prince lose control like that. He must care a lot for Link, he thought. But they just met. How could they have connected so easily? Marth seldom lets anyone get close to him when he first meets a person. Perhaps they're soul mates. Merric would have laughed if the situation wasn't so serious. He was distracted from his thoughts when the monster slashed at Marth's chest, scratching his breastplate and knocking him over. The green-haired boy quickly got out his magic tome. After flipping through the pages and yelling a spell, a huge ball of fire erupted from his outstretched arm. Confused, the werewolf turned around to attack the bluenette again, letting go of Link, the smell of its singed fur covering the small encampment. This time, the noble was ready.
While the two battled, Merric quickly made his way to Link's side. He bit his lip in worry. The bleeding was slowing, but the flow was still heavy. The mage quickly got out a canteen of water, a small medicine bowl, and a Vulnerary from his side bag. He washed off the blood gently with the water, causing the other to hiss. Mumbling an apology, he hurriedly put a few pinchfulls of the powdered medicine into the bowl and poured in some water, so it would be easier to swallow. Briefly the boy noticed the battle seemed to be coming to an end.
Merric propped Link's head up in his lap. "Come on, Link, you've got to drink this. Swallow, it'll make you better…" He offered the medicine to the blonde's lips, who slowly parted them. Thankfully, he was able to down the whole bowl. Merric sharply looked up when he heard the werewolf say something.
"You'll regret this, you royal swine," it growled, voice low and grating. The beast's form was littered in deep cuts, with a noticeable slash across the bridge of its long muzzle, along with the gash on its shoulder. "Let me tell you my name, child, so you know who will haunt your dreams at night. I am Fenrir, and you will fear me, for I am the very meaning of the word."
Marth snorted. He was covered with a few claw marks, but they were merely shallow scratches. Falcon's tip was dripping with its enemy's thick wine red blood. "I fear nothing," he hissed.
The thing let out a weak, grumbling chuckle. "I wouldn't be so sure about that, princeling." Its gaze shifted towards the Hylian, and Merric laid his hand down on his tome, ready to defend if necessary.
The prince's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You wouldn't dare," he spat.
"Yes," it spoke, "I would. One day, when you least expect it, that boy will be mine. If I am not back within five summers, he will be safe. But, until then, you'd better watch out, for I certainly will be watching."
"Bastard," a weak voice hissed. They all turned towards Link, surprised.
"Well, well," the werewolf mused, "such a filthy word from the pretty little bitch's pure mouth!" Marth snarled and was about to lop off the monster's head when it ran away. The prince hurriedly made his way towards his injured friend, ripping off a strip of his cape to use for bandaging. Kneeling, he gently began to dress the nasty-looking bite mark, not wanting to cause the other any more pain.
"Thanksh, guys," Link giggled sluggishly, slightly delirious from the blood loss. "I'd-a never make it whifout you two fellershhh," he slurred, eyes half-lidded. The bluenette groaned.
"Have you anything to lull him to sleep?" he asked, the question directed at the green-haired boy. Merric nodded.
"Yes, some Delho berries," he responded, pulling them out of his bag. "They're used to put their eater in a deep, peaceful slumber." Inside a brown velvet pouch were some small pink berries. Merric quickly fed them to the blonde, who almost immediately fell asleep. Marth let out a grateful sigh.
"Thank you, Merric," he spoke. Merric just smiled back and nodded. The bluenette noticed his friend was tired after looking at his droopy eyes. "Do you want me to watch him?" he asked.
The mage eyed the noble, uncertain. "You sure? You need sleep as well, especially after that battle." The Altean prince shook his head.
"I'll be fine. Plus, my adrenaline is still pumping and someone needs to keep watch. Don't fret." Merric finally consented, and promptly fell asleep. Marth wiped the gore from his rapier on a patch of moss and put it back in its original place, next to Link's wooden sword. He then carried Link over to the tree, sitting him upright against it, where he planned to keep watch. "You're light," he mumbled to himself and sat down next to the Hylian. The sound of the other's gentle breathing relaxed him.
