Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Zelda. If I did… xD
"Ascension" is rated K+ for mild language and injury description. It is likely that the rating will be raised to "T" in later chapters.
Ascension
A Legend of Zelda Fanfiction
Brainwashing is a scary thing.
For years, leaders attempted to create the perfect Utopian society. Everything was about being equal. Everyone received equal pay and worked the same hours. Every family could have two children. Technology was created so uneducated labor was not required. Every child had to attend school for a set amount of time and would then have their career path selected for them.
It was around this time that they discovered spiritual energy.
Using their new advanced technology, scientists probed deep into the human conscious. What made everyone different? What was the cause for one student to be dumb and the other to be smart? Why were some people simply good at everything, while others couldn't even walk out the front door without failing? These scholars found out that every Hylian possessed what was known as "spiritual energy." This energy was the source of their intelligence, natural ability, and overall personality. But what if one could use this energy in a physical form?
This question led to the development of the official royal army of Hyrule. These so-called "super heroes" were citizens with vast amounts of spiritual energy. From early childhood, they would receive special training and treatment that would allow them to hone their spiritual energy. This energy could in turn be used as weapons. Proper usage of one's spiritual energy could also lead to telepathy, mind-reading, and mind-control. It took severe training and a harsh lifestyle, but the result would be a perfect soldier. With his advanced weaponry, he could attack using only his mind. Since he had advanced healing abilities, it would be hard to kill him. With his mind control, he could learn secrets about the enemy. Soldiers didn't have to use spoken communication in order to relay orders or traps. They were perfect machines.
Because of their special nature, super soldiers were able to live a different life than the ordinary Hylian. They received special benefits. Their houses were three times the size of the common house, they were allowed to have four children instead of two, and their pay was substantial. Super soldiers also received discounts on many products. They were the only class that could live in luxury.
Naturally, because it is innate human nature, the ordinary citizens were envious of these soldiers. In their Utopia, everyone lived the same life no matter what. Yet these people were special. Everyone wanted to be special.
That led to the development of secret experiments. Average citizens came together in order to perform experiments regarding spiritual energy. Although their experiments were not complete, it was not long before other forms of super soldiers emerged. Soon everyone had their own army.
Of course, with any thirst for power, conflict is soon to follow.
Hyrule plunged into a dark age, known as the Warring Era. Bands of citizens claimed the throne. Armies of super soldiers clashed, each testing to see what form of the super soldier was the most superior. Innocent women and children were murdered. Illegal and violent experiments were performed on anyone who showed signs of spiritual energy. After years of war, one clan emerged victorious: the original royal family. Various other sects fled Hyrule and some declared allegiance to Hyrule's royalty. After years of conflict, the royal family had once again seized power of the kingdom. The original band of super soldiers proved to be the strongest. They would be later named the Sheikah.
The King was not a fool and he learned from his father's mistakes. He established a free-market society, where citizens were free to choose how many children they wanted, what career they wanted to pursue, and where they lived. With the free-market lifestyle, Hyrule once again began to flourish and prosper.
The King was human, after all, and could not do away with the Sheikah. They were his guaranteed source of power. He commanded the Sheikah to watch for spiritual energy, and any child who showed promise was selected to become a new member of his elite army. The thirst for power remained.
It would continue to haunt Hyrule for generations.
After centuries of peace, technological advancement, and overall prosperity, a new threat emerged. Ganondorf, the leader of a tribe that had regained its power after its defeat in the Warring Era, led an attack on Hyrule Castle. Even the Sheikah were no match for the power of the shadow tribe. After a sound defeat, Ganondorf betrayed his own tribe and murdered them on a public broadcast. He declared himself as the true ruler of Hyrule. Using his spiritual energy, which excelled in mind control and brainwashing, he used his power to completely brainwash the entire Hylian population. He chose the strongest to serve him in his elite guard. He also modified the Academy, where just like the King before him, he monitored the population for spiritual energy. When a high spiritual energy was detected, that child would become a student of the Academy.
