A/N:I apologize for my tardiness but real life isn't being to kind to me lately. I do hope you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 3: Lores and Legends

"Was I expected," Link asked the tall man, who he assumed to be Lord Elrond. Link saw Elrond shift his gaze skyward before he replied.

"I foresaw your coming," he said, his eyes darting between stars as if he were reading something in the sky, "Although I did not expect to find you as a black beast." Link was confused by Elrond's words. He said that he foresaw his arrival in this city. Was he like a sage, or an oracle maybe? Elrond then turned his gaze to the girl next to Link, "Aravel, you should return to your home. I'm sure that your mother would be worried to find your bed empty at this hour."

"So, her name's Aravel," Link thought to himself, "Wish I thought about asking her myself...Ilia," he finished his thought with a stern admonishment.

"I was just going to see if the wolf was alright," Aravel said, trying to explain her late night wanderings. Elrond simply dismissed the issue with a small wave of his hand.

"It's perfectly understandable. Go home now," Elrond gently dismissed her. Aravel took a step backwards with a polite bow before leaving the room. As soon as she reached the door, she turned to take one last look at the two men, curious as to what may occur between them. Then she disappeared down the marble lined paths of the city.

After Link watched Aravel leave, he turned back to address Lord Elrond, "How did you know I was coming," he asked, "Did Nayru come to you in your in your dreams?"

Elrond shook his head as he walked more closely to Link, "I do not know this 'Nayru' of which you speak. How I knew of your arrival is inconsequential, but please tell me: just how did you find your way here?"

"I fell down a gorge, if that's what you mean," Link said, trying to keep his story succinct. He knew he was never much of a storyteller, and he hoped that this would satisfy the man's curiosity. It did not, however.

"I mean, how did you get here...in this realm. Though you are similar to an elf, it's clear that you are not."

"You mean that you aren't Hylian?"

Elrond nodded, "Precisely." Link figured that he had better give him the whole story. He tried to think of a way that wouldn't sound completely insane to him, since he wasn't so sure how often things like this happened to others. He began the story at his arrival at the Ordon Spring, and proceeded to describe the events from his sudden abduction and the fight with the two brutish creatures, all the way to his meeting with Aravel.

"I see. But that still does not explain why you were a wolf up until now," Elrond said, his curiosity still not satisfied. "If you could elucidate that point, I'd be very grateful."

Link hesitated at first, remembering Aravel's reaction to his Shard of Darkness. But it wasn't like he had any reason not to. And the Shard itself was completely harmless. Link produced the Shard from his pocket. Though it was nearly unnoticeable, Elrond frowned slightly as soon as he saw the object. This was the darkness that he sensed in the wolf. Although it was a darkness different from the kind that he knew. It just didn't seem evil. It was this that made him curious about the trinket Link carried.

"Exactly what is that object of yours," Elrond asked as he arched an eyebrow. Link wondered just how he could explain this to the man. Link decided to make a long story short and summarize what had happened between him, Midna and Zant.

"It started out as a kind of spell I was under," Link began, not knowing if that was really an accurate description of his situation at the time. Elrond's puzzled look told Link that he should elaborate just how this had happened, "I was helping a friend of mine fight against her enemy, and he tried to stop us by trapping me in the form of a wolf and fatally wounding her." Link internally recoiled at the memory.

He remembered how at the time, he and Midna would fight and bicker, trading verbal jabs the whole time during their travels. Even though they weren't the best of friends, as soon as Link found the dying imp on the ground, his instincts forced him to save her. "And what happened next," Link was snapped out of his thought by Elrond's sudden inquiry.

"Oh!...Sorry for trailing off like that," he apologized before continuing, "I got her to someone who could help, and she survived after that. Then we set to extracting the magic from my body."

Elrond was about to ask just how that happened, but Link drew the sword off his back and presented the hilt to him. "I used this to change back. The source of all light in our world to vanquish the evil plaguing us. I was chosen to wield this magnificent sword called the Master Sword."

"The light of the sword was what banished the darkness inside you," Elrond said, his eyes trailing up and down the sword.

