o2: Beginning of Temptation ( part o1 )

Author's Notes: Thanks so much for the reviews! They make me go : happy happy :D

--------

"Being kind, the Seven Heavenly Virtues could not bring themselves to possess a living creature. Instead, they resided within inanimate objects, like bows and swords," Hope continued, as Link took an ointment soaked cloth and rubbed Taro's bruised cheeks. The poor boy looked like a score of wasps had stung his face. The small group had returned into the comforts of Link's home. The boy shuttered as the medicine was applied and let out a resentful cry. "Hey, you're listening, right?"

Link nodded. He took Taro by the shoulders and lead him to the door. At first, the child was concerned and bolted himself to the ground. "That speck is evil!" he started.

"...It's okay," the hero responded and ushered the child to head home. The other kids were probably waiting for him. Taro sighed, turned briefly, and blew the most obnoxious raspberry at Hope. If this was an anime, a big red anger mark would have decorated the fairy. If she had hands, she would have thrown a pan at the boy. Link watched as Taro disappeared into the path to the village before he closed the door.

"I don't know where the Sins are, but the best way to eliminate them is to find the Virtues." Hope fluttered closeby Link as he looked around for his lantern, the same one he recieved by that lone merchant who cooked himself an awful brew. He found it hidden underneath the table; there was still some oil left. "What are you doing?"

Link simply smiled and strapped the device to his waist. He went to the left side of the building to where the basement's entrance was built. Grasping the ladder, the Ordonian began his descent.

"Hey! We should be heading out! What about the sins?" The fairy followed.

When Link reached solid ground, he turned the lantern on. A small spark started, and a flame emerged. It ate the oil like a starved animal and reached its zenith with a warm light that practically filled the entire room. The lantern revealed a massive amount of storage lined against the walls, even a mirror propped upon a corner. There were weapons placed upon small, dusty counters, and a chest resided within the center. It hadn't been locked. Link placed the portable nightlight on the ground.

"Wow, haven't you heard of spring cleaning?" Hope commented, eyeing a milky colored boomerang hooked upon a nail. A wing-like design was sculpted at one end. She then noticed a pair of boots with metal implanted on their soles. There was even an old staff which looked like it should have had something in the middle of its tip. The fairy turned back to the adolescent. He had opened the chest.

Link pulled out the forest dyed tunic. The attire had remained neatly folded for so many months, unused, but it almost looked brand new.

"Ah! The ancient hero's!" Hope zipped to Link's side and investigated the outfit in his hands. It was real, authentic. "Is it yours?" she asked.

"Mm." The Ordonian's way of saying 'yes.'

"I knew it! The gods have chosen you!"

It was a better outfit to travel in. Everyone else that he had met in the past would also recognize him more easily in it. And if he didn't wear it, the Four Spirits would probably force it onto him sooner or later. Link rubbed his hand through the folded tunic and removed a few of the wrinkles that had settled in. He paused and looked to his new accquaintence.

"Well...?" Hope started, "Are you just going to stand there?" The Sins could have been conquering the countryside by now!

Link blinked. He tried to find his words without sounding rude or cocky in any way or form. "...Are you going to watch...?"

The circular-shaped spirit would have blushed if she could. "No!" She turned fiercely and ran straight into the ladder. It shook a little. "Ow!" Her wings shook in frustration, and, without looking back, she darted out of the basement.

-------------------------------

The final wear that completed Link's outfit was his hat, long and cone-shaped. He adjusted it properly on his head. It also had an amazing property: no matter how many times the hero fell, lept, or rolled, the hat would always stay on. Maybe the goddesses knew how troublesome it would be to have a loose headwear. Link breathed in. The outfit still fit perfectly.

He looked around. The lantern was starting to grow weak. Next to the mirror was his empty sheath. It was beautifully decorated by the colors of the sun and the sea, but now, it was alone with no weapon for it to protect. Link grasped its strap and wore it firmly across his back. He caught his reflection in the mirror's glass. He breathed out. Now gloved fingers brushed the cold, clear surface.

"I'm sure it doesn't take a grown man this long to get dressed..." a voice sung from upstairs.

Link smiled... and went back up.

"Alright! Does that mean we're ready to go?" Hope immediately asked as she saw the hat that jostled on top of the Ordonian's head. She saw the empty sheath. "Oh, you don't have a sword?" A pause. "Well, that's okay! We can get you one; it's actually really close to here. It's hidden in a place called the Temple of Time."

The name caused Link's eyes to widen. Could she mean...?

"Ah, you know? It's called the Master Sword. Pretty thing, actually. The virtue Patientia lives within it. I think he enjoys irony, seeing as he's the spirit meant to resolve conflicts peacefully." The fairy sighed. "Not much of a talker, though. ...Kind of like you." Then someone kindly interrupted her.

"Link! Link!" The voice came from outside. It sounded familiar. "Link... s-something's wrong with everyone! Ilia's dad, too!"

Link glanced to Hope, who glanced back at him. The pair hurried out.

It was Colin waiting outside. He was panting and holding his hands against his bent knees. "E-except Taro... everyone... everyone..." He tried speaking only to have exhaustion and fright keep him from doing so. But the child wouldn't wait for his panting to die down. Small hands reached out and grabbed Link by the wrist. "We... we have to go!"