The people lived on, unaware that they were being completely brainwashed. They were satisfied with just living on the basics. Whenever they spoke, they told of how wonderful a leader Ganondorf was.
Link found it absolutely sickening.
By some stroke of luck, Link was unaffected by Ganondorf's brainwashing. He lived as if he were brainwashed, because any sign of treachery could lead to death. Ganondorf had programmed the citizens to report signs of defection on the spot. Thankfully Link was a good actor.
He worked at a local restaurant in District Three. There were seven Districts of Hyrule that remained; each with its own unique purpose. District Three was the military sector. Here members of the military lived with their families. It was also the place where children with special spiritual energies lived.
That was the odd quirk about Link. He was different. Children can tell from a very young age if they have strong spiritual energy or not. Every human has it; the question is just to what degree. Those with strong spiritual energy were shipped off to the Academy, because they had the ability to resist Gannondorf's brainwashing. Link, to his knowledge, had very little spiritual energy. So why was he unaffected?
He had a few theories. One thing was his family's status. His parents died during Ganondorf's assault on Hyrule, but he knew they were both members of the elite army. His mother was a healer and very proficient in defense and his father was known for his offensive maneuvers. His older brother, who was two years his elder, was one of the strongest spiritual energy users at the Academy. Kallah was eighteen and just about to graduate. He was graduating at the top of his class.
Link glanced down at his watch. As a matter of fact, the ceremony should be ending just about now.
Link would have been there if it weren't for his job. Unfortunately even average students had to work in order to make ends meet. Because of the brainwashing, Link had no friends, so the only way he could keep himself busy was to work. Hey, at least he'd get paid—even if it was just piddly crap. Absences were unheard of. You miss a day of work and you're fired, regardless of the reason.
Kallah was like Link in the sense that he was also unaffected by Ganondorf's brainwashing. With Kallah, it made sense, given how powerful his spiritual energy was. Link would often ask his brother why he too wasn't affected. Kallah would always pat his head and tell him it was because of his mother's protection.
Oh look, a customer.
"We thank Ganondorf for his protection. May I take your order?"
The 'we thank Ganondorf' line was Ganondorf's way of flaunting his power. Before every conversation, a citizen of Hyrule had to start off with that line. Instead of a simple "hello," that's what the citizens would always say. They didn't know any better. That was how deep the brainwashing ran. Link always found himself saying it through clenched teeth, although he knew he had to play along.
"We thank Ganondorf for his protection. I would like the number three burger."
Of course it was the number three burger. There were a total of twenty-six options on the menu, but every single time the only item ever ordered was the number three burger. That was because it was Ganondorf's favorite. Another way of flaunting his power.
"Here you go, good sir. I thank my lord for his wisdom and kindness."
"A pleasure doing business with you. I thank my lord for his wisdom and kindness."
With that, the customer left. It was like any exchange. Start off with 'we thank Ganondorf for his protection' and end with 'I thank my lord for his wisdom and kindness.' The latter statement was the closing thought to all conversation, much like the former is the greeting. Because apparently saying 'good-bye' was against the law.
The clock chimed, indicating that it was six o'clock exactly. Link was free. He said his pleasantries to his manager, hopped in his car, and started his drive home.
District Three was not the worst district to live in. High sky rise buildings shaped the landscape. There were two lanes of traffic, those who drove on the ground in cars and those who used hovercrafts in the air. The hovercrafts were generally used by those blessed with Ganondorf's generosity and lived a somewhat luxurious lifestyle, or by those needing to travel from district to district. Kallah owned a hovercraft, the Academy presented it to him when he placed number one in the entire class his final year. Link couldn't drive it as he was only sixteen, and you must be eighteen or older to operate a hovercraft. Billboards plastered with propaganda lined the sky, which always retained a red-blue hue. The sun never shined. Man-made lights from civilization were the only source of light in Hyrule.
