Author's Note: This is my first Legend of Zelda fanfiction, but it was bound to happen sooner or later. Some quick notes before we begin. First of all, this story is a bit different than a lot of them, so consider that you're warning. ^_- Also, all disclaimers apply to this piece, and I certainly do not own the rights to Zelda even remotely... okay, very remotely, but I only own the rights to my game cartridge and where it goes. ^_^ Please read and review, and don't feak out if it isn't what you expect.
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Prologue:
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"Just short of the three goddesses, there are sages. Protectors of the people, the triforce, and of course, of kindness. Seldom does the powers of the sages crack, but when they do, the three light goddesses call upon the hero and the princess to fix any problem. The hero has had, of course, nine incarnations- that we know of. He has been in the form of child, adult, hylian, kokiri, and has taken the form of many different life forms, though that was from masks more than from fate," Rauru concluded slowly, letting the other sages- many of them rookies, in comparison to himself - absorb this knowledge.
"This is old news," Princess Zarotu, the water sage, said. "You gave us this information as soon as we became sages, taking the positions from other aging geezers."
Rauru was used to, by now, Zarotu's tongue. She was, in her life in Hyrule, a Zora princess- much like the long dead Ruto, only a lot more spoiled and angry. Still, Zarotu's impertenance was frustrating, and Rauru said, "I shall then cut to the chase, my dear. Ganon is, possibly has, taken a current incarnation."
The other sages gasped, save Zarotu (who refused to give Rauru the satisfaction).
"Are you sure? I mean, absolutely sure?"
This came from Jeni, a small faerie kokiri cross breed. She was young and niave, but Rauru still had a soft spot for her.
"Yes, Jeni, I am sure," he took a deep breath, and continued, "the dark gods- or goddesses- have made their move. Ganon is their strongest game piece, and he is now available for use. As most of you have had no experience in dealing with the hero, that is our major weakness. You are all novices, and while that is not your fault, it is still a weakness."
"I thought," said Sandriek, an ancient Shiek- a species which had evolved into more shadow than Hylian- "that the dark lord could only appear if we make a fatal mistake."
Rauru nodded, "and we have, my dear. Or at least, I have. I had no choice but to allow several inexperienced children to take over for the prior sages."
"That was thier choice, though," said Karto, with her heavy accent. A Gerudo warrior at heart, Karto still clung to her long spear, even though in this realm she would not need it.
"Yes, it was, but while this was a choice and also a true necessity, it is still a weakness. The dark ones never have cared much for technicalities, unless it is a technicality that binds them. In this case, it is on our side that the technicality resides."
Boro, who had remained silent for some time, finally spoke. The Goron was, by nature, shy, but when he did speak it was always important, "What, then, of the hero?"
Rauru nodded, "yes, that is exactly why I have called you all together. It is our duty to find the one true hero and to be sure he gets on his way."
"And the princess?" Jeni asked.
"The princess is a mystery. After the last incarnation of the hero... the Hero of Sands, defeated Ganondorf, the royal family went into hiding. I can only assume that the princess is somewhere, blending in with the population."
"And the triforce?"
"The triforce of wisdom will remain in the youngest member of the royal family, and if he or she is killed, it will be removed from their body and hidden in Hyrule somewhere," it was as if he was reciting from a text book, but Rauru sort of was. While there were times that the sages invoked the hero, there were other times when the hero emerged uncalled. Rauru had been around since the first known hero, the Hero of Time, and he had helped set the boy to his path. Still, he found himself wondering too often if he saw only a fraction of the hero. How many times was he reborn? It didn't matter, though it was an interesting thing to ponder.
"So, you're saying that the triforce of wisdom could be anywhere? That our only real clue is that the royal family may still be alive? May?"
Rauru nodded, stifling a laugh at Zarotu's outburst. "The fact is, if it IS anywhere, we still have to find the last link in the royal family."
"How do we know if they are alive?"
"if they were dead, hyrule would have fallen. That still doesn't mean the triforce didn't depart from the youngest. Children often die from natural or unnatural causes."
There was a steady silence, when the Goron finally spoke up, "so which do we search for first, the princess or the hero?"
Rauru sighed, "I don't know. If we find the princess, then we can hide her away- she is always a link in Ganon's schemes, since his ultimate goal is always to get his hands on the triforce."
"So?" said Sandriek, "we go after the princess, then."
Rauru shook his head, "it's not that simple. If we focus our energies on the princess, the hero is placed into an incredible amount of danger. Ganon will be searching for the hero as much as the princess, because the hero will have some access to the triforce of courage."