In fact, Marth thought, just about everything about Link soothes me, even though I've only been around him for a few hours. I guess it's his personality. He was startled when he felt a sudden weight on his shoulder. Link's head. The prince frowned and hurriedly took off his armor, throwing it carelessly into a pile on the forest floor some feet away. It clanged together noisily, causing Marth to wince and look at his sleeping companions. Still asleep. His lips twitched in a small smile when he felt Link move closer, seeking warmth. He grabbed his blue and red cape off the ground and carefully covered the Hylian. There. Around three hours later, about four in the morning, he finally fell into a deep slumber, Link right at his side.
"Marth…" a dreamy voice seemed to sigh. "Marth, wake up…" The prince of Altea smiled like a fool, eyes closed, still half asleep. Upon opening his eyes blearily, he saw a beautiful blue-eyed blonde bending over him. Gentle rays of sun dotted through the canopy of the trees, lighting the boy from the back, making his softly tanned skin seem to glow. (A/N: Fuck I'm getting cheesy lol) So gorgeous…all of that must have been a dream… A melodic laugh interrupted the bluenette's tired thoughts.
"Wake up, sleepy head!" A gentle shake. "It's time to get back to your father and Rusl before they get worried and send a search party! Hurry, before Merric and I dump water on you!" Marth stood up with a groan, arching his back and stretching his arms far above his head. It wasn't a dream after all, he thought cheerfully. With eased practice, he quickly put on his armor and looked around for his cape.
"A-ah, sorry," Link muttered sheepishly. Only know did he notice that his cape was fastened around the blonde, like a cloak.
Marth grinned in satisfaction, pleased he hadn't taken it off. "No no, it's quite alright." He peered at the thin summer clothing and low cut shirt, frowning briefly at the makeshift bandaging on his neck that was dark with blood. "That outfit can't be very warm."
Link chirped out a thanks and went to saddle Epona. Marth did the same with Tornac, noticing Merric had already saddled Brisingr and dowsed the fire. They all then grabbed their belongings, mounted their steeds, and trotted off towards the general direction of the castle. On the way, the two Alteans questioned as to what occurred between Link and the werewolf. He told them, causing Marth to grip his reigns tightly, knuckles turning white. Merric was insanely curious about what the monster meant when it talked about there being a beast sealed inside of the Hylian. The blue-eyed boy had merely shrugged. He had no idea whatsoever.
"I've heard about something like that," the mage began, "happening on some faraway island. There are people there with beasts sealed inside of them, only those are great and powerful demons. They can harness the power of those demons and can do remarkable things." He shot Link a look. "But I highly doubt that you, of all people, would have a demon inside of you," Merric laughed. Link grinned but lifted up his left hand to cradle his neck, still holding Epona's reigns with his right. The bleeding had stopped, but the wound was incredibly sore. His eyes widened when a disturbing thought struck him.
"G-guys…?" he called out, voice uneasy. He felt so stupid for never thinking of this before. "Will I turn into a werewolf?!"
The two Alteans blanched. The thought never occurred to them either. Marth spoke up first. "I'm sure that if a curate or celtic heal it, you'll be fine," he said, trying to reassure the Hylian and himself. "And just in case, we can get a sage or bishop to look at it as well. We should probably hurry." And with that, he spurred Tornac into a fast canter, Epona and Brisingr following. After about two and a half hours of leaping over felled logs, navigating through the trees, and taking a few shortcuts away from the main trails, the three made it to the courtyard of the castle, where Rusl, the king, Princess Ellis, and a few dismounted cavaliers were waiting anxiously. When the three boys arrived, Rusl rushed to Link's side, and Cornelius and Ellis to Marth's.
Rusl was extremely concerned, asking his charge many questions. "What on Farore's green earth attacked you, boy?! Are you alright? Did you get that wound treated and dressed properly? Get off Epona, you need to see a doctor!"
Link smiled tightly. "I'm fine, Rusl. Merric and Marth saved me and dressed it…"
Hearing this, Marth pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes. Ignoring his sister and father, he said to Rusl, "No, he is most definitely not fine. Link got bitten by a rogue werewolf and must see a sage immediately." At this new piece of information, many of the surrounding people gasped. "Please, father," he said, this time directing his words at the king, "allow me to take him to Melledeus so I can get him treated properly."
