Legend of Remnant

Chapter 3: Chosen

Waking up to seeing someone who looked like they could be related to him, pointing a sword right at his chest, was not the way that Jaune Arc wanted to wake up. Yet, there he was, on his back and staring up into a pair of cold blue eyes. The man who stood above him, Master Sword in hand, looked to be somewhere in his late twenties, maybe early thirties. He wore all green, save for a golden pauldron on one shoulder and a long crimson scarf. Despite his youthful appearance, his expression was a dour one; an expression that Jaune had only seen on older veteran Huntsmen.

"So," he spoke, his voice the very same that Jaune had been hearing over the past 24 hours, "This is who the Goddesses have chosen to inherit my spirit. I can't say I'm impressed."

Jaune blinked. "Wha-where am I?! Who are you?! What the hell is going on?!"

The blond man rolled his eyes and sighed, lifting the blade and twirling it around with practiced ease. "Fine. I suppose you do deserve a few answers. The Goddesses often make strange decisions, but never wrong ones...even though it may feel like it." With that, he turned on his heel and began to walk away.

Jaune leaped to his feet, glaring. "Are you going to do nothing but insult me this whole time?"

The man didn't look back as he answered, "Well, it's bad enough you're untrained, unskilled and immature, but you've decided to make the foolish decision to enter into a school for warriors with having no prior knowledge or training in how to do so. Frankly, why the Goddesses even chose you in the first place is beyond me, but you drew the Master Sword from its pedestal, so like it or not, you are my successor."

Silence was the response, and the man turned around to see Jaune's expression suddenly crestfallen, his shoulders slumped and gaze down to the grass below. "I...I didn't have a choice. I tried to get someone to teach me, but my parents and my sisters refused to give the the chance. They kept telling me I'd get hurt, that they wanted me to stay home, but I…" He trailed off, one hand grasping the bicep of his other arm. "How else was I going to prove myself?" Jaune paused, then glanced up, his gaze narrowing. "Wait...how did you know I didn't have any training?"

A snort; "You and I are bound; I've been sifting through your memories to see what I'm working with. Though, I suppose while your decision was foolish, there is a certain courage in pursuing your dreams despite your lack of talent. Of course, it means nothing unless you're willing to put forth the effort."

Jaune's grimace tightened. Then, "So, who the hell are you, anyway?"

"Out of all the questions you ask me, you ask me that? You should already know that."

"How the hell would I know who you are?! You're just some weird voice in my head that I met today!" Jaune's hands clenched into fists as his ire rose. "You know, Link, maybe if you actually just answered my questions, I-" Jaune stopped. "Wait."

"Now he gets it."

Jaune stepped back, hands unclenching with his eyes widening. "Hang on, hang on, how do I know that?!"

Link turned back to face Jaune, a small smirk gracing his features. "A better question. One you should have answered back when facing those Wolfos."

"Beowolves!"

"Whatever you call them."

Jaune blinked, sitting back down cross legged. "What...what did you do to me?"

Link rolled his shoulders casually. "When you drew the Master Sword from its pedestal, it attempted to impart the memories and skills of every previous life up to myself. The problem is, you aren't ready for such a burden. Physically, mentally and spiritually, it would have consumed you and driven you mad. I managed to mostly seal those memories away, until you're ready to accept them."

"Past lives? Memories?"

Link sighed. "Very well, I'll try to explain everything as clear as I possibly can. As you know, my name is Link. I am the first Link, Hylia's Chosen. The one falsely imprisoned and freed to face a Demon God. The one who saved Hyrule, and the most beloved of the Goddess most high. You are my latest descendant, the one who has inherited my spirit. Judging by how little you know and how much has changed, however, it appears despite Hyrule no longer existing…" Link trailed off, his expression tightening. "The time my spirit has slumbered has been vast, but it appears as though despite Hyrule no longer existing, the Goddesses have chosen to awaken me once more to protect this new land. That's where you come into play. You are the latest vessel for my spirit."

Jaune sat silent, jaw hanging open slightly. "I've…" he brought his hand up to face, dragging it down, "I've got to be dreaming. Demon Gods? Goddesses? Hero Spirits? This...this is insane!"

Link stared down at him, expression neutral. "And yet you've held the Master Sword in your hand. You can remember the brief flashes of memories in your mind, and most of all, we know that in your heart of hearts, you know what I say is true."

Jaune opened his mouth to speak, but no voice came forth, his expression torn and confused. He sat there, mind racing, his gaze lowering down to the grass below. It seemed so outlandish, so absurd. Demon Gods and Goddesses? It was like one of his fantasy comics, except he was in the starring role. He should have been excited, and yet all he could feel was a sense of trepidation. Whether that was from his lack of answers or from how fantastical the situation itself was, he couldn't tell. It seemed so outlandish a tale, and he had no other evidence with which to prove it, and yet- "What...does this all mean? Why did I inherit your spirit?"

