Post by Topaz Mutiny on Sept 26, 2008 20:54:32 GMT -5
It's been two years since I started this thing, and I only have six-and-a-half pages typed (though I have about 80 wonderful pages in a looseleaf notebook) up. Horray for procrastination. @_@
I seriously need some imput on what I'm doing with this, even though this is unfinished and unpolished. That doesn't mean I don't LIKE it, I just need someone other than myself to look over it and review it. A writer may be their own worst critic, but they can also be extremely biased and look over things until someone points it out. :B And contrary to popular belief, I will actually be very happy if anyone can point out a mistake, spelling, grammar, storywise, or otherwise. I'm trying to make this my first successful fanfic after all.
And so, without further annoying explanatory paragraphs, I present the six-and-a-half pages of my budding Twilight Princess FanNovel.
... One minor note: Pretend all the paragraphs have indents. The board doesn't indent. <<;;
Edit: Wrote a few more pages. Now up to 10 and a half, yaaaaay.
It was a bright and sunny Summer day in the Ordon Woods. Built secluded in a clearing in these woods was a lovely village. It was small, the homes made of wood, and one of their few sources of income coming from the single waterwheel that processed some of their food. They were the farmers of Hyrule, growing patches of pumpkins, and sometimes corn, and raising the large horned animals in the region that have come to be known as Ordon Rams. Despite how little they owned and how little they earned, the few people in this little sanctuary worked diligently; the fact that they were not starving was enough for them. The days would pass lazily as the water would turn the wheel, for no great danger seemed to ever breach the woodland walls. However, there was a boy in this village, a boy that was found as an orphan, a boy that destiny chose, a boy that would one day ascend to manhood by saving the marvelous land of Hyrule. This boy would not live the life of his fellow villagers, and he would face many more dangers and meet far more friends and fiends than all of the villagers combined would. He would become the greatest legend the land of Hyrule would have seen in centuries.
Now if only he would wake up.
“Link! For the goddess’s sake, wake up already!” Fado yelled towards a hollowed tree. Up where the trunk started to separate into branches, the wood had been carved out, and more wood placed in to make a lovely treehouse. The occupant, however, did not notice his home’s rustic beauty, nor the man’s shouts, as he was fast asleep. Sighing in exasperation, the ranch-owner climbed the rickety wooden ladder to the treehouse’s entrance, and pounded on the shoddy wooden door. “Don’t make me break down this door! You’ve got chores to do you lazy boy, so get up!” This time he got a reaction. He heard yawning and shuffling from within the room, and soon the door opened to reveal a boy. He was slim but built, a lanky lad of about seventeen years, and his tawny yellow hair waved in a passing breeze. He was wearing some makeshift clothing unique to the villagers of Ordon: an off-white straw-like shirt with one arm sleeveless, the other having a green cotton sleeve roughly sewn on. He wore tattered baggy shorts, overlaid with blue leather and a red sash belt, and topped it off with heavy leather boots. The pointy-eared Hylian gazed at Fado with sleepy true blue eyes, much like a tired animal would.
Fado sighed again, “Look bud, I know it’s really hot out during the summer, but you need to keep track of time. The last time you slept through your chores, Bo threw a fit.” Both of them smiled at the memory of Bo, their mayor, blowing a fuse when he learned that Link had slept the whole day. “Now come on, and bring Epona with you; I need you to help me herd in the goats.” Link nodded, and followed the lean rancher down the ladder. As Fado left for the ranch, Link went to the side of the treehouse, where his horse stood, grazing peacefully, ignoring Fado’s yells. Epona was the village’s only horse, as such working animals were too expensive for the village to acquire more than one. She had been a rather small and scrawny foal, but as Epona grew, the villagers realized that she was going to be enormous. And she was. Six feet at the shoulder, the chestnut mare could even make the owner of a draft horse jealous. She was as youthful and built as Link; her huge form smooth and taught. Link reached out and patted the mare on her muscular neck, smiling, and the mare rubbed her head against his hand in return. He was given Epona while she was still a trouble-making foal, and as such the two grew a mysterious bond, able to guess what the other was feeling. This bond had grown so strong that it seemed only Link was truly capable of controlling her.
Epona nickered softly at Link’s touch, and after he was nestled securely in her saddle, the only piece of equipment she wore so her riders would not get sores from riding bareback, she set off at a trot towards the main part of the village. The heat of the afternoon had taken its toll on the people living there, and Link saw them resting along the stream that separated the peaceful place in two. He could see Hanch, the husband of the shopkeeper, standing by their sundry shop and fretting about something. Jaggle, who used the watermill to make Ordon ram cheese, was relaxing on a small cliff by the shop, neglecting his duties as usual. Link then spied Uli sitting down on a nice warm rock, watching the town kids, Malo, Talo, Beth, and Colin, frolicking in the stream that fed the water wheel. He trotted past them on Epona, waving hello to the pregnant Uli and the kids, and made his way up the slope to the ranch. It was a good-sized ranch; able to keep a herd of twenty of Hyrule’s large Ordon rams. He looked around, scanning for Fado, and spotted him in the center of the grazing field. The rancher waved him over, and Link began the daily, taxing task of herding.
After Link was done herding all of the goats into the barn, Fado said that Link had done the job faster than ever, and gave the ranch-hand a few rupees as a treat. It was evening by now, and Link felt that Epona had enough of herding rams and jumping the wooden fences Fado had put out for them. They trotted down to the village, which had now emptied of mostly everyone. Uli and Bo were still outside, the latter of which walked up to Link.
“Hey Link! I see you’re done early. Did a good job with the rams today?” Bo greeted. Link smiled, nodding in response to Bo’s question. Bo was a hefty, aging man, and was already balding very badly. As a sign of his position of mayor, there were two ceremonial tusks on his cheeks, symbolizing the rams that gave Ordon Village its name. “That’s my boy.” Bo replied merrily. He then looked like he had just remembered something, judging by the way his squinty eyes popped wide open. “Oh, uh, Link, Ilia told me to tell you she’s sorry she couldn’t see you today. She’s been holed up inside working on something.” Bo noticed the questioning look on Link’s face, then added, “And she doesn’t want you to know what it is.” Link groaned, disappointed. What doesn’t she want me to see? He wondered. He played with the idea of sneaking through her bedroom window, as he had often done before, but that thought was cascaded from his mind when he heard a yell.
“HEY! A RAM ESCAPED; IT’S HEADING FOR THE TOWN!!” Link groaned even more audibly this time, shaking his head in bemusement. Not again. He hopped off Epona, ran to the middle of the dirt road, and saw the ram careening down from the field. Link braced himself, and the ram came closer, and closer, and closer…
WHAM.
Suddenly Link found himself on the ground, the air blasted from his lungs and a pain beginning to develop in his chest. As he heard the sounds of pounding hooves grow faint, he realized that the stupid beast had ran over him, undaunted in its charge. A muscled hand grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet. It was Bo, and he was frowning.
“Now what was that? Has Fado taught you nothing about stopping charging rams?” Bo bellowed. He gave Link a hardy slap on the back, making the mute farm-boy stumble and yell in surprise. What the…? Link thought. He tried to stand straight, but Bo’s large hand kept him bent. “Crouch down and plant your feet like that. There ya go. Now, hold out your arms to your side an’ your front, like a lizard. When that ram comes at you, you grab its horns and boy, don’t you give that beast an inch. Once you’ve got ‘em steady, throw ‘em down to the side.” Bo slapped Link once again, making him fall to the dirt. For crying out loud Bo! I love your advice and all, but you need to stop doing that! Link yelled in his mind. However, all Bo could see was Link’s intense glare, but apparently the barrel-bodied mayor didn’t care. Or notice.
