Hey everyone! I finally updated! I apologize again for the long wait. I didn't really know how to write this chapter and my new job also got in the way. Ah well, sacrifices must be made for money. Anyways, I hope you like this chapter, if not it'll get better with the next one.
To Dairokkan: Hah! I can't really picture Sain being more mature than that. I know he has his moments but I generally see him with a low maturity level. Kent is the balance between them. Like a Yin and Yang. I know Sain has a high potential, but potential is built on over time, not right of the bat. But I do agree with you and Nino can get freaking powerful! Man! I didn't think much of her the first time around but the second time I played the game she became one of my best characters! It was so funny throwing her in the middle of a bunch of enemies and just watch her decimate them! Thanks for the review!
To dude: In my personal opinion, your personal opinion is very much appreciated! And thanks for your Link pairing vote! I hope you continue to read and review!
To Overdrive1: Thanks for reading. I like using Sain for comic relief as do a few other FE fic authors. I think it suits him. Don't worry, Link can still use his magic, you'll just have to read and find out when he's going to.
To Phoenixfire1389: Thanks for your review and don't worry, I have a lot of ideas that I can't wait to reveal so you don't have to fear me quitting this story.
To hawkz84: Thanks! I hope you enjoy this story, too, and you'll just have to wait and see how I'm going to bring Link into part 2. (Not really sure myself at this point, I'm playing with a few ideas but I'm not sure how to solidify them.
To The Stricken One: Hi again! Thanks for adding me to your fav's!
To XS3: Yes you are a goofball…hey YOU HAVE SOUL CALIBUR 3! SINCE WHEN DO YOU OWN A PS2! JUST CAUSE I HAVE A GAMECUBE AND NAMCO DECIDED TO BE A PAIN IN THE $ AND NOT RELEASE IT FOR GAMECUBE DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN RUB IT IN MY FACE! JERK! $#$#&&&$!$#$((&$$#!
To Didactylos: I'm a big fan of the Link/Malon relationship myself but I've also toyed with the idea of Link and a few FE girls too so that's what I'm going to do here. I just don't know who yet. I'm glad you liked the Link/Sain mocking team. I tried to make it as humerous as I could. And don't worry, the humor doesn't end there!
Well that's it for reviews, now to reveal my newest chapter! Please R&R!
Whom She Found
Chapter 5:
A Hero's Tale
Before life began,
Before the world had form,
Three golden goddesses descended upon the chaotic land of Hyrule.
They were Din, the goddess of power, Nayru, the goddess of wisdom and Farore, the goddess of courage.
Din, with her strong flaming arms, cultivated the land to create the red earth.
Nayru poured her wisdom onto the earth to give the spirit of law to the world.
Farore's rich soul created all life forms who would uphold the law.
These three great goddesses, their labours completed, returned to the heavens, leaving behind the sacred Triforce.
Since then, the Triforce has become the basis for Hyrule's providence.
Where the Triforce stood became sacred land.
"The Triforce contains the essence of the goddesses so it is an extremely powerful relic." Link sat near the campfire and showed his companions the symbol of the Triforce on his shield. "Because of this power, it there was a man who sought to find the Triforce and wield its might for his own dark desires. This man's name was Ganondorf Dragmire, the King of Thieves. Lyn do you remember what I told you about the Gerudo?"
Lyn nodded. "Yes, you said they were a group of all-female thieves."
Sain perked up. "Did you say all female thieves?"
"Yeah," Link nodded. "But those woman would sooner through you in prison for the rest of your life before they even think about what you're thinking, Sain."
Sain's face fell. "Oh, poo."
"Anyway," Link continued. "I also said that every hundred years or so a male is born among the Gerudo and is proclaimed their king. At the time, that king was Ganondorf and he already possessed formidable magical power. Unfortunately for him, the keys to unlocking the gateway to the realm of the Triforce were divided and scattered throughout Hyrule. The three Spiritual Stones and the Ocarina of Time were the items that acted as keys. The Spiritual Stone of The Forest, also called the Kokiri Emerald was in the possession of the Great Deku Tree in Kokiri Forest. The Spiritual Stone of Fire, also named the Goron Ruby, sat on an altar of the Gorons on Death Mountain. The Spiritual Stone of Water, also known as the Zora Saphire, was kept by the royal family of the Zora in Zora's Domain. The Ocarina of Time was a treasure of the ruling family of Hyrule. Ganondorf knew the locations of all these keys and set to work trying to obtain them. He got close to the king by pretending to want a peace treaty with the king. This would allow him to eventually seize the sacred ocarina. When he wasn't sucking up to the king, he tried to get the spiritual stones. However, all of the keepers of the Spiritual Stones refused to give them up."