Link sheathed the Master Sword in an ornate gold and blue sheath and strode over to a nearby stump. Jaune blinked in surprise, not having noticed it in the first place. Link sat down upon it with a weary sigh. "Whenever my soul is reincarnated, it does so because the darkness upon Hyrule is growing. Since Hyrule itself is no more, I can only venture to guess that the land upon which it once stood is falling prey to that same darkness. Your task is to bring an end to that darkness in any way you know how."

"Darkness? You mean the Grimm? They've been around since before I was born. People greater than I have tried and failed. What can I possibly do?" Jaune inquired, shifting his position to better face Link.

Link once more regarded Jaune with a neutral expression. "Greater than you now, yes. However, you have an advantage they do not. You've been chosen by the Master Sword."

"Didn't you say it's still slumbering? What does that even mean?"

Jaune's question was rewarded with a slightly irritating smirk from the older blond man. "So, you were paying some attention. Yes, you are indeed correct, the Master Sword slumbers. The Master Sword is- well, it's a sentient weapon of sorts. It is the Blade of Evil's Bane. The legendary holy weapon that purges evil from the world. As of now, it's no more than a well crafted blade. You must prove yourself worthy of blade's true strength before it will awaken."

"How do I do that?"

"Hmph." Link snorted disdainfully. "Right now you couldn't prove yourself worthy of the title of town guard."

Jaune got to his feet angrily. "I get it, alright?! Yeah, I know I suck! Thanks for reminding me! It's not like I didn't know that already! Maybe you should have chosen someone else then!"

Link sighed. "It's not up to me." He paused, then added, "and I'm not reminding you of this simply to insult you. I know how much the title of 'hero' means to you; I want to make sure you understand just how far from that title that you are, not just physically, but mentally as well. You pursue glory without truly understanding exactly what such a title means."

His words were met with silence and Jaune's shoulders slumped. "What does that mean? You say that I'm supposed to 'rid the world of darkness,' and then turn around and keep telling me how much I suck?"

"It means that if you want any hope of rising to the status of hero and doing anything of worth for this world, you're going to need to listen to me. I'm not going to mince words with you; it's not going to be easy and I'm not going to go easy on you. If you listen to me though, I can help you grow stronger."

Jaune froze. "You...can?" Once again, his thoughts consumed him. On one hand, he'd wanted to prove himself by doing everything on his own. On the other hand, he was stuck with this stranger in his head, and it would be rather nice not to have him constantly insulting him with every other word he spoke. Plus, it wasn't like it was another student teaching him; this was personal one-on-one training with some sort of previous Hero.

"Obviously. As the original Hylia's Chosen, I have recollection of every single life I've led. Sky, Twilight, Time, Seas, Wilds and many others, I've been so many heroes before. If I can't teach you to become stronger, no one can." Link explained. He placed his hands on his knees and slowly lifted himself up. "And we'll be starting right now. While I can't train your body here, I can at least train your mind, and that alone is worth the effort."

"Wait, is this a dream or…?"

Link shook his head. "We're in a place between dreams and reality."

"The Sacred Realm?" Jaune asked, then paused, his face contorting. "Damn it, again?!"

A snort of amusement came from Link. "Not quite, and get used to that. As you grow stronger and your body and soul acclimates to the memories and power from lives past, you'll begin to remember more and more. Now. Pick up the sword. We have a lot of work to do." Link pointed his finger to the ground by Jaune's position.

Jaune blinked and followed Link's finger to a wooden sword laying on the grass next to him, then turned back to him. "A wooden sword?" He asked incredulously, raising an eyebrow.

Link smirked. "Until you can prove that you're worthy of the Master Sword in my eyes, you'll be using a training sword. Now...on your feet!" With that, Link unsheathed the Master Sword, the blade ringing so crystal clear, causing Jaune to scramble to his own feet in surprise. "Your first lesson is learning how to stop being so scatterbrained in combat. You must learn how to focus your attention, learn how to analyze your opponent and read their moves." Link circled slowly around Jaune, twirling the Master Sword lazily. "Focus on me. Don't let yourself get distracted by errant thoughts."

Jaune blinked, hesitating at first, before scrambling to pick up the wooden training sword and turning to face Link. The older blond man continued to circle him slowly, his demeanor and stride reminding Jaune of some sort of predator; perhaps a wolf?

"Your stance is all wrong! Drop your shoulders. Stop being so tense. You need to be ready to move at a moment's notice in combat." Link continued, his tone harsh. "Since this area is between dreams and reality, damage won't translate to your actual body, so we can work on your perception. As you've noticed, you are lacking a shield." Link paused, twirling his sword again. "This is on purpose. You're going to need to learn the basics, among them how to *correctly* dodge attacks."

"Wait, you mean-" Jaune began. Link suddenly rushed forward, sharp blue eyes glinting under the ethereal sun, and Jaune's eyes widened, body freezing momentarily. His hesitation cost him. As the younger blond tried to step back to avoid the lightning fast lunge, he was too late, and white hot pain erupted in his chest as the Master Sword slammed into his chest all the way to the hilt. Jaune's eyes widened as far as they could go and his entire body stiffened. "I-I.." It was a pain he never felt before, pure agony spreading across his body. He could feel the cold metal of the Master Sword piercing his flesh and sliding along his ribs, all the way out his back.

