It's time for Link to learn some elemental powers. Of course, Nature encompasses different things depending on who you talk to...

This chapter can be seen as a two-parter of sorts, so consider this the first half.

Chapter 16 – Training by Moonlight

Link rolled restlessly in his bed. It was as comfortable as ever, so that wasn't the problem. His body was tired, but his brain wouldn't turn off. The previous events of the night wouldn't let him sleep.

"Why is everyone here?" he couldn't help but ask when he noticed most of the Brotherhood gathered in his home once again.

"We need a place to sleep, don't we?"

"You're all staying here? Where is your base of operations?"

"Wherever we need it to be," Marth said.

"You guys don't have a headquarters? Like, a secret base or mansion somewhere?"

"Mansion? Don't be absurd," Lucario growled. It seemed that the idea offended him. "Why would we all live in a mansion?"

"Convenience?"

"Living in a mansion makes absolutely no sense. Not only do our numbers not require it, it is tactical suicide. The demons could easily level a mansion with all of us inside. It's a large and obvious target."

"That makes sense...but my home isn't very big. I can make room but...even the princess is staying here?"

"She doesn't have to if you don't want her to," Roy said, patting Link's shoulder.

"I'm not trying to kick her out..."

"I'm just messing with you. Your friend Ilia offered Peach the night at her place."

Ilia? What was she up to?

"Do not trouble yourself with us," Marth told him. "We will find a way to make ourselves comfortable."

"Yeah, it's just for tonight. Pretend that we're not even here!"

Link gave Roy an incredulous scowl as he didn't see how that was possible.

That scowl remained on Link's face as he stared at the ceiling. At least the soft light of the moon flowing through the window served to soothe him.

"Link, suit up," Lucario's voice suddenly entered his head, slightly more lax than usual. "It is time for training."

"What training?" Link whispered.

"Your elementalist training."

Link met Lucario outside of his home. He couldn't believe that he actually dragged himself out of bed, but the prospect of learning his elemental powers gave him just enough drive.

The moonlight bestowed the area with tranquility and enhanced the deep calm exuding from Lucario. Link almost felt like he was intruding – and it was his front yard!

"Link, let us waste no time," Lucario murmured. "Your continuing inexperience with your potential powers is only an advantage for the demons."

"Roy already told me the basics about the nine elements."

Mild shock registered on Lucario's face, "He made himself useful for once. Then let us move on to lesson two: carving a niche for yourself. Have you decided on one?"

Link gave a sheepish grin as he admitted, "No, I'm not really all that familiar with the potential of the Nature element. I mean, besides getting trees to attack Kneph, but I don't know how effective that would be."

"What an ignorant approach."

Link furrowed his brows. "Hey, wait a minute. I just learned all of this stuff today so give me a break!"

"I'm not here to chastise you, Link," Lucario responded to the Hylian's anger. "I want you to think about Nature's relation to life and the other elements. If you made a chart representing the elements, where would you place Nature?"

"Hm...well there are some bits and pieces of the other elements in Nature...I guess I'd place it somewhere in the middle?"

"Precisely!" Lucario said excitedly. "Nature represents balance with the other elements. There isn't much to life without Nature. Besides manipulating Nature itself, nature elementalists are also able to communicate with plants and animals and summon familiars."

Old memories sprung to life for Link. When he was a wolf, he was easily able to hold conversations with the animals he came across – even Epona. Regaining that ability without having to transform opened a lot of doors, but didn't seem practical for a battle.

"Since you haven't decided on a style or niche for yourself, I'll pick one for you and we can work from there."

I hope it's not anything goofy, Link thought. He wouldn't put it past Lucario to teach him a stupid or embarrassing power as punishment for his earlier 'ignorant approach.'

"Nature's balance with the other elements can be manifested physically. Forestmancers have the ability to generate magical barriers that can cancel out overt instances of other elements."

Lucario planted both of his feet firmly into the ground and lifted his paws into a fighting stance. His tail went rigid and a minute amount of aura power burned along his paws.

"Let us begin sparring!" he stated with some enthusiasm.

Link was taken aback, but slowly unsheathed the Master Sword and nabbed his shield from his back. "I saw how you fought Kneph. I'm no match."

"You underestimate yourself," Lucario told him, but still saw the apprehension on Link's face. "You have nothing to worry about. I have no intention of annihilating you; I will only use enough force to incapacitate you."

Link rolled his eyes and said, "That makes me feel a lot be-"

Lucario interrupted him with a diving punch. Link jumped back, but the aura from Lucario's fist extended far enough to slam against Hylian Shield before he fully escaped.

"Stop talking," Lucario warned him in a harsh burst. "Your opponent won't give you the opportunity to finish sarcastic remarks!"

Link grinned at the thrill of battle. "If that's how you want it!"

Lucario took that as confirmation of a challenge and threw a small, uncharged aura sphere Link's way.

"Block it!" he barked, watching Link brace his shield for impact.

