Hello there, loyal fans! That's right, I LIVE! I have brought with me a completely reader-insert free one-shot, but I still encourage you to read it. If you're wondering where all the reader-inserts went, check my user info if you're reading this from FictionZone.
Ah yes. Before I begin, one of the character's names happens to be spelled Liar, but it is pronounced Lee-are. Please remember that.
Disclaimer: I do not own any Legend of Zelda names, characters, etc.----------
Liar paused in his work in order to give the horse and himself a rest. Wiping the sweat off of his brow, he took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. It was a steely gray, tinged in areas with black, promising rain. But it would not fall. Liar knew that. Shaking his head, he muttered something and continued with his work.
-----
Rhea watched the sun set with slight worry. Liar had not returned yet from the field. She looked over at her mother, who showed more apprehension than she did. Of course, her mother had always acted like that since Rhea's father had died a few months ago. At least, they believed it was their father. The head had never been recovered. Rumors said that a monster had gotten him, but Rhea shook her head over that. Hyrule had been free of monsters ever since the Hero of Time had destroyed them over a hundred years ago.
As Rhea mulled this over, her mother shifted slightly, and a soft sigh of relief escaped her lips. "Liar's home," she breathed.
Rhea turned back to the window and squinted against the falling darkness. Sure enough, she could see her brother's figure silhouetted against the blood red horizon. As soon as he reached the house, their mother opened the door and embraced Liar.
"I'm so glad you're safe," she whispered, tears appearing in her eyes.
"Mother, please . . ." Liar pulled away. "I'm fine, and always will be." He then moved to Rhea. "How are you, Sis?"
"I'm fine," she answered, smiling warmly at her brother. They were twins, which showed through their matching fair hair and sparkling, clear blue eyes. But that was where the similarity stopped. Liar was a head taller than Rhea, and though he was slim, he had a muscular litheness that showed grace and strength. Rhea was built along the same lines, but she wasn't as strong as her brother.
"Where were you, anyway," Rhea asked softly. "Mother almost died with worry."
"Actually, I gathered some news at the bazaar that you might be interested in," Liar sat down at the kitchen table, and the other two followed suit. For a minute, Liar just sat there, eyes closed, carefully gathering his thoughts. Finally, he opened his eyes, leaned forward, and asked, "Do you know the current weather condition?"
"Yes," Rhea answered as her mother nodded silently. "It looks like it should rain, but no rain falls, right?"
"Yes, and it hasn't changed. We're on the brink of drought, and people are panicking. Rumors have it that even Lake Hylia has dropped in level. People are demanding a reason for why the sky promises rain, but none falls. The elder says," he looked towards Rhea. "That a drought like this hasn't occurred since the time of the Hero."
Rhea gasped. The time of the Hero? Does that mean that the shadow that almost enveloped Hyrule was rising again? But then she shook her head. No way. The Evil One was sealed away forever. There was no way the seal could break.
Liar continued. "Most, of course, deny that this is possible. The priest says that the Goddesses are trying to punish us for a past sin. Most follow that idea instead of the one that claims that the Evil One is on the rise once more."
Liar and Rhea's mother took a deep breath. "This is very troubling news," she said softly. "I think we should all have some time to digest this information. Until then, let's have dinner."
The "dinner" was more like a banquet. Since Liar worked all day on the field, he came home starved and almost had the appetite of a Wolfo. The meal went by silently, not only because the entire family was tired from the day's work, but also because they were all going through the news Liar had brought home with him.
After dinner, Rhea cornered Liar. "Brother, what if the elder is right?" she asked nervously. "What if the Evil One is trying to break free? What if the Hero is needed once more? What if-"
Liar cut his sister off before she went into a full panic attack. "Listen," he said softly. "I don't know who is right about this at the moment and neither should you. Just wait, all right? And if you want, I'll take you into town tomorrow. You want to?" Rhea nodded. "Then just stop thinking about it and go to sleep."
Rhea smiled at Liar's words. He always was the best at calming her down. She nodded again, and then went into her room to get some sleep.
-----
Ruins were scattered everywhere around her. Most were covered with moss and other greenery, but some remained proud and clear of plan life. One such ruin was a large slab of rock that bore the royal family crest. Rhea stared at the crest for a while, especially at the center, triangular design, and then glanced southwards on impulse. She could see the village, the temple the most prominent feature, and became confused. It was impossible to reach the village from the north. The only thing there was-
"Hyrule castle," she breathed, awed.