Well, at least Link never had to worry about getting sunburned.
Because of Kallah's prestige at the Academy, they lived in a nice home compared to the standards. There was a main room with a bedroom and they even had their own kitchen. How nice. Too bad Kallah's cooking was absolutely horrendous. Link always had to cook.
The alarm system bleeped softly as Link entered the house. With a wave of his hand, the alarm shushed. His watch was programmed to the alarm's frequencies. The home was completely dark, indicating that Kallah had not returned from his graduation festivities. Link considered going to the Academy to look for him, but if he had to hear the "we thank Ganondorf for his protection" line one more time today, he feared for his sanity.
What would today's dinner be? Ganondorf's favorite burgers of Ganondorf's select chicken cut? Link personally found the tastes of the dear ruler to be rather lacking. At least when the citizens were brainwashed they lost their sense of taste. On his travels with the Academy, Kallah gathered various spices and marinades for Link to cook with. Although they still had to use the repulsive cuts of meat, at least Link could drown it out in spices. Since it was Kallah's big day, Link elected to prepare one of his favorite meals, lemon-pepper chicken. Kallah was practically addicted to lemons. He vowed he'd move out of Hyrule just to go somewhere where he could constantly eat lemons.
That was the pride of the Academy's truest desire: lemons.
Link remembered a girl at the Academy once chastising Kallah about the appropriateness of the word "lemons," but Link had failed to understand what she meant. Lemons were fruit, right?
"Something smells good."
Link jumped. His brother had materialized out of nowhere.
"I hate it when you do that," Link grumbled, fixing his hair. "Drive a car like a normal person. Or at the very least use that fancy hovercraft that just sits and collects dust."
Kallah shrugged, picking up an apple off the counter and lazily biting into it. "Who wants to be normal? It's just so much easier to teleport. After all, I have a habit of getting road rage and the traffic outside of the Academy was absolutely horrid."
Link shuddered at the thought. Long ago he made a vow never to travel with Kallah when he was driving. Kallah, who was usually extremely calm and mild-mannered, turned into a raging, screaming, cursing lunatic the second he pulled out of the driveway. Actually, most of Link's curse vocabulary came from those times.
Kallah continued to sit rather slothfully on the counter. Link smiled. He was the happiest when he was around his brother, and not just for the obvious reasons. Kallah was the only person he could actually talk to. Since their parents died when Link was so young, Kallah practically raised him despite being only two years older. Some said Kallah and Link looked like twins. Both had messy, unkempt dirty blonde hair and bright, piercing blue eyes. Neither was very big. The major difference between the two was that Kallah had his ears pierced. According to Kallah, it was a Sheikah tradition to have your ears pierced when you became a man. Link recalled waking up on Kallah's eighteenth birthday to find his brother poking his ear with a needle.
"How was the ceremony?" Link asked, slapping Kallah's hand away as the elder attempted to snatch away one of the lemons Link had placed on the counter.
"Eh," Kallah muttered half-heartedly. "Same ol' song and dance. Eternal thanking of Ganondorf for his humility and generosity. The overgrown pig also graced us with his presence."
"Oh? And how did that 'overgrown pig' like his graduates?"
"He selected me to become a member of his elite guard, if that's what you're wondering."
In his shock, Link dropped the frying pan he was holding.
"Hey, watch it! That's my dinner!" Kallah caught his food with his spiritual energy, using his mind to set the pan back on the stove top.
Link was physically shaking. Kallah? A member of the elite guard? That couldn't be. The elite guard was Ganondorf's private army. They waited on his hand and foot. They accompanied him wherever he went. Surely Ganondorf knew Kallah was resisting the brainwashing. He had to know. If Ganondorf wanted Kallah to be a member of his elite guard, that only spelled out trouble.
"Link," Kallah spoke softly, getting down from the counter and ruffling his little brother's hair fondly. "I'll be fine. I wasn't singled out or anything. Every valedictorian is chosen."
