Author's note: Another chapter, at last! I'm not going to spend too much time on the journey for the Master Sword, so I'm covering long distances within paragraphs with an extent amount of detail. Well, I hope you enjoy! (There's not much dialogue in this chapter.)

Chapter 11: The Hero Rises

The sea carried the boat through the night as it sailed on top of the rolling waves as the wind pushed against the yellowed sail. Link leaned against the beam, his hands clinging tightly onto his shoulders in an attempt to keep himself warm. The cold wind reddened his pale nose and cheeks and he found himself blowing his warm breath into his hands and rubbing them together before placing them back on his shoulders. Each time Link exhaled, his breath seemed to be a cold mist escaping into the air. He had been sailing for quite a while now, with the little food and water he had.

Link looked upward when he had noticed the roaring thunder once again and worry began to tug at his heart when the wind had picked up and lighting flashed in the sky. He stood up and took hold of one of the ropes attached to the sail and looked around. The waves began to rise and roll even fiercer. The storm came so quickly, Link could barely act, sooner or later, the boat was being tossed about and the waves crashed down on him. The rain stung his eyes as if it were bees and the wind dried them.

Was he to perish? Link still clung tightly onto the rope and to try to keep the sail still intact. The lightning flashed even brighter and the thunder more fierce. The wind howled even louder as Link's strength began to give out. His eyes widened when he saw a large wave heading his way. Link lifted his arm to have only but a little more resistance, but it was in vain, for the wave had crashed down on him. Link could feel the boat had been torn apart and he quickly clanged onto one of the wooden remains.

Link kept his eyes tightly shut as the waves tossed him side to side. Sooner or later, the sound of wind had faded and everything darkened as if falling to despair. He knew not what was to happen to him. Only a blank dream plagued him, a dream of darkness that clouded all his senses.

Link felt that he had twitched his hand, a sudden reflex that awakened him. Sooner or later he had regained his senses. He smelled the salty sent of the flowing sea. Course sand was below his skin and clothes and he now felt itchy. Then there was the wind once more, except more gentle and inviting, what caused him to open his eyes was the thought of hearing Zelda's sweet and gentle voice. It was faint, but he was sure he could here her.

"Link..."

Once hearing it, he shot his eyes open and sat up quickly and eagerly looked for her. However, it was in vain. The only thing he saw was the sand running along the beach and the water running up and down its slant. Reality set in with Link and he knew that it was nothing but a remaining element of a dream. It dream that he could not see. Oh, how he longed to know what happened... surely it was about him and Zelda. He stood up, and stumbled around for a while before tripping and coming to the ground once more. Tears fell from his eyes as his fists crashed in the sand.

With each passing hour, Link's love for Zelda grew and grew. However, he had to ignore his feelings for the time being and continue with his quest. Link clenched his fist once more, grabbing onto some sand before standing up and releasing it from his grasp at last. He walked forward, and did not cease to not look back, he kept going forward as if it were his only path.

There at the shores of the sea his long journey began. He had traveled through great mountains and snowstorms where the air had almost pierced his skin. He traveled through the fast and towering forests, where the trees seemed to lean over him, watching him take his each and individual step. No matter where he went, the sky was always the same... darkness... It was darkness that embraced all. But even if it seemed so hopeless, the one thing that kept Link on his feet was his thoughts to save the land, his thoughts of inhaling the first breath of freedom. He wouldn't give out after all he and his friends had sacrificed; he would not falter or perish and fall to the ground before Ganondorf's feet and give up everything. However, the one thing that supported him the most was his thoughts of Zelda.

The land was plagued with war, peasant rebels fought against Ganondorf's minions in great numbers. It was a pity that barely any of them knew of the great prophesies that were yet to occur. They were desperate; fighting blindly for freedom and hope. Link could do nothing as of yet.

At long last, Link came upon a place of ruins where the sky was not shadowed with dark clouds, but a deep and soothing blue color, and it only was above it, and only the dark clouds could be seen off in the distance. Link looked around in wonder, observing the walls nestled in forest green moss. He had come to an open square, covered in light tan cobble stones. Each of the walls that surrounded him had a picture covering it, each beautiful with the glittering stone, despite the paint that covered it.

