Chapter II:
Three Years Past, Three Years Alone
"Hold this line!" the German man shouted to the soldiers behind him. "Stand firm!"
Siegfried Schtauffen stood at the front line of a depleting number of soldiers. His body was covered in silver armor with a golden hawk-like insignia emblazoned on the chest, belt buckle, cape clasp, and boots. A short moss colored cape went down to his waist and covered his shoulder plates. The man's hair was slicked back over his head, though a single strand of hair managed to escape the grooming and now was hanging over his face.
"Here they come!" he yelled and readied Requiem in his hand.
The Heartless came in swarms, first small Shadows, and then Soldiers. Behind the Soldiers were a frightening number of Assault Riders, continuing their mission to destroy the weakened force.
Siegfried struck first. He jumped forward and delivered a powerful uppercut with his sword, catching five Heartless with one blow and sent them flying up in the air. By the time those Heartless fell to the ground and vanished because of the impact, the German had already sliced through another three rows of Heartless and the other regiments of the platoon had joined him.
Z.W.E.I., a tall man wearing an open, sleeveless vest, joined Siegfried, standing next to him and watching his captain's back.
"Sorry if I am too much trouble for you, Captain," he said to Siegfried.
"No need to be sorry, Z.W.E.I.," Siegfried replied, "If Colin and his backup squad don't make it here soon, none of us will be walking out the same."
Z.W.E.I.'s vest was black leather with chains along his collar and connecting around his back. The sleeves were torn off and the vest's coattail flapped in the wind. His hair was short and black with white bangs. His bare chest was tattooed with a crescent moon and his eyes were dark as night.
"I think thanks should be said while I have the chance, Captain."
XxXxX
"Who are you?"
"Get down!"
"What are those things?"
"ARGH!"
"Are you all right?"
"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine!"
"Why did you save us?"
"I want the two of you to join Schwarzwind."
XxXxX
"Captain! On your right!"
Three Shadows leapt into the air and starting flinging their small but deadly claws at Siegfried's head. With powerful muscles Siegfried swung Requiem upwards, cutting each of the Heartless in half, causing them to disappear in a puff of darkness.
Siegfried replaced his sword into its original position on his back, ready to defend himself again if need be.
"You and Viola's services these last few months are thanks enough, Z.W.E.I.," Siegfried replied over his shoulder.
"Captain Siegfried! Sir Colin's backup squadron has arrived!" a Hylian soldier shouted with triumph.
"It's about time!" Siegfried grunted as he flexed his body, crashing Requiem down on an oncoming Assault Rider. The tip of the blade, with its added spikes on the side, caught the Assault Rider's head, smashing it on the ground. The Heartless was lost in a cloud of darkness, flailing in agony as he vanished.
"Come on!" Colin yelled to his platoon, "No Heartless must be allowed to make it past the first line! No more men will die here today!"
"Charge!" screamed one of the younger soldiers with a little too much excitement. In any other situation, most would have probably stopped and stared at him. But these were the Heartless, and any form of confidence was greatly needed in this war.
The men followed Colin as the Keyblade appeared in his hand. With their spears and swords in hand and the banner of Hyrule flying high in the air, the soldiers ran towards the Heartless surrounding their comrades.
One after the other Heartless fell to the mighty Keyblade wielder. A single glowing heart rose from each of the shadowy beings' death and flew up into the sky, counting the slain.
XxXxX
"Do you know anything about this?" The Seeker asked Renado.
The shaman studied the fragment in his hand intently, turning over the glowing red shard in between his fingers repetitively.
The nameless man was dressed in his dark leather coat with hood drawn overhead, throwing his face into shadow His hands were protected with worn leather gloves and his feet were encased in black boots. He and the shaman were standing in the graveyard behind Kakariko Village, the sun setting off in the distance.
"I'm sorry, Seeker," Renado replied, "But I can only link this piece of metal to the Heartless."
Seekers, as others called them, were faceless 'nobodies' who sought information on otherworldly artifacts. Because not a single Seeker had been caught nor convicted for any crimes, very few cared if a Seeker came to you for information.
"Interesting that you used that word," the Seeker said as he retrieved the piece of glowing metal.
"Pardon?"
"It's been three years since the Heartless came here. Three years since Link came back. Some people say he and that foreigner are to blame for the destruction Hyrule is facing."
"Now you look here, Seeker!" Renado stepped forward, the anger clear on his face.
The Seeker snapped his wrist and a short hidden blade sprung out of his left sleeve and leveled directly at Renado's neck.
"That man has done nothing for me," he said calmly "The only thing he does is protect the people who manage to get to the Castle. I will not respect a man who claims to be King yet cannot even protect the ones that really matter."
The blade slid back into his sleeve as he pocketed the shard.
"You have your reasons for what you do and whom you side with, and I have my own. It's all we have in this world anymore. The sooner you learn this, the better."
The Seeker turned and walked away from the shaman, walking past the village and entering Hyrule Field. As clouds rolled on to cover the land in shadow, a hidden tear fell from Link's eyes.
XxXxX
"She's getting away!" the shadowed figure shouted to the Heartless. "Useless creatures! Don't let her reach that world!"
An armada of Hunter Heartless, Hunter-X Heartless, and Dragonfly Heartless appeared from giant clouds of darkness and flew after the triangular yellow space ship.
"Pitiful Heartless. Whatever he has in mind, I should hope it gets what we hold dear back to us."
The man clad in black stood on a monochrome platform overlooking space.
He laughed. "Even if it doesn't, so long as it's amusing, I don't think I'll care."
He pulled his hood over his head and a cocoon of darkness enveloped him. In the next second he was gone, his laugh still echoing through the destroyed space station.
XxXxX
And there's chapter two. Please let me know what you think and whom you want to see in the next chapter (preferably from the Zelda games of the Soul series).
The next chapter will be longer if I can help it.
I am the Soul of Heroes, and I am going to bed… For I am sleepy… But keep watch for Chapter III: "Samus Aran, King Link".