Chapter Text
His eyes opened to the dimmed dawn of a new day, a new day to learn and explore.
There had been the feeling of something that he had experienced before, the awkwardness of growing up and learning to fight as he grew older.
Link had been trained in swordplay since he was seven, raised on the stories of the Hero of Light and Twilight and of the Hero of Time. He admired them, and something he was pleased to discover was that the two were also named Link.
Link pulled fresh clothing on and quickly slung his sword's belt on over his shoulder, adjusting it slightly. He smiled to himself as he braided his hair back, something he felt he needed to do. The Hero of Time had a short ponytail, so why couldn't he have a braid?
Hyrule was peaceful, even though Ganondorf had returned a hundred years ago, but it was unlikely for him to appear again. Link glanced down at the birthmark on his left hand, the three odd triangles that the bottom right one seemed more pale than the other two, or it was just his head messing with him as usual.
He'd been dreaming about dark clouds and blood and a red stone and blue lightning and fire the last few nights and he couldn't help but think about it. That his dreams were something in the past or the future.
His father was waiting for the sixteen year old to spar with him. A sword representing the village was to be carried by him to the Hyrule Royal family, a tradition that happened every 25 years, the sword made by the eldest swords maker in Ordon Village and carried by a fine young man. It was Link's turn this time to bear the sword and as the hundredth anniversary of the Hero of Twilight's start of his journey, his grandson had crafted the sword. The man was a little strange, as his skin was never tanned even though half his day was spent outside in the sun and three blue marks were on his right shoulder, his son had some on his wrist, and Link had to wonder.
His feet shuffled in the dust as he padded over to his father and unsheathed his sword.
The clang of steel and the creation of slight sparks were something Link took pride in as he and his father sparred for a few hours, honing thier minds and reflexes before smiling and stepping apart. Link sheathed his sword and went to go listen to the Elder's stories of his friend's father and the myths surrounding the strange race that the Hero's children had been half of, and how the blood was diluted slowly, but still present. There were three lines of his family, a son to Kakariko, a daughter to Castle Town and a son to Ordon. They had been triplets.
Link smiled as he listened to the mythos that the elder recited to generation after generation. He had seen 80 years, a long time alive in Hyrule.
He heard his name and looked up.
"Your mother was from Shiek's line. She possessed something special."
Link blinked in surprise. He had not known about her lineage. He was related to the Heroes?
The elder held up something on a cord. "This is a fragment of the Mirror of Twilight. You remember my stories about the Twili?" He beckoned Link forward and dropped the shard into his hand. "Three fragments remain to this mirror. It was all the Princess Midna could bear to leave, and pregnant with three children, she gave each one a shard to transport them to Hyrule, and cast a spell on the Fragments of Twilight so a small mirror may form in the hands of the next hero."
Link pulled the necklace on over his head, the Fragment warm against his skin. Power surged through him.
"I am the next bearer of this piece?" He asked as the Elder nodded.
"Take the blade to the Royal family. Return to your grandfather's village and ask to speak with the shaman." Link nodded.
"When should I leave?"
"Today."
Link nodded.
His father gave him a bottle of milk and a few days' rations. His father's bow and quiver were there and two red potions. He thanked him and climbed on Epona. He checked the saddle bag for the sword before heading out to Hyrule Field.
The hours went by quickly, Link dealing with Bulblin forces by quickly dispatching them with an arrow to their body. He spurred his mare into a gallop and sped across the grassland towards the castle in the distance,making excellent time. He rode through the dirt road and got Epona to slow to a trot.
Horse and rider arrived at a bridge's entrance and Link dismounted and pulled his things free, carrying the sword in his arms.
The townsfolk bustled on around the town center and Link paid them no attention as he marched on by towards the castle, burdened with glorious purpose. Some looked his way briefly and some stopped.
The large gates to the castle were opened for him and Link was escorted through all of the high arching halls.
A large oaken door stood proudly between him and some other room after what seemed like an eternity of a maze of the castle. How could the castle folk run through here on a daily basis without gaining a scratch.
A guard stepped forward and pushed the gate open and Link heard a screeching in his mind that shocked him past his living memories and it scared him stiff.
A guard gave him a queer glance before rolling his eyes in disgust, Link taking a slight offense to the muttered "Country bumpkin.", before prodding him in the back with his hand and snapping Link out of a flashback of an intricately carved gate with a keeper dressed all in white, malice in the air. He sighed and took a deep breath before stepping into the grand throne room, the doors being closed behind him, that feeling of that strange gate and something watching him still in his system and he shook himself mentally before walking forward and dropping to one knee in front of the throne, his head down in respect.
"Very well done, hero." Came a young woman's pleased tone and he felt the weight of the sword disappear. He looked up to see a beautiful princess letting the covering of the sword drop to the castle, the blade parallel to her body. Her gloved hands smoothed along the flat of the blade.
"His work alright. It's Link's work." She looked to the side, at Hyrule's king. He stood up and walked to his daughter.
"It's the Hero of Twilight's special craft passed down through his bloodline through Ciel's heritage." He approved. "My dear friend's father."
Link stared at the king. "Were you close friends?"
"Tight knit." He laughed as he looked at the Princess. "Zelda, if it is what you wish, you may have that sword."
She dipped her head. "Thank you father." She smiled. Her eyes shifted to the young man still kneeling. "You may stand."
Link dipped his head and stood up. She lifted the blade. "Spar with me so I may test this blade." Zelda smiled. Link nodded and unsheathed his.
"Yes, your highness." He bowed and lifted the sword.
The princess swung with such a ferocity that Link almost dropped his blade in surprise, catching the blade on the hand guard at the end of the blade. She grinned and the two engaged in the dance of swordsmanship.
The spar was short lived and the two sheathed their weapons. Neither of them had broken a sweat and Zelda still looked royal. Link smiled.
"You are a fine fighter." He approved and she dipped her head in acceptance.
"So are you."
Link gave her an embarrassed smile before the earth shook.
"What in Nayru's name was that?" Zelda gasped. She ran to the doors and the guards tugged the doors open. Link dashed after her quickly, his eyes wide in fear.
Far off in the direction of Faron woods gleamed a bright light, a beacon.
"That's from the Sacred Grove!" The King's voice was harsh in fear. "The Master Sword senses something. Is her conscious waking?"
"Whose?" The two younger Hylians asked.
"The Master Sword is housing an entity named Fi. She helped the first hero guard the goddess Hylia, in the form of a mortal, and when his quest was finished, she was sealed into the sword in a deep slumber. I am not sure if she is waking or not or if it's the deeper magic of the blessed blade."
Link's unwavering gaze was fixed on the light, eyes narrowed in determination.
A rumble ran through Castle Town and Hyrule Castle again, and a large black mass appeared in the sky in the field. A small figure dropped from it and Link's eyes went wide. What was that thing?
"I'm going to go check things out." He looked at the royals. "I'll try to be back soon."
Retracing his steps was not too hard for the teen as he dashed from the castle and ran through the now panicked crowd and whistled for Epona once he was out of the town and across the bridge. She clopped over and Link hopped on, quickly kicking her into a fast pace and racing over to where the figure fell.
He slowed Epona down and hopped off, sword drawn, his eyes searching the area.
"I was wondering when the little shrimp would show." A ragged and snotty voice slithered down from a tree and Link looked up to see a strangely dressed...... Androgynous person lounging on the branch. They hopped down and smirked.
"Who are you? Who are you looking for?" He growled.
"My name is.... Envy." He placed a fingerless gloved hand on his hip. "And I have been looking for a certain alchemist by the name of Edward Elric and you are the spitting image!"
"I am not an alchemist and I am definitely not 'Edward Elric'. My name is Link!" Link growled. "Swordsman, not alchemist. What even is an alchemist?!"
The thing just shrugged. "Guess I'll beat information out of you."
He advanced and Link stepped away slowly, keeping a distance that he was comfortable with. He could see the beam of light in the background and the thing facing him shifted his arm and his hand and arm changed shape into some sort of sharp blade. Link gasped and jumped away as Envy lunged.
