By the light of the Triforce, I cannot believe the reception I'm getting on this story! Only two chapters and I've already received 81 reviews! I love you all!
Unfortunately because I've received so many more reviews than I ever expected to get at this point, I'm not going to do a full Reader Response this time, especially because a lot of the reviews were in response to my three questions last chapter and so would have similar replies. I really want to get this chapter up and I imagine you guys do too.
So instead I would like to thank EVERYONE who gave me their ideas and opinions on magic, epithets, quests, and guild mark details. Really. Thank you very much. Some of you had similar opinions to me and that helped reinforce my own desires and others gave me things to consider that I never thought of.
Your responses truly made an impact on my decisions and I graciously thank you every one of you for all your support and feedback!
If anyone reviewed me with an inquiry or comment that did not concern my three questions and you would like me to answer you directly, feel free to send me a PM and I'll get back to you on it.
Once again, thank you so much for your praise, compliments, and constructive criticism! You guys truly make writing this stuff worthwhile!
On a side not, I don't think I ever put in a disclaimer (not that you should need to if your posting on a freaking fanfiction site) so I should probably do that now before I get in trouble:
*Ahem* I do not own Legend of Zelda or Fairy Tail. Wish I did. Oh the possibilities if I did….But I don't. So yeah, sad day….Oh and I'm also borrowing Spryte's design from the Zeldanime project. They just did such a perfect job with it…
Anywho…with that out of the way, let me present:
The Legend of Fairy Tail
Chapter 3:
Welcome to Fairy Tail
xxx
"Now then Link, this…" Makarov held up a large stamp. "Is the Fairy Tail Guild Mark. All registered members of a guild are required to have the mark of their respective guild somewhere on their bodies. This serves as a form of identification which is recognized throughout the world. The mark can be placed anywhere and in any color you want. Where would you like yours?"
Link stared at the magical tool in silent contemplation for a moment. He had made note of the guild marks he had seen on some of the members when he had first walked in. Because he didn't see them on everyone he had at first he had assumed they were tattoos some of them had voluntarily gotten, but after what the Master told him perhaps the ones he missed were hidden beneath clothes. So now he needed to choose where he wanted his own mark and the color of it, did he?
His first thought was to color the mark green, like the rest of his attire, but he ruled that out after a moment. He reasoned that the mark identified him as a mage, a user of magic. He wanted the color to have a bit more meaning to it, one that would reflect that status rather than just choosing his favourite. He snorted in mild amusement at how obvious his choice was; after all, the greatest symbol of magic in Hyrule had always been associated with a particular color.
Now he just needed to pick where he wanted it to be.
He idly raised his left hand to glance at the Triforce symbol engraved on the back. The thought of placing the mark over top of or within the Triforce symbol passed through his mind, but that idea seemed sacrilegious in a way and he immediately cast it aside. Besides its divine origins the mark on his left hand was a symbol of where he had come from and his previous life, as such he was loathe to obscure or alter it in any way. He looked down at his right hand and debated for a moment to place the Fairy Tail mark there. He shook his head to himself, deciding that he didn't want marks on both of his hands.
Then a sudden thought occurred to him while he stared at the guild mark presented on the stamp. It kind of reminded him of the Gorons of Death Mountain and their symbol, a mark which they proudly wore on the upper part of their arms just below the shoulders.
With a light grin, Link presented his right arm to the Guild Master.
"I'd like it here," He said, tapping the spot on his upper arm. "In gold."
"Very well," Makarov nodded and pressed the stamp on his arm. It came off with a light popping noise and left behind a brightly glowing white symbol that quickly faded to reveal the Fairy Tail mark emblazoned in gold on his upper arm.
Makarov smiled to him. "Congratulations my boy, you are now an official member of Fairy Tail."
"What about me?" Spryte chimed in enthusiastically. "Do I get one?"
Makarov blinked in surprise for a moment before laughing heartily. "My dear, I would love to give you one as well. What better place for a fairy than in Fairy Tail? Unfortunately this stamp is a little big for you and I can't alter it myself due to the registration laws put forth by the Magic Council. However, I would be more than happy to get a special stamp made up just for you. You'll just have to wait a few days."
"Ok," Spryte nodded satisfactorily. "Thank you very much!"
"You are quite welcome, my dear."
Link smiled at the antics of his friend. He was eternally grateful that she had stuck with him. They had only known each other for a little while but already they shared a close bond. Saving each other's lives could do that to people.
"Your name was Link, right?"
Startled from his thoughts, the Hylian in question turned to see the red headed girl he had fought with earlier now standing before him.
"Yes, that's right," Link nodded.
"I'm Erza," She introduced herself with a light bow. "Erza Scarlet."
"It's nice to meet you Erza," Link smiled lightly to her. He was glad that she had approached him. He had wanted to talk to her and her appearance saved him the trouble of seeking her out. "I wish our first meeting had been under better circumstances and I'm sorry I attacked you before."
Erza flinched. "Yes…about that…"She spoke slowly, clearly nervous about the topic. "It is I who should apologize to you. I should not have presented myself as a threat, especially with your injuries."
"It's alright," Link waved her off. "It was a confusing moment for everyone."
"Even so, I should have noticed how badly you were hurt. Instead I chose to fight an injured opponent and only aggravated your wounds. I cannot begin to say how sorry I am for that and I feel that you should strike me for my ignorance."
Link blinked at her. That was different.
"Come again?"
Erza balled her fists in determination and squared her shoulders. "I want you to hit me. I deserve nothing less."
"Why would you want him to hit you?" Spryte asked in alarm and floated between them.
Erza looked surprised at being addressed directly by the fairy but quickly steeled herself again.
"Because I got caught up in the fight and struck him with unnecessary force while he was injured and should have been receiving medical attention. This is my penance."
"Your penance?" Link quirked an eyebrow. "But I already told you it's fine."
"I cannot accept that."
Link stared at her unblinking for a moment, then he turned his gaze to Spryte who merely shrugged and moved aside. He sighed and stepped towards the scarlet haired girl. If she was so determined to see this through then he would oblige her.
"Are you sure about this?"
She nodded.
"Here goes then," He said resolutely and cocked a fist back. Erza shut her eyes and gritted her teeth in preparation for the blow. She waited…and waited…but the blow never came. Confused, she opened her eyes and found Link's hand hovering right in front of her face, only not in a fist. Instead his middle finger was curled inward and Erza had only a second to register what he was about to do before a sharp flick rapped the middle of her forehead.
