6.
"I am not the first hero. That man lived a tragically short life serving his destiny. He was doomed to fail in the fight against evil, but Hylia had fallen deeply in love with him. He was by all accounts a warrior of pure determination, a trait we all share now I suppose. When he fell protecting the goddess, she mourned his death, and vowed that he would live on in spirit. She would find a soul who could fulfil his promise to rid the world of malice, and bring peace to the world."
The Hero had risen now, and was staring at the small pond now. He was still relaxed, but Link could tell he was a bit more reflective in his speech. Link remained silent, waiting for him to sort through whatever it was he had to say.
"I was born in a place not far from here. It is a place called Skyloft. As the name implies, it resides high above the surface world, safe from the creatures of evil that once infested it. It was put there by the goddess when her hero had fallen in an attempt to protect the first men. The first hylians settled the floating landscape, and for a long period of time we lived in peace. In the beginning, the men and women of Skyloft would descend to the surface, but before long they had stopped in fear of the evil still present below. In my time, we knew little of the world below, having long descended into the realm of myth. We were safe, but we were ignorant."
Fi had joined the Hero near the pond, and was floating beside him, looking directly into his eyes. The Hero smiled at her, and turned to Link.
"My journey began when my childhood friend Zelda was taken from me. The surface had risen up to the sky and snatched her away."
The Hero began to tell his story, and Link listened as he always did. He was awestruck by the deeds of this man. He was his predecessor all right, making connections to his own quest to save the land of Hyrule. He never interrupted, but would chuckle lightly at some parts, while at others he would remain silent and contemplative. He absorbed every detail of this man's tale. By the time he had reached the end, the sun had long since set, and the sky was bursting with stars in all directions. Sometime during the story, Link had started a small campfire, and had cooked up a small meal. His predecessor had grinned joyfully, and the two were now drinking a piping cup of tea while basking in the warmth of the flames. The man was warming his hands now with his mug, and his eyes reflected the flickering fire in front of him.
"Basically, the down and dirty of it is, Zelda and I founded the kingdom of Hyrule in order to protect the sacred power left behind by the three goddess', you are the reincarnation of the spirit of the hero, and Demise cursed us because he's a bad guy."
"Master, that is a gross oversimplification of the message the goddess wished to impart on him. Please try again."
Link snorted into his tea. She could say that again. He understood though, there was just so much that the Hero had been through, and so much wisdom he could provide, but he did not fully understand it himself. His trials had been long, and really the only thing he was trying to do was save the woman he loved and the world that he lived in. He never really gave much thought in the implication of his journey, the consequences that had befallen the future. Much like himself, Link thought. He guessed the goddess really did have a type. Link finally spoke, his voice quiet and muted slightly by the pops coming from the campfire.
"So we really are cursed. Zelda was right."
The hero looked up, and his face was one of regret.
"Yes. I am truly sorry. If I had known the extent of Demise's words, I would have found a better solution."
"There wasn't one, though. If the goddess couldn't have done it, you couldn't have either."
The Hero sighed and nodded.
"You're right I guess, it doesn't really help relieve my grief though."
They both sat for a while, absorbed in their own musings. Link thought about all the times he had cursed the goddess for his and Zelda's fate. He now knew that it wasn't truly her fault, she too was just trying to protect the creation of the gods. He regretted it slightly, but still thought she could have at least been a bit more helpful. He shook it from his mind. What good would thoughts like that do now? He figured a change of pace would do them both a favor. He looked up at the Hero, no trace of a smile on his lips.
"Your Zelda seems like quite the woman. Just like mine."
The Hero looked up quickly in shock. Then let out a loud laugh.
"She is! She's my whole world! You would have loved her! Everybody did! Why do you think I did all of this in the first place? Gods, that smile. It melted the heart of even the crankiest of knight instructors!"
Link smiled, thinking of his own teachers. He couldn't really remember them well at the moment, but he did remember the beatings. He winced slightly. The Hero grinned thoughtfully.
