Chapter 1

"Link! I swear, you slouch like a deku baba all of the time!" Snapped Misty Quicklizard, Link's teacher. "Sit up and at least try to act excited like everyone else. Anyways-" Link sighed. Misty was famous for her lizard form being extremely fast, yet in human form she could go on and on and on about something that everyone learns as a child. Basically, King Ganondorf found a shiny thing in a musty temple, fell in, got a gift/curse from a animal god, and pretty much cursed everyone he shared his secret with to constant attacks from everyone who wanted that power to themselves. He shook his head. "Who would celebrate something like that?" He thought. Link got so absorbed in what he was thinking that he didn't even notice when the bell rang for the end of class.

"Link, do you need something?" Asked Misty.

"N-no. S-sorry, I was just thinking." He said sheepishly. Misty laughed a little bit and let him leave the classroom. When he left the room, he went right back to thinking. Ever since he was little he was told that he looked like the heros of old. When he was ten, and old enough to leave the house without an escort, he had visited the Museum of Hero's. He had stared in awe of the statues and items used by the legendary warriors, amazed by the similarities. The statues and paintings had been donated by an archeologist who was investigating the ancient Valley of Seers. All of the nameless fighters had all had shoulder length blond hair, a green tunic and blue eyes. Link looked just like that, minus the tunic, which he would get at the coming of age ceremony that would be happening tomorrow. He sighed, 'why am I the weird one? Everyone else looks normal, or as normal as a person can look when they can become an animal at will.' Link was so busy thinking that he almost ran into a wall. He only stopped in time because a white wing was placed between him and the bricks.

"What are you pondering, that is so important it makes you think you can walk through walls?" The wing belonged to a white Rito not much older than Link with metal rods embedded in his wings.

"Thanks, Heron. I'm just worried about the ceremony is all. It's coming so soon, and I'll be knighted and receive a vest and everything. I don't want to mess anything up during the ceremonial mission, either. I'll be sent with a bunch of older knights to basically just ride around for a day or so." Link confessed. Heron smiled (as best he could with a beak) and nodded.

"I get it. As soon as I was allowed to leave I wanted to go, but I was terrified. Then again, that was crossing Hyrule to get to Hateno from Rito village, so I might not be the best for moral boosting." Link raised an eyebrow,

"Wow, so you're telling me that I shouldn't take advice from you because you 'just travelled across an entire continent to come see you again, eh.' Is that what you're saying? Seriously, the stuff I put up with around your and your ridiculous tail. Somehow, that reminded me to ask, how is it going with your girlfriend? What was her name..." Link wondered.

Heron glanced away sheepishly, "we got into a little spat, but we resolved it already. Her name is Star Nightingale. How's your friend-" he stopped when he saw the look on Link's face. "What, what happened?" Link looked at the ground.

"three days ago, while Dana and her friends were having a little celebration after successfully repelling a Yiga attack that was sent by Chieftess Zelda, me and Sarah Foxtail were just enjoying the evening by the Dracuzi river, when out of nowhere five Yiga blademasters and one archer appeared and I tried to stop them. I managed to fend of the swordsmen, but I didn't see the archer until it was to late. Sarah was between me and the archer, and when he fired...next thing I knew she was on the ground with an arrow through her heart. I don't think I'll make any new friends after that, in fact, I don't think you should stay around me anymore. Dana tries to hide it, but I'm always being attacked by Zelda's forces, and your being around me might get you harmed too. If something were to happen to you..." Link's voice cracked and he stopped. Heron looked at the ground, then lifted his head and placed his piercing grey eyes on Link's downcast face and said,

"I understand the pain you're going through. A few months ago, when I had come to your place for a couple of weeks, I was having a lot of fun. Then I received a message that was delivered by a postal Rito, which ment it was important. I flew home as fast as I could, but I was too late. My friend Storm Eveningstar had been killed by a wild animal while on a patrol with her family. I almost thought about disappearing, but then remembered that I had a best friend who was under attack all of the time. That was when I decided I wasn't going to be a fledgling and grow up. You are the reason that I became a mail carrier, and I promise that I'll never leave, even if the world is about to end. Unless the world is ending for Star. Then I'm out of here." That last statement had the intended effect, as Link almost instantly burst into laughter. At least I have a friend who isn't afraid. I still worry about the ceremony, though...

Link and Heron headed to Dana's house to talk. They had great plans of staying up late and swapping stories, which were immediately crushed when 'The Wolf', as she was called behind her back, returned from her day at Kakariko. The instant that she saw Link and Heron trying to stay up late she glared and said,

"I don't know what you were thinking, what with your ceremony being moved to tomorrow, attempting to make yourself tired right now. I don't care what you promised, Go. To. Bed. Now." Of course the only thing to be done was to quickly go upstairs and set out the spare cot and sleep. In the morning, Link woke up and looked over at Heron's bed. It was empty. He jumped out of from under his blankets and dashed out of the room. "Heron?! Where are you?" He ran into the kitchen and saw Dana attempting to teach Heron how to make eggs without burning them and making them taste like ashes. Link sighed in relief, which alerted the others to his presence. Heron turned around and Dana just muttered,

"Pass the oregano and salt. Pay attention boy, I don't care if you're a bird." Heron turned back to the ingredients after flashing Link a small 'help me' smile.

"Sooo... the ceremony was moved to today? Why did that happen?" Link said, trying to sound nonchalant.

"It was moved because the Headmaster decided that the original date would be his once in a blood moon shower. The other days have bad weather forecasted, and today was the only day possible in the foreseeable future. Now stop stalling and get ready!" Snapped Dana, all without looking up from her omelet. Link deflated and trudged back to his room to put up the extra cot and get his gear together. As he finished, however, he saw a small piece of paper sticking out of one of his armor plates. When he read the note, he saw that it said: Please know that the trainee uniform is due for return by midnight of your ceremony day. You will be presented with a new outfit and/or armor if you choose that path. Returns are accepted at the reception desk in the entry hall at the Knight's Academy of Hateno. Thank you for your time keeping Hyrule safe. He was surprised at this. He had known that he would be getting a new armor set, but he didn't think that he would have to give up this one. He had used it since he began training, and wasn't quite ready to let it go. He placed his supplies in a bag and retraced his steps downstairs.

"Hey, did either of you know about having to forfeit my old gear in exchange for my new stuff?" Link asked his adopted mother and best friend.

"Yes, I knew that your trainee uniform was due for the next group, but you will be receiving new supplies and a new sword." Dana replied. Link sighed then asked,

"Very well, when and where is it taking place today?"

"It will take place at the Shiekah headquarters in Kakariko village. It will be happening at four this evening, so we must leave soon. I have heard that Lord Ganondorf himself will be overseeing the knighting. Now you and your bird friend need to go load the wagon and get the horses hitched up." Link and Heron left the house at Dana's command, and quickly prepared the horses.

" Wow, the shapeshifting king himself wants to see your ceremony. What does he think you are, the legendary hero?" Heron laughed in his chirping way.

A few hours later they were almost to the shapeshifting central, and the entire trip had gone rather uneventfully. Link considered that a win, but then remembered that Dana was with them, meaning that nothing would dare mess with them. Pretty soon they passed the gate, and entered the fortified town of Kakariko.