Aria: Chapter nine! Can you feel the wonder of it all? Heck! We ain't
even halfway to the end! And, I know 'cause I've written most of the rest.
Hope you like this one. It gives some insight to who one of Link's
ancestors might have been. Of course, I'm not going to tell you. Union
rules.
Hired guy: Aria Zephyr does not own the Legend of Zelda games or their
characters!
Aria: Argh! What is this guy?! A robot?!
Chapter 9: A Family Heirloom
Earlier that day, after the Gyrogs had been destroyed, Link had retired to
his small room. He pulled his mirror shield off and leaned it against the
small crate that he used as a makeshift bedside table. When he took his
hero's sword off, sheath and all, he paused to study it. He pulled it from
the sheath and held it for a moment.
There was a tendril of steel that seemed to wrap itself around the sword
near the hilt and there was a scratch that marred it. He smiled grimly as
he remembered how that scratch was obtained. He had been fighting off a
warrior in the Tower of the Gods. They were called Darknuts and they wore
mighty armor plating to protect them. He had realized that the only way to
defeat the monster was to parry an attack and slash the leather straps that
held the armor to the evil knight. When he had done so, the monster had
reacted violently and had hacked at him in rage.
It was too late for him to block with his shield and when Link had raised
his sword to stop the blow, the steel had rung vehemently and he had been
thrown back against the wall. He still remembered his cry of dismay when
he saw the damage caused to the gift that Orca, the swordsman on Outset
Island, had given to him. Perhaps that was what allowed him to destroy the
terrible creature in a fit of fury. Nevertheless, the sword still bared
the battle scar and it was depressing to think of how undeserving it was.
Link slid the sword back into the sheath after giving it a quick polish and
sharpening the edges. Then, he looked around warily to make sure that no
one was watching him before he pulled a medium-sized package and a letter
out. He tucked the package under his pillow for the moment and carefully
opened the letter that was addressed to him in a messy, child's scrawl.
'Hi Big Brother!,' the first sentence read. 'How are you? I hope that
you're having a good time on your adventure with the pirates! Everyone
here keeps wondering how you're doing and whether you're ever going to come
back or not. Please come home when you can; Grandma misses you and worries
about your safety every day. I know that wouldn't do anything really
reckless, but when I was still traveling with the pirates, they said that
you have a tendency to be really reckless and charge straight ahead into
things without thinking.'
'We had visitors from Windfall Island the other day. One of them was Sue-
Belle's friend, Linda, and she brought her boyfriend, Anton, with her!
They're both really nice and they told me that you and the pictographer on
Windfall Island, Lenzo, helped them get together! Why didn't you tell
anyone that you were such a romantic? Also, the teacher, Ms. Marie, came
with them and she brought these four boys with her. They came here as a
field trip and the boys told me that they think that you're the coolest guy
they know! And, not long after, Lenzo came here himself! He says that
you're a dedicated pictographer and the best assistant he's ever had!
You're keeping secrets from us here, Big Brother.'
'By the way, what was all that big, important, grown-up stuff you still had
to do when you rescued me from the Forbidden Fortress? None of the pirates
knew and the postman wouldn't tell anyone. And, why'd you take so long?
Miss Tetra said that you'd be back really soon, but you didn't come back
for days! Please try to at least send a letter to us here. I'm sure that
the Rito postman won't mind; he thinks a lot of you. Love, your little
sister, Aryll.'
'P.S. The seagulls brought this back for me. I think that you'll get more
use out of it than I will.'
When Link had finished reading the letter, a blue rupee spilled out onto
his lap. "Thanks for the extra pocket change, Aryll," He said, laughing
softly. He was about to put the letter away when he noticed that there was
another letter behind it. He pulled it away from the first and saw that it
had been written in his grandmother's shaky penmanship.