"Yes. And since then, I've been able to use this to change from hylian to wolf at will," though not exactly, Link thought to himself, remembering how he needed Midna's help to extract it from him as needed. He also recalled the sudden change in Midna at that time, and how she blushed and sputtered when he pointed that out. Link smiled as he thought about that moment.

"A fond memory, I assume," Elrond interrupted again.

"Dammit, I keep getting off track," Link thought as he cursed his short attention span and sheathed his sword. "I hope I answered your question."

"Well enough," Elrond said, "Now, I assume that you have some questions of your own?" Before Link could start, Elrond answered the obvious first question he would have, "To begin: this is Rivendell. The city of the elves, and last homely house."

Link was taken slightly aback by having his question answered before he could ask, but thanked him anyway for his clear and direct answer. Also, a homely house? That sounded a bit redundant, but there was probably a reason for the name. Link decided to ask his next question that came to mind.

"I was called the Ara-Draug earlier. Do you know what that means?"

Ara-Draug was a name that Elrond had not heard in a while, not since his little disciple Aravel became fascinated by that legend. He sat down at the across from Link and gestured for the green-clad hero to join him at the table. His hand resting on the large tome he had when Link and Aravel arrived.

The cover of the book was old and weathered as though it were centuries old. He could see the title written at the top of the book, but in an alphabet that he couldn't decipher. Once Elrond opened the book, another mystery was presented to him. The man in the book looked just like he did. Only he was older and had a beard.

"Wha?! That looks like..."

"You? Of course," Elrond said very matter-of-factly, "He was the one who wrote this. The first one to be known as Ara-Draug."

Link was dumbfounded by this. Someone before him was called the same title that Aravel had given him, and on top of it all, he looked just like him. "Who is the Ara-Draug? And why do I look like him?"

Elrond flipped through the pages of the book until he found what he was looking for. He stopped at a page that showed a picture of another person who looked like Link, only they seemed to be more the same age this time, and he was fighting a great, black demon with flaming red hair. The said demon towered the lookalike by a couple of feet, it's massive frame radiated power and fearlessness to his opponent.

"It is said that the Ara-Draug came to us from another world," Elrond began, "When a Hero known as the Hero of Skies went to the distant past to defeat a terrible demon who had been resurrected. Unknown to him, his actions created an alternate timeline where this monster never existed and it's history was altered because of it."

Link tried to take in what Elrond was saying, but it didn't seem to make any sense. He heard the legends of the Hero of Skies, but he had never heard anything about an alternate timeline that had been created by him. Link waited intently to hear more of what Elrond had to say.

"When the hero from that timeline was a young man (no older than you, I might add) it seemed that he had found his way into our realm of Middle-Earth, during a time of great conflict no less." Elrond turned the pages until he found another picture, this one depicting the first Ara-Draug standing against a sky of twilight. With him was a being that Link didn't quite recognize at first, but upon closer inspection, he realized that it was a Twili in the picture with him.

"It was during this conflict that Ara-Draug was granted power by another otherworldly interloper. It was a dark power that granted him the form and power of a beast in a way that rivalled a similar shape changer named Beorn."

Elrond started flipping through the pages of the book, showing more incarnations of the Ara-Draug, each one bearing a striking similarity to Link.

"The Ara-Draug lived on in several lifetimes, opposing the forces of darkness to serve the light," Elrond stopped at a page where Link saw that this incarnation of Ara-Draug was missing an eye and wearing a familiar gold armor. He said nothing, but the look on his face told Elrond that something had just clicked in Link's mind. Elrond continued his reading.

"I personally fought beside him once. During the battle where the Dark Lord Sauron was defeated," Elrond suddenly scowled, "And the hearts of men failed…" Link was curious as to what he meant, but Elrond's voice carried a tone of dismay that told Link he should refrain from asking. His silence signalled Elrond to continue, "It was during this time that the Ara-Draug drew upon another power."

