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Hyrule was almost black. Dark storm clouds overcastted the skies and threatened to thrash the market with treacherous lightning and hale. The rain poured with such force that it stung Link's eyes as he raced on Epona towards the castle. He was drenched from head to toe. He could almost feel the water drowning his soul. The faint torches that burned outside of the drawbridge cold be seen in the distance after riding for almost two hours. He had been forced to stop for a half hour earlier so that Epona could rest and get water from the Zora River. He just hoped that that half hour wouldn't let Ganondorf escape. "If he escapes before I go forward in time he could destroy the Temple of Time and leave no one to defeat him. Only the Master Sword can pierce his armor of darkness. I have to make it. Come on Epona, we're going to make it." Link pressed on faster towards the castle. As he neared the castle the storm raged even more horribly. The moat around the castle and market was flooded up to the drawbridge already and there were a couple roofs that were burning from the ravaging lightning. People ran inside from the storm, not even noticing the fires that were slowly being put out by the horrendous downpour. Link rode Epona straight into the Hyrule Market and leapt off of her back in front of the massive Temple of Time. The towers flashed with lightning and poured rain from they're steeples like a river as the blonde haired boy dashed to the entrance. The huge doorway opened with a scraping boom as they split in two and allowed him to enter. He dragged his large satchel of equipment into the massive cathedral and dropped it in front of the black stoned alter. The three spiritual stones rotated in they're magical placements in the stone ominously. Link reached into a pouch on his belt and produced the Ocarina of Time from it. With an array of beautiful notes, the young warrior masterfully played the Song of Time before the stones. The golden Triforce above the doorway of time flashed with fantastic light and the sound of grinding stone could be heard as the door of time slid open. Link dragged the heavy bag into the sacred portal to the Temple of Light that had just been opened for him. At the pedestal of time in the center of the large room there was the sacred Master Sword. Its power of light shined like a halo around its grandness. Link could hear the sounds of Ganondorf fighting the sage of light like distant echoes trailing through a mountain pass. Dropping the bag with a clank, Link brushed his soaked hair back out of his face and laid his grip upon the blue, sapphire handle of the sword. The sword was designed by the goddesses millennia ago during they're descent from the spiritual heavens. It was the most beautiful sword that Link had ever seen as he reminisced the first time he had laid eyes upon the pure blade. The reflective silver blade gleamed with razor sharpness under the halo of pure light. The blade finely dipped inward on the flat of each side. In the small valley on each side of the blade the indestructible metal became a soft shade, unlike the glasslike luster of the actual blade. Engraved at the base of the blade was a beautiful Triforce symbol. The handle base and hilt was forged of a sapphire stone that shined brightly in its crystalline beauty. Connecting the fine handle base to the perfect blade was a halved diamond of pure gold. Each side of the sword was exactly like the other and was forged perfectly. Before the sacred goddesses departed to the spiritual heavens they blessed the pure Master Sword with eternal perfection. The sword was impossible to damage. It was the only way to ensure the protection of light. Now Link was beginning to sweat. His hand seemed to freeze as he gripped the blue and green hilt. A bead of sweat fell from his forehead onto his shaking hand. With his last burst of courage, Link ripped the five-foot long sword from the pedestal of time. Instantly he felt strange emotions that he had only felt once before in his life. A blue light infiltrated the shady room and engulfed the young hero within it's sacred light. The portal to the Temple of Light opened before him and he watched as seven years passed before his eyes within minutes. Ganondorf broke the mental lock on the gateway to the evil realm one hour after he had pulled the sword from the pedestal. He burst from the highest steeple of the Temple of Time like a bat out of Hell and laughed maniacally. His long red cape and flamboyant red hair fanned around his body like a robe as he created a portal of purple energy before him. His black shoulder armor didn't even reflect any light from the lightning that struck all around him. He walked into the portal as if he were standing on the ground and disappeared. Many things flew by his line of vision. Countless attacks of monsters on the castle. Many people went into battle and never came out. It was almost like a war. Link couldn't watch anymore as he fell to the overwhelming unconsciousness that was eating at his mind.
