A slight bit of a change here – there's a split in perspective. Link's journey in Hyrule continues, but not all is perfect back in Centropolis.

Chapter 9 – Within the Grove

"Don't look at us like that. It's all true!"

Link's father, Albert Jensen, closed his eyes and released a sigh. His brown hair cast a shadow over his face from the dim light above. He squeezed the hand of his wife, Nora Jensen, who sat next to him at the table. On the other side were Derwin and Freddy, fulfilling their promise to Link by telling his parents everything. What started off as a retelling of the school day and encounters with Lucario slowly devolved into something more like an interrogation as Link's parents stood firmly in disbelief. It wasn't unexpected after all, it was a fantastic tale and few would believe it without seeing it.

Nora cast a glance to Albert before starting her plea. "Boys, look…if Link is doing something he isn't supposed to, it's okay. You can tell us. He might be angry with you but he'll realize it was for the best."

"But we TOLD you what happened!" Freddy cried, exasperated. Derwin stepped in.

"I know it's hard to believe, coming from Freddy and all, but I was there too. All of it is true. I mean, between the two of us, I'm not the liar."

Freddy gave Derwin a dirty look but left his defense alone; he'd allow himself to be painted out as a bad guy if it meant winning Link's parents over.

Albert sighed again. "Okay, let's say you're telling the truth. Where is this Lucario guy? If he came to the school, why weren't the parents notified?"

"It's not the first time a pokemon wandered onto school grounds, but it is the first time a talking pokemon came to confront anyone. He came and went pretty fast, and didn't really start any trouble…" Derwin could see that the Jensens were unmoving in his explanation. It was possibly damaging the believability of the story even more.

"Where can we speak to Lucario? Where is this 'grown-up' Link?" Albert questioned.

"We told you, they went to Hyrule."

Nora frowned. "Is that some kind of club in another district?"

"Why don't you get it!" Freddy exploded, leaping from his seat. "Yeah, it sounds crazy but it happened! Hyrule is a medieval fantasy land! This didn't come out of nowhere! Think about it: the pointy ears, the nightmares he still has all the time. We had the clues the whole time!"

Albert traded glances with Nora, "He told us he stopped having the nightmares…"

"Because you took him to a quack that was way off base!"

"Are you saying we're the problem?" Albert slowly rose to his feet in tandem with his anger. "We took Link to that psychiatrist to we could help him! Who are you to come into my house and criticize how I raise my son! You - the one that most likely got him into this mess!"

"Oh, it's so easy to blame the messenger! We kept our promise. Even if you finally do accept the truth, you can't do anything until Link comes back on his own."

Freddy stormed out of the apartment. Derwin grabbed his backpack and followed him out.

"It really is hard to believe," the raccoon said as they climbed down the staircase. "We need to get some proof."

Freddy threw his arms in the air. "Proof? What proof? The only proof we had flew away in a magic bubble!"

"Maybe we can get someone else to back up our story. We weren't the only ones that saw Lucario at school."

As they exited the apartment, the answer hit Derwin with the night air, "Oh, what about Hilda?"

"She went inside before Lucario showed up. Didn't see anything."

"Hmm…well there was Jake."

Freddy's eyes widened. "No! No way in hell!"

"Oh, come on! He saw what happened!"

"Yeah, and he's going to hold it over our heads until the day we die if we ask him for help! Screw that kid."

"I'm not ruling him out," Derwin stated decisively.

Freddy sighed. "So what do we do now? I don't think Link's comin' back before tomorrow."

"I better get home before my parents start checking up on me." Derwin looked up and saw Nora peering at them from a window. "I was hoping they would give us a ride home but…I guess that's out."

Freddy snorted. "Yeah, all right. See ya tomorrow."

The aura bubble glided over the Sacred Grove, hanging low to the canopy of trees. They were close enough that Link expected them to brush against the branches. Were they keeping out of Kneph's sight? He could only guess how close he was to a rematch with the demon that stole his life.

They suddenly stopped and lowered into the forest. The Sacred Grove was engulfed in a soft blue hue, adding mystery to the maze-like corridors running throughout the forest.

Link took a few steps forward and closed his eyes. There was an energy to the air, a familiar one that reminded him of the time he first came here with Midna. Something was watching and studying them, but it wasn't quite the sinister presence of a demon.

"Hey, you know this place," Roy said. "Lead the way."

Link turned to find the three of them waiting for his next move. Even Lucario took a passive stance, leaving Link in charge for the moment.

It was then that he realized that he didn't know where to lead them.

"Well…the Master Sword is at my tomb, and I don't really know where that is…" he rubbed the back of his head nervously. There was no overt reaction from the trio, but they were staring at him.

"If I had to guess, I think it would be near the ruins. So…this way."

Link knew his way through the Sacred Grove based on feeling. Because of that, it would have been hard for him to verbally direct anyone else through the forest, but simply being there elicited body memory – every twist and turn became instinct. It was necessary, as to any normal person, every section of the forest greatly resembled one another, and the few that didn't were sandwiched between even more identical areas. Of course, the deterring maze wasn't like that by accident.

