Nayru X Link chapter, written by Lleu
In the depths of General Onox's castle, Link faced off against his strongest opponent yet. He quickly rolled under a giant claw. It just missed his head as it rent the air above him. The hero scurried behind a pillar, hoping for a second to catch his breath. That had been too close.
He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep going. His arms burned from his numerous powerful strikes to the dragon's impenetrable body. Its only unprotected spot was a jewel high up on its head. Even with the help of his Roc's Cape reducing his body weight, he could only barely jump high enough to reach it, and that was at the beginning of the battle. Now, even a step seemed near impossible.
Link heard a roar and dived to the side just in time to avoid the pillar. Onox had smashed into it, bringing it down. As it shattered, stone fragments shot out, leaving several small cuts on Link's body.
Pain tore through his body, and he bit back a scream. This dragon would not see any weakness from him. He slowly climbed back to his feet. Sweat and blood dripped down from his forehead, but the hero was not distracted by it.
"Why won't you just die?" he said through grit teeth. Once again, he reached into his deepest reserves of strength and jumped on the dragon's claws. Onox tried to throw him off, but he clung tightly to his foe's scaly arm. Ever so slowly he pulled himself along it while the dragon thrashed about, trying to dislodge him. Finally he reached the shoulder. Praying for luck, he made a small leap and landed on the dragon's head.
"It's time to end this," he muttered, and locked his legs around his enemy's neck. There was no way he was getting thrown off this time. Taking his sword in both hands, he turned it around and stabbed it into the dragon's forehead. Onox reared back in pain, but Link kept his tight grip.
"Just die already!" He could barely hear his scream over the din his enemy was making as he writhed about, smashing into the walls in an attempt to remove the pest on his head. Link didn't know how much longer he could hold on to his sword. His sweat made it difficult to get a good grip, and his hands were starting to cramp.
Still he held fast. This was the last great feat he would ever have to accomplish. As soon as Onox was dead, he could go back to a life of peace. A life of working in his garden and listening to the birds sing. And all he had to do was hold on for a few more seconds.
He then realized that he wasn't moving any more. He opened his eyes that he hadn't realized had been closed, and he found himself lying atop the dead body of his enemy. Somehow, he'd done it.
Link rose shakily to his feet, his legs close to failing. He staggered away from the foul corpse, leaving the sword embedded in its head. He stumbled and fell to his knees, but he got up and kept going. There was still one last detail to take care of.
Din sat in the corner of the room, still embedded in the crystal. Link extended the Rod of Seasons towards her, and immediately he felt its magic flowing through him. More active than ever before, it was firmly pulling him toward the Oracle. It was all he could do to keep it from flying out of his hand.
When he finally touched the rod to the crystal, a brilliant red light emerged from it, blinding him. He immediately brought his hand in front of his eyes to shield himself. When he finally brought them down, he saw the crystal melting in front of him. Din's face was already free, and soon the rest of her emerged.
With the crystal no longer holding her up, she collapsed. Link tried to catch her, but he no longer had the strength, so he was brought down too.
"I knew you could save me," Din whispered.
Link just ignored her, lost in his thoughts. He was finally done. He no longer had to be strong for anyone. He didn't need to be a hero. Finally, he could just be Link. He was finally able to express the flood of emotions that he had forced himself to put away while he fought to save the the world. Before he could stop himself, tears were flowing from his eyes.
"I just killed a dragon. A dragon! Why?"
"Link..." Din placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Why did he even exist? What kind of goddess would create a world filled with such abominations? How could anyone want to kill anyone, let alone the entire world?"
He was sitting up now, with Din beside him, staring in confusion at her savior.
"And the worst part is, no one cares! The world's falling apart around them, and I'm the only one man enough to go do something about it. I'm not even from here! I was just minding my business, researching the Triforce, and suddenly some idiot says "Accept our quest, hero," and
I wind up here. I'm not a hero. I'm a gardener. I just want to pick apples and play my fiddle."
"Link, please calm down! You're scaring me. You have the mark of the hero; you're supposed to be strong."
Link turned, suddenly realizing Din was standing right there beside him. Seeing the normally proud dancer trembling chased all the anger and frustration out of him. Now, he just felt drained. He let himself fall back to the floor.
"Not any more. I did my job, and I'm going home. Wherever that is."
It was about half an hour before he finally felt ready to go back to the surface and face the world. Outside the castle, it was spring. Just a few hours before, there had been nothing but death. Now, flowers sprang up all over, and the sun shone warmly down on everything. Only the ground touching Onox's castle was untouched by life.
Link was unable to enjoy any of it, however, as Impa was waiting for him and, a grim look on her face.