The aura sphere zigzagged through the air before colliding with Link's shield and erupting in a blast of energy that fully engulfed it. The aura energy dispersed before it could reach Link over the shield.

Though some of that power resembled blue and violet fire, Link didn't feel the heat of flames. This was a different energy, still lethal, and one that he was coming to understand to associate with the spirit element.

"Your shield is well forged, but it is still just a shield; a man-made object with many flaws," Lucario said, holding his arms back. Another aura sphere sparked to life in his grasp. "You can't always rely on just that shield. How would it serve you when under fire by an even stronger aura sphere?"

Link knew what he was inferring. "But I'm still not sure how to summon my power!"

"Your element is bonded to your soul. It is a part of you. Find your inner power. Discover the tranquility of nature and use that to fight my power!"

Lucario hurled the aura sphere before Link could protest, but the Hylian felt a heightened sense of awareness that resulted in his perception of time slowing down. As the sphere inched closer, he felt a familiar energy coming from it – the same sensation when an aura sphere narrowly missed him in pursuit of Kneph.

The nucleus of the sphere was the raw power of Aura, a form of the Spirit element, power gathered by Lucario's soul. Passion and an iron clad will cemented the sphere together. Why was he aware of such feelings from what, by all means, was an inanimate object?

Link came to understand as the feeling of a greater power emanated from within. His entire being was wrapped in an inviting, all-knowing calm. Was this the power of Nature?

It removed his worries of Lucario's powers. It was a barrier he wanted? He was going to get one.

Link readied his shield, summoning that calm to protect him. He prepared for impact but never felt the sphere hit his shield. In fact, there were no remaining traces of the sphere at all!

He checked the Hylian Shield and found a transparent green barrier attached to its shape.

"You learned that faster than I anticipated!" Lucario admitted excitedly. "That barrier cancels out energy opposed to you, so you don't have to worry about deflection or pushback. It's a great technique to defend yourself and your teammates with. That is, if you can master it!"

Lucario leapt into the sky directly over Link and produced another aura sphere. The power behind it dwarfed the first two.

"Extend the barrier to completely protect your body or else you will leave yourself exposed!" Lucario called over the roar of the sphere in his arms before sending it hurtling downward.

Link firmly planted his boots into the dirt and aimed his shield, and the barrier by extension, upward. He concentrated on summoning that calm to help him once again, and the barrier extended into a dome that covered his body just in time to thwart the aura sphere.

But this time was different. He definitely felt the sphere hit the barrier even if it did disappear on impact. There was also a quick flash of light that encompassed the barrier for that short moment. His heart sank a bit at the thought of his newfound power becoming outclassed so soon.

Lucario dropped to the ground and began attacking the barrier directly, punching and kicking it with aura powering his every strike. Link realized that he was being tested, but before he could react, the barrier shattered like glass. The magical shards disappeared in a glittering dust, but that did nothing to halt Lucario's assault. He followed up with a straight punch to Link's chest that sent the Hylian onto his back and sliding across the ground.

"It seems that I got carried away," Lucario conceded, helping Link back to his feet.

Link dusted himself off and said, "I guess it's partly my fault for being inexperienced with these powers."

"Your barrier withstood charged aura spheres and a direct assault for several seconds. I would consider it decent."

"A compliment?"

"Don't let it go to your head."

"I'd have to be pretty desperate to let that go to my head."

"Either way, I'd say we are done here for tonight."

Link let out a sigh of relief; maybe he could get some sleep this time. But looking at Lucario reminded him that he had some unanswered questions, and there was no reason to let the opportunity slip through his fingers.

"Why did Kneph come back after I died?" he asked suddenly.

Lucario gave him a hard look, but he persisted.

"I'm part of the team now, right? There's no reason to keep me in the dark. Besides, you were the one that brought that up earlier today."

Lucario sat in the grass and crossed his legs, never taking his eyes off of Link. The Hylian was a bit puzzled by his actions.

"Sit," the pokemon commanded. "There is much to tell, and you may not like everything you hear."

Link took a few steps back and sat on the trunk of a tree, awaiting Lucario's response.

Lucario hunched forward a bit, prepared to whisper the answer Link sought. It seemed a little ridiculous considering that Lucario spoke through telepathy, and thus should have total control over who could hear what he needed to say. And yet the gesture signified that he was about to divulge some very sensitive information.

"He was assigned a new target to annihilate – Princess Zelda."

What could Zelda have possibly done to become a target after Link died? Guess you'll have to wait to find out!

In other news, even though the story is called Minuet of Link, I have no intention of introducing the other Links that have graced SSB (Young Link, Toon Link), mostly for storyline purposes. I won't completely rule it out in the future if I can come up with a good idea and role for them, but they're definitely not appearing in this installment.

You may have noticed Lucario's little dig at Smash Mansion – I find it to be a lazy and uninspired concept and don't like how it's been universally adopted as fanon. So you won't see a Smash Mansion in this series, or most likely any SSB story I ever write.