A/N: Welcome to Chapter Two, everybody! This story finally has a title! *does a little victory dance* Much thanks to Dea Letum and i-wish-a7x for all their help, and I hope I can help you two out as well! And thanks as usual to LittlePidgey, for the trilogy that gave me a lot of inspiration for this story! Okay, my main pairings are Red X Blue, Vio X Shadow, and Zelda X Green, but they may change if anyone really wants it, or if I get any weird ideas! And I don't really do lemons, though there'll be fluff and maybe some hinting! Disclaimer: If I owned the Legend of Zelda or even just Four Swords +, Shadow wouldn't have died and Vaati/Gufuu would've had his human form instead of the creepy floating eyeball thing in the manga, neither of which happened, meaning I obviously don't own! I do own my plot and any OCs I may make later in the story, though!
The Links' personal Weapons (other than their swords and shields, of course!)
-Red has an ice rod, a fire rod, and a slingshot!
-Green has a boomerang, and he's pretty good with it.
-Blue has a hammer, of course, which suits his personality perfectly!
-Vio has a bow and a quiver full of arrows, and of course, his ever-present book.
-Shadow has... well, his weird shadow abilities, I guess? mimicking? He also has the Dark Mirror Shield as of this chapter.
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Chapter 2: Triforce of Courage
The door of the Sanctuary creaks softly as it is slowly opened from the outside. Zelda looks up from her reading and quietly greets the person coming through the entrance.
"(Zelda) Good morning, General. I see my absence was noticed, then. ...I must ask you to please keep your voice lowered, so as not to wake him..."
"(General) Worry not, I sent the others on a wild goose chase across Hyrule. The exercise will be good for them. I had a feeling you would be here, Princess. ...Wait, wake who...?"
Zelda laughs softly at the General's comment about giving the knights some exercise, as the General comes closer and sees the sleeping Shadow...
"(General) ...! Princess, is that not the monster who made a ruin of Hyrule Town and tricked me into believing that my son, Link, was dead?! Why in the Goddesses' names is he here?! And how?!"
The General immediately draws his sword, keeping his voice lowered in respect for this sacred place even though he is obviously very upset...
"(Zelda) ..."It's Green, not "Link."" That's what your son told me when I saw him last... *sigh...* Stand down, General. I am the one who brought Shadow back, and I assure you, he is not an evil being, nor is he a monster. You can easily see this just by looking at him, if you simply do not judge him while doing so."
The General looks startled, then looks closely at Shadow for the first time, seeing a pale, sick-looking boy sleeping peacefully on a tarp with his head resting against the frame of the Dark Mirror, but nothing else...
"(General) ...If I didn't know better, I'd think he was just an ordinary Hylian..."
The General sighs and slowly sheathes his blade, walking over to stand near the fallen pillar that Zelda is sitting on.
"(General) You think he can find them, don't you? And that is why you revived him. But even I know that the Mirror doesn't have enough power to keep him alive if he isn't touching it, Princess..."
Shadow stirs, and begins to wake up...
'So it wasn't some kind of dream or something after all... I really am alive, and back in Hyrule...'
"(Zelda) Did you sleep well?"
"(Shadow) ...Yes... *notices the General* ...I see someone... came looking... for you... Will you... finally... tell me... what has happened... while I was... 'asleep'... now...?"
Zelda explains what has been ocurring in Hyrule over the past year and a little over a half, with the General standing quietly, listening to her speak, his face unreadable...
"(Shadow) ...Disappeared...? But they...! Each of them... is so strong...! How could they... just... disappear like that...?!"
"(Zelda) I don't know, Shadow, and for that I am sorry. But that isn't the most shocking part... General, you do remember that I entered the Sanctuary alone when we came here to investigate, correct? I must ask you not to tell anyone about this, for I don't wish for anyone to panic or be upset."
Zelda is staring at her right hand, where the Triforce of Wisdom resides. The Triforce of Courage is temporarily residing there as well...
"(General) Forgive me Princess, I do not understand. What did you witness here that day, that you would tell no one a single detail about? You had that book with you when we returned to the castle that day, as well."
"(Shadow) ...They... left something behind... didn't they...? ...Something... has been... pulling at me... ever since I... first woke up... A strong energy... It feels so... familiar to me... but I don't... know why... What is it...?"