"He can't ask you too…" Link was having trouble speaking. It was too much.
Don't take him away from me. He's all I have left.
"I'm not going anywhere," Kallah assured Link. "It's not like I can refuse, anyways. We all know I'd be sentenced to death for treachery in a heartbeat. Nothing will change. I work the dayshift. I'll still come home every night like I always do."
Link nodded.
I know Kallah will be okay.
Kallah gently flicked Link on his forehead.
"Ow! Geez, Kallah…"
"I'm hungry!" Kallah protested childishly, returning to his spot on top of the counter and crossing his arms across his chest.
"What am I, your mother?" Link added a bit of herbs to the chicken as garnish. He took a whiff. Hmm, not lemony enough. Kallah did love lemons. Link used the leftover lemon skin as lemon zest, completing the meal. "Here you go. Hope I didn't burn it…"
Kallah was already wolfing down huge portions. "It tastes delicious. Lemons…"
Link laughed before seeing to his own meal. He'd barely taken two bites before he heard a knock on the door. Link raised his eyebrows at Kallah, who was already scanning the source for trouble. After deciding there was no imminent danger, Kallah reluctantly got up to answer the door.
"We thank Ganondorf for his protection. How may I help you?"
"You are the children of Knights Erheart and Aria, correct?"
Erheart and Aria. The name of Link and Kallah's parents. Link couldn't even remember the last time Kallah mentioned their names, let alone any stranger.
"How do you know my parents?"
No sensing. No mind-reading or mind-control. Link was certain Kallah didn't even think about what came out of his mouth. It was a reaction. It was rare for Kallah to be so upfront regarding strangers.
"May we come inside please? It is not safe to talk out here. We may be spotted."
"Are you crazy? Do you think I'm going to let a random stranger into my house? We can talk here."
At least, that's what Link expected Kallah to say.
"Come in."
Link's eyes widened. What was his brother thinking? He couldn't recall the last time they had visitors in their house, much less strangers. Were they using their spiritual energy on Kallah? Impossible. No one, except for maybe Ganondorf, was stronger than Kallah.
Kallah knelt down beside Link so he could whisper in his ear. "Stand up. They mean us no harm."
"Kallah…" Link began.
"Just do it."
Link frowned. This was definitely odd. Kallah always at least gave Link an explanation. He also couldn't get over how serious his brother looked.
Link stood up. He certainly had questions, although he did admit now was probably not the time.
Three hooded figures, one considerably shorter than the other two, entered the crowded kitchen. Kallah motioned for them to sit in the living room. Link took a seat beside his brother while the other three figures sat on the sofa.
"Link, tea please," Kallah ordered.
Yep, he definitely wasn't going to ask questions. Link left to prepare some tea. It was rare for Kallah to offer tea since tea was another favorite of his. They only had a set amount from Kallah's travels and drank it sparingly.
"Oooh, it's been ages since I've had tea," one of the hooded figures spoke. Link judged that it was a young man speaking.
"Shut up, you fool, we're here on business," another figure, this one apparently female, snapped.
The last figure laughed pleasantly. Another girl? She sounded young, too…
"Please excuse my behavior, your majesty. It took me some time to recognize you. For that, I apologize," Kallah said, bowing before the middle figure.
Link was even more confused. Your majesty? More than that, who would cause Kallah to bow? Kallah bowed to no one.
The middle figure laughed again. Link re-entered the room with hot tea and placed it down on the coffee table. The taller person on the left smacked the one on the right. Seeing that Kallah was still kneeling on the ground, Link quickly joined him.
"You certainly are Erheart's son, Kallah. I placed a spiritual barrier around my energy, and yet you still recognized it." The one in the middle pulled down her hood. Link stifled a gasp.
