I do not own Soul Calibur or Zelda. Zelda is owned by Nintendo, and Soul Calibur is owned by Namco Bandai Games

Ch. 1 Link's New Journey

Flames blazed above the roofs of several houses in the village of Hyrule. The windmill in the center of the town collapsed from fire and damage to its foundation. Armored guards raced through the village, for the town was being attacked by lizard-like creatures and golems. They stormed the village as the Hylian guards rushed to protect its inhabitants.

The lizards were human-sized reptiles. They walked on two legs and held various weapons in their hands, such as swords, shields, axes, or spears. The golems were giant rock-like creatures that held large, bulky weapons. They preferred large axes, maces, or hammers.

A sorcerer shrouded completely in black robes ordered the monsters from the back of the lines. He was too much of a coward to fight himself.

"Kill them all!" The sorcerer cried. "We will have revenge for our fallen lord, Ganon."

"Ready? Aim! Fire!" One of the Hylian captains ordered a group of archers.

The archers raised their war bows, which had the ability to pierce through armor. When their arrows hit the golems, the arrows exploded magically. Several golems had been destroyed and lizards killed, but the creatures continued to raid and ransack the village. Their numbers multiplied even as they were destroyed by the guards. The Hylian guards were forced to throw down their bows and draw their blades. The guards' magical energy surged through their swords, causing the blades to glow.

The guards fought bravely against the monsters, but they were gravely outnumbered.

"We can't let them through!" The guard's captain yelled. "If they take this village, Hyrule's castle will be next on their list!"

The guards continued to fight, but they had been unprepared, and they did not have enough guards stationed in the small village to handle such a large force. Reinforcements were days away. The remaining guards formed a defense circle to protect each other's backs. They were surrounded by the golems on foot, and the lizards could climb the walls and ceilings to attack the guards from above.

As the guards began to lose hope, a large boomerang flew through the air, slicing one of the golems in half. The boomerang then slashed several lizards as it soared through the air to its master. The guards turned to see who threw the boomerang, suspecting they already knew its owner.

A lone young warrior stood on top of a burning house and caught the boomerang as it returned to his hand. He had thick, shaggy, blondish-brown running down his long, pointy, elfish ears, and sparkling blue eyes. His face was so handsome; it was if the goddesses had designed it. He was dressed in a green tunic layered over a tight white outfit. He wore a pair of brown boots on his feet, and on his arms were a pair of brown, metal gauntlets. It was Link, the hero of Hyrule.

"You know, Her Highness is constantly nagging me about taking time out for myself, yet whenever I try to relax, something like this always happens." Link drew his blade, the sacred Master Sword, a blade that banished evil. It was said that the goddesses themselves had blessed it. The sword's blade had a bluish tint to it, with a silver and red handle were shaped to resemble wings. A gold diamond was embedded where the hilt of the sword met the blade, and engraved in the blade of the sword was the symbol of the Triforce.

Link leapt from the house and battled like a mad man. Link quickly killed monster after monster, slaying them with single strokes. Even the stone golems couldn't stand against him.

Link's arrival seemed to bring new hope to the guards as they fought more viciously now. They didn't have Link's fighting skills, but they weren't going to give up, even if it resulted in their own deaths.

Link continued to fight his way through the monsters, cutting a path towards the dark sorcerer. He knew that if he defeated the sorcerer, the fight would be won. One of the golems charged Link, swinging his hammer viciously. The golems were strong creatures, however, they were slow and clumsy, making it child's play for Link to dodge their attacks. Link punched deep into the golem's chest and pulled out a piece of stone from the golem. The golem collapsed with its insides so smashed up, it no longer had anything to keep it together.

Link turned his attentions to his real enemy.

"Die!" The sorcerer yelled at Link. A dark mist emitted from the sorcerer's body and swarmed Link. Link stood still and allowed the mist to enter his body, then watched as the mist flew out of his body as quickly as it had entered. He was completely unharmed by the attack.