"(Zelda) ...I knew it. Not four, but five... Shadow, you aren't a magically created being born from the Dark Mirror, and this proves it. You're a Hylian, and the fifth wielder of both the Five Sword and the Triforce of Courage."
Shadow and the General are staring wide-eyed at Zelda, their shocked and confused facial expressions comically identical.
"(General) ...Five Sword? ...Am I guessing correctly if I say that that book has something to do with that statement?"
"(Zelda) Yes... And this is what those four left behind..."
Zelda holds up her right hand with her palm facing towards her, clearly showing the, not one, but TWO glowing triangles on her hand in the set of three that make up the entire Triforce... The one on the left (Wisdom) and the one on the right (Courage)...
"(Shadow) ...! The... Triforce of... Courage...?! That is... what has been... pulling at me...?! ...But... why doesn't... Green have it...?!"
'Why is it trying to choose ME of all people?! And how can I possibly be a Hylian?!! I am a shadow, nothing more!! A creature of darkness, fated to forever remain there!! ...But, if that is true, then what is this feeling that began to stir within me when she said I was a Hylian...?! Argh, I don't get it!! Why does everything the princess says and does always have to be so damn CONFUSING?! Is it one of the qualifications for being the bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom or something?!'
"(General) ...I think I understand... This boy is under a curse, is he not?"
"(Zelda) Yes... Shadow, you truly are a Hylian, and I do not know why the Triforce of Courage left Green. However, I do know that if it accepts you as one of its bearers, that you will be able to live within the light without fear. However--"
"(Shadow) *bored tone* Let me guess... If it rejects me... I get turned into... a mindless beast... Right...?"
"(Zelda) Well, yes! How did you know?"
Shadow rolls his eyes as the General desperately tries to hold back his laughter at this exchange...
"(Shadow) That does... tend to be how... such things work... you know... I don't need the... Triforce of Wisdom... to figure that one... out...!"
Shadow and the General both start laughing a little, while Zelda looks confused...
'What? What's so funny? Was it really that obvious?'
A few minutes pass as the two try to get their laughter under control, and finally succeed.
"(General) *turns to face Shadow* Well, what will you do? Are you going to take that chance?"
"(Shadow) ...Heheh... Are you actually... worried... about me...? I'm not Green... you know..."
"(General) That's no reason for me to pretend you don't exist. It's a father's job to worry about his children... And the friends of his children. That is what you are, is it not? His friend?"
"(Shadow) ...Yes... I guess so..."
"(Zelda) So you will do it then, Shadow? I know you can find the others... I can feel it!"
"(Shadow) ...I will... I want to... see them again... Do it... Put it in my hand..."
"(Zelda) ...Very well."
Zelda kneels down next to Shadow and places her right hand over his left... His eyes widen as he feels the Triforce of Courage begin to transfer itself from her to him, and when it finishes, he suddenly screams in pain and loses consciousness as streams of golden light shoot out across his body from his hand... Zelda falls backward onto her butt in surprise, and the General also jumps, startled...
"(Shadow) Wh-what?! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!!!!"
"(Zelda) G-goddesses!! What a strong energy!"
Zelda is staring wide-eyed at the unconscious Shadow... His body cannot be made out at all within the bright golden light that has engulfed him completely... The General recovers from his shock and quickly helps Zelda to her feet, looking concerned.
"(General) Are you all right, Princess?"
"(Zelda) Y-yes, I'm fine. I just didn't expect anything to happen so quickly, or for the Triforce of Courage to react so strongly to him. It surprised me."
'I don't understand it... When I began to transfer the Triforce of Courage to Shadow, I could sense his heartbeat, and his life energy... His pulse was so faint that I could barely make it out, and his energy was little more than a dim glow... But, the moment the transfer was completed, that glow flared up into a strong blaze, and his heartbeat thudded strongly in my senses...!'
~Meanwhile...~
'Where am I? What's going on? I don't get this at all...'
Shadow is standing in a dim, shaded area, and is completely alone... Ahead of him, the dimness quickly fades, replaced by light that glows ever more brightly the further ahead he looks. Behind him stretches endless darkness... The features of this place are completely blank, with no color other than black, white, and all the shades of gray in between...
"(Shadow) Wh-what's going on here?! Is anyone there?! Hello?!!"
"You wish to save the other four who wield me, do you not...? Child cursed to remain forever in the shadows, never to dwell in the light, listen well... To survive in the light, and be free of your curse, my aid is necessary... However, you must first prove yourself worthy of it! Face your fear, and show me your courage!"
