A Link to the Past


"It's heavy!" The boy moaned, dragging the sword through the garden. His arm was sore and his brow was covered in sweat, and they had hardly begun. It was a sun asked day on the hill where Link's house sat, and the boy felt too lax for this kind of thing.

His uncle turned to see what he was doing, and was positively shocked. In an instant, his face flashed red and his mustache furrowed. He ran, surprisingly quickly for a man with his heavy frame, to him and snatched the blade from his hands.

"Link!" He scolded, thick eyebrows ruffling in anger. Link shrank under his threatening leer, which refused to soften. With one hand, the man straightened the boy's back and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Straighten up, boy! And treat this weapon with respect! How are you ever going to learn to use a sword of you can't even carry it right?"

Link whimpered. He was always a nervous child, ever since his parent's death. His uncle was strict and harsh, and it certainly didn't help the boy's disposition. Being scolded made him feel so small and helpless. He felt a tear well up inside, and tried his best to suppress it.

Link's life with his uncle was generally fine. His uncle cared for him, and he made himself useful around the house. As a former knight, his uncle had no tolerance for mistakes or weakness, and the two didn't always see eye to eye. Still, they were family. They cared for each other deeply. They simply had different ways of showing it.

"Now pay attention, and you may learn something!" His uncle scolded, holding the sword like a sacred instrument. He gave it back to Link, who grasped it softly in his hand and held it by his side. "You are correct, Link. The sword is heavy. And that is why you must handle it correctly."

"Tighten your grip, boy! Or the thing will go flying out of your hand like a toy." The man hissed. Link tightened his grip.

"Now, can you swing that thing?" He instructed. Link swung the thing, though weakly. His frustration and disposition made his swing hollow and lazy. He let its momentum nearly topple him as he lost control of it.

"What do you expect to fight like that? The moles in the garden?" His instructor hissed. Link winced and purse his lips. He was getting very tired with his uncle's sour attitude. "Put your heart in it, Link!"

"No!" The boy protested, throwing the blade in to the dirt below. His uncle stood unimpressed. Link waited for his scolding.

"Link, pick that up." The man instructed. Link refused, opting instead to simply stare bitterly. The man rolled his eyes and dragged a tired, wrinkled hand through his hair.

"You told me I'd never need to know how to use one of these things!" The boy shouted. His uncle swallowed and opened his mouth, but said nothing. His only response was a stern gaze.

"I don't want to use a sword! I don't want to become a knight! I don't want to end up like father!" Link screeched. With those biting words said, he ran back in to their house, slamming the door shut behind him.

The man stood there, looking down at the sword, now tarnished and stained with mud. He sighed and bent to pick it up, his old bones creaking in protest as he did so. With blade in hand, he walked to the edge of the small hill where his home resided, and sat, thinking. Regretting.

A gentle breeze blew through the air, and then a hearty gust. The man looked up and realized that the sun was beginning to set. He had been sitting there, alone, for far longer than he had intended to, and dark clouds began to roll in, blotting out the last of the sunlight. Before he knew it, he felt a drop of rain hit his head, and it was time to go inside.

The door whined open as he pushed his way through it. There was Link, sitting in front of the fire place, watching the flames devour a dry log. The two did not acknowledge each other. The aged knight closed the door and took a seat on the floor next to his nephew.

The boy looked tired. He had his knees pulled up to his face and the man could see he had been crying. There were many things that the man scolded Link for, but his crying habit would never, ever be one. He understood.

"When your father and I fought in the war together," the man began after some silence, hardly thinking about the words coming out of his mouth, "we were inseparable. We always protected each other. He was always saving me."

The man laughed hollowly, Link did not.

"When it was my turn to save him, I..." He began, but the words were caught in his throat. He sighed and tried again. "I wasn't there. I only found out later from your mother."

He stared at the fire pensively, along with Link, who had not taken his eyes off it since he began.

"As for her, she tried to be strong for you. She fought so hard, day and night, to give you everything. Even after she got sick." The man sighed. Every word was more painful than the last. "Maybe I could have helped her, but... I wasn't there. Again."

Link said nothing, but shivered very slightly and bit his lip. His silence was all the response the man needed.

"I was never there when they needed me. When they needed my protection, I was gone." The man muttered, every word stained with guilt, still fresh from years ago.

"I want to protect you. I love you like a son, Link. I would never let any harm come to you." He said, putting an arm around the boy. "But one day, I may not be here to do that. One day, the sword will be too heavy for me as well. And I won't be there for you."

Link's gaze lowered from the fire to the floor.

"When that day comes, I need to know that you can protect yourself. I need you to be strong." He sighed.

"But why do I need a sword to do that?" The boy asked, finally shifting his gaze up to his uncle. The fire seemed to make his eyes glow with youth. "Hyrule is a peaceful place now!"

His uncle stared down at the fire. It crackled and sparked wildly, but seemed to deliver no warmth. He inhaled deeply, catching the scent of the burning wood, and looked up at his nephew, who still waited for a response.

"I don't know." He admitted, quietly. It was all he could think to say. He rose to his feet and helped Link do the same. "It's time for you to go to bed, little one."

He escorted the child to his bed and watched the boy crawl in.

"Link, I know you are strong. You've been through so much, you have proved it." The man assured him, tucking the boy in. "Whether you have a sword or not, you'll always be strong. I am proud to have watched you grow into such a fine young man."

He smiled down at the boy, who looked up at him blankly, before returning that smile. Hearing such positive encouragement from his uncle was so unusual, but he liked it.

His uncle ruffled his hair, gave a laugh, and said goodnight. Link closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.

That night, however, was restless. Link tossed and turned in his sleep, disturbed by the howling wind and his own terrifying dreams. In his sleep he saw terrible things come to pass at the castle just north of his home. He heard cries for help, as if someone was reaching out to him. It all finally culminated in the vision of a terrible beast, huge and grotesque, with a hog's face. It swallowed up Hyrule in its gigantic maw, until the boy was left floating, alone in the darkness.

Alone, save for a girl. She reached out a hand toward him, still adrift in the void. She looked scared. Link stretched his arm out as far as he could, and felt his fingertips graze hers. He gave one last push, and awoke suddenly, shooting up in his bead, arms outstretched.

"Link, go back to sleep." His uncle said. Looking around, he spotted his uncle near the door, carrying a sword and shield. Everything about him looked so different. He was no longer Link's care taker. The way he was carrying himself, he looked more like one of the guards at the castle

"What's happening?" Link asked. It was all he could think to ask.

"I'm going out. Stay here, alright?" His uncle instructed. Link did nothing to acknowledge these directions. The man, looking more serious than ever, pulled a hood up over his head and opened the door. Thunder roared in the distance, the wind howled, and the rain was torrential.

The man noticed Link's gaze fixated on the weapons he carried.

"No need to worry. These are... just for emergency. I'll be back by morning. I promise." He said. And with that, he turned toward the outside world.

"It's bad out there now."