One year nine months and twenty-nine days had passed by. His birthday was tomorrow. He couldn't believe that all that time had passed by so quickly. He had accomplished so much during the pass of time though and he regretted none of the wait. He had gained every master degree at the Shinra University possible and had grown so much more powerful since his initial battle with General Rayze. He had been so bored for the past six months from not being in school that he had mastered the skills of every martial art in the Shinra database. He mastered one a week until there were no training exercises for hand to hand combat left in the database. His hand-to-hand combat was phenomenal due to the extensive study and his swordsmanship went far beyond that. He still used his trusty Katana, except now he had purchased an exact replica of the one he initially had. Rayze had eagerly taught him the use of dual swords, since that was how the General was most skilled. Now Sephiroth followed suit to his trainer, and all around best friend by using dual Katana in combat. He could fight just as viciously if not more with only one sword though. His swordsmanship now matched even that of General Rayze himself. When he and the Top Officer practiced now, neither fighter could defeat the other. Rayze had completed his training with Sephiroth soon after they began to match each other. It was impossible for him to teach the young man anymore. He had passed over all of his knowledge and skills and there was nothing left to teach. Sephiroth seemed disappointed that Rayze could teach him no more, that was why he constantly delved into the Shinra databases for new fighting styles and weapons. His personal interests kept him occupied as the days passed. He had mastered the art of swordsmanship long ago, but within the past year he had mastered other types of weaponry also. Examples of the types were basic weapons such as the staff, spear, gun, and bow. He still stayed true to his sword and only relied on his fists and feet if he didn't have one of his Katana. "Learned anything new today Sephiroth?" General Rayze walked up behind the tall young man who was deeply reading a book about molecular science and genetics. "Ah, molecular science and genetics. Very.interesting." "Yes it is. I just got done reading a quantum physics and advanced calculus book about an hour ago. It's a good read. You can take it if you want to learn some interesting things." Sephiroth didn't even look up from his study in the massive Shinra library. He had a stack of books on the coffee table next to him as high as the table itself. Rayze ran his glowing blue eyes over the spine of each book. He was bored out of his mind to see that the titles of the particularly large books were 'Construction of a Mako Reactor', 'History of the Ancients', 'Biological Cell Reproduction', 'Curative Magic', and 'Advanced Astrophysics'. "I think I'll pass. Combat is my main interest. Say, do you want to go out and grab cup of coffee or something?" Rayze glanced back at the younger man who was still reading intently in the large book. Sephiroth glanced up at the SOLDIER General and nodded. "Sure. Sounds good." Sephiroth snapped the book shut and set it down. He knew no one would disturb his study area so he left the books where they were and walked off with his friend. None of the other members of SOLDIER were allowed to call the General walking beside him by his first name but Sephiroth was privileged enough as a good friend. "Hey Jericho." "Yeah," asked the Top Officer. "What's going to happen when I get admitted to First Class tomorrow?" The young man rested his hand on the hilt of his sword as he walked to the café in Sector Two. As he walked his waist length hair caught the wind and blew behind him in a flow of molten silver. "Well. You will have to take the final exam again. It will involve dueling against the top ten First Class SOLDIERs. If you defeat them all then you will dual against me for the title of Top Officer." "What? I can't do that. You taught me everything I know. I can't try and take your rank away from you," Sephiroth's bright green eyes morphed to blue as he thought about that. The reason it worried him is he knew that he could defeat Jericho if he put his whole heart into it. But, Rayze was his friend, and he couldn't do something like that to him. It went against his morality. "It would be earned, Sephiroth. You have succeeded me anyway. It wouldn't be fair to keep you from your earned title." Jericho laughed quietly to himself. "Don't worry about it. There isn't anyone that I would rather have to take my place. At least you're my friend and not a competitor. Besides, if you don't fight me, someone else will, and there is the chance that they could get the rank. It's held annually every year and I haven't lost the championship yet." "Yeah, easy for you to say." The duo sat down at a coffee table in the café and ordered two cups of black coffee. The waitress smiled with stars in her eyes at the two and did as they requested. Sephiroth glanced out the window at the afternoon sun. He felt so dirty trying to take his best friend's military rank away. He didn't want to but he guessed he didn't