What was going on? Link stared confused and allowed himself to be dragged into the village.

Hope was too tired to follow anymore. She was about to stay behind and wait for him to return. Then she looked at the hat brushing up from the paltry breeze. Perfect! The fairy begged her wings to flap just a little more. Luckily, they did. Only an inch away, she darted underneath the cap. Link blinked and looked up. "Don't worry. I won't do anything. Just let me rest a little. I flew a lot to get here!"

-------------------------------

Colin wouldn't let go until the boy had reached Mayor Bo's home with Link in tow.

Something felt wrong as the teenager was dragged across the small river's bridge. Link glanced at the citizens, and a chill ran through his spine. Some of them looked fairly... ill. He also caught sight of Fado. Wasn't he suppose to be herding the goats by now? Instead, the man was indulging himself in a heavy amount of honey from a broken bee's nest. The farmer's arms were drenched in stings, but he didn't seem to care. He was too busy stuffing himself. Link almost stopped his young friend to check if something was wrong, but Colin was determined to head to the house.

They reached the entrance, and the boy nearly collasped. He pointed to the house with a sweating hand. "Bo... he went inside... and started screaming..." He looked to the villagers. "Ex-except for Taro... no one else seemed to care." Colin almost started to tear. He rubbed his eyes. "Taro went inside... and hasn't come out. He told me to stay outside... b-but..."

"Link. Be careful... It might be one of the Sins..." Hope said from inside his hat.

As soon as Colin calmed down and sat down to rest, Link quietly opened the double door to the innards of their slightly overweight official's abode. It wasn't hard to find Bo. Actually, it was hard to believe it was Bo. The man's right arm was adorned of a distorted metal that stopped halfway by a line of broken teeth, exposed a margin of skin, then returned to covering more flesh with mosaic steel. A shield was practically embedded into his left arm. Though Link could only see its innards, as the mayor was turned, and making a noisy chewing sound, the front was creviced into the design of a swine. The mayor's feet and hands were altered into the shapes of hooves. ...What happened? The adolescent reached forward. The chewing noises stopped. Bo turned. Link stepped back.

More tusks had suddenly appeared on the man's face. A symbol that resembled the number four was tattooed on his bald forehead. A large hankerchief was wrapped around his neck; it was filled with the remnants of leftover food and spilt beverages. Link gasped and would have readied a sword if he had one. Was that really the mayor? Eyes of a bloody red stared at the adolescent.

'Bo' snorted. "So... looks like my temptation missed a few people." His voice was the same voice, but it was heavier, more malicious.

Hope peered out from the hat. Temptation? When she laid her eyes onto the transformed mayor, she immediately knew. A calignous aura surrounded the man, an aura only spirits and animals could see. She shivered and spoke soft enough so that only Link could hear. "Link... That's one of the Sins! He's possessed your mayor!"

"Really... And that brat and this man's daughter already disturbed my meals." He snorted again then stepped aside. All of the food stored within the house had been laid out before the possessed Ordonian. A grin crossed through his mouth and filth covered tusks. "But now they're eating hearty as well!" 'Bo' chortled and stepped aside further to reveal Taro and Ilia chowing down on the poultry and the meat, the pumpkin pies and fruits.

"Do not get near him," Hope hissed. "Staying too long near a Sin without its opposing Virtue can afflict you with their vice."

Teeth grinded against each other. Link looked at his empty hands.

"Haha!" the weighty male gestured to his feast. "Why don't you join me?" His eyes narrowed with a sinister aspect. "After all, the more gluttonous, the merrier!"

Gluttonous... Hope realized! She bolted out from the comforts of Link's headwear. "Gula! It's you, isn't it? You pig!"

The Deadly Sin who took over Bo laughed insanely. He placed his disfigured hands against his round stomach. It seemed to grow larger with each amused boom. "That tongue... It must be Hope! What, following another idiot?" Gula looked to Link. "Or perhaps it's the same idiot?" He guffawed once more.

"Go return to your pigpen, you...!"

"Now, now!" Gula smirked. "Do you want the same thing to happen to your friend over there?" Suddenly, the swine-shaped shield began to twist and convulsed amusingly. The jaw design below the snout began to split apart. It revealed a nothingness within instead of the back of the mayor's home. "Remember..." Gula's eyes curved into crescent shaped moons. "Your hero... sure tasted good!"

"Gula!" Hope cried and nearly hurtled herself at the damnation. Link quickly cupped and confined her within his hands. He could feel her thrash about in anger. The fairy was definitely going to get her revenge later.

"Oh... Smart boy." 'Bo' stepped forward. Stomp! The furniture jumped and the walls shook. "Why don't you be a good boy and... indulge yourself?" He brought a hand forward to grab the adolescent like a ragdoll.

Link lept back, swiped only by the wind. He winced. That one moment, he felt guilt and immorality enclose him. And hunger. Another step back was taken. His back felt the ridges of a double door. There was nowhere else to go. Bo suddenly looked a lot bigger.

---------------------

( Bo (Gula): http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/6853/gluttonyzm1.png )