"But won't the hero be able to defend himself?"
"I don't know. It depends on if he gets the proper training before the evil one encounters him. If Ganon finds him, he will try to befriend the lad and train him, but only enough so that he can lead the evil one to the triforce and then discard him, or worse," Rauru swallowed thickly, "he will try to get the lad to join him."
"But the hero is pure of heart!" argued niave Jeni.
"To an extent... but he can be misled." Rauru inhaled, then picked up his chalice and took a long drink.
"So we need to go for the hero first?"
"I'm not sure. Our best bet," Rauru said, "is to split our forces." He turned to Zarotu, "you shall seek the princess, because you have access to the land and the seas. Find her. We only have certain clues to her wherabouts, but remember them well: before the family left, there was only one clue as to where they were headed: 'where the flowers are mists and the grass is blue'. The princess herself will be a pretty girl. She will appear plain until she speaks, and when she does there will be authority in her tone that no one can match."
"That's it?" Zarotu snorted, "that's a fairly simple clue. Flowers are mists, and the grass is blue. It has to be the swamp. There's a mist always on the ground and blue grass grows there."
Rauru shrugged, "just don't decieve yourself, Zarotu. And don't get yourself killed."
"Killed?" she said, annoyed, "I'm an immortal. All the sages are, once they enter the light realm."
He shook his head, "you will be vulnerable when you are not here. Cloak yourself with invisibility, and do the same for the princess, when you find her." He paused, then turned to the small (though large for a faerie) faerie, "Jeni, you shall search for the hero. This is a difficult task, and there are less clues here than there were for the princess. Still, I believe you can do it."
The spritely figure nodded, and said, "I shall do my best. How will I know him?"
"You won't... at first. Look for someone with great courage, someone who is from a strange family setting. I doubt his parents will be alive, no other hero's has, but it could be different this time. He will not live in the largest city in Hyrule, this much I know. He may live out on his own, or he may live in a small setting with some friends of his. I am not sure. The hero has always found an affinity with the color green, so check for a green wardrobe, too. And the only other thing I can think of is he'll probably be near or in a forest of some sort. Bring him here when you find him."
The tiny figure nodded, and flitted off.
"The rest of us must wait, and be sure to offer our protection to those two."
"Was it wise to send the youngest of us off to search?" asked Karto.
"They are swifter than we are, and have access to more. They are our only hope."
"And if we fail to find the princess and the hero?"
"Then we shall all perish."
---
Prologue:
---
"Just short of the three goddesses, there are sages. Protectors of the people, the triforce, and of course, of kindness. Seldom does the powers of the sages crack, but when they do, the three light goddesses call upon the hero and the princess to fix any problem. The hero has had, of course, nine incarnations- that we know of. He has been in the form of child, adult, hylian, kokiri, and has taken the form of many different life forms, though that was from masks more than from fate," Rauru concluded slowly, letting the other sages- many of them rookies, in comparison to himself - absorb this knowledge.
"This is old news," Princess Zarotu, the water sage, said. "You gave us this information as soon as we became sages, taking the positions from other aging geezers."
Rauru was used to, by now, Zarotu's tongue. She was, in her life in Hyrule, a Zora princess- much like the long dead Ruto, only a lot more spoiled and angry. Still, Zarotu's impertenance was frustrating, and Rauru said, "I shall then cut to the chase, my dear. Ganon is, possibly has, taken a current incarnation."
The other sages gasped, save Zarotu (who refused to give Rauru the satisfaction).
"Are you sure? I mean, absolutely sure?"
This came from Jeni, a small faerie kokiri cross breed. She was young and niave, but Rauru still had a soft spot for her.
"Yes, Jeni, I am sure," he took a deep breath, and continued, "the dark gods- or goddesses- have made their move. Ganon is their strongest game piece, and he is now available for use. As most of you have had no experience in dealing with the hero, that is our major weakness. You are all novices, and while that is not your fault, it is still a weakness."
"I thought," said Sandriek, an ancient Shiek- a species which had evolved into more shadow than Hylian- "that the dark lord could only appear if we make a fatal mistake."
Rauru nodded, "and we have, my dear. Or at least, I have. I had no choice but to allow several inexperienced children to take over for the prior sages."
"That was thier choice, though," said Karto, with her heavy accent. A Gerudo warrior at heart, Karto still clung to her long spear, even though in this realm she would not need it.
