Ch. 35 A Life Of Worries.
Voldo crept silently into the lair of Soul Edge and Majora's Mask. Surprisingly, the only guard was the strange girl Tira. As Voldo crept across the ceiling into the room that held Soul Edge, the blade saw him and sent the spider-like man a telepathic message.
'I commend you for making it this far. Tell me, what business do you have here?'
Voldo jumped down and released a loud hiss as he revealed his tribute; the shards he had stolen from his original master.
'I see.' Soul Edge responded.
"Do you really believe Raphael took Amy because he felt this was too dangerous for her?" Mitsurugi asked Taki.
"Not a chance." The ninja replied. "He most likely attempted to double cross us and Link, being pure soul he is, let them go and told this lie."
"I agree, but try telling the others that." Mitsurugi snorted.
"They don't need to know. I'm sure Link had his reasons. What's most shocking to me is that Ivy actually risked her life to save Link."
"Yeah, it's a shame we couldn't get the story from her before she marched off. Who would have thought Ivy would be the type to risk her life for another?" Mitsurugi agreed. "I have to say, that elf has definitely changed us. I'm may even miss him after our duel."
"You still plan on killing Link after all of this is over?" Taki asked in disbelief.
"Of course. After our adventure, life will seem dull. I have to fight someone to keep my skills sharp."
"You do realize that if you try to kill Link, you'll have to fight me first." Taki warned.
"Wouldn't have it any other way, Taki." Mitsurugi chuckled.
Ivy limped as she left town. The people stared as she went by, most likely believing she was a witch. No matter to her. She was used to staring commoners.
Once Ivy had put some distance between herself and the townspeople, she leaned against a tree to rest. Her wounds had not yet healed. "I know you're here. Show yourself." Ivy ordered in a bitter tone.
Link walked out from behind a tree. "Why you leave so quickly?" The Hylian asked.
"I highly doubt your friends would trust or enjoy my company."
"I trust you. You saved my life many times." Link bent down to look at Ivy's wounds.
"Back off! I don't need your help, child." Ivy chastised.
"But you do. You hurt bad. Let me help." Link had already begun to treat the woman's wounds.
"If you knew my origins, you wouldn't be so willing to help me."
"Yes, I would." Link looked up from a wound he was bandaging and gave the ornery woman his typical silly grin.
"Do you know why I can do magic and Alchemy, Link?" Ivy asked.
"Yes. You found a book from my world." Link continued to work on her wounds.
"In part, yes. However, someone who knows as powerful magic as you must know you can't simply learn magic from a book. You must be born with magic infused in your blood. Otherwise, you'll never be able to cast even a simple spell, no matter how long you study."
"Hmm." Link nodded in agreement. That was something he already knew.
"My magic came from Soul Edge." Ivy confided to him. "My blood and soul are tainted by that evil blade."
"Many people have been tainted by Soul Edge." Link reminded her. "That why Soul Edge must be stopped."
"I was tainted a little... differently... than most people." Ivy continued. "I wasn't simply cursed by Soul Edge. My mother was cursed by Soul Edge, Link. I…I should have never been born. When my bastard of a father…no... when the wicked pirate Cervantes was the host to Soul Edge, he…he…well, I would prefer not to explain further."
Link silently looked away from Ivy, his free hand was clenched in a fist now in sheer rage.
"I see you understand." Ivy commented dryly. "When Cervantes was the host of Soul Edge, I was born with similar powers as well. The blood of the evil sword is in my veins. That is why I can do magic, but with my power, I have committed countless atrocities. Three years ago, I assisted Nightmare, believing I would be able to destroy Soul Edge by helping him. I killed many innocent people during that time and still never achieved my goal."
"You wrong." Link corrected. He finished bandaging her last wound and stood up so that he would look taller than her.
"Am I?" Ivy spat.
"Yes. Just because born in bad way doesn't make you evil. You make own destiny and give own life worth. You know what you did wrong and try to make up for it. That make you good person."