"So what did he do?" Kent asked.
"He cursed them." Link replied.
"Cursed them?" Lyn raised an eyebrow.
Link nodded. "Yes. With the magic he already possessed he was able to bring monsters to his aid. He caused the deity of the Zora, Lord Jabbu Jabbu, who was basically a gigantic fish, to ingest a deadly, electric parasite that would feed, grow, and disperse other nasty creatures throughout his internal systems. The Gorons of Death Mountain were a rock eating people and over time they became dependent on the minerals they dug out one particular cavern. It got to the point where they couldn't stand to eat rocks from anywhere else. Therefore Ganondorf sealed the entrance to the cavern and resurrected an ancient creature that once inhabited the cavern so that it would become perilous for anyone who managed to make it into the place. The Great Deku Tree's curse was similar to Lord Jabbu Jabbu's. Ganondorf forced a parasite into the Great Deku Tree. With this work done, Ganondorf went back to his other affairs to wait. He believed that the Spiritual Stones would be relinquished after those he cursed suffered."
Lyn thought she detected a slight bitterness from his voice when he spoke of the Guardian Tree, but the feeling vanished fast enough for her to brush it aside. She continued to listen intently. Kent and Sain were doing the same though it was a little harder for them to keep up as Lyn was already aware of the different races of Hyrule.
"Unfortunately for Ganondorf, a factor he was unaware of dwelt in the Kokiri Forest. The Kokiri are a race of children who never grow past the age of twelve and cannot leave the forest."
"So they only live to be twelve years of age?" Kent asked.
Link grinned. "No they just stop ageing after that. They live longer."
"Each Kokiri has a guardian fairy that stays with them throughout their lives. However there was one boy who did not have a guardian fairy. This boy was the destined Hero of Time. No one knew why he did not have a fairy, but because of this he was never considered a true Kokiri. Well, the boy had been having a recurring nightmare. He would be standing in front of a large drawbridge during a stormy night. As the thunder rolled and the lightning flashed the drawbridge would lower and a white horse bearing two riders would gallop past him. One of the riders was a young girl about his age who looked pleadingly at him. They would disappear and he would turn to see a black horse bearing a sinister looking man who would look at him and sneer. He would always wake up at this point. And one morning he woke up to see a fairy flying around his bed frantically trying to wake him up. The fairy apparently had been sent by the Great Deku Tree to be his guardian partner and that he was summoned."
"So the Hero of Time became a true Kokiri?" Sain asked.
"No," Link shook his head. "He believed so at the time, but his later journeys would tell him otherwise."
"The Hero of Time needed to be armed so he bought a wooden shield from the Kokiri shop. It was made of bark from the Great Deku Tree so it was sturdy and dependable. Unfortunately, the Kokiri had no use for weapons so there were no swords to be bought. The shields were usually used as playthings or as defence for the minor creatures occasionally encountered while wandering the woods. Luckily, a friend of his told him that there was a sword meant for Kokiri use in times of great emergency hidden in the woods. With the help of his new fairy partner he was able to find the Kokiri Sword. Now appropriately armed, he was led to the Great Deku Tree. The Guardian of the Forest knew about his dreams and told him that they were triggered by an immense and growing evil and affected those sensitive to it. The Great Deku Tree then informed him that he was cursed and asked if the young boy had the courage to dispel the curse. The young hero accepted and proceeded inside the Great Tree. He made his way through the maze of the Tree, fighting monsters wherever he went. Though he had never wielded a sword before, he found he had a knack for fighting and grew stronger with each monster he defeated. After he had traversed almost the entire inside of the Great Deku Tree he finally found the lair of the parasitic entity that was killing him. An intense battle ensued where the young hero had difficulty even hurting the creature. Luckily his guardian fairy located the monsters weakness and he was able to slay it."
"With the curse broken, the Great Deku Tree thanked him and told him about the man who had caused the curse and that he was to take the jewel he had sought to the Princess Zelda. A horrifying truth was then revealed as the Great Deku Tree told him that the curse he had broken was fatal. With a final few words, the Great Tree died and left the young boy and his fairy alone."
"That's a sad story." Sain leaned back against the tree where he was sitting.