have a choice. Maybe he could lose to him on purpose- "I know what you're thinking, man. You better not lose to me on purpose. You will fight with every combative instinct in your body." Rayze grinned mischievously. "Or I'll kick your ass into next week, and you know I will." Sephiroth blushed slightly and nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right. You suck man." "I am quite the bastard I guess. Ha, ha, ha." Rayze chuckled at his domineering oppressiveness. He sipped the hot black coffee that had just been served to him gratefully. "You know. You truly are one of the most amazing people that I have ever known. You remind me of my father." "Ha! If you haven't realized, you are like six years older than I am. If anything, you would have to be my father." Sephiroth felt something inside of his stomach drop to the floor suddenly as he uttered the last two words of his statement. "I never knew my father. I was always taken care of by people I didn't know." "My father was just like you. He was a bottomless pit of knowledge absorbing motivation. He was the Top Officer before he resigned and handed me the rank." Rayze shook his head and sighed. I don't even know if it was worth it. I never even wanted to be a General of the military. But for the past six years I have made something out of myself and will surely be remembered after I die." "Well. Tomorrow is your big eighteenth birthday. How do you feel about it?" "I don't know. I'm excited because I have worked so hard to get where I am. It has always been my dream to be a First Class SOLDIER and it will be really something to actually attain that goal of achievement." Sephiroth glanced out the window at the massive Shinra Headquarters that loomed only miles away. "I never thought that I would learn as much as I have though. Not that I am boasting but I had no idea that I had the potential to be one of the best SOLDIERs." "It's quite amazing that you would just come strolling along out of nowhere and end up here." Rayze set his empty cup down. "Sephiroth. I have witnessed your abilities and realized long ago that you are something special. You have potential to be a great hero someday. But that kind of status weighs far beyond any military rank or level of command. I can sense that you will go much further than I ever will." "Oh, don't say that. I don't know about becoming any hero, but I will challenge myself to make the best I can possibly make of myself." Sephiroth smiled his white, almost pretty smile faintly but erased it and stood up. Jericho Rayze followed suite and the duo headed out of the café.
Hyrule was almost black. Dark storm clouds overcastted the skies and threatened to thrash the market with treacherous lightning and hale. The rain poured with such force that it stung Link's eyes as he raced on Epona towards the castle. He was drenched from head to toe. He could almost feel the water drowning his soul. The faint torches that burned outside of the drawbridge cold be seen in the distance after riding for almost two hours. He had been forced to stop for a half hour earlier so that Epona could rest and get water from the Zora River. He just hoped that that half hour wouldn't let Ganondorf escape. "If he escapes before I go forward in time he could destroy the Temple of Time and leave no one to defeat him. Only the Master Sword can pierce his armor of darkness. I have to make it. Come on Epona, we're going to make it." Link pressed on faster towards the castle. As he neared the castle the storm raged even more horribly. The moat around the castle and market was flooded up to the drawbridge already and there were a couple roofs that were burning from the ravaging lightning. People ran inside from the storm, not even noticing the fires that were slowly being put out by the horrendous downpour. Link rode Epona straight into the Hyrule Market and leapt off of her back in front of the massive Temple of Time. The towers flashed with lightning and poured rain from they're steeples like a river as the blonde haired boy dashed to the entrance. The huge doorway opened with a scraping boom as they split in two and allowed him to enter. He dragged his large satchel of equipment into the massive cathedral and dropped it in front of the black stoned alter. The three spiritual stones rotated in they're magical placements in the stone ominously. Link reached into a pouch on his belt and produced the Ocarina of Time from it. With an array of beautiful notes, the young warrior masterfully played the Song of Time before the stones. The golden Triforce above the doorway of time flashed with fantastic light and the sound of grinding stone could be heard as the door of time slid open. Link dragged the heavy bag into the sacred portal to the Temple of Light that had just been opened for him. At the pedestal of time in the center of the large room there was the sacred Master Sword. Its power of light shined like a halo around its grandness. Link could hear the sounds of Ganondorf fighting the sage of light like distant echoes trailing through a mountain pass. Dropping the bag with a clank, Link brushed his soaked hair back