A couple of notes:
Thanks to my reviewers. I've only had three thus far, but the feedback is much appreciated. To address a question posed to me, I do not know where Link is from, as I am basing the story on what is outlined specifically in the game and not in the cartoon seriesor comic books on it. I have synthesized elements of the game with ideas of my own to make this story.
If Link's dream sequence in this chapter seems familiar, it is because it is based on the ending of the first game of the series.
If this chapter seems a bit slow or confusing, please bear with me, as I make a point of eventually tying up all loose ends.
At any rate, here is the second chapter. Enjoy, and please review! Thanks. :)
"Faugh!" the spirit of Ganon exclaimed, glancing into a magical looking glass at Link and Impa, galloping at full speed through the meadow to North Castle as bits and bots attempted to leap at them, only to be cut down or stampeded. Even the Master of Evil had to wince as he watched Link decapitate yet another moblin after deflecting its spear.
The phantom shifted his glance to a trembling figure in the corner of the room. "No matter," he said, an evil grin crossing his face. "Those good-for-nothing creatures are a waste of my time. So long as I have you, Zelda, my plan will still work."
"That's Princess Zelda to you!" the figure exclaimed, in her usual steadfast manner.
"Ah, yes, forgive me, where are my manners," he smirked. "I wouldn't want to disrespect my future wife."
Zelda thought of plenty of snide remarks, but bit back her tongue. She watched as he floated closer to her, ending up a few inches from her.
"Come here, my love, and kiss me," he said, his icy presence making her shudder.
"I'll never kiss you, even if you morphed into a real man and were the last one on Earth."
"Silly me, I forgot I'm only a ghost. But, don't worry, I can fix that."
Zelda gasped in horror as he stepped back and suddenly materialized into…
"Link!" Zelda exclaimed, before slipping into unconsciousness, as the shock overtook her.
"I guess she liked my surprise," Ganon grinned, leaving the princess in a heap on the floor.
Link tossed-and-turned, flooded with visions of Zelda curled up into a ball, shaking and crying. Knowing she was too weak to use magic, Ganon had finally removed the shackles, delighting in watching her try to muster the strength to escape. Zelda had awoken from her faint, a sense of dread washing over her as she recalled Ganon's newfound ability. Link whispered her name in his sleep as he watched her weep, tears in his eyes that matched the ones streaming down her face and dripping onto what little was left of her clothing.
The visions continued into the morning as Link struggled in his sleep to make contact with Zelda, despite not quite understanding how she had managed to contact him. At long last the cock crew, signaling the coming of dawn. Impa was at Link's side in a flash, and he woke up as the visions ceased. The two quickly walked down a long corridor, a staircase, and a short hall, stopping before the door concealing the Great Secret.
Impa took Link's left hand, and both noticed that the royal crest had appeared on the back of it during the night. She took it and pushed it against an identical mark on the door. With a click, the lock fell away, and the door swung open. Impa motioned for Link to follow her, and they entered the long room, the door swinging shut and locking behind them with a simple motion from Impa's hand.
The two stepped forward into the light, and, with another of Impa's hand motions, a scroll materialized before them, encased in glass and sitting on a pedestal. Link noticed that the case, like the door, had the symbol of the Triforce engraved onto a tile. He instinctively pressed the back of his left hand to the symbol, causing the glass to shatter, the shards dissolving in the sunlight.
Impa took the scroll from the pedestal and handed it to Link, who unraveled it. At first he puzzled over the mysterious symbols, Hylian hieroglyphs. Then, as he watched in awe, the symbols morphed into words- the Northwestern Hylian dialect, to be exact. An ancient dialect, but the very one that Rauru had been teaching him since Darunia had rid him of his nightmares. He began to read aloud from the scroll, but Impa interrupted him, explaining that for the protection of himself and others, only he must know what was written on the scroll.
To he who reads this scroll:
As the Chosen One, the time has come for you to fulfill the prophecy, for it is your destiny. The symbol you now bear on the back of your left had is more than just the crest of Hyrule's royal family; it connects you to all who know the whereabouts of the Triforce, so that you may communicate telepathically with them. Use this connection to your advantage, for it will guide you on your journey to strike down evil and restore the kingdom to its former glory. You will spend the next several days training for battle. Hyrule's bravest knights will teach you sword fighting techniques, while descendants of the Seven Wise Men will educate you in the ways of magic. However, as skill alone makes not a good knight, your wisdom and compassion will also be tested. When you are prepared to leave, you will find unlimited supplies at your disposal. Once you leave North Castle, your journey will officially begin. Be brave, and best of luck. From hereon, the very fate of Hyrule rests in your hands, and your hands alone! Do not falter from your duty, Hero of Destiny!
