A/N: This is a gift fic for the wonderful Wolf-Blossom and GuardianOfShadows on DeviantART. They have started a group on DA called Boy-Without-A-Fairy. The group is dedicated to Link from the video game series of Legend of Zelda. They have honored me with the position of being a contributor in the group. This one-shot is centered on Link in Twilight Princess. Takes place after TP.
Disclaimer: I do not own the video game series, Legend of Zelda. The lyrics of Zelda's Lullaby belong to Wolf-Blossom. History information is from ZeldaWiki.
Link sat down on the sandy ground that bordered the Ordon Springs. He looked up at the sky. It was dusk. Not quite daylight, but not twilight either. Dusk belonged to two kingdoms, both light and dark. He sighed somewhat heavily. He felt like dusk, straddling two worlds. Scratch that, he does straddle two worlds. The world of light and the world of twilight. Both man and beast. Both simple goat shepherd and fierce warrior.
When Midna, rightful heir to the throne of Twilight, returned to the Twilight Realm and destroyed the Mirror of Twilight, Link thought that with the twilight being gone he would no longer be able to turn into a wolf, a beast of the night. But he was wrong, he was still able to transform into a beast.
Nothing was ever simple any more. At times he wished that he was not one of the Goddess's chosen. That he wasn't the bearer of the Triforce of Courage. He had just wanted to be a simple goat shepherd. To marry a nice girl, have some kids, and die peacefully at an old age. But fate had not wanted that for him. His destiny was to save the world, much like his ancestor did. He found out from the spirit Ordona that he was the descendant of Link, the Hero of Time, the Goddess's chosen hero.
It was because of his bloodline and his courage that the Master Sword had accepted him as a master. After the final battle with Ganondorf, went to the Sacred Grove to return the Master Sword to the Pedestal of Time.
~Flashback~
Link had made his way to Farron woods to figure out how to get back to the Sacred Grove. He pondered for a while as how to get there, as he no longer had Midna to guide across treacherous gorge that separated the Farron woods from the confusing maze that hid away the Sacred Grove.
He had some of his items that he had collected over his adventures. He reached into his bag to grab his double clawshot. Putting them on he looked at the tree branches that were scattered over the gorge. Seeing a spot to clawshot to, he deployed his item. Slowly and with expert aim he traveled over the gorge to the other side.
When he had entered the maze that hid away the entrance to the Sacred Grove, he did not find that annoying imp that taunted him back when he was a wolf. Satisfied, he made his way through the maze.
Upon entering the Sacred Grove, the Master Sword started to pulse slightly, a small white glow coming from it, as if it knew it was home. Link walked up the steps that lead to the second level. On his right side stood the Temple of Time. Or actually, what was once the Temple of Time. The temple now lay in ruins, but since he had traveled to the past to this particular temple, he knew of its beauty and magnificence it once held. He made his way over to the temple but deviated to the left side of it.
The pedestal that was home to the Master Sword was the only thing that was in this grove. It was right in the center. Link put down his traveling pack and withdrew the Master Sword. The sword pulsed again in his hand. He walked over to the Pedestal of Time and looked at the Master Sword and then switched his grip on the handle so that the sword would enter the stone easily and smoothly. Placing his other hand on the handle he lifted the blade up and then drove the blade into the stone.
The grove around him looked like it sighed. It sounded like a sigh of relief, of happiness, of contentment. Link let go of the handle and just stared at the blade for a moment. The Master Sword had stopped pulsing once he had drove its sleek blade into the stone. He walked to pick up his pack and then walked over to the exit of the grove.
Link stopped when he felt a presence behind him and turned to look back. There, sitting next to the Master Sword, was a glowing golden wolf with one red eye. He recognized this wolf. It was the one that housed the Hero's Spirit, a man that taught him 7 hidden skills. The wolf stared at him, as if he was giving him a silent command that he must obey.
Link felt the dark power of twilight as it transformed him into a wolf. One moment he was a human, the next a wolf. The golden wolf nodded in approval and then lifted his muzzle to howl a melody. The golden wolf started to sing Zelda's Lullaby. Link raised his muzzle then began to howl the song as well.