"(Shadow) ...!"
'That was... The Triforce of Courage...?! It can talk?! ...Maybe it only does this when it's choosing a wielder... So this is my test... I get the feeling that once I take a single step forward, turning back will no longer be an option... This is probably going to reeeeaaallly hurt, but I have to do it! I can't let my fear of the light stop me now! Not if I want to see them again!'
Shadow hesitantly takes a step forward, then another. He soon leaves the shade completely behind and begins to feel intense pain, the light burning him almost immediately. With each step forward, the pain only worsens, but he stubbornly continues on, never taking a single step backwards. The light becomes blindingly bright, and Shadow collapses, his body simply unable to cope with it any longer...
"...Well done, child. You have proven that you truly are one of the five destined to wield me. The trial is over."
All of Shadow's pain abruptly fades away, though the light is still just as bright as before, and he can feel something warm pulsing in his left hand... A memory suddenly flickers through his mind, of someone holding him in her arms and singing a soft lullaby... Then the light surrounding him grows even brighter, and everything fades to white...
~Back in Hyrule...~
The sound of something shattering echoes through the Sanctuary as the golden light surrounding Shadow fades away... The Dark Mirror has shattered a second time, and the jewel-like shards of glass form a floating ring around Shadow's body as he begins to come to... He opens his eyes and sees the Mirror shards, which begin to glow with a black luminescence... They fuse together as a bright flash takes away all visibility, and when it returns, a shimmering pitch-black shield floats in front of the boy. Its surface bears a bright silver Triforce symbol, and ancient Hylian symbols line the outer edge, roughly translating to "When true balance between Light and Dark is reached, the truth shall be revealed." Shadow stares at it for a moment, then, standing up a bit shakily, he takes hold of the handle and equips the shield, strapping it to his back.
'Its handle fits in my hand perfectly... Is it just me, or does it really seem like pretty much everyone who gets called "Link" has a tendency to attract magic items and/or weapons that may or may not choose their own wielders...?'
"(Zelda) The Dark Mirror Shield... I wonder what it does...?"
"(Shadow) Isn't that a bit of a corny name?"
"(Zelda) ...Do you have a better idea as for what to call it?"
"(Shadow) ...Uhhh, no... *sweat drops*"
"(Zelda) Then don't complain!"
The General seems to find this exchange quite amusing...
"(General) You know, you sounded exactly like Green just now."
"(Zelda) *surprised* Come to think of it... You're right, he did!"
"(Shadow) Heheh... Don't worry, I'll find him. Blue, Red, and Vio, too. Speaking of which, I'd better get started, huh?"
Shadow walks to the open door of the Sanctuary. Sunlight streams in from outside, making his hair seem to be streaked through with silver... His left hand now bears the Triforce symbol, and the right-hand triangle glows softly. It has split into five smaller triangles, one of which has turned silver. The Triforce of Courage now looks like the complete Triforce, except that the middle isn't a hole and the top triangle is split in two. The silver triangle is the one on the upper left. The same thing has happened on Zelda's hand, though there is no silver triangle on hers, with it simply showing the fact that the Triforce of Courage has split into five...
"(Zelda) I pray that the Goddesses will watch over you, Shadow... Good luck!"
"(General) Hey. Be careful out there, and don't go getting yourself killed. If you would do me a favor, please tell Green that for me when you see him, too."
Shadow is halfway out the door. He chuckles at the General's parting words, looking back inside the Sanctuary for a moment.
"(Shadow) I see some things haven't changed, even though over a year has passed. You are still a good father, the same as before."
With that, the fifth "Link" leaves the Sanctuary, closing the door behind him. He stands there for a moment, his eyes blinking at the brightness as he gets used to being in the sunlight.
'Wow... It's beautiful... And to think, I've been terrified of it all this time... The light...'
Shadow focuses on the Triforce of Courage in his left hand, silently asking it where to go. The upper right-hand triangle flashes pale purple for a single instant, and the image of a cavern entrance set into the side of an active volcano shows clearly in his mind's eye...
"(Shadow) That's... Death Mountain... Where we became friends..."
'Vio... I'm coming... I will find you, I swear it!'
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A/N: Thanks for reading and please review! No flames, please...? *puppy dog eyes* Guesses on what's going to happen next and constructive criticism is always welcome! I hope you enjoyed this! *waves goodbye* See you later, I hope!