'Hello, my dear Link,' it began. 'This letter is accompanied by one from
dear little Aryll, so you may find this one not as lighthearted. Things
have been rather quiet without you running amuck through the grass and the
Forest of Fairies, but we all miss you. Aryll has been learning how to
make her own clothes from Sue-Belle and her friend, so when you come back,
she says that she wants to wear clothes that she made all by herself so
that you can see how grown-up she's getting. It's still very strange and
saddening to me to remember how little the both of you used to be when your
parents would leave you and Aryll with your grandfather and me, but I know
that you're getting older and there's nothing that I can do to stop you
from being yourself.'
'I was cleaning out some old things from the basement with your sister's
help and I found something that I should have given to you on your twelfth
birthday. It was an heirloom from your grandfather's family and your
father would have given it to you if he hadn't died seven years ago. It's
very old and your grandfather always used to say that it came from the
ancient time, when the legendary hero still protected the land. He even
used to say that it may have even once belonged to the hero himself once.
Nevertheless, the item that you'll find in the package with these letters
is yours and you should treasure it. I also found a letter written to you
from your parents with it and it is enclosed in the box. Be a good boy for
your grandmother's sake and don't get yourself into too much trouble!
Love, Grandma.'
'P.S. I also put some of your favorite soup inside some tight bottles in
the box for you. Aryll and I had a devil of a time making sure that it
wouldn't spoil before you got it.'
Link took the box out from under his pillow and cautiously opened it. Two
bottles shone in the flickering light of his candle and a small velvet-
covered box lay beside them, covering an aged letter beneath it. He gently
lifted the bottles out and put them inside the small cooler that he used to
keep such things fresh.
Then, he turned back to the box and took the letter and velvet box out.
The tiny box was rather dusty and smelled of mildew and the letter was
brown with age. He was careful not to tear the paper as he unfolded the
letter and the paper protested with soft rustles. The letter was written
in an elegant script and was very old indeed. When he wondered about which
of his parents had written the letter, a little voice in the depths of his
mind reminded him of his grandmother saying that his mother had once been a
talented calligrapher. As he read the letter, he couldn't stop the forlorn
tears that fell.
'To our wonderful son on his twelfth birthday;
Link, this letter is to be given to you if by some chance that your father
and I are not around on your coming-of-age. The item in the box with this
letter has been passed down in your father's family for centuries, from the
ancient kingdom itself. It was originally given to your ancestor by his
own father over a thousand years ago when a terrible disaster struck the
land. He was told that the item was a precious gift that had been given to
him many years before by a person of great power. He was also instructed
to never tell anyone about it unless they were part of the family. After
this, your ancestor's father disappeared forever.'
'Link, this heirloom has always been given to the oldest child in our
family and they have always been told to treasure it above all others, as
it may hold some mysteries beneath its harmless outlook. You are now old
enough to understand the meaning of this gift and perhaps you may be able
to understand the meaning of why it should be such a secret. Please take
care of this treasure and always remember that your father and I love you
and your sister more than life itself. Love, your mother, Lillian.'
Link put the letter down and wiped the tears from his eyes and those that
had fallen onto the page. He picked up the box from his lap and gently
lifted the lid. A small, triangular, gold medallion winked up at him. A
pattern of tiny flowers ran around the face of the medallion, giving it a
border. It had a herald molded onto its surface in the shape of a bird
with its wings spread and a set of three triangles above the tip of its
beak, which formed a larger triangle with a space in the center.
Link recognized the symbol; it was the emblem of the Triforce and of the
lost kingdom of Hyrule. He took the medallion out of the box and saw that
a fine golden chain was attached to it. He studied it for a moment, seeing
that it was very old. 'What would my family be doing with an artifact from
Hyrule? I wonder what it is even,' Link thought to himself. 'Maybe the
Deku Tree might have some idea about what this is, because I certainly
don't!' With that, he hung the medallion around his neck, which was
surprisingly light, and tucked it into his clothes.