Understanding the urgency of the situation, King Cornelius nodded. "Of course, my son. Cain, Abel, accompany them," he ordered.
The two cavaliers saluted their king, armor clanking together. "Yes, sir!" they shouted. Marth quickly dismounted his black steed, as did Link, but not before groaning in faint embarrassment. He didn't like all of the attention he was getting. Marth grabbed his right hand and led him into the castle, Cain and Abel following dutifully. The prince pulled his injured friend through the many passages of the castle to Melledeus' study, the two cavaliers hot on their trail.
Finally, the four made it to a thick mahogany door. Link pulled the cape closer around him with his free hand, using it to ward of the faint chill. Despite it being summer, this part of the castle wasn't used much, and it was colder than the rest of the fortress. The three Alteans were used to it, however.
Marth lifted up his right hand to rap on the door. "Melledeus!" he called out. "Please, open up! You have a patient, and it's urgent." Cain and Abel smiled a bit at the prince's concern and shared a knowing look.
Link scoffed. "I'm fine, Marth," he lied. "Really, I don't…don't…" He stopped, suddenly feeling dizzy. The blonde's vision blurred a little.
The other frowned, letting go of the Hylian's hand to steady him. "No, we already went over this," he admonished. "You need help, Link." Just then, the door to the study opened, revealing a sagely, elderly man wearing robes like Merric's.
"Please," he beckoned, having a wizened voice, "come in." He wasn't fazed in the slightest at Link. They walked in to find themselves in a maze of books and tomes of history, magic, fighting, and everything in between. Large bookcases lined the stone walls, with seemingly random stacks of books and maps covering the floor, which was also stone. At the end of this room was a large desk, also made of the finest mahogany, and behind that was a smaller chamber, presumably used for sleeping. Above the sleeping chamber was a second floor with some odd artifacts, some more books, and an observation deck. "Sit," the old man added, gesturing at a leather winged armchair in front of the desk. Link did so. The chair was a little hard, but still welcomed.
Grumbling to himself, Melledeus grabbed various ingredients from around his large study and put them in a medium-sized wooden medicine bowl, later mashing them up into a pale green paste-like substance. With practiced ease, he quickly stripped off the makeshift bandaging that was on the wound. Upon seeing it, he tutted. The bite mark had clotted and scabbed over, but the wound had been strained some after riding so hard and broke open again, bleeding profusely. The red flesh inside was all-too visible after the man wiped it. Dry, cracked blood along with gushing blood covered the whole area, and under that, a purplish-black bruise. There was a small amount of yellowish discharge, signaling it was slightly infected.
"What bit him?" the sage asked, forehead wrinkled.
Merric answered quietly. "Werewolf in the forest," he muttered. Melledeus' white grizzled eyebrows shot up.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?!" he demanded. "All of you, out! Except for you, boy," he added towards Link. All of the Alteans did as told and walked out of the chamber, shutting the heavy door behind them.
Melledeus turned back to Link. "Now, what time did you get bitten?" he asked while cleaning the wound.
Link winced when he felt the stinging sensation of some sort of disinfectant. "Ah—! Either very late last night, or very early this morning. The moon was still—gah!—high." The old man nodded.
"Good, it isn't too late…" he murmured softly to himself. He then wiped some of the excess liquid of the blonde's neck tenderly, not wanting to cause him any more pain.
Melledeus walked over to a pile of books on the floor and rummaged through them. When he straightened back up, he had a long, elegant yew staff in his right hand. This piqued Link's curiosity.
"What's that?" he questioned, eager to find out. The elderly sage walked over to him, smiling.
"This, my boy, is a magical staff. It's used for different magics, such as Heal, Physic, and Mend, among others." He held it up above his head, and, to Link's astonishment, an odd light appeared at the tip of it. The Hylian suddenly felt a warm, tingly sensation on the left side of his neck, which was where the injury was. He lifted up a hand to touch it, and, to his joyous surprise, it was almost completely healed.
