Chapter 1.
Cloud took a long drink from the bottle. The water helped clear his head- although a small voice in the back of his mind told him one of Tifa's drinks would be a bit more effective. "Where are we, exactly… umm… Link?" He handed the glass bottle, now empty, back to the younger man.
Link's eyes drifted to the left, and he scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. "Well… I think we're pretty close to Hyrule Castle Town."
Cloud glowered. "And that's supposed to mean something?"
"Well, of course!" beamed Link. "Hyrule Castle is the capital, after all."
Cloud rested his forehead on his palm for a moment, all of his previous fondness for the oddly dressed boy gone. iThis kid is the last thing I need. I've never heard of Hyrule Castle./i He picked up his badly damaged sword and pretended to examine it closely. "Enough of your games. There is no such place." The warrior swung his sword for emphasis, the rusting blade tearing the meadow grass ragged. With a slight flourish, he sheathed the huge weapon. "Goodbye." Cloud strode out across the meadow, surrounded by forest behind and a large ridge in front. iEven if I was washed away by the stream again… I'm sure I can find a landmark./i He made his way up the hill, feeling a bit stronger with each step. Finally at the top, he gazed out over the landscape and gasped.
An absolutely vast rolling plain stretched out in front of him, marred by copses of trees and, in the distance, perhaps ten miles away, a huge grey mass of towers and walls. Even farther beyond that, a plume of smoke rose from a ridge of spiny mountains. No steam rose into the sky, and no roads, save for the dirt one that lay below, crossed the landscape. It was quiet. Much more quiet than Cloud had experienced in quite some time. Normally, there was always the noise of passing trucks, and, even more commonly, the thwopthwopthowp of helicopters. iIt's as if Mako energy doesn't exist…/i
"Cloud!" Link walked up the hill and stood next to him.
"Are you sure?" Cloud asked. "That this isn't Wutai or something?"
Link blinked, and readjusted his hat. "This is Hyrule. Fore sure."
Cloud sighed, heavily. "Fine. Thank you for the information. I will head towards this… this castle myself."
Link grinned. "If we're both going there, we might as well travel together, huh?"
Cloud faltered. It iwould/i be useful to have a local guide, he supposed. On the other hand, it would be troublesome to make the gaudily dressed boy actual think Cloud wanted him around. Feeling too mentally drained to think about it long, he gave a non-committal grunt and started making his way down the hill. Link fell into step beside him.
As the two of them travel across the green and lush landscape, Link suddenly asked a question. "Your sword… can you actually use it? It's huge."
Cloud nodded.
"Well," Link said, biting his bottom lip. "Do you think you could give me a few tips?" He drew the double-edged broadsword from his back and held it in one hand. "You're obviously an adventurer… so…"
The ex-SOLDIER laughed, internally. "I don't know anything about using one of those," he said, nodding at the wooden shield that still sat on Link's back. "If I teach you things, you might learn styles that are incompatible with the shield, which would be bad, if you plan to use it."
Link nodded solemnly. "Well, if you change your mind, please tell me."
"Whatever." They walked in silence for almost a half hour before Cloud finally broke it. "What's with the gaudy green outfit?" he asked. "Do you always dress like that, or what?"
Link frowned and sighed. "It's the traditional garb of Hyrule's legendary hero. I'm supposed to be offering my services to Zelda-sama, princess of Hyrule, as a personal guard."
"Legendary hero, huh? Big name to live up to. Why you?"
"This is why." Link showed cloud the back of his hand. Three yellow triangles, arranged in a very distinctive pattern, were tattooed there. "I was born with this. They say it's called the Triforce of Courage, which means I'm the inheritor of the hero's legacy."
Cloud blinked. "Okay."
"It's been 50 years since someone was born with the marking," Link continued. "And, without fail, when the person born with it reaches age 13, Gannon will appear within a couple years. Of course you know who he…"
"No. I'm not from around here."
Link blinked. "Gannon, or his human-like form, Gannondorf, is the holder of another Triforce piece."
"Another hand tattoo thing?"
"Umm… yes. Gannon is extremely powerful, and his magic barriers make him invincible to most weapons. He's tried to conquer Hyrule many times in the past, but a princess Zelda and a hero have always defeated him. The holder of the last triforce is the first daughter of Hyrule's royal line, traditionally named Zelda."
"Hmm… Every land has its problems."
"And I know who you are… it's obvious."
"Really." Cloud looked at Link in such a way as to demand an explanation.
"You're the hard-bitten former hero, now a mercenary, whose broken sword represents his wounded soul."
"…"
Link nodded sagely. "You'll probably sacrifice yourself valiantly after passing on everything you know."
"I don't plan on sacrificing myself at all," growled Cloud. "And if you know someone who specializes in re-forging broken giant swords, please let me know. It is not intended to be a metaphor."
Link paused for a moment. "I think… Shhh!" The green-clad boy drew his sword and took his shield off of his back. Cloud noticed that he was left-handed. "Look!" he hissed, pointed ahead. Cloud followed his pointing finger. A sub-humanoid pig-like creature was standing a few dozen metres away, Cloud noticed another one, a bit farther away, rooting through the grass. They seemed to be cooking something, judging by the wisp of smoke rising from beneath a black iron pot that sat between them.
"What? You think those are dangerous?"
"Those are moblins. Of course they're dangerous!"
Cloud nodded and began marching towards the pair, Link following reluctantly. "We could just avoid them!"
"Sounds like a bother."
As they approached, both moblins looked up, grabbing long spears. Cloud got a good look at them. Each one wore a necklace of miniature human skulls. The buster sword appeared in his hand as if by magic. "Move." Cloud ordered. The larger of the pair gibbered at the smaller, who moved forward, pointing his spear cautiously at Cloud. It was the last thing he did. Cloud leapt the ten metres between him in the moblin in a single bound, his sword raised over his shoulder. As he came down towards the piggish monster, he brought the sword down in a crushing, if easily avoidable, chop. The moblin's spear, which he had held up to counter the attack, shattered, and the monster fell into two halves, spilling unmentionable inside bits onto the grass. A few seconds later it dissolved into a cloud of sickly purple and black smoke, leaving nothing to show that it had ever been there but its spear and necklace.
"Daaaaahhhh!" Giving a guttural yell, the second moblin ran for it, waving its arms about wildly.
Link gaped at Cloud like he'd just grown an extra arm. "How did you get so strong?"
Cloud sighed and sheathed the sword. "I eat my vegetables," he said, deadpan. "At any rate, the next time we randomly encounter an enemy, I'll hold back a bit. You have a weapon… you might as well prove your worth with it."
Despite Cloud's words, they didn't encounter any further moblins, or anything else hostile, for the rest of the day. As the shadows began to lengthen, the pair of swordsmen approached the large stone wall surrounding three sides of Hyrule castle town. The fourth side, Cloud noticed, was a large cliff. A drawbridge, hooked on to the wall by two gigantic rusting chains, was the only way through. Although Cloud was sure that it would be effective against the swords of this land's inhabitants, he found the idea of something like this acting as a defensive structure against Shin-Ra's air support and laser weaponry rather laughable. He was quickly dragged out of his tactical analysis by Link.
"We should go quickly and try and get an audience with Zelda-sama."
Cloud nodded in agreement. Perhaps this Princess Zelda could explain a few things to him.