"It seemed that the demon that was defeated those millennia ago was sealed into his sword, as was the spirit of the demon's own blade. The demon was too powerful to release, so what was drawn was the essence of the sword spirit." Elrond turned the page to show a picture of a pale face that held a cruel, smug grin. Half of the face was covered with it's white hair. Superimposed over the picture was another face, one with similarly white hair, but this one had red lines under it's eyes. "It's essence was forged by the elves into a mask of power that would grant the user the power of a god. It was this power that helped to drive back the dark forces of Sauron, but it also had a terrible hold on the wearer."

"As the battle wore on, the mask drove the Ara-Draug to madness. As he laid waste to the foul creatures of Mordor he turned his attention to us just as the battle ended. But before he harmed any of us, he succumbed to the wounds he suffered on the battlefield."

"As he knelt, dying, a strange man with a large knapsack appeared and played a strange tune that seemed to restore his senses for a moment. A serenity seemed to wash over him, as though his anger and hate was melting into the song playing. Soon I witnessed his body fade from existence until all that was left was the mask that granted his terrible power."

"The man with the knapsack collected the mask and disappeared as suddenly as he arrived. Who he was, I cannot say, but he seemed to have business with that mask, so I left him be. It was then that I left to take care of the matter of…"

Elrond paused, unsure of how to continue. It seemed as though he were remembering something that grieved him, "...Well, that does not matter either. But from what I could sense that day, it seemed that the spirit of the Ara-Draug was sealed away in that mask for what seemed like an eternity. That is: until you arrived."

"Me?! Okay, hang on! I am not the Ara-Draug," Link said now suddenly anxious to end the conversation, because he knew exactly what was coming. He was going to be thrust into a prophetic destiny that would save the world against his will and there was nothing he would be able to do about it. "I'm a total stranger here. I don't even know who Sauron is!"

As Link looked down in despair, he suddenly felt Elrond's hand on his shoulder. There was something about his touch that seemed gentle and reassuring as if he were worrying over nothing.

"What you say is true: you are not the Ara-Draug," Elrond assured the boy, "But it cannot be denied that you carry his spirit with you." He took his hand off of Link's shoulder, and walked to the door stopping to motion for Link to follow. "There are some more things that I feel obligated to show you about Middle-Earth that you may want to see."

Link got up from his seat and followed Elrond out the door. They passed through a only a few hallways this time. During the short time, Link found that he could never cease to be fascinated by the art-like architecture of the place. The way they seemed to work nature into their building structure was particularly wondrous to him. It just gave him an even more familiar feeling with the Faron Woods and his own home village of Ordon.

When the two reached their destination, Link found that it was an altar of some sort. Nearby there was a picture of a man, who Link was almost relieved to see did not look anything like him. Though in the picture the man wasn't faring much better because in the painting with him was an imposing figure in black armor, towering the man as he was on his back. The man was holding a broken sword in one hand as if to futilely attempt to fend off the heavily armoured individual.

To the left of the painting, on the altar was a broken sword, which Link assumed to be the one from the painting, or at least a replica of some sort.

Elrond walked up to the altar and turned his head to Link, "The shards of Narsil, the blade that removed the One Ring from the Dark Lord Sauron's hand which ended the enemy of Middle-earth. A magnificent blade that I had the honor of forging for the King before he fell to Sauron."

As he explained that to Link, the Hero could see that this was bringing up painful memories of that day. "Before I explain more of the Ara-Draug I must tell you the story of the One Ring." He motioned for Link to sit on the steps on the other side of the altar, to which the hero complied.

"In the beginning, there was a great elf named Celebrimbor, who's crafting skills knew no bounds. He created the great rings as a way to unite the races of Middle earth.

Three Rings for the Elves, fairest and wisest of all beings

Seven for the Dwarf-lords, great miners and crafters in their halls in the mountains.

Nine for Mortal Men doomed to their greed for power took the rings without they were all deceived for another ring was made,

In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie a ring was made to bend the great leaders to his will. In this ring the Dark Lord Sauron poured his cruelty, his malice and his will to rule all life.

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

One after another, free kingdoms of Middle-Earth were razed to the ground, but not all were as helpless. A large alliance of men and elves marched upon the armies of Mordor, there we fought for the freedom of Middle-Earth. I was leading the elves while we started the attack at the bottom of Mount Doom.