"I wish you would stop saying that." Ivy grumbled, standing up straight now. "I'm going to do more investigation and research." Ivy informed. "I'll let you know if I find anything. Make sure you don't die"
Ivy left the young hero on his own, but his words kept echoing in her head. No one had ever treated her like that before. Was he pure-hearted and wise or just an idiot? Either way, she had decided on one thing; she wouldn't let him die easily, especially if he could help her destroy Soul Edge.
Link sighed and walked to Sophitia's house. Though people saw him, they tended to move out of his way and cast only the briefest of suspicious glances in his direction. They still weren't used to him. Link knew some believed he was a messenger of the gods while others believed he was a daemon.
Pausing, he noticed several children running around, playing a game with masks covering their faces. A lone child without a mask sat underneath a tree. The small boy sobbed into his hands.
"What's wrong?" Link knelt down to the child's height.
When the child looked up and saw Link, he jumped and looked around wildly. His parents had most likely warned him about Link and he appeared to be looking for his friends to save him.
"It's O.K." Link assured. "Why are you alone?"
"You need a mask to play with them." The child sighed. "I don't have one, so they won't let me play."
"Oh." Link pulled out a mask from his bag and handed it to the child. "Here." He offered the child a yellow fox face mask with squinty eyes and a smiley face.
"I can have this?" The child asked, reluctant to take it.
"Yes." Link responded, giving the child the mask. He patted the child on the head and began to walk away. Out of the corner his eye, he saw the child put the mask on and run to play with the other children.
It always amazed Link how such small deeds could impact a person's life for the better.
The Hylian sat down by the lake, his mind racing. Despite his cheerful demeanor, he was greatly worried. He had just discovered that his arch nemesis was part of the attacks.
'He's returned yet again.' Link thought as he looked down into his reflection. 'As if dealing with Soul Edge and Majora's Mask isn't enough. I know I can defeat one of them, but will I be able to defeat all three of them? What if they join forces?'
As Link peered down into the water, he noticed his reflection had changed. His eyes were glowing white balls of light and his hair had become the color of silver. His face was tanned and covered with war tattoos. Link jumped and splashed the reflection, turning it back to normal.
'My demon.' Link spoke. 'It's beginning to become more and more present. Is my seal breaking? I need to calm down. If I worry too much, I'll end up killing myself.'
"Link!" The Hylian heard Talim's friendly voice.
Link turned to see Talim, Mi-na, and Yun-seong running towards him. He could tell they had just finished sparring, judging by their bruises and cloths. Surprisingly, Mi-na had more bruises than Yun-seong.
"Hi." Link waved. "Sparring?"
"Yun-seong and Mi-na have." Talim informed.
"Yeah, and I actually won." Yun-seong crowed with pride.
"You got lucky." Mi-na informed.
"What are you talking about? It was pure skill. You'd better watch out, Link. Soon, I'm going to be better than you. Even using my child's sword, I'm still the best."
Mi-na gave Yun-seong a light smack on the head for his arrogance. "I swear, Yun-seong, you may be training harder, but you're still as arrogant as always."
"I am not! It's not arrogance if I speak the truth!" Yun-seong retorted as the two began to argue.
Talim sighed in defeat and turned away from them. "Link, what are you doing by the river?"
"Oh, nothing." The Hylian lied, keeping his worries to himself. He didn't want to concern Talim with his problems.
Talim looked at him suspiciously, and Link knew she knew he wasn't telling the truth. "There is something worrying you." She studied him carefully. "Please, tell us. We want to help if we can."
"No worries." Link assured. "Just thinking of enemies and how to defeat them."
"Oh, I suppose that is something that requires reflection." The girl nodded.
"If you're worried about our enemies, don't." Yun-seong bragged. "With me around, you've got nothing to worry about, Link."
"That's exactly why we should be worried." Mi-na snorted.
"Hey!" Yun-seong yelled indignantly.
"Its about time I found you." Edge Master spoke from behind and above the group.