Then, he noticed something tucked into the lid of the velvet box. He pried
it loose and found himself looking at an old picture. He immediately
recognized the people in the picture; they were his family! He recognized
his grandmother, standing beside his grandfather, who dwarfed her with his
height. He also knew the two people standing beside them; his parents. He
smiled sadly at the giddy expression on his mother's face as she cuddled a
squirming baby Aryll and the mimicking one on his father's face as he held
a younger version of himself on his shoulders. His grandmother had always
shown Aryll and him pictures of their parents and grandfather, saying that
they all had the same unique shade of bright blond hair and fair skin.
'We all look so happy here,' Link thought, looking up from the picture and
at his weapons. 'But, now, Mom, Dad, and Grandpa are all gone and I've
changed so much ever since my twelfth birthday! If that bird had never
flown past Outset Island with Tetra, I might have never become the Hero of
Wind and Ganondorf would have covered the Great Sea in darkness and revived
Hyrule! But, even he said that I was fated to become what I am.'
Link smiled inwardly to himself and got ready for bed. He pulled off his
brown boots and set them beside his bed, along with his hat, which he laid
on the crate. He poked his head outside of his door, to make sure that no
one was coming downstairs, before he changed out of his green tunic and
into his blue pajamas with orange bottoms. He turned down the thin covers
of his cot and lay down.
However, his mind was full and he picked up the picture of his long ago
family. He curled onto his side and looked at the picture again. Now,
instead of being a melancholy reminder of what had been lost to him, it was
a gentle recall of how much his family cared about him. Soon, drowsiness
set in and without remembering to blow out his candle, Link fell into a
comforting slumber.
Aria: Okay, I know what you're thinking: so this is what happened before
Tetra spied on him? And, about Link being twelve when he first left Outset
Island; because this is set two years after what happened during Legend of
Zelda: The Wind Waker, what happens to Link and Tetra as they get closer
makes more sense if they're fourteen. Okay? Anyway, I finally tied up the
hired announcer guy so I can check to see if he's got a program in him or
something. I've got to find better help these days! Please read and
review! See you in chapter ten!
even halfway to the end! And, I know 'cause I've written most of the rest.
Hope you like this one. It gives some insight to who one of Link's
ancestors might have been. Of course, I'm not going to tell you. Union
rules.
Hired guy: Aria Zephyr does not own the Legend of Zelda games or their
characters!
Aria: Argh! What is this guy?! A robot?!
Chapter 9: A Family Heirloom
Earlier that day, after the Gyrogs had been destroyed, Link had retired to
his small room. He pulled his mirror shield off and leaned it against the
small crate that he used as a makeshift bedside table. When he took his
hero's sword off, sheath and all, he paused to study it. He pulled it from
the sheath and held it for a moment.
There was a tendril of steel that seemed to wrap itself around the sword
near the hilt and there was a scratch that marred it. He smiled grimly as
he remembered how that scratch was obtained. He had been fighting off a
warrior in the Tower of the Gods. They were called Darknuts and they wore
mighty armor plating to protect them. He had realized that the only way to
defeat the monster was to parry an attack and slash the leather straps that
held the armor to the evil knight. When he had done so, the monster had
reacted violently and had hacked at him in rage.
It was too late for him to block with his shield and when Link had raised
his sword to stop the blow, the steel had rung vehemently and he had been
thrown back against the wall. He still remembered his cry of dismay when
he saw the damage caused to the gift that Orca, the swordsman on Outset
Island, had given to him. Perhaps that was what allowed him to destroy the
terrible creature in a fit of fury. Nevertheless, the sword still bared
the battle scar and it was depressing to think of how undeserving it was.
Link slid the sword back into the sheath after giving it a quick polish and
sharpening the edges. Then, he looked around warily to make sure that no
one was watching him before he pulled a medium-sized package and a letter
out. He tucked the package under his pillow for the moment and carefully
opened the letter that was addressed to him in a messy, child's scrawl.