We were vastly outnumbered by the forces of darkness, orcs and goblins charging to drive us back from the foothills of the mountain. During the battle, we could not falter with the fate of all of Middle-Earth rested on our shoulders. Our swords were outnumbered by the black steel of Mordor. Our archers were

After Isildur dealt the killing blow, and the strange man with the knapsack disappeared, I took the young king to the summit of Mt. Doom to destroy the greatest threat that had ever existed in Middle-Earth once and for all.

Link sat in anticipation, waiting to hear how the story ended. He leaned forward to the edge of his seat as he wrung his hands. "What happened?! Did he destroy it?!"

What he saw though, was how Elrond's hands tightened behind his back as he hung his head. Elrond turned to face Link, and the boy's heart sank when he saw his face. Etched into his features was a burden of sadness and regret. Link knew that he would not like how the story ended."No..."

Elrond continued the story, "Isildur...did not have the resolve to do what was necessary," he said quietly.

"What happened to the ring then?"

"Isildur kept the ring as his own...For a time at least."

Link wanted to ask what the man meant, but he could guess just what would have happened when someone possessed an object of such power. Link himself was sought out once for being the bearer of a piece of the Triforce. Link shuddered at the memory.

"Isildur was hunted by Sauron's forces. He was slain in an attack by orcs, who savagely ambushed him. From what I have gathered through the passage of time, the ring was lost until it became nothing more than a myth."

Link felt a rush of relief. He sat back, feeling like that story could have an infinite number of bad endings. He let out a contented sigh, getting Elrond's attention.

"I'm afraid that the story does not end there," he told Link. Link paused in disbelief.

"What," Link asked as he leaned forward once more, "What happened after that?"

Elrond turned to face the sky again, his eyes once more darting between indistinct points in the sky. He didn't turn to face Link as he seemed to read some indistinct script in the stars, "I cannot say, but what happens next is only decided by the will of fate."

Link's mind nearly snapped when he heard this. This was the reason why he had been summoned here. He was fated once more to be the savior of an entire world, just after saving his own and the world of twilight. Link slumped as he realized his burden.

"I suppose as the Ara-Draug, I have to be the one to finish this story?"

"No," came the simple reply from Elrond, "You don't have to do anything if you don't want to." Elrond stepped over to Link and looked down on him. Link couldn't help but feel reassured once again by the man, "Whether or not you play a role in the story of the One Ring is entirely up to you." Elrond extended his hand for Link, which Link accepted, and helped him to his feet, "But for now, you should return to your room. It is getting late."

Only now did Link become aware of the late hour, and despite his long bout with unconsciousness, he still felt weary and disturbed by the recent events. "I guess rest would be the best thing for right now," Link said drearily.

"Please, follow me. I will escort you to your room. My home is only a short distance from yours,"Elrond spoke to our long eared friend, Link.

"Thats alright," Link said, appreciatively, "I know it's my first time here, but I've always had a pretty strong sense of direction. I can see my own way there. Thank you for the offer though Lord Elrond." With a dismissive nod, Elrond allowed Link to leave on his own with a bow of respect shown to Elrond, he left the room. As the boy left, Elrond had a sense of unease, though he couldn't quite place why. He decided to continue his nightly pondering to discern the reasons for this.

Link walked to his room, his head filled with utter bewilderment at his predicament. He had no way of knowing for sure, but it didn't seem very often that one would get sent to a foreign land and learned they may be the reincarnation of a fabled hero. Link's head began to hurt from just thinking about it.

He found his way back to the room the way he had gone: by going through the flower garden and through the window back into his bed. Normally Link would not do this because he was used to sleeping under the stars where was colder, but now with a warm bed of his own, he removed his boots, tunic, and hat, then proceeded to place them on the floor next to the bed. He crawled under the covers, and he was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

And done! I'm just letting you know that the real fighting and stuff will be coming up soon... Please have patience, I promise i wont fail you guys!

En Taro Adun!