A/N: Okay, that's it. The rating's going up cause of future mature
things. I've decided that now.
Redlance: Aww. . .
It's okay! You'll enjoy it anyway!
Skywise: Yay!! :D
Link: Let's go to the Challenge!!
Yesh! Onto the chappie! YAY!
Before it All Began: Chapter 5: Trial of the Goddesses
The Four reached the castle and gathered in the throne room. Zelda sat upon her throne, and both men stood either side of her. Impa held the Challenge Knife, ready to proudly recite an ancient, Sheikah ritual.
"Children. . . Hear now a chant older than old, and truer than truth itself:
Two have come seeking their love.
Their passion, their goal, the same.
The loving hand of marriage of
This maiden is their aim.
And so to meet one of them's demand,
A challenge shall decide.
The winner shall gain the maiden's hand.
The loser must step aside!"
Zelda listened intently, looking at both men who sought her love. Did she get to choose? If she did, she'd pick Link in a heartbeat.
But before she could ask, Link, quite confused, asked for her. "Wait, shouldn't Zelda get to choose?"
"Hush, Link," Impa shushed him, and Zelda's heart fell. That meant no. She knew it for sure. As she sighed in disappointment, Impa faced the two and continued.
"Link, Ian has challenged you to the Trial of the Goddesses: Din, Nayru, and Farore. The one of you that wins each of the three contests will win the undisputed right to court Princess Zelda."
"Power, Wisdom, and Courage, jackal! Three out of three!" Ian exclaimed, shaking a fist. "You cannot defeat me! Zelda shall be mine once and for all!"
Zelda, quite annoyed already by this whole ordeal, stood and scowled angrily at Ian. "Ian! Have you no courtesy!? This is no child's game, and I'm not some trinket to be handed out as a prize! The only thing this trial will resolve is your foolish rivalry, not my preference!"
Ian stood shocked, while Link couldn't help but smile.
"Hush, please!" Impa interrupted. "Let the young man speak! Link, do you accept the challenge?"
Link answered with a single, gracious nod.
"Then let the rivals prepare! The first contest begins at sunrise."
Ian silently left the throne room. Before Link could leave, Impa stopped him.
"Remember, Link, the contest must be fair. Don't use any of the equipment you have obtained on your journeys against Ian."
"I won't need to, Impa." Link replied confidently, yet not boastfully. With that, he left.
Zelda smiled, confident in Link as well. Ian underestimated the young hero; he was stronger than that knight thought!
----------
Dawn. A large amount of people were gathered around the Market Square as they prepared for the first contest. Not only Hylian villagers, but many of Link's friends had gathered to cheer on the hero. Among them were Malon, Talon, Darunia, Saria, and Nabooru.
"Here's a Goron hug for good luck, Brother!" Darunia pulled Link into a large hug, nearly crushing him in the process. When he let go, Link held his back in somewhat pain, but smiled.
"Thanks, Darunia."
And so, the Trial of Din began: a test of strength, balance, and agility. Both Ian and Link were blindfolded and forced to stand atop tall, skinny crates. Standing on them alone required much balance, yet they braced themselves for confrontation.
"One fall loses all!" Impa proclaimed. "Ready. . . Begin!"
Cheering was heard from nearby as Link's supporters cheered him on.
"You can do it, Link!"
"Take him down!"
"Good luck, brown-hair!"
"Huh!?" Saria faced the atrocious being, Nabooru. "You're on Ian's side!?"
"Nope, just sympathetic," Nabooru answered. "Link'll beat the living horse dung outta him!"
"Oh."
The two combatants each grasped their rival's hand, attempting to pull the other off as they balanced woozily atop the boxes.
"Give up, savage!" Ian growled. "No one can beat me at this!"
"Hah!" Link scoffed. "This is easier than walking a tightrope in a light breeze!"
Ian then pulled back, and Link almost lost his balance. "You were saying, cur!?"
Both were angered now, and they fought with both tugs and insults.
"Backstabber!"
"Flea-scratcher!"
"RAT!!"
"DOG!!"
They were locked, shoulder the shoulder, both sweating hands fighting against each other in a fierce struggle of strength. Then Link tugged towards the side instead of back, catching Ian off guard. Ian toppled to the ground in defeat, and the crowd cheered.