out of his face and laid his grip upon the blue, sapphire handle of the sword. The sword was designed by the goddesses millennia ago during they're descent from the spiritual heavens. It was the most beautiful sword that Link had ever seen as he reminisced the first time he had laid eyes upon the pure blade. The reflective silver blade gleamed with razor sharpness under the halo of pure light. The blade finely dipped inward on the flat of each side. In the small valley on each side of the blade the indestructible metal became a soft shade, unlike the glasslike luster of the actual blade. Engraved at the base of the blade was a beautiful Triforce symbol. The handle base and hilt was forged of a sapphire stone that shined brightly in its crystalline beauty. Connecting the fine handle base to the perfect blade was a halved diamond of pure gold. Each side of the sword was exactly like the other and was forged perfectly. Before the sacred goddesses departed to the spiritual heavens they blessed the pure Master Sword with eternal perfection. The sword was impossible to damage. It was the only way to ensure the protection of light. Now Link was beginning to sweat. His hand seemed to freeze as he gripped the blue and green hilt. A bead of sweat fell from his forehead onto his shaking hand. With his last burst of courage, Link ripped the five-foot long sword from the pedestal of time. Instantly he felt strange emotions that he had only felt once before in his life. A blue light infiltrated the shady room and engulfed the young hero within it's sacred light. The portal to the Temple of Light opened before him and he watched as seven years passed before his eyes within minutes. Ganondorf broke the mental lock on the gateway to the evil realm one hour after he had pulled the sword from the pedestal. He burst from the highest steeple of the Temple of Time like a bat out of Hell and laughed maniacally. His long red cape and flamboyant red hair fanned around his body like a robe as he created a portal of purple energy before him. His black shoulder armor didn't even reflect any light from the lightning that struck all around him. He walked into the portal as if he were standing on the ground and disappeared. Many things flew by his line of vision. Countless attacks of monsters on the castle. Many people went into battle and never came out. It was almost like a war. Link couldn't watch anymore as he fell to the overwhelming unconsciousness that was eating at his mind.
One year nine months and twenty-nine days had passed by. His birthday was tomorrow. He couldn't believe that all that time had passed by so quickly. He had accomplished so much during the pass of time though and he regretted none of the wait. He had gained every master degree at the Shinra University possible and had grown so much more powerful since his initial battle with General Rayze. He had been so bored for the past six months from not being in school that he had mastered the skills of every martial art in the Shinra database. He mastered one a week until there were no training exercises for hand to hand combat left in the database. His hand-to-hand combat was phenomenal due to the extensive study and his swordsmanship went far beyond that. He still used his trusty Katana, except now he had purchased an exact replica of the one he initially had. Rayze had eagerly taught him the use of dual swords, since that was how the General was most skilled. Now Sephiroth followed suit to his trainer, and all around best friend by using dual Katana in combat. He could fight just as viciously if not more with only one sword though. His swordsmanship now matched even that of General Rayze himself. When he and the Top Officer practiced now, neither fighter could defeat the other. Rayze had completed his training with Sephiroth soon after they began to match each other. It was impossible for him to teach the young man anymore. He had passed over all of his knowledge and skills and there was nothing left to teach. Sephiroth seemed disappointed that Rayze could teach him no more, that was why he constantly delved into the Shinra databases for new fighting styles and weapons. His personal interests kept him occupied as the days passed. He had mastered the art of swordsmanship long ago, but within the past year he had mastered other types of weaponry also. Examples of the types were basic weapons such as the staff, spear, gun, and bow. He still stayed true to his sword and only relied on his fists and feet if he didn't have one of his Katana. "Learned anything new today Sephiroth?" General Rayze walked up behind the tall young man who was deeply reading a book about molecular science and genetics. "Ah, molecular science and genetics. Very.interesting." "Yes it is. I just got done reading a quantum physics and advanced calculus book about an hour ago. It's a good read. You can take it if you want to learn some interesting things." Sephiroth didn't even look up from his study in the massive Shinra library. He had a stack of books on the coffee table next to him as high as the table itself. Rayze ran his glowing blue eyes over the spine of