"Yes, it was, but while this was a choice and also a true necessity, it is still a weakness. The dark ones never have cared much for technicalities, unless it is a technicality that binds them. In this case, it is on our side that the technicality resides."
Boro, who had remained silent for some time, finally spoke. The Goron was, by nature, shy, but when he did speak it was always important, "What, then, of the hero?"
Rauru nodded, "yes, that is exactly why I have called you all together. It is our duty to find the one true hero and to be sure he gets on his way."
"And the princess?" Jeni asked.
"The princess is a mystery. After the last incarnation of the hero... the Hero of Sands, defeated Ganondorf, the royal family went into hiding. I can only assume that the princess is somewhere, blending in with the population."
"And the triforce?"
"The triforce of wisdom will remain in the youngest member of the royal family, and if he or she is killed, it will be removed from their body and hidden in Hyrule somewhere," it was as if he was reciting from a text book, but Rauru sort of was. While there were times that the sages invoked the hero, there were other times when the hero emerged uncalled. Rauru had been around since the first known hero, the Hero of Time, and he had helped set the boy to his path. Still, he found himself wondering too often if he saw only a fraction of the hero. How many times was he reborn? It didn't matter, though it was an interesting thing to ponder.
"So, you're saying that the triforce of wisdom could be anywhere? That our only real clue is that the royal family may still be alive? May?"
Rauru nodded, stifling a laugh at Zarotu's outburst. "The fact is, if it IS anywhere, we still have to find the last link in the royal family."
"How do we know if they are alive?"
"if they were dead, hyrule would have fallen. That still doesn't mean the triforce didn't depart from the youngest. Children often die from natural or unnatural causes."
There was a steady silence, when the Goron finally spoke up, "so which do we search for first, the princess or the hero?"
Rauru sighed, "I don't know. If we find the princess, then we can hide her away- she is always a link in Ganon's schemes, since his ultimate goal is always to get his hands on the triforce."
"So?" said Sandriek, "we go after the princess, then."
Rauru shook his head, "it's not that simple. If we focus our energies on the princess, the hero is placed into an incredible amount of danger. Ganon will be searching for the hero as much as the princess, because the hero will have some access to the triforce of courage."
"But won't the hero be able to defend himself?"
"I don't know. It depends on if he gets the proper training before the evil one encounters him. If Ganon finds him, he will try to befriend the lad and train him, but only enough so that he can lead the evil one to the triforce and then discard him, or worse," Rauru swallowed thickly, "he will try to get the lad to join him."
"But the hero is pure of heart!" argued niave Jeni.
"To an extent... but he can be misled." Rauru inhaled, then picked up his chalice and took a long drink.
"So we need to go for the hero first?"
"I'm not sure. Our best bet," Rauru said, "is to split our forces." He turned to Zarotu, "you shall seek the princess, because you have access to the land and the seas. Find her. We only have certain clues to her wherabouts, but remember them well: before the family left, there was only one clue as to where they were headed: 'where the flowers are mists and the grass is blue'. The princess herself will be a pretty girl. She will appear plain until she speaks, and when she does there will be authority in her tone that no one can match."
"That's it?" Zarotu snorted, "that's a fairly simple clue. Flowers are mists, and the grass is blue. It has to be the swamp. There's a mist always on the ground and blue grass grows there."
Rauru shrugged, "just don't decieve yourself, Zarotu. And don't get yourself killed."
"Killed?" she said, annoyed, "I'm an immortal. All the sages are, once they enter the light realm."
He shook his head, "you will be vulnerable when you are not here. Cloak yourself with invisibility, and do the same for the princess, when you find her." He paused, then turned to the small (though large for a faerie) faerie, "Jeni, you shall search for the hero. This is a difficult task, and there are less clues here than there were for the princess. Still, I believe you can do it."
The spritely figure nodded, and said, "I shall do my best. How will I know him?"
"You won't... at first. Look for someone with great courage, someone who is from a strange family setting. I doubt his parents will be alive, no other hero's has, but it could be different this time. He will not live in the largest city in Hyrule, this much I know. He may live out on his own, or he may live in a small setting with some friends of his. I am not sure. The hero has always found an affinity with the color green, so check for a green wardrobe, too. And the only other thing I can think of is he'll probably be near or in a forest of some sort. Bring him here when you find him."
The tiny figure nodded, and flitted off.
"The rest of us must wait, and be sure to offer our protection to those two."
"Was it wise to send the youngest of us off to search?" asked Karto.
"They are swifter than we are, and have access to more. They are our only hope."
"And if we fail to find the princess and the hero?"
"Then we shall all perish."