"Correct, child," a deep voice said. Rhea whirled to see a large man in red robes. Even though his hair and beard was white, he radiated strength. A golden crown sat atop his head.
"I brought you here for a reason, child," he said. "Tomorrow, after you reach the town, come here and seek me out. I have something for you that must not die."
And with that, Rhea awoke, dripping sweat and panting. She was only conscious long enough to register how strange the dream was, however, and after the thought promptly fell back asleep.
-----
Liar watched his sister warily the next morning as they neared the village. She had been acting strangely today, and seemed nervous about something. As he stared at her in thought, she abruptly stopped at the village's edge.
"I… must go somewhere," Rhea muttered vaguely. "I'll meet you back here in a few hours…"
Liar watched her go with mounting suspicion. After a few moments, he dismounted, tied his horse to a tree, and followed after his sister on foot.
-----
Rhea carefully picked her way through the ruins, looking for the spot she saw in her dreams. It was easy to find, since the crest was visible from several feet away. She approached the stoned and traced the three triangles in the center.
"So," a voice stated behind her. "You have come." Rhea turned to see the man from her dreams. He approached her. "I presume that you do not know who I am?" Rhea shook her head. "Then I will introduce myself.
"I am the spirit of the final King of Hyrule."
Rhea gasped. The last king had died over a century ago.
"I come bearing a gift. Something that must not be lost within the flow of time." He pointed to the triangular seal on the nearby stone. The lower left triangle glowed, and broke away from the stone. It then floated towards Rhea, emitting a soft golden light.
"This is the Triforce of Wisdom," the spirit said. "It was originally given to my daughter, the Princess Zelda. Unfortunately, she ran away from the castle and into the country when I was close to death. She left me without an heir, and so I died and the royal family's line was broken. She hid this before she left, in order to keep it as safe as possible." The king's voice suddenly hardened. "I will never forgive her leaving, since I know that it was the Hero's fault." He spat out the name like it was something bitter. "He filled her head with thoughts of 'love' and 'starting a family'. I will never forgive them. Never."
The king shook his head, and put his hand under the triangle. A bright light blinded Rhea, and when she could see again, the triangle had been broken into two parts. The king handed her the smaller piece.
"Keep this," he ordered. "Protect it with your life. Pass it down your family, from mother to daughter, and tell them to protect it with their life. Do not let it fall into evil hands." With that, the ghost faded away.
Rhea stood there, staring at the golden shard. After a few moments, she nodded, closed her fist around the shard, and started towards the town.
-----
Liar watched his sister's meeting with the ghost in amazement. As his sister began to leave, he turned to do the same.
And nearly collided with the king's ghost, making Liar fall backwards in shock.
"Peace, child," the king murmured. "I knew you would follow your sister. Your bond is strong. I also have a gift for you, and a message." He presented Liar with a longsword. "This sword belonged to the captain of my personal guard. He was the second-best swordsman in the entire kingdom. Carry it with you at all times, the time for its use will soon come." Liar took the sword slowly, looking it over in awe.
"Now," the ghost continued. "This is my message. Evil is slowly tainting this world. The One has broken free. The Hero will not come. Pray for hope, for it will soon rain. When it does, collect the priest, the elder, three warriors and their families, and head to the southwestern mountains. Bring all the supplies you need to begin a life there. Your sister will go to the northern mountains with the other warriors and their families. She is to bring supplies as well. At reaching the mountains, go as high up as you can, and do not come down. Never come down. Farewell!" With that, the ghost faded once more.
Liar took a moment to memorize all that he was told. After that, he ran in order to reach the village before his sister.
-----
The village was bustling with its normal activities. Sellers cried out their wares, customers cried out at the prices, children laughed, dogs barked, and cuckoos clucked. Rhea waded through it all, searching for Liar. She called his name, but the hubbub of the crowd quickly swallowed her voice. She was about to give up when she saw him looking over a weapon master's wares.
She opened her mouth to call him when thunder rent the air. People looked up expectantly, but instead of rain, a tongue of lightning flashed, an unnatural blue-black color. It struck the center of the town square, sending people and rubble flying in all directions. When the lightning faded, it left behind a man, who floated in midair. His hair was a fiery red, his skin olive green, and his cloak the darkest black. He looked the murmuring crowd over with his cold, red eyes.
