Chapter 6- The Third Warrior

Wind roared past them as Tristan and Celina were flung through the portal. After several minutes of this, Tristan suddenly landed on his stomach and he felt something land heavily on his back. Turning his head, he could just make out Celina on top of him, facing a red, cloudy sky.

"Hey, Celina?" Tristan said. "Do ya mind?"

"Huh?" she said, looking down. Quickly jumping up, she helped Tristan stand. "Sorry! Didn't realize I'd fallen on you."

"It's alright."

They looked around and found themselves in a clearing, surrounded by trees with bluish-grey trunks and purple leaves. To the north towered an enormous building that seemed to be made of metal. It was lit by fire, but as the building was beyond the wood they were in, they couldn't see the source. A sudden rustle from one of the bushes, however quiet, caught Tristan's attention. Quickly pulling out his swords, he turned around just as a kid leaped high in the air, an axe in his hands.

Tristan easily blocked the attack and soon had the boy disarmed and on his back. Keeping one sword pointed at his throat, he said, "Yield."

"Okay, okay," the boy said. "Are you with the Black Phoenix?"

"Who?"

"I guess not. The Black Phoenix is an evil organization stationed in that gigantic building behind you."

Tristan looked back and for the first time saw a large red flag waving from the structure. Emblazoned upon it was a black bird trailing fire, a Black Phoenix, which in Hyrule was ALWAYS associated with evil. Putting away his swords, Tristan helped the boy up.

"What's your name?" Celina asked.

"My name is Peter," the boy replied. "And you are?"

"I'm Tristan, and that's Celina. We came here looking for a couple of warriors to help us save our home."

"Warriors? Ain't no one around here like that except within the Black Phoenix, but they're all evil."

An idea struck Tristan suddenly, the Ocarina! Pulling it out he remembered the portal was supposed to land them near the eldest warrior.

"I have a hunch there are others," he said, holding out the ocarina. "And this is the key to finding them."

"How?"

Tristan began playing Zelda's Lullaby again. Celina didn't glow this time, but Peter did. The Hyrulian bird appeared on his forehead, and then the glow faded and went out.

"Whoa! What was that?" Peter asked excitedly.

"Turns out you're one the warriors we're looking for. Now we just need to find three more."

"How many are there total?"

"Six," Tala said suddenly. "Celina is one, Tristan is another and he's the leader."

"Tala!"

"Oop, sorry Tristan."

"What's that?" Peter asked.

"What, Tala? She's a fairy. She helps me out a lot in battles, giving me advice and showing me weaknesses."

"Wow cool."

"Speaking of cool," Celina said, hugging herself, "it's getting rather chilly. Is it getting late? I can't see a sun so I wouldn't know."

"Yes, it is getting late. Come on! I'll take you to my village!"

Peter started walking away from the Black Phoenix's building so the other two followed. Pretty soon it was out of sight and they left the forest. Celina gasped as she looked out across the fields before her and Tristan couldn't blame her. Everything had a red tinge to it, supposedly caused by the clouds above, even the rivers looked more like transparent blood than the clear spring water that it really was.

"We're definitely not in Hyrule anymore," Tristan said.

"Hyrule?" Peter asked curiously.

"Our home."

"Oh, okay."

Peter led them into a small valley and a village came into view, if you could even call it a village. There were about six crudely made wooden huts. They were pretty big, and Tristan soon saw the reason. Mulling around was a fair amount of people, more than a regular passerby would've guessed lived there. Peter led them right up to the smallest hut and took them inside.

"MOM! I'm home!" Peter called. "And I have guests!"

The large hut had been divided by many walls and doors. From one of these doors, on the north side of the hut, came a rather plump woman with Peter's black hair.

"Oh hello dear," the woman said. "And who might these young people be?"

"These are my new friends Mom. They need my help with something big!"

"Oh really? And what might that be?"

"We need your son's help in saving our homeland," Tristan said. "My name is Tristan and this is Celina. We are from Hyrule and are searching for a few, gifted people you might say, to aid us in preventing Hyrule's destruction."

"Is that so?" Peter's mom asked. "Hyrule huh? You know, surprising as it might seem, I think I've heard of that place before."

"Where?"

"I can't remember really… It may have been a story book or something."

"Is that so?" Celina asked. "Well, where you heard it doesn't really matter right now. We need your son to come with us to protect that beautiful land before it's destroyed by the evil that has once again invaded it."

"And why would you think that my son is one of these 'gifted people' you're looking for?"

The three children looked at each other and smiled. Remembering that Zelda's Lullaby had no effect on Celina the second time it was played in front of her, Tristan pulled out the Ocarina and began playing the Song of Time. It's slow, beautiful tune filled the air as Celina, Peter, and even Tristan, began to glow. When Tristan ended the song, the symbol of a bird appeared on each of their foreheads and the glowing stopped. Tristan looked in a nearby mirror, then at Celina, clearly wanting to say "first time this ever happened."

"By the gods!" Peter's mom finally said. "Well… I guess there's no doubt you were telling the truth now." She smiled and continued, "And I guess I'll just have to let my son have the adventure he's been craving for all these years"

Peter began jumping up and down in excitement. Then he rushed to his mom and gave her a quick hug before going to pack. Peter's mom then turned to Tristan.

"I have a favor to ask of you though," she said.

"If it's within my power, I'll do my best," Tristan replied.

"When you and those others you're looking for have a lot of spare time, can you return here and help us regain control of our land?"

"You've been taken over? Wait… the Black Phoenix?"

"Quite. They took over several years ago and the land has slowly started to deteriorate from it. You've no doubt seen the red clouds in the sky and the purple trees?"

"Aye we have."

"That's the Black Phoenix's doing. It will take a long time, centuries even, before this land is completely destroyed, but they won't leave until it is."

"We'll come back long before that ever happens! I promise to return and try any method I can think of to rid you of the Black Phoenix! I may not return till I'm older, but you have the word of a prince that I'll return!"

"You're a prince?"

"Prince Tristan Marison Davos of Hyrule at your service," Tristan said, bowing low.

"You know," Celina interrupted. "That's the first time I've heard your full name."

"I only recently learned it," Tristan said with a laugh. Noticing the confused look on Peter's mom's face, he explained. "I was sent to grow up and live with a group of forest people for my family's and my own safety. I only found out recently I was a prince. My mother is Queen Zelda Alieena Marison Davos the… uh… XXXVIIth; and my father was the legendary Hero of Time, Link. No one ever knew his full name."

"That's quite a tale," Peter said from the doorway. No one had noticed he had finished packing. "I'm ready to go when you are."

"We're ready," Tristan said. Turning to Peter's mom he added, "Good day madam. We'll return as soon as we can."

"Take care Prince Tristan. Keep an eye on my son!" she said. Leaning down to whisper in Celina's ear she added, "And don't let that prince get away from you."

Celina pulled back, surprised. The plump woman winked and walked back into the room she had come out of.