Whoever he was expecting, this person was not it. She was absolutely breathtaking and appeared to be no older than he was. Her golden hair was tied in a braid and her eyes were the most beautiful shade of emerald green that Link had ever seen. The other two pulled down their hoods as well. From his father's old texts, Link recognized their markings as those from the Sheikah tribe. One was male with piercing red eyes, and the other a female with grey hair. Neither Sheikah appeared to be that old, but then again Sheikah aged differently and Link was never a good judge of age.
Kallah slowly raised himself out of the bow, giving a polite nod to each of the Sheikah. "Your powers are also immense, Your Grace. As you have correctly sensed, my name is Kallah, son of Knights Erheart and Aria. This is my younger brother, Link. We are forever at your service."
Link stayed bowing, mostly because he had no idea who she was or what to do.
The stunning girl offered her hand to Link. Surprised, Link took her hand, admiring how delicate and soft it was. He raised his gaze to meet hers, trying not to act as flustered as he was.
"I am Zelda, rightful Princess of Hyrule," she spoke as if to answer his question. "In my hour of need, I request both Kallah and your help, if you will permit it."
Princess of Hyrule? But didn't the royal family die out during the war?
"The Sheikah, who protect and serve the royal family, protected me as well as two of their young ones," she explained. "My loyal attendants are Sheik and Impa. They have been by my side since I was a very young girl."
Link nodded. It made sense, sure, but he was definitely getting creeped out that she seemed to be answering questions he was thinking aloud.
She's using spiritual energy, dummy.
A new voice entered Link's mind. He recognized the voice immediately as Kallah. Link glared at him. He hated when Kallah used his energy to read his mind. There was also that horrible occasion where Kallah used his energy to force Link to put on a skirt and dance around the house. Of course, the Princess was surely adept at using spiritual energy, especially since she too seemed to be unaffected by the brainwashing.
"Sorry," Link admitted shyly. "I'm not good at spiritual energy. In fact, I'm rather useless."
The Princess's eyes widened in shock as she immediately turned to Kallah. Link was surprised at her reaction.
She must be wondering how I'm unaffected by Gannondorf's brainwashing if I don't have spiritual energy. Yeah, that's it.
Link was so caught up in his own thoughts that he didn't even notice Zelda and Kallah exchanging glances evident of a telepathic conversation. When Zelda seemed satisfied with Kallah's response, she turned her attention back to Link. Again taking his hand, she spoke gently and kindly.
"You have an important role to play in all of this, Hero. That I assure you."
Hero? Me? Impossible. That's Kallah's job…I'm just regular old Link.
You are worth everything, Link. Soon you will discover this for yourself.
That voice wasn't Kallah's. Princess Zelda, hearing Link's worried thoughts, used her spiritual energy to comfort him. It felt nice. Link didn't want to release Zelda's grasp, but reluctantly pulled his hand away. Link was so busy staring into her gorgeous eyes that he didn't notice that another conversation was occurring in the room.
"You were selected as the next member of the royal guard," Impa was telling Kallah.
Kallah nodded in confirmation. "They gave me a day to think about it, although I don't know why seeing as I don't have a choice. I apologize if this may cause any inconvenience to the Princess's mission."
Zelda turned her attention to Kallah. "Kallah, I have a favor I'd like to ask of you…" she hesitated, chewing her lip nervously.
"You'd like me to be a spy for your cause," Kallah finished.
No. That's too dangerous. He'll be found out. Ganondorf will kill him.
"No," Link spoke aloud. "That's too dangerous…"
"I'm sorry, Link," Zelda said, her eyes brimming with tears. "I know what a dangerous request this is. I just don't know who else I can rely on."
"As I'm sure you're aware, Kallah has immense spiritual power," Impa continued for her. "He is able to resist brainwashing. That is rare. We have been watching him develop, waiting for the moment when he'd finally be ready."
"No!" Link yelled desperately. "That's suicide! Ganondorf will kill him!"
Neither Impa nor Sheik had a reply to that one.