"Ow!" She winced from the sudden sting and rubbed the spot with her hand.
"You satisfied now?" Link drawled and crossed his arms.
"What?" Erza gazed at him incredulously. "That's it?"
Link nodded, "You asked me to hit you and I did. You didn't say how hard I had to do it."
"But-"
"Look," Link interrupted with a wave of his hand. "It was an honest mistake and one that I am also to blame for because I attacked first. You were defending yourself and the guild from a possible threat and I'm no stranger to that concept. You did nothing wrong, and frankly I've been through worse."
"But-"
"No buts," now he glared at her. "I've already done what you asked. Don't ask me to do it again, cause I won't."
Erza continued to stare at him with a stunned expression before she slowly smiled. "Very well, thank you for fulfilling my request."
"Awww, looks like the blondie took it easy on ya Erzy," the mocking voice of a white haired girl about Erza's age and wearing very scanty Goth themed clothes rang out towards them. "He probably thought you were too weak take it."
Erza's demeanour instantly turned murderous and she whirled on the girl. "YOU WANT A PIECE OF ME, YOU UGLY HAG?!"
"ANYTIME, THUNDER THIGHS!"
The two girls charged towards each other and met in the center of the guild hall, smashing their hands and faces together in a mad bid for dominance while ceaselessly hurtling insults at one another. Both Link and Spryte gaped at the sight, not just at the fight between the two girls but also the fact that nobody seemed to care about doing anything about it.
"I…take it this happens a lot?" Link asked to no one in particular.
"Oh, don't mind them," a new voice spoke up and Link turned to see a little girl a few years younger than him wearing a pink collared sundress with sleeves approach. She had white hair the same shade as the girl picking a fight with Erza but worn in a bob cut as opposed to the Goth girls pony tail. She was followed by a young boy wearing a rather nice looking blue suit with a red string tie. "They're always like that. I'm Lisanna Straus and this is my big brother Elfman, the one fighting with Erza is our older sister Mirajane. Anyway, we just wanted to welcome you to Fairy Tail."
Link smiled at them. "Nice to meet you, Lisanna, Elfman and thank you."
"Hi there!" Spryte flitted forward and bobbed eagerly in front of Lisanna. "I'm Spryte!"
"Hello, Spryte," Lisanna giggled cheerfully and stared in wonder at the glowing fairy, her translucent wings shedding faint specs of glowing dust with each rapid beat. "Wow…You're so pretty! I love your wings!"
"You think so?" Spryte clapped her hands with glee and flew around the young girl in a rapid spiral, causing her to giggle some more. "Thank you very much!"
"Heh," Link chuckled. "Looks like you have a fan, Spryte."
"You're just jealous," the fairy smirked imperiously at him but before Link could make a rebuttal, a pink haired boy wearing a white scaled scarf leapt towards them.
"Hi, I'm Natsu!" The boy grinned broadly at the two of them.
"Hey!" Spryte huffed angrily at him, her good mood immediately vanishing. "You're the one that called me a bug!"
"Eh-heh, sorry about that," Natsu scratched his head sheepishly. "I shoulda guessed you were a fairy cause you sure smell a lot better than any bug I know of."
Spryte wasn't too sure how to respond to that.
"So, Link," Natsu eagerly continued, oblivious to the fairy's indignant expression.. "Are you all better now?"
"Uh…yeah," Link nodded.
"Alright!" The pink haired boy pumped his fist in excitement. His broad grin spread from ear to ear as he bounced on his toes. "You're strong right?"
Link blinked at the sudden question. "I can hold my own I guess."
"That's awesome!" If possible, Natsu's grin only widened. "Will you fight me?"
Link blinked again. "Fight...you? Why?"
That question seemed to puzzle the pink haired boy. "Because you say you're strong, why else?"
That statement surprised Link. While he remembered having play fights at times with his fellow Kokiri, after he had taken up the sword in defence of his land he could not recall ever having fought just for the sake of it. Each time he had drawn his blade had invariably been meant to further his cause in some way. To be asked by someone to fight in earnest like this for no other apparent reason than they wanted to was a new experience for him.
"You should do it, Link," Spryte chirped up from her position hovering by his head. "It would be good for you to see where you stand in this world."
"Uh…" Link glanced at her for a moment before turning back to Natsu who was eagerly awaiting his reply. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah!"
"Well ok then," Link smiled and stood up. "Lead the way."
He could tell that Natsu was more than ready to trade blows right then and there but Link didn't think it was a good idea to fight in the guild hall, therefore they headed outside behind the building. Most of the guild came to watch and formed a large crowd off to the side. All of them enjoyed watching a good fight and everyone was curious about the newest member of the guild, so it really was no big surprise that they filed out after them. Even Mira and Erza had broken off their own squabble to view the match.
"Alright!" Natsu shouted and cracked his knuckles. "I'm all fired up now! This is gonna be awesome!"
His enthusiasm was so contagious that Link couldn't help but crack a smile as well. Seeing that Natsu didn't have any weapons with him, Link settled into loose ready position with his hands raised. While he mostly fought with a sword and shield, he was not a stranger to fighting with his hands. Being in the bodies of both a Zora and a Goron saw to that. The Zora, Mikau, whose spirit resided in the mask Link used to transform, had been particularly adept at hand to hand combat and spending so much time in a body with such knowledge and abilities had caused some of that knowledge to bleed over to his normal self.
"Here we go!" Natsu roared his challenge and lunged forward. Link blinked in shock at the surprising burst of speed and only had time to cross his arms in defence before Natsu smashed a fist against him. The force of the attack sent him sliding back a couple of feet, though he remained standing, and made him wince in pain. Natsu was STRONG! His physical abilities were much greater than Link had expected, especially from a boy both smaller and younger than his current body.
'Is it because of the magic in him?' Link wondered as he silently gauged his opponent with a new light. 'Porlyusica said the physical abilities of mages surpassed those of normal people but even so…that was surprising.'
Regardless of this new turn of events Link was not worried. The vast majority of his battles had been against opponents whose physical abilities surpassed his, this fight was no different. He calmly uncrossed his arms and gave them a quick shake to dispel the last of the pain and regain full feeling in them before once again readying himself, never having once shifted his gaze away from the pink haired boy in front of him as he did.