"Ha HAH!" Nabooru cheered. "What'd I tell you!? He's as tough as they come, sure as birds fly!"
"And Ian's chewin' nettles now, sure as snakes crawl!" Talon laughed.
Link removed his blindfold, flashing the crowd a triumphant grin as he leaped off the crate. Ian removed his forcefully and scowled hatefully at his rival.
On a small stand above, Zelda, back in her royal clothes, smiled down at Link. She knew he could do it.
"Well, Zelda," Impa interrupted her thoughts. "Ian has lost his solitary claim on you, thanks to Link."
"Yes, Impa. . ." Zelda suddenly grew concerned. "But what about the Trial of Nayru? Look!"
A wild struggle was happening as many villagers surrounded Link, trying to grab hold of the knife he kept sheathed at his side.
"NO!! You can't have it! GET AWAY!!" He drew it and held it high, trying to push them away. He finally escaped and approached Impa frantically as Ian placed his own knife in her hand.
"Impa you can have anything I own, but not this! Not my knife!" Link pleaded. "It's the only blade I've had since--!"
"Tradition demands. . ." Impa interrupted solemnly. ". . . that both opponents must hand over their weapons. They will be hidden deep and well in Hyrule Field. The one that regains his weapons and returns here first, by use of his wits, shall win."
"Go on, Brother!" Darunia insisted. "Luck is with you today, I know it!"
Very reluctantly, Link placed his precious knife in Impa's hand. He stepped back, and Ian smirked.
"So, the savage finds it difficult to part with his blade. . ."
Link didn't respond, but gave Ian a spiteful scowl.
For the Trial of Nayru, Ian and Link were once again blindfolded, but this time their hands were bounded as well as they sat atop horses, slowly being led into an unknown part of the massive plain. Soon, Link was lifted off his horse and carried by two villagers.
"I'm getting sick of blindfolds!" he muttered.
Finally, he was placed on the ground, and a snickering young voice said, "Then take it off- if you can free your hands!"
Another said, "We'll come back and find you if you don't show up in the market by noon!" And with that they left. Link was alone.
"Thanks a lot. . ."
In another part of the field, Ian was already hard at work, scraping his bounds against a jutting rock. -This should do the trick!-
Link, however, relied on his adapted dexterity, squirming out of his bounds. -I've squirmed free of Deku Vines before. . . This isn't so different!- He got out and removed his blindfold.
-Now where'd they hide my knife?-
Link stood still for a moment, hearing sounds only his sharp ears could hear. -Footsteps. . . going. . . this way!- He rushed in the direction of the footsteps of the people who had hid his weapon.
Meanwhile, Ian's tracking ability showed him the subtlest of clues as he bent down and searched the ground. -Footprints! They're so light that only I can detect them! The savage will lose this trial. . . But I still need to hurry!-
Equally aware that time was slipping away, Link hurried down the path until a bright gleam of silver nearly blinded him. It came from the top of a tree in the distance.
-My knife!- He kept his eyes on the gleam and tripped over a jutting rock in his excitement.
-Argh! Damn rock!-
After a search as bruising as Link's, Ian came across a large boulder, and from under it stuck out. . .
-My dagger!- He tried to grab it and tug it out, but. . . -Unh! Cleverly done, my people! The blade is too far in to be pulled out! There must be a way to get it out. . .-
Finally, Link came up to the tree and a closer look showed that the knife was sitting nicely in the tree's branches above. But a look at the tree itself made him most uneasy.
-This tree is old, and the branches look weak,- He reached up and grabbed a branch, and it snapped in two easily. -They'd easily break under my weight. . . Well, either I try to climb up and risk a broken neck, or I use my wits!-
He reached back and removed his hat, exposing a small ponytail held by tight leather. He removed this as well, and the surprisingly long twine served as a good lasso when he tied it up. He swung the tiny lasso and threw the loop at the knife, and it caught the hilt.
-Got it!-
At the same time, Ian slipped a long wooden plank under the boulder, right next to his dagger and was set atop a smaller rock.
-The leverage this wood creates will be enough to lift the boulder slightly with enough force!-
He slowly stepped down on the plank. -Slowly. . . Carefully. . .- Soon, the boulder creaked, and with a hard tug, Ian pulled his dagger out. He chuckled to himself.