With a flash, Link pulled the Master Sword from Jaune's chest and twirled it around. "That hesitation will cost you in battle! You can't freeze up like that!" He lectured, as though he hadn't just dealt Jaune a mortal wound.

Jaune's hands went to his chest to feel for the hole he expected to show up there and, and felt...nothing? "What...how?!" He gasped, both in pain and in shock.

"Again, this place is between dreams and reality. While the pain of such an attack remains, the damage does not. As I have learned over many lifetimes, pain is excellent motivator." Link twirled the Master Sword and with a flash, extended his arm. Pain erupted in Jaune's throat as the razor sharp blade pierced through it and Jaune's gaze snapped to Link's expressing open shock and anger. Link's expression never changed, still stern and cold, even as he spoke. "Expect more of that until you learn how start paying attention and learn to focus."

With that, Link pulled the blade out, leaving Jaune gasping on the ground, clutching his throat, eyes wide. "This is insane!"

Link looked down at Jaune, eyes glinting. "You didn't think being a hero was going to be easy, did you?"

Jaune's face went pale and he quickly scrambled to his feet, holding the sword in front of him with visible fear and trepidation in his eyes…

"I think that's enough for now."

It was those words from Link's mouth that caused Jaune to abruptly slump like a puppet whose strings had been cut. The younger blond fell to the ground, chest rising and falling, staring up at the cloudless blue sky. He was all but certain that he now intimately knew the pain of about 16 different mortal wounds, and although his body showed no signs of harm, the pain remained. Link, it appeared, did not know the meaning of mercy. At least, not when it came to training him. It had been a disaster. It had taken at least one more painful introduction to the business end of the Master Sword before he got himself into gear. Even when he did manage to dodge the next strike, Link had simply flowed into the next one with expert grace and once again, showed Jaune a new pain. The training (if it could even be called that) continued on much the same way.

Eventually, Jaune had started to dodge multiple strikes, the desire to avoid any more agony fuelling his senses. If Link's bored, emotionless gaze was any indication, he was even going easy on Jaune, although easy also meant still getting hit by attacks that seemed to come out of nowhere. Link was fast, graceful and hit like a truck, which usually meant that slipping up even once meant getting caught in a series of lightning fast strikes that left Jaune usually gasping in pain if not yelling outright. Finally, after what seemed like forever, it had ended.

The only sound that came from Jaune's lips was the sound of him sucking in air. Then, "What…huff...kind of...puff...training...wheeze...is this?!"

"Necessary training." Link retorted, his image coming into view as he stood above Jaune. "I don't have much to work with, and so little time in which to work on it. Being a real hero isn't an easy path."

"This is-huff-insane!"

Link frowned. "Giving up already? Well, I guess we can always go back to the Lost Woods and return the blade to its pedestal, but I don't see you making it here at this training academy either. I guess it's alright though; you could always go back home."

That seemed to light a fire in Jaune and with a sharp glare, Jaune lifted himself up off the ground. "I am not giving up! I can do this, but can't you...you know, back up just a little? I mean stabbing me just to teach me to dodge?! Carving me up like a turkey?"

Link smirked. "It worked, didn't it? You were dodging far better toward the end. As I said, pain is an excellent motivator and one I know from many, many years of experience. However, your training is far from over. As I said, this is to train your mind, but your body is another matter entirely. When you awaken from your slumber, the pain from this will fade."

"So I really am asleep?" Jaune inquired.

"Indeed. If you are to fully inherit the spirit of the Hero and all that comes with it, you must be trained in body, mind and spirit. Speaking of the first, your day is just beginning, and we have much to do. So I suggest you stop laying about, and wake up."

And with that, Jaune Arc's eyes opened up to the mostly dark dorm room, the sun just barely peeking over the horizon in RNJR's window.

A/N: Another chapter finally down, and I'm sure many of you will have the same opinion. "Man, Link is a dick!"

And to a certain extent, you'd be right, but it's a bit more complicated than that. This is Hylia's Chosen. The first Link. He is the conglomeration of every Link that ever has lived, and well, he's a veteran in every sense of the word. With countless battles and wars under his belt, with all the strife and conflict he's lived through, he's powerful, but grumpy, harsh. Plus, he's working with Jaune, who, let's be honest, didn't exactly start off in the best position. Add onto that the fact that Link's reincarnating means that darkness is drawing close, and Link doesn't have a lot of time to coddle Jaune.

Things are going to continue to be brutal for poor Jaune, but it's for a good cause.

A/N 2, Electric Boogaloo: Hey y'all! Do you have Discord? Do you enjoy fanfictions? Care to join a steadily growing group of fellow writers, artists and fans? Toss me a PM and you too can join the Work In Progress Discord channel, home of Bleiss Schnee as well as many creators such as SpookiestOfNoodles, Demon of Zero, Mallobaude and many more! We even encompass multiple fandoms, such as RWBY, Fate, My Hero Academia, and many more!