-King Daltus I
Having taken several moments to absorb everything, Link, at long last, looked up from the scroll, rolling it up neatly. Snapping her fingers, Impa produced a cylinder, in which Link carefully sealed away the parchment. Securing it to his belt, he followed Impa out of the room, using the crest on his hand to reactivate the magical seal on the door, locking it behind them.
Link spent the remainder of the day and the next two days honing his fighting techniques with his new sword. Right from the beginning, it was clear that he had inherited Farrell's fighting prowess, despite being raised by Rauru and Aura. By the end of the third day, he worked his way up to the top of the ranks, having defeated in mock battles all but the two best knights in Hyrule- Conlan and Curran, two of his childhood friends.
However, the friends were not there to socialize. Conlan and Curran were in charge of teaching Link two sword techniques reserved for Hyrule's finest fighters- which of course included the Chosen One, as it was his destiny to save the kingdom. Conlan showed Link how to do the Downward Thrust, while Curran taught him the Upward Thrust. To the surprise of no one, Link easily mastered both techniques after only a few tries. Even so, he chose to keep practicing for several hours, until Impa convinced him that he needed some food to replenish his energy.
That evening, all the knights sat down to a hearty meal with the king and queen. After feasting and drinking to their hearts' content, the knights retired to the barracks on the castle grounds, all save Conlan and Curran, who remained in the banquet hall with King Ahren, Queen Cecania, and Link. Impa rejoined them a few minutes later after ensuring that Prince Bohdan was asleep, and that the sentinels and his other nursemaids were maintaining close watch over him.
For a few minutes, everyone just sat at the table, looking around at each other, not knowing what to say. Impa was the first to break the silence.
"Well, Link, you will be sixteen in just one week," she pointed out, as she and all the others suddenly turned their attention to him. "It is clear that you have mastered the use of your new sword, but what of magic? I believe that, starting tomorrow, you must begin to learn the spells you will need."
"I am inclined to agree with Impa," spoke up King Ahren. "Therefore, I have asked her to summon the eldest descendant of each of the Seven Wise Men, so that you may learn the spells you will need directly from the experts."
Link found himself choked up a bit at this point, realizing what that meant- Rauru would be coming to North Castle, to teach him the Shield Spell, and surely would bring Aura with him. He would have the chance to see his parents once more. Knowing about his true parentage did not make him love the couple any less. If anything, it made him strive to prove that his upbringing, while quite untraditional in those times, had been done out of love. And being able to avenge the brutal deaths of his birth parents as a result of the teachings of his adoptive parents certainly did not hurt, either.
My parents were so brave, he thought, as King Ahren rambled on about some random thing. Wait- did I just to refer to Rauru and Aura, or Farrell and Aria? I'm so confused, and just this morning I thought that I'd finished sorting out everything...
Link's thoughts trailed off as the king rapped on the table for attention. He addressed everyone, looking directly at Link the entire time. "We have much work to do tomorrow, so I will have the guards wake all of you at dawn. This meeting is adjourned."
As the others went to their rooms, Impa pulled Link aside, having read his thoughts after taking notice of how distracted he had been during the meeting. "Remember the book," was all she said, before bidding him good night and hurrying off to the Servants' Wing.
After a moment's thought, Link realized that she must have been referring to the heavy volume on his genealogy, given to him by Rauru and Aura right before he came to the castle. Making haste to his room, he retrieved the tome from its shelf in the wardrobe. He then went to his bed, and, setting it down next to him, opened it and began to read.
As he read, the normally stoic young man became overwhelmed with emotion. When Link reached Error's description of entering the cave in Tantari and discovering the bodies of Farrell and Aria, tears welled in his eyes. And Link, unable to regain control of his emotions, did something he hadn't done in a long while- he cried. Not just sobbed, but cried.
All the talk of fulfilling his destiny weighed heavily on Link's mind. After all, rescuing the princess and saving Hyrule was no small feat, and, technically, he wasn't even an adult yet. All of this pressure had been thrust upon him so suddenly. I may be the Hero of Destiny, but I can only do so much, he reasoned, doubt creeping into his head and affecting his internal dialogue.
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his left hand, as if he'd been bitten by a creature. Looking down at his hand, Link noticed that the crest had a blue glow, like the light that surrounded the image of Zelda that had appeared to him in the wine cellar just a few days previous.
Link, are you okay? a voice in his head asked. He quickly recognized the voice as that of the princess, recalling that the Triforce symbol on his hand granted him telepathy.
