Hey! Listen!

There's a new chapter! Listen!

Okay, I just felt Navi-ish. New chapter. Yayzers, yayzers, yayzers. YAYZERZ!

Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend of Zelda

Claimer: I own the Battle of Shadows (which was fun to come up with) and the awesomeness of my story.

R&R!


When Link blinked awake, the first thing he saw was Malon; she was leaning over him, and for a moment, he was startled. He quickly relaxed, however, as she blinked slowly, like an animal showing its trust to its master. It took a moment, but the girl slowly came into focus. The redhead was smiling softly and speaking gently to him. Link tried to make out her words, but it took too much effort and triggered a massive headache. He closed his eyes. Slowly, the words came into focus as well.

"Is he out again?" Malon was asking worriedly. Link didn't know who else was in the room that she could be asking, but he figured he would soon find out.

"No." It was Rusl's voice. "Look at his chest, how he's breathing. It's much faster than before, so he's still awake." The voice came from fairly nearby, and its master sounded tired.

"Oh." Malon responded. As his headache faded slightly, Link opened his eyes again. He slowly came to realize that he was on a bed, and Malon was sitting next to him. She had probably been tending to him. Link took a deep breath, using his legs to scoot up into a sitting position, wincing as he felt a sharp pain in his chest and the worsening of the constant ache in the back of his head. He looked down at his torso, and realized it was bandaged.

"Back in the land of the living, I see," Rusl's voice came again. "We were starting to worry. That knight must have hit you pretty hard for you to be unconscious for two days." Link looked up in surprise. Rusl was sitting at the end of the bed in a wooden chair. His elbows were propped up against the footboard, and his face was cupped in his hands. He looked as exhausted as he sounded.

Link was still staring at him in shock. "Two – what?" He tried to think back to the events of two days earlier. He forced his way through the migraine, and remembered. He remembered the princess, the fire, the knights. He remembered the guard kicking him, but after that it was just a big blank up until this moment. He gasped. "Is everybody okay?" He asked anxiously.

Rusl shifted his position, smirking slightly. "Yes, thanks to your mindlessly heroic actions. Malon said the princess almost killed you!" His expression became grave. "Do you know that she drew blood? Link, what on earth possessed you to confront her like that?"

"We were so worried," Malon put in her two-cents as she changed the bandage on Link's forehead – he hadn't noticed that one before now. "I thought you'd die!" She squirmed uncomfortably, as if she still remembered the dread she had felt.

Link sighed. "I know. I was stupid – I don't know what I was thinking. I guess I thought all of the villagers would die, and then, the princess...and I..."

"You weren't thinking!" Malon cried, finishing his sentence for him.

"Geez, you sound like my wife or something," Link chuckled. Rusl looked at him coldly.

"Link, it isn't funny. I'm worried about you. You're turning out just like..." He paused and licked his lips anxiously, then looked at Malon. She seemed to be the cause of his hesitation. As if picking up on his message, Malon stood up with the bandages.

"I'll go get some...something," She said, closing the door with a wink and a slightly confused expression. "You two talk." Rusl and Link watched in silence as the redhead closed the door. Then Link's gaze switched to Rusl.

"Like who?" He asked. Rusl looked at him questioningly, and Link clarified. "Who am I turning out just like?"

"Your father," Rusl answered shortly. Link wasn't sure whether he should be offended by this or not, but he was just curious. This was the first time anyone had said anything about his parents other than that they didn't want to talk about his parents. Link nodded, encouraging Rusl to continue, while scooting back up against his pillow; he had started to slide down into the bed.

"Link," Rusl began, standing up. He started to pace the room, which was usually a sign that there was about to be a really nice, long lecture. Either that or he was really uncomfortable. In this situation, Link decided, it was probably both. "Link, your father was a great man. I want you to know that. I know that sometimes it may seem like he did something...wrong, the way we don't talk about him, but that's not the case. The fact is, he did something great. Stupid, but great.

"Back before you were born, your father and I were great friends. Inseparable, in fact. We came from the same village, went to the same school, then trained as knights together. We were knighted together, too – he was my closest friend. Our relationship was somewhat like that which you share with Malon; you're such close friends, and you do so much together, that you almost become siblings. Your father, Link, was like my brother. I know they say that all the knights in your squad are your brothers, but this was different. We were closer than that.