Link was furious. They all knew what a treacherous mission this was. They all pretty much accepted that Kallah would die. And none of them, including Kallah, seemed to mind.
"Princess Zelda, I'd like to speak to you in private while my brother calms," Kallah spoke softly, ignoring Link's outburst.
Link turned to Kallah. "No…please…"
He felt a hand on his shoulder. Sheik was standing behind him as Kallah led Zelda into the bedroom so they could discuss the matter without Link's interruption. Link winced at the sound of the lock.
"Look, I know it's hard, but trust me when I say your brother's the most powerful spiritualist out there right now. If anyone can do this, it's him," Sheik said.
"For once, Sheik is right," Impa added, also walking over to Link. "Your brother is much stronger than you give him credit for. The best thing would be for you to put your faith in him."
"I know," Link was still looking at the closed door. "He's just everything I have."
Kallah sighed. He knew Link wouldn't be happy about his mission. What choice did Kallah have in the matter? It's not like he wanted to write his own death wish. But here she was standing before him. Princess Zelda. The royal family could once again rule Hyrule. Peace could return. The machines would once again become citizens. Now that was a cause worth fighting for.
"I apologize for my brother's behavior. He's a bit…touchy when it comes to these things."
"I don't blame him," Zelda looked towards the door. "After all, you're the only family he has. I can't imagine what I'd do if something happened to Impa or Sheik."
There was a pause as both pondered their own thoughts. Recollecting herself, Zelda changed the topic.
"That wasn't the reason you called me to speak with you."
Kallah smiled sadly. "Your Grace, your spiritual powers are extremely attuned. I believe I've mentioned this before?"
"You may have mentioned it once or twice, although I do have a long way to go."
Her power rivals mine and she's still developing her skill. She really is the Princess of Destiny.
"It's about Link," Kallah continued, shaking his head to clear all other thoughts. "Surely you noticed."
"I noticed that he is the possessor of the Hero's Spirit, if that's what you're referring to."
Long ago, during the Warring Stages, the people of Hyrule were suffering. The royal family needed to regain power, so the Princess prayed to the Goddesses that created the land. She begged them to send aid to the dying nation. The Goddesses, recognizing the purity of her request, sent aid in the form of a hero. Although only a child, the boy carried an immense amount of spiritual energy and it was this energy that solidified Hyrule. The boy's Goddess-given energy would later be known as the Hero's Spirit. The Goddesses promised the Princess that if Hyrule falls again, another one blessed with the Hero's Spirit would be born. The Princess who prayed and communicated with the Goddesses became known as the Princess of Destiny. Although the King was credited with the victory, it was really the efforts of those two individuals that secured peace in Hyrule.
Kallah knew all along that the Goddesses would not let Hyrule suffer long under Ganondorf's tyranny. During his rise to power, the Goddesses selected their next Princess of Destiny and Hero. Although Kallah only speculated about the Princess of Destiny, he always knew his brother was the possessor of the Hero's Spirit.
Kallah couldn't help but chuckle to himself. Here was Link, saying he was useless when it came to spiritual energy and practically worshipping Kallah when even Kallah's energy paled in comparison to the Hero. He had to commend Princess Zelda again on her insight for recognizing that the Hero's Spirit slept within his baby brother.
Zelda, who was patiently allowing Kallah to be lost in thought, finally spoke again. "I don't understand why his power appears to be sealed, however."
That Kallah could answer. "The legend states, as I'm sure you are aware, that only the Hero's Spirit combined with the Princess of Destiny can defeat the forces of evil. However, the Hero's Spirit must be allowed to develop and blossom. My brother was only a small child when Ganondorf came to power. My mother, knowing he was going to be hunted, used all of her spiritual energy to seal the power of the Hero's Spirit inside of Link. With her seal, Ganondorf could not recognize the sleeping energy inside of my brother."
Zelda nodded in understanding. "She gave her life to protect her baby," she simplified.