Link approached it and found that it was he who was in it, and in this picture, he was riding Epona, charging at an army of goblins. He had turned his head toward the other and found that he was now fighting a demon of some sort, great in stature, and fierce. Link narrowed his eyes at it in confusion with his mouth slightly gapped open. Something was awkward about that picture... but his gaze had turned toward the next one. Now Link was approaching a great and glorious sword, glowing with purity and courage. Gently, his hand stroked the course stone.

"The Master Sword..." He whispered, before turning toward a doorway with a carving of the Triforce carved into it, reflecting its shine and glory.

As he slowly stepped toward it, and as he did, a deep rumble formed under his feet, and the carving of the Golden Power shed a light outward, before the door had split in two and was leading into a dark area. Link stood in awe, staring at the open doorway. He felt so small at that moment when Link reluctantly stepped forward and entering the most intact building.

When his eyes had grown accustomed to the shadows, he found that he was in a shady room, where the only light crept through old stained glass windows, with dust and smudge on them. Link looked around observing how large the room was; it seemed that the ceiling was lost in a dark abyss, forever going upward. When Link looked down to eyelevel once again, he noticed a sword sticking out of a pedestal with the brightest light shedding on it through the stained glass window behind it. The different colors illuminated the floor with a fluorescent touch.

Link stepped forward slowly reaching his hand outward toward the hilt of the legendary blade. He stepped up the short and small steps he had to climb before reaching the level with the sword. Link was now in front of it, observing its shining blade. He slowly clenched his hand around the hilt and tightened his grip as he placed his other hand on it as well. This was the moment the Hero would rise.

"This is what I was destined for..." He said with a solemn voice passing his lips, "This is the path I was meant to take... and it will be soon when the people of this age shall see a clear sky!"

With that, Link pulled at the sword with all his strength and pulled it out, letting out a cry. The sword had illuminated a bright and powerful light, shedding all its glory when Link held the blade upward. The Master Sword was drawn, and the Hero had risen.

Link had left the ruins and had gone out to the vast plains, with the grey sky now going over his head. He looked out as the wind blew his hair to the side and dried his eyes, causing him to squint. He wished now, for the people to see that blue sky. A smile passed his lips, it was one of the few smiles in this Age of Darkness and it was of hope.

To Link's surprise, he had heard a neigh off in the distance and he turned his head toward the sound. There was Epona trotting toward him over the horizon. A feeling of relief went over Link, to know that his only horse was safe. When she had reached him, Epona nuzzled his shoulder as Link threw his arms around her neck.

"Epona!" He said joyfully, "You're alive!"

Link had gone on her back once again, something he had not done in a year since the beginning of the destruction and patted her head and ran his fingers through her white silky mane. As he patted her and looked back at his sheathed Master Sword, he gave her only a slight kick and began to go at a slow trot, outward across the plain.

Author's note: I know, it wasn't as good as the other chapters, but it was still a big part of the plot. Next chapter will be more exciting. (Fluff is so dangerously close... it's not in the next chapter though.) Hope you guys liked it! Please review!

Special thanks:

LadyAkki45: You changed your name! ...You're lucky that you have a longer summer, my mum says that we shouldn't start school THIS early because it's Arizona and all, and the beginning of August is very hot. It doesn't cool off until approximately mid-November. I think the term "fish" is kind of funny, actually... hee, hee! Anyway, thanks for the review!

Crescent-Wish-Forever: Well, Link drew the Master Sword, so I guess all we have to do is wait for him to meet Zelda... I have the sequence planned out already, and it's SO CUTE! Well, I hope you liked this chapter! Thanks for the review!

Sakurelle: My friends and I call school, "the death trap." It all started with the elementary school people treating us like we were little babies... (well, some of the other 8th graders were, it seemed.) We call our old elementary school the F.F. (Forsaken Fortress... Heh, heh... get it?) Anyway, I'm glad you look forward to each update, thanks for the review!

anyone: Well, since it's school time and all, I will probably have a week's gap in between updates. I'm really glad you think the plot is going well. THANKS! Thanks for the review, too!

kat-SageOfWisdom-princessZel: High school's going okay, I guess... A LOT better than elementary school! (No more being treated like babies!!!) Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

pen-gurl: Well, this is the soonest I could update. I writing takes up most of my free time, other than studying... doing homework and such. Are you staring at the computer with blood-shot eyes again? Anyway, thanks for the review!