“Now, when the next time one of those bloody rams escape, you use that technique and you’ll have ‘em whipped good boy.” The mayor advised. Suddenly, there was another call.
“’NOTHER RAM ESCAPED! LOOK OUT!” yelled Fado.
“… Well speak of Volvagia, here’s yer chance.” Bo said, pushing Link directly into the ram’s path, “Show that beast what for!” Link crouched down, novicely getting into the position Bo had just shown him. The ram got closer… closer… Link had to force his eyes to stay open…
WHAM.
Link could feel the horns he now grappled in his hands, and the brute strength of the beast before him. Sensing the resistance, the ram tried to push the obstacle out of the way, fear adding to its power. Link grunted with the strain of keeping the crazed animal at bay. Man, I never knew these rams were this strong! Link thought, struggling to hold back the rampaging ram. Instinctively, Link dug his heels into the dirt, bent his body so that he was parallel to the ground, and heaved back. The ram was beginning to lose its vigor, until at last Link twisted his arms, sending the beast flying onto its side. Link panted, sweat dripping onto his rough cotton shirt, not quite believing he had just won a match against the animal. Link had started to wipe the sweat from his face when he realized that someone was clapping. Heartily at that.
“Now that’s how yeh do it!” Bo applauded, “And look,” he said, pointing a chubby finger at the defeated ram, “It’s as docile as Sera’s pussycat now.” Turning to the ram, Link saw that this was true. The ram had now turned around and was trudging forlornly back to the ranch. Link pondered about what had happened. Those goats … something must have spooked them. Walking over to the ram, he gave it a pat on the back, encouraging it to walk back to the stables. It gave a happy bleat in return, and continued to the ranch quicker than before. It was strange: ever since Link could remember, it seemed as if all the animals he had ever known could sense his intentions, and he theirs, albeit not as well as Epona. Link then turned to Bo and gave a questioning look and grunt, for the mayor was still watching him. “Ah guess that’s why you’re the ranch-hand and I’m not. You care for those critters even when they’re bein’ a pain in the ass. You take care now boy.” Bo sighed, and the mayor retreated into his cabin for the night. Link remounted Epona, who had been watching the spectacle placidly, and crossed the small stream. Link gently pulled on Epona’s mane to stop her when Uli called his name, and turned to her as the pregnant woman walked up to him. She happened to be in her mid to late thirties, but her freckleless skin and auburn hair seemed to make her look much younger, if not the peasant-like clothing she and the rest of the village wore.
“Colin wanted me to tell you that he finished your fishing pole.” She told him, smiling warmly. “Since you weren’t around, he put it up against your house. Now have a good rest dear; it seems like you’ll need it.” she patted Link’s shoulder, much like a mother would, then went inside her hut, which was across from the mayor’s cabin. Link looked after her sadly. Even though she was the kindest soul he had ever known, Uli was not his mother, and neither was Sera, the shopkeeper, or Jaggle’s wife, Pergie.
In fact, his own parents were a great enigma, not only to himself but to the whole village. No one knew what they looked like, where they came from, where they went, whether they were alive or not, but most importantly, they did not know why. No one knew why Link’s parents had placed him in this little village, as nice and friendly though it was. And at times like this, when it was almost night, Link couldn’t help but think about them, or the strange mark on his hand. Link glanced down and raised his left hand, so it would catch the evening sun and highlight the strange emblem that was tattooed onto it. There were three triangles, each a slightly lighter tint of his own skin, that were arranged into the form of a larger triangle. The one on the bottom left seemed oddly brighter than the others, as if that particular polygon held some sort of importance. Unfortunately, no one in the village knew what it was, or what it meant; only that it had been there since he was found by the tree he now lived in, and that it was a type of rune from days of old and legends. From the days when the Gerudo were still alive in their hostile sanctuary known as the Gerudo Desert.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Link gently tapped the sides of Epona, and the horse began to trot towards his treehouse. Link eased the mare into her favorite patch of tall grass next to the giant tree, dismounted, and climbed up the ladder towards the entrance, too tired to bother looking for Colin’s pole. As he stepped inside, he was greeted by the friendly glow of burning embers inside of a stone enclave, which were the remains of the fire he had started that morning. His stomach rumbled loudly, reminding the blue-eyed boy that he had failed to eat anything today.
Again.
To the right of the smoldering coals, Link rummaged in a little drawer for anything edible. Eventually he pulled out some salted meat, emptying the cupboard of all there was. Link fed the fire with some twigs and pieces of firewood, then carelessly tossed the ram meat into an iron pan and over the fire. A few minutes later, the muscle was sizzling deliciously, smoke wafting from the fire and through the carved-out, stone-laid chimney. Then a few minutes after that, Link sighed contentedly as he devoured the last of the juicy ram meat, the dirty pan discarded on the floor. By now darkness had completely taken over, the faint light of twinkling stars flowing in through the tree’s only window, next to Link’s bed. Yawning, Link climbed up two sets of ladders to a small platform where his bed laid, bypassing a bookshelf decorated with ratty and musty books, and pictures of his friends and Epona. Link undressed, putting on another undershirt and some linen shorts, and climbed into his straw-stuffed mattress. He winced as he settled in, rubbing the bruises that now pecked his body. Yeah, that’s going to hurt in the morning. He mused. Glancing up through the tiny window, Link’s blue eyes reflected the stars, and he wondered whether the animals felt such mystery and longing when they gazed up at the luminous dots in the sky. A wolf’s howl seemed to reply to his unspoken question, but Link would not remember hearing it as he gently drifted into sleep.
When Link awoke from his dreamless sleep the next morning, he hissed with a sharp intake of his breath, clutching his abdomen. Checking himself, Link found that the bruise from last night seemed to have doubled in size, now as large as his fist, from where the first ram had pounded him. Groaning in displeasure, he almost went back to sleep, as Sundays were one of the few days in the year that he got to take a break from work, but then remembered Uli telling him about Colin’s fishing rod. So Link got dressed and went out into the bright, warm outside. He breathed in the fresh air, and noticed the dust in the air when it glinted in the sun’s morning rays. Link slid down the ladder, cringing as he was reminded of his bruises, and found Colin’s fishing pole right up against the trunk of the great oak. Wow… Colin really outdid himself, thought Link approvingly. The stick had been carefully handcrafted from the wood of some type of tree, as smooth as his own skin and as flexible as new growth on a bush. The wood had then been colored with bright yellows and blues, and striped with a beautiful black. The pole attached to a piece of line, which had a simple metal hook tied on the other end. It was a marvelous pole for the one who made it being only ten years of age. Smiling, Link took the pole and went to the clear pond behind the waterwheel, and dipped his new toy in the water. He saw the fish swim about the metal hook, curious about the new object that had entered their watery domain. Soon enough a little greengill bit down on the hook, and Link whipped the pole back behind his head, landing the little fish. Less than the size of his hand, the little round fish was too small to be worth eating, and so Link released it. His relaxing day continued like this, catching and releasing all the fish he caught, until he felt a presence. Looking behind his shoulder, he saw Ilia, his childhood friend and fellow horse-lover, walking up to him.