"My mother knew she couldn't keep Link's power sealed forever," Kallah continued. "Although I was only a child myself at the time, she transferred a little of her power to me so that when it was time, I could awaken Link's power." He once again bowed before Zelda. "Princess of Destiny, true ruler of Hyrule, I humbly request your permission to remove the seal on the Hero's Spirit and awaken him from his dormant slumber."
"Kallah, Knight of Hyrule," Zelda did not have a sword, so she instead placed her hand on his shoulder. "I formally grant you permission to remove the seal. Please awaken the Hero that is destined to save Hyrule."
Kallah rose from his bow. "I will do it tonight."
"Shall we join the others, then?" Zelda asked with a smile. "Sheik may suspect something if we're in here too long and I think poor Link will have a heart attack."
"Yes, that would be wise."
Zelda started to open the door, before stopping as Kallah's voice seemed to come out of nowhere. "Please, Princess, if I may ask this selfish favor...don't tell Link about the seal. I don't want him to know that Mom died when she placed that seal on him."
"I promise."
As she left, Zelda peeked into Kallah's mind one more time with her spiritual energy.
Even though Mom put that seal on Link…the Hero's Spirit has been guiding him this entire time.
"Well, look who finally decided to rejoin the living," Sheik grumbled despite a jab in the side from Impa. "I was so desperate I almost drank your tea."
Kallah smiled, noticing that Link looked much better. It appeared that Sheik and Impa were successful in cheering him up. No doubt that was mostly due to their banter.
Thank you.
Sheik and Impa nodded, receiving his telepathic message. Kallah walked behind Link and practically tackle-hugged him. "Linky! Where are my lemons!"
"What's with you and lemons!" Link protested, trying to pull his brother off of him. "Get off! You're so annoying!"
Zelda laughed. Impa sighed. "It looks like idiot males are common, milady…"
Sheik grinned. "We just like to get on all of your nerves. It's the job of the male species, you know."
"In all seriousness," Kallah spoke up from behind Link. "Where are the three of you staying? We may only have two beds, but you're welcome to stay here if you seek refuge."
"We have a hotel nearby, and don't worry, they don't suspect a thing," Zelda smiled. "My companions' persuasion is usually good enough. We will be certain to contact you tomorrow."
"Hey Impa…" Sheik whined.
Impa smacked him. "Shut up, you buffoon."
"What about the hovercraft…"
"I said shut up!" Both Link and Kallah winced at the painful slap that could be heard across the room.
Zelda was practically doubled over in fits of giggles. Link was laughing too. Kallah smiled. It was the happiest he was sure either have been in a long while.
"Take it," Kallah said, tossing the keys to Sheik. "I never drive it anyways."
Impa's mouth dropped open in an uncharacteristic gape. "Do you have any idea what you've just done?"
"Oh, its fine, Impa," Zelda giggled. "Just think of how much easier traveling will be. I'll be sure to compensate you for the hovercraft, of course," she said to Kallah.
Kallah shrugged. "I don't care. It was free. Not like I used it anyways."
"I'm sure your driving is less scary than Kallah's, Sheik," Link said. "Kallah's road rage is enough to even make the overgrown pig squeal."
"I protest that," Kallah grumbled.
"'Overgrown pig', I like that," Sheik grinned at Kallah.
"Hey, I reserve the rights to copyright that term," Kallah teased playfully.
"Yep," Impa said. "They're all idiots."
It was a little past midnight. Kallah was standing over Link, making sure Link was in the deepest stage of sleep. Thankfully, his little brother was a deep sleeper. A tornado could come through the house and he'd never notice. Kallah was a bit envious. His spirit energy always caused fitful nights of sleep.
Sorry Link, you're not going to appreciate all the restless nights, but you'll thank me later.
Kallah closed his eyes, focusing his energy on the seal that slept within his brother. Twelve years ago he watched his mother's body disappear into thin air as she placed the seal on Link. It was a night not unlike this one, where everything was quiet. He called upon the energy his mother had stored in him.