Again, Natsu charged at him but this time Link was prepared. In a swift, fluid motion that spoke of skill cultivated from a life of combat, Link pivoted away from his strike, spinning as he did so that he faced Natsu's back, allowing the boy to pass by like water flowing past a stone. Natsu quickly recovered and turned to attack once again. He pressed Link back with a barrage of punches and kicks that he was forced to either block or dodge. Occasionally Natsu would score a glancing blow that made Link wince but was never able to land a direct hit on the young Hylian.
Link saw his chance when Natsu overextended a punch and he capitalized on the moment by driving his own fist into Natsu's cheek. The boy stumbled back from the blow but quickly brushed the attack aside and smirked.
"That all you got?" He challenged with manic enthusiasm. "You don't even hit as hard as that sissy stripper, Gray!"
"Oi!" The aforementioned boy shouted from the crowd. "You wanna go flame breath?!"
Whatever argument that developed between the two after that didn't register in Link's mind as he was too deep in his own thoughts, a slight frown crossing his face. Natsu's declaration, he was certain, carried with it more truth than bravado and that troubled him. Link knew that he was by no means weak; in Hyrule he was considered to be in top physical condition and could match people several years older than him in terms of strength. That Natsu, a boy at least a year younger than him, could take a full force punch to the face and treat it like it was nothing spoke volumes about the physical capabilities of a wizard. He knew then that he couldn't hope to match the pink haired boy, or any other wizard for that matter, by going head to head like this. At least not yet.
'Well, I guess I'll just have to fight smarter,' Link smiled to himself and tightened his fists. This time he lunged towards Natsu, breaking up the verbal fight between him and Gray, and imitated his first charging punch. Natsu dodged by stepping aside but Link had counted on this. He tilted his punch as he moved by and planted a hand on the ground before curling into a tight forward roll. The instant his feet were back underneath him he spun low, still crouched, and knocked Natu's legs out from under him with a sweeping kick. The pink haired mage let out a cry of surprise as his back hit the ground. Before he could react Link had again rolled forward, extending a leg as he did so, and heel dropped him in the stomach.
"GAK!" Natsu lurched, spittle flying from his mouth, and coughed. Improved physicality or not, a kick like that hurt.
Link quickly back-rolled away from him and up to his feet, settled back into his ready position, and waited for Natsu to rise. The pink haired boy did so jerkily with coughing haggard breaths that tried to force air into his lungs. Cheers erupted around them from the voices of the other Fairy Tail mages at the turnabout display of skill but the exact details of their words were lost to Link who kept his attention solely focused on the slowly rising boy.
"Heh, nice one!" Natsu gasped out between mouthfuls of air, the huge grin on his face belying the event that had just taken place. "But you better step it up cause I'm about to beat the green outta ya!"
With that he launched towards Link again with his fist cocked back. This time Link did not step out of the way. Instead, when Natsu's thrust his fist towards his face, Link bent over backwards into a handspring that not only let him dodge the blow but also brought his foot crashing into Natsu's chin. The brutal counter instantly stopped Natsu's charge and knocked him off his feet. Before the pink haired boy could hit the ground Link lunged forward and smashed a knee into his gut. Natsu doubled over but Link did not stop and spun to grab the boys arm and throw him over his shoulder and onto the ground. Immediately following the impact Link quickly manoeuvred himself and Natsu so that he was leaning on Natsu's prone form with a knee in his back and his arm twisted up behind him.
An absolute stillness fell upon them, Natsu's pained gasps the only sounds heard. It had all happened so fast and so unexpectedly that the sudden end left everyone stunned. A few moments passed in this manner until everyone suddenly broke out in cheers. While not the best fight any of them had ever seen by far, it had still been a good bout and Link's display of skill had impressed them. Makarov in particular stroked his chin with a thoughtful but amused expression on his face. He had watched the entire fight with a critical eye and his attention had been entirely focused on the green clad boy. What he saw had only confirmed his earlier suspicions about the boy being a seasoned warrior. He had seen it in his demeanour.
At first the boy had seemed as carefree as Natsu, cheerful and ready for a light spar, but as the fight had progressed he had seen that attitude change. The changes were slight and barely noticeable; a minor shift in posture here, a small twitch in muscles there, and the dilation of pupils. Despite their seeming insignificance those subtle changes spoke volumes to the old man. They showed Makarov at what point Link had stopped sparring and started fighting. That last move hadn't been one meant for a spar, but it wasn't the motions that made it so – it was the intent behind them. Somewhere during their fight Link had let his mind go and allowed his body to follow its instincts. Normally fighting by pure instinct was dangerous because while instinctual impulses could potentially save one's life and even allow you to perform feats the rational mind cannot, they could also get you killed. The same holds true for over thinking, another problem where a person gets so muddled up in the options of an action that they are unable to take one before it's too late.
What Link had done was different. He had acted on instinct but his head had still been in control. He had achieved a state where the mind governed the body without thought. A state where his disciplined mind was aware of all possibilities but his body instinctually chose the best option based on the actions of his opponent. Such a feat spoke of vast experience in life or death battles where a single mistake could be a mortal one. During that brutal counter Link had no longer been sparring, no longer participating in a friendly duel meant to gauge one another's strength, instead he had begun to truly fight and his body chose a course of action intended to decisively end the conflict without question to the victor.
Makarov was unsure if the action had been on purpose or if Link's battle instincts had simply taken over. Even now he watched the boy blink and refocus his eyes as if coming down from some adrenaline induced high. The Guild Master let out a short non-committal grunt. Whether the attack was instinctual or not didn't really matter; the results spoke for themselves.
'Such potential…I wonder how strong he will become…'
xxx
Erza watched the fight with rapt though she had apologized to Link earlier, she still felt guilty about what had happened between them. She had wallowed in shame for days over the incident and when she finally had the chance to atone, his response, or lack thereof, had thrown her for a loop. She had expected Link to be angry, but instead he had waved the incident off like it was nothing and even turned her demand around on her in a way that brokered an end to the entire discussion.
It was a surprising conclusion.
With her apology out of the way, she had wanted to ask him a few questions that had plagued her ever since he had been taken to Porlyusica. Unfortunately her chance was interrupted by the insufferable Mirajane, and then Natsu had challenged him to a spar.