"What about yours?"
"She is the greatest being to ever walk this world."
The Hero looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"I feel like I need to defend my Zelda, but then again she is our descendant, so maybe I should be proud?"
Fi chimed in.
"The current iteration of Hylia is strong-willed and passionate. She is wise beyond her years and is thorough in her dedication. Judging by your own experiences Master, you would agree with Master Link's assessment with 98% certainty"
The Hero laughed again.
"Well that settles that! Have you proposed yet?"
Link paled instantly. Proposed? What?
"Come on, man. I know you love her. When will you tell her?"
Link did not answer, since his tongue had swollen about 3 times its normal size. The heat emanating from his face rivaled the fire before them. Proposed? Like marriage? He hadn't once considered the future for the both of them, content to just continue their exploration of Hyrule just the way they were. He did love her, he had no doubts about that, and judging by the amount of times Zelda became upset when he didn't give her a straight answer about his feelings she might love him too. After not answering for a while, the Hero rose and walked towards the middle of the island.
"Well I guess that was a little too forward. I think I broke him Fi."
"While Master's heart rate has risen, he is still in perfect health. He is not in any danger of malfunction."
The man turned and faced the cowed hero before him. He figured a jab might help in this circumstance.
"If she's anything like my Zelda, I know that you can't help yourself around that rear of he-"
"Please stop."
"There he is! Come on Link, enough about beautiful buxom blondes for a moment. I think it's time we get to the 'courage' part of our dear love's quest."
The Hero suddenly stood square, facing the young man with a poised position. Link's mind suddenly drained of all thoughts of rear-ends. His heart continued to beat rapidly, but instead of hormones pumping through his veins, it was replaced by a steady flow of adrenaline. He knew that stance. It was the same as his. Danger.
"Rise, Hero."
Link suddenly stood, his cloak fluttering behind him as he quickly drew the Master sword. He approached slowly, his eyes darting to his opponent and around the field for any sort of advantage. Before he could make any further movements, however, Fi stood between them, facing Link.
"Master, I advise a more effective weapon for this encounter. I cannot harm you."
Link understood. The Master Sword could not be wielded against its original owner, or its current Master. He quickly sheathed his blade, and withdrew a soldier's broadsword from his pouch. The Hero smiled slightly, cocking his head and raising an eyebrow.
"I was hoping maybe you had some wooden swords? As much as I'm confident I can't die again, you can probably still feel pain in this dream."
Link did not move, and the Hero sighed. He reached into his own pouch and withdrew a wooden blade. Link could tell it was weighted, and could still cause quite a bit of pain in the right hands. He stood with a ready stance, but did not approach. He was relaxed, but Link could tell he was prepared.
"Alright man. I have no doubts about your skill, but there are some things I'd like to show you. Go ahead whenever you're ready."
Normally, Link would have immediately darted to the right, jumped off the rock, pulled out his bow, released a dozen bomb arrows, then followed up with a flurry of strikes on whatever was left. Somehow he felt the Hero wouldn't have appreciated that approach however, so instead he charged forward, blade in a guarded position before striking out with a few probing strikes. The Hero blocked each, and it was a strange variant of his own basic techniques. He could tell he had been formally trained, but there was some hesitancy and unfamiliarity with his movements. Maybe he wasn't as good as Link had originally thought? He backed away for a moment, and the Hero looked back at him with a sheepish grin.
"To be honest with you, my sparing skills aren't the greatest in the world. It's pretty obvious you've got me there. But that's not really what heroes do, is it? They fight monsters, not people."
Suddenly the man sprinted forward and unleashed a variety of slashes and stabs at Link, and all he could do was try to avoid the point of his blade. He could not set up any form of parry, nor could he counterattack. His strikes would come in all different directions, pressing any area had left exposed only moments before. The hero's blade snaked in and out of Links guard while he was still trying to block the previous blow, and not long after he would feel the sting of the wooden blade on his ribs, arms, legs and in one final act of brutality, his groin.