"What?!" The sorcerer roared.

"You should have done your homework." Link raised his left hand. The symbol of the Triforce glowed brilliantly on the back of Link's hand. The Triforce consisted of three gold triangles stacked in a design that showed two smaller triangles on the bottom and one smaller triangle on top, making one large gold triangle.

"I have the powers of Farore, granting me immunity to nearly all curses." Link explained. "That curse was the death curse, if I'm correct, meant to kill someone with a single chant. I'm afraid if you want to survive, you'll have to use more than simple spells."

"Infidel!" The wizard roared. He shot a powerful blast of lighting at Link. Unfazed, Link raised his sword to block the lightning. As he did, the Master Sword formed a barrier around Link, and Link slowly began to walk towards the sorcerer. The sorcerer tried his hardest to push Link back with the lightning, but Link kept walking, using the Master Sword to repel the sorcerer's attacks.

"No, stay back!" The sorcerer cried out, now filled with fear. He stumbled backwards as he tried to create distance between himself and his attacker. "I'm warning you!"

"You want to see your master so badly? Well, then join him in Hell, you monster!" Link roared, raising his sword to finish off the sorcerer. The sorcerer raised a barrier around himself so that the sword would not injure him. The Master Sword collided with the barrier, and sparks of energies flew as the two forces collided. At first, the sorcerer thought he was safe, but then he noticed that his barrier was slowly beginning to crack as Link continued to press the blade against the barrier. Soon the barrier shatter like glass, and with a single swoop of his blade, Link killed the sorcerer. With the sorcerer gone, the golems collapsed, for there was no longer any magic keeping them together. The guards then finished off the lizard creatures that were fighting almost drunkenly now that their master was gone.

Villagers began to come out of their hiding places. Some of them hid in the wells, while others had come out of their houses that were still burning.

"Three cheers for Link, Hero of Hyrule!" One of the guards shouted.

Everyone began to cheer for Link. However, Link did not smile as the crowd surrounded him, cheering the whole time. He was still worried. Link had hoped that when Ganondorf, or Ganon as others called him, had been destroyed, he'd be nothing but a bad memory. Yet, there was always someone or something out there, still serving him. Link noticed something shimmering on the ground, next to the dead sorcerer's body. He lifted the mysterious object and examined it. It was made from some sort of metal, as if it had been broken off a sword or shield. Yet, the wizard had not been carrying weapons. Though he knew nothing about the object in his hand, Link sensed the metal contained very powerful dark magic.

A tall and powerful female warrior walked out of the crowd behind Link. This woman was Impa. Like Link, her ears were pointed. She had short, spiky white hair and red eyes decorated with sliver eye shadow. She dressed in a silver armored chest plate, black shorts, and black metal boots and gauntlets. A symbol of an eye with three triangles on top and a tear drop beneath it decorated the breast of the armor.

Impa put her arm on Link's shoulder, causing him to jerk around in surprise. Impa's stealth was unmatched and she could appear and disappear from thin air.

"Give Link some room and return to your jobs. You can celebrate after the village has been rebuilt." Impa ordered the crowd. Out of both respect and fear of Impa, they did as she ordered and returned to their daily tasks.

"Forgive my delay, Link." Impa apologized. "It appears you arrived in time, and, for once, Her Highness and I didn't have to drag you out of bed."

"I accomplished nothing." Link held up the piece of metal for Impa to see. Impa admired the beauty of the metal, but then sensed the dark energy and a worried expression crossed her face.

"Link, where did you find that?"

"The sorcerer dropped it. I don't know what it is."

"We must bring it to Her Highness immediately." Impa announced. She grabbed Link by the shoulder and the two vanished without a trace.