“Hi Link.” She warmly said, brushing her dirty blonde hair away from her face, “I’m sure my father told you, but I still want to say I’m sorry I couldn’t see you yesterday.” Link nodded, smiling back at her relatively pretty face, playing with his fishing pole’s twine. “Frankly, I’m surprised that you’re not with Epona.” Link smiled wider, almost laughing. Yeah well, the last time you preached to me about overworking her, I decided to let her have a break as well. He thought. “Honestly Link, you push her too hard sometimes. You need to learn that horses need breaks too.” She added, green eyes glinting, and this time Link stared at the girl incredulously. Why do you think I’m not with her? Link growled to himself, wishing for the umpteenth time that he hadn’t been mute. But because he could not protest against Ilia, his friend continued on, not realizing his annoyance towards her. “Sometimes I wish I owned Epona. You know how I can sense an animal’s feelings. I’d know exactly when she needs to rest.” Link sighed in exasperation, resigned to his fate. Another thing I’d wish for is everyone to stop lecturing me. I’m not a dog- I can take care of my horse just fine without orders. It was doubly embarrassing for Link to get lectured by Ilia, for she was a few years younger than himself. Many of the villagers claimed that Ilia was by far wiser than him, though the other kids thought her boring, and much preferred to play with Link whenever his boyish mischievousness was aroused. Then, just as Ilia was about to further lecture Link about horse-training, he was saved as two of the village kids ran up to the pair, shouting excitedly. Ilia frowned at them, but then smiled and waved goodbye to Link, “Just make sure she’s okay. I’ll see you later Link,” and then walked off. Link smiled back, but then his attention was drawn to the brothers. The older of the two, Talo, was about seven years old, while his sibling Malo was only five. Both were incredible troublemakers, though it was normally Talo who concocted all of their hair-brained adventures. It took Link several seconds for his ears to discern what they were chattering about.
“Link, you won’t believe what happened!” Malo cried out, jumping excitedly.
“Yeah, it was the amazingest thing I ever saw! A monkey!” Talo added, waving his toy stick in the air. Link snapped to attention at the word ‘monkey’, for the primates had recently taken a habit of causing problems in the village, from stealing produce, to causing the rams to rampage about in panic. He waited for them to continue, which didn’t take long.
“A monkey with a flower on its head stole Colin’s mom’s cradle!” Malo told Link,
“And now it’s taunting us in the woods!” Talo added,
“We need you to get it back!” Malo finished, beckoning Link to follow them. Link nodded and followed the boys out of the village, and was led to the spring just outside the little sanctuary, which was aptly named Ordon Spring. The water there leaked from an underground pool, and was incredibly rich in minerals and healing properties. As such, the flora that surrounded the spring flourished with emerald green shades, and it was in one of the gem-colored trees that the monkey perched, screeching at them in superiority.
“We’ve tried throwing rocks at it, but it just keeps moving out of the way!” Talo whined, proving his point by picking up a small stone and chucking it at the primate, which only leaped into a nearby tree, squeaking amusedly. “I wanted to climb the tree to get at it, but then it just goes and gets on another tree.” He added, dashing Link’s thought at trying to climb after the cradle-thief. It wasn’t long though, until the ranch-hand had an idea. To get the boys’ attention, Link coughed, and then he reached down to grab two stones. He handed the ammunition to Talo and Malo, and gestured multiple tosses at the tree. He wanted them to keep throwing stones at the monkey, while he tried to climb the tree it was on and grab the cradle while it was distracted. Eventually, the two children caught his meaning, and began tossing as many stones as they could. As they bombarded the ape, it screeched and dodged the projectiles as they came soaring, but was too busy warding off the assault to be able to escape into another tree.
This also meant that it failed to see Link climbing the very tree it was on. Quietly, Link inched his way up the trunk, using his strong arms to lift himself up and keep from falling. He finally managed to grab the lowest branch, and then sneaked closer and closer to the distracted monkey, until he was within range and made a quick snatch for the cradle. The monkey finally realized his presence, and tried to pull away, but Link managed to get a firm grip on the reed-weaved cradle, and glared hard at the animal. He wanted it to stop and go away. The monkey seemed to realize this, and it screeched and released the cradle as it bounded away deeper into the woods. Down below, Link saw the brothers cheer in triumph, Talo in particular boasting at how cool Link was. The teenager jumped down from the tree, cradle in hand, and a skewed smirk on his face as the two brothers continued to praise him for his ingenious ideas.
As they returned to the village, which was a mildly short trot, the volume of noise Talo and Malo made alerted the villagers to their presence. Occasionally a face would look up from whatever work they were doing, roll their eyes at the ecstatic brothers and the sheepish teenager between them, and then resume their task. One pair of eyes did not let the boys out of their vision. Those eyes belonged to Uli, and they looked rather surprised at the triumphant return of her cradle. The once morose look on her face had all but disappeared, and was now replaced with a visage of jubilance. As they approached her, Malo and Talo breaking away to tell their parents of the exciting adventure, Uli got up and hugged the already disheveled Link.
“Oh Link! Bless you and Malo and Talo, you got my cradle back!” she praised, making Link’s cheeks flush in embarrassment. Eagerly she took the cradle, still beaming. “I wouldn’t have known what to do; I couldn’t possibly make another before the baby is born.” Suddenly, Link’s stomach growled, and Uli smiled knowingly, shaking her head, “You silly thing, not eating before gallivanting off like that. Well go on, go eat at Sera’s. And before I forget, my husband wants you to go out and get some lumber after you’re done with your training.”
Uli waved as Link nodded in understanding, and then the teen went to Sera’s convenience store, which was the hut closest to the outskirts of the village where his treehouse sat. The store doubled as the home for Sera and her family, so as Link entered the tiny place, Hanch was up along with his wife, but it looked like Beth, their daughter, was still sleeping upstairs. He was given his breakfast, two eggs with a side of goat meat, in relative silence, beyond mumbled “Hello”s from the couple, as they were busy frisking thought the shop’s supplies. Business this far out away from any big cities, or even towns, was slim at best, but travelers occasionally did visit this part of Hyrule, and delivery orders for Ordon Cheese always made a decent enough profit when they came in.
Link eagerly downed his food, excited to get started on his training, and rushed out the door, waving bye to Sera and Hanch, and ran towards Epona, who seemed to be waiting patiently for him, as if she knew that he was going to need her. As he clamored atop the mare, grabbing bits of her mane for support and handling, he guided her away from the village, and into the Ordon Woods. They trotted past the Ordon Spring, and came to a massive gorge, separating the Ordon Province from the rest of Hyrule. A padlocked gate stood before a rickety wooden bridge. It was fairly dated, but the wood was solid and the ropes had yet to fray, and it was the only way of safe passage to the Faron Province without having to walk back and hike around the mountains and bypass the gorge, which could take at least half a day. Luckily for Link and Epona, the padlock on the gate was unlocked, and the gate swayed lazily open as they brushed against it and crossed onto the bridge. The light and shadows from the sun and the trees played across their backs as they crossed the bridge into the Faron Province, and walked along the lightly-trodden path towards another spring. It was not a coincidence that there was another spring here. Each of the four Provinces- Ordon to the far south, Faron just above it, Eldin to the Northeast, and the massive Lanayru Province in the north and the west- all had a mystical spring to call its own; each named after the mythical guardian spirits of Light that were said to protect each region. It was not a coincidence that the Faron Spring was where Link had his training either. The healing waters were well for any injuries that might happen during sparring, and being farther away from Ordon Village granted a bit more privacy for the sword training than would the Ordon Spring.
It was at the Faron Spring where he met his mentor and good friend, Rusl. Aging, with a short and thin grizzled beard, leathery skin, and graying hair, Rusl would be the visage of a veteran warrior if he had worn armor instead of the custom of the village. Before marrying his wife, Uli, Rusl had served in the Hyrulian army, fought in many battles, and eventually became one of the many men experienced with the ways of battle and sword. As he got older though, he retired and moved his family to the quiet and serene Ordon Village, where they might find peace from the hectic world of Hyrule Castle and its warriors. When a much younger Link began to show an interest in swordplay, Rusl took it upon himself to be the young Hylian’s tutor, and ever since he had been teaching Link how to wield a sword, and how to fight. The swordsman, only just showing Link the basics of swordsmanship, had them meet up at the Faron Spring every Sunday to train with wooden swords, starting around midday and not stopping until the sun began to sink below the trees.
So it was this day, as Link joined Rusl in the heat of battle, still fighting fiercely even though sweat had begun to fly from their tired bodies and the sun had sank well below the tree-line. After Rusl broke their clash by pushing Link away with his wooden blade, the younger Hylian immediately rebounded, springing into the air with his sword held high, intending to cut down towards Rusl and end the fight. Rusl, however, was not a veteran swordsman for no reason, and he sidestepped the anticipated jumping slash, slapping Link on the rump with the flat of his blade as the teen still decended. Link landed incredibly hard on the ground, and there was a deafening CRACK. Fearing that he had caused Link to break a limb, Rusl dropped his sword and rushed over, but not before Link staggered to his feet, eyes wide in disbelief. In his hand lay the hilt of his sword, the blade having broken off when Link had landed on it. Rusl sighed in relief, and picked up the rest of the broken blade.
As Rusl looked over the broken sword, Link wiped the remaining sweat off of his face. I made that sword too… and Rusl was really proud at how strong it was. He thought sadly. However, Rusl brought him out of these dark thoughts.
“It’s a clean break at the hilt. I might be able to fix it.” he announced, bringing Link to a more perkier state of mind. Since the training session was apparently over, the two took Epona and started to forage for lumber. Stockpiling the logs was a necessity every once and a while, for it was used not only as fuel for fires and to keep out the chill air of autumn and winter, it was also used to repair their homes and the fences. As soon as they gathered and placed four bushels of wood on the mare’s strong back, the two Hylians sat down next to the spring, enjoying the last remnants of daylight. It was then that Rusl struck up a conversation.
“Tell me… do you ever feel a strange sadness as dusk falls?” he asked, not expecting Link to reply to the enigmatic question. “They say it’s the only time when our world intersects with theirs… the only time we can feel the lingering regrets of spirits who have left our world. That is why loneliness always pervades the hour of twilight.” Link merely sat nearby, looking at the calm reflections in the spring’s water, but hanging on every word Rusl was saying. The grizzled father of Colin was like an older brother to Link, and any time Rusl began to talk about what seemed like nonsense was in fact something important to the man. Link surmised that something terrible must have happened to him around this time, but as for what, the growing boy could only guess.
“It’s maddening.” Rusl continued. “Twilight seems such a peaceful time, and yet it is also the time of day when one often laments… but today is a good day. There will be no sadness.” A small smile came upon the retired warrior’s lips.
That smile would have never been if he had found out what had just happened in the Lanayru province.
Guards rushed about in panic, the attack on Hyrule Castle having blossomed in full. One guard in particular rushed up flight upon flight of stairs, breathing heavily from aching muscles that refused to stop out of fear and adrenaline. Eventually, he came to a pair of great doors that led to a giant pagoda resting on the top of the mighty castle, used only by royalty and the most respected of visitors and privileged of citizens. The guard pushed against the door with all his might, and quickly closed and locked it soon after, though knew that trying to block the enemy wave with such an action was a futile attempt. He sprang around the door and up the last flight of stairs that led to the pagoda. He burst open the double-door, locked it shut, and ran across the untarnished red carpet towards yet another guard and a seated figure, one who sat up immediately at his panicked arrival. While not trying to disrespect the woman upon the throne, they all knew it was not the time for petty things such as introductions and kneeling before royalty.
“My Princess, it’s no use: those fiends are too strong and too many… the lower grounds have already been overwhelmed by bulbins and moblins. And the robed wizard and his army of dark creatures…” the guard trailed off at this part, not needing to explain that the leader of this assault was coming.
Princess Zelda stood before the guard, her normally beautiful facial features marred by a grim scowl at the events that had come to pass. It had all been so sudden. As soon as twilight came upon the castle, a great black and orange portal ripped into existence on the castle grounds, spewing out bulbins and moblins, goblin-like creatures that were normally easily dealt with. But not in such numbers, and not with the help of a strange wizard. As soon as he crossed the portal, he summoned forth black monsters that have never before graced the land of Hyrule. Guards had died by the dozen for every monster that was killed, and nothing seemed to be able to keep the demons at bay.
“Stand your ground.” Zelda ordered calmly, her stoic features belying her fears. The guard, scared but not stupid enough to argue the point, nodded and stood beside his leader. It was not soon after that unearthly noises reached the ears of those within the finite sanctuary. Princess Zelda and her guards all gripped their swords more tightly, knowing what was about to happen. It suddenly grew quiet, the air pregnant with suspense and thick with fear.
The suspense was broken as the doors burst off of their hinges and a black cloud ushered into the hall. A horde of black demons shot out of the blackness, and attacked. The guards fought valiantly, but the unearthly creatures seemed impervious to their attacks, and they were slaughtered one-by-one. Finally, it came down to Zelda, the two guards next to her, the horde of fiends, and one last guard who was struggling to breathe in the death grip of one of the creatures. The monsters had given pause to their relentless attack, and that could only mean one thing.
Their leader had arrived.
The black cloud dissipated into nothingness, and in its stead was a masked figure flanked by two of the demons. The mask the wizard wore was almost alien in nature, with bulging eyes, and an elongated head that flowed into shoulder pads. He wore a black silk robe, covering his entire body and etched with sea-green lining that almost seemed to glow. On top of this was a red tabard, etched with runes that the Princess couldn’t even begin to decipher.
The man, if it could even be called a man, walked steadily forward, flanked by two of the shadow beasts, and uttered an alien squeal, as if it were trying to communicate. No response was forthcoming from Princess Zelda, and so the mysterious figure halted a few yards away from where the princess stood. Then it spoke.
“It is time for you to choose: surrender or die.” It may have spoken their language, but the robed figure’s inflection was inhuman, almost with an airy echo about it.
“Oh yes, a question for all the land and people of Hyrule…” it continued. “Life? Or death?” Those last words hung in the air like judgement day. The two guards looked to their princess in fear, wondering what she would do. She was known to be stubborn in her beliefs, but wise beyond her age, and never one to submit to what she thinks is wrong. It came as a total surprise to the guards then, as Princess Zelda dropped her delicate sword, letting it clang as it struck the ground. The trio could almost see the figure grinning beneath its stone mask.
“Very good.” It purred “You fail to sacrifice yourself to save your kingdom, and so you and all who still survived the attack shall be called my prisoners.” A group of the shadow beasts surrounded them, taking the guards and leading them away, despite their weak protests. Another creature grabbed the arm of Princess Zelda, and as she was dragged away to her imprisonment, she heard the wizard speak once more.
“Now princess… just pretend that nothing has happened.” He laughed. But when Zelda looked back to glare at him, he was gone.
And so the first of the four provinces succumbed to darkness in a matter of minutes, the citizens of Hyrule none the wiser.
-TO BE WRITTEN-
I seriously need some imput on what I'm doing with this, even though this is unfinished and unpolished. That doesn't mean I don't LIKE it, I just need someone other than myself to look over it and review it. A writer may be their own worst critic, but they can also be extremely biased and look over things until someone points it out. :B And contrary to popular belief, I will actually be very happy if anyone can point out a mistake, spelling, grammar, storywise, or otherwise. I'm trying to make this my first successful fanfic after all.
And so, without further annoying explanatory paragraphs, I present the six-and-a-half pages of my budding Twilight Princess FanNovel.
... One minor note: Pretend all the paragraphs have indents. The board doesn't indent. <<;;
Edit: Wrote a few more pages. Now up to 10 and a half, yaaaaay.
It was a bright and sunny Summer day in the Ordon Woods. Built secluded in a clearing in these woods was a lovely village. It was small, the homes made of wood, and one of their few sources of income coming from the single waterwheel that processed some of their food. They were the farmers of Hyrule, growing patches of pumpkins, and sometimes corn, and raising the large horned animals in the region that have come to be known as Ordon Rams. Despite how little they owned and how little they earned, the few people in this little sanctuary worked diligently; the fact that they were not starving was enough for them. The days would pass lazily as the water would turn the wheel, for no great danger seemed to ever breach the woodland walls. However, there was a boy in this village, a boy that was found as an orphan, a boy that destiny chose, a boy that would one day ascend to manhood by saving the marvelous land of Hyrule. This boy would not live the life of his fellow villagers, and he would face many more dangers and meet far more friends and fiends than all of the villagers combined would. He would become the greatest legend the land of Hyrule would have seen in centuries.
Now if only he would wake up.
“Link! For the goddess’s sake, wake up already!” Fado yelled towards a hollowed tree. Up where the trunk started to separate into branches, the wood had been carved out, and more wood placed in to make a lovely treehouse. The occupant, however, did not notice his home’s rustic beauty, nor the man’s shouts, as he was fast asleep. Sighing in exasperation, the ranch-owner climbed the rickety wooden ladder to the treehouse’s entrance, and pounded on the shoddy wooden door. “Don’t make me break down this door! You’ve got chores to do you lazy boy, so get up!” This time he got a reaction. He heard yawning and shuffling from within the room, and soon the door opened to reveal a boy. He was slim but built, a lanky lad of about seventeen years, and his tawny yellow hair waved in a passing breeze. He was wearing some makeshift clothing unique to the villagers of Ordon: an off-white straw-like shirt with one arm sleeveless, the other having a green cotton sleeve roughly sewn on. He wore tattered baggy shorts, overlaid with blue leather and a red sash belt, and topped it off with heavy leather boots. The pointy-eared Hylian gazed at Fado with sleepy true blue eyes, much like a tired animal would.
Fado sighed again, “Look bud, I know it’s really hot out during the summer, but you need to keep track of time. The last time you slept through your chores, Bo threw a fit.” Both of them smiled at the memory of Bo, their mayor, blowing a fuse when he learned that Link had slept the whole day. “Now come on, and bring Epona with you; I need you to help me herd in the goats.” Link nodded, and followed the lean rancher down the ladder. As Fado left for the ranch, Link went to the side of the treehouse, where his horse stood, grazing peacefully, ignoring Fado’s yells. Epona was the village’s only horse, as such working animals were too expensive for the village to acquire more than one. She had been a rather small and scrawny foal, but as Epona grew, the villagers realized that she was going to be enormous. And she was. Six feet at the shoulder, the chestnut mare could even make the owner of a draft horse jealous. She was as youthful and built as Link; her huge form smooth and taught. Link reached out and patted the mare on her muscular neck, smiling, and the mare rubbed her head against his hand in return. He was given Epona while she was still a trouble-making foal, and as such the two grew a mysterious bond, able to guess what the other was feeling. This bond had grown so strong that it seemed only Link was truly capable of controlling her.
Epona nickered softly at Link’s touch, and after he was nestled securely in her saddle, the only piece of equipment she wore so her riders would not get sores from riding bareback, she set off at a trot towards the main part of the village. The heat of the afternoon had taken its toll on the people living there, and Link saw them resting along the stream that separated the peaceful place in two. He could see Hanch, the husband of the shopkeeper, standing by their sundry shop and fretting about something. Jaggle, who used the watermill to make Ordon ram cheese, was relaxing on a small cliff by the shop, neglecting his duties as usual. Link then spied Uli sitting down on a nice warm rock, watching the town kids, Malo, Talo, Beth, and Colin, frolicking in the stream that fed the water wheel. He trotted past them on Epona, waving hello to the pregnant Uli and the kids, and made his way up the slope to the ranch. It was a good-sized ranch; able to keep a herd of twenty of Hyrule’s large Ordon rams. He looked around, scanning for Fado, and spotted him in the center of the grazing field. The rancher waved him over, and Link began the daily, taxing task of herding.
After Link was done herding all of the goats into the barn, Fado said that Link had done the job faster than ever, and gave the ranch-hand a few rupees as a treat. It was evening by now, and Link felt that Epona had enough of herding rams and jumping the wooden fences Fado had put out for them. They trotted down to the village, which had now emptied of mostly everyone. Uli and Bo were still outside, the latter of which walked up to Link.
“Hey Link! I see you’re done early. Did a good job with the rams today?” Bo greeted. Link smiled, nodding in response to Bo’s question. Bo was a hefty, aging man, and was already balding very badly. As a sign of his position of mayor, there were two ceremonial tusks on his cheeks, symbolizing the rams that gave Ordon Village its name. “That’s my boy.” Bo replied merrily. He then looked like he had just remembered something, judging by the way his squinty eyes popped wide open. “Oh, uh, Link, Ilia told me to tell you she’s sorry she couldn’t see you today. She’s been holed up inside working on something.” Bo noticed the questioning look on Link’s face, then added, “And she doesn’t want you to know what it is.” Link groaned, disappointed. What doesn’t she want me to see? He wondered. He played with the idea of sneaking through her bedroom window, as he had often done before, but that thought was cascaded from his mind when he heard a yell.
“HEY! A RAM ESCAPED; IT’S HEADING FOR THE TOWN!!” Link groaned even more audibly this time, shaking his head in bemusement. Not again. He hopped off Epona, ran to the middle of the dirt road, and saw the ram careening down from the field. Link braced himself, and the ram came closer, and closer, and closer…
WHAM.
Suddenly Link found himself on the ground, the air blasted from his lungs and a pain beginning to develop in his chest. As he heard the sounds of pounding hooves grow faint, he realized that the stupid beast had ran over him, undaunted in its charge. A muscled hand grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet. It was Bo, and he was frowning.
“Now what was that? Has Fado taught you nothing about stopping charging rams?” Bo bellowed. He gave Link a hardy slap on the back, making the mute farm-boy stumble and yell in surprise. What the…? Link thought. He tried to stand straight, but Bo’s large hand kept him bent. “Crouch down and plant your feet like that. There ya go. Now, hold out your arms to your side an’ your front, like a lizard. When that ram comes at you, you grab its horns and boy, don’t you give that beast an inch. Once you’ve got ‘em steady, throw ‘em down to the side.” Bo slapped Link once again, making him fall to the dirt. For crying out loud Bo! I love your advice and all, but you need to stop doing that! Link yelled in his mind. However, all Bo could see was Link’s intense glare, but apparently the barrel-bodied mayor didn’t care. Or notice.
“Now, when the next time one of those bloody rams escape, you use that technique and you’ll have ‘em whipped good boy.” The mayor advised. Suddenly, there was another call.
“’NOTHER RAM ESCAPED! LOOK OUT!” yelled Fado.
“… Well speak of Volvagia, here’s yer chance.” Bo said, pushing Link directly into the ram’s path, “Show that beast what for!” Link crouched down, novicely getting into the position Bo had just shown him. The ram got closer… closer… Link had to force his eyes to stay open…
WHAM.
Link could feel the horns he now grappled in his hands, and the brute strength of the beast before him. Sensing the resistance, the ram tried to push the obstacle out of the way, fear adding to its power. Link grunted with the strain of keeping the crazed animal at bay. Man, I never knew these rams were this strong! Link thought, struggling to hold back the rampaging ram. Instinctively, Link dug his heels into the dirt, bent his body so that he was parallel to the ground, and heaved back. The ram was beginning to lose its vigor, until at last Link twisted his arms, sending the beast flying onto its side. Link panted, sweat dripping onto his rough cotton shirt, not quite believing he had just won a match against the animal. Link had started to wipe the sweat from his face when he realized that someone was clapping. Heartily at that.
“Now that’s how yeh do it!” Bo applauded, “And look,” he said, pointing a chubby finger at the defeated ram, “It’s as docile as Sera’s pussycat now.” Turning to the ram, Link saw that this was true. The ram had now turned around and was trudging forlornly back to the ranch. Link pondered about what had happened. Those goats … something must have spooked them. Walking over to the ram, he gave it a pat on the back, encouraging it to walk back to the stables. It gave a happy bleat in return, and continued to the ranch quicker than before. It was strange: ever since Link could remember, it seemed as if all the animals he had ever known could sense his intentions, and he theirs, albeit not as well as Epona. Link then turned to Bo and gave a questioning look and grunt, for the mayor was still watching him. “Ah guess that’s why you’re the ranch-hand and I’m not. You care for those critters even when they’re bein’ a pain in the ass. You take care now boy.” Bo sighed, and the mayor retreated into his cabin for the night. Link remounted Epona, who had been watching the spectacle placidly, and crossed the small stream. Link gently pulled on Epona’s mane to stop her when Uli called his name, and turned to her as the pregnant woman walked up to him. She happened to be in her mid to late thirties, but her freckleless skin and auburn hair seemed to make her look much younger, if not the peasant-like clothing she and the rest of the village wore.
“Colin wanted me to tell you that he finished your fishing pole.” She told him, smiling warmly. “Since you weren’t around, he put it up against your house. Now have a good rest dear; it seems like you’ll need it.” she patted Link’s shoulder, much like a mother would, then went inside her hut, which was across from the mayor’s cabin. Link looked after her sadly. Even though she was the kindest soul he had ever known, Uli was not his mother, and neither was Sera, the shopkeeper, or Jaggle’s wife, Pergie.
In fact, his own parents were a great enigma, not only to himself but to the whole village. No one knew what they looked like, where they came from, where they went, whether they were alive or not, but most importantly, they did not know why. No one knew why Link’s parents had placed him in this little village, as nice and friendly though it was. And at times like this, when it was almost night, Link couldn’t help but think about them, or the strange mark on his hand. Link glanced down and raised his left hand, so it would catch the evening sun and highlight the strange emblem that was tattooed onto it. There were three triangles, each a slightly lighter tint of his own skin, that were arranged into the form of a larger triangle. The one on the bottom left seemed oddly brighter than the others, as if that particular polygon held some sort of importance. Unfortunately, no one in the village knew what it was, or what it meant; only that it had been there since he was found by the tree he now lived in, and that it was a type of rune from days of old and legends. From the days when the Gerudo were still alive in their hostile sanctuary known as the Gerudo Desert.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Link gently tapped the sides of Epona, and the horse began to trot towards his treehouse. Link eased the mare into her favorite patch of tall grass next to the giant tree, dismounted, and climbed up the ladder towards the entrance, too tired to bother looking for Colin’s pole. As he stepped inside, he was greeted by the friendly glow of burning embers inside of a stone enclave, which were the remains of the fire he had started that morning. His stomach rumbled loudly, reminding the blue-eyed boy that he had failed to eat anything today.
Again.
To the right of the smoldering coals, Link rummaged in a little drawer for anything edible. Eventually he pulled out some salted meat, emptying the cupboard of all there was. Link fed the fire with some twigs and pieces of firewood, then carelessly tossed the ram meat into an iron pan and over the fire. A few minutes later, the muscle was sizzling deliciously, smoke wafting from the fire and through the carved-out, stone-laid chimney. Then a few minutes after that, Link sighed contentedly as he devoured the last of the juicy ram meat, the dirty pan discarded on the floor. By now darkness had completely taken over, the faint light of twinkling stars flowing in through the tree’s only window, next to Link’s bed. Yawning, Link climbed up two sets of ladders to a small platform where his bed laid, bypassing a bookshelf decorated with ratty and musty books, and pictures of his friends and Epona. Link undressed, putting on another undershirt and some linen shorts, and climbed into his straw-stuffed mattress. He winced as he settled in, rubbing the bruises that now pecked his body. Yeah, that’s going to hurt in the morning. He mused. Glancing up through the tiny window, Link’s blue eyes reflected the stars, and he wondered whether the animals felt such mystery and longing when they gazed up at the luminous dots in the sky. A wolf’s howl seemed to reply to his unspoken question, but Link would not remember hearing it as he gently drifted into sleep.
When Link awoke from his dreamless sleep the next morning, he hissed with a sharp intake of his breath, clutching his abdomen. Checking himself, Link found that the bruise from last night seemed to have doubled in size, now as large as his fist, from where the first ram had pounded him. Groaning in displeasure, he almost went back to sleep, as Sundays were one of the few days in the year that he got to take a break from work, but then remembered Uli telling him about Colin’s fishing rod. So Link got dressed and went out into the bright, warm outside. He breathed in the fresh air, and noticed the dust in the air when it glinted in the sun’s morning rays. Link slid down the ladder, cringing as he was reminded of his bruises, and found Colin’s fishing pole right up against the trunk of the great oak. Wow… Colin really outdid himself, thought Link approvingly. The stick had been carefully handcrafted from the wood of some type of tree, as smooth as his own skin and as flexible as new growth on a bush. The wood had then been colored with bright yellows and blues, and striped with a beautiful black. The pole attached to a piece of line, which had a simple metal hook tied on the other end. It was a marvelous pole for the one who made it being only ten years of age. Smiling, Link took the pole and went to the clear pond behind the waterwheel, and dipped his new toy in the water. He saw the fish swim about the metal hook, curious about the new object that had entered their watery domain. Soon enough a little greengill bit down on the hook, and Link whipped the pole back behind his head, landing the little fish. Less than the size of his hand, the little round fish was too small to be worth eating, and so Link released it. His relaxing day continued like this, catching and releasing all the fish he caught, until he felt a presence. Looking behind his shoulder, he saw Ilia, his childhood friend and fellow horse-lover, walking up to him.
“Hi Link.” She warmly said, brushing her dirty blonde hair away from her face, “I’m sure my father told you, but I still want to say I’m sorry I couldn’t see you yesterday.” Link nodded, smiling back at her relatively pretty face, playing with his fishing pole’s twine. “Frankly, I’m surprised that you’re not with Epona.” Link smiled wider, almost laughing. Yeah well, the last time you preached to me about overworking her, I decided to let her have a break as well. He thought. “Honestly Link, you push her too hard sometimes. You need to learn that horses need breaks too.” She added, green eyes glinting, and this time Link stared at the girl incredulously. Why do you think I’m not with her? Link growled to himself, wishing for the umpteenth time that he hadn’t been mute. But because he could not protest against Ilia, his friend continued on, not realizing his annoyance towards her. “Sometimes I wish I owned Epona. You know how I can sense an animal’s feelings. I’d know exactly when she needs to rest.” Link sighed in exasperation, resigned to his fate. Another thing I’d wish for is everyone to stop lecturing me. I’m not a dog- I can take care of my horse just fine without orders. It was doubly embarrassing for Link to get lectured by Ilia, for she was a few years younger than himself. Many of the villagers claimed that Ilia was by far wiser than him, though the other kids thought her boring, and much preferred to play with Link whenever his boyish mischievousness was aroused. Then, just as Ilia was about to further lecture Link about horse-training, he was saved as two of the village kids ran up to the pair, shouting excitedly. Ilia frowned at them, but then smiled and waved goodbye to Link, “Just make sure she’s okay. I’ll see you later Link,” and then walked off. Link smiled back, but then his attention was drawn to the brothers. The older of the two, Talo, was about seven years old, while his sibling Malo was only five. Both were incredible troublemakers, though it was normally Talo who concocted all of their hair-brained adventures. It took Link several seconds for his ears to discern what they were chattering about.
“Link, you won’t believe what happened!” Malo cried out, jumping excitedly.
“Yeah, it was the amazingest thing I ever saw! A monkey!” Talo added, waving his toy stick in the air. Link snapped to attention at the word ‘monkey’, for the primates had recently taken a habit of causing problems in the village, from stealing produce, to causing the rams to rampage about in panic. He waited for them to continue, which didn’t take long.
“A monkey with a flower on its head stole Colin’s mom’s cradle!” Malo told Link,
“And now it’s taunting us in the woods!” Talo added,
“We need you to get it back!” Malo finished, beckoning Link to follow them. Link nodded and followed the boys out of the village, and was led to the spring just outside the little sanctuary, which was aptly named Ordon Spring. The water there leaked from an underground pool, and was incredibly rich in minerals and healing properties. As such, the flora that surrounded the spring flourished with emerald green shades, and it was in one of the gem-colored trees that the monkey perched, screeching at them in superiority.
“We’ve tried throwing rocks at it, but it just keeps moving out of the way!” Talo whined, proving his point by picking up a small stone and chucking it at the primate, which only leaped into a nearby tree, squeaking amusedly. “I wanted to climb the tree to get at it, but then it just goes and gets on another tree.” He added, dashing Link’s thought at trying to climb after the cradle-thief. It wasn’t long though, until the ranch-hand had an idea. To get the boys’ attention, Link coughed, and then he reached down to grab two stones. He handed the ammunition to Talo and Malo, and gestured multiple tosses at the tree. He wanted them to keep throwing stones at the monkey, while he tried to climb the tree it was on and grab the cradle while it was distracted. Eventually, the two children caught his meaning, and began tossing as many stones as they could. As they bombarded the ape, it screeched and dodged the projectiles as they came soaring, but was too busy warding off the assault to be able to escape into another tree.
This also meant that it failed to see Link climbing the very tree it was on. Quietly, Link inched his way up the trunk, using his strong arms to lift himself up and keep from falling. He finally managed to grab the lowest branch, and then sneaked closer and closer to the distracted monkey, until he was within range and made a quick snatch for the cradle. The monkey finally realized his presence, and tried to pull away, but Link managed to get a firm grip on the reed-weaved cradle, and glared hard at the animal. He wanted it to stop and go away. The monkey seemed to realize this, and it screeched and released the cradle as it bounded away deeper into the woods. Down below, Link saw the brothers cheer in triumph, Talo in particular boasting at how cool Link was. The teenager jumped down from the tree, cradle in hand, and a skewed smirk on his face as the two brothers continued to praise him for his ingenious ideas.
As they returned to the village, which was a mildly short trot, the volume of noise Talo and Malo made alerted the villagers to their presence. Occasionally a face would look up from whatever work they were doing, roll their eyes at the ecstatic brothers and the sheepish teenager between them, and then resume their task. One pair of eyes did not let the boys out of their vision. Those eyes belonged to Uli, and they looked rather surprised at the triumphant return of her cradle. The once morose look on her face had all but disappeared, and was now replaced with a visage of jubilance. As they approached her, Malo and Talo breaking away to tell their parents of the exciting adventure, Uli got up and hugged the already disheveled Link.
“Oh Link! Bless you and Malo and Talo, you got my cradle back!” she praised, making Link’s cheeks flush in embarrassment. Eagerly she took the cradle, still beaming. “I wouldn’t have known what to do; I couldn’t possibly make another before the baby is born.” Suddenly, Link’s stomach growled, and Uli smiled knowingly, shaking her head, “You silly thing, not eating before gallivanting off like that. Well go on, go eat at Sera’s. And before I forget, my husband wants you to go out and get some lumber after you’re done with your training.”
Uli waved as Link nodded in understanding, and then the teen went to Sera’s convenience store, which was the hut closest to the outskirts of the village where his treehouse sat. The store doubled as the home for Sera and her family, so as Link entered the tiny place, Hanch was up along with his wife, but it looked like Beth, their daughter, was still sleeping upstairs. He was given his breakfast, two eggs with a side of goat meat, in relative silence, beyond mumbled “Hello”s from the couple, as they were busy frisking thought the shop’s supplies. Business this far out away from any big cities, or even towns, was slim at best, but travelers occasionally did visit this part of Hyrule, and delivery orders for Ordon Cheese always made a decent enough profit when they came in.
Link eagerly downed his food, excited to get started on his training, and rushed out the door, waving bye to Sera and Hanch, and ran towards Epona, who seemed to be waiting patiently for him, as if she knew that he was going to need her. As he clamored atop the mare, grabbing bits of her mane for support and handling, he guided her away from the village, and into the Ordon Woods. They trotted past the Ordon Spring, and came to a massive gorge, separating the Ordon Province from the rest of Hyrule. A padlocked gate stood before a rickety wooden bridge. It was fairly dated, but the wood was solid and the ropes had yet to fray, and it was the only way of safe passage to the Faron Province without having to walk back and hike around the mountains and bypass the gorge, which could take at least half a day. Luckily for Link and Epona, the padlock on the gate was unlocked, and the gate swayed lazily open as they brushed against it and crossed onto the bridge. The light and shadows from the sun and the trees played across their backs as they crossed the bridge into the Faron Province, and walked along the lightly-trodden path towards another spring. It was not a coincidence that there was another spring here. Each of the four Provinces- Ordon to the far south, Faron just above it, Eldin to the Northeast, and the massive Lanayru Province in the north and the west- all had a mystical spring to call its own; each named after the mythical guardian spirits of Light that were said to protect each region. It was not a coincidence that the Faron Spring was where Link had his training either. The healing waters were well for any injuries that might happen during sparring, and being farther away from Ordon Village granted a bit more privacy for the sword training than would the Ordon Spring.
It was at the Faron Spring where he met his mentor and good friend, Rusl. Aging, with a short and thin grizzled beard, leathery skin, and graying hair, Rusl would be the visage of a veteran warrior if he had worn armor instead of the custom of the village. Before marrying his wife, Uli, Rusl had served in the Hyrulian army, fought in many battles, and eventually became one of the many men experienced with the ways of battle and sword. As he got older though, he retired and moved his family to the quiet and serene Ordon Village, where they might find peace from the hectic world of Hyrule Castle and its warriors. When a much younger Link began to show an interest in swordplay, Rusl took it upon himself to be the young Hylian’s tutor, and ever since he had been teaching Link how to wield a sword, and how to fight. The swordsman, only just showing Link the basics of swordsmanship, had them meet up at the Faron Spring every Sunday to train with wooden swords, starting around midday and not stopping until the sun began to sink below the trees.
So it was this day, as Link joined Rusl in the heat of battle, still fighting fiercely even though sweat had begun to fly from their tired bodies and the sun had sank well below the tree-line. After Rusl broke their clash by pushing Link away with his wooden blade, the younger Hylian immediately rebounded, springing into the air with his sword held high, intending to cut down towards Rusl and end the fight. Rusl, however, was not a veteran swordsman for no reason, and he sidestepped the anticipated jumping slash, slapping Link on the rump with the flat of his blade as the teen still decended. Link landed incredibly hard on the ground, and there was a deafening CRACK. Fearing that he had caused Link to break a limb, Rusl dropped his sword and rushed over, but not before Link staggered to his feet, eyes wide in disbelief. In his hand lay the hilt of his sword, the blade having broken off when Link had landed on it. Rusl sighed in relief, and picked up the rest of the broken blade.
As Rusl looked over the broken sword, Link wiped the remaining sweat off of his face. I made that sword too… and Rusl was really proud at how strong it was. He thought sadly. However, Rusl brought him out of these dark thoughts.
“It’s a clean break at the hilt. I might be able to fix it.” he announced, bringing Link to a more perkier state of mind. Since the training session was apparently over, the two took Epona and started to forage for lumber. Stockpiling the logs was a necessity every once and a while, for it was used not only as fuel for fires and to keep out the chill air of autumn and winter, it was also used to repair their homes and the fences. As soon as they gathered and placed four bushels of wood on the mare’s strong back, the two Hylians sat down next to the spring, enjoying the last remnants of daylight. It was then that Rusl struck up a conversation.
“Tell me… do you ever feel a strange sadness as dusk falls?” he asked, not expecting Link to reply to the enigmatic question. “They say it’s the only time when our world intersects with theirs… the only time we can feel the lingering regrets of spirits who have left our world. That is why loneliness always pervades the hour of twilight.” Link merely sat nearby, looking at the calm reflections in the spring’s water, but hanging on every word Rusl was saying. The grizzled father of Colin was like an older brother to Link, and any time Rusl began to talk about what seemed like nonsense was in fact something important to the man. Link surmised that something terrible must have happened to him around this time, but as for what, the growing boy could only guess.
“It’s maddening.” Rusl continued. “Twilight seems such a peaceful time, and yet it is also the time of day when one often laments… but today is a good day. There will be no sadness.” A small smile came upon the retired warrior’s lips.
That smile would have never been if he had found out what had just happened in the Lanayru province.
Guards rushed about in panic, the attack on Hyrule Castle having blossomed in full. One guard in particular rushed up flight upon flight of stairs, breathing heavily from aching muscles that refused to stop out of fear and adrenaline. Eventually, he came to a pair of great doors that led to a giant pagoda resting on the top of the mighty castle, used only by royalty and the most respected of visitors and privileged of citizens. The guard pushed against the door with all his might, and quickly closed and locked it soon after, though knew that trying to block the enemy wave with such an action was a futile attempt. He sprang around the door and up the last flight of stairs that led to the pagoda. He burst open the double-door, locked it shut, and ran across the untarnished red carpet towards yet another guard and a seated figure, one who sat up immediately at his panicked arrival. While not trying to disrespect the woman upon the throne, they all knew it was not the time for petty things such as introductions and kneeling before royalty.
“My Princess, it’s no use: those fiends are too strong and too many… the lower grounds have already been overwhelmed by bulbins and moblins. And the robed wizard and his army of dark creatures…” the guard trailed off at this part, not needing to explain that the leader of this assault was coming.
Princess Zelda stood before the guard, her normally beautiful facial features marred by a grim scowl at the events that had come to pass. It had all been so sudden. As soon as twilight came upon the castle, a great black and orange portal ripped into existence on the castle grounds, spewing out bulbins and moblins, goblin-like creatures that were normally easily dealt with. But not in such numbers, and not with the help of a strange wizard. As soon as he crossed the portal, he summoned forth black monsters that have never before graced the land of Hyrule. Guards had died by the dozen for every monster that was killed, and nothing seemed to be able to keep the demons at bay.
“Stand your ground.” Zelda ordered calmly, her stoic features belying her fears. The guard, scared but not stupid enough to argue the point, nodded and stood beside his leader. It was not soon after that unearthly noises reached the ears of those within the finite sanctuary. Princess Zelda and her guards all gripped their swords more tightly, knowing what was about to happen. It suddenly grew quiet, the air pregnant with suspense and thick with fear.
The suspense was broken as the doors burst off of their hinges and a black cloud ushered into the hall. A horde of black demons shot out of the blackness, and attacked. The guards fought valiantly, but the unearthly creatures seemed impervious to their attacks, and they were slaughtered one-by-one. Finally, it came down to Zelda, the two guards next to her, the horde of fiends, and one last guard who was struggling to breathe in the death grip of one of the creatures. The monsters had given pause to their relentless attack, and that could only mean one thing.
Their leader had arrived.
The black cloud dissipated into nothingness, and in its stead was a masked figure flanked by two of the demons. The mask the wizard wore was almost alien in nature, with bulging eyes, and an elongated head that flowed into shoulder pads. He wore a black silk robe, covering his entire body and etched with sea-green lining that almost seemed to glow. On top of this was a red tabard, etched with runes that the Princess couldn’t even begin to decipher.
The man, if it could even be called a man, walked steadily forward, flanked by two of the shadow beasts, and uttered an alien squeal, as if it were trying to communicate. No response was forthcoming from Princess Zelda, and so the mysterious figure halted a few yards away from where the princess stood. Then it spoke.
“It is time for you to choose: surrender or die.” It may have spoken their language, but the robed figure’s inflection was inhuman, almost with an airy echo about it.
“Oh yes, a question for all the land and people of Hyrule…” it continued. “Life? Or death?” Those last words hung in the air like judgement day. The two guards looked to their princess in fear, wondering what she would do. She was known to be stubborn in her beliefs, but wise beyond her age, and never one to submit to what she thinks is wrong. It came as a total surprise to the guards then, as Princess Zelda dropped her delicate sword, letting it clang as it struck the ground. The trio could almost see the figure grinning beneath its stone mask.
“Very good.” It purred “You fail to sacrifice yourself to save your kingdom, and so you and all who still survived the attack shall be called my prisoners.” A group of the shadow beasts surrounded them, taking the guards and leading them away, despite their weak protests. Another creature grabbed the arm of Princess Zelda, and as she was dragged away to her imprisonment, she heard the wizard speak once more.
“Now princess… just pretend that nothing has happened.” He laughed. But when Zelda looked back to glare at him, he was gone.
And so the first of the four provinces succumbed to darkness in a matter of minutes, the citizens of Hyrule none the wiser.
-TO BE WRITTEN-