However, Erza was not actually upset with this turn of events, quite the contrary, she was actually glad for it. She would have time to speak with Link at length later on, for now she was interested in seeing his ability. From what little she had gathered from speaking with the Master, Erza knew that Link had not possessed magical capabilities when they had fought. Yet despite this handicap he had proved a surprising challenge for her even though he was also heavily injured. The fight with Natsu was a good opportunity to see Link's strength unhindered by his previous wounds and what she saw impressed her.
She had noted the surprise on Link's face upon receiving Natsu's opening strike. This only confirmed the truth about his lack of a magic container. What followed next was a rather impressive display of skill that culminated in a punch of Link's own. It was a decisive hit and one that if she herself had landed on the pink haired Dragon Slayer would have ended the fight right then and there. But Natsu had shrugged off the blow rather easily and she could tell that Link had been surprised by that.
For once, she ignored the banter that had erupted between Natsu and Gray and instead kept her attention focused on Link. She watched him stare at his fist and then at Natsu with a thoughtful expression. Erza wondered what thoughts could be going through his head. It was obvious to her that the boy did not specialize in fighting unarmed like Natsu did. As such he was at a disadvantage not only in that aspect, but also because he couldn't match the Dragon Slayer's physicality. Despite this, she could perceive no hint of nervousness or fear from him. Actually she couldn't detect any emotion from him at all beyond the contemplative look on his face, if that could be called an emotion.
Then he smiled.
It was light and appeared slowly but was definitely a smile. Erza's breath hitched slightly at the sight, the pause so small she didn't even notice it. The expression on his face was one of confidence, calm and eagerness all at once and raised many questions in Erza's mind. Why was he so calm? What was he going to do next? Why was there no hint of doubt? These questions and others rapidly shot through her mental faculties without answer and it galled her that they remained so.
She was no stranger to the overconfidence and bravado that many of the mages in Fairy Tail exhibited, particularly that of Natsu and Gray, and would have understood if Link had used such tactics to push aside his own fears and nervousness. She herself hid behind such protection, perhaps even more so than anyone else in the guild. But Link's expression displayed none of this; no false pretences and no verbal motivation. There was no deceit at all. He was absolutely sure of himself.
She couldn't suppress the shudder that ran down her spine. She had only seen such an expression on one other person before: the same boy who had given her the name, Scarlet.
Erza clenched her fists and tightened her jaw at the memory. She barely registered Link initiating an attack on Natsu but her attention refocused in time to see him bring the young fire mage to the ground. It was a brilliant move, well executed and perfectly timed. Erza eyes widened slightly in surprise; the fight had taken an unexpected turn and once again she focused entirely on it. She watched as Natsu attacked again only to be brought down once more by a devastating counter that clearly ended the fight.
While cheers broke the brief silence that followed, Erza remained quiet. She had noticed something during that last exchange, a…change of sorts in Link's demeanour. She couldn't place what brought it on or even what said change really was, but something had been different about Link and that only added another question to her thoughts.
She frowned. It was time to get some answers for herself.
xxx
Link grinned as he helped Natsu back to his feet. The pink haired Dragon Slayer winced and rotated his shoulder to relieve the remnants of pain.
"Good fight," He grinned back at Link. "But I'll beat you next time!"
Link chuckled lightly but nodded in response. He didn't say anything because he was too busy going over everything he had learned from that fight. It had been an enlightening experience.
"Yes, that was certainly a good display of skill," a new voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked up to see Erza walking forward with a confident smirk. "But I believe that you are more suited to swordplay, are you not?"
Link eyed the sabre at her side for a moment then nodded. "I am."
Erza smiled and drew her blade. "Well then since you've recovered your strength, why don't we have a rematch? I'm curious to see how strong you really are."
Link stared at her for a moment before a light smile crossed his face and he drew his own sword. Erza nodded in satisfaction and the two of them settled into their own respective stances. They stared each other down in silence for several moments before, as if triggered by some unseen signal, they launched towards one another, their blades meeting with a resounding clang of metal on metal.
Link openly balked at the force he felt when their blades clashed. He had only vaguely recalled some of the details about their previous fight and so he was unaware of her actual capabilities. He had, of course, expected her to be more physically powerful than him, just like Natsu had been, but that expectation had not prepared him at all for that first strike. Natsu had been strong, no doubt about that, but Erza…Erza was different.
She wasn't just strong; she was RIDICULOUSLY strong.
His entire arm had gone numb and he barely managed to maintain the grip on his sword.
His expression turned incredulous and he stared into her eyes with open amazement, their locked blades having brought their faces close. Erza smirked at his bewildered countenance and pushed him back, separating their blades, and lunging forward to strike again. She slashed horizontally at him but he agilely back flipped out of harms reach and then hopped away a few more steps to create some distance.
Erza placed her free hand on her hip and tilted her head slightly to the side to meet his gaze with an almost mocking expression. Link took the time to gather his bearings and regard her in a new light.
'By the Goddesses…it's like sword fighting a Goron…a Goron the same size and even faster than me!'
He took another moment to marvel at her power before he shook his head, cleared his thoughts, and tightened the grip on his sword. Erza smirked once more when she saw this and the two of them lunged towards each other once again.
Erza slashed, but Link parried the blow and countered with a thrust. She avoided it easily and struck again only to be deflected once more. This pattern continued for a while, both fighters striking, countering, and striking again in a wild dance of blades. Erza's eyes narrowed while they exchanged blows as she noticed something interesting about their clashes. Every single one of her attacks had either been dodged or deflected; not once did Link attempt to block her directly. She could not say the same.
Their fast paced exchanges quickly revealed something to the red haired mage that surprised her greatly and caused her chest to tighten.
Link was better than she was.
It was a hard truth that, while not causing her any anger, did raise a great amount of alarm. Erza was not overconfident in her abilities, just the opposite actually; she was acutely aware of what she was capable of and where she stood in terms of strength with her peers. She was not arrogant enough to believe she was invincible; her own troubled past proved quite the contrary. Therefore, with the knowledge of her own limits clear in her mind, Erza could not deny that Link was the better swordsman.
She outclassed him in every other way, physically and magically, yet he was able to trade blows with her on equal ground. It was…exhilarating and Erza couldn't suppress the smile that slowly spread on her face. She attacked with greater ferocity and slowly began to push Link back. She grinned widely, elated by her gained advantage, and struck with a powerful overhead slash. Link jumped back and her sword struck ground, gouging the earth and throwing up rocks and dirt from the force.