Princess Zelda sat in her garden in Hyrule's castle, her eyes closed as she meditated in the tranquility of her surroundings. Vibrant flowers bloomed and equally vibrant birds chirped in the birdbaths. The garden's beauty seemed faded in comparison to Zelda's beauty. Her long brown hair was loose to blow in the wind and her blue eyes sparkled like the sea. Her face and figure were flawless. She wore a silky blue dress that complimented both her eyes and hair. Her physical beauty was complimented by her kindness and selflessness. She would do anything to protect her people and now her thoughts were deeply focused on how to do just that. Her eyes snapped open as Link and Impa appeared before her.

"I see your skills are as sharp as ever, Your Highness." Impa commented.

"I assume you're not here due to a joyous occasion." Zelda predicted.

"How did you know?" Link asked.

"I sensed the sorcerer's defeat, however, I feel there is still an evil presence lurking, wishing to destroy this land."

"Link, show Her Highness what you found after you killed the sorcerer." Impa instructed.

Link removed the piece of metal from his pocket, allowing the princess to examine it. The shard was what she had been sensing. How something so small to contain such unfathomable power. Simply holding it allowed her to feel it's wicked presence trying to take control of her body. If she were a normal person, she'd be overcome by its power within moments.

"Have you ever seen this before?" Link questioned.

"I have not." Zelda admitted. "Whatever this is, it is not of this world."

Link was dismayed. If she didn't know what this shard was, than who would?

"Your Highness!" A guard approached, bowing before his ruler.

"What is it?" Impa barked. "Can't you see that Her Highness is preoccupied with a matter of grave importance?"

"I am sorry, Lady Impa, but a local shopkeeper is requesting an audience."

"Turn him away. If he wishes an audience with Her Highness, he can follow the proper channels" Impa instructed.

"We have tried." The guard spoke. "We told him Her Highness is not receiving guests, but he insisted he had information regarding an ancient relic that held the Princess's interests."

"An ancient relic?" Link pondered out loud.

However, Zelda's eyes lit up. "Bring him in immediately." She instructed.

Within moments, the guards led a lone merchant to the Princess's chambers. The merchant wore an expensive purple tunic, pants, and coat. His red hair was combed and a gold necklace adorned his neck. As he bowed, he squinted his eyes and gave a large, toothy grin to the Princess and Hero of Time.

Link grimaced, recognizing him instantly. This man was known as the Happy Mask Salesman. Link had done business with him a few times as a child, and had mixed memories of dealing with him.

"I should have known it was you." Impa snorted, also recognizing the smiling salesmen.

"Alas, an audience with Her Highness is quite an honor." The Happy Masked Salesman greeted. "I heard you have come into possession of a relic that puzzles you."

"We don't have time for games, Salesman. Talk now or leave." Impa ordered.

"Very well." The Happy Mask Salesman agreed. "Your Highness?"

Zelda held out the shard for the Happy Mask Salesman to inspect, refusing to release it from her grasp for fear that it possess him.

"I see. To think I'd stumble across another one of these in this world." The salesman spoke. "This shard, it belongs to no other than the legendary blade, Soul Edge, a wicked blade from another world. It feeds off the souls of its victims and wielder alike, slowly plunging them into darkness. Its power dwarfs all other weapons in existence. Just a simple shard from the blade has the capability to enhance a user's abilities beyond human limits or to curse an individual into an unrecognizable beast."

"Soul Edge..." Zelda spoke the name of the blade. The description sounded familiar. She had heard of demonic weapons like this before, but none of this magnitude.

Zelda was not so naive to simply believe the word of an ordinary merchant when no one else had heard of such tales. However, Zelda was not the barer of the Triforce of Wisdom for naught. She knew the merchant was anything but ordinary, and despite the constant squinting of his eyes, she was able to gaze into them to see he was telling the truth.

"How do you know all of this?" Link questioned.

"Because I have been to that world before." The Happy Maske Salesman explained. "I even managed to pick up a souvenir along the way." He withdrew a box from his jacket and opened the contents to reveal a second, much smaller, shard. "As you can see, it's not quite as large as the one you have, making the dark energies much less potent."