Listen to
My lullaby…
Let this song
Wash you away…
Close your eyes
Goddess of time…
Rest your head
By mine.
Dream a place
So far away…
Forests thick
And greeeen
Have no care
There's no despair
Softly let
Your soul to rest…
Princess of
The Royal Land…
Let this song sooth thee…
Zelda
Dear child of mine
Sleep to my lullaby
Someday
You will face,
Your fate
Soon you will
Meet destiny
Then, my dear
This song
Keep near…
Listen to
My lullaby…
Goddess of time…
Rest your head
By mine…
When the song was finished, the golden wolf jumped into Link, sending him to an ancient arena near Hyrule Castle. With a howl, the golden wolf transformed himself into the Hero's Spirit and Link back into human form. The warrior looked at Link and spoke. "The Master Sword, or the Blade of Evil's Bane, is often seen to choose or accept its master by its own will, always a hero who has gone through great trials that test his courage, wisdom and power to prove him worthy of wielding it. Only the true hero that is "pure of heart and strong of body" is capable of wielding the sacred blade. The Master Sword was originally crafted by the goddess Hylia as the Goddess Sword , it was later forged into the Master Sword by the your ancestor and its spirit Fi, who bathed it in the three Sacred Flames located across the land that would become the Kingdom of Hyrule. It was then given the power to repel evil by the goddess Hylia herself."
The Hero's Spirit aura shimmered for a moment, but did not change. "I am the spirit of the Hero of Time. To escape from the fires of the war, a Hylian mother and her baby boy went to the Kokiri Forest. Before passing away, the mother left her child under the guardianship of the Great Deku Tree. The child was raised as a Kokiri. If a hero who is too young to bear the title that comes with the Master Sword, and he withdraws the blade from its pedestal, the Master Sword will seal away the hero's soul and awaken him when the bearer comes of age to wield it. I was to young to beat Ganondorf at my age. I was sealed away for 7 years in the Sacred Realm. Princess Zelda felt guilty that she took away my childhood just to save Hyrule. She sends him back in time to relive the days I missed. Even though I was sent back to my original time, I was filled with regrets from being unable to pass on the lessons of my life. In order to ease my regrets and to finally pass on my knowledge, I taught you seven Hidden Skills to you, my descendant."
The Hero's Spirit paused as Link took in this information. "You have done well to rid the world of Ganondorf's evil. Peace has once again returned to these lands. I sense that you are troubled. Unsure of what to do now that your quest is over. Your life was never meant to be simple. You were once a simple goat herder, but now you are a warrior and a carrier of the Triforce. You have a choice to make. You can go back to Ordon and live the life of a simple goat herder, marry Ilia, have children with her, and die at an old age. But I will tell you this: You will always feel like there will be something missing in your life. You will yearn for adventure."
The Hero's Spirit turned to look at Hyrule Castle, then back at Link. "Or you can embrace a destiny that I was denied. Your life will be filled with adventure and wonder, but it will be perilous and dangerous."
The Hero's Spirit looked at the sky, which was turning into dusk. "You will forever straddle two worlds. One of light, one of twilight. One of human, one of beast."
The Hero's Spirit looked a peace. "I can finally be at peace now that I now that my knowledge has been passed down. Farewell."
There was a flash of golden light and Link was back in the Sacred Grove. He looked back at the Pedestal of Time and saw no one there. He made his way to the exit of the Sacred Grove. He had a decision to make.
~Flashback End~
It had been a week since he returned the Master Sword to the Pedestal of Time. He had thought long and hard what he wanted to do. Did he want to stay in Ordon and marry Ilia, or did he want to go to Hyrule Castle and offer up his services to Princess Zelda. He sighed heavily. He thought some more and then he made his decision. As much as he wanted to have a simple life, he knew that would not make him happy. He would go to Hyrule Castle and pledge allegiance and his loyalty to Princess Zelda. Link got up and dusted the sand off of his pants and left Ordon Springs, heading to his home in Ordon Village.
A/N: There! It is done! It took so long (more like 2 days) because I had to go and find out the history of the Master Sword. And plus I kept getting distracted and procrastinating. I hope that you enjoyed it. Please review!