Link wasn't allowed to display much of his own impressive navigational skills before their passage was blocked. A wooden marionette creature descended from the treetops with a giggle. A smile was stitched to its face under bulbous red eyes.

"Oh, not this guy again…" Link muttered, recognizing the skull kid. Even in times of crisis, he would still find a way to have his fun.

The skull kid raised the glowing lantern in its arm, casting a strange light on his straw hat and leaf mantle before giggling again.

"He likes to play games," Link warned. "We have to keep up with him or he won't leave us alone."

Lucario raised his palm, releasing a burst of aura energy from it. The skull kid was violently yanked through the air and into his grasp, where he held him close.

"There is a tomb here with a legendary sword. Show us the way or die."

The skull kid nodded vigorously.

"Or…we could do that," Link murmured.

Lucario released the skull kid. He scampered off, motioning for them to follow. The skull kid led them through the branching paths of the forest, and they were heading in the direction of the temple ruins as Link had guessed earlier.

They had arrived at a smaller set of ruins on the way, a place where man once dwelled long ago. In the center of the area were the remains of an ancient fountain, but most notable was the white monument built against an aging wall. Link saw the gleam of the Master Sword embedded at the very top. Seeing it helped fight the feeling that crept along him from looking at his own tomb.

One by one, they leapt down from the ridge into the ruins. The skull kid's body language changed and he climbed atop the fountain, pulling out a trumpet. A call echoed through the Sacred Grove from the instrument, summoning wooden puppets from the trees. They hovered above the ground, manipulated by invisible, magical wires at the behest of the skull kid.

Roy grinned. "This is more like it!" he exclaimed, unsheathing his sword. To his dismay, several of the puppets were blown to pieces by an explosion before he could do anything.

"Yoohoo!" a voice from above sang. A woman in a pink dress lowered from the trees, gliding slowly towards them with an open white umbrella. She tossed another bomb down, destroying the remaining puppets.

The skull kid let out another childish giggle as a sudden gust of wind blew leaves around him.

"Let's play again sometime!" he echoed, disappearing with the wind.

"What a waste," Roy whined, sheathing the sword. He went over to help the woman as she touched down on the ground.

"Hello!" she greeted, closing the umbrella. She stepped up to Link and did a curtsy. "I'm Princess Peach!"

Princess? The crown atop her blonde hair had given that away, though there was something foreign about her that Link couldn't entirely place. Her easy acceptance by the others could only mean she was a part of the Brotherhood. She didn't look the part even though she handled the bombs quite well, and most importantly, she was royalty.

Link looked to others, appalled by the revelation. "You'd have a princess fight in your war?"

"Why not? We have a prince as well," Roy said, nodding to Marth. For Link, that explained the tiara.

"Everyone stands to lose everything if Azazel wins," Peach said. Her voice was light and airy, but there was solemnness in what she said. Link didn't think to question her on the subject.

"We will help you get your weapons, but after that, you'll have to make a choice: you're either with us or you're not," Lucario stated suddenly. "I won't hold it against you, but any further information I'll divulge will be strictly between the Brotherhood."

That made Link feel like an outsider. He couldn't blame them though; he was purposely stalling because he couldn't reach a decision. The gleam of the Master Sword caught his eye again. At least there was certainty in his sword.

Standing in front of his tomb, he got a chance to examine it. It was smooth and crafted out of white marble. The designs on the sealed door of triforces and praises written in old Hylian were acute and exquisite. It was a tomb fit for royalty.

The sides of the tomb were slanted, allowing Link to climb to the top where the Master Sword was embedded into a new pedestal. The eyes bearing into him made him feel like he was performing for an audience as he rubbed his gloved hands together and gripped the hilt of the blade. One mighty tug and the sword was released – the mysterious blue hue of the forest receded as sunlight filtered through the treetops.

Any time to savor the moment was cut short; the sound of sliding stone filled the air. Link leapt down to find that the door had disappeared, opening a path down a short staircase into a tunnel of total darkness.

"Who wants to go in first?" Roy asked.

"I will keep watch," Lucario decided, folding his arms. "I still feel Kneph's presence."

"You'll need company," Peach offered. He didn't reply.

"Send us to do the dirty work!" Roy mockingly complained. He nudged Link, pushing him towards the entrance. "It's your tomb. Dead men first, I always say."

"Don't be insensitive," Marth warned as they journeyed inside.

Roy snickered. "What, too soon?"

Watching Link enter the tomb with the Master Sword was a sign of relief for Lucario. He wouldn't admit though, because that would bring attention to what was keeping him on edge. Though he mentioned sensing Kneph, he was purposely vague, for the demon was closer than ever since Link returned.

And Lucario knew a battle would erupt before sunset.

Claudaily Reflection Moment – Marth and Roy may resemble their personalities from my first SSB series, but there are some differences here. Roy is still a playful joker, but he'll have some serious moments. Marth is still the respectful prince, but due to some major events that happened before this story, he'll have an edge to him that hasn't been seen yet. There will be ample time for these characters to show all of their sides as the series progresses.