"You mean that you've been carrying this the entire time?" Zelda gasped. "Why would you bring such a thing to this world?"

Despite saying the smaller shard was less dangerous, it was still an object of pure malice. The fact that it had remained undiscovered in his care was near miraculous. "You may not know, but I am quite the collector." He responded. "I couldn't resist obtaining such a rare item to my collection. Besides, I assumed that separating the shard from the world it came from would limit the damage it could do. How your second shard managed to reach this world though is beyond my knowledge."

"I don't care what these shards are. If they threaten Hyrule, then I will destroy their source, even if it takes me to the ends of the planet." Link informed.

"This journey may take you further than that. As already said, the true presence of this evil lies far outside the world of Hyrule. " Zelda warned. "Happy Mask Salesman, do you know how we can obtain passage into that world?"

"I may have a few tricks up my sleeve. It will take some preparations though." The Happy Mask Sales responded.

Zelda nodded gratefully, then turned to Link. "Link, I recommend you return to your home to prepare for a long mission. Return here tomorrow. Hopefully, we'll be prepared by then for you to depart. Before you go, I leave the shards in your care. I believe they will be safest in the hands of the Hero of Time."

The Happy Mask Salesman handed Zelda the box, where she placed her shard with the other. The Princess then chanted an ancient spell as rays of light released from her hand and engulfed the shards.

"I have placed an enchantment on the shards that blocks their negative energy." Zelda explained. "However, I don't know how long the spell will last. Please, be careful."

"Will do, Your Highness." Link agreed, bowing gracefully and took his leave.

Link made his way across Hyrule Fields upon the back of his faithful horse, Epona, and towards the Lost Woods where he resided. He continued to travel through the woods and eventually made his way to a large tree house.

Though living inside the castle was a more logical choice for the Hero of Time, Link never felt as comfortable as when he stayed there as a child under Impa's tutorage. This forest was his home. It was all he had known for the first ten years of his life.

He climbed the ladder to the tree house, entering his home. Despite being a person of such importance, the Hero of Time lived a modest life. The house itself was built with three levels; an attic, which served as a bedroom with a bed and a couple dressers, a main floor, which had a small kitchen, and living room. Below, some of the tree had been hallowed out, serving as a storage area. Link set his gear down before lying on his bed. Knowing that he wouldn't have much time to sleep, he took advantage of this time to do just that. He soon forced himself to rise after a few hours and began to pack his things.

Link searched his cupboards for any remaining potions that he'd be able to take with him along his journey. He didn't have much. Hyrule had been at peace for two years now, so there was little need for him to keep a large stock. The young hero packed what he had and was ready.

As Link climbed down from his tree house, the young hero played a song on his Ocarina, prompting Epona to briskly return to his side. As the Hero of Time mounted his steed, he briefly turned his head to gaze off in the distance.

Further into the forest was Kokiri Village, home to friends as well as someone very dear to Link. It occurred to Link that he would be leaving without saying goodbye. He unfortunately didn't have time to make the detour though. He'd just have to contact her while on his travels.

As Link was leaving the forest, he heard a small voice.

"Leaving so soon?"

Link spun around to see an adolescent girl dressed in green. Her cute appearance was coupled with short green hair and eyes. While those eyes were normally full of life, they were currently filled with despondence. The girl was Saria, Link's closest friend. As a member of the Kokiri tribe, she would most likely never age past her adolescence. However, despite her youthful appearance, she was actually older than Link.

"Here you ever said goodbye, or hello for that matter? I hoped you'd visit before you had to leave again."

Link looked down to the ground, unable to meet the girl's gaze. Even though her words were gentle, the sadness in them cut like a knife and he couldn't face his friend. Not now anyway.

"Saria…I'm..." Link began.

The girl walked over and put a finger over Link's mouth. "It's O.K." Saria assured. "We Sages are aware of the situation. It's only natural you'd be the one chosen." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a simple wooden Ocarina. Even though it was slightly aged and only made from wood, it was well-crafted. "I'd like you to take my Ocarina with you." Saria placed the Ocarina into Link's hands, leaving the young warrior speechless.