each book. He was bored out of his mind to see that the titles of the particularly large books were 'Construction of a Mako Reactor', 'History of the Ancients', 'Biological Cell Reproduction', 'Curative Magic', and 'Advanced Astrophysics'. "I think I'll pass. Combat is my main interest. Say, do you want to go out and grab cup of coffee or something?" Rayze glanced back at the younger man who was still reading intently in the large book. Sephiroth glanced up at the SOLDIER General and nodded. "Sure. Sounds good." Sephiroth snapped the book shut and set it down. He knew no one would disturb his study area so he left the books where they were and walked off with his friend. None of the other members of SOLDIER were allowed to call the General walking beside him by his first name but Sephiroth was privileged enough as a good friend. "Hey Jericho." "Yeah," asked the Top Officer. "What's going to happen when I get admitted to First Class tomorrow?" The young man rested his hand on the hilt of his sword as he walked to the café in Sector Two. As he walked his waist length hair caught the wind and blew behind him in a flow of molten silver. "Well. You will have to take the final exam again. It will involve dueling against the top ten First Class SOLDIERs. If you defeat them all then you will dual against me for the title of Top Officer." "What? I can't do that. You taught me everything I know. I can't try and take your rank away from you," Sephiroth's bright green eyes morphed to blue as he thought about that. The reason it worried him is he knew that he could defeat Jericho if he put his whole heart into it. But, Rayze was his friend, and he couldn't do something like that to him. It went against his morality. "It would be earned, Sephiroth. You have succeeded me anyway. It wouldn't be fair to keep you from your earned title." Jericho laughed quietly to himself. "Don't worry about it. There isn't anyone that I would rather have to take my place. At least you're my friend and not a competitor. Besides, if you don't fight me, someone else will, and there is the chance that they could get the rank. It's held annually every year and I haven't lost the championship yet." "Yeah, easy for you to say." The duo sat down at a coffee table in the café and ordered two cups of black coffee. The waitress smiled with stars in her eyes at the two and did as they requested. Sephiroth glanced out the window at the afternoon sun. He felt so dirty trying to take his best friend's military rank away. He didn't want to but he guessed he didn't have a choice. Maybe he could lose to him on purpose- "I know what you're thinking, man. You better not lose to me on purpose. You will fight with every combative instinct in your body." Rayze grinned mischievously. "Or I'll kick your ass into next week, and you know I will." Sephiroth blushed slightly and nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right. You suck man." "I am quite the bastard I guess. Ha, ha, ha." Rayze chuckled at his domineering oppressiveness. He sipped the hot black coffee that had just been served to him gratefully. "You know. You truly are one of the most amazing people that I have ever known. You remind me of my father." "Ha! If you haven't realized, you are like six years older than I am. If anything, you would have to be my father." Sephiroth felt something inside of his stomach drop to the floor suddenly as he uttered the last two words of his statement. "I never knew my father. I was always taken care of by people I didn't know." "My father was just like you. He was a bottomless pit of knowledge absorbing motivation. He was the Top Officer before he resigned and handed me the rank." Rayze shook his head and sighed. I don't even know if it was worth it. I never even wanted to be a General of the military. But for the past six years I have made something out of myself and will surely be remembered after I die." "Well. Tomorrow is your big eighteenth birthday. How do you feel about it?" "I don't know. I'm excited because I have worked so hard to get where I am. It has always been my dream to be a First Class SOLDIER and it will be really something to actually attain that goal of achievement." Sephiroth glanced out the window at the massive Shinra Headquarters that loomed only miles away. "I never thought that I would learn as much as I have though. Not that I am boasting but I had no idea that I had the potential to be one of the best SOLDIERs." "It's quite amazing that you would just come strolling along out of nowhere and end up here." Rayze set his empty cup down. "Sephiroth. I have witnessed your abilities and realized long ago that you are something special. You have potential to be a great hero someday. But that kind of status weighs far beyond any military rank or level of command. I can sense that you will go much further than I ever will." "Oh, don't say that. I don't know about becoming any hero, but I will challenge myself to make the best I can possibly make of myself." Sephiroth smiled his white, almost pretty smile faintly but erased it and stood up. Jericho Rayze followed suite and the duo headed out of the café.