'Hi Big Brother!,' the first sentence read. 'How are you? I hope that
you're having a good time on your adventure with the pirates! Everyone
here keeps wondering how you're doing and whether you're ever going to come
back or not. Please come home when you can; Grandma misses you and worries
about your safety every day. I know that wouldn't do anything really
reckless, but when I was still traveling with the pirates, they said that
you have a tendency to be really reckless and charge straight ahead into
things without thinking.'
'We had visitors from Windfall Island the other day. One of them was Sue-
Belle's friend, Linda, and she brought her boyfriend, Anton, with her!
They're both really nice and they told me that you and the pictographer on
Windfall Island, Lenzo, helped them get together! Why didn't you tell
anyone that you were such a romantic? Also, the teacher, Ms. Marie, came
with them and she brought these four boys with her. They came here as a
field trip and the boys told me that they think that you're the coolest guy
they know! And, not long after, Lenzo came here himself! He says that
you're a dedicated pictographer and the best assistant he's ever had!
You're keeping secrets from us here, Big Brother.'
'By the way, what was all that big, important, grown-up stuff you still had
to do when you rescued me from the Forbidden Fortress? None of the pirates
knew and the postman wouldn't tell anyone. And, why'd you take so long?
Miss Tetra said that you'd be back really soon, but you didn't come back
for days! Please try to at least send a letter to us here. I'm sure that
the Rito postman won't mind; he thinks a lot of you. Love, your little
sister, Aryll.'
'P.S. The seagulls brought this back for me. I think that you'll get more
use out of it than I will.'
When Link had finished reading the letter, a blue rupee spilled out onto
his lap. "Thanks for the extra pocket change, Aryll," He said, laughing
softly. He was about to put the letter away when he noticed that there was
another letter behind it. He pulled it away from the first and saw that it
had been written in his grandmother's shaky penmanship.
'Hello, my dear Link,' it began. 'This letter is accompanied by one from
dear little Aryll, so you may find this one not as lighthearted. Things
have been rather quiet without you running amuck through the grass and the
Forest of Fairies, but we all miss you. Aryll has been learning how to
make her own clothes from Sue-Belle and her friend, so when you come back,
she says that she wants to wear clothes that she made all by herself so
that you can see how grown-up she's getting. It's still very strange and
saddening to me to remember how little the both of you used to be when your
parents would leave you and Aryll with your grandfather and me, but I know
that you're getting older and there's nothing that I can do to stop you
from being yourself.'
'I was cleaning out some old things from the basement with your sister's
help and I found something that I should have given to you on your twelfth
birthday. It was an heirloom from your grandfather's family and your
father would have given it to you if he hadn't died seven years ago. It's
very old and your grandfather always used to say that it came from the
ancient time, when the legendary hero still protected the land. He even
used to say that it may have even once belonged to the hero himself once.
Nevertheless, the item that you'll find in the package with these letters
is yours and you should treasure it. I also found a letter written to you
from your parents with it and it is enclosed in the box. Be a good boy for
your grandmother's sake and don't get yourself into too much trouble!
Love, Grandma.'
'P.S. I also put some of your favorite soup inside some tight bottles in
the box for you. Aryll and I had a devil of a time making sure that it
wouldn't spoil before you got it.'
Link took the box out from under his pillow and cautiously opened it. Two
bottles shone in the flickering light of his candle and a small velvet-
covered box lay beside them, covering an aged letter beneath it. He gently
lifted the bottles out and put them inside the small cooler that he used to
keep such things fresh.
Then, he turned back to the box and took the letter and velvet box out.
The tiny box was rather dusty and smelled of mildew and the letter was
brown with age. He was careful not to tear the paper as he unfolded the
letter and the paper protested with soft rustles. The letter was written
in an elegant script and was very old indeed. When he wondered about which
of his parents had written the letter, a little voice in the depths of his
mind reminded him of his grandmother saying that his mother had once been a
talented calligrapher. As he read the letter, he couldn't stop the forlorn
tears that fell.