-I'd like to see the savage figure this out!-
By noon, Ian returned to the crowd gathered in the market, certain of his triumph. But before he could speak proudly of his win, he noticed the scattered laughter as Talon approached, roaring with laughter.
"What kept ya, O Mighty Slayer of Rats!?" he laughed.
Malon brought Link out of the crowd. "Link's been back quite a while!" she giggled.
Ian scowled as Link sat down to unwrap the leather around his knife's hilt.
Wait. . . Leather!?
Ian became furious. "CHEATER!! He was told NOT to use equipment, yet he did!"
Impa stepped up as Link retied his hair up. "If he had used normal rope, he would've indeed lost. But Link obtained his knife using the leather that held his hair back, thus it's considered as a piece of clothing, not equipment."
Ian growled under his breath as Link gave him a smirk, slipping his knife back into its sheath.
Impa stepped up, holding the Challenge Knife. "Now is the time for the Trial of Farore: the last and most difficult test of all. For either of you to win, you must conquer your greatest fear."
"Then the contest is over!" Link announced. "My greatest fear is the safety of Hyrule! I wouldn't change that if I could!"
Impa smiled. "How little you know yourself! Deep in your mind are fears you never dreamed were yours. I shall find and select the appropriate test for both of you."
The Shadow Sage placed her cold fingertips on Link's sweating brow. He was aware and frightened that she was exploring his mind quietly. . . searching for a certain fear. . .
. . . And she found it! As Impa drew her fingers away, Link was left chilled by a certain, nameless dread.
The deepest parts of Ian's mind was examined in the same manner, and he, too, was left shaken when Impa completed her search. She looked out northeast.
"For Link's trial, we must travel to Death Mountain, to the cliff- tops, where others have tried to prove their courage. . . and failed. Darunia shall lead us there."
So the small group of people flocked to the northeast. Zelda looked at the shaken Link quite worriedly. What was it that frightened him so? And would he be able to conquer this fear. . .?
A/N: Kewl.
Skywise: Ooh, what're you scared of, huh, Link?
Link: What makes you think I'd tell you!?
Redlance: Don't worry, Skywise, we'll find out in the next chapter! :)
Link: T.T;;;
XD Well, yeah, review, peoples!!!!
Redlance: Aww. . .
It's okay! You'll enjoy it anyway!
Skywise: Yay!! :D
Link: Let's go to the Challenge!!
Yesh! Onto the chappie! YAY!
Before it All Began: Chapter 5: Trial of the Goddesses
The Four reached the castle and gathered in the throne room. Zelda sat upon her throne, and both men stood either side of her. Impa held the Challenge Knife, ready to proudly recite an ancient, Sheikah ritual.
"Children. . . Hear now a chant older than old, and truer than truth itself:
Two have come seeking their love.
Their passion, their goal, the same.
The loving hand of marriage of
This maiden is their aim.
And so to meet one of them's demand,
A challenge shall decide.
The winner shall gain the maiden's hand.
The loser must step aside!"
Zelda listened intently, looking at both men who sought her love. Did she get to choose? If she did, she'd pick Link in a heartbeat.
But before she could ask, Link, quite confused, asked for her. "Wait, shouldn't Zelda get to choose?"
"Hush, Link," Impa shushed him, and Zelda's heart fell. That meant no. She knew it for sure. As she sighed in disappointment, Impa faced the two and continued.
"Link, Ian has challenged you to the Trial of the Goddesses: Din, Nayru, and Farore. The one of you that wins each of the three contests will win the undisputed right to court Princess Zelda."
"Power, Wisdom, and Courage, jackal! Three out of three!" Ian exclaimed, shaking a fist. "You cannot defeat me! Zelda shall be mine once and for all!"
Zelda, quite annoyed already by this whole ordeal, stood and scowled angrily at Ian. "Ian! Have you no courtesy!? This is no child's game, and I'm not some trinket to be handed out as a prize! The only thing this trial will resolve is your foolish rivalry, not my preference!"
Ian stood shocked, while Link couldn't help but smile.
"Hush, please!" Impa interrupted. "Let the young man speak! Link, do you accept the challenge?"
Link answered with a single, gracious nod.
"Then let the rivals prepare! The first contest begins at sunrise."
Ian silently left the throne room. Before Link could leave, Impa stopped him.
