W00t! Fast update! I had most of this chapter done already before I even started writing chapter 23, that's why I got it up so fast.
At this time I'd like to point out a group fic being done at Zelda Universe called 'War of the Triforce: A New War' which I am a part of. Sadly though we only have three consistent writers and, although we've written quite a bit for it, there are still openings for people to join. It's quite fun really, so if you're interested just sign up and start posting
There's a link to it on my profile.
Blowfish: XD; Right, thanks for the compliment, though, I think my fight scenes could be a lot better e.e;
Hero of Legends: Dun hurt my cliffie!!! grabs Link and puts him in front of cliffie to shield from being stabbed Hey! Don't worry! I'll get the next chapter up soon...in fact...well, dang, it's up now oo; Heh, and sorry about my cliffies...I can't help it... I like keeping my readers in suspense X3
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''Chapter Twenty-Four''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
A lone man stood and watched as Lon Lon Ranch went up in flames. He stood there, staring into the white-hot fires...his mind totally blank. He was off somewhere, far away. A place which no one but himself could enter. A place deep inside his mind...
The Kokiri Sword flashed from its sheath with a quick ring sound and pointed to the figure behind its wielder.
"Heh, you are very skilled, Hero of Time," said the shadowy figure. "I didn't think you'd be able to use the Master Sword to bring out your full power without proper training."
"Who are you?" Link demanded, the point of his sword following the figure as he slowly paced back and forth.
He ignored the question. "Of course...it wasn't really you. The Master Sword took hold of your body and forced the power out." Link could tell whoever it was was smirking now. "This whole time you didn't quite feel inside your own body, did you?"
Link was getting impatient. "I ask again, and advise you to answer if you value your life. Who are you?"
"Feh, gotten quite hot-headed lately, haven't we? Very well, my name is Seturo. I am a sage."
"You couldn't be. I know ever single sage, and you aren't one of them."
Seturo laughed at this. "Ah...you only know of the sages that were needed to be awakened during Ganon's rule. I am the Sage of Wind. One of the sages that forged your sword."
"You...you created the Master Sword?"
"Indeed I did, young man. The Sage of Earth and I that is."
Link lowered his sword, but didn't sheath it. "How many more sages are there?"
"That's all there is."
"Why have you come here?" Link asked.
"Because of the Sheikah. Link, you are indeed Hyrule's hero. You are one of many descendants of the Royal Family Knights chosen by the Gods to serve Hyrule as you did. It was your destiny."
"Was?"
"Yes, was. You fulfilled that destiny when you destroyed Ganon and sealed him in the Sacred Realm."
"What are you saying? That I'm not allowed to defend Hyrule now?"
"More like you're powerless to defend Hyrule. Or it was supposed to be that way at least. You shouldn't even be able to brandish the Master Sword anymore."
"And...what exactly does that mean then?"
"It means that the people upstairs didn't predict this Sheikah outbreak and since you're the Hero of Time, they've given you back the power to use the Master Sword. And, as the Hero of Time, you have many powers inside of you that lay dormant. One of which was the Kai-Ten-Giri Tempest technique the Master Sword brought out during your fight. Now, it is my duty to train you. For you will not survive the on coming fight without realizing your full power."
With that Seturo reached out, grabbed Link's hand and everything went black.
'''''''''''''''''''''
"But I don't understand," said Link. "I wasn't using the Master Sword. I was using the Kokiri Sword. How could it's power-"
"The Master Sword's power isn't bound to just the blade," Seturo interrupted. "When you had to leave it behind, it transferred a tiny bit of its power into the Kokirian sword to help you."
Link and Seturo were sitting in a small room with grass at their feet and vines growing over the walls. A single torch on a pillar was all the light they had, but it was enough for the two to see each other.
Seturo had teleported them to the Wind Temple, which was situated near the outskirts of Hyrule, inside a very tall mountain.
Link looked at the sword then back at Seturo. "Only a tiny bit of its power?"
"Yes. Any more power and the Kokiri Sword surely would have just dematerialized. The Master Sword was created to hold the awesome power of the god Teious."
Link had never heard of him before. "Who?"
"Looks like we're gonna have a little history lesson here." Seturo cleared his throat. "You know of the three goddesses, yes? Well, all three of them were sisters, and they had one brother."
"Teious?"
"Correct. Teious was an incredibly strong god, even compared to his father. He found out that evil was creeping into this world that his sisters had made and wanted to go down to protect the land. However, gods were forbidden to interfere with the affairs of humans, so he asked me and the Earth sage to forge him a sword. A sword that would be able to contain incredible power.
"We did as he asked, and he sealed himself inside the sword. But, before that, he granted one Hylian Knight the power to wield the Master Sword. Ever since then, the Master Sword has been used to strike down evil that has tried to rise up and take over Hyrule. You, Link, are a descendant of the first knight that used the sword."