Link crouched low, one hand gripping the dirt as he slid back. As soon as he came to a halt he rose up and rocketed back towards her, switching his sword to his left hand as he did. Erza blinked in surprise at the sudden change and quickly raised her sword up overhead with one hand bracing the flat of her blade to block his attack. His downward slash had been faster and more forceful than any of his previous attacks and made Erza's eyes widen in surprise. He'd been fighting her with his weaker hand.
Throughout the fight they had alternated between one handed and two handed strikes as the flow of battle dictated, but Link had fought with his right hand dominate and the sudden switch to his good hand had broken the rhythm the two of them had established. Now it was Erza's turn to be pressed back. She struggled for a moment under his onslaught but even though she had been surprised by the change, she held strong and quickly adapted. They were evenly matched once again and Erza's excitement grew even more.
Never before had she fought a battle like this.
While this was not her toughest fight or her strongest opponent, Link drove her to a point beyond what anyone else had before; a battle of pure skill in her own chosen field of expertise. True, she wanted to make it a fair fight and so was holding back quite a bit, not using her magic actively nor taking full advantage of her physical superiority, but even so Link challenged her in a way no one else had. She grinned again, perhaps it was time to step things up a bit.
She lunged forward once more and Link prepared to meet her. Erza smirked as he readied his defense and just before she met him, she raised her empty hand and summoned her magic power.
"Requip!"
Link's eyes widened in shock as another sword appeared in her hand and he was forced to dodge unceremoniously to the side in an awkward roll to avoid her sudden two pronged attack. Even before he had fully regained his footing, his shield was in hand and he braced for the impact he knew would be coming. He was not disappointed and his teeth rattled when Erza battered him with a powerful blow. He slid back a few feet from the force but he quickly regained his form and settled back into a ready position.
Erza smirked at him again and slid into her own stance, one sword angled towards him in front and the other raised overhead. This time it was Link who charged first, smashing his sword against Erza who crossed her blades in defense. It was her turn to be surprised when Link immediately spun and smashed his shield against her guard. She stumbled back and was forced to jump away to avoid Link's follow up slash.
The scarlet haired mage banished her swords and clapped her hands together to materialize the same halberd she had defeated him with before. She charged him and thrust the bladed point forward. Link deflected the attack with his shield and tried to counter but was forced to defend with his sword when Erza swung the butt end of the spear at him.
Erza continued to press her attack, whirling like a red dervish, striking and countering with all parts of her halberd. Link met her ferocious onslaught with an impeccable defense that denied all of her blows, his curved shield greatly aiding him against her strength. Unfortunately, though he was able to defend, he was unable to find an opportunity to go on the offensive. Another solid strike against his shield sent him skidding back once more and created some space between them.
The red headed young girl gazed at her opponent with an analytical expression as she took in his features. Despite the ferocity and exertions of the fight, Link remained calm and poised; his breathing a bit deeper than before but still regular and his posture showed no signs of weariness despite his dishevelled appearance that may indicate otherwise.
She couldn't help but admire him.
He was so much stronger without magic than she had ever been and it amazed her that one so young could possess such strength.
'What would he have done had he been there?' She wondered to herself as painful memories of her childhood flashed through her mind. 'If he had been with us, would things have been different?'
Erza shook her head slightly to clear her thoughts. It wouldn't do to dwell on such things; she needed to focus on the present. Even so, her brief lapse into the past brought her attention back to the feature that had originally sparked her interest in the blonde haired swordsman: his eyes.
His piercing gaze had never once wavered from her and she could see an endless depth in them that spoke of many things. She wanted to know what he had gone through to gain such eyes and exactly what it was that she saw in them. Erza had seen a look similar to her own in them, but there was something different as well and she had desperately wanted to know what that was. His fight with Natsu and now with her had shown her that difference. She had seen in his eyes an unshakable resolve in the face of a harsh life; the ability to persevere and overcome all trials. Eyes with strength she never possessed.
This fight had been more than she had dared hoped it would be. She had learned much and the challenge the fight presented excited her. However, there was one last thing she wanted to experience first-hand. She had seen it during the fist fight with Natsu; a moment when Link's presence had changed.
Erza knew that Link was much more adept with a sword than he was his fists and perhaps that was why, despite the much higher level of combat they had engaged in, that shift in presence had not made itself known. She frowned slightly and tightened her grip on her halberd. She wanted to see that presence for herself and there was only one way to bring it out of him.
It was time to step it up.
She darted forward with a mad burst of speed that caught Link off guard once more. His eyes widened and he desperately threw up a haphazard defense. He may as well have been standing behind a soap bubble. Erza easily broke through his guard and struck him with the shaft of her halberd, sending him flying back. He landed with a grunt of pain but he rolled with his momentum and flipped back to his feet when his back hit the ground to try and regain his footing. He was given no chance to recover before Erza was flying towards him once more, her halberd raised high overhead.
Link was barely able to move aside before the scarlet headed girl cratered the ground where he had just been. Erza darted after him and thrust the butt of her weapon into his gut, causing spittle to fly from the blonde's mouth. She followed through with a solid spinning sidekick into his chest that once again knocked him skidding on his back. The moment his movement came to a halt Link had to roll away when his gaze registered Erza falling towards him. She planted the blade of her halberd into the ground, missing him by inches. Rather than trying to wrench it free she abandoned the weapon and lunged towards Link again, Requipping her sword once more.
She attacked ferociously, but this time Link was able to kip up to his feet and avoid her. He tried to counter but Erza easily broke his attack and scored a powerful palm thrust to his chest that sent him reeling. She struck again and Link was finally forced to block her sword. The force of the impact brought the young Hylian to his knee with a cry and Erza kicked him away again. She charged forward once more intent on continuing her onslaught.
That was when she saw it. The change she had been trying to force out of him.
She had barely noticed it when he fought Natsu, but now it stood out to her like a beacon. His posture shifted, his muscles tensed, and his pupils dilated to an intense degree. The shift in presence was slight and would barely be noticeable to an onlooker, but to Erza Scarlet the change was so profound that she almost faltered in her attack.
Link's eyes no longer focused on her; they pierced right through. It felt like he saw her in her entirety, focused on nothing but seeing everything, every minute detail, all at once. She felt naked under such a gaze.
It was like she was fighting a whole new person.
She watched him shift his stance and move his sword to the side with both hands gripping the hilt. She could sense that he was putting his all into this next attack but it was too late to alter her course. The only thing she could do was strike at the same time he swung his blade.