Everyone spun around to see the old man standing on a tree branch, peering down on them. Edge Master jumped down from the tree, but he descended through the air so slowly, it was as if he glided through the air.
"You've had nothing but trouble lately, haven't you?" The old man's question was more a statement.
Link nodded.
"Tell me; do you finally realize the severity of the situation?" Edge Master continued, his eyes boring into Link.
"Yes." Link replied humbly.
"Good. It is time to see if your skills have improved, Link. Draw your weapon."
The Hylian hero drew his sword and shield and lowered himself into a ready stance. He did not charge the old man, but instead waited for him to make the first move. Edge Master didn't draw a weapon. He merely stood with his arms crossed and waited. The two faced off, not moving a muscle while they focused all their energy on one another. Link had sparred Edge Master once before. He didn't know how, but the old man was more skilled, more than Link had ever expected. Though this was only training, he would have to fight with everything he had to win.
"This is boring!" Yun-seong groaned. "Will someone make a move already?"
"Be quiet." Mi-na snapped at him. "Their skills far exceed our own, Yun-seong. This might look like a friendly match, but it's a real battle to them. They're analyzing each other, searching for an opening."
"Excellent observation, Mi-na." Edge Master broke his concentration to compliment her. "However, I know everything Link plans. I'm simply waiting for the young man to make a move."
With Edge Master distracted, Link attacked. A blade made of green energy appeared in Edge Master's hand, which he used to block Link's sword. The two blades grinded together as each warrior tried to push the other back.
Link quickly pulled his sword back and barely avoided being struck by Edge Master's sword. Link tried to slash at Edge Master's feet, but the old man jumped in the air. Link followed, hoping he had the old man on the offensive, but his hope quickly diminished as Edge Master's weapon transformed into a spear.
Edge Master jabbed at Link. Link blocked with his sword and shield, only to be kicked downward by the old man. Link recovered before he hit the ground and landed on his feet.
Edge Master landed and his weapon transformed into a bow staff. Balancing himself on the top of his bow staff in a one-handed handstand, Edge Master spun around on it, kicking at Link. Link dodged the attack. Edge Master then grabbed his staff with his other hand, seeming to levitate as he struck Link with the end of the staff. The Hylian hero stumbled backwards.
'How is he this good?' Link wondered. 'I know he's not stronger or faster than I am, and yet I can't land a single blow on him.'
"Wondering why you fail?" Edge Master asked. "Simple. You're not the only hero to complete the Cave of Ordeals."
Link gasped in surprise. He didn't know why he was so shocked; it made perfect sense. The Cave of Ordeals was a legendary cave, over 50 floors deep, and every Hero of Time ventured in to unlock their true potential. Once they triumphed over the cave's challenges, the warriors received the blessings of the gods, which gave them abilities that rivaled the gods themselves. During Link's lifetime, only he and one other person had ever managed to pass the trials.
"A warrior should be able to analyze their opponent's moves." Edge Master advised. "You have gained skill in that, however, if a warrior switches his fighting style like I can, it becomes impossible to find a weakness. When you fight, you concentrate on using a few special moves instead of fighting without any pattern. You then find an opening in your opponent. I don't have to predict your next strike, I see your attack before you release it. Every motion of your body requires different muscles to move, which teaches me exactly what you are about to do. It has taken years to master this technique, but now that I have, you will find it impossible to win. Then again, you haven't used a fraction of your true power against me, have you? Knowing my secret, do you still want to hold back?"
Link knew what the old man implied. If he too had passed through the Cave of Ordeals, then he had powers similar to Link. 'He wants to fight me as a fellow Kami Zenpan.'
A powerful gold aura surrounded Link's body as he called upon his true power.
"Finally." Green lightning surrounded Edge Master's body. His ears grew and became pointed like a Hylian's. A red tattoo designed to look like an eye with three eyelashes glowed from the old man's head.
Link charged Edge Master so quickly, it seemed like he vanished to Yun-seong, Mi-na, and Talim.