I'm fine, Zel- er, uh, Princess Zelda, Link responded, quickly regaining his composure upon the realization that she knew he'd been crying. I should be the one asking that of you, Your Highness.
I've had better days, Zelda responded, not wanting to convey any sign of weakness. I see you've figured out how to respond to me, and I'm glad for that because I will be able to better guide you on your journey if we employ two-way communication. Much of the time I will summon you, but you can also reach out to me, as necessary.
Link felt a sense of relief for the first time since learning of his heritage and duty. I'm glad, too, to know that I'll have you to help me. Even with all the people I've been around lately, I've never felt so alone- or lonely- in my life.
Yes, Link, you'll always have me. The evil forces can batter my body and even dampen my spirits, but they can't prevent me from communicating with you, so long as I am mentally capable. Oh, but I digress.
What do you mean, Princess?
I must tell you the real reason I contacted you, before Ganon's ghost returns. Listen carefully, Link, as there are secrets I've come to learn during the course of my imprisonment in the Great Palace that are unfathomable to average Hylians. I fear that not even Rauru would not believe me if I were to tell him of the horrors that the evils here have created. You see, Link, Ganon's ghost haunts this castle and has command over all the forces that followed him during his life. He even controls Hylians born into a malevolent bloodline, no matter the goodness of their intentions. As a phantom, Ganon's powers are diminished, but the more time he spends here, the more they strengthen. And he has learned a new spell that allows him to morph into... into...
Into what, Princess?
No time; the Evil One is here! I must go, Link!
The glow from the crest began to dim as Zelda was forced to cut off communication.
I love you, Princess Zelda, Link thought as he felt the telepathic connection come to an end. Suddenly feeling drained, he fell back against the pillows and slipped into the world of the subconscious.
"You'll never defeat me!" the half-human, half-pig creature snarled, his nostrils flaring. With a wave of his human hand, he turned invisible. Link watched in horror as balls of energy assaulted him from various points in the room. Instinctively, he swung his magical sword, quickly realizing that even his magical shield could not protect him from Ganon's energy blasts.
As he swung the sword wildly while dodging Ganon's attacks, he heard a ping as the weapon struck something. A stunned Ganon materialized for a mere second before disappearing again, resuming his attack.
The battle waged on for what seemed like hours, as a battered and weary Link refused to waver from his goal. With each impact from Link's sword, Ganon reappeared, only to turn invisible again.
At long last, after four hits from the sword, an infuriated Ganon appeared, red with rage. Noticing that the Evil One remained visible, Link saw his opportunity. He quickly removed a silver arrow from his quiver, notched it in his bow, pulled back the string, and let it fly. Marveling at the trajectory, he watched in awe as the arrow found its destination- Ganon's heart.
The instant the point of the arrow pierced his skin, a look of defeat crossed Ganon's face as his body crumbled into a pile of ashes. Shaking off his shock, Link put away his weapons and removed the Triforce of Power from Ganon's remains. Taking notice that the door to the north was now open, he entered it and stumbled on Princess Zelda, surrounded by bonfires. Unsheathing his sword, he used its magic to extinguish the flames and free the princess from her shackles.
"Thank you, brave warrior," she proclaimed, hugging him tightly. "I must know your name, Hero of Destiny."
Link opened his mouth to speak...
"Hero of Destiny, it is time," a voice interrupted him.
Startled, Link nearly fell out of his bed. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and, upon opening them, saw Barrett, a soldier, standing at the foot of his bed.
"Are you okay, young warrior?" Barrett asked, helping Link to his feet. "I'm sorry to have startled you so, but it is dawn."
"No need to apologize. I thought I had rescued the princess, and it is only when you spoke that I realized it was but a dream, and that is what startled me."
"It is said that your dreams helped you learn of your destiny, so surely this one you speak of is a positive sign. Shall I call on Impa?"
"Yes, sir, that would be much appreciated," Link answered, surprised that the soldier seemed to speak to him as would a subordinate.
As Barrett went to fetch the elderly nursemaid, Link dressed in his training garb, pondering his dream all the while. Surely the girl in his dream was Zelda; yet, somehow, not her. The Zelda in his dream was slightly older and had lighter hair. And, although she had some sort of glow about her, she lacked Zelda's natural flush. The slight ruddiness more closely resembled that of someone holding a great secret. It also reminded him of a girl from Rauru that Link had met as a child, only to have Rauru and Aura drag him away from her presence. His stomach churned at the recollection, for it made him realize that, like the village girl, the young woman in his dream had that blush about her. The blush of one having lost her innocence.