A flash of steel filled the air followed by the clang of metal. Erza stood a short distance behind Link in a slight crouch, her sword held out to the side. Link's blade spun through the air and sank into the ground several feet away as the young Hylian dropped to the ground in defeat.
The fight was over. She had won.
Erza stood up straight and turned to gaze at him with an almost serene expression on her face. She was about to make a comment when she suddenly felt her hair tumble free of its braid and her eyes widened in shock. She reached up with a tentative hand touch her scarlet tresses and was stunned even further when she felt a shift around her chest. She watched in disbelief as her breastplate fell from her body and clattered to the ground.
She gaped at the broken pieces of her armour in silence, not registering the cheers and raucous noise her fellow guild mates made with the conclusion of the duel. There was only one thought that filled her mind right now.
She had won the fight, but the only reason it hadn't been a draw was because of her armour.
xxx
When Link regained consciousness, he was surprised to find himself lying in a bed. He looked around and spotted Spryte sitting on the edge of a bed side table playing with a knotted string. She beamed when she noticed him awake and fluttered daintily into the air.
"You're finally awake!" She chirped cheerfully and watched him sit up.
"How long was I out?" Link rubbed his forehead blearily.
"A few hours, Erza hit you pretty hard."
Link snorted. That was an understatement. He patted his chest, wondering why there was no wound where there should have been. Erza had, after all, struck him dead on with a sword. Maybe it had something to do with her magic?
"The mages here are incredible," he stated after a moment.
"Yeah, it seems so," Spryte agreed. "I never would have guessed that Erza would be that strong. I mean, you're the Hero of Time and she beat you pretty bad! Not only that, but from what everyone else says, she was holding back quite a bit."
Link nodded. "Yeah, I figured that. Natsu was as well. Did you notice that neither of them used their magic actively in either fight? I think they were trying to make it fair for me."
"Indeed they were," a new voice broke into their conversation. The two of them turned to see Makarov walking towards them with his hands clasped behind his back. "Both of them were aware of your current limitations with magic and so they checked themselves accordingly. It would not have been fair otherwise." A cheerful grin appeared on his face, "Even so, I must say my boy, you showed an impressive display of ability. I have never seen someone as young as you be so strong without magic."
"Thank you," Link inclined his head to the old master. "But I had to become this strong."
"Indeed," Makarov nodded. "Would you care to share your story with me? I am most intrigued by your arrival and I'm sure you have questions for me as well."
Link looked at the old man for a moment before turning a quizzical eye towards Spryte. The fairy smiled and nodded in response. The young Hylian shrugged and then explained as much as he could to the Guild Master without delving into too personal or sensitive detail.
He explained how he grew up in the Lost Woods, the events that led him to leaving the forest, and the subsequent quest to defeat Ganondorf. He told of his struggles and the challenges he had to overcome as well as the battles he had to fight in order to succeed. His retelling of the final battle between him and the Gerudo King of Thieves held both Makarov and Spryte in silent rapture.
When he told them how Zelda sent him back in time and his partner, Navi, left him, Spryte began to silently cry. She knew how much the separation had hurt both of them.
Link then went on to tell how he eventually came to the decision to search for Navi and subsequently ended up on another adventure in the parallel world of Termina. Makarov raised an eyebrow at this and when Link explained how he had to relive the same three days over and over in order to accomplish everything that needed to be done.
Finally he recounted the events that led him to meeting Spryte and how they had both ended up being sucked into the sky by a giant vortex and ended up crashing through the guild roof.
When he finally finished his tale, Makarov could only shake his head in wonder.
"Incredible…that is a truly remarkable tale, my boy."
He believed every word of it of course. The detail and sincerity that Link had spoken with left no doubt to the truthfulness of his words and the story itself explained much. No wonder Link was so strong and possessed the deep eyes that he did. The young man had journeyed through time to save not just one, but two worlds from certain destruction; adventures that resulted in him gathering an impossible amount of experience. It wasn't just that he had been forced to mature faster than normal, his mind and his spirit were literally older than his physical body.
"Wow," Spryte spoke up, her voice filled with awe and admiration. "We fairies know a little bit about what you did…but I never expected the details of your life to be...to be…" She struggled to find an adequate description, but eventually gave up, "well, to be like that." She stared at him in silence for a moment before slowly drifting down to eye level to place a tender kiss on the end of his nose. "Thank you for saving our land. You are truly worthy of your title."
Link blushed lightly and reached for her, but the energetic fairy darted backwards and stuck out her tongue impishly. "And now you're stuck with me, which means: I get to be a part of your adventures!"
The young hero looked startled by the sudden reverse in demeanour but then he burst out laughing, "Yeah, I guess it does at that."
Makarov smiled at the two and waited for the laughter to die down before he cleared his throat.
"If you are feeling better, I'd like to show you something. Please follow me."
Link blinked in surprise but wasted no time in hopping out of the bed and following the elderly man out of the infirmary. The Guild Hall was empty and Makarov explained that everyone had gone home for the day, although he had to send a few of the ones who lingered around hoping to see Link when he woke up. Erza had been included in that number.
"There will be plenty of time for talking later. Right now I believe something else is more important."
Makarov led the two of them to the back of the Guild Hall and into a large, dark room. The Guild Master turned a knob by the door which caused several lanterns and mounted Light Lacrima to illuminate the area. Link's eyes widened in surprise when the light revealed walls lined with enormous shelves that stretched from the ground all the way to the several story high ceiling and were packed to the brim with hundreds and hundreds of books. It was an impressive sight that even left Spryte speechless.
"This is the Fairy Tail Guild Archives," Makarov explained as he walked down a set of stairs to the ground level. "All of Fairy Tail's records and knowledge is kept here, including books on magic. Only members of the Guild are allowed access to this room." The diminutive old man turned to face the young man following him, cupping his hands behind his back as he did so. "I'm sure you have many questions and things you wish to learn about this world and I will do my best to help you, but I believe you will find many of the answers you seek here."
Link eyed the thousands of books around him with no small amount of trepidation and Makarov couldn't help but chuckle at the young lad's expression. Deciding to give the boy a starting point, he extended one of his arms using magic and retrieved three books from various places around the room. He grinned when he saw Link gape at the minor display of his Titan Magic and presented the books to him.