Edge Master predicted the attack and easily dodged it. The old man shot a blast of lightning out of his hand at Link. Link used his own magic to raise a barrier around himself. Edge Master appeared behind Link and kicked him in the back. As Link stumbled forward, he quickly spun around and blocked blows from Edge Master.
Talim and the others continued to watch the fight, but Link and Edge Master were moving so fast, they couldn't keep up. All they saw was an occasional spark when swords collided.
Link continued to block blows from Edge Master and retaliate with his own, yet Edge Master was able to avoid his attacks with ease. Link fired a blast of flames, but Edge Master quickly dashed to the side. Link then swung his sword and fired a sword beam, followed by launching his hookshot. Edge Master simply dodged each attack with ease.
Link charged Edge Master and began to use his illusion stab technique. Link's sword arm stabbed at the old warrior with such speed that it left several after images, making it impossible to see which image was his actual arm. However, Edge Master continued to dodge and block Link's attacks.
'He's doing more that reading my muscle movements.' Link thought as he continued his barrage. 'Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to dodge my magical attacks so easily.'
Edge Master could somehow sense Link's movements and spells before they even transpired by reading how the energy flowed in Link's body. There was only one way Edge Master could do that.
'He's using the Eye-of-truth technique.'
A Sheikah technique that allowed a person to read another's energy flow and body movement to predict their every attack. However, Impa was the only person Link knew who had actually mastered the technique to such a degree.
Despite Link's quick stabs, Edge Master was able to pinpoint the Hylian hero's movements and disarm the young warrior.
Link jumped back and was about to summon Master Sword to his hand when Edge Master used his own power to cause the Master Sword to fly into his own hand.
"Bombos." Edge Master yelled. Several powerful blasts of fire flew out of the Master Sword. Link quickly raised a diamond shaped barrier around his body to protect himself from the attack as he was knocked onto his back.
"That's impossible." Link gasped. "It doesn't even if you have gone through the Cave of Ordeals. Only the Hero of Time can use the Master Sword. How is it that you can do it?"
"You tell me." Edge Master tossed the blade to Link and reverted back to his original form. "You were supposed to figure who I was in the first place."
Link sat down and began to think now. "Well, you're obviously over three hundred years old if you taught Impa, possibly close to four hundred. Also, you don't appear to be a full Sheikah, assuming that was your true form."
"It was." Edge Master assured.
"But you can use the Master Sword. That just doesn't make sense."
"Think back to the origins of the festival tournament every year." Edge Master hinted.
"The festival tournament. Well, If I remember correctly it is meant to honor the Picori."
"Not only for that, Link. Several hundred years ago, Ganondorf had risen to power. The Hero of Time had not yet been reborn. Due to this, a different hero had to be chosen to rise up and fight the evil king. To choose that hero, the King hosted a fighting tournament…"
"And the original champion was Swift Blade the First. Wait, you're Swift Blade the First? But he passed on to the spiritual realm years ago. How are you still alive?"
"It is easy to assume a person is dead when they suddenly vanish, Link. Your princess figured out who I was immediately. She had faith that you would."
"I was never told about a hero who could use the Master Sword or fight Ganondorf besides the Hero of Time."
"I'm the Hero of Spirits. That title has been long forgotten except by scholars. I no longer have use for the Master Sword. It's against my philosophy to use magical swords, besides, you're its user now, not me."
"Why was it so important for me to know this?" Link asked curiously.
"Simply because I enjoy my students to learn on their own instead of providing the answer. It keeps their mind sharp, which is a better weapon than any blade. Of course, you probably already know that. Keep training Link; even you have much you can learn." The old man turned and began to walk away. "Oh, one more thing. Do not worry so much about your nightmares. We cannot control our fates, but I have faith you will succeed if you believe in yourself and others."
Edge Master used a Deku nut and vanished.
"Mi-na, your Master may have just owned Link and all, but I think he's a little insane." Yun-seong gaped.
"Yeah, I'm beginning to think that myself." Mi-na informed.
Everyone was interrupted by Talim's stomach growling. They all turned to the girl and looked at her.