Great Goddesses that protect Hyrule, please aid your spirit maiden, Aria, as I releases the seal on your chosen Hero.
Kallah clenched his teeth. The seal was strong, stronger than he'd been anticipating. He mentally kicked himself. Of course it was a strong seal. It was sustained by his mother's life force and love for her child. It had to be so potent even Gannondorf wouldn't notice the power within. Inhaling slowly, Kallah focused even harder.
Help me, Mom.
He felt his mother's hands gently wrap around his, guiding him to the source of the seal. Sending waves of his own energy at the seal, after a great deal of effort, the seal splintered. Kallah jumped back from the shock.
Link's body glowed a soft golden color. The color slowly dissipated into the air, and with it, the remainder of his mother's spirit.
Thank you, Kallah.
With a single tear trickling down his face, Kallah passed out from exhaustion.
Link really needed to get a new alarm. His alarm had to be the worst tone ever created. It was this annoying beep. One time he'd selected an alarm that went "Hey! Listen!" five billion times over and he nearly murdered himself from the pain. Anything but that. Nevertheless he could only choose alarms that were his dear ruler's favorite. The overgrown pig just loved to torture his citizens.
Then again, he could be woken up by the most pleasant thing and still be pissed. If there was one thing Link loved to do, it was sleep.
"Alright, I'm getting up already," Link mumbled groggily into his pillow, wiping the sleep out of his eyes and stretching. What a beautiful morning. The sky was a fetching purplish color as always. Link nearly tripped over Kallah, who had apparently decided not to sleep in his bed the previous night and was instead sprawled on the floor. Link chuckled, draping his blanket over his brother's sleeping body.
Strange, Kallah seemed…sad. Link shook his head. He couldn't afford to think about that right now.
Even though the day was ordinary, something felt incredibly different. Link couldn't quite put a finger on what. He felt…different. It wasn't a bad feeling, just…weird.
Time for breakfast. What should he make? Link started to rummage through the pantry. Oh, that's right! He had a barrel of oats out back. Oatmeal would be a fine breakfast. Maybe he'd even throw in some lemon zest for Kallah.
Link gasped in horror as an unidentified object suddenly crashed through the window. Dodging quickly to the side and protectively covering his head with his arms, Link looked towards the source. Were they under attack?
To Link's surprise, the barrel of oats he'd been thinking about was now smashed all over the kitchen floor.
"Well," he heard Kallah's voice. "It looks like we've got work to do."
A/N
Wow this chapter's a bit of a doozy, isn't it? The final word count was just under 6,000 words.
Because this is completely AU with some pretty complex stuff going on, I really took the time to explain it all. Some of it might be tedious, but in this chapter if you miss a line you'll probably miss what's going on. xD This and the next chapter are probably the only ones that are like it, so don't worry!
Some things you may not understand and that's okay because it will be explained later in the story, but everyone does get the basic idea, right? Some things sound great in my head but don't translate well to paper, so please let me know if something is confusing and I'll fix it up for you all.
I know, I know, where's "Purpose"? I'm so sorry guys! I'm having a huge writer's block and then this one came around and I just…I had to. I have completely written out the plot for this story so this one doesn't have attack of the writer's block like "Purpose" is suffering from.
A thing about Kallah, who I hope you all are enjoying, I hate to claim him as my OC because…well, he's not really an OC but an OC at the same time. I'll let you all interpret that. ;) If you guys are curious when the story gets going I may answer some of your questions/theories about him. If you have a theory about who he is, please feel free to leave it in a review or a personal message. I'd love to hear them!
Please review, especially on a story like this where it's so different. I hope you all are enjoying the different take on the traditional Zelda storyline.
As always, please excuse the minor grammatical mistakes/typos that I'm sure are in here. Do bring them to my attention though as I often miss my own mistakes!
Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :)