Legend Of Zelda Fan Fiction ❯ Chain of Shadows: The Dark Triforce ❯ How It All Started ( Chapter 2 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Lord Cerberus 
One day, after finding an abandoned child in the streets of Hyrule, Princess Zelda would know true friendship.
Non Anime: Legend Of Zelda Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Action | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 07.27.2006 | Updated On: 07.27.2006 | Pages: 4 | Words: 5.7K | Visits: 250 | Status: Completed
One day, after finding an abandoned child in the streets of Hyrule, Princess Zelda would know true friendship.
Non Anime: Legend Of Zelda Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Action | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 07.27.2006 | Updated On: 07.27.2006 | Pages: 4 | Words: 5.7K | Visits: 250 | Status: Completed
Chapter 2: How It All Started
It was a slightly cloudy day when Zelda had decided she wanted to go through the Hyrule Town market. It had been the same ever since she was four years of age. Just a week after her birthday, she would go into town when most merchants were in town and take a look at the travelers’ wares. This year, one week after her ninth birthday, was no different.
It started when, a week after her third birthday, her father had left Hyrule, but gave no clues as to why. Although he did speak of Shadows and something called the Gate. No one knew what it is he spoke of, believing that he had gone mad. Her mother had a hard time coping with her husband’s sudden departure and died a few days shy of her daughter’s forth birthday. She had attempted to obtain friends in the past, but that task proved to be quite difficult as her caretakers were extremely overprotective of her, fearing for her safety after the king went missing and the queen died. But, all she could do was try.
The town square was quite a lively place filled with several shops and other stands set up by travelers that were passing through the kingdom. Sometimes these travelers who bring in some amazing rare items and Zelda loved to occasionally visit the market to see items from outside Hyrule. She was a bit peeved, however, that she still had to wear her dress. It was something about maintaining a formal image before the people of Hyrule and it just irritated her. Even more so was the fact that they couldn’t trust her to be by herself. Sure, they told her she could go alone, but she could tell that the castle guards were watching her, keeping a distance from her to lull her into thinking she was on her own.
“I hate this,” the young princess mutters under her breath as she approaches a stand with a table full of beautiful jewelry. She is immediately attracted by some of the most beautiful gemstones she had ever seen. They were nice, but she had never been the one to like wearing jewelry or anything she saw as too girly. After skimming over the merchandise, she moves over to another stall where she finds some ancient weapons and armor. It didn’t appear as if it were from Hyrule. Most likely from another kingdom in the world.
“Well, hello, Princess Zelda,” the stand’s owner, a woman in her fifties, greets her. “What brings you to my quaint stand?”
“Just wanted to get away from the castle,” she states. Looking over the items the woman had, a few pieces of various armor, daggers, and other bladed items. One item, a sword with a long, thin black blade and a red hilt catches her attention. “What’s that?”
“This one?” the merchant asks, placing her hand on the sword. Zelda nods and curiously stares at the blade as if she could feel a presence within it that called to her. “I found it in a kingdom to the west of here named Yever. It’s a sword that is said to house the restless spirits of the damned. It’s said that it was once wielded by a powerful warrior before being cut down by the Master Sword. They say this happened thousands of years ago.”
“I see,” comes a male voice.
Zelda turns to her right and spots a tall man in a dark blue cloak. His face was concealed by the shadows cast by his cloak and by his long blonde hair that reaches about an inch past his eyes, giving him an air of mystery. There was something Zelda didn’t like about him but she didn’t want to jump to conclusions. He seemed like an ordinary man except for the tattoo on the back of his left hand. It was two ouroboros yet, instead of them looping around to devour their own tails, the dragons were devouring the tail of the dragon before it, making one large circle. Within this circle is a human eye with a purple iris.
“How much are you asking for this sword?” the man asks.
“It’s quite rare,” the merchant replies. “I will go no lower than seven thousand rupees.”
“Is that all?” the man scoffs. Reaching into his cloak, the man pulls out a large leather pouch, which he places onto the table. The merchant opens the pouch as the man takes the sword and the sheath, which rests next to it.
“There’s nearly ten thousand rupees in here!” the merchant exclaims.
“Keep it,” the man says as he ties the sheath to his waist. “I’m feeling unusually generous.” As he turns to leave, he looks down at Zelda and she notices his indigo-colored eyes. “Our destinies are intertwined. Fate will have us meet again, Princess.” With that, the man walks away, leaving Zelda to wonder what evidence he had to claim that they would meet again.
Her thoughts are suddenly interrupted by the soft pattering of rain upon her head. The sky was darker than she remembered.
“You should hurry along now, Princess,” the merchant tells the young girl. “You don’t want to catch a cold out here.” The merchant bundles her merchandise, as are some of the others, up in a blanket.
“Alright. Thank you, miss.” Zelda hurries past some people on her way back to the castle. As she pushes past a crowd of people, she stops suddenly when she hears a soft sobbing coming from nearby.
The rain was pouring down more heavily than before but she didn’t mind getting a little wet and muddy. She wanted to know where that sobbing was coming from. She takes her steps cautiously, making sure she doesn’t overlook anything. The young princess looks down an alleyway between two nearby buildings and finds the source of the sobbing, a small boy, around her age, sitting in the shadows, his knees pulled in close to his face.
The young boy wore torn a torn blue shirt, khaki shorts, and a single boot on his left foot. His hair was blonde, but it was hard to tell from the dirt caking it. He was gaunt, seeming as though he had nothing to nourish himself with for quite a while, and his frail body seemed to be scratched up pretty badly.
Zelda could see a castle guard moving through the crowds of people trying to get home but before she could be spotted, she steps into the alley, quiet so as not to frighten the young boy. He does notice as she gets closer, however, and instinctively backs away.
“No,” Zelda says in a kind tone. “I only wish to help you.” But, she could see that the boy was untrusting of her just by peering into his frightened blue eyes. Terrified whimpers escape his lips as he reluctantly backs away with each step forward she takes. He was soon backed into a corner, which causes the boy to shiver uncontrollably.
It was Zelda’s turn to be frightened for when he realized he had no way to escape, something took over the boy’s mind. His once blue eyes are overcome by a violet hue with cat-like pupils. By no will of his own, he lunges at Zelda and pins her to the ground. As he stares down into her quivering eyes, the boy snaps out of his trance-like state, his eyes returning to normal, and he scrambles to his feet, letting her sit up. Disquieted at what could have happened, the boy begins to sob, seizing his sides tightly as he falls back against the nearby wall.
Zelda didn’t know what was wrong with him, but she felt dreadful. She didn’t want him to hate himself like this. Without a single bit of warning to the young boy, she steps up to him and embraces him. The boy quakes with fear at her touch but quickly came to feel so secure as she held him in her arms. With a soft sigh, he lowers his arms.
“It’s okay,” she says. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. I’ll help you.” She eases her arms away from him and takes a step back, getting a good look at him. “So, what are you doing out here?” The boy gazes at her, unsure of how to respond, and drops his gaze to the ground. “What’s your name?” The boy opens his mouth but can only let out a soft whimper before quickly clamping his mouth shut. “You can’t speak?” To her question, he shakes his head once. “Well, I’m not letting you stay out here. Come with me.”
Zelda extends her hand out to him and she could tell that he was a bit reluctant to take her hand. He shakily reaches his arm out and Zelda quickly takes his rough, dirty hand, pulling him along as she leads him out of the alley.
“Princess, there you are!” Zelda quickly stops when she hears the familiar voice and the homeless child shrinks behind her, afraid to be confronted with another person. A guard on horseback comes into view and halts before the princess. “We’ve been looking for you. Let’s head... Who’s that?”
“He was abandoned. I’m helping him.”
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” the soldier says. “You don’t even know him. For all we know, he could be dangerous.”
“I don’t think so,” Zelda states sternly. “I told him I would help him and that’s what I’m going to do!”
“...Very well,” the man says after a heavy sigh. He holds out his hand and pulls her up onto the horse, sitting her behind him. He then pulls the boy up and sits him behind Zelda.
As they take off for the castle, the boy wraps his quaking arms around Zelda’s waist, surprising her. She looks back over her shoulder, feeling the boy’s head resting against her back and she couldn’t help but smile at him. Now, perhaps, she could have a true friend.
And Zelda was right. They were to become the best of friends. After taking him in, Zelda learned that he had willed himself to become mute. It took some work, but she finally got him speaking again. She tried finding out his identity, but he could not remember who he was or where he came from. One thing he could remember was that his father was killed by some malignant being when he was four. He was rescued from the evil by some mysterious man but was separated from him. As for what happened during the next four years, it was all a blank to him. But, he could remember the nightmarish visions of a dragon-like creature that haunted him every night.
Zelda recalled the legend surrounding her name and knew that Zelda was always accompanied by a man named Link. So, seeing as he couldn’t recall his own name, she bestowed upon him the name Link and for the next seven years, he and Zelda lived peacefully as best friends.
---------------
Zelda sat before the open lake of the castle’s water garden, collecting as many red lotus flowers as she could carry in the basket at her side. She loved being anywhere in the castle garden. It was always such a peaceful place to be in when she wanted to get out of the castle. Plus there were so many lovely flowers, her favorite being the red lotuses for the pinkish hue of their petals.
Dropping another lotus into the basket, Zelda pushes her golden blonde hair back and turns back, her blue eyes meeting those of her friend.
“Out here again?” Link asks with a slight chuckle.
“You know me too well,” Zelda responds with a smile.
Kneeling down, Link watches as Zelda resumes clipping lotuses and transferring them to the wicker handbasket. “What are you collecting flowers for and why always lotuses?” he asks out of curiosity.
“The conference hall could really use the color. The caretakers were too busy, so I decided to collect some myself. Why I like them... looking at them makes me feel at peace, like my soul is pure. Or... something like that, I suppose.” Once the basket is full, Zelda takes up the basket and stands up. Her foot gets snagged on her pink dress and stumbles forward, only to feel herself fall softly against Link’s arms. “This is a reason why I hate wearing these dresses.”
“Well, I think you look beautiful in them,” Link tells her.
Zelda peers back at Link’s smiling face and her face becomes flush. “T-Thank you.” Zelda straightens herself up and walks side by side with Link as they head back into the castle.
Just as they turn into the hallway passing before the conference hall, they freeze in place as the room’s door opens and from within comes a man clad in a black, hooded coat. He turns in the teens’ direction and slowly walks towards them. Stopping before Zelda, the man bows before the Hylian princess.
“A pleasure to see you again, Princess Zelda Hyrule,” he greets her in a formal tone. “It’s been a while since we last met.”
“Pleasure to... see you as well.”
Judging by the confused look on her face, he could tell that perhaps she didn’t remember. “If you don’t recall, that is quite alright.” The man turns to Link and looks over his loose green shirt, black vest, and black pants he wore before returning to his face. “You must be the young swordsman.”
“Yes. My name is Link.”
“I haven’t heard that name in ages,” the man mutters to himself. “This world has been at peace for over three millennia and neither a Zelda nor Link have been born to this world. Now that two bearing those names have arisen, I would assume you two are destined for some great things.” The man bows before the two of them and they return the gesture. “I’m afraid I must leave. I pray the Goddesses watch over the both of you.”
The enigmatic man walks past them but Link’s gaze lingered upon the figure as he disappears around the corner. Something about that man bothered him. “Zelda, who was that?”
“I’m really not sure myself.” Sifting through her memories, she quickly recollects the day of her mother’s funeral. “He was there. After my mother died, he attended the funeral, but he was accompanied by another man that time.”
“Should we be concerned?” Link asks of the princess, trying not to sound worried or too suspicious of the man.
“No. He’s harmless,” she tells her friend, relieving him somewhat. “The only strange thing is, he waited around for an obscene amount of time after the funeral in the graveyard. A terrible storm was raging that night and I can’t see why he would remain in that brutal weather for so long.”
“Maybe he knew you’re mother really well.”
“I doubt that,” she says. “I asked some of the caretakers, guards, and even the castle priest if they knew anything about him, but they didn’t. The only thing I can think of is perhaps he had some past connection with my father, before he became king.”
Link could notice the worry on Zelda’s face. Perhaps he shouldn’t have asked about him. “Let’s go put up those flowers.” Zelda however didn’t respond. She seemed to be in a trance-like state. “Zelda?” There was no response whatsoever from her. “Zelda?!”
In her mind, visions were rushing through her head. She could see a man with shoulder length hair standing before a grand bonfire. The images rushing through her mind were so blurry, in fact, that she couldn’t make out who it was. But there was this feeling in her heart that told her he was familiar, someone she knew.
The scenes quickly change to images of Zelda wielding a bow and arrow, aiming it at a similar looking person who stands before the Triforce. The princess can feel that the Triforce has been filled with an immense amount of dark energy, turning the once golden relic black. Finally, she sees Hyrule engulfed in flames with a shadowy figure in the middle of all the destruction, the same one she saw earlier. His hair shortens and flares up into spikes just before taking on a blood red color. The man slowly turns around, but before his face is shown to Zelda, she breaks out from her nightmare.
She gasps and places her hand on her sweaty forehead. She takes several deep breaths to calm herself and finds herself peering down at a pair of black boots.
“Zelda, are you okay?” Link asks, sounding panicky.
“I-I’m okay,” she finally says.
“Thank the Goddesses,” he sighs. “I thought something had happened to you.”
“I’m fine, really,” she says. “But, this kingdom may be in danger.”
“What do you mean?”
“I had a vision,” she says with a hint of fear in her voice. She wasn’t exactly sure how to explain it. “A man I found very familiar, he attacked Hyrule and destroyed everything in sight. I cannot let that happen.”
Link could feel Zelda tremble as he held onto her. She was truly shaken that something this horrific could happen to her homeland. This kingdom had become his home and he didn’t want to have any misfortune befall it anymore than Zelda wanted to.
“I’ll fight against this threat,” he suddenly proclaims. “This is my home and I have too many people here that I care about, especially you. No matter what, I want to protect Hyrule.”
Zelda stared deeply into Link’s eyes and could see his unwavering resolve. Breaking her gaze away from his, she began to ponder the options of going about defending Hyrule from this unseen foe. “The Sword of Evil’s Bane.”
“What?”
“A legendary sword wielded by the heroes of Hyrule’s past,” she explains. “If we can find it, perhaps Hyrule will have a chance.”
“Then I promise I’ll find this blade, no matter what,” Link declares to her.
For a month, they searched and at the end of that month, they were beckoned by the holy relic residing with the castle walls. From the will of the Triforce, they would discover the Master Sword. Little did they know, someone else was after the legendary weapon.
---------------
One cold, lonely night, a tall, muscular man walks through a forested land far to the south of the current land of Hyrule. He has short red hair, emerald green eyes, is garbed in blue robes and white pants, and wields a broadsword on his back. He was all alone in the dense, dark forest so the creatures of the area thought he would be easy prey. With a loud crash, several ogres burst out from the forest covering.
“What are you doing in our lands?!” one of them demands.
“Get out now or we’ll kill you!” yells another.
“I have no desire to hurt you, but, if you persist, then I have no choice but to kill you all,” the man declares in an unshaken voice. He extends a hand back for his sword, prompting the beasts to go into a mad rage, lunging at the man. They didn’t even take two steps forward before the man dashed forward and severed their bodies in two. The man sighs at the dead bodies on the floor, disappointed at the ogres’ decision to attack instead of saving their own lives. It was such a waste. The path before him clear, the traveler heads through the forest, reaching the outside nearly an hour later.
Unfortunately, he was to be greeted by another group of ogres, these ones larger and more ferocious than the ones he met earlier. There were a solid dozen of them and they were all seated around a bonfire. But, he chose to ignore them. There was no need for any senseless bloodshed. As the man passes them by, every single ogre ceases what they are currently doing and turn around, raging that someone would pass through their land.
All the beasts gather their weapons and were ready to initiate an attack. Hastily, they spring to their feet and they surround the man, preventing him from escaping.
“I’m only passing through. Do not mess with me, and I won’t hurt you,” the man states.
“Just who do you think you are?!” the leader of the ogres growls. “You think you can harm us?” The large beast laughs so loud and heartily, it seems to shake the ground. He charges forward but the man uses his superior speed to grab the leader, break his neck, and throw him into the campfire in a mere three seconds.
The beasts all look at the incinerating leader with deep looks of horror. In their state of fear, they all flee from the scene. The man ignores them and begins a trek towards a hut that is a couple of miles down the trail leading out from the forest.
After nearly an hour of walking, he comes to a wooden building that is set a few yards from the path. Without knocking, he barges into the hut and his eyes fall upon a shadowed male figured who sits on a wooden chair that faces towards the door. The figure was tall and was covered from head-to-toe by a cloak made from green dragon skin but the man’s upper body couldn’t be seen due to the thick blanket of shadows covering the insides of the hut.
“You couldn’t find it, could you?” the figure asks.
“I’m empty-handed. What do you think?”
“My memories have failed me. The last I remember, one of the many heroes of Hyrule took it to the Southern Forest and sealed the sword away, putting it into its eternal sleep.”
The man really didn’t trust him. He hid his true intentions well. The thought occurred to him that this may have been one lie. “Why don’t you tell me the truth? You know its location.”
“Perceptive.” The cloaked figure stands and slowly approaches the taller man. “One of her descendants lives in Hyrule. He bears the name of the Hero so he should know. Pay him a little visit before he suffers the same fate that befell that accursed woman and her lover.”
---------------
The next morning, the red-headed man arrives at the gates of Hyrule Castle. Two guards stood next to the gate but they were nothing. He could take them out without any effort whatsoever. But, he wouldn’t kill an innocent person and it would cause too much ruckus.
“Hello. I came in the hopes that I could ask for the whereabouts of a young boy named Link. Do you know where I may find this boy?”
“We know of him. He is meeting with Princess Zelda at the moment,” the guard to the man’s right responds.
“Then I’ve come to the right place.” The man take a step forward but the guards cross their lances before the gate.
“No one enters without Her Majesty’s consent,” the other guard spouts. “Leave at once.”
With a heavy sigh of annoyance, the man closes his eyes. Suddenly, his eyes swing open, his green eyes are violet for but a second, and the two guards immediately pass out, hitting the ground quickly. With them out cold, the traveler enters through the gates and begins down the stone path towards Hyrule Castle.
On his short trek, he walked through a small garden where roses, brightly colored flowers, and several tall trees grow. Nature truly was beautiful. The sweet smell of the beautiful flora wafted through the wind.
Once the man steps inside, a large number of soldiers charge at the man with their weapons drawn. His eyes become violet again and they are all put under a sleeping spell of the same variety used on the guards at the gate. Without thinking, the man heads upstairs. It was just a pull, like his body was telling him to go up.
Several stairways later, the man reaches the uppermost floor in the castle. The light was pretty dim, the only light being from a few torches seeing as there were no windows in the single hallway. He followed the path as it snakes around to a dead end. At this end, he saw a slightly opened door with a beautiful golden aura emitting from within. He quickly approaches the door, but is certain to make sure he isn’t noticed.
The room was long, about 30 feet in length, and was twice the width of the large hallways. A red carpet lays on the floor, leading from the door to an altar at the back of the room where the glow is radiating from the Triforce, banners with the royal family crest line the wall and, just behind the altar, the man sees a metal crest resting in the center of the back wall. It depicted two ouroboros, one dark with violet markings and one light with golden designs, eating the other’s tail.
But, the man was more focused on the two teenagers that stood before the altar. Through the golden light, he could see Zelda and Link.
“How are we even meant to open this doorway?” Link asks.
“The Hylian King was the only one who knew,” a female voice originating from the Triforce responds. “Search your memories, young princess. Surely you will find the answer. Answer my question if you will. Why do you seek this weapon?”
“A strange premonition has disturbed me for some time,” Zelda speaks. “In it, a powerful evil consumes all of Hyrule and all lands surrounding. I believe this ominous figure may be someone close to me or was once close to the royal family. It’s evil is familiar, without a doubt. I’m terrified because this evil is far more sinister than that of one I heard our ancestors fought, Ganondorf. We wish to have this sword in our possession when that day comes so we may prevent Hyrule’s destruction.”
“Perhaps I can help,” the traveler says as he suddenly enters the room. “If the future of this kingdom is at stake, I am willing to aid in any way I can.”
“Who are you and how did you get in here?” Zelda demands.
“You may call me Menza, Princess,” he responds. “I was let in when I told the guards I was here to help.”
“The blood in your body is familiar,” the voice says as Menza closes in. “It’s like that of the Hero of Time who fought Ganondorf so many ages ago. I feel such power flowing in your veins.”
Menza stops to Zelda’s right and stares at the floating relic. She looks up at his and notices that his green eyes have a hint of violet to them. Menza’s gaze is brought to his hand as the symbol of the Triforce suddenly appears on the back of his left hand. She looks into his eyes and notices no violet color. It must’ve been her imagination.
“It’s the sign of ‘The Forger of Strength,’” the Triforce responds. “You seek the Master Sword in order to obtain more power, the power to defeat the evil on this planet. Because of this, we have deemed you worthy of your title.”
“Very well. Tell me, where is this doorway to the Master Sword’s dwelling?”
“It’s where the ouroboros insignia is,” Zelda tells him.
Menza steps past the two teenagers and the Triforce and stares at the wall. He places his right palm firmly against the stone wall. A red glow emanates from his right forearm quite suddenly and the insignia glows. The symbol melts into the wall and a door suddenly appears.
“Excellent.” Menza wastes no time in swinging the door open and rushing in, disappearing into the darkness.
“Hurry, Zelda!” Link shouts. “We have to follow him!” Link rushes up to the door, seeing that it leads to a circular tower. There were stairs that spiraled down to the bottom, but it was impossible to tell how far down it went. With Zelda following close behind, Link rushes downstairs, heading down about seven floors before reaching an open door at the bottom. What they find beyond the door is a large circular room, 30 feet in diameter, a platform in the center of the room, and upon this platform is an altar in which the Master Sword rests and Menza stands before it.
“You’re too late,” he says. “Soon this sword will be mine.” Menza grips his large hands around the sword’s blue hilt and jerks it up, freeing the sword. Studying it, he smiles and points it at Link. “I have the blood of the Hero of Time within me. It’s only natural that I should wield this sword.”
A heavy sigh escapes his lips and he suddenly tosses it at Link. The teen catches it by the hilt but can only wonder why Menza gave it up so easily.
“What’s the deal? You got it, didn’t you?”
“True, but you want to protect Zelda, correct? I think you may need it more. You can have it, but only on one condition. You must show me that you’re worthy of wielding such a powerful weapon.” Menza unsheathes his sword and immediately races towards him.
Zelda runs to safety and at once, the two swordsmen swing their swords, the cry of clashing steel echoing throughout the room. They both perform overhead swings and the collision of their swords sends sparks raining down around them. The swords grind against each other but it was obvious that Link was the one fighting to maintain his position under Menza’s superior strength.
It took very little effort for Menza to jostle Link back but before the teen regained his posture, he noticed that Menza had disappeared from sight.
“Where did he get to?” Links wonders. Taking a quick peek up, he spots him standing on a window ledge close to the roof. “What the...?! How did you get all the way up there?”
“I have powers you could only dream of,” he says loudly. He leaps off the ledge and shoots down like a bullet. Link is barely able to block with the sacred blade before Menza performs a quick downward strike.
Link leaps back and makes a thrust for Menza’s side. The man parries the thrust and swings repeatedly at Link with amazing agility. The teen was lucky he actually managed to block each swing. He practiced sword fighting techniques with the Hylian soldiers before but none of them were as fast as this man was. Suddenly, Menza slides closer and swings with so much strength that Link is knocked back against the wall.
“What strength,” Link states as he drops back to the ground.
“Link, watch out!” Zelda screams.
Link looks up quickly, just in time to see Menza bring his sword down, giving him enough time dodge and use his weapon to knock Menza’s sword from his hands. With yet another swift swing, Link cuts across Menza’s chest, giving him a deep gash.
Menza collapses to his knees, a little splash of blood covering the ground and staining his blue robes. With a deep breath, he sits up and covers his wound with his hand. Link points his sword at Menza who gazes into the young man’s eyes.
“Good job, Link,” says Menza with a smirk. He picks himself off the floor, sheathes his sword, and stares down at Link. “You bear the name Link so you may be related to the heroes as I am. Who knows? We may even be related. Well, until next time, ‘cousin.’ Sorry for the trouble, Zelda.” After giving the princess a slight bow, Menza leaves.
Halfway up the stairs, Menza slows to a stop and looks up towards the doorway above, spotting the cloaked figure he spoke with the other day in the opening. “What are you here for?”
“You had the Master Sword, but gave it away. Why?”
“It’ll be fine in his possession. There’s no need to worry.”
With a growl, the man suddenly vanishes, leaving Menza alone as he takes a look down below and smirks.
It was a slightly cloudy day when Zelda had decided she wanted to go through the Hyrule Town market. It had been the same ever since she was four years of age. Just a week after her birthday, she would go into town when most merchants were in town and take a look at the travelers’ wares. This year, one week after her ninth birthday, was no different.
It started when, a week after her third birthday, her father had left Hyrule, but gave no clues as to why. Although he did speak of Shadows and something called the Gate. No one knew what it is he spoke of, believing that he had gone mad. Her mother had a hard time coping with her husband’s sudden departure and died a few days shy of her daughter’s forth birthday. She had attempted to obtain friends in the past, but that task proved to be quite difficult as her caretakers were extremely overprotective of her, fearing for her safety after the king went missing and the queen died. But, all she could do was try.
The town square was quite a lively place filled with several shops and other stands set up by travelers that were passing through the kingdom. Sometimes these travelers who bring in some amazing rare items and Zelda loved to occasionally visit the market to see items from outside Hyrule. She was a bit peeved, however, that she still had to wear her dress. It was something about maintaining a formal image before the people of Hyrule and it just irritated her. Even more so was the fact that they couldn’t trust her to be by herself. Sure, they told her she could go alone, but she could tell that the castle guards were watching her, keeping a distance from her to lull her into thinking she was on her own.
“I hate this,” the young princess mutters under her breath as she approaches a stand with a table full of beautiful jewelry. She is immediately attracted by some of the most beautiful gemstones she had ever seen. They were nice, but she had never been the one to like wearing jewelry or anything she saw as too girly. After skimming over the merchandise, she moves over to another stall where she finds some ancient weapons and armor. It didn’t appear as if it were from Hyrule. Most likely from another kingdom in the world.
“Well, hello, Princess Zelda,” the stand’s owner, a woman in her fifties, greets her. “What brings you to my quaint stand?”
“Just wanted to get away from the castle,” she states. Looking over the items the woman had, a few pieces of various armor, daggers, and other bladed items. One item, a sword with a long, thin black blade and a red hilt catches her attention. “What’s that?”
“This one?” the merchant asks, placing her hand on the sword. Zelda nods and curiously stares at the blade as if she could feel a presence within it that called to her. “I found it in a kingdom to the west of here named Yever. It’s a sword that is said to house the restless spirits of the damned. It’s said that it was once wielded by a powerful warrior before being cut down by the Master Sword. They say this happened thousands of years ago.”
“I see,” comes a male voice.
Zelda turns to her right and spots a tall man in a dark blue cloak. His face was concealed by the shadows cast by his cloak and by his long blonde hair that reaches about an inch past his eyes, giving him an air of mystery. There was something Zelda didn’t like about him but she didn’t want to jump to conclusions. He seemed like an ordinary man except for the tattoo on the back of his left hand. It was two ouroboros yet, instead of them looping around to devour their own tails, the dragons were devouring the tail of the dragon before it, making one large circle. Within this circle is a human eye with a purple iris.
“How much are you asking for this sword?” the man asks.
“It’s quite rare,” the merchant replies. “I will go no lower than seven thousand rupees.”
“Is that all?” the man scoffs. Reaching into his cloak, the man pulls out a large leather pouch, which he places onto the table. The merchant opens the pouch as the man takes the sword and the sheath, which rests next to it.
“There’s nearly ten thousand rupees in here!” the merchant exclaims.
“Keep it,” the man says as he ties the sheath to his waist. “I’m feeling unusually generous.” As he turns to leave, he looks down at Zelda and she notices his indigo-colored eyes. “Our destinies are intertwined. Fate will have us meet again, Princess.” With that, the man walks away, leaving Zelda to wonder what evidence he had to claim that they would meet again.
Her thoughts are suddenly interrupted by the soft pattering of rain upon her head. The sky was darker than she remembered.
“You should hurry along now, Princess,” the merchant tells the young girl. “You don’t want to catch a cold out here.” The merchant bundles her merchandise, as are some of the others, up in a blanket.
“Alright. Thank you, miss.” Zelda hurries past some people on her way back to the castle. As she pushes past a crowd of people, she stops suddenly when she hears a soft sobbing coming from nearby.
The rain was pouring down more heavily than before but she didn’t mind getting a little wet and muddy. She wanted to know where that sobbing was coming from. She takes her steps cautiously, making sure she doesn’t overlook anything. The young princess looks down an alleyway between two nearby buildings and finds the source of the sobbing, a small boy, around her age, sitting in the shadows, his knees pulled in close to his face.
The young boy wore torn a torn blue shirt, khaki shorts, and a single boot on his left foot. His hair was blonde, but it was hard to tell from the dirt caking it. He was gaunt, seeming as though he had nothing to nourish himself with for quite a while, and his frail body seemed to be scratched up pretty badly.
Zelda could see a castle guard moving through the crowds of people trying to get home but before she could be spotted, she steps into the alley, quiet so as not to frighten the young boy. He does notice as she gets closer, however, and instinctively backs away.
“No,” Zelda says in a kind tone. “I only wish to help you.” But, she could see that the boy was untrusting of her just by peering into his frightened blue eyes. Terrified whimpers escape his lips as he reluctantly backs away with each step forward she takes. He was soon backed into a corner, which causes the boy to shiver uncontrollably.
It was Zelda’s turn to be frightened for when he realized he had no way to escape, something took over the boy’s mind. His once blue eyes are overcome by a violet hue with cat-like pupils. By no will of his own, he lunges at Zelda and pins her to the ground. As he stares down into her quivering eyes, the boy snaps out of his trance-like state, his eyes returning to normal, and he scrambles to his feet, letting her sit up. Disquieted at what could have happened, the boy begins to sob, seizing his sides tightly as he falls back against the nearby wall.
Zelda didn’t know what was wrong with him, but she felt dreadful. She didn’t want him to hate himself like this. Without a single bit of warning to the young boy, she steps up to him and embraces him. The boy quakes with fear at her touch but quickly came to feel so secure as she held him in her arms. With a soft sigh, he lowers his arms.
“It’s okay,” she says. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. I’ll help you.” She eases her arms away from him and takes a step back, getting a good look at him. “So, what are you doing out here?” The boy gazes at her, unsure of how to respond, and drops his gaze to the ground. “What’s your name?” The boy opens his mouth but can only let out a soft whimper before quickly clamping his mouth shut. “You can’t speak?” To her question, he shakes his head once. “Well, I’m not letting you stay out here. Come with me.”
Zelda extends her hand out to him and she could tell that he was a bit reluctant to take her hand. He shakily reaches his arm out and Zelda quickly takes his rough, dirty hand, pulling him along as she leads him out of the alley.
“Princess, there you are!” Zelda quickly stops when she hears the familiar voice and the homeless child shrinks behind her, afraid to be confronted with another person. A guard on horseback comes into view and halts before the princess. “We’ve been looking for you. Let’s head... Who’s that?”
“He was abandoned. I’m helping him.”
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” the soldier says. “You don’t even know him. For all we know, he could be dangerous.”
“I don’t think so,” Zelda states sternly. “I told him I would help him and that’s what I’m going to do!”
“...Very well,” the man says after a heavy sigh. He holds out his hand and pulls her up onto the horse, sitting her behind him. He then pulls the boy up and sits him behind Zelda.
As they take off for the castle, the boy wraps his quaking arms around Zelda’s waist, surprising her. She looks back over her shoulder, feeling the boy’s head resting against her back and she couldn’t help but smile at him. Now, perhaps, she could have a true friend.
And Zelda was right. They were to become the best of friends. After taking him in, Zelda learned that he had willed himself to become mute. It took some work, but she finally got him speaking again. She tried finding out his identity, but he could not remember who he was or where he came from. One thing he could remember was that his father was killed by some malignant being when he was four. He was rescued from the evil by some mysterious man but was separated from him. As for what happened during the next four years, it was all a blank to him. But, he could remember the nightmarish visions of a dragon-like creature that haunted him every night.
Zelda recalled the legend surrounding her name and knew that Zelda was always accompanied by a man named Link. So, seeing as he couldn’t recall his own name, she bestowed upon him the name Link and for the next seven years, he and Zelda lived peacefully as best friends.
---------------
Zelda sat before the open lake of the castle’s water garden, collecting as many red lotus flowers as she could carry in the basket at her side. She loved being anywhere in the castle garden. It was always such a peaceful place to be in when she wanted to get out of the castle. Plus there were so many lovely flowers, her favorite being the red lotuses for the pinkish hue of their petals.
Dropping another lotus into the basket, Zelda pushes her golden blonde hair back and turns back, her blue eyes meeting those of her friend.
“Out here again?” Link asks with a slight chuckle.
“You know me too well,” Zelda responds with a smile.
Kneeling down, Link watches as Zelda resumes clipping lotuses and transferring them to the wicker handbasket. “What are you collecting flowers for and why always lotuses?” he asks out of curiosity.
“The conference hall could really use the color. The caretakers were too busy, so I decided to collect some myself. Why I like them... looking at them makes me feel at peace, like my soul is pure. Or... something like that, I suppose.” Once the basket is full, Zelda takes up the basket and stands up. Her foot gets snagged on her pink dress and stumbles forward, only to feel herself fall softly against Link’s arms. “This is a reason why I hate wearing these dresses.”
“Well, I think you look beautiful in them,” Link tells her.
Zelda peers back at Link’s smiling face and her face becomes flush. “T-Thank you.” Zelda straightens herself up and walks side by side with Link as they head back into the castle.
Just as they turn into the hallway passing before the conference hall, they freeze in place as the room’s door opens and from within comes a man clad in a black, hooded coat. He turns in the teens’ direction and slowly walks towards them. Stopping before Zelda, the man bows before the Hylian princess.
“A pleasure to see you again, Princess Zelda Hyrule,” he greets her in a formal tone. “It’s been a while since we last met.”
“Pleasure to... see you as well.”
Judging by the confused look on her face, he could tell that perhaps she didn’t remember. “If you don’t recall, that is quite alright.” The man turns to Link and looks over his loose green shirt, black vest, and black pants he wore before returning to his face. “You must be the young swordsman.”
“Yes. My name is Link.”
“I haven’t heard that name in ages,” the man mutters to himself. “This world has been at peace for over three millennia and neither a Zelda nor Link have been born to this world. Now that two bearing those names have arisen, I would assume you two are destined for some great things.” The man bows before the two of them and they return the gesture. “I’m afraid I must leave. I pray the Goddesses watch over the both of you.”
The enigmatic man walks past them but Link’s gaze lingered upon the figure as he disappears around the corner. Something about that man bothered him. “Zelda, who was that?”
“I’m really not sure myself.” Sifting through her memories, she quickly recollects the day of her mother’s funeral. “He was there. After my mother died, he attended the funeral, but he was accompanied by another man that time.”
“Should we be concerned?” Link asks of the princess, trying not to sound worried or too suspicious of the man.
“No. He’s harmless,” she tells her friend, relieving him somewhat. “The only strange thing is, he waited around for an obscene amount of time after the funeral in the graveyard. A terrible storm was raging that night and I can’t see why he would remain in that brutal weather for so long.”
“Maybe he knew you’re mother really well.”
“I doubt that,” she says. “I asked some of the caretakers, guards, and even the castle priest if they knew anything about him, but they didn’t. The only thing I can think of is perhaps he had some past connection with my father, before he became king.”
Link could notice the worry on Zelda’s face. Perhaps he shouldn’t have asked about him. “Let’s go put up those flowers.” Zelda however didn’t respond. She seemed to be in a trance-like state. “Zelda?” There was no response whatsoever from her. “Zelda?!”
In her mind, visions were rushing through her head. She could see a man with shoulder length hair standing before a grand bonfire. The images rushing through her mind were so blurry, in fact, that she couldn’t make out who it was. But there was this feeling in her heart that told her he was familiar, someone she knew.
The scenes quickly change to images of Zelda wielding a bow and arrow, aiming it at a similar looking person who stands before the Triforce. The princess can feel that the Triforce has been filled with an immense amount of dark energy, turning the once golden relic black. Finally, she sees Hyrule engulfed in flames with a shadowy figure in the middle of all the destruction, the same one she saw earlier. His hair shortens and flares up into spikes just before taking on a blood red color. The man slowly turns around, but before his face is shown to Zelda, she breaks out from her nightmare.
She gasps and places her hand on her sweaty forehead. She takes several deep breaths to calm herself and finds herself peering down at a pair of black boots.
“Zelda, are you okay?” Link asks, sounding panicky.
“I-I’m okay,” she finally says.
“Thank the Goddesses,” he sighs. “I thought something had happened to you.”
“I’m fine, really,” she says. “But, this kingdom may be in danger.”
“What do you mean?”
“I had a vision,” she says with a hint of fear in her voice. She wasn’t exactly sure how to explain it. “A man I found very familiar, he attacked Hyrule and destroyed everything in sight. I cannot let that happen.”
Link could feel Zelda tremble as he held onto her. She was truly shaken that something this horrific could happen to her homeland. This kingdom had become his home and he didn’t want to have any misfortune befall it anymore than Zelda wanted to.
“I’ll fight against this threat,” he suddenly proclaims. “This is my home and I have too many people here that I care about, especially you. No matter what, I want to protect Hyrule.”
Zelda stared deeply into Link’s eyes and could see his unwavering resolve. Breaking her gaze away from his, she began to ponder the options of going about defending Hyrule from this unseen foe. “The Sword of Evil’s Bane.”
“What?”
“A legendary sword wielded by the heroes of Hyrule’s past,” she explains. “If we can find it, perhaps Hyrule will have a chance.”
“Then I promise I’ll find this blade, no matter what,” Link declares to her.
For a month, they searched and at the end of that month, they were beckoned by the holy relic residing with the castle walls. From the will of the Triforce, they would discover the Master Sword. Little did they know, someone else was after the legendary weapon.
---------------
One cold, lonely night, a tall, muscular man walks through a forested land far to the south of the current land of Hyrule. He has short red hair, emerald green eyes, is garbed in blue robes and white pants, and wields a broadsword on his back. He was all alone in the dense, dark forest so the creatures of the area thought he would be easy prey. With a loud crash, several ogres burst out from the forest covering.
“What are you doing in our lands?!” one of them demands.
“Get out now or we’ll kill you!” yells another.
“I have no desire to hurt you, but, if you persist, then I have no choice but to kill you all,” the man declares in an unshaken voice. He extends a hand back for his sword, prompting the beasts to go into a mad rage, lunging at the man. They didn’t even take two steps forward before the man dashed forward and severed their bodies in two. The man sighs at the dead bodies on the floor, disappointed at the ogres’ decision to attack instead of saving their own lives. It was such a waste. The path before him clear, the traveler heads through the forest, reaching the outside nearly an hour later.
Unfortunately, he was to be greeted by another group of ogres, these ones larger and more ferocious than the ones he met earlier. There were a solid dozen of them and they were all seated around a bonfire. But, he chose to ignore them. There was no need for any senseless bloodshed. As the man passes them by, every single ogre ceases what they are currently doing and turn around, raging that someone would pass through their land.
All the beasts gather their weapons and were ready to initiate an attack. Hastily, they spring to their feet and they surround the man, preventing him from escaping.
“I’m only passing through. Do not mess with me, and I won’t hurt you,” the man states.
“Just who do you think you are?!” the leader of the ogres growls. “You think you can harm us?” The large beast laughs so loud and heartily, it seems to shake the ground. He charges forward but the man uses his superior speed to grab the leader, break his neck, and throw him into the campfire in a mere three seconds.
The beasts all look at the incinerating leader with deep looks of horror. In their state of fear, they all flee from the scene. The man ignores them and begins a trek towards a hut that is a couple of miles down the trail leading out from the forest.
After nearly an hour of walking, he comes to a wooden building that is set a few yards from the path. Without knocking, he barges into the hut and his eyes fall upon a shadowed male figured who sits on a wooden chair that faces towards the door. The figure was tall and was covered from head-to-toe by a cloak made from green dragon skin but the man’s upper body couldn’t be seen due to the thick blanket of shadows covering the insides of the hut.
“You couldn’t find it, could you?” the figure asks.
“I’m empty-handed. What do you think?”
“My memories have failed me. The last I remember, one of the many heroes of Hyrule took it to the Southern Forest and sealed the sword away, putting it into its eternal sleep.”
The man really didn’t trust him. He hid his true intentions well. The thought occurred to him that this may have been one lie. “Why don’t you tell me the truth? You know its location.”
“Perceptive.” The cloaked figure stands and slowly approaches the taller man. “One of her descendants lives in Hyrule. He bears the name of the Hero so he should know. Pay him a little visit before he suffers the same fate that befell that accursed woman and her lover.”
---------------
The next morning, the red-headed man arrives at the gates of Hyrule Castle. Two guards stood next to the gate but they were nothing. He could take them out without any effort whatsoever. But, he wouldn’t kill an innocent person and it would cause too much ruckus.
“Hello. I came in the hopes that I could ask for the whereabouts of a young boy named Link. Do you know where I may find this boy?”
“We know of him. He is meeting with Princess Zelda at the moment,” the guard to the man’s right responds.
“Then I’ve come to the right place.” The man take a step forward but the guards cross their lances before the gate.
“No one enters without Her Majesty’s consent,” the other guard spouts. “Leave at once.”
With a heavy sigh of annoyance, the man closes his eyes. Suddenly, his eyes swing open, his green eyes are violet for but a second, and the two guards immediately pass out, hitting the ground quickly. With them out cold, the traveler enters through the gates and begins down the stone path towards Hyrule Castle.
On his short trek, he walked through a small garden where roses, brightly colored flowers, and several tall trees grow. Nature truly was beautiful. The sweet smell of the beautiful flora wafted through the wind.
Once the man steps inside, a large number of soldiers charge at the man with their weapons drawn. His eyes become violet again and they are all put under a sleeping spell of the same variety used on the guards at the gate. Without thinking, the man heads upstairs. It was just a pull, like his body was telling him to go up.