'To our wonderful son on his twelfth birthday;
Link, this letter is to be given to you if by some chance that your father
and I are not around on your coming-of-age. The item in the box with this
letter has been passed down in your father's family for centuries, from the
ancient kingdom itself. It was originally given to your ancestor by his
own father over a thousand years ago when a terrible disaster struck the
land. He was told that the item was a precious gift that had been given to
him many years before by a person of great power. He was also instructed
to never tell anyone about it unless they were part of the family. After
this, your ancestor's father disappeared forever.'
'Link, this heirloom has always been given to the oldest child in our
family and they have always been told to treasure it above all others, as
it may hold some mysteries beneath its harmless outlook. You are now old
enough to understand the meaning of this gift and perhaps you may be able
to understand the meaning of why it should be such a secret. Please take
care of this treasure and always remember that your father and I love you
and your sister more than life itself. Love, your mother, Lillian.'
Link put the letter down and wiped the tears from his eyes and those that
had fallen onto the page. He picked up the box from his lap and gently
lifted the lid. A small, triangular, gold medallion winked up at him. A
pattern of tiny flowers ran around the face of the medallion, giving it a
border. It had a herald molded onto its surface in the shape of a bird
with its wings spread and a set of three triangles above the tip of its
beak, which formed a larger triangle with a space in the center.
Link recognized the symbol; it was the emblem of the Triforce and of the
lost kingdom of Hyrule. He took the medallion out of the box and saw that
a fine golden chain was attached to it. He studied it for a moment, seeing
that it was very old. 'What would my family be doing with an artifact from
Hyrule? I wonder what it is even,' Link thought to himself. 'Maybe the
Deku Tree might have some idea about what this is, because I certainly
don't!' With that, he hung the medallion around his neck, which was
surprisingly light, and tucked it into his clothes.
Then, he noticed something tucked into the lid of the velvet box. He pried
it loose and found himself looking at an old picture. He immediately
recognized the people in the picture; they were his family! He recognized
his grandmother, standing beside his grandfather, who dwarfed her with his
height. He also knew the two people standing beside them; his parents. He
smiled sadly at the giddy expression on his mother's face as she cuddled a
squirming baby Aryll and the mimicking one on his father's face as he held
a younger version of himself on his shoulders. His grandmother had always
shown Aryll and him pictures of their parents and grandfather, saying that
they all had the same unique shade of bright blond hair and fair skin.
'We all look so happy here,' Link thought, looking up from the picture and
at his weapons. 'But, now, Mom, Dad, and Grandpa are all gone and I've
changed so much ever since my twelfth birthday! If that bird had never
flown past Outset Island with Tetra, I might have never become the Hero of
Wind and Ganondorf would have covered the Great Sea in darkness and revived
Hyrule! But, even he said that I was fated to become what I am.'
Link smiled inwardly to himself and got ready for bed. He pulled off his
brown boots and set them beside his bed, along with his hat, which he laid
on the crate. He poked his head outside of his door, to make sure that no
one was coming downstairs, before he changed out of his green tunic and
into his blue pajamas with orange bottoms. He turned down the thin covers
of his cot and lay down.
However, his mind was full and he picked up the picture of his long ago
family. He curled onto his side and looked at the picture again. Now,
instead of being a melancholy reminder of what had been lost to him, it was
a gentle recall of how much his family cared about him. Soon, drowsiness
set in and without remembering to blow out his candle, Link fell into a
comforting slumber.
Aria: Okay, I know what you're thinking: so this is what happened before
Tetra spied on him? And, about Link being twelve when he first left Outset
Island; because this is set two years after what happened during Legend of
Zelda: The Wind Waker, what happens to Link and Tetra as they get closer
makes more sense if they're fourteen. Okay? Anyway, I finally tied up the
hired announcer guy so I can check to see if he's got a program in him or
something. I've got to find better help these days! Please read and
review! See you in chapter ten!