Link stood up. "Well, I want to get strong enough to take on the Sheikah as soon as I can. Let's get to training."
"Of course, but wouldn't you first like to have your Master Sword back?"
"I left it with the Deku Tree..."
"I know. I took the liberty of dropping by and retrieving it for you."
"Really? Great! Where is it?" Link asked.
"Come, I'll show you."
The sage guided Link out of the room and through a few corridors until they came to another room, this time a very large one. There was nothing in it except a very long rock path down the middle that was elevated off the ground...leading to a treasure chest.
"It's in that chest over there," Seturo chuckled.
"Why'd you do that?" Link asked, annoyed. "You should have just given it to me!"
Link grumbled to himself as he started walking down the path. Then suddenly, out of nowhere shot an arrow. Link tried to side-step it, but wasn't fast enough.
Strangely, instead of piercing his skin it burst upon impact, sending a harsh shock through Link's body and knocking him from the path. He dropped down a ten-foot drop and hit the grassy bottom with a hard thud.
Link's groan of pain was audible from where Seturo standing, who couldn't help but grin. It was very amusing to him.
"This room, Link, is a room I designed for you to build up your reflexes. The path to the Master Sword is full of traps that you'll have to overcome. I advise that you do it quickly too. You'll only be able to learn to use the Master Sword properly when you have it in your possession...and every hour it gets closer to the time the Sheikah will attack Hyrule. Will you, or will you not be able to learn all you need to learn in time for it?"
By the time he had finished talking Link had made it back onto the path and gave it a second go. He rushed down the path and turned to where the arrow had come from before, but felt the same pain rush through his back and knock him once again from the path.
"Oh, by the way...the traps change every time you try it again, so that you don't get to the Master Sword by just memorizing a pattern. You're gonna have to learn to be aware of everything around you, Link."
Link, rubbing his back after climbing back up, looked at the Sage of Wind with a weird expression. "How am I supposed to be aware of everything? I mean...won't my mind bust trying to keep track of all that stuff?"
"Heh...You'll figure it out eventually... Now, try again."
'
And so, Link went a whole week running through that path over and over again, constantly getting knocked off, but slowly progressing. He spent many hours meditating with Seturo as well, training his mind. And then finally, at the end of the week...
Link stood at the start of the path, his body loose, relaxed. Seturo sat behind him, waiting silently. He opened his mouth but before he could say 'go' Link launched forward.
The ground under him collapsed, making him jump up and grab onto the ledge. A bunch of arrows shot out from either side of him, which he was able to avoid by kicking off the ledge and flipping back onto the path. As soon as he landed, a large blade swung down from the ceiling. Link rolled forward to avoid it, and then dove even farther down the path to avoid falling spears.
He had not time to stop, he did a hand-spring to get back on his feet and at the same time just managed to avoid falling off with the collapsing path behind him. Now back on his feet, a large bolder came tumbling from wherever the other traps were coming from, taking up the whole path. Link didn't hesitate. He ran towards and leapt forward, pulling a move to get over it that made it look like he was playing 'leap frog' with the bolder.
With the bolder safely behind him, Link charged towards the chest, which was no more than ten feet away. What happened next was done with such swiftness, with such smooth moves that all seemed to flow together even Seturo the sage was surprised.
First two arrows shot out from either side of the walls a little bit in front of Link, then a bunch of spikes poked out of the ground right under the hero, a Stalfos began falling to the path, and finally, two blades came out of the ground a violently swung around and around.
Link jumped up to avoid being stabbed by the spikes under him, did a mid-air spin, dodging the arrows, and while he was still in the air he unsheathed his sword and cut the stalfos in half before it had a chance to land, then, finally, ducked under the first swinging blade and jumped over the second one.
He landed right in front of the chest containing the Master Sword. He had no sooner pulled it out when four stalfos appeared around him. Link wasted no time. The Master Sword flashed with magic energy.
"Kai-Ten-Giri!!"
With a blast of magic and a spin of the sword, the monsters were gone.
Link smiled as he clutched the Master Sword, and turned back at the old sage. "Well?"
"Very good..." Seturo smiled. "You're ready for your real training now."
''''''''''''''''''''''''
Two weeks later, Link was standing outside the temple, now with a cloak on and a sheathed Master Sword in his hand.
"Seturo, I can't thank you enough for everything you've done..." Link said.
"Just doing my duty. Think nothing of it," Seturo replied. "But remember, you've grown much stronger, but I'm still not sure if you'll be able to defeat the one that leads the Sheikah."
"Well, what if I can't?"
"Remember the mask."
"The mask...? But...if I put that on..."
"You'll know what to do afterwards."
Link gave him a look, but nodded. "Yes, I understand."
'''''''''''''''''''''''
Link stood on top of a rock, watching the Sheikah army march towards Hyrule Castle Town, and the army waiting there for them. "It's time." He drew the Master Sword. "It's time for me to show them all that I've learned."