Several stairways later, the man reaches the uppermost floor in the castle. The light was pretty dim, the only light being from a few torches seeing as there were no windows in the single hallway. He followed the path as it snakes around to a dead end. At this end, he saw a slightly opened door with a beautiful golden aura emitting from within. He quickly approaches the door, but is certain to make sure he isn’t noticed.
The room was long, about 30 feet in length, and was twice the width of the large hallways. A red carpet lays on the floor, leading from the door to an altar at the back of the room where the glow is radiating from the Triforce, banners with the royal family crest line the wall and, just behind the altar, the man sees a metal crest resting in the center of the back wall. It depicted two ouroboros, one dark with violet markings and one light with golden designs, eating the other’s tail.
But, the man was more focused on the two teenagers that stood before the altar. Through the golden light, he could see Zelda and Link.
“How are we even meant to open this doorway?” Link asks.
“The Hylian King was the only one who knew,” a female voice originating from the Triforce responds. “Search your memories, young princess. Surely you will find the answer. Answer my question if you will. Why do you seek this weapon?”
“A strange premonition has disturbed me for some time,” Zelda speaks. “In it, a powerful evil consumes all of Hyrule and all lands surrounding. I believe this ominous figure may be someone close to me or was once close to the royal family. It’s evil is familiar, without a doubt. I’m terrified because this evil is far more sinister than that of one I heard our ancestors fought, Ganondorf. We wish to have this sword in our possession when that day comes so we may prevent Hyrule’s destruction.”
“Perhaps I can help,” the traveler says as he suddenly enters the room. “If the future of this kingdom is at stake, I am willing to aid in any way I can.”
“Who are you and how did you get in here?” Zelda demands.
“You may call me Menza, Princess,” he responds. “I was let in when I told the guards I was here to help.”
“The blood in your body is familiar,” the voice says as Menza closes in. “It’s like that of the Hero of Time who fought Ganondorf so many ages ago. I feel such power flowing in your veins.”
Menza stops to Zelda’s right and stares at the floating relic. She looks up at his and notices that his green eyes have a hint of violet to them. Menza’s gaze is brought to his hand as the symbol of the Triforce suddenly appears on the back of his left hand. She looks into his eyes and notices no violet color. It must’ve been her imagination.
“It’s the sign of ‘The Forger of Strength,’” the Triforce responds. “You seek the Master Sword in order to obtain more power, the power to defeat the evil on this planet. Because of this, we have deemed you worthy of your title.”
“Very well. Tell me, where is this doorway to the Master Sword’s dwelling?”
“It’s where the ouroboros insignia is,” Zelda tells him.
Menza steps past the two teenagers and the Triforce and stares at the wall. He places his right palm firmly against the stone wall. A red glow emanates from his right forearm quite suddenly and the insignia glows. The symbol melts into the wall and a door suddenly appears.
“Excellent.” Menza wastes no time in swinging the door open and rushing in, disappearing into the darkness.
“Hurry, Zelda!” Link shouts. “We have to follow him!” Link rushes up to the door, seeing that it leads to a circular tower. There were stairs that spiraled down to the bottom, but it was impossible to tell how far down it went. With Zelda following close behind, Link rushes downstairs, heading down about seven floors before reaching an open door at the bottom. What they find beyond the door is a large circular room, 30 feet in diameter, a platform in the center of the room, and upon this platform is an altar in which the Master Sword rests and Menza stands before it.
“You’re too late,” he says. “Soon this sword will be mine.” Menza grips his large hands around the sword’s blue hilt and jerks it up, freeing the sword. Studying it, he smiles and points it at Link. “I have the blood of the Hero of Time within me. It’s only natural that I should wield this sword.”
A heavy sigh escapes his lips and he suddenly tosses it at Link. The teen catches it by the hilt but can only wonder why Menza gave it up so easily.
“What’s the deal? You got it, didn’t you?”
“True, but you want to protect Zelda, correct? I think you may need it more. You can have it, but only on one condition. You must show me that you’re worthy of wielding such a powerful weapon.” Menza unsheathes his sword and immediately races towards him.
Zelda runs to safety and at once, the two swordsmen swing their swords, the cry of clashing steel echoing throughout the room. They both perform overhead swings and the collision of their swords sends sparks raining down around them. The swords grind against each other but it was obvious that Link was the one fighting to maintain his position under Menza’s superior strength.
It took very little effort for Menza to jostle Link back but before the teen regained his posture, he noticed that Menza had disappeared from sight.
“Where did he get to?” Links wonders. Taking a quick peek up, he spots him standing on a window ledge close to the roof. “What the...?! How did you get all the way up there?”
“I have powers you could only dream of,” he says loudly. He leaps off the ledge and shoots down like a bullet. Link is barely able to block with the sacred blade before Menza performs a quick downward strike.
Link leaps back and makes a thrust for Menza’s side. The man parries the thrust and swings repeatedly at Link with amazing agility. The teen was lucky he actually managed to block each swing. He practiced sword fighting techniques with the Hylian soldiers before but none of them were as fast as this man was. Suddenly, Menza slides closer and swings with so much strength that Link is knocked back against the wall.
“What strength,” Link states as he drops back to the ground.
“Link, watch out!” Zelda screams.
Link looks up quickly, just in time to see Menza bring his sword down, giving him enough time dodge and use his weapon to knock Menza’s sword from his hands. With yet another swift swing, Link cuts across Menza’s chest, giving him a deep gash.
Menza collapses to his knees, a little splash of blood covering the ground and staining his blue robes. With a deep breath, he sits up and covers his wound with his hand. Link points his sword at Menza who gazes into the young man’s eyes.
“Good job, Link,” says Menza with a smirk. He picks himself off the floor, sheathes his sword, and stares down at Link. “You bear the name Link so you may be related to the heroes as I am. Who knows? We may even be related. Well, until next time, ‘cousin.’ Sorry for the trouble, Zelda.” After giving the princess a slight bow, Menza leaves.
Halfway up the stairs, Menza slows to a stop and looks up towards the doorway above, spotting the cloaked figure he spoke with the other day in the opening. “What are you here for?”
“You had the Master Sword, but gave it away. Why?”
“It’ll be fine in his possession. There’s no need to worry.”
With a growl, the man suddenly vanishes, leaving Menza alone as he takes a look down below and smirks.