"But despite all the close scrapes, charades, and battles that we weathered together, your father and I were two opposite personalities. I was the cautious one, nervous, studious, and, I'll have to admit, a little bit cowardly." Here Rusl paused to smile, then went on: "Your father, who was also named Link, was heroic, courageous, and stubborn. You're a lot like him, and don't you deny it. What you did two days ago was proof. Your father also had a wife, Hena, who lived in Castle Town, and she was pregnant with their first child. But in the Battle of Shadows, the one that is prophesied through stories, our lives changed. Forever.

"As you know, the battle of shadows was a raid by the Gerudo, being without a leader after he was deceased by your father's hand. You've heard of Ganondorf, correct? Anyway, the Gerudo raided the castle and killed the king and queen, leaving their two young daughters orphans. Your father and I were each leader of our own squadron, and we both rushed to take on the invaders. But they were fierce fighters, and their weapons had been enhanced by means of witchcraft. All of our knights were quickly slain, and we were left to fend for ourselves. I found myself cornered by a Gerudo woman, and she would have slaughtered me without a second thought, if it had not been for your father. He intervened, saving me.

"He told me to run, to save myself and the twin princesses, but I couldn't move. I was in shock, and I stood there. I didn't do anything. I watched the Gerudo kill him. My best friend. My brother. And I couldn't do anything. I wouldn't do anything. Maybe if I had, he would still be alive. Maybe..." Rusl stopped talking and hid his face. Link was about to ask what was wrong, but then Rusl cleared his throat and continued.

"When the Gerudo were finally driven off, I knelt by your father's side. He was still living, although it wouldn't be so for long. His final request of me was to take his child, whom was due any time now, and hide him or her from any invaders. He told me to teach his child the art of swordsmanship, in the hope that he or she could one day defend the kingdom of Hyrule in his place. Then he died.

"Shortly after that, Hena died in childbirth. I named their son after his father, Link. And I took him and hid him and started a village with any other knights who were hiding from the newly risen ruler, our current Princess Zelda. I taught him the art of the sword, but I kept his past from him in the hope that he wouldn't make his father's mistakes. Or mine.

"Your father also told me to give you these when you were ready for them." Rusl turned and took up a bundle of green. He unfolded it, revealing a tunic and a sword. "This is the Master Sword," he stated, laying it across Link's lap. "It is a sword with the power to banish evil, if its master is worthy. But don't get your hopes up," Rusl added, looking over Link's head, out the window, to avoid the boy's hopeful gaze. "Your father was the only one who could wield it, so I doubt you could...even..." his words faded as he looked back at Link. The boy grinned, amused by his mentor's shocked expression. Link was sitting in the bed, the unsheathed Master Sword held in his left hand.

"So it's true," Rusl whispered to himself. "You are his reincarnation."

"What?" Link asked, having overheard. "Reincar – what?" He stared at Rusl, and he was sure that his eyes were as wide as plates. "How is that even...what?"

Rusl looked at him, startled. He hadn't meant for the boy to overhear his comment. "Yes, reincarnation. You're so much like your father that many people have come to believe that you are his spirit, reborn. I never believed it, but now, it seems as if the rumors could be true."

"Oh," Link stated simply, but he tuned out as Rusl explained the green tunic. He didn't understand anything anymore - he had thought he knew who he was, and he knew his purpose in this world. Now, he wasn't so sure.

There was also the matter of his parents; he had expected to feel something when Rusl finished the explanation. Understanding, shock, anger, fear, joy...but he didn't feel anything. He just felt numb, like too much information had been injected into his brain at one time. Who was he? Was he Link, him Link, or his dad Link?

He didn't know.


Link was awake the next morning before dawn. He walked over to the window and looked out at the buildings surrounding the inn, where he had found out from Rusl he was staying currently. The sky was dim, the lighting that of about four o' clock in the morning, but Link was startled by the warm stillness of the air. It was going to be a hot day.

When Malon cracked open the door at noon, Link was still at the window. She smiled and walked over. It was sweltering hot, she realized as she looked out the window – she could see the heat rising off of everything in sight.

"Hot out," Link remarked, startling Malon. She had obviously thought he was too enveloped in his own mind to have noticed her, but this was apparently not the case. He continued, without looking at his friend. "I think a storm's brewing. It feels strange, almost ominous. Like something...big...is going to happen today."

Malon mumbled something incoherent and shuffled her feet

"What's that?" Link turned to look at her. She was almost sisterly in the way she treated him. This might just be because of the fact that they were the only kids their age in the village, but still.

"I said, um, yeah, that something big might happen." Malon whimpered, shuffling her feet ever more violently. Link smirked knowingly.