As he fell to the ground noiselessly, the Hero winced and put away his sword.
"Sorry, I probably shouldn't have done that last one. That's reserved exclusively for Ghirahim."
Link wheezed hard on the ground, trying not to vomit.
The man knelt beside him and pulled out a bottle containing a fairy. As Link felt it swirl around him, easing his suffering, his eyes met the Hero with fury.
"Look, I'm sorry. But you understand where I'm coming from right? Monsters have weak points, and I know you might know a decent amount about them, but my specialty is knowing when and where to strike at all times. I might not be the greatest knight to ever live, but one thing I know is where to hit em' where it hurts. Monsters, especially those controlled by Demise, have no mercy. You must exploit all openings, strike at all weaknesses. They will do this to you, and you must do this to them."
Link knew all of this already, he wanted to scream. He had fought brutal enemies, destroyed many foes, faced the Calamity, and killed it. But he also knew that he had never been this precise, this focused, and this merciless on killing monsters. He was one to look for alternate solutions, different forms of harm, manipulating the world around him to his advantage.
He rose, and nodded his head. He had learned, and now he must practice.
The Hero withdrew his broadsword from his shoulder, and they began again.
After many hours, taking small breaks to wash the sweat from their brows in the pond, the two had stopped and were now standing close in the middle of the island. Fi had chimed in a few moments before and advised them that they should soon head to the surface.
Before they were to depart, the Hero wished to instill one final technique in the young man.
"Have you learned to use the true power of the Master sword?"
Link thought back to his trials in the forest. He had unlocked the true splendor of the blade, and understood a bit on how to manipulate its energy. He nodded.
"Show me."
He took a few paces back and gestured for the Hero to move. He did so, and Link raised the blade skyward. The sword filled with light, and he swung downwards, releasing an arc of light across the island. The hero grinned.
"Very good. But did you know you can channel other forms of energy through the blade?"
Link raised his eyebrow. He shook his head.
"What do you mean?"
Fi released her form from the blade and spoke to the Hero.
"Master, I believe a demonstration may be useful in this instance." She turned to her current charge. "Please allow the Master to wield me."
Link hesitated a moment, before holding the hilt out towards his predecessor. He took it with great reverence, taking a few practice swings and allowing a slight bit of melancholy to wash over him.
"Hello again."
"Hello Master. I believe I feel.. Joy."
"Me too."
Link watched and again felt a sadness plague his heart. He loved the sword, but he knew he would never truly have a connection quite like them. The Hero stood before him now, holding the blade in a ready position.
"Master Link, my current master possesses the ability to use the magic of his comrades. Prepare yourself. Master, please summon Urbosa's Fury and cast it upon your target."
Link stood stunned. Really? He knew he wasn't really there, but he could still cause pain in this dream. When he didn't strike immediately, Fi spoke again.
"Master, please trust my guidance."
Link squared himself and held out his hand towards the hero. The hero stiffened and held the blade towards the ground. The air seemed to fill with the smell of ozone, and clouds began to form above the pair. Their eyes met, and all Link saw was courage.
He snapped his fingers.
The Hero quickly raised the blade, as if he anticipated what was coming next. Link saw Urbosa's ghostly form appear and point at the Hero, and the sky flashed.
Thunder rang in his head as the power of the heavens flashed down towards the hero, and what Link saw next left him more speechless than before.
The sword was humming with pure lightning, and before Link could act the Hero roared and swung down directly to the right, bringing the point to rest beside his right foot. He did not break eye contact.
Directly to the side of their island, Link noticed a smaller island drifting about a mile away. Lightning flashed again, and the island was no more.
He looked back at his predecessor, who stood stone still, blade still pointed downwards. His face was neutral, and he said nothing. Fi emerged from the sword.
"Well done, Master."
Well done indeed, Link thought.