The very thought left Link short of breath. The princess, no longer pure! Then another, much more disturbing thought entered his mind, easily dislodging the previous one. What if she's been... been...
Unable to finish the thought, Link swallowed hard, just as Barrett returned with Impa. Seeing the pained look on Link's face, they quickly helped him to a chair and joined him, sitting one on each side.
"Link, whatever is the matter?" Impa inquired, urging him to regain his composure by gently squeezing his hand.
"I...I had another one of those dreams about the princess, but somehow she seemed different..." Link's voice trailed off; he didn't want to tell Impa his suspicions, lest she make trouble for him for questioning the purity of the princess.
"Tell us about it," Impa prompted him, her face conveying her knowledge that Link was holding back something.
As Link related the details of his dream, Impa's expression changed, and this time it was Link who discerned that she was concealing vital information. She dismissed Barrett, closing and locking the door behind him after instructing him to tell the king and queen that, with their deepest apologies, she and Link would be late for breakfast. She then returned to her seat next to Link and began to speak.
"When Rauru and Aura made that book for you regarding your family history and heritage, they left out an extremely important detail. Whether it was omitted out of ignorance or intent, I know not, but it is time to relate it to you all the same."
Link raised his eyebrows. "Just how important?"
"You will find out soon enough. Just pay close attention and do not interrupt. You will be able to ask me questions when I finish." Glancing at the young warrior, Impa was satisfied that he was listening and continued. "First of all, your assertion that Princess Zelda differed in your dream is correct. For you dreamt not of the princess, but of the late Queen Tatiana, deceased sixteen years ago today. She passed just after birthing Zelda.
"I know you think Zelda has been... deflowered, in a manner of speaking. But let me explain, and you will soon know the error of your ways. For, despite all the power that carried over into the Netherworld, Phantom Ganon is indeed exempt from committing sins of the flesh against mortals. But beyond that, there is another truth you caught onto- the queen was indeed with child in your dream. In fact, she was carrying Ahren.
"You needn't ask how I know all this from what little you told me of your dream. 'Conjecture!' say you, a mite too quick. For this dream that has confused you and led you to puzzle over mannerisms uncomely for a member of the royal family, and beyond that your true love, are not the wild imaginings of a youth, nor the hormonal impulses of an almost-man. This dream is a recollection somehow passed on to you from your father.
"When Hyrule first fell to Ganon's power, your father seemed to appear out of nowhere. He was but fourteen, yet had mastered sword fighting techniques as if he'd had years of training as a Royal Hylian guard. He tracked Ganon to Spectacle Rock a month after the Evil One kidnapped Tatiana, who was then a princess, as she honeymooned in Mido Town with Princess Zelda's father, Daltus III.
"The warrior you saw was not you, but Farrell. He smote Ganon and returned Tatiana safely back to North Castle. She gave birth to Ahren eight months later and ascended the throne just prior to learning that she was carrying Zelda, after Daltus III succeeded his father as king.
"Your dream is a manifestation of your father's memory of his battle with Ganon. Farrell's spirit lies within you, for he was the savior of Hyrule. That is why you are named Link- it is through the world of the subconscious that you possess the ability to hark back to the Hyrule your father saved, and thus you are the link between the kingdom both under Ganon's power and under Phantom Ganon's power. That link cements you as the Hero of Destiny, so you must do all you can to preserve it and use it to the best of your ability. You possess it not only as the son of Farrell, but because you, too, are brave, wise beyond your years, and pure of heart; want of this link has felled many a warrior before you."
When Impa stopped speaking, Link knew she was presenting him the opportunity to question her revelation. But the shock had quickly set in, and every time an inquiry attempted to transmit from mind to mouth, the words died in his throat. As his already overcrowded brain tried to process the information, there was a soft knock at the door. Impa arose from her chair to open it, and, seeing that it was Barrett, let the caller inside.
"Pardon me, Impa, but Prince Bohdan is awake, and His Majesty requests Link's presence at the breakfast table."
"Please inform King Ahren that Link will be unable to-"
"No, it's okay," Link cut her off, at long last finding his voice. "It is the wish of His Highness that I join him, and to turn him down would prove unwise and disrespectful."
"Well, in that case, I have more pressing matters to attend to, for it pleases not the king and queen to leave the royal babe awaiting my care." With that, Impa took her leave, but not before giving Link a look of understanding.
After ensuring that he was of proper appearance to be in the presence of royalty, Link followed Barrett to the private dining hall, confused and heavy-hearted as ever.