"Malon, what are you hiding from me? Tell me. Now." Satisfaction crept over him as he saw that Malon's secret was becoming too much for her and threatened to spill over. Then she blurted, without taking a single breath in between her words:

"Rusl is leading the village in an attack against Hyrule castle like a coup d'etat or something but I didn't have a say in it so please don't get mad at me because I tried to stop them and they wouldn't listen and please don't follow them because you aren't healed and you would probably hold them back or something and I don't want you to die so please don't go because if you do you will probably die because Rusl and the others are probably already dead that's a problem please don't get mad!" Here she stopped as she had exhausted her voice, and stood, red-faced, panting for breath. Then she clamped her hands over her mouth. "I wasn't supposed to tell you that," she mumbled through her fingers.

Link would have looked at her and laughed had the situation not been so serious. But as it was, he looked up and scowled. "They're what?"

"They're, er, going to raid Castle Town." Malon slowed down enough for Link to process what she was saying. "And I wasn't supposed to tell you because they didn't want you following."

"Following?" Link asked, almost sounding calm. The serenity in his eyes was almost worse than outright anger, though, Malon decided. She knew it was a mask, a dam that could break at any moment. "They shouldn't even be going," he said, his voice rising. The dam was cracked. "Do you know how many knights the princess has?" Here came the flood.

"Link,"

"Malon, they'll be crushed! You should have told me, and I would have stopped them! I don't support this! Make them stop, or I will!"

"Link, they already left." Malon whispered, twiddling her thumbs nervously behind her back. Link stood up and marched over to the door without a word. He held it open, and gestured stiffly to show the girl out. "What are you doing?" She asked nervously. "Why am I leaving?"

"Because." He replied shortly.

"Because why?" Malon pressed.

"Because I'm going to change," He sighed.

"Okay, bye!" Malon exited hurriedly.


Two sets of footsteps shook the ground as Link and Malon strode brusquely toward the stables. Link was almost running, and Malon was hanging onto the sleeve of his green tunic (he'd changed into it) and begging him to reconsider.

"Link, I really don't believe this is a very good idea at all," she said, for about the fifth time. "You're still recovering!"

"And I'm still going after them," Link retorted, exasperated, as he slid oped the barn door.

"Why? What difference will one person make?"

"A big one, if I hurry and turn them back before they get there. I'll have to move fast," he said, sliding a saddle off the saddle rack, "which is why I'm taking Epona."

"But I don't trust her," Malon complained as Link tightened the girth strap onto the palomino's wide belly. She was a Belgian Draft horse, which meant she was large, but Epona was fast and would do anything for her master.

"I do," Link said almost simultaneously with the large crack of thunder overhead. In the way thunder does, it seemed to break the cloud barrier, and the rain poured down loudly onto the tin roof, creating a constant din. Malon grudgingly offered Link the reins.

"No reins. No time. I can do without," he assured her as he clambered onto the horse. He did look kind of heroic, thought Malon, with the tunic and the sword. Even the strange hat he had insisted on wearing added to the image. "I'll be fine," he smiled, before he and the Epona took off into the rain. Malon watched in apprehension as horse and rider thundered away, their course set for Castle Town.


Okay, hi. So, new chapter, did you like it? Or was is just boring lame boringness? And yes, I do know that Malon trusts Epona in the game. I feel like the story is beginning to improve.

I'M THINKING OF REMOVING THE INUYASHA COMPONENT OF THIS STORY: Because the Inuyasha part of this story seems random in the storyline at this point, I'm thinking of removing it. Please review and tell me if you oppose to that idea. I will remove it next week unless I am told to do otherwise by a reader.

The next chapter will be Kagome? I lied. It will be Zelda. Sorry to the people who are reading this for the Inuyasha-ness, it just isn't working out for me.

*Random tidbit.* Just finished Twilight Princess! Yes, I am lame. But it made me so happyz! "After Twilight Princess" has been added to the long, long list of fanfictions that I will write someday - we have to know where the heck Link went during the credits! But I loved the end of the game, and it made me happy to kill Ganondorf. His long, drawn out, rigor mortis death really ticked me off, though. It's like, die already, dude! And I feel bad for Link, who had to go retrieve his sword from the depths of Ganon's stomach. Anyway, it was really fun and I've already started it over and in one day made it to Kakariko village. The Forest Temple's a lot easier the second time, it turns out. *End random tidbit.*

Review to tell me how to improve upon this chapter!

Squeeb100 is out! PEACE!