Link nodded and continued. "It was a terrible blow to the young boy and it pained him deeply. But he carried out the Guardian's last wish and left the forest to find the princess. He travelled on foot for a few days as fast as he could, barley resting, before the castle came into view. The city inside the gates was obviously a marvel to the boy who had lived in the forest. Eventually he made it to the castle and managed to sneak around the guards and crawl through a small drain to gain entrance to the grand structure. He had to avoid more guards inside but he managed to make it to the castle courtyard where the princess was."
"The princess recognized him from a prophetic dream and she told him more about the legend of the Triforce and what she knew about Ganondorf from spying on him while he was with the king. She then sent him on a journey to gather the remaining stones. The young hero fought bravely and overcame many powerful foes but he eventually saved both the Goron's and the Zora's from their plight and received both Spiritual Stones as well as their friendship. With all three stones in possession he went back to the castle gates only to find his own dream coming true."
"The castle gates were closed and a storm rolled across the land. The drawbridge lowered and the white horse with two riders galloped past him. The riders were the princess and her bodyguard. The Princess Zelda tossed him the final key, the Ocarina of Time, which landed in the moat, before she vanished into the night. The black rider pursuing them appeared and cursed at their escape. Ganondorf turned to the young hero demanding to know if he saw them. Of course the Hero of Time refused and readied himself for battle. Ganondorf merely knocked him aside with a blast of magic and carried on after the princess. The young boy rose and retrieved the Ocarina. Upon touching he received a vision from the princess telling him to get to the Triforce before Ganondorf and also taught him the melody needed to be played on the Ocarina. He quickly went to the Temple of Time and opened the mighty stone door that blocked entrance to the Sacred Realm. What he found however was not what he expected."
"Let me guess…" Sain said. "It was empty."
Link grinned and shook his head. "Not there was something there."
"What?" Lyn was curious.
"A sword."
"A sword?" Kent inquired.
"Yes," Link nodded. "A sword stuck in a pedestal. The Fairy Guardian knew it as the legendary Blade of Evil's Bane or the Master Sword. According to legend, only the Hero of Time could pull the sword from the pedestal."
"Not unlike the Mani Katti." Lyn looked down at the sword she had inherited.
"No, it's not." Link grinned again and continued.
"Not knowing this or that he was the chosen hero; the boy approached the sword and was able to remove it from its place of rest and thereby opening the gate to the divine land of the Triforce. Unfortunately Ganondorf had followed him and now had entrance to the Sacred Realm. The young hero could not stop him as the sword judged him to young to wield it and sealed his spirit away for several years in which time Ganondorf seized the Triforce and took over Hyrule. The Hero of Time awoke in a chamber in the Temple of Light fully-grown and ready to wield the great Master Sword."
"Bit I thought you said that the Kokiri did not grow up." Lyn pointed out.
"They don't." Link shook his head. "He later found out that he was actually a Hylian whose family had been killed and his mother left him as a baby in the care of the Great Deku Tree. The Guardian of the Forest sensed the child had a great destiny and raised him as a Kokiri."
"I see." Lyn said. "Please, go on."
"When he awoke, an old sage told him that in order to stop Ganondorf he needed to awaken the spirits of several other sages, all whom turned out to be friends he knew, throughout Hyrule. The Hero toiled long and hard to find the sages and awaken their sleeping spirits. With every day that passed he grew stronger and by the time he had found all the sages he was ready to face Ganondorf. He stormed Ganondorf's castle and slew every monster that dared stand in his way finally reaching the dare where he awaited and where Zelda was being held captive."
"Ah, the bold and daring hero rushes to save his fair damsel in distress, the princess!" Sain declared loudly. "Such a noble warrior! Risking his life to protect the woman he loves and she waiting for her knight in shining armour to burst in and sweep her away from the-"
KLONK!
"Don't interrupt." Kent guantleted fist still sat on Sain's head, knuckles pointed down.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Sain smiled pleasantly as he rubbed his head. "Please continue."
"Uh…ok." Link eyed Sain strangely. "Where was I? Oh yes. The Hero of Time confronted Ganondorf and learned something interesting about the Triforce. Ganondorf had indeed obtained the Triforce but because his heart was unbalanced and he desired power more than anything, the Triforce split apart when he touched it. The Triforce of Power remained with him while the Triforce of Wisdom and the Triforce of Courage were lost and went to the two people who were best suited to carry them. It was then that Ganondorf revealed the Triforce of Power on the back of his hand and with its presence the other two pieces revealed themselves. The Triforce of Wisdom appeared on Zelda's hand and the Triforce of Courage appeared on the Hero of Time's hand. With all three pieces in the same room, Ganondorf could achieve his greatest desire if he killed the Hero."