"This will be a good place for you to start. The first book is a brief history of Earth Land with a more central focus on the Kingdom of Fiore, where we are currently located. The second book is an introduction to magic and its basics. I would highly recommend you read that one thoroughly as it will be an essential base for developing your own magical abilities. The last is a basic tome of Requip Magic. It is the same magic that Erza used to switch weapons during your fight. While you don't have to look at that one, I thought that as a swordsman it might interest you."
"Thank you," Link took the books presented to him with a smile and a bow of his head.
"If you need anything or have any questions that come up, do not hesitate to ask myself or anyone else in the guild," The master smiled at him. "I'm sure those young whelps would jump at the chance to show you their magic. Feel free to spend as much time as you would like here."
With that, the old man left Link and Spryte to their own devices and exited the archive room. Link strode over to a nearby table and carefully arranged the books he was given out in front of him.
"So where are you gonna start?" Spryte asked curiously as she bobbed in the air over the tomes.
Link sighed and scratched the back of his head. "As much as I would like to jump into learning about magic, it would probably be a good idea to learn more about this world in general, especially if we're going to be here for the foreseeable future."
"Hmmm…that would make sense," Spryte nodded in agreement.
Link reached for the history book and opened it up to the first page. He stared at the page for a moment and blinked. Then blinked again.
He couldn't read a single word of it.
"I can't make heads or tails of this," Link huffed in annoyance and tilted his head to his fairy friend. "Can you?"
Spryte stared at the text on the page for a moment, "I think so…" She squinted and tilted her head to the side, an action that made her look absolutely adorable but Link didn't comment on it. "It's a little fuzzy but it seems to clear up the longer I look at it."
Link gave a non-committal grunt and focused back on the writing. He tilted his head from side to side and scrunched up his eyes in an attempt to change how he looked at the text, but the words remained illegible to him. He was about to slam the book closed in frustration and find Makarov to address this unfortunate problem when, suddenly, a soft glow appeared on the back of his hand. Startled, both Link and Spryte gazed at Triforce symbol on his left hand in surprise. The bottom left triangle, the symbol of the Triforce of Wisdom, was emitting a soft golden light.
Link stared at it in wonder for a moment before he noticed something out of the corner of his eye and turned his attention back to the open book. The words on the page appeared hazy and seemed to waver in his vision. He stared at the page in confusion as the words blurred more and more until they looked like nothing more than blobs of dark ink on the lighter paper. He blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes in an attempt to clear his vision. Afterwards, he focused on the page once more and slowly, ever so slowly, the blobs spread back out into discernable letters. The young hero's jaw dropped when the words became fully visible once more.
He could understand them.
Link gazed sharply at his hand, then back to the page, then back to his hand.
"Oh!" Spryte exclaimed in surprise, making him snap his attention to her. "I can read it clearly now!"
Link snapped his attention to her in surprise while the young fairy, now standing near the top of the page with her back to him, hummed cheerfully and bent at the waist with her hands on her knees to examine the words.
He was really confused now.
Why had the mark on his hand allowed BOTH of them to read the book? He could understand if it was just him, seeing as how he bore the mark, but Spryte too? That just didn't make sense. He wracked his brain trying to come up with a reasonable explanation but after a while he gave up and let out a sigh. It was probably something he wouldn't be able to figure out on his own and so he chose to chalk it up as another gift from the Goddesses.
"So can I," Link told her and scratched the side of his head. "I guess that's one problem down. Now I suppose we should figure out exactly what we've gotten ourselves into."
With that the two of them spent several hours going over the history book together, discussing various topics as they went. It turned out that Spryte was a faster reader than Link was which gave her time to ponder the things they read while she waited for him to catch up. This led to some interesting debates between them as they tried to fully grasp and understand the history and structure of the world they now lived in. They learned much together.
Time drifted by without notice, neither of them stopping until late in the evening. Makarov allowed the two of them to spend a few nights at the Guild Hall while they studied until they felt comfortable enough to take a few jobs and earn some Jewels. He also made it quite clear to the other mages that they were not to disturb Link or Spryte for the time being unless either of them approached them first.
The two of them spent the next two nights going through the history book and Link marvelled at the things he learned about Earth Land. He had always loved listening to the stories recounted by the Great Deku Tree as a child and reading this book was similar; the fact that it was about a different world altogether made it even more appealing.
When they finally finished the book, Link leaned back in his chair, balancing it on two legs, and stretched out his arms with a deep sigh of satisfaction. His action caused several of his joints to crack and pop, adding to his relief. He massaged his temples with his forefinger and thumb for a moment before tilting his chair back down to all fours.
"Quite the place, this Earth Land," He commented idly.
"Yeah," Spryte agreed. She was now sitting casually on the table, leaning back on her hands with her legs stretched out lazily in front. "But it seems like it could be fun. There's so much to see, do, and learn!"
Link laughed. The playful fairy was all about making the best of a situation.
"I think you may be right, at least the people we've met so far are interesting."
"That's putting it mildly," Spryte huffed, which made Link chuckle again before reaching out and picking up the tome on magic.
"Well, I suppose we should look at this one next, yeah?"
"Oh, good!" The young fairy fluttered up eagerly. "I've been waiting for this!"
Link smiled again at her enthusiasm and opened the book. It was smaller than the history book but he didn't doubt that it would take even longer to go through due to the nature of the content.
The book was fascinating. Link had never before imagined the full possibilities that magic entailed. Sure he had recognized its power, having fought a man capable of ripping a hole between dimensions, and even knew some magic himself, but he had never given full stock towards what it could do. His world had been a land rich with magic, a different type of magic, yes, but magic nonetheless. It was not uncommon to see from day to day, but the average person had only minor ability with it at best and used it for specific purposes.
Earth Land was different. This world had literally turned the use of magic into a way of life. While it was true that only about ten percent of the populace could use it actively and become wizards, magic was actively used in every home for even the most mundane things. Lacrima could be used to light houses, cook food, and even for entertainment. Other items could be charged with magic power from an outside source and then used by citizens at will for whatever purposes they desired.
Anything that required a much more active use of magic was where the mages came in. People could submit requests to a guild where an interested mage could take the job and deal with the issue directly. In this way the world had achieved an effective balance between wizards and ordinary people, with both sides providing services to each other.
Not only that but the different varieties of magic out there was absolutely staggering and boggled Link's mind. There seemed to be a type of magic for literally everything and with enough time and effort a mage could learn any type they wanted. The possibilities were endless.