The strange creature danced with Link, the swordsman jumping out of the way, back flipping away on occasion to escape a swipe. He planted a foot in the ground and parried the blow as he kicked his leg and slashed the sword.
A gash was opened on his upper right arm and his other hand flew up to cup the wound, pulling his hand away and seeing blood.
"Shit." He muttered. He slashed at Link and the kid parried again, using his legs to help fight and Envy looked pissed.
After a few more moments of fighting, Envy backed away and ran off. "I'll just investigate on my own, further around this place."
Link watched the thing run off before sheathing his sword and jumping back on Epona and going back to the entrance of Castle Town.
"What was that thing?" Zelda asked him.
"His name was Envy, or her, I'm not all that sure of it. He could change his arm into a hard blade. If he can do that, he can probably change his entire body into something else." Link sighed as he took a sip of tea. "I know one thing: he's neither human nor Hylian."
Zelda nodded in understanding. "Okay."
Link huffed as he turned to glance out a window, and it was not near the shining light of the sword. He sighed.
"I wonder why the beam of light showed up." He broke the short silence on the two playing tea party.
"Maybe it's like what my father said: the Sword may sense a great evil." The Princess mused with the teacup at her lips.
"The thing that fell from the sky- Envy- was a monster and there were red sparks around his side when he ran away, the blood that dripped from his side onto the grass evaporating immediately. I think that the Sword sensed that. He was looking for someone named Edward Elric. I don't know any Edwards; that's a weird name around here; and I certainly don't know anyone other than your family with a last name, not even the Hero of Twilight had a family name. It was just Link."
She gave a light shrug, her eyes staring at his. "You should go to the Sacred Grove and get the Master Sword." She suggested. "Take this."
Her fingers pulled out a larger wallet and set it down on the table. It was filled with two silver rupees. "It's a small fortune for someone from your area, but it will help you. A few of my soldiers can help you get better equipped with a new quiver and a shield." She bowed her head. "There will probably be some prerequisite for the sword, but I am not sure."
Link nodded and set his empty cup and saucer down before getting to his feet.
"Thank you very much." He smiled as he dumped the amount of money that he had already into the new wallet. She smiled.
Link jumped onto Epona's back and made his way to the Faron province, the day fading fast, thankful for thinking to stock up on camping supplies and he quickly set up his tent under some trees, well sheltered from foreign threat before bunking down for the night. He promptly fell asleep and he dreamt of someone dressed in black and red. Someone in armor chased after them, shouting "Brother!" at the figure. He turned and all Link could catch was startling gold eyes and blonde braided hair before he snapped awake, the tent being what he opened his eyes on.
He sat up and braided his hair again, his fingers pausing mid-twist as he contemplated on his dream, the teen having blonde, braided hair.
Was this a clue for something?
He shook his head and finished braiding and got up. He broke camp and jumped back on Epona as he continued on, rolling his shoulders as horse and rider traveled on.
Hours passed and Link stood at a boardwalk that wrapped around the hill's edge. A sign was posted there.
DANGEROUS. DO NOT ATTEMPT WITHOUT GOOD REASON was what the sign dictated and Link hopped off his horse and fed her a carrot before starting off down the board walk. He ignored what the sign had said; as he had a good reason.
Link trudged across the spans of the voids across bridges and something deeper in him feared something would suddenly swing out to smack him off the bridges, yet it was cleared anything danger had been taken out years ago.
His fear slowly subsided and he came to the entrance. He looked at it for a few moments before gathering his shit together and trudged over to the gaping mouth before his legs giving out beneath him and blacking out.
"Edward, behave. Be on your best behaviour." A lovely male voice grumbled from somewhere.
"Brother!"
"Fullmetal, are you sure you can see? I can hardly see you over my desk." Came that same voice from before the sibling outcry, a smirk in his tone.
"Brother!" The voice was a little more desperate.
"Ed... I love you." Came a young woman's voice and then an "I don't." From a young man's voice.
"Ed... I love you." Came a soft whisper. "Please come back safely. I don't want to loose you. I've almost lost you several times." The first male voice sounded lost.
"BROTHER!" The voice was strained and desperate.
Link's eyes snapped open.