"Remember, Link, the contest must be fair. Don't use any of the equipment you have obtained on your journeys against Ian."
"I won't need to, Impa." Link replied confidently, yet not boastfully. With that, he left.
Zelda smiled, confident in Link as well. Ian underestimated the young hero; he was stronger than that knight thought!
----------
Dawn. A large amount of people were gathered around the Market Square as they prepared for the first contest. Not only Hylian villagers, but many of Link's friends had gathered to cheer on the hero. Among them were Malon, Talon, Darunia, Saria, and Nabooru.
"Here's a Goron hug for good luck, Brother!" Darunia pulled Link into a large hug, nearly crushing him in the process. When he let go, Link held his back in somewhat pain, but smiled.
"Thanks, Darunia."
And so, the Trial of Din began: a test of strength, balance, and agility. Both Ian and Link were blindfolded and forced to stand atop tall, skinny crates. Standing on them alone required much balance, yet they braced themselves for confrontation.
"One fall loses all!" Impa proclaimed. "Ready. . . Begin!"
Cheering was heard from nearby as Link's supporters cheered him on.
"You can do it, Link!"
"Take him down!"
"Good luck, brown-hair!"
"Huh!?" Saria faced the atrocious being, Nabooru. "You're on Ian's side!?"
"Nope, just sympathetic," Nabooru answered. "Link'll beat the living horse dung outta him!"
"Oh."
The two combatants each grasped their rival's hand, attempting to pull the other off as they balanced woozily atop the boxes.
"Give up, savage!" Ian growled. "No one can beat me at this!"
"Hah!" Link scoffed. "This is easier than walking a tightrope in a light breeze!"
Ian then pulled back, and Link almost lost his balance. "You were saying, cur!?"
Both were angered now, and they fought with both tugs and insults.
"Backstabber!"
"Flea-scratcher!"
"RAT!!"
"DOG!!"
They were locked, shoulder the shoulder, both sweating hands fighting against each other in a fierce struggle of strength. Then Link tugged towards the side instead of back, catching Ian off guard. Ian toppled to the ground in defeat, and the crowd cheered.
"Ha HAH!" Nabooru cheered. "What'd I tell you!? He's as tough as they come, sure as birds fly!"
"And Ian's chewin' nettles now, sure as snakes crawl!" Talon laughed.
Link removed his blindfold, flashing the crowd a triumphant grin as he leaped off the crate. Ian removed his forcefully and scowled hatefully at his rival.
On a small stand above, Zelda, back in her royal clothes, smiled down at Link. She knew he could do it.
"Well, Zelda," Impa interrupted her thoughts. "Ian has lost his solitary claim on you, thanks to Link."
"Yes, Impa. . ." Zelda suddenly grew concerned. "But what about the Trial of Nayru? Look!"
A wild struggle was happening as many villagers surrounded Link, trying to grab hold of the knife he kept sheathed at his side.
"NO!! You can't have it! GET AWAY!!" He drew it and held it high, trying to push them away. He finally escaped and approached Impa frantically as Ian placed his own knife in her hand.
"Impa you can have anything I own, but not this! Not my knife!" Link pleaded. "It's the only blade I've had since--!"
"Tradition demands. . ." Impa interrupted solemnly. ". . . that both opponents must hand over their weapons. They will be hidden deep and well in Hyrule Field. The one that regains his weapons and returns here first, by use of his wits, shall win."
"Go on, Brother!" Darunia insisted. "Luck is with you today, I know it!"
Very reluctantly, Link placed his precious knife in Impa's hand. He stepped back, and Ian smirked.
"So, the savage finds it difficult to part with his blade. . ."
Link didn't respond, but gave Ian a spiteful scowl.
For the Trial of Nayru, Ian and Link were once again blindfolded, but this time their hands were bounded as well as they sat atop horses, slowly being led into an unknown part of the massive plain. Soon, Link was lifted off his horse and carried by two villagers.
"I'm getting sick of blindfolds!" he muttered.
Finally, he was placed on the ground, and a snickering young voice said, "Then take it off- if you can free your hands!"
Another said, "We'll come back and find you if you don't show up in the market by noon!" And with that they left. Link was alone.
"Thanks a lot. . ."