Link laughed and beamed at Melledeus. "Thank you so much, sir!" He then proceeded to throw his arms around the old man and hugged him tightly, his head not even going past the other's shoulders. Melledeus chuckled and patted his patient's back.
"'Twas my pleasure, lad. We've still got to put on that healing salve, though, eh? That way your wound will heal completely, and with some luck, it won't scar." The boy nodded and released the sage. The old man grabbed the salve-filled bowl from his desk and gently began to rub it on what remained of Link's injury. When he was done, Melledeus wrapped some clean gauze around the blonde's neck snugly so it wouldn't unravel and secured it with a pin.
Link gently smiled once more when Melledeus was done and again pulled Marth's red and blue cape closely around him. It gave him a feeling of security, for some odd reason. "Go on, child," the man said, "you can go back to the prince. In a few days, come back to get those bandages changed, yes?" Link nodded and went back to the corridor where Marth and the two cavaliers were. The bluenette rushed to his friend's side.
"Are you alright?" he demanded. "Is there anything you need? Food? Water?"
Link smiled serenely, happy his friend was concerned. It made him feel…loved. "Well…if it's not too much to ask for, some water would be much appreciated, as would some bread if it's not a burden…"
Marth nodded towards Cain, a redhead with red armor. "If you don't mind, Cain, could you please…?"
The soldier nodded. "Of course, prince," he said with a bow. Then, he turned around to leave, but didn't go before kissing the other cavalier on the forehead, murmuring something, and left, presumably to the kitchens. Link blushed a bright pink. T-two male lovers…? Of course, he didn't have anything against it, but it still shocked him nevertheless; it was unheard of in such a small place such as Ordon Village. Especially in front of their prince! But Marth didn't seem to be bothered in the slightest. In fact, he even smiled at the receiver of the kiss, Abel, a green-haired young man with green armor, who smiled back! Link was flabbergasted.
Marth turned back towards Link. "Let's go to my room, okay? You can borrow some clothes and we'll both change." Link nodded and followed Marth, as did Abel. It took about ten or so minutes to reach the prince's room, which was more like a suite. It was a gorgeous room, with its pure white stone walls, glossy black floor, long, flowing curtains trailing from the doors of the balcony, and large and comfy-looking queen-sized four poster bed, complete with canopy. The only thing was that the royal blue satin sheets were not empty. There were two boys on the bed, a redhead and a bluenette, like Marth. Their expressions immediately lit up when they saw the Altean royalty.
"Roy? Ike?" Marth questioned, sounding confused. "What in the name of Anri are you two doing here?"
Link tugged on Marth's hand gently, looking rather puzzled. "Who're they, Marth?"
The redhead blinked. "Eh? What's this? You haven't told your little friend about me 'n' Ike yet! Marth, I thought we were your friends!" He got off the bed and walked towards Link and Marth, grinning all the way. The other boy silently followed. The ruder boy grabbed Link's free right hand and kissed it. "Pleasure to meet you, little lady. I'm Roy of Pherae, it's a pleasure," he hummed, face lit like a Cheshire cat's. The Hylian's face grew pink rapidly.
"E-excuse me?! I am not a girl, thank you very much!" he exclaimed, pulling his hand away. Roy looked crestfallen.
"Ah, no wonder she was so flat-chested—itai!" He cried out in pain and grabbed his head when he was smacked by the gruff-looking bluenette, who must've been Ike.
"Dumbass," he drawled. "My name is Ike, and I'm originally from Gallia. I'm a Greil mercenary in training. It's nice to meet you." He politely offered his hand, which Link accepted and shook. Roy and his whining were blatantly ignored.
The lord's sky blue eyes widened considerably as he spotted the hilt of Falcon. "Whoa, what a gorgeous sword…" Before Link or Marth , he reached out for it and pulled back as if burned. He hissed and sucked on some of the fingers that were victim. "What kind of sorcery is this?" he cried.