"People of Hyrule," he declared in a deep, cruel voice. "I am the King of Shadows, Lord Ganondorf." He paused as the murmurs escalated, then continued. "Your 'Hero' sealed me away for over a century, but that is no more! I have returned for my rightful place as the ruler of Hyrule!"
He lifted his arms, and several monsters appeared below him. With another gesture, the beasts lunged at the crowd. Ganondorf laughed as the people screamed and tried to run from the monsters.
"Where is your precious 'Hero' now?" he demanded, and then turned his back to the chaos to make his way to the ruins of Hyrule castle.
Rhea watched him leave in shock, unaware of the churning crowd around her. The Evil One was loose. People were dying all around her as the monsters took down villager after villager. It would not take long for this to spread across the land.
The world was coming to an end, and with that realization, all of the things she knew and believed in were shattered in an instant.
As she stood there watching her world crumble around her, a Moblin noticed her. It licked its chops, and pounced. She noticed it too late, and didn't have time to run. Rhea screamed.
And then the monster was on the ground, dead.
Rhea looked around in surprise, and saw her brother right beside her with a sword stained with blood. Liar locked eyes with her, panting, and then handed her a long dagger.
"Keep this!" he shouted over the din. "Use it if you have to! We're getting out of here!"
Rhea nodded, and then ran with Liar out of the town and towards their horses, cutting down monsters when she had to. Finally, they reached their horses, mounted them, and galloped home as fast as they could.
----------
Three days later, the rain fell.
Rhea and Liar watched it rain together, and then looked at each other. Liar nodded to Rhea, and they went to saddle their horses. Liar had told Rhea what the king had said, and she had not protested. It was probably the best for the survival of Hyrule.
They reached the village and collected those that the king had specified to take, including supplies that would last for years. All of the people came willingly, believing it to be better than staying home and waiting for monsters to kill them. The group traveled together until the path forked. They stopped there to say their goodbyes. Liar and Rhea moved away from the group.
"Well," Rhea said, eyes getting teary. "I guess this is goodbye."
"Yeah," Liar choked. "Stay safe, Sis, alright?" He hugged her tightly. Rhea returned the hug just as fiercely.
"I'm sure we'll see each other again," she whispered. "If not us, then our descendants will."
Then, with a wave, they separated, never to see each other again.
-----
Both parties reached their goals safely, and began life anew. Crops were planted, houses raised, food stored, and through it all, the rain fell. It fell until it flooded every river, lake, and pond in the kingdom. It continued as the water rose. Finally, when the rain stopped and the sun showed its face once more, all of Hyrule was gone, buried beneath the water. The only thing left were the mountain peaks, which became the islands of the Great Sea.
Liar's island ended up pretty large, and his people prospered. He called it Outset Island, as no other island seemed to be in sight. He married, started a family, and became head of the island. He told his children stories in order to keep Hyrule alive, legends of the Hero and of Hyrule, especially its downfall. He also continued to perform the tradition of his village, and when every boy came of age, they wore green for a day, to remember the courage of the Hero. Liar died peacefully, but his legends did not, and were continued to be past down in every family on the island.
Rhea, however, was not content with staying on land. She constructed a ship, and became its captain, her followers the crew. She protected the Triforce shard with her life, and obeyed the king's orders by giving her daughter the shard and telling her what the king had told Rhea. She soon died, but her child kept the ship, and the women of her bloodline protected the Triforce shard for several generations.
-----Thousands of years later-----
"Happy birthday, Link," an elderly woman exclaimed. The blonde, blue-eyed boy she was talking to grinned broadly.
"Thanks, Granny," he said happily.
"Here you go, dear," his grandmother handed him a bundle of clothing. "I made it myself for your coming of age."
"Gee, thanks," Link's smile became more forced by the second. Clothes for his birthday? What was he, four years old?
"Well," Link's grandmother said expectantly. "Go try it on! You have to wear it all day today, you know!"
"Fine…" Link slipped out of his normal clothes and into the ones his grandmother had given him. He even put on the oddly shaped hat that went along with it. His grandmother looked him over, beaming.
"You look handsome," she claimed. "Now go get Aryll. The celebration will be starting soon!"
Link left the house, grumbling. What a crappy birthday. So what if it was tradition? Who cared about some made up Hero anyway?
With a sigh, Link wished that something interesting would happen to him, and soon.
----------
There you go! You like? I hope so! This'll have to tide you over until around December or so, when I'll get my new computer!