Link leaned back in his chair once more. He had never given much stock into learning the magic of his world, not having the time to study it properly, and the spells he had learned, despite being powerful, were acquired in a rather unconventional way. If having the required knowledge magically implanted directly into your mind by Great Fairies could be called unconventional, that is. But the magic of this world intrigued him greatly. It wasn't just about studying and chanting long complicated incantations to invoke ancient powers. No, from what he had seen and read so far, a lot of the magic could be applied directly to active combat and that was right up the Hero of Time's alley. Not to mention the staggering physical benefits gained from being a combat wizard.
He knew that he possessed the capabilities to become one, Porlyusica had told him such and Makarov seemed to agree with her. The question now was what type of magic should he learn? From his past experience, Link didn't believe in limiting himself to one specialty. Part of what made him capable of the things he did was the ability to adapt to a situation and having the equipment necessary to take advantage of an opponent's weaknesses. As such, he didn't want to limit himself to specializing in just one or two like most mages. Requip sounded like a definite starting point. It was similar to the magic belt pouch he used to store most of his gear, but seemed significantly superior. But what else?
He explained his concerns to Spryte and asked her opinion on the matter.
"Why don't we look around and see what other books we can find?" She suggested. "I'm sure there's a few things we could find that might interest you. If not, you can start with the Requip book for now and we can always ask the others to demonstrate their abilities and see if anything catches your eye."
"Alright," Link nodded his head and stood up to begin looking around but he paused when a sudden thought crossed his mind. "Spryte, are you going to try to learn any of this?"
"Of course!" the fairy replied with wide grin. "Magic is part of a fairy's essence and this new magic sounds awesome! I don't know if I'll be able to use any of it, but I'm sure as heck gonna try!"
Link laughed again. "Well in that case, let's also look around for stuff that interests you as well."
The two of them wandered around from shelf to shelf, examining the meticulously lined up books for anything that stood out to them. Spryte actively fluttered in every direction, even going up to the very top shelves now and then, occasionally pulling a book from its place and carrying it over to the table. Link had been surprised that she was able to pick up the books without too much difficulty despite them being larger than her. Apparently she was a lot stronger than she appeared, though she still struggled with the heavier tomes. Link couldn't help but laugh when he watched her strain to pull out a particularly large book from a higher shelf. The little fairy plummeted several feet with an adorable squeal of alarm when she finally managed to remove the heavy tome from the shelf. Luckily, Spryte was able to catch herself before she hit the ground. She hovered for a moment, beating her wings rapidly, and then slowly flew in rough bobbing path back to the table. When she finally reached it she dropped the book rather unceremoniously with a loud grunt of effort.
"Be careful," Link chided good naturedly. "I don't want you to hurt yourself."
Spryte responded with a glare and an indignant huff before drifting back to the shelves. Link shook his head with a smile and turned his attention back to the books in front of him. He raised his left hand to finger the spine of one tome when he suddenly noticed the Triforce mark on his hand glowing softly again. This time the light came from the bottom right triangle, the symbol representing the Triforce of Courage. Link blinked in surprise once more and drew his hand back to inspect it more closely. However, as soon as he did so, the light faded. He stared at it in confusion for a moment before slowly extending his hand back out and watched in fascination as the symbol lit up once more. He held his hand out, intrigued by the sudden display, and shifted his hand to the left. The glow faded. He moved his hand back to the right and the glow increased. He ran his hand over the row of books and the glow brightened more and more the farther he went to the right. Finally, he reached the spine of one book and his hand flared up to an almost blinding level before fading away into nothing. Link blinked to clear his eyes of spots before staring at the spine of the book now under his hand. He examine the backing and saw a magic symbol with a sword in the center emblazoned in the middle. Link pulled the book from its place and looked at its cover. He raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Sword Magic?"
That definitely sounded useful. He glanced from the cover to the mark on the back of his hand. First the ability to use magic, then the knowledge to read and speak the language, and now a particular book of magic well suited to him? It seemed that something wanted him to be able to function in this world and was helping him along the way.
A spark of memory passed through his mind; the recollection of a lost dream.
We will be your guides…
He smiled. So, the Goddesses were with him still.
This revelation removed any doubts that Link may have still harboured over his predicament. If the Goddesses were showing him the way, then perhaps he was meant to come here after all.
Heartened by that knowledge, Link returned to his table, now adorned with a growing pile of books, and placed the book of Sword Magic next to the book on Requipping. As soon as he did, the symbol representing the Triforce of Power began to glow. Now understanding what it meant, Link smirked and raised his hand towards the shelves to seek out the next book.
He didn't know what magics the Goddesses would lead him towards, but they had made him into the ultimate warrior of his land. If they wanted him to be here now, then he was determined to become such in this world as well.
Thus Link, the Hero of Time, began his first night of study in the art of Earth Land's magic.
The first step on a path to greatness.
The first page in the beginning of a legend.
xxx
A/N: Alright, so Link is finally an official member of Fairy Tail and laying a foundation for his new life in Fiore. I really hope you enjoyed this chapter but to be honest, I'm a little unsatisfied with it. I felt like I tried to cram too much into one chapter and didn't really spend enough time developing areas I should have. I wanted to write more interactions between the other guild members, but I couldn't really figure out a way of doing it without bashing my face on the keyboard in frustration. Anything I tried just felt too forced. As it is I still feel like I copped out on several things I should have developed more.
Oh well, hopefully I can improve things a bit with the next chappie.
Once again I would like to iterate that Link does not possess the full Triforce. He doesn't even have the Triforce of Courage anymore. What he does have is a portion of the essence from all three Goddesses, which allows them a bit of influence in a world outside of their dominion and gives Link a few special gifts. I will expound upon this more in later chapters.
I hope I made the fights between Natsu and Erza believable and gave a proper indication of Link's current standing. In case there's any confusion, Erza is much stronger than Link is. He may have more experience but he can't compete with her full abilities if she chooses to use them, especially if he's not fighting to kill her. That being said, he is also capable of things that the others, Erza included, would not be able to do because he is so skilled and experienced. Not to worry though, he will get stronger and become even more awesome than he already is, he just has a little bit of work to do to get there.
I've also decided what types of magic he's going to learn. Definitely Requip and Sword Magic (obviously) but as for the others….not telling yet! I will say though that he will NOT learn Dragon Slayer Magic. I agree that it would be awesome if he did but unfortunately it's not in my grand design.
Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please R/R!