In another part of the field, Ian was already hard at work, scraping his bounds against a jutting rock. -This should do the trick!-
Link, however, relied on his adapted dexterity, squirming out of his bounds. -I've squirmed free of Deku Vines before. . . This isn't so different!- He got out and removed his blindfold.
-Now where'd they hide my knife?-
Link stood still for a moment, hearing sounds only his sharp ears could hear. -Footsteps. . . going. . . this way!- He rushed in the direction of the footsteps of the people who had hid his weapon.
Meanwhile, Ian's tracking ability showed him the subtlest of clues as he bent down and searched the ground. -Footprints! They're so light that only I can detect them! The savage will lose this trial. . . But I still need to hurry!-
Equally aware that time was slipping away, Link hurried down the path until a bright gleam of silver nearly blinded him. It came from the top of a tree in the distance.
-My knife!- He kept his eyes on the gleam and tripped over a jutting rock in his excitement.
-Argh! Damn rock!-
After a search as bruising as Link's, Ian came across a large boulder, and from under it stuck out. . .
-My dagger!- He tried to grab it and tug it out, but. . . -Unh! Cleverly done, my people! The blade is too far in to be pulled out! There must be a way to get it out. . .-
Finally, Link came up to the tree and a closer look showed that the knife was sitting nicely in the tree's branches above. But a look at the tree itself made him most uneasy.
-This tree is old, and the branches look weak,- He reached up and grabbed a branch, and it snapped in two easily. -They'd easily break under my weight. . . Well, either I try to climb up and risk a broken neck, or I use my wits!-
He reached back and removed his hat, exposing a small ponytail held by tight leather. He removed this as well, and the surprisingly long twine served as a good lasso when he tied it up. He swung the tiny lasso and threw the loop at the knife, and it caught the hilt.
-Got it!-
At the same time, Ian slipped a long wooden plank under the boulder, right next to his dagger and was set atop a smaller rock.
-The leverage this wood creates will be enough to lift the boulder slightly with enough force!-
He slowly stepped down on the plank. -Slowly. . . Carefully. . .- Soon, the boulder creaked, and with a hard tug, Ian pulled his dagger out. He chuckled to himself.
-I'd like to see the savage figure this out!-
By noon, Ian returned to the crowd gathered in the market, certain of his triumph. But before he could speak proudly of his win, he noticed the scattered laughter as Talon approached, roaring with laughter.
"What kept ya, O Mighty Slayer of Rats!?" he laughed.
Malon brought Link out of the crowd. "Link's been back quite a while!" she giggled.
Ian scowled as Link sat down to unwrap the leather around his knife's hilt.
Wait. . . Leather!?
Ian became furious. "CHEATER!! He was told NOT to use equipment, yet he did!"
Impa stepped up as Link retied his hair up. "If he had used normal rope, he would've indeed lost. But Link obtained his knife using the leather that held his hair back, thus it's considered as a piece of clothing, not equipment."
Ian growled under his breath as Link gave him a smirk, slipping his knife back into its sheath.
Impa stepped up, holding the Challenge Knife. "Now is the time for the Trial of Farore: the last and most difficult test of all. For either of you to win, you must conquer your greatest fear."
"Then the contest is over!" Link announced. "My greatest fear is the safety of Hyrule! I wouldn't change that if I could!"
Impa smiled. "How little you know yourself! Deep in your mind are fears you never dreamed were yours. I shall find and select the appropriate test for both of you."
The Shadow Sage placed her cold fingertips on Link's sweating brow. He was aware and frightened that she was exploring his mind quietly. . . searching for a certain fear. . .
. . . And she found it! As Impa drew her fingers away, Link was left chilled by a certain, nameless dread.
The deepest parts of Ian's mind was examined in the same manner, and he, too, was left shaken when Impa completed her search. She looked out northeast.
"For Link's trial, we must travel to Death Mountain, to the cliff- tops, where others have tried to prove their courage. . . and failed. Darunia shall lead us there."
So the small group of people flocked to the northeast. Zelda looked at the shaken Link quite worriedly. What was it that frightened him so? And would he be able to conquer this fear. . .?
A/N: Kewl.
Skywise: Ooh, what're you scared of, huh, Link?
Link: What makes you think I'd tell you!?
Redlance: Don't worry, Skywise, we'll find out in the next chapter! :)
Link: T.T;;;
XD Well, yeah, review, peoples!!!!