"Link, we have a problem," she said.
"No."
"Onox was just a pawn-"
"No."
"-in a plot to destroy not just Holodrum, but the entire world."
"No."
"The Flame of Destruction has been lit-"
"No!" Link screamed. "Stop talking. Just stop it. I've done my duty. My job's over. I'm going home. Someone else can take care of it." He started to walk past her, she was too fast. She held his arm in a vice grip that Link, in his weakened state, was powerless to escape.
"Who else?" Impa snapped. "You've already fought and destroyed some of the most evil creatures in existence. You know an Oracle. You are trusted by the Maku Tree. You have the mark of the hero on your hand. What more could you want? Who else is there to save us?"
"I'm just a man!" Link replied. He was absolutely sick of this "Save us," talk. Tired of everyone in the whole world deciding that he needed to go save everyone by himself, just because he was too good natured to refuse. "I'm a gardener. I'm not some elite soldier that's been training his entire life. Anyone else could do it. Just build an army or something."
"Stop being selfish." Impa slapped him, hard. "There is but one man in a million brave enough to sacrifice himself for the world as you have. We haven't time to find a second. The forces of darkness are moving, and we have to act now."
Link could only stare at his feet. He knew Impa was right. If anyone else were willing to deal with this Flame of Destruction business, it would be too late by the time they found him. "I was done..." he said helplessly.
"You were wrong," Impa replied.
Link tried to compose himself. He didn't think he had it in him to go save the world again. But he knew that if this greater threat was allowed to win, he'd die anyway. He could fight for himself, at least. That should be bearable.
"Where to?" he said.
"You've got to come up with a better form of transportation," Link grumbled as he followed Impa across the strange, new land of Labrynna. "Seriously, do you have any idea how disorienting it is to fall through that black stuff? I think I need to vomit."
"Would you prefer walking?" Impa asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes. Yes, I would. I'm awesome at walking. I've walking pretty much nonstop for the past year. I could walk all day long and feel great afterward."
"Too bad. We had to go to an entirely different world. Walking wouldn't work."
One year ago, Link would have been frozen with shock at this news. So much had happened to him since then, however, that he was mainly just annoyed.
"Wait, another world? Really? See, that's the sort of thing I need to know before we start on something-"
He cut himself off when he heard a rustle to his left. He immediately froze and motioned Impa to do the same.
Three Moblins came out of the bushes. Link cringed a little at their rancid breath and the slobber dripping from their mouths.
"Not this again," he muttered.
"Come on Link, you can do it!" Impa said.
"Yeah, I know I can," he said, drawing his sword. "I just don't want to."
Two minutes later the battle was over. Link was wiping down his tunic with a cloth he kept inside.
"Why does Moblin blood have to be so damn sticky?"
"That was amazing," Impa said from where she had taken cover. "I'd never seen you fight before. It was so effortless."
"I've only killed about a thousand of them. It gets old fast, trust me." He gave up on getting the blood off and turned to go. As much as he didn't want to go questing again, he knew he had to, and he wanted to get it over with as soon as possible so he could get back home.
The pair continued along the forest trail until they came to a clearing. The sun was finally able to shine through, and Link had to blink furiously because of its sudden light. Once he adjusted, he was able to see a giant stone at the other side of the clearing, blocking the path. And on the face of the stone...
"Oh, not that stupid hero symbol again."
"You were so much more excited about saving the world when we first met," Impa pointed out.
"I didn't know what I was getting into then," Link replied, eyeing up the stone. It looked way too heavy to move, but that stupid triangle on its face clearly indicated that he was supposed to. He figured it couldn't hurt to try, and he gave it an experimental shove.
As soon as he touched the rock, he felt energy welling up in his left hand. He could feel it flowing into the rock, and then he could feel the rock itself. As he pushed, the energy augmented his strength, and the stone moved easily, as if it were just a pebble. When he took his hand away, the energy left as suddenly as it appeared.
"I refuse to believe that just happened," he said. Before he could complain further, he heard another voice. Immediately he was on guard, using all his senses to the fullest to identify the source of the sound. With one hand he motioned Impa to be silent as he listened hard for more details.
The voice was too faint to hear clearly, but it was definitely female. He slowly followed it, making sure not to step on any twigs. As he moved closer, he began to see where others had gone before him not too long ago. The voice became more clear as well. It was singing something.
Soon he emerged into yet another clearing, where he found something unforgettable. Humans, bears, birds, all sorts of species, were all sitting around someone. She was clothed head to toe in blue. Even her long hair, flowing down past her back, was blue. But somehow, on her, it didn't seem unnatural. It fit the girl somehow, and it filled Link with a sense of peace. Serenity, even.