"A great battle ensued and tremendous damage was done to the tower where they fought. Using a combination of powerful magic he had obtained in his quest and the might of the Master Sword, the Hero was able to defeat the King of Thieves and rescue Zelda."
"Panting with tired relief the hero supported himself with his sword as he listened to last words of the tyrant. But with his last breath the Gerudo King caused the castle to collapse. With the help of the Princess's own magic the two of them were able to escape in time to see the mighty castle collapse around behind them."
"That's an amazing tale, Link." Lyn smiled.
"Yes," Kent agreed. "Your land was truly fortunate to have the Hero of Time to save them and it is good to know such a legend is still remembered."
"But I wanted to know how the Hero and the Princess ended up!" Sain whined.
Link grinned. "I'm not done."
"Huh? There's more?" Lyn blinked.
Link nodded. "Yes. After Ganondorf's castle was destroyed, Zelda and the Hero sat down to rest for a while, but were raised by a rumbling from the center of the castle ruins. Ganondorf burst from the rubble, terribly wounded and breathing heavily. The Triforce of Power glowed on his hand and with an angry roar he transformed into a monstrous creature that had the face of a great boar. The terrible monstrosity was greater than any monster the Hero had ever faced, it's mighty hooves shook the land with each step and it wielded gigantic twin Kaiser Blades that could destroy stone with a casual sweep. The behemoth trapped both himself and the Hero of Time within a ring of fire and then proceeded to knock the Master Sword out of his hands. The Hero was forced to fight using other weapons he had acquired in his travels. Unfortunately the monster was armoured everywhere he struck and he could not do any damage to it. The monster, named Ganon, was also surprisingly fast and it was all the Hylian could do avoid his deadly attacks. He eventually found a weakness in Ganon's tale and rolled between his legs to strike. Ganon become stunned and in that brief moment the fire's around them diminished enough for the Hero of Time to retrieve the Master Sword. With the divine blade in his possession once again he was able to seriously wound the monster and then the Princess Zelda and the sages that the Hero had awakened used their power to seal Ganondorf away in another dimension."
"With the battle finally over, the Princess thanked him for his efforts once again and apologized for his struggles. She then used the Ocarina of Time to send him back to relive the time that was taken from him because of his quest."
Lyn smiled as he finished.
"That's quite a legend." Kent nodded his approval.
"So what happened to the Hero of Time?" Lyn asked.
Link was silent for a moment as he thought. "No one really knows." He said finally. "Some say he returned to the forest. Others say he went to live at the castle. Some believe he sought a new life as a Hylian."
He stood up and stretched. "Another belief is that he left Hyrule for reasons unknown."
He turned from the campfire. "I'm going to go for a walk."
Link left the camp in silence and wandered out of the grove of trees. He stopped on top of a hill and gazed at the stars. It was a perfectly clear night, stars dotted all across the sky and the crescent moon shone over the hills. The light they gave off illuminated the night and Link could see clearly all around him. He sighed as he closed his eyes and bowed his head. After a few seconds he slowly opened his eyes and stared at the ground.
They didn't need to know who he was. He needed no praise for what he had done. It was his duty. It was his life. It was his destiny. He did not choose to be a hero. That decision was made by fate and he could not avoid it. He may have been sent back to relive his life the way he chose, but he couldn't turn from the path he had already started down. The path he trod was his life and he was happy with it and a true warrior did not need to flaunt his strength.
Link raised his head to the sky again.
He was a hero. He was a legend. But he did not ask for fame. He did not ask for glory. If his strength could be used to help those in need, that was his reward.
Link looked across the plains and marvelled at the beauty of the land he was now in. He stood there in silence, memories of his past life and the battles he fought and the friends he made filled his mind, until his keen senses alerted him of danger. His eyes slowly scanned his surroundings looking for the source. Suddenly he spun to the side as an arrow zinged passed his head. He looked toward the direction it had come from just in time to see another arrow fly towards him. Link back-flipped over the arrow and landed in a crouched position with one hand on the ground. He eyes shot towards a tree where he saw a dark figure hidden amongst the leaves. The assassin scowled when he had been spotted and fired another deadly missile. Link jumped back as the arrow sank at his feet. The assassin in the tree scowl deepened, enraged that he had missed again. He whistled lightly, a sound that would have been considered a sleepy bird, to signal his comrades. Three more dark clothed men rose appeared around Link. One held a scythe on a chain while the other two held deadly stilettos. The assassin in the tree leaped down from his perch and Link saw a deadly looking bow in his hand. The four assassins closed in around the green clad Hylian.