The blonde's eyes flashed. "I'd prefer it if you didn't call the magic of my land sorcery," he remarked coolly. "There is an incantation on it so that only someone of the House of Altea, or me, or my caretaker, Rusl, can touch it. See?" To demonstrate, he easily slid the rapier out of its sheath.
"I bet it's just as deadly as it is beautiful," Ike said admirably. Marth nodded as Link carefully sheathed Falcon into its scabbard.
"Hai. It is. I've used it before."
Roy blinked. "Really? Is this why you were gone last night?" Marth nodded again, and he and Link went into full account as to what happened the night prior. After they were finished, there was silence. Then—
"Whoa! That's wicked awesome!" Roy gushed, sounding awed. Ike hit the back of his head again.
"Moron. They could've died."
Roy whined again. "Yeah, but they DIDN'T, and that's what makes it awesome!" Marth grabbed the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb tightly, and Link sweat-dropped.
"Are they always like this?" he whispered, looking at the other two who were now bickering.
"Do you know what 'dead' means?"
"Of course I do! I'm not that stupid!"
"I contraire. I think you need a demonstration, yeah? Prepare yourself!"
Marth sighed. "Yes, I'm afraid they are." He winced as Roy jumped on Ike, making them both fall with a large thud, and began wrestling.
The door suddenly opened. Link and Marth turned around, seeing that Cain had returned. Abel, who was next to the door, gave him an enthusiastic hug, which Cain returned with one arm, since in his right hand was the strap of a water canteen and a plate with some bread, cheese, and some sort of meat. The red cavalier quickly handed the items to the famished Hylian, who quickly thanked him.
Marth smiled. "Thank you, Cain. You two are dismissed." Link sat on the floor and quickly began eating, but not sloppily. He would rather swallow a Deku Babba raw and alive than to eat like a slob in front of royalty. He and Marth amused themselves by watching Ike and Roy, who were still wrestling. It actually seemed as if they were both pretty even.
"Dinner with a show," Link whispered, causing Marth to laugh. Roy looked up, startled at the sudden noise, which Ike took to his advantage, and pinned him firmly to the floor.
"Never let your guard down," he said, looking a little smug. Roy groaned.
"Okay, okay, you win, but get off, you big oaf! You're heavy!" Link giggled, almost choking on his water. It was interesting watching those two interact. He then yawned. Eating usually made him tired, plus he was up for quite awhile the night before. Quite frankly, the little Hylian wanted to sleep. Roy 'awww'ed, making Marth roll his eyes. The prince grabbed the wooden plate off of his friend's lap and picked him up bridal style.
Link yelped in surprise. "Marth, what are you doing?!" he exclaimed.
Marth snorted, walking over to his bed. "You're tired, so you're going to sleep. No arguing." He dropped Link on the bed, who bounced a little on the soft mattress. Comfy…
Roy snickered and Ike rose an eyebrow. "Mother hen much?" the latter mumbled. Link began grumbling about insane, overprotective blue-haired princes as he crawled under the satiny smooth covers. He soon fell asleep.
"Care to tell us what that was all about, Marthy-boy?" Roy teased. Marth huffed and walked over to his wardrobe, pulling out a black tunic with gold stitching, white leggings, and some plain black leather boots. Roy and Ike were dressed in plain clothing, without armor, and he figured he'd do the same.
"I'm just being a good friend," he said calmly. He began to undress, not being bothered by his friends being there.
"He was wearing your favorite cape, the one your grandfather wore," Ike observed. Marth briefly froze as he was slipping his new tunic on. He'd forgotten about that.
"He was shivering," he told them, bending over so he could put his boots on. "It was cold for him in the forest since he was wearing such a thin shirt."
"Riiiiiiiiiight."
"Mm hm." Apparently, some people didn't believe him.
Marth sighed. "Come, I've got to explain to my father and Link's caretaker what happened, if Merric hasn't told already." Quickly, the Altean hastily scribbled a note with a quill on his desk and placed it on the bedside table, so Link would know where they were. Soon after, they left, leaving the Hylian by himself.
Review? XD That is all I ask for...this story takes a lot out of me, so motivation is much needed |D And if you see any errors at all, please tell me~!