"Saria…I…"

"Don't lose it this time, though." Saria teased, reaching up and giving Link a little tap on the back of the head.

"Don't worry. I'll cherish it always." The warrior assured. "I must go though, or I'll be late."

"Right. Go get them, Hero."

As Link was about to ride off, but Saria stopped him one last time. "Oh, Link."

"Yes, Saria?" He turned back to see his friend.

Saria used her powers to create a magic bean plant to lift her into the air so that she was level with the young hero. She then knelt over and gave Link a kiss on the cheek, something that had become a common ritual when he was about to depart. Link turned his head away from the girl.

As one got older, it was often assumed that dealing with your emotions would become easier. However, it was the opposite for Link. While he would continue to age, Saria would remain young forever, and the gap between them would only continue to grow. Despite what Saria may able to feel and think, physically she would always be a child.

Saria's eyes once again filled with woe, as she knew exactly what Link was thinking. Even though the two could communicate telepathically, she didn't have to read his thoughts to know.

"I suppose I shouldn't keep you." Saria finally spoke up.

"Yea." Link agreed.

"Just promise me you'll come back safe, O.K."

"You have my word." The warrior assured.

With that, Link rode off into the distance as Saria watched her friend go off into his next adventure.

Link arrived to Hyrule castle as soon as possible. As he climbed off Epona, she snorted in disagreement. Link patted his horse to comfort her.

"I know how you feel, Epona." Link murmured. Even though Epona couldn't speak to Link, they understood each other very well. It was a bond they had made during his long travels with her against Ganon. "I'm sorry you can't come with me this time, old girl. Be good while I'm gone, O.K.?"

The horse nodded and galloped back to Link's village.

The guards saluted Link as he passed by. Zelda and Impa, along with the Happy Mask Salesman, waited patiently. Zelda stood facing a statue, admiring it, while Impa, as always, stood behind the princess with her arms crossed and a cool and collective look on her face. The salesman, on the other hand, stood with a frightening smile on his face.

Link and Zelda faced each other. She obviously had news for Link. Normally, he could tell whether or not Zelda's news was good or bad, but for once, he couldn't.

"Are your preparations completed?" Zelda asked.

Link nodded and waited for her to get to the point.

"The Happy Mask Salesman has informed us that to travel to the realm of Soul Edge, we will need open an Outrealm gate. As you venture through, be careful, we do not know what will be on the other side?"

"How do we open this gate?" Link questioned.

"There is a song, known as the Wind's Requiem, written by Zephos, Deity of the wind himself. With it, we should be able to open a gate for you. Please play along with me." Zelda instructed.

The Happy Mask Salesman sat down at a piano and began to play an accompaniment to a song that Link had never heard before. Zelda made a harp appear in her hands and she began to play the mystical melody. Listening carefully to the song, allowing him mind to absorb the music, Link eventually took out his Ocarina and began to play the same melody that Zelda played on her harp.

He used a blue ocarina, exquisitely made out of the top quality clay. This Ocarina was the Ocarina of Time, a powerful magical relic and one of the most treasured artifacts in all of Hyrule. It originally belonged to the Royal Family, but Zelda had given it to Link as a gift long ago, and he would always cherish it dearly. The magical instruments glittered in its wielder's hand as Link followed along with Zelda and the Happy Mask Salesman.

Link was a very quick learner when it came to music. He barely missed a note after hearing the song once. Link and Zelda played the hymn together. Just as Link and Zelda finished the last note, a powerful gust of wind destroyed the windows of the room and entered the room. The wind blew strongly around the room. Impa grabbed Zelda and shielded her, holding her tightly in her strong arms. She and Zelda crouched to the ground.

"Your Highness!" Link cried as the wind seemed to wrap around him.

Zelda looked up, but it was too late. Link had vanished.