"You are one of Lyndis's companions are you not?" The one with the bow addressed him.
Link stood up straight, hands at his sides. "And if I am?" he replied coolly.
"Then there will be one less person to guard her." The assassin answered.
The three others readied their weapons.
"If you mean to do Lyn harm, then you will have to get through me to do it. Knowing this, are you still willing to go on?" Link said.
The assassin leader smirked. "Maybe you didn't notice the fact that you are surrounded and we are trained to kill."
"I did notice. Anyone who wields a weapon is trained to kill. Even through defensive purposes, a weapon is meant to kill." Link eyed the man who stood before him. "But it makes no difference. Either turn back now or I will be forced to take the measures necessary to protect my friend."
"Why you little….! Get him!"
The two assassins with daggers leapt forward. Link stood his ground and waited for them to come. The first one thrust his blade towards him. Link pivoted on one foot and grabbed the assassin's wrist. He used the assassin's momentum and a bit of his own strength to fling him away. He continued his pivot and thrust his elbow into the second assassin's stomach. The man's eyes shot open and he dropped his blade as he groaned. Link reached up above his shoulder and grabbed the assassin's neck to slam him on the ground. He rose slowly and tilted his upper body back to avoid the slash of the first assassin. Link grabbed his wrist again with his right hand and pulled it across his chest as he threw his left elbow into the back of the assailant's neck. The assassin's head snapped back and he fell dead with a broken neck. Link turned to the assassin with the scythe who was twirling his weapon angrily over his head.
"Take this!"
He threw the sickle towards Link who easily evaded the attack. Link raised his arm as the blade flew past him and caused the chain to wrap around his wrist. The blade spun around and thrust itself into the neck of the assassin whom Link had KO'd on the ground, killing him instantly. This done, Link jerked on the chain at the same time he bent down and retrieved the sickle. He lunged forward towards the stumbling assassin and cleaved his head off with his own weapon. Three down, one to go.
Link turned to stare at the bewildered assassin leader who was staring in shock. His comrades killed in a matter of seconds by a man who had not even drawn his own weapon. He did not think it possible they could be defeated so easily. Not surprisingly, the assassin was angry. He was also afraid. Link walked up to him, removing the chain from his wrist as he did. He grabbed the man by his cloak and glared at him.
"Who sent you?" he demanded.
"Lord Lundgren of Caelin." The man smirked. "He employed us to kill the nomad named Lyndis."
Link scowled and released the man.
"I ask again," he said. "Leave now and do not pursue Lyn further."
"Heh…it seems your warning was well placed. You surprise me." The assassin took a step back.
Link narrowed his eyes waiting for his reply. The assassin gulped. "Fine, I'm outta here."
Link nodded and turned away. The assassin grinned and pulled out a dagger.
"NEVER TURN YOUR BACK ON AN ASSASSIN!" He threw the blade at the Hero of Time.
Link whipped around and caught the dagger between his fingers and flung it back at its owner. The assassin's dagger struck between his eyes and he sank to the ground with blood trickling down his face.
"Fool." Link turned away and started back towards camp.
"There won't be anymore for a little while." He thought to himself. "Lundgren will wait for their return before sending out more assassins."
"I'll have to be on guard from now on." He said aloud as he entered the grove of trees where they camped. Link re-entered the camp to see things had changed a little since he had left. Sain had retired for the night, Kent was keeping watch, and Lyn had also gone into her tent. Link waved a greeting to Kent who nodded his response. Link lifted the flap of the tent he shared with Lyn to see her sitting on her bedroll, polishing the Mani Katti. Link set his own things on his side of the tent and settled into his own bedroll. Lyn looked up at him.
"How was your walk?" she inquired.
"Uneventful." Link replied with a light smile. "I was just looking at the stars."
A/N: Chapter 5 down, next time enter Wil and Florina! I hope I made Link's attitude believable. I'm still waiting on votes for Link pairings so if you have an opinion please voice it!