But the most striking thing about her was not her hair, but the song she was singing. There
wasn't much to it; it was composed of only two phrases that the girl kept repeating. But it was that simplicity from which it drew its magic. As Link listened to her and the soothing sounds cycled through again, he became more and more entranced.
Images sprang to life inside his mind. Waves gently lapping at a beach, illuminated only by the moon. An old king, bound forever to his bed, but dignified to the end as the last of his life slips away. His son stands in silence, unsure if he can bear the burden of his father's crown.
This was the single beautiful thing he had heard since he had left on his adventure. Back home, he had made music with his friends almost daily. Everything from upbeat polkas to funeral dirges with whatever instruments they had available. He never really appreciated it then. And while he was busy fighting evil monsters or climbing impossibly steep mountains, he had never had time to fully realize what he had left behind.
Now, hearing this song, he finally realized how precious music had been to him. He was on his knees now, all desire to leave this girl and continue with his quest completely gone. He cried, unashamed, as he took in the song's beauty.
The girl must have noticed him, for suddenly the song stopped.
"Are you okay, sir?" asked the same voice that had been singing.
"Yes," Link replied. "I was just overcome by your melody."
The girl blushed, but quickly regained her composure. "I am fortunate to have such a receptive audience. I am Nayru, the singer."
Nayru! That's who he had been trying to find. The Oracle of Ages. He had to protect her from darkness or something. He was beginning to change his mind about this mission. Protecting her would be a privilege, not a burden.
"I am Link, of Hyrule, and this is Impa. We're here to protect you from..." Link paused. Now that he thought about it, he realized Impa never said exactly what it was he was fighting. "Evil. Or something."
Nayru nodded, carrying on as if Link's blunder hadn't happened. "Of course. A bird brought word of your arrival-"
"But you're really not needed," another man cut in. "I've got you covered, right Nayru?"
Nayru laughed. "I'm sorry. Link, this is Ralph. We've been friends since we were children."
Link looked at Ralph in annoyance. Something about him was just annoying. He wore a sword, but Link doubted he'd ever used it. There was no way he had the guts to look a creature in the eye and choose to end its life.
"Ralph, please!" Nayru said before Link could figure out how to react without offending the girl. "I need all the help I can get. I sense a great evil about to come to Labrynna, and it's imperative that it not get to me. If these two want to aid you, they should be welcome."
"Here we go again," Link muttered.
And then Impa started to laugh. It was not that gentle, amused laugh that Link had come to know so well. It was raspy, and hoarse, and Link shuddered at the sound of it.
"Yes, Nayru. Evil is indeed coming to this land. It is already here!" She stepped slowly toward Nayru, her once calm face now bearing a scowl. The woman's eyes stared blankly forward, unfocused. Link could barely recognize her anymore. He immediately put himself between her and Nayru, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ralph do the same thing.
"Link here was kind enough to move the sacred barrier for me, and now there is nothing keeping me from you, Nayru, Oracle of Ages."
The hero was overcome with fear and instinctively took a step backwards, holding his sword unsteadily in front of him. Had he really let evil threaten Nayru? Had his quest already failed? Such questions threatened to overwhelm him as he fought to regain his calm. It took all his will, but he was soon able steady his weapon and focus his mind once more.
But his swordsmanship would be of no use here. With a scream, Impa collapsed, completely limp. Where she had stood a shadow hovered, but only for a second. It flew straight at Link and passed through him. He didn't feel a thing. He turned around just in time to see the shadow enter the singer. Its power merged with hers, and it became too much for a single body. The excess manifested itself as a dark blue aura surrounding the girl. Dim at first, but it quickly grew in intensity.
Before Link could react, Ralph was charging her, his sword raised to strike.
"Let Nayru go!" he screamed.
Link jumped at the other man, tackling him before he could do any damage. He fought to get up and get at the girl, but Link held him down easily.
"Calm down! If you hurt her, you'll only be hurting Nayru."
The shadow laughed again.
"I am Veran, Sorceress of Shadows! With this body I can now control time. I will go into the past and create a world of darkness."
And with that she stepped into a portal and disappeared. Link let Ralph up, and he immediately ran off in a random direction, screaming something about saving Nayru. The fool would never manage it. He didn't even have the presence of mind to not swing a sword at his childhood friend. If she were to be saved, it would be up to Link. As usual.
He thought back on her song and smiled. He was not at all eager to go on a quest to save the world. A quest to save Nayru, on the other hand, he could do. He could do it easily But first, he sat down for some food and water. This was going to be a lot of work.