"Sorry," Talim apologized. "I'm a little hungry."
"Why don't you go get some food." Yun-Seong suggested.
"Because I don't have any money left."
"What happened to it?" Mi-na asked.
"I gave it to this funny-looking man with a mustache. He said his daughter was very sick and he needed the money to pay for an operation."
"Um, Talim? That man was a con artist." Mi-na sighed.
"Con artist?" Talim tasted the unfamiliar word. "What does that mean?"
"Someone who tricks you out of your money." Yun-seong snorted with laughter. "Talim, I can't believe you fell for that. How naïve can you be?"
"Hey, be nice to her!" Mi-na yelled.
Link tossed his remaining non-Hylian money to Talim, who caught the bag.
"What's this for?" Talim asked.
"Gift. Don't be tricked out of it." Link ordered. Link felt for the girl. He might have fallen for the same thing, being a trusting person himself.
"But Link, I can't take your money. I'm sure you work hard for it."
"Gift." Link stated again as he began to walk away. "I am going to Sophitia's house."
"What's wrong with him?" Mi-na asked.
"He's probably embarrassed because he just got his butt handed to him by that old man." Yun-seong informed.
"No, I don't think that's the reason." Talim argued. "He seemed more worried than embarrassed. Link's been acting like this ever since Raphael and Amy returned to France. I'm wondering if Edge Master said something to him."
"Well, I wouldn't worry about it." Yun-seong assured. "Link's Link. He'll bounce back, because if he doesn't, I'll kick his butt."
"You wish." Mi-na snorted.
That night Link sat in his favorite tree, staring up at the sky. Talim was right. It wasn't humility that caused him to act distant, but worry. Link could handle losing a fight. Impa won all the time when he was a child. His defeat was on his mind though.
He couldn't believe the old man had been able to beat him so easily. It was true that Link hadn't used his full power during the battle, but the difference in their skills was all too clear. Were there people that much stronger? Not only that, but how Edge Master had wielded the Master Sword with such perfection? There was so much Link didn't know and he felt as though he was barely scraping the surface. The Fierce Diety, Majora's Mask, Soul Edge, Edge Master…the list went on.
Link hadn't doubted skills like this for years. He needed more training. He needed to become stronger.
Link thoughts were suddenly caught short. He could sense a presence looming over him. Link lifted his blade as several ravens flew down and attacked him. Taki jumped down from the roof and assisted Link in killing the ravens.
"Taki!" Link pointed to the sky.
The two looked up and saw Tira along with several more large black birds. The ravens dived down as Tira jumped through the window.
"The children's room." Taki spoke.
"Din's fire!" Link yelled, sending a powerful blast of fire out of his blade and killing the ravens.
Tira landed in the children's room as agile as a cat. The children were sleeping and hadn't awoken from the commotion. Mitsurugi burst through the door with blade in hand when Tira grabbed Pyrrha.
"Make a move and I'll spill this girl's blood." Tira warned.
"Mommy!" Pyrrha began to scream and cry.
"Sorry, but mommy's not going to save you." Tira cackled. "Not moving goes for you too, ninja." Tira informed Taki, who had snuck up behind her and was about to attack. Despite her appearance, Tira had keen senses and felt the ninja's presence before he could rescue the child.
"Put your blade down, Mitsurugi." Taki ordered. "We can't spill an innocent's blood."
"Says you." Mitsurugi growled. "I'm not about to allow this brat to continue causing us problems."
"Mitsurugi." Taki warned.
"Oh, fine." Mitsurugi grumbled, sheathing his sword.
"Oh my. Its amazing how cooperative you can be when I have such a pathetic little hostage." Tira giggled. "Now, here's how this works; I'm going to head towards the forest. The cute elf and the girl's mother will follow me. Alone. If anyone comes with or tries any heroics, I'm going to slit this girl's throat. Is that understood?"
Tira took everyone's silence as a yes.
"I'll be off." The wicked girl giggled. She jumped through the window with a crying and struggling Pyrrha.